You are so brave! Good for you -- stay gone! trust Me! I went back after a week gone (and doing pretty well) and now it's impossible for me to leave again.
You need to stay the course. PLEASE do it.
I left many times. And always got begged back.
Listen - don't be ashamed about your thesis. I will be honest here. What the heck.
I was a news anchor in a very good market. I lost my job/career (eventually quit) to be with my husband. I moved 2 hours away to be with him (who was a successful doctor) after his BEGGING DEMANDING PLEADING. I would go on dinner breaks with him and come back late ---not prepared for the news. I would drink 2 glasses of wine at dinner and then anchor. I would mess up words and then feel like an idiot.
But, I wanted to enjoy dinners with my now husband and make him happy. Eventually, he made me think my career sucked because of my hours (that part was hard)....and begged me to move with him. He said he would "take care of me" until I found a new job or started my own business.
Did that happen? No. I started my own business and make very good money and he demands every dime and then gives me crap if I spend more than 100 dollars on my hiar/nails. He is a SURGEON. I was a NEWS ANCHOR -- I normally had hair and nail bills each month! You can't go into no make up mode if you are on camera consistently...which I am.
I have my own business that is now suffering because he demands that he go along with me every where... He says i'm too "hot" to be alone and get sucked in by another man....
So ....sorry for laboring on and on. I just want you to know that I regret changing my life for him. I regret drinking so much every day to deal.... I regret losing my career! But, I can move on and improve my business and I'm already making more money than I did while on TV.
You have a set back but you have NOT ruined your life...take charge! You can do it!