• Who is this chick anyway?

Nova Terra

~ Just another way of stalling on my other writing

Nova Terra

Tag Archives: fear

Awaiting the Big Bad Wolf

16 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by lionsofmercy in Blog

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

anxiety, coronavirus, COVID-19, fear, immune system, responsibility

Of course I’m scared. Of course you’re scared. And by now, I’m willing to bet the rent that you know the basics re hand washing, interpersonal distance, and staying the sheep at home. What’s the point, I ask you, of obsessively watching statistics and endlessly surfing for more information? Do you think it will keep you well?

It won’t. In fact, by adding to your anxiety load, you’re stressing your immune system, silly. Stop doing that.

I am pretty peeved right now. My often useful neighborhood listserv just ran a scare blog by a local woman (married to a physician) who is losing her sheep. I feel bad for her, and am grateful my own Huge Hospital employer sent my folks home as non-essential personnel. But nothing on earth would persuade me to “forward this post to all of [my] networks.” Who does this sheeping sheep think she is, the Director of the WHO?

So–pause and check for helpfulness the next time you’re about to hit post. Remember that many of us already live in a dark and threatening world beset by the the brambles of trauma and misfortune. Then, maybe hit delete and go do something else. Something which will enhance your life without increasing the panic.

Unless it’s a squirrel video or something. Dark humor is also OK in small doses. But for heaven’s sake, take those cleansing breaths.

Just don’t breathe too close to me. 🙂

Advertisement

That Bariatric Thang

20 Sunday May 2018

Posted by lionsofmercy in Blog

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

bariatric surgery, diabetes, fat, fear, gastric sleeve, heart disease, life, sleep apnea

My cat knows it’s Sunday, and that hence our household runs an hour early. I am trying to let my son (the cat valet) sleep in for fifteen minutes. So Zoe is biting my legs–with great affection, I hasten to add. Unbidden, I get this flash of a post-surgical nibble. Maybe the fat helps insulate the nerves, and now it will hurt more. Maybe it would startle me into acting out on Zoe. And then maybe–

(You’ll have to excuse me. I think the most horrible things. Not just sometimes, but consistently. I suspect that this is part of why we writers are often a dour race.)

After attending group info sessions (three), visiting the dietitian (a couple of times), a shrink-person (who then needed documentation), a nutrition doctor (who put me on vitamins), my cardiologist (something of a character) and consuming hundreds of protein shakes, I was given my surgery date for my gastric sleeve this week. It is now less than three weeks away. Yipe!

I only lost ten of the sixteenish pounds I had to lose pre-surgery, so in a few days I start the no-kidding diet, which I’ll be on for the two weeks before the operation: shakes for both breakfast and lunch, and *gulp* a LeanCuisine dinner. “Couldn’t I just have another shake?” I asked the PA.

Nope, and “you’ll be hungry,” he warned. However, two weeks of this should take about eight pounds off. This is so all the instrumentation can fit around my corpulent little liver–thank mercy it’s laparoscopic “bandaid” surgery. (Yes! You too can have your stomach essentially removed through a two-inch incision!)

I don’t mind admitting that I’m freaking out. There are like all these voices in my head screaming, “What are you DOING???? Aieeee!!!” But then there are things like the looks of relief and satisfaction on the faces of all my medical personnel: When I started this project, I had a BMI of about 50; the ten pounds hasn’t done much to that. I also have “the trifecta” of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiac artery disease.

Plus high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and needing help to get things off the floor, not to mention not being able to easily take care of my feet–my tummy is in my way. So losing a bunch of this is only a good thing. But it’s still scary. I’m also afraid of the loose skin making me look like a shar-pei. We will have to see.

 

Nova Terra

just another way of stalling on my other writing

Categories

  • Blog
  • Fiction
January 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« May    

Blogroll

  • Aaaand it's my brand new Patreon page! (Still being set up.)
  • All the Google Doodles
  • And there's even a Google Doodle store!
  • BBC has all these nifty all-about-you tests . . .
  • Free downloadable SF books! Good ones! Really! Legit even!
  • Help transcribe the New York Public Library's menus! Minimal effort required!
  • Lunar Calendar
  • My YouTube favorites, in case you're bored or curious
  • Places to increase your mellow
  • rathergood.com. Well, pretty darn good.
  • The International Center for Bathroom Etiquette. Really. Awesome.
  • The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody
  • The Onion interview with God, September 2001
  • Translate Japanese characters to Roman letters
  • Want a koan? Pick a koan. Any koan.
  • What people of X height look like at Y weight

Stupid Art! doh!

  • Graph Paper of the Gods
  • The Museum of Bad Art

Stupid Writing! doh!

  • By golly, this is a pretty darn good Inuit-family language vocab site!
  • Lunar Calendar
  • Random noun generator
  • Revised Standard Version
  • The Bible

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Nova Terra
    • Join 169 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Nova Terra
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar