Yippee! I wrote 828 words today. Nearly finished the new Chapter 7.
Love and kisses,
~Nancy Beck
AI and Creative Professions
6 months ago
2008-11-28
Work Backwards
This is a writing technique that might work for you, especially if you're in the beginning stages of a story.
Start With the Ending
I've been writing/editing/whatever Yesterday's Gone for a number of years now, and I think I'm finally getting to the endgame. (Taken with a grain of salt, as I've said the same thing for...many years now. ;-))
Anyway, I read a suggestion somewhere that sometimes knowing the ending and working your way back to the beginning gets the juices flowing.
But, you wonder, how might it help me, the Person Who Already Has the Ending and Needs a Spark to Get Back Into Writing Again?
Well...this particular idea might not spark a damn thing, but you never know.
It Might Make You Rethink a Thing or Ten
Ugh, you're thinking, rethinking means editing again. Yeah, I know, brother, do I know! If I didn't like the characters of my current WIP, I think I would've trashed it a long time ago. I also think the story is worth telling.
I decided to try a workback from the ending, and almost immediately came up with another idea to make the ending (and what comes just before it) a tad more interesting (Rita had better keep on her toes!). I also rethought certain parts I'd last inserted and realized they were boring and didn't really do anything good for the story. Cut, cut, cut! (Although I haven't gotten to that point, as yet.)
An Example (Sort of)
Let's say you want to write a murder mystery. You start with the ending, where the murderer is uncovered. Maybe before that your heroine is smooshed in the fact with a pie with a stick of dynamite in it. (I figure if cartoons can have a plethora of TNT without any good reason, so can I.) Before that, the heroine is running through the spooky mansion, trying to get away from someone she thinks is coming after her with a knife (psst - no, no, Ms. Heroine; it's D-Y-N-A-M-I-T-ETM).
I think you get the idea. This might just open up a portion of your brain and tweak it in such a way that leads to some really great ideas. (But skip the dynamite stuff above; I have trademarked that idea, as you can see by the little "TM" above). :-))
With me, I usually have the ending all figured out in addition to the beginning; it's the stuff in between that makes me want to pull out my hair. ;-)
It's basic, but it just might be the trick that helps you get your story written - or rewritten.
Love and kisses.
~Nancy Beck
Start With the Ending
I've been writing/editing/whatever Yesterday's Gone for a number of years now, and I think I'm finally getting to the endgame. (Taken with a grain of salt, as I've said the same thing for...many years now. ;-))
Anyway, I read a suggestion somewhere that sometimes knowing the ending and working your way back to the beginning gets the juices flowing.
But, you wonder, how might it help me, the Person Who Already Has the Ending and Needs a Spark to Get Back Into Writing Again?
Well...this particular idea might not spark a damn thing, but you never know.
It Might Make You Rethink a Thing or Ten
Ugh, you're thinking, rethinking means editing again. Yeah, I know, brother, do I know! If I didn't like the characters of my current WIP, I think I would've trashed it a long time ago. I also think the story is worth telling.
I decided to try a workback from the ending, and almost immediately came up with another idea to make the ending (and what comes just before it) a tad more interesting (Rita had better keep on her toes!). I also rethought certain parts I'd last inserted and realized they were boring and didn't really do anything good for the story. Cut, cut, cut! (Although I haven't gotten to that point, as yet.)
An Example (Sort of)
Let's say you want to write a murder mystery. You start with the ending, where the murderer is uncovered. Maybe before that your heroine is smooshed in the fact with a pie with a stick of dynamite in it. (I figure if cartoons can have a plethora of TNT without any good reason, so can I.) Before that, the heroine is running through the spooky mansion, trying to get away from someone she thinks is coming after her with a knife (psst - no, no, Ms. Heroine; it's D-Y-N-A-M-I-T-ETM).
