IF LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS…

Then you make lemonade.

Last night I got out of the hospital from an unexpected surgery, minor by today’s standards, but not how I intended to spend this week. What is frustrating is I’ve been dealing with one medical obstacle after the other since the beginning of the year. In-between all the chaos, I’m trying to write, promo, keep sane, and write again. But, life seems to step in and throw everything off kilter.

January the year started out with my debut release, Born to Be Wild, excited and ready to enjoy the fun of my first published book. Soon thereafter, I had a dental problem. An old root canal had caused me difficulties over the past sixteen years, until I finally couldn’t take the pain. Turns out the original dentist left packing cotton inside and didn’t fully drill out the root. Duh! No wonder my tooth hurt.

That little fiasco corrected, I moved to the next one. A pre-cancerous mole on my back and a squamous cell cancer on my face stunned me. Great! So I got those removed while I worked on promotion of my debut and editing of the second book, My Life as a Dog. Dang! If March didn’t roll around with the release and I start having muscle spasms in my back. I could barely walk and the pain was excruciating. Went to hospital and told by Emergency Room doctor I pretty much had to live with the pain and possibly should seek out an acupuncturist or alternative healing. Okay! What’s next to happen?

Well, I shouldn’t have opened my mouth, April came and I had my third book due out, so more editing and promotion, but the back pain flared its ugly head again. I fainted getting ready to see my family physician. He sent me straight to the hospital and I stayed one night and released with a brace to wear for eight weeks. Turns out I had two fractures in my spine but not serious enough for surgery. I wasn’t given any medication for the pain and home I went to spend a very long time in bed. So I finished writing the sequel to my debut book—Born to Play came into being. As well as a contemporary novella entitled Texas Heat. Whew! I thought I turned a corner. But noooo!

Remember the fainting spell I had? Well my family doctor thought I should have that checked out and sent to a cardiologist. Oh and during the first trip to the hospital in March, the MRI showed I also had pleural effusion, so off to the Pulmonary specialist. The lungs checked out okay after two trips to imaging for chest x-rays and an ultrasound, but the heart, no such luck.

After a battery of tests, EKG, nuclear tests, heart monitors, one for a couple days and another time for six weeks, the cardiologist determined I had what they call SVT. I’m put on medication for a month and didn’t do anything, so put on another medication and sent for a heart catheter to make sure there’s no blockage causing the heart problems. In between the entire medical calamity, I’m trying my darnedest to write, write, and write and then promo again, with editing for Born to Play, which releases in pre-sales today and officially next Friday.

Then, I had two strange episodes of pain in my stomach which flared up and disappeared with no explanation during the past two months. I had the heart catheter on Monday afternoon of this week and went home in some discomfort but okay. Tuesday evening I’m taken to the hospital by ambulance for stomach pain that made me feel like I was dying. After a few hours, I’m admitted for gallstones. Huh?

Wednesday afternoon I have the surgery and I arrived back home Thursday evening and had to figure out what to write for this blog. I almost didn’t get the blog written, but I made a commitment and had to honor it. So I guess what I’ve learned since the first of the year—if life hands you lemons, make lemonade. I know there’s another story in here somewhere. Now, I have to go write it!

Cynthia Arsuaga, Erotic Romance Author

Website: http://cynthiaarsuaga.weebly.com

Email: cynmar19@yahoo.com

Publisher: www.secretcravingspublishing.com

Ups and Downs

This past week has been a roller coaster ride. At the highest point, I got notice that my book, PRIME TIME, was finally out in print. I've been waiting for this moment for four years. It took a new publisher to make it happen. This book received great reviews in its original from, even getting four stars from Romantic Times magazine. My new publisher looked at the book, liked it, but decided it needed some work (which it did!). The new version is even better than the original and is now out in both e-format and print.

In addition, I finally finished the new story I was working on. I've been struggling with this one for so long, but I'm happy with the way it turned out and was especially happy when I wrote 'THE END'.

In addition, I have a shadow. A 16 year old girl who has to do a paper for school on what she wants to do in life. She wants to be a writer so has been with me at work for the last few days (I work in a bookstore), asking questions about writing and the writer's life. She's forced me to do some heavy thinking about this life that chose me. I dashed some of her hopes (she believed you wrote a book, sent it to a publisher, and they published it. That easy.), but I also pointed out that if you are a writer, you're going to find a way to write. You may never make money at it, but you're going to figure out how to make it work. It's been kind of fun. And interesting to have someone who thinks I'm amazing because I'm a writer. (giggle)

But when things are going that good, you know there's going to be a shoe drop. And one did. Heavily. On Wednesday, my hubby and I had our pet, Pixel, into the vet for her regular checkup. She passed with flying colors, but because she's 19 years old, the vet did some bloodwork and tests just to make sure everything was okay. Friday we got the call. All was not good. In fact, definitely not good. As in, she's reached the end of her road due to advanced liver disease. There is no coming back from this. He said she'd stop eating, lose weight, and eventually, just pass away.

How do you say goodbye to a furball you've loved for 19 years?

I know there are a lot of people out there who won't understand our attachment to her. After all, she's just a cat. What's the big deal? I also know there are a lot of people out there who *will* understand. And grieve with me.

As I said, a week of highs and lows.

May you have a happy week.
Vicky/Victoria