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Apr 27, 2017 08:43PM
- edited
Apr 27, 2017 08:43PM
by
ChiSandy
Since I retired from law practice back in 2012, my “job" has been as a touring performing songwriter, both solo and in a duo. But I've gotten less and less into my music, starting when my husband had his near-fatal “colonoscopy accident" and especially now that I've had breast cancer. I think it's more of a realization that because life is short and tomorrow isn't a given, some things are far more important than professional & artistic success. At 66, I'm not going to play any more prestigious gigs than I did before, nor will my music reach a wider audience. (And the new model of the music industry practically guarantees that only stars will make much of a living from selling recordings either hard-copy or digital; and there are more things—many if not most of them free—that compete for audiences' time and entertainment dollar, so it's getting harder to draw well at concerts and coffeehouses). I can no longer spend 10 days at a time away from my family, drive 10 hrs. a day, or even 6 or 7 on a day I must perform. I'm tired of living out of a suitcase in motels, or even alone in nice hotels. My husband isn't getting any younger and is still working long and late hours—I'm tired of our being like ships that pass in the night; of scheduling my trips away to coincide with his on-duty weekends only to have him switch call with other doctors at the last minute so that I am away when he is off work.
I also realize our family income doesn't depend to any degree on my music revenue—in fact, because of hotel & meal expenses I'm running a net loss. My singing partner, though, needs to make money from music because his wife's disability income and art/craft sales don't meet their expenses—so he has been taking gigs at sr. centers that prefer men over women entertainers (given the demographic, that we tend to outlive men, it's logical) and have dwindling budgets that can barely pay one performer; and even so, he has begun taking temp day jobs in construction and custodial work again. (And he's not much younger than I am).
Bob is getting more and more fed up with his commute (given Chicago's insistence on having only two seasons—construction and Snow Day) down to the southwest suburbs, especially now that long drives are impacting his knees and hamstrings. We have no desire to move to those suburbs—in fact, the thought of packing again gives us hives. He is seriously considering retiring while we're both still healthy enough to enjoy retirement. We're realizing that we want to spend the rest of our lives actually (rather than technically) together.
Diagnosed at 64 on routine annual mammo, no lump. OncotypeDX 16. I cried because I had no shoes...but then again, I won’t get blisters....
Dx
9/9/2015, IDC, Right, 1cm, Stage IA, Grade 2, 0/4 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-
Surgery
9/23/2015 Lumpectomy: Right
Radiation Therapy
11/2/2015 3DCRT: Breast
Hormonal Therapy
12/31/2015 Femara (letrozole)