I think you get the idea. This might just open up a portion of your brain and tweak it in such a way that leads to some really great ideas. (But skip the dynamite stuff above; I have trademarked that idea, as you can see by the little "TM" above). :-))
With me, I usually have the ending all figured out in addition to the beginning; it's the stuff in between that makes me want to pull out my hair. ;-)
It's basic, but it just might be the trick that helps you get your story written - or rewritten.
Love and kisses.
~Nancy Beck
2008-11-27
What I'm Thankful For
In the past, I would stuff my face full of turkey, watch the football games, and snooze on Thanksgiving Day. I would give the "thanks" part of it lip service, if I thought of it at all.
Not this time around.
No, this time I need to reflect and truly be thankful.
Because I could've been six feet under.
That's what happens when you have a ruptured brain aneurysm.
So I send out my thanks and deep appreciation to:
Love and kisses,
~Nancy Beck
Not this time around.
No, this time I need to reflect and truly be thankful.
Because I could've been six feet under.
That's what happens when you have a ruptured brain aneurysm.
So I send out my thanks and deep appreciation to:
- EMTs. Several people where I work - and I don't know their name, unfortunately - have EMT certifications, and am I ever grateful for that. When I came to (which I think was after a few minutes or so), three or four EMTs were already in the bathroom, holding onto their gear. And they'd already called the ambulance, too. Thank goodness none of them paid attention to what I was saying (silly things like, "I don't think I have to go the hospital." Yeah, right!). May all of them be prosperous and healthy.
- The Emergency Room at Hunterdon Medical Center. Although they originally took me in, thank goodness for them to recognize that there might be another medical center - and doctors - that might be better equipped to deal with my condition. They wasted no time in getting me back into an ambulance and whisking me off to Overlook Hospital, which is, literally, on the other side of where I was (fortunately for me, Route 78 goes through Hunterdon County, and it's a fairly straight shot to Overlook).
- Dr. Benitez and Overlook Hospital. This hospital, located in Summit, New Jersey, is known for its work with all things neurological (and having to do with the heart, too). Although I don't remember actually arriving at the hospital nor of meeting the good doctor, I can't speak enough praise and thankfulness. Dr. Benitez has actually written peer-reviewed papers on taking care of brain clots/aneurysms. I actually read of one man in his 30s or 40s who had a stroke and had to be airlifted to Overlook. Dr. Benitez saw a clot in his brain, yanked it out using what's called coiling, and he was able to go back to work part time three months later. Sound familiar? Although I'll be going back on a part-time basis two months later; it all depends, naturally, on the severity and where the clot/aneurysm was located. I was fortunate in that I only had a bit of brain fog, which the speech therapist helped tweak quite nicely.
- Cards, letters, emails, well wishes from friends, acquaintances, co-workers. I can't tell you how much this helped me. I received three separate bouquets of flowers (all lovely), and an absolute ton of cards. For those who didn't send cards or flowers - your well wishes were quite a help, believe me.
Love and kisses,
~Nancy Beck
2008-11-26
What I'm Reading Right Now
I started reading A Secret Atlas, by Michael A. Stackpole last week. It has an Asiatic feel to it, and I'm not just talking about the martial arts aspect of it, although that definitely helped decide me on its Asian flavor.
There are certain warriors (for want of a better word) who live a very long time, and don't strike out at the least provocation. As the story opens, one of these warriors sends a female bandit (with decent sword mastery, according to that warrior) to a school to become an even better master of the sword - minus the banditry, of course.
Naturally, the warrior and the bandit aren't just talking by the side of the road when they come upon each other, but I don't want to give out everything.
Basic Premise
The basic premise of this story is that there was wild magic two thousand or so years before which physically iced over the world (among other things). No one dared travel anywhere during the time the ice covered continents, for fear of never returning - and/or being a victim of that wild magic.
After the ice began to melt, one man made it his mission to draft maps that would guide the seafarers/traders of the world - for a price. He figured it would make him and his family rich - which it has.
But there are still unchartered regions of the world where the ice has not melted, and tendrils of that wild magic still exist. That dude who drafted the maps is still alive and still wielding his oomph around the world, to the point where he still sends out family to go out and map more of the world.
