Thursday 17 January 2008

Three steps forward, ten back!

Well as the title definitely alludes to – progress is slow in Mob land. I have read with amazement and absolute delight the lovely comments made by such great personalities and wonderful writers as your selves on my blog. I had meant to do my usual and write back to each post or at least bunch them together and answer in blocks but I think a blog entry might be more appropriate. I have recovered from the dreaded lurgy that beset my household before the festive season and although still sluggish somewhat I feel quite good that the awful symptoms have abated. I had pneumonia when I was fifteen and have a slight weakness when it comes to the flu so when I get a bad virus I am fit for nothing for a little longer than others. Also, being as hot as Dante’s inferno due to overheating with the menopause, my temperature is well off the scale to boot when I am ill. However, moaning aside I am much better and my lovely husband is back at work and fully recovered too. I mention the virus again purely for the purpose of creating a link to my next paragraph.

What I hadn’t truly appreciated is that whilst my temperature raged and I was away with the fairies, I totally messed up my HRT cycle of drug taking. I had dug into three separate bubble packs of tablets without realising it and completely messed up the sequence they should have been taken in. I take a combination of oestrogen and progesterone in separate tablet form as I still have the old baby making kit installed and this means I am still menstruating whilst on the tablets. Having never done this kind of half assed mistake before – and believe me I have had every up and down possible with trying to sort out my severe symptoms – this was a new one on me. I didn’t bother ringing the practice – as some of you may have already read in my previous posts, the receptionist there is short on manners, personality and kindness and gives the impression that you next request will be your last – so much so that the NHS have installed a whip and a chair just to get an appointment from her – so I decided to make the best of what was left in the blister packs and see if I could self medicate………

…………Big Big mistake. I am now on a second menstruation cycle in a month and enjoying those abdomen ripping pains that only a bread knife being dragged though your body can make. I have minute to minute mood swings that leave me feeling like I am on a roller coaster, and bless my poor husband, he’s borrowed the whip and the chair from the practice surgery and arms himself big time before approaching what was once his even natured wife – maybe I could fill in for old hairy face at the practice when she wants a rare day off? I digress but some of us menopausal women tread a fine line between almost functioning as a fully paid up member of society or a complete and utter nutter that could torture small children and animals and then bugger off and run a small dictatorship somewhere. It can’t be much fun for my wonderful man to live with so many personalities as having one wife is more than enough for any man. Still, he has the escape of paid employment to remove him from danger for eight hours each day and he should think himself very lucky for that……..Ha. But he also has the knowledge that I am doing everything possible to get back on track and that within a day or two the light at the end of the tunnel with come into full view and I will be someone he recognises from the past that he once fell in love with.

We started a low GI diet on Monday to loose the festive fat and what was also there before we piled on that extra little gift of lard. The garage has been setup as a gym again and we are making inroads into a new exercise routine. Unless I am decomposing by the next festive season I intend to be a lot less heavy and wide by then and looking as good as a fifty year old bat can do at this time in one’s life. This is my only resolution for this year – one is more than enough to fail at – a lot less guilt to contend with when it all goes tits-up.

Now, re the next instalment on the story I was telling. I was contacted by a published author who likes what I was writing and he advised me to take the story and to write it into book form. He even said he planned to have an agent he knew who may be interested to have a look at the blog. I was chuffed to say the least but he also advised me to take the rest of the story offline as it might have been purloined by someone else. I was really thrilled in one sense but then I felt bad for you guys that were following the story. The virus took over everything after that when I ground to a halt and the festive season got in the way too and then workload and then the HRT fiasco so here I am only now about to get writing the book. I had no inkling of whether I could write and still don’t but your feedback on the blog has been a surprise and a delight and I want to at least try. I have a lot to learn in the craft and art of writing and am currently reading a book about how to structure a story, design a plot and develop the main protagonists and so on. The story is complete as it has already happened but I need to know how to write a book and not just a blog. The book on how to write a novel makes a lot of sense to me and I realise I have an uphill struggle as just about every other writer does but I know that this – fear of ability - is not a unique feeling. I certainly am not arrogant enough to call myself a writer and never will unless I get published but I am an apprentice one for the moment. It is thanks to each and every one of you that have now or in the past been so kind in your feedback that I am going to have a shot at this. I will blog regularly but not any more from the story as if I stick it all online then no one will buy it if it every sees the light of day. If I never get it published then to hell with it, I’ll just write it up online anyway.

I am chomping at the bit to getting around to reading all your blogs because I have missed reading good quality stuff that makes me laugh and cry from sentence to sentence. Happy blogging all and thanks again for being cyber pals.

17 comments:

She's like the wind said...

I can't believe it, don't get me wrong I am delighted you are going to write a book, but leaving us handing at such a crucial point, it's cruelty. I hope you dont take years to write the book! No pressure.
Best of luck in writing xx

Can you please change my name over on your link to the new one, much obliged.

selfemployedmum xx

aims said...

Well - good for you - and bad for us...sigh. I guess we will have to wait to see what happens...and yes - don't take too long!

Manic Mother Of Five said...

Hmmm, lots of reactions to this. Like Windy (giggling again!) and Aims I am gutted to have to wait to "hear" the rest of your story but obviously delighted that your unquestionable talent has been recognised. And then comes the BUT - I just don't want you to dilute your voice by "going by the book". That's what I love about reading your blog - your unique was of expressing yourself.....

