Surgery & Recovery

Hello All,

I will make this kind of short since my time - as is often the case - is short. Maybe it's because I'm short (4'10") that time runs short on me so often ;-)

Anyway, I actually did have a longer post completed and was highlighting it to copy and check the spelling as I generally do on all online posts. Apparently, while I was highlighting it, Blogger decided it was time to back up the draft and somehow erased everything I had highlighted. While I was looking for the way to restore the draft (since I had not actually hit the copy command yet), it did another update which means it updated an empty screen! Arghh! And just as I was getting ready to say I had overcome the problems I had with Blogger.

Okay, but I'm not going to be a big baby and throw a tantrum, I'm just going to rewrite the important stuff you all need to know. As it says in the title, I am getting ready to have the surgery I have been putting off for so long now. I have tried all other avenues and continually felt like God had plans for me to have the surgery. Once I became content with that, the door opened for a new and much better doctor, and everything else then fell into place, including school letting out so I will have a relative to stay with me as I recover.

In brief, sometime tomorrow (May 23rd) afternoon, the neurosurgeon will remove the damaged disk between my C6 & C7 vertebrae and replace it with a metal plate and 4 screws. We will then wait for it to fuse together which should prevent any more pressure on the nerves going through my neck and down my arms. Yeah for no more numb fingers and weakness.

So, even though this means I will be offline for awhile, and the project will slow down yet again, I believe it will progress in God's perfect time. Once it is done and I have recovered, I will be able to stay online and write and type longer and without pain, and that will most certainly be a welcome improvement. I have many prayers going into surgery with me, and I welcome all others who would like to pray.

During recovery, I hope to edit some of the submissions I have printed out while I am unable to get to the computer. I will also be continuing in my new job for my chiropractor, which has its own unique story that I may share later. In the meantime, I thank all of you who have submitted and who continue to bear with me on the time I am needing to get this project on a full roll. I ask you to stand with me until we see the book, Good Morning Christian Writer, on the shelves of bookstores and in the hands of Christian writers everywhere.

In the meantime, I have already been wonderfully blessed by some great writing and great communications with writers in the 10 months we have worked at this so far. I plan to create a forum (probably a yahoo group) where we can all talk to each other and even share other writing good news and links as we continue in this worthwhile project. Please continue to pray for God to work in my recovery, my level of energy, my priorities, and whatever else I need to nudge this project to its successful completion.

Thank you all once again.

Shalom with blessings in all you do - and write - for Him,

~Crystal