I'm sort of an old timer here who pokes his nose in and out to see if I could offer help. I remember early in my situation where I didn't really feel I had anywhere to turn for advice. There's no sure fire advice to all the questions I had, but speaking with those who had been through the same thing was the next best thing to 'sure fire' advice that I could hope for.
Your getting a lot of good advice and I can tell by your progress on these post that you'll be fine no matter what happens. You'll struggle here and there, but the struggle will become less and less difficult for you.
Your 'strong, secure, powerful, assertive, and ambitious nature' will return in all it's glory some day. It's foundation will be stronger and more genuine from this experience. This, I promise happens regardless of how it turns out. Believe that and it will make things easier on you in the interim and during this transition in your life.
"It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare." -Mark Twain
