It’s been a long time.

I’ve wanted to return, I’ve wished I’d returned many times, but inertia has always won. But when I told my students “I write” I realized that unless you count short emails and facebook updates, I certainly don’t write. I need to write more, so I’m back.

In the time I’ve been away, I joined roller derby, fell in love with roller derby, gave my heart to roller derby, then sadly retired from roller derby.

In the time I’ve been away, I’ve been diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, my diagnosis reading “She has evolving, significant functional limitations and is at high risk for total disability unless aggressive treatment is initiated.” I carry around a copy of that. A reminder that without my agressive treatment, that has included two types of chemotherapy and daily maxing out the FDA standard of anti-inflammatories, I am at high risk for ‘total disability.’

In the time I’ve been away, I’ve lost another tooth. Had knee surgery. Given up gluten. Gone on a juice fast.

In the time I’ve been away, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve watched dozens of Patriots games. I’ve lost many pounds and gained many pounds. I’ve noticed more gray hair standing upright at attention, waiting to be counted.

In the time I’ve been away, we’ve build an addition, moved into the addition, sighed that we’ll never fully complete the addition.

So much has happened, and not one event chronicled in words. But now, I’ll try. Now I’ll truthfully say I write.

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