Life update

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written a new post or shared anything about my writing journey. So, hi! Welcome back to my website.

This year has been a bit of a whirlwind. In January, one of our three cats, Avery, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her prognosis was good — one surgery to remove her mammary glands and she’d be good as new. But because of Covid, there was a backlog of pets waiting to see the oncologist. So, the earliest appointment we could get was late March. Fast-forward to March when Avery finally gets to see the oncologist only for us to find out that the cancer is already in her lymph nodes, meaning that it’s already started to spread. With limited options at this point, we decided to start her on chemo pills at home with the prognosis that she would have about another year with us.

Well, after two months of being on chemo, her cancer stopped responding to the medication and she began coughing — a telltale sign that the cancer was now in her lungs. So for the the last two months, we’ve been giving her a low-dose steroid (on days when she’s able to eat) to help with her breathing, carrying her up and down the stairs when it looks like she needs help, and letting her roam around the backyard and enjoy as much sunshine as possible. For now, we’re enjoying what little time we have left with her and making her as happy and comfortable as possible. Just this morning, my wife made Avery some steamed lactose-free milk to enjoy while we both drank cappuccinos.

Enjoying some time outside with Avery

In the midst of all of that, I was also going through a process of getting an ADHD diagnosis. After years of being told I had anxiety and depression and being given medications that were helping to a point, but not completely, I finally found a therapist who listened and helped me get the diagnosis I’ve been missing all along. So, it turns out that my inability to sit still and commit myself to completing my book in one year isn’t a character flaw, it’s ADHD. Getting bored and frustrated while writing and giving up … ADHD. Getting distracted by my phone, our cat, that leaf blowing in the wind … ADHD. For the last few months, I’ve been working with my doctor to find the right dosage of my new medication and after some ups and downs with it (including extreme jitteriness and heart palpitations), I’m finally on a dose that feels right for me.

So, has it helped with my writing? A little bit. I decided to ease back into writing by taking a few flash fiction classes. The first was self-paced with very little interaction with other students or the instructor so that was nearly impossible for me to sit through, but I did it. The second was an amazing flash fiction class taught by Kimberly Cooper Griffin my friend Finn Burnett. That class gave me back my confidence with writing. It was so nice to learn writing techniques, share my flash pieces with my class, and hear theirs. Constructive criticism always helps me with my writing, especially when I’m feeling stumped or like it’s pointless. I even ended up submitted a few of my flash pieces to competitions.

In September, I’m braving the airport and flying Air Canada (why didn’t I choose a different airline?) to go see Finn and their wife, August, for the first time in person in BC! I’ve always wanted to visit BC, but haven’t had a chance so this will be exciting. We’re going to the Wine Country Writer’s Festival in Kelowna and then I’m heading out to Vancouver for a few days to explore on my own. It’ll be my first time away from my son since he was born so I’m sure the trip will be full of excitement and sadness.

My goals for the rest of the year are to keep writing (in some capacity) and trying to accept that there are parts of life that I cannot change so I should enjoy them while I can.