May

Almost 5k words into the latest chapter, but 3 appointments to start the month, ending with the left side T6-T9 RFA.  Means very little work getting done in the first half of the month.  Just sent an email to Deranged Doctor Designs to get a cover booked, so that'll be ongoing.  Did print out the last chapter to do some edits during my ow-ow-stuck-in-bed week.  Might also start reading through the series to start finding some random info drops I need to recall.

Why ain't you fans anal enough to have started a wiki and fill it with every little detail I can just anonymously check, huh?

You're failing me!

Also have all of the Vicky novel (I think like 150 pages?) printed up, so if I run out of things to keep occupied I suppose I can get to that as well...

Outside of that, watching things, reading things.  I'm officially an old man since I got excited yesterday when I realized Erik Larson has a new history novel out...buying a non fiction novel day one, what has happened to me?  And I'm reading things in paper again!  Not on the kindle...

Guess I'll be complaining about the newest generation next.  Stupid Zoomers.  In my day we protested with drum circles!  You're doing it wrong!

Update:  RFA got pushed up to Tuesday, had to cancel other appointment.  Means I'll have more of May to write after I recover, I suppose.  Also added about 4k more into the second to last chapter.  Kind of iffy on if this scene will make the final cut.  Feels very similar to other sections and might interrupt the tone I'm going for.  But its also quite heartfelt and some solid humor.  We'll see!

One Step Closer

All 500ish pages of edits have been typed into the laptop!!!

Made a big push the last couple weeks and I am sore and cranky because of it, but it's done!  Yay!

Have two quick scenes left to finish off in this chapter I'm working on, then its the climax chapter, and the falling action/wrap up chapter.  My back has been pretty iffy, but as long as I pace my spine and write every other day I should be able to make progress over the next couple weeks.  3 doctor appointments to start off May, including the other half of the RFA (left side), but then I only have one in June (so far).  Might finish the first draft by then...maybe?  Please kind sir?

Plan:  Mad Scientist when able and binge the crazy amount of great TV releasing at the moment.  And watch the NBA Playoffs.  And City winning the Prem...again.  And Verstappen winning...again...and again...and again.

4/23 Update:  Two chapters left.

Random Asylum History Facts with Maudette Lynch

“Oh, yes!  Every few years there’s a runner traumatized by the Test.  We catch them before they leave campus these days.  Most head to their favorite spot for a bit of quiet and a cry—the Mound or the Gym, even the Library—but in 1966, Nelson Jekyll made it all the way to Stockton due to a particularly generous van of hippies.  Poor boy was stoned out of his mind and had lost his virginity thrice over before we found him…”

Ow...

 Ninth time, still surprised how much it hurts.

Mice and Men And All That Jazz

So the MRI results showed "moderate" issues in my C4 to C7 range.  Like...there's things there that are very not good, but maybe not to the cut out bone and slam in screws and rods range.

What this means is that the last RFA (Radio Frequency Ablation, AKA Burninating the Nerves) C7 to T2 missed 3 out of the 4 problem areas.  Which is bad, but also...it gave me so much relief as is, I'm very hopeful about what a correctly placed one will do.

However, because my very first T6-T9 RFA is over a year old at this point and its relief is rather quickly wearing off (basically serious mid back pain that gets worse and worse the longer I sit and stand until I have no choice but to lie down and rest) and because that new C4-C7 RFA would require me to go through the whole branch block testing procedure again (basically the whole same thing as an RFA except its just some lidocaine (I think) that lasts 24 hours as a test), docs and me decided to get the T6-T9 out of the way first.

Some other good news is that what usually takes four to six weeks to schedule is INSTANTLY happening next Thursday and then the second half at the start of May (since they do one side and then the other).

After that we'll get to the branch blocks and finally the full C4-C7 in October/November.

So that's six procedures over the rest of the year, but no crazy surgery that's got some serious recovery time and PT attached.

My plan was to go full Mad Scientist Mode after this appointment I just had and try to finish the book this month, but that's probably not in the cards now.  Will still write when able and in smaller bursts, but I need that recovery week after every RFA pretty much, so...more broken up instead of one blast!

And if any of you respond and tell me to think about my health and recovery instead of writing, I will kick you in the fucking shin 😡