So Far...
I'm up to Chapter 8 of this 600-page book, and it's held my interest so far. There is a lot of intrigue, and I've just gotten to a place in the story where beings that aren't human have arrived at the map dude's house (he's invited them). This is taking place during a festival (kind of reminds of "Festival! Festival!" and Landrew of the original Star Trek series). Anyway, I'll have to see if anyone goes mad in this story; not that I would be disappointed if no one did. That there's court intrigue is something different for me, and I'm enjoying some of the pettiness and shrewdness that's gone on already.
Interesting Aside
Believe it or not, this particular book is dedicated to - Senator John McCain, of all people (it was published in 2006), and I'd forgotten that when I picked it up last week. Funny, in light of election year, eh?
Another interesting aside is that four years ago I couldn't stand either candidate the two major parties put front and center, so I went the write in route.
Aw, could you guess it? Yup, McCain.
This time around, I couldn't vote for him because of his running mate (and I have my own reasons as for why), so I voted for Obama. I think four years ago was McCain's time, not now, but it is nice to see him offering help to the President-Elect.
And we all should hope for the best for the President-Elect, no matter what our party affiliation (I'm an independent, BTW).
Love and kisses,
~Nancy Beck
There are certain warriors (for want of a better word) who live a very long time, and don't strike out at the least provocation. As the story opens, one of these warriors sends a female bandit (with decent sword mastery, according to that warrior) to a school to become an even better master of the sword - minus the banditry, of course.
Naturally, the warrior and the bandit aren't just talking by the side of the road when they come upon each other, but I don't want to give out everything.
Basic Premise
The basic premise of this story is that there was wild magic two thousand or so years before which physically iced over the world (among other things). No one dared travel anywhere during the time the ice covered continents, for fear of never returning - and/or being a victim of that wild magic.
After the ice began to melt, one man made it his mission to draft maps that would guide the seafarers/traders of the world - for a price. He figured it would make him and his family rich - which it has.
But there are still unchartered regions of the world where the ice has not melted, and tendrils of that wild magic still exist. That dude who drafted the maps is still alive and still wielding his oomph around the world, to the point where he still sends out family to go out and map more of the world.
So Far...
I'm up to Chapter 8 of this 600-page book, and it's held my interest so far. There is a lot of intrigue, and I've just gotten to a place in the story where beings that aren't human have arrived at the map dude's house (he's invited them). This is taking place during a festival (kind of reminds of "Festival! Festival!" and Landrew of the original Star Trek series). Anyway, I'll have to see if anyone goes mad in this story; not that I would be disappointed if no one did. That there's court intrigue is something different for me, and I'm enjoying some of the pettiness and shrewdness that's gone on already.
Interesting Aside
Believe it or not, this particular book is dedicated to - Senator John McCain, of all people (it was published in 2006), and I'd forgotten that when I picked it up last week. Funny, in light of election year, eh?
Another interesting aside is that four years ago I couldn't stand either candidate the two major parties put front and center, so I went the write in route.
Aw, could you guess it? Yup, McCain.
This time around, I couldn't vote for him because of his running mate (and I have my own reasons as for why), so I voted for Obama. I think four years ago was McCain's time, not now, but it is nice to see him offering help to the President-Elect.
And we all should hope for the best for the President-Elect, no matter what our party affiliation (I'm an independent, BTW).
Love and kisses,
~Nancy Beck
2008-11-25
I'm Writing Again
I'm going to try to update this blog as often as possible now. I feel a new vim and vigor that I haven't felt in a while.
I've already reworked Chapters 5 and 6 in the past 3 days, typing about 250 words on Sunday (before heading off to Mom's for a nice lunch), and then about 280 words today.
A Possible Goal
My thinking - and this could change at any time, depending on how I'm feeling - is that I'm going to try to do about 500 words a week between now and the end of the year. That includes new words and editing.
