Pacific Coast Rest-Stop

[Rebecky]

so I read what I have so far of my book to my friend and she said she really likes it so far and that it puts her writing to shame. She thinks I pay more attention to detail in my writing.

My knee has started bothering me a lot this afternoon. Probably because I was running around cleaning up this morning.

My friend hit her head on the counter in the bathroom too. She started to not feel good a little but she's okay now.

[lauralnm]

Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do. BTW, Shann, congratulations on your weight loss. I know it's been a while since you lost it, but that is a phenomenal amount of weight loss in that short of time. I struggle with my weight as well; it all began years and years and years ago when I was raped and I'v'e hidden behind it ever since. Now that I'm old (I never admit that!!!) and nobody cares what I look like...oh, what on earth am I being a "woe is me!" That's not like me either! I guess I feel safe in this environment.

I will chime in here and there and hope I can catch up with whatever is on the agenda. I've not joined in a forum such as this and I think I'm going to enjoy it.

[Sparrow]

Yay, Amy, for getting to meet Shann!!!! I am excited to see pictures! And I had to laugh at Pup's comment about being allergic to yourself. Is that the same diagnosis you've been trying to get or something totally not expected?

Had a really nice delivery yesterday on the holiday and it was great working without a preceptor finally. After years of developing my own style, it's refreshing just to follow my instincts.

It was the diagnoses I'd been trying to get for a while. And it's actually a genetic disorder instead of a autoimmune disorder, so I can't even say I'm allergic to myself. But I do get to blame my parents... though they didn't even plan to have me, so maybe I can't do that, either.

I know how you feel about finally getting to follow your own instincts. That's how it was for me when I started working as an interpreter after being an intern or student for so long. It's cool.

Laura, so glad you joined us! As you've already seen, FaithWriters is very unique and loving and welcoming. What do you write?

I think I told you all that a publisher hired me to be an editor and story coach for Sara Weaver, a survivor of the Ruby Ridge Siege back in 1992. We're finishing up the last bit of the second round this week! Since I bought a new laptop that has six hours of battery life, I was able to keep up with the job during the car rides between locations on our road trip. Now the books is off to another editor (my second cousin!) for a quick proof read and then I'll do the formatting. You can check out the book and Sara's site here: http://www.rubyridgetofreedom.com/

Becky, so cool your friend liked your book! What's the story about?

[Sparrow]

Drumroll, please! Here are a couple pictures of Shann and I.

[lauralnm]

To answer your question, Amy, I am very involved in the Challenge right now; however, for years I have written children's stories about a mischevious talking toad named Toadsetta. I live and breathe her. She is such fun. The stories are always about how she gets into trouble, and at the end of each story there is an object lesson. I would love to publish them, but don't have the first clue about doing so...not to mention the cost. Any tips would be appreciated.

I loved the photos of Amy and Shann. It is so good to put names and faces together. Both of you are so well-loved here and offer so much to the site.

[JoyAnn]

It's not easy to embrace changes. I remember being nervous about posting on here but love being the oddball. But it was shortly after the men's only thread and we females were told politely to stay out. Then shortly after that I was invited by Holly to pop in here and remember feeling nervous that I didn't belong anywhere. I probably would have left FW had it not been for the encouragement of my little family here. But like Becky said, I miss the old one too not because I don't dearly love Jay, Kate, Marina, Cynthia who are newer members but still people I love dearly but more because I miss Holy, Barb, Tiara, Shelley, Ivy, Kara (though she is in states so hopefully will return soon) and Seema (I know she is oft in background so I still feel connected) and Tim. Even Jay hasn't been around as much and Patty stepped away from FW and FB so I miss her too.

Awe you miss me!

