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Prenatal Period
Different prenatal care than today -
Period: to
Bobbi's Timeline
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Birth
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First Words
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First Steps
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Moved to Detroit
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Started School
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Moved/changed schools
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First Death - Grandmother
Since my parents moved from Pittsburgh when I was very young, I didn't have a regular relationship with any of my grandparents or extended family. In our family culture, children didn't attend funerals. Death was an obscure concept for me until my paternal grandmother and great aunt passed when I was in my twenties. -
Won Young Author's Contest
My first award and recognition outside of my parents and teachers. Later in life, I made a living while my children were young by freelance advertising writing. -
Scarlett Fever
A relatively rare illness in our society today, it was life threatening back then and required a long recovery period out of school. -
First Part-Time Job (Catering)
A friend's mother owned a catering business and I worked weekends and New Year's starting at age 13. I was given responsibilities above the other staff that were in their later teens and twenties. I found out I loved working and had a natural ability in organization and business people skills. -
First Social Drink
Unknown to me at the time, this was a pivitol moment in my life. Alcoholism ran through many generations on my father's side, but was never blatant to me. I was incredibly shy socially and alcohol helped me to be outgoing and popular. -
First Boyfriend
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Started High School
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Elected J. H. Student Council President
My last year of junior high was the only year that I ever "fit in" with other kids. Though it was the year that I started drinking at parties (which led to much heartbreak in my life), it was also the year that I found out that the way to fit in was to lead. -
First Car
A turning point. I turned down a paid college education because I wanted a car and my father wouldn't buy me one. So I went to work to get it for myself. My life might have been much easier, but less interesting had I decided the other way. -
First Full-Time Job - Attorneys
The job I found so that I could buy that car! More reinforcement that I could move up the ranks quickly because of my natural business skills. -
First Marriage
I got married at 19 to escape my home where my parents had lived in an unhappy marriage for years. Within a year and half, I realized my mistake and that my husband was emotionally abusive to me and others. -
Divorced
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First Child - Daughter
Unexpected and life-changiing, but the best thing that ever happened to me! -
Second Marriage
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Second Child - Son
Sam was planned and came at a good time in our lives. We had some financial security and my daughter was just starting kindergarten. It was also the only time since I was 13 that I took any length of time from working. Decided "stay at home mom" wasn't for me. I missed the adult world! -
Mother Diagnosed With Terminal Illness
This was the begining of a long term, depilitating illness that took a lot of involvement on my part since my sister had lived on the other side of the state for years and wasn't available. Working, raising two kids and trying to be there for her is why I understand the phrase "the sandwich generation" no matter who debunks the phrase! -
Started a PR Firm
My hometown needed an event company for downtown promotional events and press releases. I was referred to them by my husband who I had recommended for graphics work. Loved it! -
Divorced
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Mother Died
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Hired as Marketing Director - Livonia Mall
I walked in the mall office one day while shopping hoping to get a clerical position in marketing. The owner's daughter hired me as the marketing director, a position that usually requires a degree and years working up the ladder. -
Father Died
Unlike my mother's prolonged illness, my father was diagnosed and passed away within a month. I had been closest to him all of my life and was the most difficult death I had experienced. -
Last Child Moved Away From Home
I didn't have a problem when my daughter went off to college. I was unexpectedly devestated when she finally moved her bed and other belongings to her own place. Felt lost without the "mom" role at home even though I was working full-time and had many other interests. -
Sobriety Date
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Diagnosed with cancer
I had suspected the diagnosis for awhile before it was confirmed. I wasn't upset or scared because it never occured to me at the time that there would be anything but a positive outcome. My attitude was "what do we have to do to fix it". I'd fixed every other problem that came along; this should be no different. -
Went back to college
I went back to school online as a way to keep myself engaged with something other than my cancer treatment. Who knew I would be one class away from a degree now?! -
Cancer Spread to Two Other Locations
When the cancer went systemic, it became incurable. This was crushing news, but I have put most of my energy into researching trials across the country instead of focusing on the negative outcome potential. I just started with U of M in their clinical trial studies. When this one stops working, we already have the next two treatment plans decided. -
Began Clinical Trials - Refused Debilitating Treatments
I have made a choice that I will seek treatments that have the least impact on my ability to live normally. My illness is incurable, so to use chemotherapy drugs that depilitate would take away from the quality of my life with little effective on extending it. -
Potential Date of Death
This, of course, is supposition since no one can predict the end of an illness. With the treatment options available, the prognosis for my situation is generally less than a year. That was this month! My good health otherwise and responsiveness to medications imply that I may be able to extend that time for a year or two.