That’s all great news! Moving forward, definitely moving up to a position where those head games and weirdness are behind you. Happy shopping!
I wanted to address this -
Since you reached out last w/o a response from her, it appears she does not need your acknowledgement. The chance of warm fuzzies from your gesture could be outweighed by annoyance. She may have moved past her career memories and relationships permanently considering her poor health; show your appreciation by respecting her choice not to communicate w/ you.
I think you should send “V” a nice calligraphy note, giving her the update, and wishing her well. After all those years of contacts, I doubt you’ve offended her. I suspect that she’s just changed her priorities. I would think she would still like a nice note of appreciation.