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Archive for the 'Real Life' Category
Tuesday, January 7th, 2025
Catching up here…
- I’m feeling a little better. Got some rest. I had a white cell count booster shot yesterday. Next, I have an appointment at the end of next week for a PET scan to see how much my cancer has reduced (crossing my fingers it’s a lot!). Then, I have a follow-on appointment the Monday after to get the results and begin my first immunotherapy infusion. Whew! Hopefully, there will be another appointment added to see a surgeon to get my girlie parts removed!
- Amazon very kindly reinstated my pre-order ability, but now I’m afraid to use it in case I don’t finish the next book in time. LOL. I have no confidence, but I guess I’ll go ahead and set one up for a far-away date to give myself some leeway, then change it to a sooner date when the book is done. I’m talking about Ignition, the last of the Delta Heat stories, which is almost all written at this point! Just a chapter or two to go, and I’m done. I’ll attack it next week and see how it goes. I’ll announce here when I set up the pre-order—after I regain my nerve.
- The kids start back to school today, although the severe cold is here, and we might get SNOW on Thursday. This means the kids may get a long weekend out of it! Yay! Although, BOO, we already had a pipe freeze in the pasture. Won’t be able to fix it until it thaws sometime next week.
- We did our grocery shopping after I had my shot yesterday. I was sooooo tired after traipsing around the grocery store. My dd would’ve dropped me at home if I’d asked, but I wanted to do something normal I haven’t done in months. I loved seeing all the FOOD. I know I added a bunch she wouldn’t have bought because…pretty. Who can resist prosciutto and cheese? Or asparagus. (I’m the only person in the house who eats it.)
And that’s all that’s happening here. I’ve set myself some small goals for today and hope I can get that bare minimum done. My desk is buried in stuff! Be sure to check out the list of contests that are still open below! I’d love to hear how you’re doing. Is anyone else getting this freezing weather?
Open Contests
- Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Susan Smith McKinney Steward – From A Family of Firsts (Contest) — This ends tomorrow! Win an Amazon gift card!
- Looking Back: 2024 Releases (Contest–2 Winners!) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
- Gabbi Grey: The Date I Had to Hit (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE ebook or audiobook!
- December Into January (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
- Themes for the Next Boys Behaving Badly Anthology (A Poll & a Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
- Story Cubes — Tell me a story (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
- Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Hunkering down in the cold… — Win an Amazon gift card!
- Gabbi Grey: Why Representation Matters (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
Tagged: Delta Heat, Motivation, planning, winter Posted in Cancer Journey, Contests!, Real Life | 3 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Deb - Colleen C. - Diane Sallans -
Wednesday, January 1st, 2025
December
Work-related:
- I didn’t write in December, but that was the plan until after my chemotherapy sessions ended.
- I completed 2 editing projects for other authors in December.
- I did post daily Advent Calendar giveaways for readers from the 1st to the 24th of December. And all the gifts have been mailed! Hope you enjoyed the posts!
- After getting that hopeful news on Monday, I redid my work plan for the New Year. There will be books!
Health-related:
- I underwent two rounds of chemo, the last being on the 30th of December where I got some hopeful news from my oncologist about my progress, which I already posted about here, yesterday! It gave me a huge, happy boost, which I so needed. What a way to begin the New Year.
- Last night, I restarted my Weight Watcher’s subscription and downloaded a chair yoga regimen I’ll begin in January to further improve my health in the new year. Once I’m past the nausea, muscle and joint aches, and fatigue from my latest treatment, I’ll begin working out to lose some more weight and regain some muscle tone.
Happiness-related:
- My family has been astonishingly good to me over the months of my treatment, cleaning up after me, fetching things when I was too tired to fetch them for myself, etc., and they made the holiday so joyful. I’m lucky to have them. We watched Christmas movies, played games, and ate some wonderful food.
- I painted only once this month. Here are the two small things I managed to paint:
January
For work-related, I plan:
- To complete Ignition before the end of the month and publish it. I haven’t been able to persuade Amazon to give me back my pre-order ability, despite the fact I sent them proof I had good reasons for cancelling Ignition in the first place last year. I’m not giving up on that, but when I’m done writing the book, I’ll let you know when it’s ready for purchase.
- To conduct a poll to see what themes might interest readers for a new Boys Behaving Badly Anthology this year! I’ll post the poll tomorrow to get your votes! After that, I’ll make my decision about the theme and post a Call for Submissions for authors. I can’t wait to get started!
- To plot stories for the new year for my current series, Montana Bounty Hunters: Yellowstone, MT and We are Dead Horse.
- To complete 2, maybe 3 editing projects in January. I have them on the books but haven’t received them from the authors yet, so we’ll see. But I’m ready to start!
- To look at books I already have out that I might bundle together or publish in print.
- To begin work on the next We Are Dead Horse book, Built Like Mack. The plan is to release it in March.
