Zombies Can't Write

A little play on the morbid, but the fact is . . . I should be dead. At least that's what all the doctors and nurses during my 5 day stay at the hospital said . . . over and over and over.

So here are the deets.

As some of you already know, I've been struggling with my health the past few months.  Because of the gory details, I haven't posted exactly what was going on, but now, in order for you to understand what's happened, I feel I need to include that.  Please forgive me if it's a bit much.

Starting in January, I had a non-stop period that got worse and worse until I was hemorrhaging. My husband took me to the ER on April 7th where they examined me and did an ultra sound. They found that my uterus is filled with fibroid tumors and is the size of a soccer ball. It's supposed to be the size of a pear.  They also found an unusual cyst that was putting pressure on my cervix, causing a great deal of pain. They put me on 4 (FOUR) birth control pills a day and told me to make an appointment with my OB/Gyn.

The next day I called my Gyn and they said they couldn't get me in for 4 WEEKS. UGH.  So I made the appointment, hung up and called my medical doctor who got me in two days later. After getting all the info and checking me out, he also suggested I stay on the pill and then he called my Gyn, told him it was urgent and had them move my appointment closer. It was still two weeks away, but at least it was closer.

Finally at the Gyn. office, he examined me and did a biopsy (later found out there was no sign of cancer. Whew!) He told me I needed to have a hysterectomy ASAP, but because of the cyst and that I'm somewhat high risk, he referred me to a specialist in Boise who can do the operation with the Da Vinci Robot. The surgery would be a lot less invasive and the recovery time would be minimal. He then told me to stay on the 4 pills a day until the surgery.

(Sorry this is getting SOO long. Hang in there)

So I saw the Boise doctor, scheduled the surgery for June 5th and tried to remain positive. While waiting I managed to lose almost 20 pounds (no appetite) and because I was only spotting, I figured I would feel much better and should be getting stronger. WRONG. Each day I seemed to be getting weaker and weaker and could do less. On the morning of May 30th, just 5 days before my surgery, I woke with a racing heart, chest pains and I couldn't breathe.  My husband rushed me to the ER where they did an EKG, a chest xray and a CT scan. When the doctor finally came in with the results, he looked like someone had kicked him in the gut.  He said he'd never seen a case as bad as mine and that I should be dead.

My lungs were FILLED with blood clots, CAUSED BY THE MASSIVE DOSE OF BIRTH CONROL PILLS I was on.

NO ONE told me what to watch for or the risk of taking all those pills. Grrrrrr.

I spent 3 days in ICU trying to stay alive. They ran every test imaginable on me, poked every vein I have and finally installed a central line in my neck (which sucked and was very painful).

So here's where it gets tricky.  They took me off the pills (thank goodness) and put me on blood thinners to dissolve the clots.  HELLO???!!!  Any idea what that does to a girl? Yep, blood everywhere. So now I'm at risk of needed a blood transfusion which is why they are still watching me very closely.

On the fourth day they moved me to the Cardio-Pulmonary Unit so they could monitor my heart. It has become a victim of the lung problem. The right side, which pumps blood to the lungs, is enlarged from working so hard. We HOPE it will shrink down to the normal size once the clots are gone, but in the meantime I have weird flip flops (palpitations) that take what little breath I have away.

I was released on the evening of the 3rd and sent home with Oxygen and shots I had to give myself in the stomach. :-(  I have strict orders to rest and not over exert myself. I have to have my blood drawn every other day to make sure the blood thinners are within the clinical range and have to see my doctor often to be sure everything else is progressing and that I'm not bleeding to death.

I will be on the blood thinners for 3-6 months, which means it will take that long for me to heal and get back to my regular routine. That also means I won't be able to have the surgery until then. :-(

NOW, what does this mean to YOU????

BELOVED is on hold. I only have 8-9 chapters left, so it won't take that long to finish it, but since I can't sit in one place for very long (need to keep blood in legs circulating so clots don't form there) it will take me longer to finish it. I'm not going to give a new release date because the last thing I need in my life is a little more pressure. But I promise I will work on it as much as I can and get it done as soon as possible.

In the meantime, I will release the cover and the first two chapters. I need to get that post ready and write up a newsletter, so it might take me a couple days, but watch for it THIS WEEK.

I'm truly sorry for all the delays, but they are beyond my control. I would give just about anything to have this book done and in your hands, but not my life. And like the title says, I don't think I could write as a Zombie.

Please know that I love each and every one of you and treasure your love of my writing. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful fan base and such great friends.

HUGS!!!

CK