Sharing My Exam Results (MW Marathon Lap 9)

Last month, I received some shitty test results.

One I’d been waiting on since I took the Masters of Wine exam in early June, the other completely blindsided me.

The results of one informed me that I could resit the MW exam next year because I hadn’t passed either the Theory or Practical section. The results of the other test told me to come in for a follow up as soon as possible because my mammogram showed abnormalities.

One set of test results told me I had Stage 2 breast cancer, and all of a sudden those other exam results that at one time were So Important – did not matter.

The MW program has been such a huge part of my life the past few years and I’ve shared much of my journey here. But now, I’m deferring for a year to focus on my health. I hope to pick up my studies and sit for the exam in June 2025, because that was not my best effort this last June. I KNOW I can do better.

But there’s another Stage 2 I need to improve on first . . . and I need to kick this one’s ass.

Some people may wonder why I’m sharing “I Have Breast Cancer!” publicly. I understand that many individuals choose to keep this intensely personal matter private. But I’ve decided that if my sharing this makes just one woman stop putting off her mammogram, it’s worth it.

I have surgery at the end of this month, which will be followed by treatment. To everyone who has supported me so amazingly with my wine studies – please send all the good thoughts you can spare for a successful surgery. I’ll keep you updated, and hopefully get back to posting about MW studies soon. 😉

As I mentioned in my last blog post – I am so thankful I took most of the summer off and focused on enjoying life outside of wine studies. The last sentence of that post now reads a bit differently to me: “having taken the time to rest, I am ready for whatever news comes at me later this week.” I wrote this the day before my mammogram results came back. While I can’t say I was “ready” for a cancer diagnosis (are we ever?), I am glad that my wine studies weren’t my top priority in the weeks leading up to that news.

When I rejoin the program, my studies will be A priority for me – but not THE priority. I encourage all my fellow wine students to pursue your studies with passion, and perspective.