A Writer's Health

A writer's productivity is often intricately linked to their health. So it has been with me.

I'm pretty open on this blog about the health issues I deal with, and I do so for two reasons. One, if I can offer any kind of support or commiseration for others out there going through the same thing, I'm happy to do so. Sometimes, when you suffer from often invisible health issues, it's nice to know you're not the only one. And two, I am a writer, and therefore I write about issues that are important to me.

I've blogged about my female health issues a lot over the last few years. There was the whole unexpected surgery to remove my right ovary, my foray into acupuncture to stave off more surgery, and my struggles to make the right decision. Well, the acupuncture didn't work (and I sometimes think it made things worse). I've been in a lot of pain the last few months and quite frankly, I'm tired of it.

This has been made worse by the news I received last Friday. I was scheduled to undergo an endometrial biopsy - a painful process - but unfortunately, my doctor couldn't perform it due to some issues with those pesky female parts. When she told me I would need a D&C procedure, I was shook up. Not only did I not want to go under the knife again, but I figured if I was going to do this, then I might as well get the hysterectomy done.

Yeah, that wasn't a good day for me.

However, after a lot of thinking and praying and a pre-op visit to my doctor yesterday, I'm holding off for now. Instead, we're doing the D&C and an ablation. This means I will no longer be able to have children. Even though my husband and I never had any plans to have more, it still is a bit unsettling to think about. But I have to look at my quality of life, and lately, it hasn't been that good. Two weeks out of the month I'm pretty much a mess - I can't exercise, am in constant pain, and moody from everything going on.

The weird thing through all this? I've been editing up a storm. I've lost myself in my novel to such an extent that I forget about all these issues swirling around in my head. It's been a blessing in disguise. Thankfully, that is one thing I can do when I'm pretty much bedridden - write.

I'm scheduled for surgery on Feb. 14 - Valentine's Day! This means my husband has to be extra special to me on that day, no?

Funnily enough, I've never had the urge to write a story where my character goes through the same health trials I've been through. I guess I've lived it enough in my own life and have no desire to explore it in my fiction. But my writing has been an absolute lifesaver for me. I've loved escaping into my fictional world and focusing on my characters' dilemmas instead of my own. It's been a welcome release, and, dare I say it, a healthy one, too.