Happy end of November! It flew by and left me in its wake...
I know I have been busier in my life, but it has been awhile!
November in the writing life is NaNoWriMo, where thousands of writers worldwide endeavour to get 50,000 words on paper (the approximate length of a short novel).
Happily, I achieved my goal, and was rewriting a book that is giving me no end in grief, and as of the end of November, I have probably written 80,000+ words. Phew. I'm not saying they're 80,000 amazing words, but they are on paper and that's the first step!
I also had my very first colonoscopy in the midst of all of this. And a terrible cold. At the same time.
Why'd I get a colonoscopy? Well my dad had colon cancer in his late sixties, so my doctor and I felt a baseline was in order.
They are not fun, but here's the thing:
1) you get to spend a lot of quality time in your bathroom, which reminds you of odd jobs someone ought to be doing and gives you a lot of reading time. During the day in which I drank the dreaded goop I managed to finish a novel, so hard to complain.
2) your bowels are your friend. So I got to talk to two lovely doctors about them (the doctor and the intern) and sort of felt like I was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. And thankfully, all is well down below and I don't need another one for ten years. Surely within ten yours I won't remember the goop. It's like childbirth, right?
 |
| These guys were kind of like my two doctors and I was definitely over-acting.... |
Really, my horrible cold was much worse than the colonoscopy, all things considered, and the inconvenience is worth it in order to have piece of mind. And there are many good videos you can watch in advance so there are no surprises. I highly recommend the one with the undulating psychedelic colon. Someone put a lot of thought into making that video and they made the prettiest and most mesmerizing colon ever!
What else is new in my life? Well, I am in the throes of Christmas shopping, still writing madly and counting the days until my son comes home for Christmas (for the record, it is 19 days).
I have also begun "The Watching of Holiday Movies". So far we have done Die Hard and Love Actually, which makes me realize that Alan Rickman is really Mr. Christmas...
How about you - what have you been up to? Do tell! Anyone else ever had a colonoscopy?
xoxo wendy
I've had 2, didn't mind them, but the prep is a pain.
ReplyDeleteYou said a mouthful!
DeleteHi Wendy-Sounds like an eventful month. As much as the dreaded procedure is yucky, it is good to know that everything is fine. My dad had colon cancer too so I had the good fortune (not) of having my baseline procedure at 45, and the next one at 50.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the lousy cold. I finally went in for the first round of allergy testing last month and go for the next round in a week. The symptoms were out of control.
Much shopping here for the kiddos. Hanukah is early this year, so we start with some clothes and treats for them and a few more things at Christmas. I'm kind of over it already.
So nice you'll have your son home in 19 days. I'd be counting the days too.
Oh will be interested in the allergy testing. I have some terrible food allergies (life threatening) so hope it's nothing like that! I was just wondering when Hanukah started - one of my dreams is to get to a Hanukah dinner someday!
DeleteHi Wendy, glad to know you were given the all-clear. My husband had his first one a few months ago. The fasting beforehand, including no coffee, was hard for him, and as soon as he was done he made a beeline for the hospital Tim Hortons! So far I've only done the thing where you send samples away to be tested.
ReplyDeleteAlmost done with gifts that have to be sent away, just the boys left to buy for. Your son will be so happy to be home for Christmas, especially if he has exams beforehand.
He has had plenty of exams, so I think he will be relieved to get home! I feel for you husband! I had a hamburger and French fries! I was ravenous by then!
DeleteMr. Hex was browsing holiday movies last night and said "Oh, here's one with a lot of actors you like," then put in "Love Actually." Ordinarily I don't let my feminism get in the way of enjoying a good movie, but something about the sexual politics of "Love Actually" really pushes my buttons (stalkers, power imbalances). So we watched "Bad Santa" and were fine!
ReplyDeleteI turn 50 in January so I have a colonoscopy in my near future . . .
And congrats on NaNoWriMo!
You are so funny - my daughter and I were both saying the same thing last night and yet I absolutely love it, despite being an ardent feminist!!
DeleteOh you are finally catching up with me!!!!! 50 in January is very auspicious!
Mr. Hex was browsing holiday movies last night and said "Oh, here's one with a lot of actors you like," then put in "Love Actually." Ordinarily I don't let my feminism get in the way of enjoying a good movie, but something about the sexual politics of "Love Actually" really pushes my buttons (stalkers, power imbalances). So we watched "Bad Santa" and were fine!
ReplyDeleteI turn 50 in January so I have a colonoscopy in my near future . . .
And congrats on NaNoWriMo!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteSorry for staying away for so long... Glad to read you're fine... Yep November went so fast and December hold the promise to get by even faster!
Steph - I hear you! I am loving your instagram posts - so inspiring!
DeleteI can't believe you did all that writing in a month! Glad to know you worked out the thorny bits.
ReplyDeleteYes to colonoscopies! Colon Ca is the third most common cause of cancer death in the US and is the most preventable. I will give you a better prep recipe for the next one!
I haven't got to the holiday movies as yet (Love,Actually is one of my faves, warts and all), but , oh, the winterberries we have, loads of them this year. So I arranged them with greens from the yard on the dining table. All the wreaths went up yesterday, 5 of them.
Oh the thorny bits are still there, I am just ignoring them for a bit! I could use a better prep recipe - at 5:30 am the day of the procedure I thought I would be sick drinking that vile stuff!!!
DeleteYay for winterberries! We are doing our tree Sunday as we are just so busy and need it up before the social events!!
Well, congrats on both endings, your colon's and the 80,000 words!
ReplyDeleteEvery year I promise myself not to get carried away with Christmas festivities and decorating. Huh.
Favorite seasonal movie - still A Christmas Story.
Fred - that's why I love you. More is more.
DeleteI adore A Christmas Story. That will definitely be seen here soon. After my dad died I discovered his little orphan annie decoder code book! I cried like a baby. Now when I see Ralphie, I see my dear dad!
Oh, Wendy, I love that he held on to it!
DeleteYou're a better woman than I. Can you bottle some of that energy and sell it locally please??
ReplyDeleteHa! It's thanks to waking up at 5 every morning!
DeleteI had a very memorable colonoscopy(sp?) I hired someone to take me, because Hubstar had work, and the inside of her car was like a weed farm.
ReplyDeleteAlso have your read David Sedaris - they give you the same drugs as they give Micheal jackson to sleep, which are awesome (as a one-off medical thing obviously)
Good on you for writing. I am trying to cut cut cut. My novel has burgeoned to 104,000 words and I suspect is deathly dull.
Need to know more about what you are writing!!
Jody - email me offline at Wendymcleodmacknight@gmail.com and we can commiserate! This book will likely be at around 100,000 at the end of draft 1!
DeleteGood to get that baseline test!!
ReplyDeleteI know! And still I complain!
Delete