[JoyAnn]

Leah, I had shoulder dystocia when I as born. I am not sure how long it was that I got stuck, but I think it was a few minutes. The doctors and nurses were wish-boning my moms legs and turn me this way and that way trying to get me loose. My parents were freak, and my mom said you could tell the doctor was worried. And Janice a friend of the family for many years was in the room with my parents and she was in the corner praying up a storm and my mom recalls hearing this "pop" sound and out I came crying. I broke a collarbone. And was 10.1. My mom had asked them, what would have happened if I hadn't come out when I did and the doctor told her, "you don't want to know what would have happened." The hospital that we were at, didn't have the room or stuff to do a C-section, so what would have happened is they would have had to push me back inside my mom and rush us to the hospital across the street and deliver me there. I could have died. I had heard that story many times growing up, but never realized how scary, it was or how badly it could have gone until I watch one of those show, it was either Untold storied of the ER or I didn't know I was pregnant. But the baby had shoulder dystocia and the doctor was saying how the baby could be born and have broken bones, or have damage to their arm and not have function, they could not breath on their own or could be born stillborn and that there are complications that could effect the mother as well, I was like, holy ****! I was really freaked out because I was like, with all that could go wrong, and how bad my delivery was, I shouldn't be here! I was like WHAT lady you are telling me I COULD HAVE DIED! that was when it became real to me. And now I think God it hadn't gone the other way. But yeah, shoulder dystocia is a scary thing.

[JoyAnn]

Goodness a girl could get lost! changing the boards around on her like that. I am an Auntie to TWINS!!! about two weeks ago my sister had her boys!

[violin4jesus]

Tazzy, your story gave me goosebumps! I am so glad you're okay after all of that. There's actually about twelve specific maneuvers for shoulder dystocia, usually starting with pulling the legs back, pushing down just above the pelvic bone to force the shoulder out, manually grabbing one of the shoulders and pulling it out, flipping mom to all fours, breaking the collarbone of the baby, breaking the mom's ligaments to open the pelvis, and finally the pushing the head back in and doing a C-section. One of the nurses said she once saw a 10-minute dystocia. I cannot even imagine!!!

Yes, we did miss you, and glad you're back.

I am so happy to be done with my day shifts and able to get back on nights. Immediately I have been staying up until 1-2am, which shows I am definitely more of a night shifter.

Ryan's back gave out again yesterday (the fourth time since we've been together) and so I am driving him to and from work today and tomorrow to give him a rest (both of our cars are manual drive). The doctor at the urgent care yesterday really scolded him for never following up with an MRI to determine the source of the injury, but every urgent care doctor he's seen just gave him prescriptions and notes for work. She got on his case about getting a primary doctor (the final push he needed, I think - I have been telling him that for years) and really following up. We also discussed the need for both of us to find a massage therapist because both of us have very tight muscles in our lower backs. I haven't had a massage in almost a year, and longer for him. Although our budget needs to be focused on paying off our debt, we also need to take care of our health, which may mean cutting other things out for a while.

Okay, I'm off to bake a chocolate cake for small group tonight. Our pastor is back from vacation and they host Friday nights for four other couples and us; everyone's about the same age - late twenties/early thirties. Ryan will be working as he often is, but it's good fellowship for me because I often have to miss church due to my schedule.

Have a good weekend all! If you have a PICNIC, write about it.

[JoyAnn]

only allowed three attachments what?

I am not babysitting anymore, working on GED,license and then a job and then college. My brother is going to be leaving for college soon yay! Umm, been trying to get ready for NaNo too...really wanting to write lately but have no idea on what. I realized that I have been skipping out on this site and on the challenges and I am going to see if I can get something for picnic...nice to pop in. hoping to do it more often.

[JoyAnn]

Sorry I stretched out the page.

[Rebecky]

Congrats on your new nephews. They're adorable! I'm guessing they're identical?

[Sparrow]

Laural, I'm trying to talk Shann into getting her children's stories published, too. I could give you some advice about how to do it. Are you wanting to send out proposals for traditional publishing or do you want to self publish?

Tiara, so glad you're okay! What exactly is shoulder dis...whatever you said? One of my nieces had her arm wrapped around her head during birth so she wasn't pushing in the right places and they almost had to do a c-section. She finally came out with her arm still up there and it's a wonder she didn't break her shoulder. Congrats about the twins! How fun!

