Moving on up … March 2018

First blog of 2018 that’s not titled My Relapse and that feels really good.

Little back track here to commence. I was told in early March 2017 that I could not under any circumstances continue working, my earlier blog from 2017 explains this in detail. However as a self employed person with everything invested in the business we lost it all. Irish unemployment benefits do not support employers but I managed to get a basic disability pension with the help of a local politician Mr Kevin O’Keefe & his team. But my fight was centered with terminal diagnosis and the final battle commenced in April 2017, resulting in the war been won and me been declared in remission 25 Jan 2018.

Last Sept 2017 I knew inside that I was winning and been a person who commenced work at 15, I started not only getting annoyed but anxious about wanting to return to work. The Medical team said NOT a hope & they hinted at Jan 2018 as the earliest date….. so I decided that since I couldn’t work then I would return to studies.

My career since I was 18 was in freight transport logistics & distribution with a mass amount of hands on experience but only held relevant necessary qualifications like CPC (Certificate of professional competence in transport), ICPC (International Certificate of professional competence in transport) , Business Administration diploma, Financial Management certificates all necessary for day to day operations.

My medical team said yes to studies but I could not sit exams (stress concerns) till after I was placed in remission

So I sat down and listed what I really wanted educational wise:

Supply Chain Management This course was a level 5 certification and I succeeded in achieving full marks in Feb 2018

Operations Management This was a diploma course and I succeeded in achieving a distinction in Feb 2018

Health & Safety Management This was a diploma course and I succeeded in achieving a diploma with distinction  in Feb 2018

Customer Service Management Distinction Diploma

GDPR General data protection regulations 2018. New protection laws certification in January 2018

ISO 9001:2015 I received certification in Awareness & procedures in Feb 2018

Key Accounts Management Certificate

MiLT I became a member of the Chartered institute of logistics & transport Ireland January 2018

I’m sitting my Transport Management Diploma next week followed by a Level 5 Psychology Diploma and I have just been accepted onto a level 7 Strategic Management & Leadership Diploma course

A lot of exams in a short space of time but months of preparation & more to come

So yesterday 14 February 2018 we celebrated Anita’s birthday which was also 4 years to the date that I was first diagnosed, 3 1/2 years since been given 6 weeks to live, 2 years since first remission, a year since been told I was seriously in danger of relapse- 11 months since full critical relapse. And two weeks since partial remission

In January I developed my first CV since 1989, and it’s a very serious document. I have met some wonderful employers & recruitment people over the past few weeks, the positions for people my age with my experience and a history of cancer are quiet limited, even without the cancer issues were talking a handful of positions. ( Of course I also have the people who backstabbed me and turned away from me in 2017 now actively trying to blacken my name) But you know I have beaten Cancer twice I have been terminally diagnosed 3 times. If you haven’t battled cancer then you have no real understanding of what winning means. I  am who I am and once my next career move is decided then we will continue with our wonderful life & experiences. The way I look at this is that my age equates to massive experience, the idiots who are blacking me are just a sad example of humanity and of no consequence and the cancer just proves motivation and drive.

As an added note, a young lady who lives here in County Cork who was originally diagnosed in 2016 with Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma – went through both Chemotherapy & Radiotherapy which failed to destroy the cancer and it spread to Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma resulting in a full Stem Cell Transplant in Nov 2017 – she got her 100 day PET scan on Monday and was told yesterday that the scan was clear. Great news and building the percentages of success for those just been diagnosed.

This blog is my way of helping awareness and helping others

We can beat cancer together because together we are stronger