Welpcome to the New Year

Surgery + Tour Date Info

Dear reader,

I’ve talked a lot about the absolute volcanic hot lava of misery that 2023 threw my way, and its last week was no exception — though I am determined things are already looking up… despite a surgery scheduled Tuesday to fix this. BEHOLD MY FIBULA, in twain.

Which takes longer to heal, a broken heart or a broken fibula? I’ll let you know.

Anyway, I had to talk my way into a boot before New Year’s Eve and have promised a whole bunch of ortho staff and now the surgeon my next book will be dedicated to them. During all this, we had another adventure with Mom.

Mom presented with something that sure looked like a stroke just after Christmas -- we knew she had another UTI, but there was this tiny spot on her CT and she had bad aphasia, so they decided it was a stroke. She was transferred to the neuro unit at a hospital here in town. (The same night, I'd twisted my ankle in what the doc cleverly referred to as an “act of dog,” thought I'd sprained it. I limped in and out of the hospital for a day or so before getting the ankle checked out.) Anyway, thank goodness, the main neuro who was on over the holiday weekend was very good and very thorough. He just doubted it was a stroke all along and kept troubleshooting different diagnoses -- then she had a grand mal seizure at night and the nurses saw it. This might seem like a bad thing, but in fact, turned out to be good. They started her on seizure medication New Year's Eve night, and New Year's Day I got a phone call from my brother first thing in the morning telling me she was speaking clearly, making jokes, and had sent him out to get her pancakes. 

So...UTIs can apparently also cause seizures, and those can come with a symptom called Todd's Paralysis that looks very like a stroke. Exactly like one, honestly. She's at the rehab hospital for a short stay now just to physically strengthen and keep testing her speech, but so far, so good. 

Anyway, Wednesday was my surgical follow-up and the surgeon clearly knows his stuff and thinks I’ll have the best chance of healing if I get a plate and screw put in, so that’s what I’m doing. Annnd I’m also quite proud of my duct tape boot decoration (yes, we should all have known there is an aircast decoration pinterest, because OF COURSE THERE IS).

I even rocked it for NYE and one of my favorite Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn movies at the Kentucky Theatre (Holiday) with my friend Alison. Both earlier and later, we burned intentions and stirred the ashes at Alex’s place, which I like to think worked because, yes I have to have surgery, but maybe it will keep me from having a borked ankle for the rest of my life, and Mom is DOING GREAT. So we’re leaving all that old stuff in 2023.

And, hey, resting the ankle should be good for getting back on track with the writing.

I HATE asking for help, but am truly lucky to have so many people who are offering it and I think it will be good for me to learn to accept it. The hardest part of all of this is, of course, the dogs.

They do not understand why I can’t take them on walkies, why I can’t even limp around to get the frisbee as much as I could before (I do have a yard, at least, though gross winter version at present). But pet sitter extraordinaire is helping out A TON. I’ll be non-weight-bearing for six weeks post-surgery, I believe. If you’d like to help out, preordering The Frame-Up or asking your library to buy it or upgrading to paid here will do that.

And, yes, I’ll still be going on a quick tour for the book and y’all get the first peak at the stops! I’ll be there with my boot on. You can sign it! And I’ll give you art stickers left over after I decorate it for tour. You can preorder from any of these bookshops and get signed copies, from both me and Sally. Joseph-Beth will mail out copies first.

I hope to see some of y’all here or there. I think these are all going to be SUCH FUN! And I love all these bookstores.

I’ll just wrap this up by saying that various people have said to me that despite the volcanic shit mountain, I seem to keep my chin up and stay positive. (One friend said I’m the only person she knows who does this and still seems authentic. I hope so! And non-annoying!) Well, I guess it’s true. I have had plenty of dark moments, but, in general, I give myself time to feel the feelings and cry and then I make a plan. I’m a problem-solver at heart—it’s also one of my favorite parts of the writing process. There’s no point in letting yourself turn into the people who hurt you.

And I learned from my mom that no matter what life throws at you, you still have to deal with it, and you may as well do so with as much grace and humor as you can manage. Also, the friends who get my rambling voice texts, you are the true heroes.

I hope your new year is bringing you only good things, and that you’re excited for what is ahead. More soon,

G