It is a clock no-one wants to hear, but time is ticking for arts veteran Roz Hervey and it has made her hell-bent on making memories whenever she can.
Because at some stage in the near future, she will not be able to make any more.
Her world came to a standstill in late 2022 when she was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), an incurable condition that kills off nerves known as motor neurons, leading to the wasting of muscles.
The news from Hervey's neurologist came as a shock.
"She said that most people live for about two years. I was with my partner and I spent two weeks in flight or fight mode," Hervey said, fighting back tears.
Her medical journey began when her right leg began to trip while walking her dog, and she struggled to run.
Initial tests appeared to indicate a potential diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis or an issue with her spine.
The MND diagnosis initially floored the 58-year-old, before her resilience kicked in.
"I thought OK, I can go and sit and cry in the corner or I can live the best life possible," she said.
Hervey, a creative producer with Restless Dance Theatre, is part of a well-known Australian arts family that includes partner Geoff Cobham, who is Patch Theatre's artistic director, and her daughter, international actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey, along with son Huey.
"It's important not to grieve until you have to grieve," she said.
"I'm really trying to encourage my family to focus on living in the moment now, appreciating all the things we've got."
Living with MND
"I make sure that I continue to work hard, I catch up with everybody that I love, I make picnics, dinners, we play card games," Hervey said.
"We catch up in pubs, I lie in the park, I look at the stars, I watch sunsets."
Hervey said she has been on the most "amazing family holidays", including one to Japan soon after her diagnosis.
"It was a holiday to make memories and I guess that's what's really important to me, it's making memories, not just for me, but everybody around me," she said.
Hervey is working desperately to keep the disease at bay through pilates, walking, stretching and seeing a psychologist, while the help of the NDIS has helped keep her working.
She uses a scooter, wheelchair and walker and has recorded her voice in preparation for when the disease stops her from speaking.
There are now 300 messages that can be used to provide a computer-generated voice.
Planning for the future
Hervey said she was now focused on "making the most of every moment".
"And that's not to say there aren't shitty days, there really are," she said.
Right now, she and Restless Dance's artistic director Michelle Ryan are busy preparing the show Private View for the 2024 Adelaide Festival, and mapping out an ambitious four-year plan for the company.
Hervey's own future plan includes applying for access to the voluntary assisting dying scheme, which came into effect in South Australia a year ago.
"I'm a control freak and MND is about losing control," she said.
"The voluntary assisted dying law will enable me to make that choice to die when I want to die and that gave me the ability to find positivity in life.
"I have no bucket list, my life has been amazing, I've been an artist for the whole of my life and I have loved all of the people that I've worked with.
"I've always said I want to go out when the party's still going."
Until then she will just get on with things, creating memories and enhancing a reputation in the arts world built across nearly four decades.