I'd really, REALLY like to send this thing out beginning next year. Yeah, yeah, I know that means the drudgery of putting on my thinking cap and putting together a query letter, but I don't care.
I think this could make some money for a publisher, not to mention the agent. :-) And I've decided agenting is the way to go right now. If I don't get any nibbles after 2-3 months, then I'll think about reworking my query letter. The good folks over at Absolute Write will be a good help, I'm sure.
Other Goals
Goal Number 1: Reading
I started reading novels again, too, but I'll talk about that in a separate post. What's good about the current novel is that it's written by a man; for some reason, I have a bias against male writers - and I don't know why.
So far, so good on this one, but, again, I'll write a post on that either tomorrow or on Friday (I'll have a special post on Thanksgiving Day, in between watching the football games - and YES, I understand football, so there's never been a football widow in this house).
Goal Number 2: Starting on Another Story
I'd also like to start thinking about another story to start in on, once I'm satisfied with the current one. I have a few ideas (in the fantasy realm, naturally), but I'm not going to decide just yet. I've written the beginnings of two, one that's been kicking around in my brain for some time, another that just kind of came to me after seeing a documentary about the Dust Bowl on the History Channel.
There's also one other one I'm considering, and my best guess is that's the one I'll probably go after. It's also a potential series, so we'll see how that goes.
Goal Number 3: Write 500 Words a Week
Considering I'll just be getting into the swing of things workwise next month, I feel 500 words a week is doable without overtaxing myself. I can't tell you how good it feels to be working on something again, and to be going onto some of the writing sites/blogs again.
Writers are so awesome. :-)
Goal Number 4: Learn How to Buzz My Book
I'm thinking of the social networking sites, of which I haven't bothered to even look at. Rather than bother with that stuff during the day at work - where I probably wouldn't even be allowed, anyway - I'll set aside about half an hour to an hour a day to get to know the ins and outs of My Space, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
After what I've just gone through, it doesn't sound in the least bit daunting - and could be quite lucrative: Look what Stephanie Meyer has done with Twilight and her other books (how many millions did the movie make over this weekend? Something like US$70 million or something?). She did some social networking to get buzz going on her book.
Of course, she had to written a pretty good book to begin with.
Goal Number 5: Write More Interesting Posts on This Blog
I think I'm going to start writing more on tips and tricks and stuff that's helped me. I've kind of gotten away from that (for obvious reasons), but I'd like to start offering that stuff again.
Why? Because I find it fun and interesting. And if it works for someone else - even better! :-) If people don't find it useful - or if I'm just writing for just me - that's fine, too.
Need to keep Ye Olde Braine stimulated, ya know.
Have a prosperous day, week, and year!
I've already reworked Chapters 5 and 6 in the past 3 days, typing about 250 words on Sunday (before heading off to Mom's for a nice lunch), and then about 280 words today.
A Possible Goal
My thinking - and this could change at any time, depending on how I'm feeling - is that I'm going to try to do about 500 words a week between now and the end of the year. That includes new words and editing.
I'd really, REALLY like to send this thing out beginning next year. Yeah, yeah, I know that means the drudgery of putting on my thinking cap and putting together a query letter, but I don't care.
I think this could make some money for a publisher, not to mention the agent. :-) And I've decided agenting is the way to go right now. If I don't get any nibbles after 2-3 months, then I'll think about reworking my query letter. The good folks over at Absolute Write will be a good help, I'm sure.
Other Goals
Goal Number 1: Reading
I started reading novels again, too, but I'll talk about that in a separate post. What's good about the current novel is that it's written by a man; for some reason, I have a bias against male writers - and I don't know why.
So far, so good on this one, but, again, I'll write a post on that either tomorrow or on Friday (I'll have a special post on Thanksgiving Day, in between watching the football games - and YES, I understand football, so there's never been a football widow in this house).
