Wednesday, February 05, 2025

The Insecure Writers Support Group and Surgery


It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

The question for today: Is there a story or book you've written you want to/wish you could go back and change?


I’d love to re-edit and condense my five-book series, The Circle of Friends. And reclassify them as New Adult/Adult Romance. They began as YA – first one begins when the main character is a senior in high school – but as the series moves on, the characters move into adult territory. I have done some minor editing, but I’d love to do a total big edit some time. I still have a lot of fans for this series, so hopefully the edits would attract more fans and not offend my current ones.


My two non-fiction books and my In Darkness series? Not at the moment – they are some of the best things I’ve ever written! (And big hugs to my friend Tisha – I gave her a copy of In Darkness for Christmas and she is LOVING the stories.)



* * *


In other news – I had carpal tunnel surgery in January. (One reason you haven’t seen me around much.) My first surgery and stitches. Ever! (I have always majored in the minor injuries although there have been a couple times I probably should’ve gotten stitches in my foot.)


It was a weird experience. First day, my whole arm was numb ALL DAY. (At one point, I felt something next to me and realized my arm had rolled off my lap. I just stared at it and though, “That’s not my arm!”) A few days later the main bandages came off. Yes, that will be a lovely scar. Then the stitches came out and it was a new set of paranoia as I worried I would tear open the cut. (They put butterfly bandages on it and tell you they can come off in 4 days. HA! They FELL off the next morning. Thank goodness we had some butterfly bandages on hand.) Still healing and I can’t put any pressure on the palm for at least another week.

This has led me to a new appreciation for what we need both hands (and our dominate hand) for: opening plastic baggies, cutting with scissors, combing hair, driving, showering, getting dressed, etc. My husband has done a great job of taking care of me (he won’t let me scoop the litterbox – darn!) and I am slowly getting back to normal.


What stories would you edit? Anyone else ever undergo carpal tunnel surgery?


Added bonus – we saw the Space-X launch from Florida last night on our way to Spanish class! We didn’t know what it was at first, so it was a little weird. Kinda cool – I’ve never seen a rocket launch before.



10 comments:

Leigh Caron said...

Wow...that had to be a little scary being that it is your dominate hand. You now have a new line on your palm that means - Warrior.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

My husband had carpal tunnel surgery a couple of years ago and it's really helped! But it does make you realize how much you need both hands during the recuperation process!

Nick Wilford said...

No carpal tunnel surgery but that would definitely be a major hassle for any writer. Glad you're recuperating. I've had my own health issues over the last few months so I know how it can slow you down.

Liza said...

Hope that your hand continues to mend quickly. I know carpel tunnel is no fun, so hopefully this will need to an excellent outcome for you.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Surgery doesn't sound fun. Hope you heal quickly.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

That must have been scary, Diane. So glad you're healing. Seems like you're far too young to be experiencing carpal tunnel surgery, but I guess when you work as hard as you do, it was inevitable. Take care.

Loni Townsend said...

Ouch! I hope you heal up quickly!

emaginette said...

Hope you get better soon and can get back to the litter box. hehehe

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Diane - glad you're improving ... yes we use our hands for so many things. It looks a healthy scar - but obviously you seem happy it's been done ... take and all the best as 2025 ticks along - cheers Hilary

H. R. Sinclair said...

😱 Gosh darn, you can't clean the cat litter. 😅 I hope you heal quickly.