A Lengthy Sabbatical
@BettyB (4117)
Summerville, South Carolina
May 6, 2017 6:54am CST
I hadn’t planned on dropping out of MyLots, but sometimes life gets in the way. I haven’t posted or even logged onto MyLots since last September. It’s been a busy eight months.
Last August my mother-in-law got sick and we ended up moving her in with us. At the time we thought it would be a permanent arrangement, but with the help of some wonderful home health nurses, we got her back on her feet. She was able to move back into her own home the first part of November.
I was going to come back then, but it was November and I always wanted to participate in the National Write a Book in a Month (NaNoWriMo) contest. I wanted to do it for years, but knew that as long as I was teaching, I didn’t have the time.
I took the plunge and had a blast.
I didn’t finish the book, but passed the required word count of 50,000 on November 20th. I kept writing and hoped to finish the first draft in December, but then my life took another unexpected curve.
I twisted my ankle. Actually, it was more than twisted. I tore two tendons and fractured my heel. I had surgery right before Christmas.
I wore a cast on my foot for six weeks. I spent that time sitting on the bed with my foot prompted up on pillows. I would like to say the saga ended there, but one night in January, unable to sleep and bored, I decided to do a self-breast exam. It had been a while. As you probably can guess, I found something.
The last few months has been a whirlwind of ultrasounds, biopsies, MRI’s and finally surgery. Fortunately the mass was small and didn’t have a chance to spread. No chemo, but I start radiation treatments next week.
With that behind me, I’m hoping life will switch back to normal. At least I’m going to do my level best to make that happen.
It’s good to be back.
18 people like this
21 responses
@Juliaacv (56196)
• Canada
6 May 17
Betty, what a discussion you've started here.
I have thought of you many times this year.
The tone of your discussion makes me feel like you are optimistic albeit a little scared, is that the case?
I am relieved to know why you've not been on the site, I am just really concerned as well.
Is there anything that I can do for you?
Is there anything that I can do for you?1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
6 May 17
I have good doctors and a good treatment plan in place. The mass was small (marble size) and hadn't had a chance to spread. I hadn't done a self-exam in a while. I think it was God prompting me to do it that night. Its scary to think what would have happened if it hadn't been discovered until my next scheduled mammogram.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (56196)
• Canada
6 May 17
@BettyB You are a brave and lucky lady. I will remember this, and I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and in my prayers.
And the reason why I was thinking of you so much this year? We too, sold our home, and downsized. And all of the feelings and questions surrounding it, I thought to myself I'll be all right, Betty did it and came out pretty happy and unscathed.
2 people like this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
6 May 17
@Juliaacv Downsizing was hard, but well worth it. I love my little house. It's easier to heat and cool, no steps, and it doesn't take as long to clean. That gives me more time to do the things I enjoy doing.
I thank you for the prayers. Prayers, others and my own has made a frightening situation a whole lot more bearable. I know God has my back.
3 people like this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
9 May 17
It's good to have you back. I'm sorry you fractured your foot. I'm glad the mass was small and didn't spread. I hope it disappears completely and your life can get back to normal. Good news about your mother-in-law.
Good job on NaNoWriMo. I've done it a few times, but the last couple years I've just been focused on getting my series finished and published. That will happen for the last in the series this summer.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
7 May 17
My goodness, that has been quite the journey. I will pray for you and your treatment. I am sending a hug, you have had a rough time but accomplished a lot through it all. You are quite amazing.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
11 May 17
@BettyB Yes with God beside us all things are made easier.
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
8 May 17
Goodness, you have had several things to side track you. I am glad that they all turned from negative into positive. Good to see you.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
7 May 17
You are one of the people I search for (and found) on Facebook. Some of us here were making an effort to find our missing friends.
Glad you are back and hope everything goes well for you @BettyB
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
9 May 17
I didn't realize that. I have a Facebook account but I don't go on there much anymore. Too much nonsense.
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
7 May 17
There were some difficult times but there was plenty of good mixed in.
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
9 May 17
I love retirement. We traveled some last summer and hope to again this year. Once the radiation treatments are over, life should settle back down into a normal routine. I want to travel some this summer. I'm not good about sitting around.
@Marilynda1225 (91065)
• United States
6 May 17
I was so happy to see you here today 
it sounds like a whirlwind few months and I wish you the best of luck with your treatments. Will keep you in my prayers
it sounds like a whirlwind few months and I wish you the best of luck with your treatments. Will keep you in my prayers1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
6 May 17
Thanks. Its going along well, but I will be happy once this phase is over.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
6 May 17
Also, a big congrats on writing as much of the novel as you did. I've participated in that several years, but only the last time did I actually try writing a novel. All the times before I was a rebel which means you can count any type of writing you do. And believe it or not they actually have several rebel groups on nano as well.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
7 May 17
I am so glad to see you again. I wish you nothing but success with your cancer and I think you are on the right road to normal. Your being away sounds like a good time and a bad time, but such is life. Welcome back and I hope life will be kind to you.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169450)
• United States
6 May 17
Oh, Betty how wild. Good you are on the other side of those "adventures". Congrats on the good word count.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
6 May 17
NaNoWrMo was one of the highlights of the last eight months. I've been sidetracked and haven't had time to work on my fiction, but I will finish the story--eventually.
@allknowing (153544)
• India
7 May 17
Reading through your post I notice your hands were full. Welcome back.
@silvermist (19701)
• India
6 May 17
@BettyB Glad you are back,though you had been through so much.So you start radiation treatments next week.Everything will work out fine.And whenever you get come here to visit us.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
6 May 17
I'm ready to get this stage over with. From what I've been told, it will feel like a minor sunburn after a week or two. The biggest hassle will be driving to the center every day.
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
10 May 17
Wow .... i'm so pleased that you did the exam and caught it in time... my thoughts and prayers are with you ..., i'm glad you have managed to get back on here and connect with your friends, I hope too.. that things will settle down for you now...
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
6 May 17
It will be good to have you back as well. I'm glad your mil responded so well to your care and that of the nurses. I'm a bit surprised that you weren't bored enough after your ankle surgery to stop in, but I know how busy we can get around the house too. After my knee surgery this past February the first month I spent most of my time sleeping with my feet piled up high on pillows to relieve the swelling in my one foot.
Glad also that you were bored that one night. That's when I do many of my exams as well, but I tend to do them more often than I did before in the shower. Not glad that you found something, but glad that you did look when you did. I'm guessing radiation isn't as bad as chemo can be?
You have one misspelled word which didn't get a red line as it is a word. Not sure if you want to fix it or not. You said you prompted your foot on pillows rather than propped.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
6 May 17
I couldn't work on site as I use a desktop and not a laptop. I had to keep my foot up. Since then I've been going nonstop.
Thanks for pointing out the typo. I usually end up with one or more. I try but I tend to read right over my typos.
1 person likes this
