The Importance of Trying Times

Chel Owens

Last week, I had surgery. It was elective, so I’m not dying or anything. I just thought I ought to finally tell someone besides my immediate family. Also, ’twas the prompt for the first Weekly Terrible Poetry Contest I’m hosting (be sure to enter; you’ve got a day or so).

Because of this surgery, I haven’t been feeling up to snuff. That fact sounds a bit obvious, but was not part of my pre-surgery planning. I had the house clean, meals set up, rides arranged, babysitting for the day, and a prescription filled for heavy-duty Ibuprofen. In terms of what my recovery would be like, I think I thought I would just veg and write for NaNoWriMo afterwards.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found very comfortable positions to write from. Between the lingering tailbone recovery and the fact that the surgery was done near my midsection, I haven’t been able to wedge a typing machine in a sustainable place long enough to attempt much longer than a short story.

I have also been very tired.

-Not that surgery and recovery are completely alien to me. I’ve had an appendectomy and three C-Sections. Like pregnancy, however, I figured I survived operations in the past and was likely to handle another one just fine.

Then I get up and try walking.

By the by, if you’re considering an abdominal area incision, I’ve some quick recommendations:

  1. First, have people and/or devices around to retrieve things that keep obeying gravity.
  2. Purchase a heating pad for your back. Walking around like Igor for a day or so will really cramp up your muscles.
  3. Get a belly strap. I’ve used this amazing device after my C-Sections, and I rush-ordered one from Amazon last week after I could sit up long enough to do so.
  4. Surround yourself with pillows.
  5. Do not cough.
  6. Do not laugh.
  7. For the love of all that is or isn’t holy, DO NOT SNEEZE.
  8. Have a surface nearby that can hold your water, pain medicine, food plate, socks, stretchy pants, strap, ice pack, cell phone, etc.
    Turns out, I really need a wider nightstand.
  9. Accept any offers of help! We have so many leftovers from dinners brought in, but now I don’t have to worry about lunches, either.
  10. I can’t think of anything else, but the list looked too short with nine items.

I’d like to say I’ve at least devoted my hours of recovery to introspection or philosophizing in preparation for writing, but that isn’t true, either. The last few days I’ve actually gotten a few armor set upgrades for Link in “Breath of the Wild.” Dragon hunting is a great time-killer and now I’m pretty much an expert on where they spawn.

I’ve not had the memory or focus capacity to create. Sorry.

So, let’s end this apologetic blog post by giving a short Week In Review. I know it’s Wednesday, but unconventional is my thing.

Wednesday, November 7: Track Memory, my submission to a contest that I should have waited till the 16th to post. Sorry, Charli.
Thursday, November 8: Skinwalkers, XLI.
Friday, November 9: On the Brink, a poem I wrote just before going under the knife and scheduled ahead, thinking, What if I die and this posts the next day and everyone is like, Whaaa-?
I also announced my intent to have a weekly contest.
Saturday, November 10: Official Weekly Terrible Poetry Contest start. YAY!
Sunday, November 11: The Apple Pie from the Same Tree, my real-life experience written for Carrot Ranch’s blog prompt.
Monday, November 12: Wilhelmina Winters, Seventy-Two.
Tuesday, November 13: Inspirational quote by Neil Gaiman.
And, my little contribution posted over at The Bipolar Writer Mental Health Blog.
Today, November 14: This post. 🙂

Happy Wednesday or Whatever Day You Read This. May you have more mobility than I!

29 thoughts on “The Importance of Trying Times”

  1. Bruce Goodman November 14, 2018 / 11:09 pm

    Let me add (apart from the list you gave for which I offer full sympathy): the inability to raise an arm high enough to pour water into the coffee machine, and the inability to bend down low enough after a shower to dry the feet. But take one thing from this, Chelsea: there is light at the end!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Chelsea Owens November 14, 2018 / 11:29 pm

      Gah! You’re right! And what about even WASHING one’s feet? I’m just hoping their proximity to falling soapy water is doing the trick.
      I could also add the need for slip-on shoes, or a person to sock and shoe you every day. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
        • Chelsea Owens November 15, 2018 / 9:00 am

          😀 I can’t! And those sadistic nurses who put them on in the first place KNOW that!

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
  2. Bladud Fleas November 15, 2018 / 12:24 am

    Here’s to your speedy recovery, Chelsea. 🙂
    I felt I’ve been neglecting the blogging community this week on account of all-of-a-sudden legal obligations when buying a house. 🤪 Hoping we’ll all be back to normal soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. bereavedandbeingasingleparent November 15, 2018 / 12:59 am

    I really hope you find a comfortable position soon. I remember a doctor telling me laughter is the best the form of medicine. This was when I had 3 broken ribs and the slightest hint of a laugh was like someone taking a sledgehammer to my side.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Chelsea Owens November 15, 2018 / 9:02 am

      Perhaps laughter is better medication when one has a slight cold (but not a cough)! I’ve heard broken ribs are extremely uncomfortable!!

      Like

      Reply
  4. howikilledbetty November 15, 2018 / 3:37 am

    Awww I’m sorry – I’m so behind on reading blogs that I was unaware of you going in for surgery, but then again you just said that you’ve not told anyone besides your immediate family so I’m being a bit durr really! I do hope you’re on the mend really quickly … take it easy, milk it for all it’s worth and watch all the trashy films you can get your hands on! Big hugs. Katie xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. mymindlessdrivel November 15, 2018 / 9:50 pm

    Hope you start feeling better soon.

    Note to self: avoid and any all types of abdominal incisions, intentional or otherwise.

    Thanks for the PSA!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Mackenzie November 17, 2018 / 12:02 am

    Okay- I am going to write the most serious, straight forward comment as an effort to NOT make you laugh! Hope you feel better soon 🙂 Oh, and thanks for linking those poems! Can’t wait to check um’ out !

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Chelsea Owens November 29, 2018 / 9:55 am

      Thank you, Mackenzie. 🙂

      This comment of yours was in my Spam for some reason, so sorry that I didn’t respond sooner!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s