'Kay, so I didn't. For the last several years I've worked from home. See also: goofed off from home, written stuff from home, ebayed from home. Whatever I've done, I've been my own boss.
And now I have a boss. And a real live day job. Writing things. For money.
The company I'm working for is an internet startup with a brilliant concept and a decent budget, both important factors. It's also a large, multi-year project, meaning that I get to write cool stuff and play with words for a long time. I'll be handling all the written content for the online world this company is creating - including the tie-in novel(s).
Yeah, I'm gonna like this.
Here's what's cool: I can still write my own stuff. I'll just be writing it on my own time. Which means that the next two book drops just switched order - my untitled awesome psycho novel will likely come out before "Run, Run Away". Psycho teenagers are easier to write, mmmkay?
We, as in the hubs and the kiddo and the Sluggo, plus yours truly, are also moving this week and part of next. Boy kid wanted to go back to his old school, and with hubs and I both working some distance from the lake, it made sense to leave the lake (sigh) and go back to suburbia. So that's happening, and we are actually quite pleased about our decision. We found a large three-bedroom duplex that will suit our needs and give boyo the second floor to himself. All it needs is a dumbwaiter.
And - I've lost over 40 pounds in the two months and ten days since surgery. Yeah. hotness is approaching. U jelly? ;)
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Me, Now.
Yeah, so here's me this week. I might post pics occasionally as I decide I don't look hideous. Ve shall see.
Protein/Fluid Problem? Not A Problem.
In more "OMG I had mini gastric bypass surgery" news... this stuff is going to save my life. It's... amazeballs.
I'm now six weeks out from surgery, thirty pounds thinner (yes, 30, three-oh, my surgeon's awesome knows no bounds), and wearing perfectly normal sized clothes. At this point in my progress, I'm a happy imp - but I've had a few bumps in the road that needed handling.
Bump one - estrogen. Look away, boys. Women of child-bearing age who have weight loss surgery, or who lose weight very quickly for other reasons, can run into a hormone problem that makes PMS look like a walk in the park. Estrogen is stored in the fat cells. When you melt off a metric crap-ton of fat cells, what happens to all those girl hormones? Down the tubes. The closest approximation is post-partum depression, and we have all read the news stories about what happens when that doesn't get treated.
Fortunately, Dr. Hargroder The Awesome warned me about this in advance. All I had to do was sob at the wonderful Tonya in his office, and she moved heaven and earth on her own time to get me this cute little transparent patch that makes me feel better. It's a low dose, but it's enough. The patches are pricey, but it's a worthy expense to get the name brand (Climara) rather than the generics, because they stay on for a week at a time. This solved bump number one, and I began to feel much better within 24 hours.
Bump two - protein and fluids. I need 64-90 ounces of fluids and 60+ grams of protein per day. My stomach is four ounces. I have a six-foot bypass in my small intestine. Hence all the weight loss. The problem with this is that I have never been a grazer. I eat once, maybe twice a day. I can't slug down a bottle of water or Gatorade - it'll hit my guts too fast and make me feel like I've been stabbed, or it'll simply come back up. Not attractive. Not fun.
I've been on several post-surgery forums and found that people rave about Click protein shakes. I'd tried a couple of protein drinks and just, ew. Whey and I, we do not appreciate each other. Add my post-surgery lactose and gluten intolerance into the mix, and it's hard to find things that work for me. So I ordered a sample of Click Espresso Mocha and one of the Vanilla Latte. Yeah, I know, I'm not supposed to have caffeine, sue me. The decaf version is now available. But I ordered the Espresso because I miss coffee with a passion. You try going from a pot a day to zilch and see how nice you are.
The samples arrived yesterday, and today I threw some water, some ice, and the Espresso Mocha packet into the blender. OMG. HEAVEN. I am not even kidding. There is no protein aftertaste. There is no "oh my stomach hates this" feeling for me. It's delicious. It's amazeballs. It's 15 grams of protein per serving. I can drink one of these a day, easy. Frankly, I could drink four of these a day and never eat, but that's not healthy. I may settle for two. Quite literally, I. Could. Live. On. Click. Forever.
Get you some. If you're feeling generous (hi Click people), get me some.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Other than writing...
If you read me at all, you are probably aware that I had mini-gastric bypass surgery with Dr. David Hargroder on May 17. I am now five and a half weeks out, and I've already lost over 25 pounds. Go me, right?
I needed this surgery. Every day that I'm just not hungry, that I struggle to take in enough fluids and enough protein, I am reminded how much I needed this surgery. But it's a learning curve, kids. I don't have to take my blood pressure or asthma meds anymore. I don't need my CPAP for sleep apnea anymore. I'm even starting to exercise, which is something I'd been unable to do for several years due to the asthma and my heart rate. It's really cool to have a pulse below 100 all the time now.
But.. learning curve. Yep. Because all those post-op instructions that looked really easy before surgery? Are not. I'm having a terrible time taking in enough food, and it's resulting in my metabolism freaking out and week-long weight loss stalls where my body holds on to everything, thinking I'm starving myself. Mainly, I need protein. But protein is expensive, and I don't have the budget for it (coughbuymorebookscough). I also can't tolerate milk or yogurt, although cheese seems to work well. Meats aren't happening too much yet, but I can handle little bits of hamburger. I'm sick to death of beans and cottage cheese, man.
So I started looking at websites and support groups for post-bariatric surgery patients, and I learned two things. One, there isn't much out there specifically for MGB patients. Our nutritional needs are not the same as duodenal switch (DS) or Roux-en-Y (RNY) patients, although they are similar. Because of my bypass, I need bariatric-friendly foods - and those can be hard to find.
Enter Eggface. Shelly is a post-RNY patient who is also an amazing chef. Girl can flat cook, is all I'm sayin'. Those of you who know me well know that I don't cook. I can, I just don't, very often. But maybe it's time I learn. Her recipes look delicious. I'm gonna try some.
Shelly also has giveaways from time to time, and the one she's having right now is too good to keep quiet (even though I could really, really use the products she's giving away. Ahem.) Go here and see. I need protein, and this giveaway has a ton of protein. I have an antique Osterizer blender that's just begging to whip up some of her protein shake recipes. Coffee protein? Yes please!
So go read Eggface. Even if you haven't had surgery or don't need it, you'll love her. Then come back here and tell me what you think
I needed this surgery. Every day that I'm just not hungry, that I struggle to take in enough fluids and enough protein, I am reminded how much I needed this surgery. But it's a learning curve, kids. I don't have to take my blood pressure or asthma meds anymore. I don't need my CPAP for sleep apnea anymore. I'm even starting to exercise, which is something I'd been unable to do for several years due to the asthma and my heart rate. It's really cool to have a pulse below 100 all the time now.
But.. learning curve. Yep. Because all those post-op instructions that looked really easy before surgery? Are not. I'm having a terrible time taking in enough food, and it's resulting in my metabolism freaking out and week-long weight loss stalls where my body holds on to everything, thinking I'm starving myself. Mainly, I need protein. But protein is expensive, and I don't have the budget for it (coughbuymorebookscough). I also can't tolerate milk or yogurt, although cheese seems to work well. Meats aren't happening too much yet, but I can handle little bits of hamburger. I'm sick to death of beans and cottage cheese, man.
So I started looking at websites and support groups for post-bariatric surgery patients, and I learned two things. One, there isn't much out there specifically for MGB patients. Our nutritional needs are not the same as duodenal switch (DS) or Roux-en-Y (RNY) patients, although they are similar. Because of my bypass, I need bariatric-friendly foods - and those can be hard to find.
Enter Eggface. Shelly is a post-RNY patient who is also an amazing chef. Girl can flat cook, is all I'm sayin'. Those of you who know me well know that I don't cook. I can, I just don't, very often. But maybe it's time I learn. Her recipes look delicious. I'm gonna try some.
Shelly also has giveaways from time to time, and the one she's having right now is too good to keep quiet (even though I could really, really use the products she's giving away. Ahem.) Go here and see. I need protein, and this giveaway has a ton of protein. I have an antique Osterizer blender that's just begging to whip up some of her protein shake recipes. Coffee protein? Yes please!
So go read Eggface. Even if you haven't had surgery or don't need it, you'll love her. Then come back here and tell me what you think
Friday, June 8, 2012
To My Joplin Readers
Thank you.
Every morning, I check my email. Every morning, I have a few emails from people who were there. Your stories touch me - sometimes they make me cry. I am overwhelmed by your support and your approval of Avalie's story, and your approval of my work. Every single email I have gotten from Joplin tells me that I got it right, and for that I am truly grateful.
I love reading your stories, and I'm sorry for your tears - most of you tell me that the book made you cry. I cried, writing it. I hope, in the tears, there is some healing. I hope that some of the in-jokes make you smile. I hope that when the tears stop and you put the book away, you move on and feel better. This new normal in Joplin is so weird, but it's settling in, isn't it? It's starting to begin to feel okay, most of the time. Maybe some days you don't think about the storm at all.
Since May 21, 2012, over 25,000 people have downloaded When The Storm Passes - over 99% of you got it for free. That makes me happy. I don't think anyone who lived through the storm should be paying me to read about it. Those readers who have bought the book, I hope it didn't suck.
