Stand By Me
March 12, 2011
March 11th 2011 (yesterday) was my first post for a year! My eldest daughter has had anorexia. She is stable now. She passed her final year at high school with flying colours and has begun an arts course at university. She still has not fully recovered but is in recovery. Its been a tough road but together we’re getting through it. I’ve learnt that to survive your child’s mental illness its best to forget your dreams, your guilt, and love the child before you, illness and all. I’ve also seen how much my four daughters care for each other. Family therapy has been a large factor in her recovery.
During 2010 I worked full time on my dissertation, taking leave to look after Kat. I published my first article in a professional journal and met some new and interesting colleagues in Helsinki. This year I have changed my tenure to part time, and already I’ve experienced less pressure and more creativity.
For one year I have not blogged, read a novel or convened our book club. Finally I’ve picked up a novel (Stieg Laarson’s first, and looking for the second. Although I have started on Dorris Lessing’s The Cleft, until I find it), reconvened book club and have conferences in the pipeline: April in New Orleans, July in Adelaide, August in Exeter, September in Lyon, December in Hobart. I’m looking forward to charging up my camera and posting on my travels. It feels good to be back 🙂
Souffle 
It made my day to read your message on my blog and then to see that you posted again. I have often thought of you and check up every now and then on Facebook. You have accomplished much this past year. I am happy to know that Kat is on the recovery path. It is a tough illness and how good it is to know that your family has grown even closer.
Kudos to you for getting published. I hope you continue to blog. Maybe I’ll get back to my blog. Your travel posts are always a treat.
And good luck with the bike training. I loved reading about the bike guy.
So glad that Kat is recovering. And that you’ve survived the year and made something positive from it all. Great to read your blog again. I also read the Stieg Larson books this year and really enjoyed them, despite some harowing stuff.
It’s great, it really is, to see you back. I read the post after this one first – the one which mentions Ghost (which I haven’t seen) and Ross Nobel (who I’ve seen twice, and was fantastic and hilarious both times).
Then I scrolled down and read this one. Can I just say I’m really glad that you all appear to be coming out the other side of a difficult time – long may your daughter continue to recover and progress, and that you all stay strong for each other.
Welcome back 🙂
Yay!!!!! So good to have you back. Have been wondering how Kat is going and even more about how you are going in general.