by: Staci Stallings
Sometimes life is designed to make you remember what is really important and how easily our “blessing counter” can get skewed.
So for about 3 months now, I have been “counting down” so to speak for November. November 1, “A Time to Love” would release and “Some Say Love” would go on preorder. In order for that to happen, I had to have “Some Say Love’ finished at least the first draft. To make a long story short, I ended up writing around 140K words in 21 days, which is INSANE. But I got it done.
I was so looking forward to November as all of my marketing and hard work was going to pay off—maybe even resulting in hitting a “list.” I was working almost literally around the clock to get this to happen, marketing, writing, publishing, and trying to keep up with my crazy-crazy life outside of writing.
Things looked to be going great, but then around November 4, I started having health issues—major ones. By the 7th and 8th, my body had slammed on the brakes, and by the 9th, I was in the Urgent Care. The 10th I made a trip to the Emergency Room with horrible symptoms that they did not at all understand. They gave me a mild painkiller (I wasn’t in pain, just felt like my body was about to shut down completely!), and they sent me home.
The 11th was one of the worst days I’ve ever lived through physically. I was mentally a wreck, and my body kept going into spasms I could not predict, control or fix. It would be four full days before I got any kind of answer as to what was going on. My natural health lady finally figured it out. I had gone into near total adrenal collapse. My estrogen went off the charts because my progesterone had virtually crashed into nothing.
I don’t know how well-versed you are in the importance and function of hormones, but let me just tell you, when they get as out-of-whack as mine were, coming back is NOT an easy road. It is slow going and a process of boosting the good things in your body, eliminating and detoxing the overloaded hormones, and artificially boosting certain hormones enough while the other two processes are going on so that you don’t lose your mind!
It has been quite a trip, let me tell you.
So November didn’t turn out exactly as I had planned. Mostly, I’ve been sitting in the chair and progressively going from near catatonic to mingling with the family, to watching movies, to reading, and now to actually working a little each day. So with this Thanksgiving season, you can bet I am taking care to count my blessings—little things like getting more than a few hours sleep at a time before my body freaks out, having a wonderful family who loves me and is doing everything they can to help me get well, GREAT health people who have gone out of their way to help me figure this out, living in a place where I have access to good stuff to get me going again.
Yeah, I thought this year I would be thankful for sales, and I am. They just aren’t on the top of the list anymore.
It is funny though how a couple of the reviews I’ve gotten for “A Time to Love” have mentioned that Jenna’s grief seems to “drag on” and how her recovery doesn’t track the easy road some have experienced. I have to say, my November has felt a lot like Jenna’s grief process—slow, meandering, getting a few things right as other things seem to fall apart… Strange how life sometimes really parallels what we write.
I hope you and yours have had a safe, wonderful, peaceful, healthy Thanksgiving, and I’m wishing you all a most wonderful holiday season!
A stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Although she lives in Amarillo, Texas and her main career right now is her family, Staci touches the lives of people across the globe with her various Internet and writing endeavors.
Hi Staci, sorry to hear about your health issues. What a blessing to have health professionals around to go to for advice.
Blessings:)
Sorry To hear about all health issues! I’m glad you could figure out what was happening and wish you a good recovery!
Hi Staci! Wishing you a speedy recovery and hope you take time and enjoy the holidays one day at a time. Just purchased A Time to Love. Flight 259 had me at the edge of my seat, so looking forward to the next book in the series. Best wishes and praying for better health.
Staci – from another who’s experienced massive health problems in the past month or so – I’m so glad you figured out what was going on in time. A world without my friend Staci would be a much sadder world indeed. Love you, friend. Take care of yourself. (((hug)))
I’m sorry to hear what you’ve been through but glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. Your story is a great reminder that we are only human and can only do so much and should take time to be grateful for (and enjoy) our blessings.
I am so sorry that you went through this, but I stand continually amazed at how fearfully and awesome God has made us. Praying for God’s wonderful peace to soothe your heart and mind, as well as wisdom to do the right things, with an open ear to hear God’s gentle voice & to rest in Him.
Praying for your healing.
Staci, I’m always amazed at how frail we truly are when our bodies malfunction. I’m so glad your doctor figured out the problem and you are on the road to recovery. 140k words in 21 days is simply WOW.
I, too, am glad you’re on the way out of those health problems! I haven’t read Time to Love yet because I want to have Some Say Love on hand to read as soon as I’ve finished it :-) Praying for a healthy, relaxed December!
HAHA, Margaret, I know multiple people who are doing just that… not reading A Time until Some Say comes out. I sincerely hope you enjoy them both come January 24!
I would never try that again, I assure you! It was like wringing a rag completely dry every single day. BLEH! Not a “deadline” kinda girl, that i’m sure of!
Thanks for stopping by! God bless you!
Thanks so much for the prayers! They’re what’s holding me together!
Counting blessings like rest and sleeping more than 3 or 4 hours at a time is my new, for-now normal. Thanks for stopping by! God bless you!
Not taking things for granted… I think that’s one of the things trials tend to teach us. Thanks for stopping by! God bless you!
My prayers continue for you, Val. What a month!!! Take care and be sure to get plenty of REST! Love you!
To this day when I read “Flight,” I’m holding my breath that it will turn out…. funny after 20 years, I still doubt they are going to make it out. :) Thanks for stopping by! God bless you!
Thanks so much. Glad you stopped by! Have an awesome day!
I give thanks for the GREAT health professionals who are on my side every day. I would not be here without them–and I mean that literally. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!
Lord bless you! Recovery can be a long tedious process. My husband and I were just discussing that this morning. The Lord healed him after a stroke and me after some major and minor surgeries. It can be frustrating but the Lord is faithful.
Just gotta remember this is going to take a while and not think I should be better NOW! HAHAHA! Patience. So not my forte for things like this!
Staci, so sorry to hear of your recent health issues!! I’m praying that God will guide the Dr. hands to help you heal and you’d have a speedy recovery.
Hugs!!
Thanks so much, Trixi! God bless you!