In the Waiting Room

While looking through one of my old spiral notebooks this afternoon, I found this little stream-of-conscience piece I had written while waiting at the children’s hospital with my family for results on my youngest son, Christoper’s MRI results on the remnants of his brain tumor. I’d forgotten I’d written this!

Since it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, I failed to write down the date that I created it. Considering this was a time when I was still married, I’m guessing this note was sometime between 2014 and 2020.

I found this very short message somehow touching and visceral, so I decided to share it here with you all, my friends from all over the world.

__________________

As I wait with my son and husband to be called back to one of the patient rooms, my body is a walking zombie with dopey (? can’t read) and sleeping waves rolling through me.

Christopher waits patiently to find out, as do his dad and I, what his MRI results are.

Yellows, oranges, and reds across from us with an astronaut posing with arms outstretched to take off any minute.

A blue sky with wispy clouds frame the silver suit flaming reds and blues.

Makeshift wings stand alert, unfolded and bold at his sides.

A blue screen sixty feet across sleeps, displaying no images. Is this a resting mini-theater scheduled for future shows?

Several images representing flying. Flying high, soaring, reaching, transcending illness, challenges, pain, and crossing over to healing an all-encompassing healing of soul and body.

Flying correlates with a sense of spiritual ascendency.

But truly, if I close my eyes, I could fall right to sleep.

This Valium affects me like never before, and not just takes off the anxious edge, but this time, it’s created a drowsiness where everything, including me, moves in slow motion, like those running on film that is slowed down, and the person’s arms and legs rotate like the gears of a clock running out of batteries.

Hopefully, soon, we shall be sitting in the patient room hearing something akin to no change or dissipated remnant. Only God knows.

____________________

In 2020, my son’s brain tumor disappeared. He’d had it since he was an infant (don’t know the exact point it appeared and grew in his head, but he was diagnosed with the brain tumor attached to his brain stem in 2003 when he was 13 months old). We were so surprised when the doctor said the tumor was gone, I remember. I nearly couldn’t speak. However, it was welcome news and joy grew inside me and life changed at that moment for Christopher and the whole family. Thank you, God!

What She Didn’t Know Gets Big Review

My gritty novel, What She Didn’t Know, has been reviewed by BookLife that is a supplement to Publishers Weekly Magazine that is shown both online and will be in print form May 29 of this year. I’m excited to see the review made by someone at PW/BL that has never read my work! This is a huge moment for me! Thank you, IngramSpark, for this opportunity!

PS: When I get the print copy, I’ll post a picture of my review in it!

Here’s the review via BL online (along with the grades for my story):

Blending aspects of romance, family, trauma, escapism, and spirituality, this novel from Anna (author of Passage of Promise) finds the Barstone sisters—Michaela, Gloria, and Seraphima—reunited by personal will and tragedy in a story set amongst city life and immersed in the natural beauty of Colorado. Years before, as Michaela watched a 13-year-old Gloria disappear from their family’s home after a horrid night of beating and fear, there was no certainty they would ever all be together again. But an entreaty from their ailing mother to “find her” sets Michaela (and eventually the others) on a journey back towards each other—and a past that’s still hard to face. Watching a family return, discover, accept, and heal can be a most astounding step-by-step process.

Anna’s empathetic novel takes on many difficult topics, yet it is still written with an inviting ease—with a featherlike touch—capturing the essence of pain and hurt but not dwelling too much on the details. Readers can infer just how much abuse Gloria endured, what horrid drinking bouts Michaela’s husband has started on, and how not-involved Seraphima’s boyfriend was in their relationship. Anna doesn’t give all of this away to us. Instead, she sets us into small spaces with each sister and paints their individual versions of escapism. Michaela escapes through denial and self-righteous blame; Gloria’s escape is physical (running away); and Seraphima’s is through world-building, a fantasy of marriage.

Gloria’s relationship with discovering spirituality stands out, reflecting her youth and naivety, though she later expresses what she learns in clear, direct terms: “Reality will always return. If there’s anything I’ve learned lately is you’ve got to face your problems, not run from them.” Fitting Ana’s admirably light prose, What She Didn’t Know offers a warm, simple message of allowing oneself to accept and heal. Readers will feel comforted even amongst the chaos and come from it hoping for continued healing for the Barstone sisters.

Takeaway: Touching story of a family’s step-by-step process of healing.

Comparable Titles: Annie M. Ballard’s A Heart for the Homeless, Karen McKenna’s Just Last Year.

Production grades

Cover: B

Design and typography: A-

Illustrations: N/A

Editing: A

Marketing copy: A-

Down for the Count

woman head on pillow

Sorry, friends. I’ve not been posting much. My right shoulder started hurting in mid-May and hasn’t gone away. The pain at times is excruciating.

I was referred to a sports medicine doctor this past Monday. He diagnosed my right shoulder with rotator cuff injury with tendonitis, as well as bursitis and trapezius strain.

I don’t know how long it will take me to get better. He gave me anti-inflammatory gel to rub on four spots of my shoulder twice a day, and directions on how to move my right arm to allow for healing of the tissue and muscles in my shoulder.

I had an x-ray and CAT scan of my shoulder and neck last week. It didn’t show anything torn or pinched.

The sports medicine doctor said he does have injections he could give me via ultrasound guidance and that they aren’t cortisone shots. He does numb the area before putting in the needles. My course of treatment, I think, will last at least six weeks. He has the shots as the last resort, but I’m getting tired of the pain and may request them earlier. I’ve already called his nurse just a little while ago because of the pain.

If I try and calculate how many hours I’m able to sit up (only when eating) and stand and walk (up to 10 minutes), that would probably be around 45 minutes the whole day. 😦

So, basically, I’ve been miserable. Praying healing comes sometime in the near future.

I’m not sure when I’ll get another post out. Thank you for sticking with me.

 

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Pick up your copy of Passage of Promise  via Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Me with PofP final print copy April 27 2020