Goal Number 2: Starting on Another Story
I'd also like to start thinking about another story to start in on, once I'm satisfied with the current one. I have a few ideas (in the fantasy realm, naturally), but I'm not going to decide just yet. I've written the beginnings of two, one that's been kicking around in my brain for some time, another that just kind of came to me after seeing a documentary about the Dust Bowl on the History Channel.
There's also one other one I'm considering, and my best guess is that's the one I'll probably go after. It's also a potential series, so we'll see how that goes.
Goal Number 3: Write 500 Words a Week
Considering I'll just be getting into the swing of things workwise next month, I feel 500 words a week is doable without overtaxing myself. I can't tell you how good it feels to be working on something again, and to be going onto some of the writing sites/blogs again.
Writers are so awesome. :-)
Goal Number 4: Learn How to Buzz My Book
I'm thinking of the social networking sites, of which I haven't bothered to even look at. Rather than bother with that stuff during the day at work - where I probably wouldn't even be allowed, anyway - I'll set aside about half an hour to an hour a day to get to know the ins and outs of My Space, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
After what I've just gone through, it doesn't sound in the least bit daunting - and could be quite lucrative: Look what Stephanie Meyer has done with Twilight and her other books (how many millions did the movie make over this weekend? Something like US$70 million or something?). She did some social networking to get buzz going on her book.
Of course, she had to written a pretty good book to begin with.
Goal Number 5: Write More Interesting Posts on This Blog
I think I'm going to start writing more on tips and tricks and stuff that's helped me. I've kind of gotten away from that (for obvious reasons), but I'd like to start offering that stuff again.
Why? Because I find it fun and interesting. And if it works for someone else - even better! :-) If people don't find it useful - or if I'm just writing for just me - that's fine, too.
Need to keep Ye Olde Braine stimulated, ya know.
Have a prosperous day, week, and year!
2008-10-28
Here We Go Again
So you think the kidney thing was something to face, eh?
Well, I got that beat (unfortunately).
I had a brain aneurysm on September 29. Fortunately for me, it did not burst. (Check the Wikipedia article to see what it is; scary stuff.)
Anyway, I was also fortunate in that I wasn't driving. It was late in the day, about 4:30pm or so, and I was sitting on the toilet. I felt light headed, wondering what the hell was going on. I leaned forward a bit, hoping to send a little blood to my head. (I've fainted before, and the usual thing to do was to get my head between my legs, so the blood would rush to my head.)
Didn't work.
In fact, I fell off the toilet and have a little mark on my nose to prove it.
I was fortunate several more times. There was a lady in the stall next to me, and I believe she went and called for help. Help came in the form of several EMTs. Now, where I work, there are many people who are also EMTs, so I believe that's why the ambulance was called so quickly and why so many (must've been 5 or 6) showed up at once. They made a sort of stretcher out of big blanket and got me onto a guerney. While this was all happening, my friend Lynne got in touch with my husband, picked him up, took him to the first hospital's emergency room (I refused the first hospital they wanted to take me to, which is where the ambulance was from).
However, once I got to that hospital, they determined, very quickly, what I might've had and sent me to the best hospital I could've gone to for what I indeed had - Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey.
Why That Particular Hospital?
Very easy, bunky. It's well known for its status as a neurological hospital (working with people with strokes and heart attacks and aortic aneurysms, too). In fact, the neurosurgeon who worked on me I later found out was responsible for developing the surgical technique, called coiling, that fixed me. (I'll be seeing him for a follow up visit later today.)
And the Prognosis Is...
Have I already said I was fortunate? Um, yeah. Here's another one. I've gone to three outpatient speech therapy sessions, and other than a little bit of brain fog (I have some trouble putting together lists of things), I'm okay. I had the aneurysm in the right frontal lobe. The therapist told me if I'd had it on the left side, I probably would've had some language problems. Instead, the therapist is giving me "homework" to tweak those parts of my brain where I'm having my foggy moments.
I can't drive a car (wouldn't want to, right now), and continue to get stronger every day. My hubby helps me up and down the stairs, but I can putter around downstairs without any trouble. (The first day, I could barely walk at all, but then again, I'd been flopped down in a hospital bed for quite a while, and had only recently been given a walking routine at the hospital.)
