At the time of the year when I usually, like many, try to wind down coming into Christmas, I find myself having to get motivated to get back into work again. It has been an extremely busy and full-on quarter of a year with two overseas trips, numerous presentation and receiving new equipment that I use heavily on a daily basis. Unfortunately, when you need any special equipment funded by the government, you can’t afford to be passive. You have to be the “squeaky wheel.” So, in August, my well-crafted email was heard by the right people and the funding came through, after many years of waiting. The new equipment is a mid-drive electric wheelchair and eye gaze AAC systems. Both of these require quite different skills from my previous wheelchair and AAC device I had to learn.

Among all this, I also been gearing up to restart my PhD and have been asked to give a sermon at my church in January. I have applied and have been accepted to undertake my PhD at the Flinders University starting officially in mid-January. However, having met with my new supervisors before heading to Europe in October I have my first task that is due in a month. The sermon is well on the way and today I am going to commence my review for university.

Beginning a PhD is exciting and scary. There are many times I think about quitting already. The amount of work that is ahead is scary and I have to remind myself that with my abilities and with God’s help I can do it.

Trust me, I will be a doctor!