I really thought, writing the book, that Joplin might hate me for it. I have worried about getting it right, about being as realistic as possible in a fiction novel, about you, my Joplin friends. I didn't want you thinking that I was profiting from your pain. That has never been the plan. For me, it was just a story that demanded to be told, for the kids as much as anyone.
The kids that write to me, thank you. This book was written for you and about you, really. I love hearing from you, and your support has been so amazing to me. I think that adults who read Avalie's story process it differently than you do, and both viewpoints are important to me. A young man I'll call S., who is still sleeping on a friend's couch a year later, told me that this book changed his life. I don't know. I think the tornado did that. But thank you for your confidence in me. Thank you for telling me I got it right.
I'm not convinced, though, that this book is my best work. There are several things I'd change - and someday, I may revisit the book and do it better in a revised version. After all, I wrote it in a week. You're reading the first draft. It's not perfect. I'd give myself three stars out of five on it. That's okay, too.
My promise to Joplin - if this book happens to turn a profit, I will donate some of the proceeds back to you - to Bright Futures, to Rebuild Joplin, to the Humane Society. If Joplin High School or the middle schools want books, I will do my best to see that you get them as I can afford to buy them (yes, I have to buy my own books!). And I promise, on my life, that the next book is not about a tornado :)
Every morning, I check my email. Every morning, I have a few emails from people who were there. Your stories touch me - sometimes they make me cry. I am overwhelmed by your support and your approval of Avalie's story, and your approval of my work. Every single email I have gotten from Joplin tells me that I got it right, and for that I am truly grateful.
I love reading your stories, and I'm sorry for your tears - most of you tell me that the book made you cry. I cried, writing it. I hope, in the tears, there is some healing. I hope that some of the in-jokes make you smile. I hope that when the tears stop and you put the book away, you move on and feel better. This new normal in Joplin is so weird, but it's settling in, isn't it? It's starting to begin to feel okay, most of the time. Maybe some days you don't think about the storm at all.
Since May 21, 2012, over 25,000 people have downloaded When The Storm Passes - over 99% of you got it for free. That makes me happy. I don't think anyone who lived through the storm should be paying me to read about it. Those readers who have bought the book, I hope it didn't suck.
I really thought, writing the book, that Joplin might hate me for it. I have worried about getting it right, about being as realistic as possible in a fiction novel, about you, my Joplin friends. I didn't want you thinking that I was profiting from your pain. That has never been the plan. For me, it was just a story that demanded to be told, for the kids as much as anyone.
The kids that write to me, thank you. This book was written for you and about you, really. I love hearing from you, and your support has been so amazing to me. I think that adults who read Avalie's story process it differently than you do, and both viewpoints are important to me. A young man I'll call S., who is still sleeping on a friend's couch a year later, told me that this book changed his life. I don't know. I think the tornado did that. But thank you for your confidence in me. Thank you for telling me I got it right.
I'm not convinced, though, that this book is my best work. There are several things I'd change - and someday, I may revisit the book and do it better in a revised version. After all, I wrote it in a week. You're reading the first draft. It's not perfect. I'd give myself three stars out of five on it. That's okay, too.
My promise to Joplin - if this book happens to turn a profit, I will donate some of the proceeds back to you - to Bright Futures, to Rebuild Joplin, to the Humane Society. If Joplin High School or the middle schools want books, I will do my best to see that you get them as I can afford to buy them (yes, I have to buy my own books!). And I promise, on my life, that the next book is not about a tornado :)
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Where I've Been, Volume 463
Have we noticed yet that Julie is a lazy blogger? Yes. And then things have happened to keep me away from the blogosphere, but that's no excuse. So here's an update because who knows when I'll get around to posting again.
Max died, as I may have mentioned at the time. It's been a hard week. I like to think that Avalie would have his collar on her bedpost, because that's where my son put it. I still catch myself looking for him under my chair or wondering why he isn't making gremlin noises in the morning. We have a remaining pug, Sluggo, who is sort of widowed at the moment and is adjusting slowly. After nine years with Max, it's going to be awhile before we are ready to be a two-pug household again.
The other big thing that happened is that I had weight loss surgery May 17. As of this morning I am down 18 pounds, two weeks later. That, for me, is nothing short of a miracle. Dr. David Hargroder did my surgery in Joplin, Missouri, and I can't recommend him highly enough. Dr. H. and Robin, Carla, and Tonya are amazing.
Now, before you wonder exactly how fat I was, I was in a size 16. Not enormous. But I also had sleep apnea, severe asthma, severe hypertension, and zero exercise tolerance due to my horrid lung function. So while I wasn't miserable with my size, I was definitely miserable with my health. Dr. Hargroder approved me for surgery based on my co-morbidities, my generous parents graciously coughed up $20K, and boom. Surgery!