I'll Have to See What the Doc Says Today
I'm hoping that soon he'll say that I can start working out again. Nothing complicated, of course, even if I can just do yoga, that'll be an improvement over just watching TV. And I know how to start without weights and gradually increase them, so I'm not a beginner when it comes to working out.
But that's in the future, for the moment. The doc will probably prescribe some sort of walking regimen, which I'm all for - although not today (danged rain).
I'm very happy to be alive, thank you! I'm not yet done with my life, and I'm glad I'm being given another chance. I wanted to thank everybody at work and all our friends for the cards and well wishes and all.
Just call me the female Job.
Well, I got that beat (unfortunately).
I had a brain aneurysm on September 29. Fortunately for me, it did not burst. (Check the Wikipedia article to see what it is; scary stuff.)
Anyway, I was also fortunate in that I wasn't driving. It was late in the day, about 4:30pm or so, and I was sitting on the toilet. I felt light headed, wondering what the hell was going on. I leaned forward a bit, hoping to send a little blood to my head. (I've fainted before, and the usual thing to do was to get my head between my legs, so the blood would rush to my head.)
Didn't work.
In fact, I fell off the toilet and have a little mark on my nose to prove it.
I was fortunate several more times. There was a lady in the stall next to me, and I believe she went and called for help. Help came in the form of several EMTs. Now, where I work, there are many people who are also EMTs, so I believe that's why the ambulance was called so quickly and why so many (must've been 5 or 6) showed up at once. They made a sort of stretcher out of big blanket and got me onto a guerney. While this was all happening, my friend Lynne got in touch with my husband, picked him up, took him to the first hospital's emergency room (I refused the first hospital they wanted to take me to, which is where the ambulance was from).
However, once I got to that hospital, they determined, very quickly, what I might've had and sent me to the best hospital I could've gone to for what I indeed had - Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey.
Why That Particular Hospital?
Very easy, bunky. It's well known for its status as a neurological hospital (working with people with strokes and heart attacks and aortic aneurysms, too). In fact, the neurosurgeon who worked on me I later found out was responsible for developing the surgical technique, called coiling, that fixed me. (I'll be seeing him for a follow up visit later today.)
And the Prognosis Is...
Have I already said I was fortunate? Um, yeah. Here's another one. I've gone to three outpatient speech therapy sessions, and other than a little bit of brain fog (I have some trouble putting together lists of things), I'm okay. I had the aneurysm in the right frontal lobe. The therapist told me if I'd had it on the left side, I probably would've had some language problems. Instead, the therapist is giving me "homework" to tweak those parts of my brain where I'm having my foggy moments.
I can't drive a car (wouldn't want to, right now), and continue to get stronger every day. My hubby helps me up and down the stairs, but I can putter around downstairs without any trouble. (The first day, I could barely walk at all, but then again, I'd been flopped down in a hospital bed for quite a while, and had only recently been given a walking routine at the hospital.)
I'll Have to See What the Doc Says Today
I'm hoping that soon he'll say that I can start working out again. Nothing complicated, of course, even if I can just do yoga, that'll be an improvement over just watching TV. And I know how to start without weights and gradually increase them, so I'm not a beginner when it comes to working out.
But that's in the future, for the moment. The doc will probably prescribe some sort of walking regimen, which I'm all for - although not today (danged rain).
I'm very happy to be alive, thank you! I'm not yet done with my life, and I'm glad I'm being given another chance. I wanted to thank everybody at work and all our friends for the cards and well wishes and all.
Just call me the female Job.
2008-09-22
I Know - Where Have I Been?
Well...
I was feeling really sick a few months back. That, combined with continued stress (husband not finding a job, company that I work for bought out by another company), gave me what I thought was a bad back.
In February, I received some pills for my bad lower back. I thought that would take care of the problem.
Nope.
