When You Think Things Are Back To Normal...

     

So, Shelly, why all the breaks and 'I need a little hiatus' from the internet and social media??

     You always have an idea in your head of what you'll do if a doctor tells you something awful is going on in your body...

     Well, most of you know that I broke my neck a few months ago. I had a rough time with pain and numbness taking over my arms, neck and hands. I still managed to finish Independence on time, and after tons of meds and therapy spinal shots, started to feel a little better. I knew it was only a matter of time until I felt normal again. 

     But a couple of weeks ago, I started having some serious problems. The entire right side of my face, neck and head are numb, but really sensitive to the touch. It's so hard to describe, but it feels like you're scratching a layer of skin off when you touch it. And headaches, which I've never had before, had me basically sleeping the day away because I didn't know what else to do to stop them. Then it moved down to my arm and right hand.

     Naturally, we made an appointment for my doctor. 

     He said he thought it was a condition called Trigeminal Nueralgia, which is a painful condition of the nerves in the brain stem, and sent me out for an emergency MRI. I had the MRI and looked up the condition. It didn't sound good in any light. I prepared myself for the worst. So I wasn't surprised at all on Friday when he told me when I went in for the MRI review that I did have Trigeminal Neuralgia. 

     What I DIDN'T expect, was for him to tell me that I also had a tumor on my pituitary gland. I always imaged my reaction to something like that would be crying, but it was the opposite. I just sat there, unable to react at all. It was like it was a dream and it wasn't until I got in the car with my husband that it hit me. This was real. 

     So...I'm being referred to a specialist Neurologist at Mayo Clinic to start radiation. What does this mean for you? Well, I'm in the home stretch for Wide Awake. No more than 10,000 words at the most and I'll be done. I'm still trying to finish and have it to you before Feb ends, honestly more for me than you, but at this point, no promises. 
   UPDATE: Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish Wide Awake in time. My hand is pretty useless and with all the 'stuff' going on with my face and head, the Dragon speaking software didn't work well for me either. I'm slowly working on it as I'm able, and you'll be the first to know when I'm finished. I'm sorry about that. 
     But I DO want to finish it, that way it's done and I can focus on what's ahead for me and my family. I want it out of my mind so I can really focus and not have anything extra to worry about. If you're an author, then you know that a story will literally eat at you, and that is what Wide Awake is doing. So I'll finish it, but then my hiatus\break begins. How long? Don't know, but it won't be forever.

     I do have a couple of other releases scheduled this year, but at this time, I'm putting everything on hold. If you know me at all, you know I answer every comment, email and tweet that I see. I'll still be a presence there, but if I don't get back to you right away, please know that I will as soon as I can.

     As for the Boston Author Event in March, I am still hoping that I can come. At this point, it's a week to week plan for me. I'll post any news on that front when I can make a sure decision. 

      For the Significance movie, they have great, awesome things happening, some really great news I got just today from them, and they'll be posting it as soon as all the details are ironed out. Any questions or updates and news for the movie, head to the productions company's Facebook page for that. 

    

     If you know me, you know you can't keep me down for long :) I've held in my problems about this for a while, and I'm sorry if I've seemed off-puttish. And you all were so sweet when I said I needed to take a break to deal with things, and wished me well. You'll never know what each and every single one of you mean to me. I'm trying to be as normal as possible. I have an amazing husband that's able to run his business from home, so he's here with me and is taking very good care of me. Feeling useless and resting is NOT something I'm comfortable with, but I'm learning. I am so incredibly blessed in my circumstances for this situation. It's not ideal, and I'm tired of life's lemons, but it is what it is and you have to work with what you've got. 

    Thank you all. Truly, absolutely, sincerely. 

                                                                            Best wishes and happy endings,

                                                                                      Shelly Crane