Just an opinion...

Great to hear you are feeling better and sorry that in your ravaged state you managed to upset the HRT. My mum used HRT very successfully to manage her menopause and in all honesty her symptoms were nowhere near as extreme as yours. However, she did once stop taking it just to see if it was helping and she virtually ceased up!

Promise to keep blogging and give us the occasional tit bit??

Be back soon

MMOF X

Irene said...

What a wonderful post and I can see that your eventual book will be a success with your dry sense of humor. There is nothing like the humor of a menopausal woman getting over a bout of the flu. Do not get too confused with your pills again, although it doesn't seem to interfere with your ability to write amusingly. I hope you are a regular blogger, because I look forward to the next post.

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Dear All,

Oh dear I didn’t expect such disappointment – perhaps just a bit, but not as much. I’m still astonished that you wonderful writers have so much faith in me and so much interest in the story and are unfailing complimentary. I truly am humbled by so much lovely feedback.

I did wrestle with this decision all over the festive season and it caused me no end of concern because I know that it is unfair to you wonderful people who have tuned in regularly. But the people that I bared my soul to over this have strenuously advised me to take the book course as to reveal any more at this stage will take a big chunk of surprise away from the book. So, whist I am incredibly excited at the prospect of writing a book, and terrified at the same time, I feel that if I have a chance at writing something worthwhile, (ok never Booker prize standards but a nice doorstopper for the beach), then perhaps I need to follow this road.

I did come to a decision though and hopefully it will warm the cockles of your hearts. I was going to keep it a surprise until perhaps – and that is a big perhaps – I get the book published. I think that it is only fair that those of you who have been with me since the early days and have provided support, feedback, encouragement and on-line friendship and what essentially really amounts to being members my first writers group in a way, are going to be acknowledged in the book either by name or blog handle – whichever you prefer. I could never have even known that my writing could appeal to anyone other than a few pals that like what I do and without you all I would just be procrastinating over the ever elusive ‘perfect’ sentence, getting heartily sick over reading my prose over and over again until the words sound like crap and nonsensical dialogue that you begin to believe is just pretentious poop. So, dear maties, it is with my heartfelt thanks that I stumbled upon you all and that if you hadn’t been so generous in your feedback, I wouldn’t have the spirit of adventure that I have now whilst I get started on writing either the biggest dud of the year or something that might just make a few people laugh and cry.

I take on board comments such as retain my own voice and keep blogging. I intend to do both.

Breezy said...

Well I'm rubbish at waiting but I'll try to contain myself. Your writing is entertaining enough to keep me going anyway

Anonymous said...

MOB
Do what you have to hun,follow your dream.
I am so sad not to have the next titty bits, but I can wait and happy to shell out a few bob for the book.But can it be quick :>)
I am having a new new year too I have packed in eth day job and ma goingsolo - so keep your fingers crosed for me too please.

Stinking Billy said...

mob, welcome back. I have really missed you. As B.Forsyth (can't stand the bugger) would say, "You are my favourite, you know!"

merry weather said...

Hey, good luck with your writing MOB!! And bad luck with the HRT thing, sounds rotten - but you struck a chord with me, I do know the rising feeling of that wholly unreasonable but absolutely essential small dictatorship thing. Spot-on!

I think I also know that receptionist by the way - or maybe it's just one of her many relatives... :)

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised you have been snapped up. Good luck with it.
Sorry to hear about the menopausal stuff. I haven't reached it yet but I might come over for some advice when I do. Only joking.

Crystal xx

LITTLE BROWN DOG said...

Hi there MOB - nice to see you back in the land of the living. Don't forget to invite us all to the launch when it finally comes out.

LBD xx

PS And may we know the name of the book you're reading (if it's good). I've bought about four now, and none of them have been very much help... (bascially, I think I want a book to do it all for me, and clean the house, so may be asking a bit much).

Lane Mathias said...

You're back!!

Sorry to hear you've been so unwell and thrilled to hear about the agent and book. You must be a hopping with excitement MOB:-)

I can wait for the story. Just don't take too long writing it:-)

Stinking Billy said...

You've done it again, haven't you? Buggered off, I mean. I do hope you are okay, though?

farming-frenchstyle said...

Glad you're feeling better, and about the book. Sorry the periods are still "happening" - am pleased mine have finished, well I hope so. Perhaps they are waiting to strike again, but who knows. Just wish the hot flushes would disappear also - might they be due to the amount of alcohol consumed? Glad you're back.

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

I'm on that kind of HRT too and messed up the pills one month. BIG MISTAKE!

JILLS said...

Hello Mob. Pleased to see that you are on the mend and chomping at the (writing) bit! I have not read any of your story - I don't know where it is - but I still wish you lots of luck with it. And please do not consider yourself anything LESS than a writer simply because you have not had a book published yet. What makes a writer is the ability to write - getting published is a wonderful bonus, I agree, but being able to write is a gift in itself that not everyone has.

You clearly have it in abundance and - as a fellow writer - i wish you nothing but good fortune.

Lots of love.

willowtree said...

I still don't get it, did I miss the bit where there's a reconciliation??