Please don’t ask me, now or anytime in the foreseeable future:
“How’s the writing going?”
It’s not. I’m not all torn up about it, because I really can’t even think about it right now, but when someone asks, it reminds me, and it’s like a little knife wound to the gut. So please don’t ask.
Other than blogging, and writing posts on diabetes forums, it’s pretty nonexistent. It’s not on the back burner, it’s not even in the kitchen anymore. But it’s okay.
Because I’m learning it takes a heck of a lot of time to:
- test my blood 5-8x a day, figure out what the numbers mean, and what to do about them, if anything
- figure out what, and how much to eat, and when
- exercise
- read about diabetes
- go to diabetes education class
- go to work
- continue to be the mom, spouse and daughter in my family
Every night when I go to bed there are dozens of things I know I haven’t finished/started/accomplished. And writing book(s) just isn’t on the list right now.
So I’ll let y’all know when I’m “writing again.” I hope it won’t take a terrible long long time, but I just really have no idea.
April 13, 2009 at 5:18 pm
You’re my role model. I actually cannot, cannot seem to get the hang of doing what I need to, to lose some weight– which is now a health issue for me. You can come back to writing anytime and you will sometime,soon probably much sooner than you think. But you can’t come back to it if you don’t take exquisite care of yourself and your body. Keep on doing what you are doing, and remember, you can’t write if you aren’t well and thriving in other ways. With love from your DC pal. Laura
April 13, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Laura, thank you, but you know, the only thing that got me “on board” for this weight loss thing was truly believing that my life and limb (literally) depended on it. I’ve been struggling with this for decades and this is the first time I’m actually DOING it.
April 14, 2009 at 9:34 am
Hi Susan,
I am a former student of yours, and although I have only recently reconnected with your blog, I’ve spent hours reading through it. I wanted to write you in support of the the tremendous efforts you are making to improve the quality of your life. A little over a year ago we found out that my mother has diabetes; I wish with all my heart that she would take it as seriously as you do. Bravo to you for making a commitment to yourself and your family. I am wishing you a very healthy (and happy!) future! Respectfully, Claudine
April 17, 2009 at 4:22 am
How I wish I didn’t know what you mean with the medical stuff. I have three fat notebooks here on Chemo, Breast cancer and radiation and I don’t even want to own them. First chemo is today, after April 6 biopsy and two MRI’s. It makes fast track look like an old fashioned term.
But the good news it my recent Amazon status in their 2009 novel contest. My recently finished novel CATCHER, CAUGHT went from one of 5000 entries through quarterfinals of 500 to the semi-finals on April 15. 100 unpublished novels remain, from which they’ll choose 3 finalists to fly to Seattle for final ceremony where Penguin Putnam offers a publishing contract to the winner. In my novel CATCHER, CAUGHT the 16 year old boy with leukemia makes friends with Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye as Daniel deals with dying, friendship, love, independence and identity while living on a houseboat on the Rappahannock River. The excerpts are free downloads at the Amazon shorts site. Here’s the link to mine: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG3A64.
Thanks for your blog and input on issues. Best of luck with your diabetes, and change in lifestyle.
May 18, 2009 at 9:07 am
Someone much wiser than I said to me once, when I was struggling with similar conflicting claims on my time: Life first, writing second.
Stay well!