Santa Cruz, California, October 28th, 2014

Santa Cruz, California, October 28th, 2014

Monday, October 28, 2013

Of all the nerve!!


My back and hip joints are messing with me again. They are angry.

I sound like bad Hemingway writing. "The spine was angry that day..."


WHY is my back sore? I mean, why is my back almost always sore???


In June of 1998, we were in Toronto, to celebrate my in-law's 50th Wedding Anniversary. My back and legs were HURTING. The poor sciatic nerve on my right side was in trouble. Ow. Ow. Ow. So we found a chiropractor close by to where we were staying and went to him. The somewhat flamingly New Age-y twit told me if I felt a sneeze coming, to curl forward.

I was clueless, so I believed him.

WHAT.
AN.
IDIOT.

That Saturday, we joined hundreds of friends and family in downtown Toronto and had a blast celebrating John and Stella's 50 years together. I was in an excruciating amount of pain. I was swallowing Advil and Tylenol and anything else I could get my hands on. I'd find a couch and lie down and weep. 

Late that night, actually, at 12:30am Sunday morning, I discovered I was pregnant. Joy mixed with worry because, holy cow, I had been taking some seriously strong pain killers!!!

Everyone was very happy, but I was still in a whack of pain. Monday morning, we drove a few hours to the little town where we lived before moving to New Brunswick. A party awaited us, but I hid in the kitchen, catching up with my friends as we put the finishing touches on dinner.

Then I felt a sneeze coming. So I curled forward. And what happened next can only be described as feeling like someone had shot me, at point blank range. And I swear on a stack of Laura Frantz and Lori Benton books that I have NEVER EVER been in that kind of pain. I've had 4 babies. I know pain.

Long story short, we found out after I had the baby, that the soft little padding between L2 and L3 blew open. The intervertebral disc was now emptied of most of the fluid and I was laying in a heap on my friend's living room floor. I cannot begin to explain how bad it hurt. But I can tell you, I couldn't fully feel both my legs. As in, I couldn't walk. I couldn't stand up on my own. I lost 10 pounds in 10 days because it hurt to eat, drink and go to the washroom.
I cried for weeks.

We made it home, Lord knows how I survived that drive, and I called my doctor and began physiotherapy. No one knew the damage because I was pregnant, hence no x-rays. 
In 8 months of pregnancy, I had 9 pain free days.
9.
Think about a knife in your back, for 8 months.
Yes, 8. My son was 4 weeks early.

Now think about delivering a 6 pound baby with the knife in your back.

That was 16 years ago. That baby? Perfectly fine. Not a single health problem.  

But, my back will never heal. Surgery is a last resort and even then, the surgeon said that the risk of scar tissue forming over the initial injury is too high, unless I was in pain, 24/7.

So, there you go. 

And yes, he was worth every moment of pain.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Photo sessions, friends and all kinds of FUN!



I have known Teri Graham-McAllister for almost as long as I've lived in New Brunswick.  I'd say we've known each for roughly 17 years.
I first met her when she was sitting in the church library, on a kiddie chair, having contractions. I may have freaked out. She was all "chilllll, they're just labour contractions, relaaaaaaaaaaaax."

Okaaaaaay.

I did NOT chill!! I was mildly stunned that anyone could be that calm!


Teri is one of those people who smiles. She smiles all over. You cannot spend time with her and feel anything but good about yourself. She is LOVELY! 



Just LOOK at that smile!!! Isn't she gorgeous!?!?!?


And yes, that is her natural hair colour. Like, whatever...


Life hasn't always been roses and rainbows for Teri, but you know what? Lately, it's gotten pretty awesome. She has this sweet husband who ADORES her and awwww, I'm SO happy for her!!

So, what does Teri have to do with this blogpost?

Teri can take some fairly great photos. Go check her Facebook page out, then come back, we'll wait....

https://www.facebook.com/pages/McAllister-Studios-Photography/189738384438944



But even a master can only work with what she's got...


Poor sweet Teri...







And when I finally got my chin to behave....she captured these...











I really like this one...







But this one is my favourite. This is probably one of the few photos of me that I actually love.
And it took someone who knows me well to draw that confidence out and make me forget I'm posing.





My husband was SO IMPRESSED, he asked me to email the photos to him so he could have them on his office computer.

Now THAT is high praise! 


My agent, Mary Keeley, now has a copy of that bottom photo, ready to share with my fan, (Hi Mom!) for if/when/oh Lord, please I ever get published and they need more than this.

Or this...

Because I'm totally built like that. And have no hands or feet. Or ears. Or lips. And one leg that's kinda squiggly and shorter than the other...and eyes stare off to the side...




See? Thank goodness Teri saved the day!!!




Thursday, October 3, 2013

A what? A VLOG?? Honey get the kids, they gotta see this!!


Or not.






Huh. It appears that I'm wearing enough make-up to go on The Stage. And it also appears that I umm, have no teeth. Oh, and sorry about the wind. It refuses to stop when I mentally commanded it to do so.

Happy Friday!