So.
One month ago on IWSG day, I woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain in my stomach. I'll spare you the details, but just say that after a doctor visit, CT scan, x-ray and specialist visit, I found out I had a 15 mm kidney stone. The next few weeks of my life involved multiple ER visits, trying several internet 'cures', pain med stupor, two surgeries, a stent that made sure I could never be more than a few feet from the bathroom, and a scary bout of opiate withdrawals that lasted several days. I'm still not out of the woods, but glad to say I'm no longer in a virtual coma (I can focus enough to write, yay!) and have made a few trips out of the house without a complete meltdown.
It's been a difficult time for me and my family (though far from the worst), but with each hurdle I've overcome, the sheer joy I experience is unmeasurable. Such as:
* Sleeping through the night for the first time in weeks...what a treat!
* Able to stand long enough to put that frozen lasagna into the oven myself...you go girl!
* Hitting the 24 hr. mark without experiencing the anxiety, muscle spasms, or chills of withdrawals...let's throw a party!
It seems silly now, but those milestones were huge ones for me and worth celebrating. Isn't it that way with our writing? Of course there are huge milestones along the way: first novel completed, landing an agent, first book deal, etc. But there are so many others worth just as much:
* I cut 20K words out of my novel without affecting the plot...what a treat!
* I wrote an entire scene without slipping out of tense or POV...you go girl!
* I finally figured out how get my character from A to B...let's throw a party!
So that's my advice for you all today...don't forget to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small they might seem. This week, I'm celebrating having figured out how to fix the ending of a book that's been shelved for over a year! Cheers! *commence happy dance*
How about you? What have you accomplished this week?
Take my mind and take my pain
Like an empty bottle takes the rain
And heal.
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| Join the IWSG! |
One month ago on IWSG day, I woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain in my stomach. I'll spare you the details, but just say that after a doctor visit, CT scan, x-ray and specialist visit, I found out I had a 15 mm kidney stone. The next few weeks of my life involved multiple ER visits, trying several internet 'cures', pain med stupor, two surgeries, a stent that made sure I could never be more than a few feet from the bathroom, and a scary bout of opiate withdrawals that lasted several days. I'm still not out of the woods, but glad to say I'm no longer in a virtual coma (I can focus enough to write, yay!) and have made a few trips out of the house without a complete meltdown.
It's been a difficult time for me and my family (though far from the worst), but with each hurdle I've overcome, the sheer joy I experience is unmeasurable. Such as:
* Sleeping through the night for the first time in weeks...what a treat!
* Able to stand long enough to put that frozen lasagna into the oven myself...you go girl!
* Hitting the 24 hr. mark without experiencing the anxiety, muscle spasms, or chills of withdrawals...let's throw a party!
It seems silly now, but those milestones were huge ones for me and worth celebrating. Isn't it that way with our writing? Of course there are huge milestones along the way: first novel completed, landing an agent, first book deal, etc. But there are so many others worth just as much:
* I cut 20K words out of my novel without affecting the plot...what a treat!
* I wrote an entire scene without slipping out of tense or POV...you go girl!
* I finally figured out how get my character from A to B...let's throw a party!
So that's my advice for you all today...don't forget to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small they might seem. This week, I'm celebrating having figured out how to fix the ending of a book that's been shelved for over a year! Cheers! *commence happy dance*
How about you? What have you accomplished this week?
Take my mind and take my pain
Like an empty bottle takes the rain
And heal.
26 comments:
Dang girl! Sorry to hear, and hope you keep getting better and better! On the flip side, I'll be over to taste said frozen, and hopefully now cooked, lasagna, and then steal all your amazing WIP improvements! (*sigh*)
Luckily I've never had kidney stones. I know they're not fun, but geez, I didn't realize all that other stuff came along with it. Glad to hear you're on the mend.
Good news on feeling better! Be careful doing that happy dance, and hang in there. You're going to keep getting stronger and come back even better. :)
Aww, Ilima, how I've missed you! I've heard rumors of your kidney stone and I'm so sorry. I've heard it's worse than pretty much anything, so I'm glad to hear you're on your way to healing and writing again!
*GENTLE HUGS*
Oh you poor thing! I'm so sorry. But I'm glad to hear you're feeling better.
And I absolutely agree about celebrating the small things!
I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that! My husband had a 7mm stone when I was on bedrest with my youngest. Yeah, I didn't feel that pain, but I have an inkling of what you dealt with. And you're right, we should celebrate the small things. great post!
Holy cow! I'm so glad you're starting to feel better! How awful. :( Yay for celebrating small things!
Sorry you were so miserable! Kidney stones are torture. Sometimes it is the little things that we appreciate so much.
Glad you were still able to accomplish some writing goals.
I'm sorry you've been sick! I know what it's like to recover from surgery (I've had three different kinds and one was spine surgery) and every little step to getting back to normal is a HUGE accomplishment.
Celebrating small accomplishments with writing is very important, too. We can't stay focus on our big goals all the time. Otherwise, we will never feel like we've reached success. We have to create smaller goals as stepping stones to the big ones and *dance dance dance* whenever we conquer them. :D
Oh yuck! Nasty stones. I'm glad you're on the mend and are making strides in your writing! :)
Aw, my poor friend! I am so sorry to hear about what you have been suffering through. I'm sending lots of prayers and hugs your way. May God grant you His peace and comfort as you heal.
Man, can I commiserate with your pain! I developed kidney stones back when I was pregnant with Faith. I refused medication because I was afraid it would hurt the baby. So passing those stones hurt, pretty darn bad. Just as bad (if not worse) than labor! Ouch.
How awful! I'm so glad you're feeling better!
Ilima! I had no idea. That sounds awful. I am so sorry. I'd bring you ice cream and cuddle with you if you were my neighbor. I guess LTUE is off the table for you then?
You're amazing! Thanks for sharing your story and encouragement. You rock!
Ilima!! That's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear about that and I know, second-hand as described by my husband, just how painful kidney stones are. So glad you're on the road to recovery!
You are freaking amazeballs to have this awesome outlook. I'm glad things are on the mend!
The only thing I have to say is, if you're writing a travelogue, figuring out how to get your character from A to B is definitely worth a party.
That sounds so terrible! I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better.
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You are brave and awesome and beautiful. Thanks for sharing your perspective, and congratulations on the progress with your writing! I sincerely hope your health continues to improve. You're in my prayers. Keep fighting and smiling and celebrating each step forward, no matter how small!
I'm glad you're feeling better, it sounds like you've had a hard time! Thanks for the great advice, we should always celebrate when good things happen, even if they're only small.
I had a kidney stone once. It was probably the tiniest size they form in, and I only felt the pain for one day. BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD DIE. I can't even begin to imagine the misery you've gone through. As always, you've been amazing and found the light and ways to keep working and being grateful. I'm so impressed by you and so glad you're on the up side of this major trial. <3
Oh yikes! Here's to continued healing and a healthy rest of the year!
Oh man! Here's hoping you keep on feeling better. Take care, hugs!
Praying for you, my friend!
Wow, I'm so sorry to hear you had to go through this. Yikes. But I'm glad you're on the mend. When we're young, we don't understand it when older people say our health is everything.
Glad you're feeling better! It's amazing how an experience like that will put all the little blessings into perspective.
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