For health-related, I plan:
- To undergo more scans to ascertain how far the cancer has been beat back, and to see a cancer surgeon in Little Rock to see if I am a candidate for removal of my girlie parts. Crossing fingers here!
- To begin again watching what I eat to drop a few more pounds. I’ve rejoined WW.
- To add physical activities to my daily routine so that I can regain some muscle tone. It may take until the middle of the month after I’ve recovered from this last chemo treatment, but I intend to take the stairs as often as I can manage and begin some daily chair yoga exercises.
For happiness-related, I plan:
- To better organize my office so I can start off with a clean slate for the new year!
- To clean up my art room, which has become a disaster! I’ve been tossing supplies on table tops and need to actually store them properly, so I have more workspace. I have plans to do an online oil pastels class and perhaps make some more collage fodder. I think the #100daychallenge starts toward the end of the month, and I will be there, painting every day when it begins!
- To spend time with the family—more movies, meals, and flea market adventures!
Contest
Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or tell me what you plan to read in January…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
Tagged: contemporary romance, Delta Fire, menage, Motivation, planning, small town romance, We Are Dead Horse Posted in Cancer Journey, Contests!, Real Life | 18 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Diane Sallans - cindy - Jennifer Beyer - Debra Guyette - Rachelle Lerner -
Tuesday, December 31st, 2024
I’m posting this early because I’ll probably be asleep when the clock dings at midnight! Here’s wishing you all the best in this new year!
I also wanted to say thank you all so much for your support, prayers, and best wishes over these past months. I really do think they made a difference. At the very least, you have kept me from feeling like I’m fighting this battle on my own. Bless you all!
Posted in Real Life | 5 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Kelley - Beverly - Mary Almeida - Deb Robinson - Dana Zamora -
Tuesday, December 31st, 2024
Sorry this is long, but I have so much to share.
Yesterday was my last scheduled day for chemotherapy—and it almost didn’t happen. When I arrived, I met briefly with a nurse who told me that my last bloodwork indicated my platelet count was critically low (70, when normal range is 150 to 400), so they wanted me to head straight to the nearby hospital for another blood draw to see whether the number had moved enough for it to be safe for me to undergo treatment. I had been dropped off for my appointment, so I called home, and the 20-year-old hurried back to town to ferry me to the hospital and back to the clinic. Thankfully, the hospital quickly took the blood and ran it. I was sitting at 117, so still sweating whether they would allow me to go through with it. When I returned, my oncologist said it was high enough for us to proceed.
Now, it’s not like I ever look forward to a day spent with medicines rushing through my body, all with side effects, some unpleasant, but I am still hopeful the treatments will give me what I need—more time. So, I blew out a breath and smiled back at him and said, “Let’s do this.” He also mentioned as I headed out the treatment room door, “Did you see your latest antigen test?” That same set of stats that said my platelets had tanked had shown that my Cancer Antigen Test number was 23—down from 1100—and well within normal range. I told him I had and moved down the corridor to the infusion treatment room.
It was packed. I didn’t get my favorite chair. I know that sounds silly, but I like the one next to the door so I’m not sitting sandwiched between two people and because the chair is easiest to maneuver it to lie back so I can rest. I don’t like asking for help to adjust my chair. But I sighed and moved to the only empty chair. Jimmy the tech, who always takes care of me, inserted my IV (remember, my port was removed last month). Then the infusions began. Hours later, after I had napped and listened to The Beatles, The Stones, and CCR through my headphones, I was done.
Jimmy removed my IV. As he was leaving, he gave me a smile. “It’s going to be easy from here on out. Just an hour in the chair, and you won’t even feel it afterward.”
The doctor had hung around to make sure there were no issues. I rarely see him a second time in the day, but he entered, smiling widely.
“You know you’ve made amazing progress,” he said.
I narrowed my eyes to tease him and said, “Amazing compared to what?” Was this a line he gave all his patients?
He shook his head. “No, your number dropped so fast, and the fact we could already see a 50% reduction in the size of your cancer after the third treatment gives me real hope for remission.”
My heart thudded in my chest, but I kept quiet. Remission does not mean a cure. Remission does not mean a cure, I reminded myself.
“We’re going to set up a PET scan before we begin immunotherapy, but after that, I’m going to refer you to some terrific surgeons at UAMS who specialize in your kind of cancer.”
That stunned me because he has repeated to me three times over the months since this all began, that he didn’t believe I’d be a good candidate for surgery to remove my cancer because it was too…big. That I’d be looking strictly at maintenance infusions for the rest of my life to keep the cancer contained, if possible. The fact he thought I would be a candidate for surgery to remove the source of my cancer had me blinking and then giving him a huge smile.
