Comments:
I finished college at TX Tech in 1993, where I was a ZTA. I received my BS in Human Development and Family Studies, with a collateral in languages (English & French) and Substance Abuse. My goal was to get my PhD and open my own practice in psychotherapy. I had always wanted to live in Manhattan, however, so I looked for a job that would take me there first. In 1995 I was hired by American Airlines as a Flight Attendant and immediately moved to New York City after training. I flew internationally and domestically for 5 years, working my favorite positions of galley and purser (best positions for control-freaks like me:)!). In 2000, a dear friend asked me to help her open the NY office of a dot com she had just started working for. That job only lasted 4 months but, segwayed nicely into an advertising services director position for HOME Magazine. I worked closely with and for the publisher for 3 years.
On the personal side, I met my husband, Phil, in 1998 at work, where he is a pilot. In 2002 we married in Hawai'i, and in 2003, we had our first child, Nathaniel. After he was born, I quit the magazine and we moved out of the city. We settled in upstate NY, in the Albany area, where Phil's family lives (free babysitting:)). Our second son, Theodore was born in May of 2007.
I have a very happy, full and blessed life but, with the good also comes the challenging. For me, the past 20+ years I've had various medical issues and symptoms that haven't been fully diagnosed or resolved. I've had weight and symptom fluctuations that have left many doctors puzzled. In 2003, I was on medications that caused acute weight gain, and that summer, I contracted Lyme Disease. After being bed-ridden for two months and before I was fully recovered from that, I became pregnant with Theo. I had hyperemisis (the really bad morning sickness) for the first 4 months. I was put on medication to stop the vomitting and relieve the dehydration. In 2006, I started experiencing alarming symptoms related to nodules on my thryoid. In December of last year, when Theo was just 7 months old, I elected to have my thyroid removed (you can see the scar still on my neck). During the pathology, 2 spots of cancer were found. I had the radiation treatment done in February of this year, and am cancer free today. Interestingly, I am more energetic and feeling better than I ever have, and my various symptoms seem to be resolving themselves with hormone replacement therapy. My doctors now believe I have had thyroid disease my entire life, and think I am healing nicely from all of the (literal) ups and downs.
I love being a stay-at-home mom but I'm looking forward to re-starting my professional organizing business (had to put on hold when I contracted Lyme). I'm also working part-time for a friend at her boutique and consignment stores, while doing my own consignments from home. I'm very much looking forward to seeing everyone again at the reunion and introducing my boys to the place where mommy was born and raised. It should be a very fun vacation!
