Facing an Uncertain Future and Positive Changes
I am not entirely sure where the last few months have gone, let alone May. Chaos and mayhem have been my constant companions recently, and while there have been many things going on that I could have done without, it’s not all negative.
So, here it is: the good, the bad, and the deadlines.
The Good
· I’m still here and still fighting. It hasn’t been easy for a few months, but I haven’t given up.
· I have an amazing, patient, and understanding boyfriend who takes everything in his stride and supports me and my daughter. Better still, Ebony and the dogs like him.
· Ebony now has a complete diagnosis of FND (Functional Neurological Disorder). No, it’s not good that she’s got it, but knowing what it is gives us a focus and a better understanding of her symptoms, treatment and potential outcomes. I’ll link to some articles on FND at the end of this rather than trying to explain it all myself.
· Ebony now has a wheelchair. It’s a significant improvement on her previous chair in terms of comfort and for me for pushing.
· Her EHCP assessment has been accepted and I’m currently going through the draft. Everything should be in place for September. Hopefully, this means I won’t need to be at college with her, which will improve her independence and give me a much-needed break.
The Bad
· The FND has been making its presence felt big time. Ebony has struggled with her mobility, had a late-night hospital visit, and experienced an FND seizure. She is struggling to get her head around the diagnosis and hates that there is not a straight answer or a simple cure.
· The extra support she needs and my job are draining me. My ME/CFS symptoms are flaring, and I have near-constant pain in my hip and knee from manoeuvring the wheelchair. I’ve had to take time off work to accommodate Ebony’s increased care needs and may have to make a decision about my future at my place of work.
· This is the first time I’ve sat at my computer and written anything since the beginning of the month, and I’ve only published a single piece.
The Deadlines
· As you can imagine, the goals I set at the beginning of the year are no longer workable. At this point, I need to revisit them and adjust them to fit my current reality, energy levels and time constraints.
· As far as the books are concerned, I am going to push each of the deadlines back by three months, so the new deadlines will be as follows:
Complete the first draft of my novel, The Creature in the Darkness, by the end of October.
Complete the first draft of my novel, Crisis, by the end of April 2025.
Have Lorelei Sand’s novel The Scourge of the Demon Hunters ready for beta reading by the end of July.
Have the first draft of the sequel, The Return of the Order, completed by the end of January 2025. There is still a chance that I will change things around, make the contents I have book three, and write something new that will become book two.
· I plan on returning to publishing shorter pieces on Medium at least twice a month. This may be one under Cathylouise and one under Lorelei, but we will see where my muse takes me (when she comes out from hiding under the bed).
Don’t forget you can support my writing and help keep the creative wheels turning by buying me a coffee or by subscribing to Medium for just $5 a month and reading my new work as it comes out.
I’m still looking for more beta readers for the novel, so let me know if you want to check out my demon fantasy romance.
Until next time, keep writing your own story.
Cathylouise
https://www.fndaction.org.uk/what-is-functional-neurological-disorder/
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/functional-neurologic-disorder