He did give me a caveat. “I think they can remove your ovaries and uterus, but I’m not sure about the omentum. That’s more complicated, but they’re the surgeons. That’s not what I do.” He also said, “Once you begin immunotherapy every six weeks, you can take a vacation, live your life, get back to normal. You can grow back your hair!”
So, friends, things are looking up. I might be able to add more years to that original prognosis of one to three years. I’m sure he wouldn’t like to hazard a guess until his colleagues agree to do surgery and I make it safely to the other side, but I’m feeling pretty damn good—even though I’m facing a miserable two weeks of recovery now.
I have hope for more time to spend with my family. More time to write books. Time to put together another anthology. Dang, I need to redo my 2025 plans!
Posted in Cancer Journey, Real Life | 34 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: ButtonsMom - Louisa Bacio - Denise - kerry jo - Siobhan Muir -
Thursday, December 26th, 2024
UPDATE: The winner is…Beckie!
*~*~*
Christmas decorations are still up, but it’s time to make some plans for the New Year!
Is this something you like to do? Do you set resolutions? Plan to join Weight Watchers? Sign up for yoga classes at the local rec center? Set a budget to improve your finances? Maybe plan a trip or two?
Every year, always, I set plans in motion. Some goals I achieve, some I lose interest in working on by mid-January, but others, are a constant work in progress. I love the process of planning for a new year—and it always begins with my writing goals. Seeing as I abandoned writing in August due to my diagnosis, I’m a bit wary of setting goals too far in the future, and I have tons of self-doubt about whether I can ever achieve my former productivity, but I am going to set some goals anyway as something to shoot for. And I’ll go for pie-in-the-sky because I’m an optimist, and if I have to adjust later, ah well. I have to have goals and starting points to remain motivated.
So, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle to keep that gray matter functioning, then tell me whether you have any goals for the new year, big or small.
Tagged: game, Motivation, planning, puzzle, word nerd, word search Posted in General, Real Life | 17 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Mary Preston - BN - Debra Guyette - Mary McCoy - Delilah -
Tuesday, December 24th, 2024
UPDATE: The winner is…Anna Marie!
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All my Advent calendar doors have been opened now! Aren’t they adorable? My daughter bought me a calendar when she bought the kids theirs because she knows I’m just as thrilled (well, probably more so) than they are, opening my daily windows to see what I got. Now I have all these little figurines and I’m trying to figure out what to do with them. I can’t display them because I already have soooooo many Marvel and DC figurines scattered all over my office.
I’m thinking, I might treat them like I would a daily tarot card draw. I could put them into a decorative bowl on my desktop, then close my eyes and draw one to see whose superpowers I’d assume that day. What do you think?
As well, I posted the last Advent giveaway on Facebook. The day after Christmas, we’ll have to head to the post office to get the last of the items shipped to winners. It’s been fun, and my bookshelf was denuded of a few books and my stock of bookmarks needs replenishing just in time for 2025’s #100daychallenge. Any excuse to pull out the paints and play.
Tonight is Adult’s Christmas, and the kids get to open one gift. Then we’ll be up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the kids open their Christmas gifts. It’s always fun.
But for now, I have a puzzle. Do you remember our Halloween black kitten, Binx, that I posted about after my daughter rescued her from school traffic? Well, she’s gotten a little bit bigger and is always in trouble. The 20-year-old keeps her in her garage apartment. The puzzle picture is of her getting into a bit of trouble. She nearly toppled her tree.
Solve the puzzle, then for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, just pop in and share a holiday message. Spread the cheer!
Tagged: Christmas, superhero Posted in Contests!, Real Life | 26 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Jennifer Beyer - BN - Sara D - Kerry Jo - Mary McCoy -
Wednesday, December 18th, 2024
UPDATE: The winner is…Beth!
*~*~*
Counting down the days until Christmas, trying to come up with holiday-themed posts, can be hard! I do love movies, though. I read all day long (editing, writing), and when I want a break, it’s not a book I gravitate to. I love movies. I love the full immersive experience. Lights off, volume up. After Thanksgiving, I get serious about hunting down holiday movies to watch with the family, and we’ve watched quite a few, so far: Elf, Hot Frosty, National Lampoon’s A Christmas Vacation… I know we’ve watched a couple of others, but they escape my mind.
Last night, the 15-year-old and I sat down to watch my favorite (and yes, it is a Christmas movie!), Die Hard. Get this. She’s 15—and had never seen it. When it was over, she said, “Best Christmas movie ever!” I feel so vindicated. LOL
Because there’s still time to fit a few more movies in, I’m looking for your suggestions. I listed the new film, Red One in the puzzle below, because I’m hoping to talk my family into watching another action flick with me (my favorite genre!). For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, give me some more suggestions for holiday movies to watch!
Tagged: game, puzzle, word nerd, word search Posted in Contests!, Real Life | 25 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Courtney Kinder - Jennifer Beyer - Rachelle Lerner - Mary McCoy - Delilah -
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