The pain came back again in June, and I knew something wasn't right. So I went off to the doctor's office. I was again prescribed some pills for the pain, but this time, the doctor thought it would be a good idea to have some blood work done, as I hadn't had a physical done in quite some time.
The urine test came back - blood in the urine.
Not gushing, mind you. But just enough to have the doctor's office calling and leaving me messages.
To make a long story a bit shorter ;-), I went to a urologist, who told me my kidneys weren't in good shape. Especially the left one. Now, I've known for 7 years that my left kidney was smaller than my right. Didn't think anything of it, except that it was strange (threw me for a loop). Since the doctor didn't say anything about it, I didn't think there was a problem.
Meh.
Anyway, I've already been through 2 minimally-invasive surgeries as I write this. The first one was to insert 2 small stents (which circumvent logjams in your arteries or wherever) on the ureters (which are the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder).
As he figured would happen, the right kidney's flow through the ureter improved a bit; the left one did not. In fact, the left kidney is only functioning at 11%; it also is so crappy that keeps introducing infections into my body, which might explain why I've had so much pain in my abdomen over the years).
Anyhoo, the bottom line is, once he sees the larger stent that's now on my right ureter working fabulously well (being positive is the only way to be!), he'll then take out the left kidney.
Yup.
I'll be a 1 kidney person, probably by the end of this year.
To which I say - fine. If the left kidney is barely functioning, and it's operating like an infection machine, it's not doing a friggin' good thing. Obviously, though, the doc wants to make sure my right kidney is working at 110%, since it'll be the only one left.
So that's where I've been, you stalwarts who've insisted on keeping track of this blog. (And more power to you, because it's been...what...3 or 4 months since I last posted?) I'm also going to be working on getting my high blood pressure under control, which I desperately need to do. (I'm not going to even tell you the numbers at the last same-day surgery; just know that they were too high; something I've never had to deal with in the past, although there's plenty of hypertension on both sides of my family.)
Hopefully, I'll post a little more regularly, like 2-3 times per month. It's all going to depend on how I feel, when hubby gets a job, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Only positivity here, though! Prayers, good thoughts, crossed fingers and toes are the only things allowed, lol.
I've felt like the female Job the past few months: If it's not one downer thing, it's another, lol. But, as you can tell, I'm very optimistic about life and stuff.
Why?
Because. It's as good a reason as anything else.
Much love,
Nancy
I was feeling really sick a few months back. That, combined with continued stress (husband not finding a job, company that I work for bought out by another company), gave me what I thought was a bad back.
In February, I received some pills for my bad lower back. I thought that would take care of the problem.
Nope.
The pain came back again in June, and I knew something wasn't right. So I went off to the doctor's office. I was again prescribed some pills for the pain, but this time, the doctor thought it would be a good idea to have some blood work done, as I hadn't had a physical done in quite some time.
The urine test came back - blood in the urine.
Not gushing, mind you. But just enough to have the doctor's office calling and leaving me messages.
To make a long story a bit shorter ;-), I went to a urologist, who told me my kidneys weren't in good shape. Especially the left one. Now, I've known for 7 years that my left kidney was smaller than my right. Didn't think anything of it, except that it was strange (threw me for a loop). Since the doctor didn't say anything about it, I didn't think there was a problem.
Meh.
Anyway, I've already been through 2 minimally-invasive surgeries as I write this. The first one was to insert 2 small stents (which circumvent logjams in your arteries or wherever) on the ureters (which are the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder).
As he figured would happen, the right kidney's flow through the ureter improved a bit; the left one did not. In fact, the left kidney is only functioning at 11%; it also is so crappy that keeps introducing infections into my body, which might explain why I've had so much pain in my abdomen over the years).
Anyhoo, the bottom line is, once he sees the larger stent that's now on my right ureter working fabulously well (being positive is the only way to be!), he'll then take out the left kidney.
Yup.
I'll be a 1 kidney person, probably by the end of this year.
