I just can't seem to maintain two blogs. So, if you want to keep following me, check out www.mindyfausey.blogspot.com. I love writing blogs, but I am just not dedicated enough to update it often enough to keep everyone interested. :)
I sometimes buy a container of vanilla frosting and eat it off a spoon as a snack. I eat a layer off the top, then let it sit with the lid off, exposed to air, then eat the next layer when it gets a little stiff.
My kids are hooked on the game Cranium. I have to admit, it's pretty fun, but every single time, they choose the "Creative Cat" category, where you have to draw or sculpt with clay, etc. We have nearly gone through the entire deck of those cards, while the other categories have barely been touched. It'll be interesting to see what they do when they discover there are no more new cards.
I read a new submission today, and I have to say it was pretty dang good.
Other than that, it's been snowing here off and on all day. And wouldn't you know, my daughter just pulled out Cranium. *sigh*
After a few scary days, I am up and around. Which is very good.
My husband has the month off after returning from Afghanistan. Things are weird for me a little. I liked things my way, and he likes things his way, and coming back together again hasn't been all fun. I'm a different person than when he left. He's a different person now, too. So, although things are definitely not bad, I think there will definitely be a time of readjustment where we get used to each other again. I think once he starts work again, things will even out.
Lots of medical specialist appts, an MRI and blood tests coming up. Not fun, but I'm actually looking forward to it, and for the chance to feel normal. I NEED to get back to cycling. It's almost spring! The weather is going to be too nice not to have energy.
Anyway, I'm keeping pretty busy with both writing my new story, going over a few of my older ones, and editing.
Ok, not sure how many know my history for the past couple years, but it has been a little rough healthwise. In the last year, especially in the last few months, it seems like my body has been going haywire. In the last month or so, I have suddenly developed high blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat, orthostatic hypotension, cold hands and feet, headaches, flushing, and a few other odd symptoms. The doctor in FL prescribed a diuretic for the blood pressure. When I got back to ABQ, my bp was still high, a week and a half ago, the doctor on base prescribed lisinopril, and ordered blood tests.
I got my blood tested Friday. Yesterday, I got an urgent call from the doctor. She said to go to the ER or call 911 right away, because my potassium levels were critically low, and basically I could drop dead at any second. She didn't need to tell me twice, but I had to wait for my teenager to get home to watch my son, who had a stomach virus and spent the night and most of the day puking.
So, I get to the ER, and they put me right in the front of the line. I had zero waiting time. I had an EKG, a blood test (potassium was even lower than it had been) and this doctor took the time to get a detailed history. He said, "I will bet the root cause of your problem is adrenal." Wow. He gave me a paper to take to my doctor today. And prescribed some MONSTER potassium supplements to take just about all day long. I nearly choke every time I swallow one. How do you swallow something almost as big as your thumb?
Last night, I got online with my friend, a longtime cardiac nurse. He likes to pretend he is Dr. House, so I gave him the whiteboard symtoms. He said, "Adrenal--probably a pheochromocytoma." I laughed and said, "That's always House's first diagnosis and its always wrong." He said, "Look it up." So, I did. I have almost EVERY single one of those symptoms, including the little neurofibromas by my eyes.
I called my doctor today, and she agreed that I should be tested. I go for another blood test tomorrow, and a follow up next week, then she is getting me a referral to an endocrinologist, who will hopefully agree and have me tested. A pheo is rare, and can be deadly if undiagnosed and untreated. It most often isn't cancer, and can be cured by surgery.
So, I admit I am PROBABLY wrong about my self diagnosis of hypopituitarism. I'm not upset, though, because I feel like I have finally found the right set of doctors to get me to where I need to be to find the cause of all this.
I submitted a query to Elaine Spencer at The Knight Agency a loooonnnnggg time ago, and I finally got a reply yesterday saying she wants to see the first fifty pages of one of my stories. And she actually apologized for my long wait. She was very nice. I was thrilled, but I am not getting my hopes too high. I know it is very, very hard to get a big name agent. And even if I do somehow miraculously pull it off, don't worry. I'm still gonna edit for Champagne. :) It's just something I love to do.
It's amazing how easily I can be suckered. Before we moved back to ABQ, my neighbor that lived below me asked if he could rent the condo until we sold it, assuring me he was just going to "put a desk in there" so he would have a private place to work away from his kids. My kids were like best friends with his kids, and he was always so nice. He took the kids for sleepovers several times. Well, we cut a deal, and agreed he could put hus desk in there and rent the place for the cost of the condo fees, which are $400 a month. Well, I just found out from my realtor that the guy has DRILLED HOLES into my walls, shoved about a million plants into the master bath, and done all kinds of other things to funkify my beautiful condo. The realtor is taking pictures as I speak. I am so thankful I made a lease agreement. I had this feeling in my gut that said I had better cover my butt, so I added a little sentence that says, "Tenant shall make NO alterations to the property without WRITTEN consent of the owner." I am so glad I trusted my instincts, but I was very close at just doing an even simpler rental agreement. After all, he was such a "nice guy" and treated my kids so well. And his condo always seemed to be clean. I thought, "He's such a good person, he won't hurt my condo." But that nagging feeling kept at me until I wrote a more thorough rental agreement. I am sooooo glad I listened!!!
Name: Mindy Home: Albuquerque, NM, United States About Me: I am Senior Editor for an imprint of Champagne Books. I am married to an Air Force Officer, who is currently serving his country in Afghanistan. I have three bright and beautiful children. See my complete profile