Weight loss surgery planning takes tons of time. There were primary care physician visits here in the Branson area, labs, a psych evaluation in Joplin (hey Dr. Kent, hey :) and EKGs, pulmonary function tests, you name it. From decision day in late March to surgery mid-May, my life was ruled by the medical profession. So my second and third novels got put on hold while my life was changing.
I had surgery at Mercy (St. John's) in Joplin, in the temporary hospital. My nurses were awesome, and many of them lived through the tornado. While I was there, it was coming up on the one-year anniversary of the storm, and I heard some truly heart-wrenching stories from nurses and techs who were there. Jeannette, thank you for telling me your story. Shawn, thank you for caring for me - I knew you were the best seventh-grade boyfriend ever, but you really proved that old friends make the best caregivers. Cheryl, it was so great to see you again! Thanks for putting up with my preop jitters :) And Brian, dude. I heard that, and next time I see you I will make sure I have bourbon. And a huge thank you to Sarah for the Zofran that got me out of the hospital on time, and the sunny smile on a busy day.
Two weeks post-op, I can honestly say that I only wish I had done this five years ago. I'm still very tired, but I'm never hungry. Once in awhile I will think "Oh, I should eat something," but I have totally lost the ravenous appetite I had before. It's pretty awesome. I've been off my blood pressure meds for a week with normal readings, I haven't needed my rescue inhaler for days, and I'm starting to feel normal again.
So now that I am recovering and discovering the joy of Gatorade, vitamins, and very soft foods (for a few more weeks, anyway!), it's time to get back to the next book. I hope to have it out this summer. Should be good, now that Avalie's Aunt Abigail is my protagonist. I like it. I hope you'll like it, too.
Max died, as I may have mentioned at the time. It's been a hard week. I like to think that Avalie would have his collar on her bedpost, because that's where my son put it. I still catch myself looking for him under my chair or wondering why he isn't making gremlin noises in the morning. We have a remaining pug, Sluggo, who is sort of widowed at the moment and is adjusting slowly. After nine years with Max, it's going to be awhile before we are ready to be a two-pug household again.
The other big thing that happened is that I had weight loss surgery May 17. As of this morning I am down 18 pounds, two weeks later. That, for me, is nothing short of a miracle. Dr. David Hargroder did my surgery in Joplin, Missouri, and I can't recommend him highly enough. Dr. H. and Robin, Carla, and Tonya are amazing.
Now, before you wonder exactly how fat I was, I was in a size 16. Not enormous. But I also had sleep apnea, severe asthma, severe hypertension, and zero exercise tolerance due to my horrid lung function. So while I wasn't miserable with my size, I was definitely miserable with my health. Dr. Hargroder approved me for surgery based on my co-morbidities, my generous parents graciously coughed up $20K, and boom. Surgery!
Weight loss surgery planning takes tons of time. There were primary care physician visits here in the Branson area, labs, a psych evaluation in Joplin (hey Dr. Kent, hey :) and EKGs, pulmonary function tests, you name it. From decision day in late March to surgery mid-May, my life was ruled by the medical profession. So my second and third novels got put on hold while my life was changing.
I had surgery at Mercy (St. John's) in Joplin, in the temporary hospital. My nurses were awesome, and many of them lived through the tornado. While I was there, it was coming up on the one-year anniversary of the storm, and I heard some truly heart-wrenching stories from nurses and techs who were there. Jeannette, thank you for telling me your story. Shawn, thank you for caring for me - I knew you were the best seventh-grade boyfriend ever, but you really proved that old friends make the best caregivers. Cheryl, it was so great to see you again! Thanks for putting up with my preop jitters :) And Brian, dude. I heard that, and next time I see you I will make sure I have bourbon. And a huge thank you to Sarah for the Zofran that got me out of the hospital on time, and the sunny smile on a busy day.
Two weeks post-op, I can honestly say that I only wish I had done this five years ago. I'm still very tired, but I'm never hungry. Once in awhile I will think "Oh, I should eat something," but I have totally lost the ravenous appetite I had before. It's pretty awesome. I've been off my blood pressure meds for a week with normal readings, I haven't needed my rescue inhaler for days, and I'm starting to feel normal again.
So now that I am recovering and discovering the joy of Gatorade, vitamins, and very soft foods (for a few more weeks, anyway!), it's time to get back to the next book. I hope to have it out this summer. Should be good, now that Avalie's Aunt Abigail is my protagonist. I like it. I hope you'll like it, too.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Goodbye, sweet Max.
Max - my Max, Tristan's Max, Avalie's Max - died this morning at the age of nine after a long battle with spinal degeneration. He was a good boy, much loved and much mourned. We will miss him terribly.
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