Thanks for all the encouragement, guys. And for the welcoming return.

Dano,
I don't think I was really punishing myself either conscientiously or subconscientiously. I had taken a big chunk out of my chin almost down to the skin. I had several important business meetings in the following weeks and months and did not want to keep the rest of the beard with a chunk missing for a period. I also didn't want to be going through any of the awkward early growth stages of this period either. Trust me, if I thought it was feasible, I would have regrown immediately.
As soon as I shaved the beard off a made a commitment to myself to grow my beard back as soon as the last of these events was over in November. I have stuck to that commitment so far.