Leah, massages and physical therapy and all that are so expensive. I hope you can find a good place that helps both of you. I have a great myotherapist right now that is way cheaper than most of the PTs and is a Christian.

[violin4jesus]

Amy, shoulder dystocia is when the baby's head is already out, but the shoulder gets stuck and can't come out for a period of time. It tends to happen with bigger babies, or women with a smaller pelvis. AND when doctors get impatient and start pulling the baby out before the woman proves she can push it out. Hence my experience last week. Usually just the pulling legs back and pushing down on the shoulder is enough to pop it loose, but not always - that's when they need the other maneuvers.

I knew I should have put another egg in the cake - it looks a little dry, but it's too late now. I tried a dairy free frosting recipe from the internet, and it's decent. We'll see how it all tastes in a little bit.

Yeah, I know massage is expensive, so I'm hoping to cut a deal with someone. I had a gal last year who had just started and had no client base, so she came to my house and I paid her a set fee lower than salon prices if she would do it every week. She didn't always make it every week for one reason or another, but it was affordable for our budget. Truthfully I can make the budget do what I want, as we generally have more coming in than going out, but the car repairs are still on the credit card (they were upwards of $2500) and I want to get that bill back down to $0. And then we need to get back to eliminating debt. We could eat out every day if we wanted to, but it's just not practical to waste money while we have a chance to knock out the debt. I still have way too much school debt. We're paying Ryan's as we go, which is better in the long run. They offered us loans for financial aid, but I don't think we should do that. Better to pay for his schooling right away, and gradually knock out my leftovers. Thankfully my loan interest rates are extremely low.

Okay, I'm heading out now. Night night all!

[Shann]

Hey Tiara so glad to see you her and the babies are adorable. I always wanted twins well maybe twin grandbabies. I'm so excited to see you back here. I miss you when you disappear on me. Your delivery sounds scary too. That one I was involved with was the absolute worse I've ever heard of and it's a miracle there weren't serious problems. They couldn't even push his head back in after giving general anesthesia. The doc doing the delivery is Q's godmother and I love her dearly. Her husband or her partner usually would assist with C-section but we couldn't get a hold of them so we paged a general surgeon to OB STAT and he was down in x-ray when one of the techs asked him if he heard his page. His answer was he thought it was a joke He did everything possible to avoid OB.

Do you think you'll be ready for college by the fall semester Tiara? I know Lydia is starting to get6 a bit anxious. She called last night (she's working full-time as a lifeguard at a Christian Camp) and she told me she didn't want to grow up and pay for her own stuff and could she please come back home and be a kid again. I had to chuckle if you remember a while back in a snit she was mad at me for something and informed me she was 18 and an adult. Then she wanted me to cook dinner and I said Nope you're an adult. But I did tell you she could come back home but I know she would get bored being a kid soon. She got her last ever report card and had 2 105 (AP classes are harder so the students get a 5% increase) 2 100 a 98 and a 94. She's ready for college whether she thinks she is or not.

Laura I like writing children's stories too. My main character is Wrigley Grace Fiedings (yes baseball fans she has parents with a twisted sense of humor) a brother Camden (Baltimore Orioles) and a friend Shay (for Met's old Shea Stadium) Of course Wrigley Field is home of the Chicago Cubs. I dream of a Grow with me series starting with board books and then picture books and then early read and so on up to YA. There are series like the BabySitter's Club that has Little Sister for 2 different reading levels and Sweet Valley High Twins that have MS books and then 8-10 year old books when they were younger but I've never seen a Grow with Me series. Maybe Amy can get on both of our cases

Thanks for saying something about the pics (Amy I thought you were taking them down!) I hate the way I look I used to weigh as low as 95 in the height of my anorexia and I hate being this heavy even though I know a lot of it is the illness and meds and inactivity but it's still hard to see such an ugly picture of myself. Funny thing I can look back at pics from before and I see someone quite pretty even though I thought I was hideous then oh if I only knew what hideous would look like.