To which I say - fine. If the left kidney is barely functioning, and it's operating like an infection machine, it's not doing a friggin' good thing. Obviously, though, the doc wants to make sure my right kidney is working at 110%, since it'll be the only one left.
So that's where I've been, you stalwarts who've insisted on keeping track of this blog. (And more power to you, because it's been...what...3 or 4 months since I last posted?) I'm also going to be working on getting my high blood pressure under control, which I desperately need to do. (I'm not going to even tell you the numbers at the last same-day surgery; just know that they were too high; something I've never had to deal with in the past, although there's plenty of hypertension on both sides of my family.)
Hopefully, I'll post a little more regularly, like 2-3 times per month. It's all going to depend on how I feel, when hubby gets a job, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Only positivity here, though! Prayers, good thoughts, crossed fingers and toes are the only things allowed, lol.
I've felt like the female Job the past few months: If it's not one downer thing, it's another, lol. But, as you can tell, I'm very optimistic about life and stuff.
Why?
Because. It's as good a reason as anything else.
Much love,
Nancy
2008-06-20
Word Count - and Birthday (Tomorrow, That Is)
I'm such a scatterbrain these days.
Movie I Watched Last Night
I meant to put up my word count at the site yesterday, just after I finished watching a really good movie last night (an old one, naturally ;-)) - Bridge to the Sun, a true story about a woman from Tennessee who marries a Japanese diplomat in the 1930s, and when he's deported from the U.S. soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she goes along with him. The ending was very sad; I had tears in my eyes as I went upstairs to bed.
So of course I washed up and went to bed. Silly me.
Da Actual Word Count, Man
Here's my word count for yesterday:
6/19 - 147 words
Amazing that I managed to get in any words, as my back (again) was acting up - I actually stayed home yesterday. I'm at work today, finishing up a project that's due on Monday.
They Say It's Your Birthday
And my birthday's tomorrow - the first day of Summer! LOL, I used to love the summer because school was over the year and because we'd usually go and visit family down the Jersey shore.
Now? Meh. I melt if it's too hot, and I never sit outside just to get a tan (I burn anyway, lol). I might as well just sit in a nice, comfy air-conditioned room and read a book.
Have a great weekend - whether it's your birthday or not! :-)
~Nancy Beck
Movie I Watched Last Night
I meant to put up my word count at the site yesterday, just after I finished watching a really good movie last night (an old one, naturally ;-)) - Bridge to the Sun, a true story about a woman from Tennessee who marries a Japanese diplomat in the 1930s, and when he's deported from the U.S. soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she goes along with him. The ending was very sad; I had tears in my eyes as I went upstairs to bed.
So of course I washed up and went to bed. Silly me.
Da Actual Word Count, Man
Here's my word count for yesterday:
6/19 - 147 words
Amazing that I managed to get in any words, as my back (again) was acting up - I actually stayed home yesterday. I'm at work today, finishing up a project that's due on Monday.
They Say It's Your Birthday
And my birthday's tomorrow - the first day of Summer! LOL, I used to love the summer because school was over the year and because we'd usually go and visit family down the Jersey shore.
Now? Meh. I melt if it's too hot, and I never sit outside just to get a tan (I burn anyway, lol). I might as well just sit in a nice, comfy air-conditioned room and read a book.
Have a great weekend - whether it's your birthday or not! :-)
~Nancy Beck
2008-06-17
Hatchette vs. Amazon
Interesting post about Amazon removing the "Buy Now" button from certain Hatchette Livre UK books.
Hatchette isn't exactly a fly-by-night outfit. And it also sounds as if the situation for a number of UK publishers is a lot more dire than here in the U.S. (judging from the posts, that is).
Amazon better be careful, or this PR stuff is going to spiral out of their control.
~Nancy Beck
Hatchette isn't exactly a fly-by-night outfit. And it also sounds as if the situation for a number of UK publishers is a lot more dire than here in the U.S. (judging from the posts, that is).
Amazon better be careful, or this PR stuff is going to spiral out of their control.
~Nancy Beck