Lesson 1: The TEST

So, I created this blog months ago with hopes of sharing my experiences of all the ups and downs of my process towards earning a Ph.D. In August 2011, my family and I moved to Nashville, TN so that I can start graduate studies at Vanderbilt University. I was ecstatic to be enrolled at the prestigious Peabody College, laced with leaves of ivy and resonant of some of the world's most groundbreaking scholarship and research. My program of choice was Community, Research, and Action - a dream come true! I felt that God had placed us in a space where my work, my passions, and even a ministry would intersect. Yaaaassss!

Since starting school, my family and I have undergone a massive transition in order to accommodate my new academic lifestyle. From my husband's job search and acculturating my kids to the new environment to my difficulty grasping a different discipline and brand new type of science, Lord knows we struggled! Over two semesters, I have tried to hone in on the right moment to start sharing my experiences. After reading about Marx's manifesto, Pat Hill Collins' Black feminist paradigm, and more of Babbie's text than I could ever truly take in, I still did not feel that there was a right time, place, or space to write about that could sum up the beginning of my experience.

...Not until last Friday, March 23, 2012. Last Friday, I was gifted a revelation that made sense out of all that I have learned so far in the program, and moreover, in life.

On that day, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Whoa.

I was amazed, shocked, relieved, and grateful all at the same time as I listened to my doctor over the phone. As always, my Hubs was by my side as we sat having lunch in a parking lot.

My rock :)

This news had come after months - no, years - of careful planning. As many of you know, I have many She-roes that have blazed the trail in terms of Breast Cancer Survivorship. Two of my She-roes are my sisters, Prisana and Lasana, who are both BC survivors that were diagnosed in their 20's. Their valiant fight inspired me to dig deeper into my health history and I found that I have the BRCA-1 breast cancer gene mutation. My Hubs and I decided to finish our family planning with the birth of my 3rd cuddlebug, Kohl Wynton, so that I could focus on preventive measures.

My intent to curtail my BC risk led me to Vanderbilt Hospital in February, and after many, many mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, and biopsies, I received this news. And my world has since turned upside down. Everything that once seemed so important became secondary - tertiary even - to what lies ahead.

So, now, after some R&R, I have my moment - or my thesis statement, if you will. Folks always say, at the end of a test is a testimony. Well, I say, this... this beginning point of my TEST shall also be the beginning of my TESTimony. The purpose of this blog is now to share and discuss my travails through graduate school - God willing - as I pursue my doctorate at Vandy, and my Ph.D. in LIFE. It is my belief that experience is one of the greatest teachers. I invite you to share in my experiences, and perhaps, find a lesson or contribute something to be learned. Sip with me :)

Ph.D. & Tea