Update on Works in Progress & Overall Life Information

Hogtied and gagged

So my sequel to Chasing Seth took a major hit in progress because of some things going on in my life. There is nothing quite like going full steam ahead only to hit the crossroads in the track and end up running off the rails. It can really damage your motivation and your muse. I think my muse ended up hogtied with dynamite wrapped around her.

A little over a month ago my baby pup, Yoshi, got sick and during an exploratory surgery, my vet of nine years tells me that Yoshi has pancreatic cancer. He says its inoperable and that he wants my decision to put him to sleep. Needless to say I was devastated and blown away by this information as I expected them to extract what we thought was the problem, a hair tie he'd swallowed and got stuck. (DON'T let your cats or dogs play with those rubber band hair ties, you know the ones.)  

 

Yoshi - My baby boy

But that wasn't the case. I brought Yoshi home that weekend and located a specialist to see if there was anything they could do. The specialist Dr. Rebecca Seaman at Broward Veterinary Specialists is a very kind and wonderful person who gave me the options of what they could do. An ultra sound and a needle aspiration to see what we were dealing with. My vet of nine years, no longer my vet now, did not do a biopsy during the surgery and Dr. Seaman did not believe it would be prudent to open him again so soon as he had only had the surgery mere days before. The problem was that the needle aspiration is not 100%, but the pathologist did not find any cancer cells in the needle aspiration. So we are hopeful it isn't cancer.

Stressed!

It has been a long road over the last month with constant worry and stress about what's going on inside of Yoshi and whether or not I will lose my baby before I was expecting to. Now, I know dogs don't live forever. That's impossible. But I did believe that Yoshi would live to be the normal amount of dog years, 14 to 16 years. So to be told otherwise at such a young age was like a ton of bricks. It impacted my frame of mind and has really left me wanting to do nothing more than zone in on something that wasn't my life. There is still not clear definite answer on what is wrong though. So there is still hope it isn't cancer and that it is merely a flare up of pancreatitis or something similar to do with the pancreas. I take him back tomorrow for another ultra sound and x-rays of his chest to make sure there is nothing going on there. He developed what we thought is kennel cough. The emergency vet last night said she didn't think it was that. So... another worry to add on top of the pile. Is it cancer? Has it spread to his lungs? Am I going to lose him?

I was able to add an additional 2k words to my WIP of Chasing Seth's sequel, Forgiving Thayne though, bringing me up to 40% complete. That's an excellent sight to see of course for me and I am certain for the many readers waiting for it. I am going to try and work on it as much as possible. Whenever Yoshi is not feeling well, I tend to find it hard to focus. My attention is on him because I'm afraid if I look away... Anyway, that's my progress at the moment. I wanted to let those anxiously awaiting for the sequel know that I didn't fall off the face of the Earth and I am writing as I can. My goal is to at least have it out this year through Dreamspinner Press and to begin working on some of the other projects I have in the works. You'll see on my sidebar that I have three WIPs and what their progress is at. I have two of them that I wanted to make into a series of novellas, but I've always found it hard to write those types of continuing stories. I want to write all of them before I submit. That way I know I won't disappoint my readers. :)

Yoshi - 1 and a 1/2 years old.

Please keep my pup Yoshi in your prayers and send positive thoughts that he will be with us for another several years. He is my heart and soul. The idea of him not being there, following me, loving me, letting me love him, breaks my heart.

9 Years old this year. He's such a goofball and loves people and attention. His favorite thing to do is chase the neighbor's dog up and down the fence separating them. I pray that he has a lot more time to do his favorite thing and to be his smiling, happy self.