I'm Still Here, Just not HERE.

Sorry, I've been sidelined. I'll be back.

The wind outside my window a few days ago. The ‘hill’ is a plow mound.

Hi friends, I have to keep this short, but I wanted you to know why I’ve been so quiet lately. First, I have what I think is carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand, so typing is painful. I see my doctor tomorrow, so I hope I get answers. My hand and my wrist are painful and swollen. It came from nowhere, but not really. Since I’ve been housebound because of blizzards and constant snow, (more than two feet total) I’ve been tethered to either my laptop or my iPad, either binge-watching ‘nice’ shows that don’t shatter my brain or my soul, or I’ve been working on putting those chapters together that I’ve promised will become a book. And of course I can’t stay away from Notes. Too much keyboard stuff and right-hand-on-mouse, and now I’m paying the price.

Also, I’ll be going under the knife on Monday, 3/23. A mastectomy. The removal of my remaining breast. I see my surgeon today so I’ll get the particulars, but this is my choice. It appears the chemo took care of the cancer, and I could have had a lumpectomy to make sure, but I’ve opted to remove that breast entirely. I won’t go into the many reasons why, but for me this is the obvious choice and I’m going to do it. It’ll require some more monitoring, some more doctoring, but when it’s over, I won’t have to worry about breast cancer ever again. And I can finally stop wearing a bra and a prosthesis. That’ll be good.

So wish me luck, please, and I hope I can get back to writing soon. I really, really want to. And I have things to say: I want to write about Dolores Huerta and women in our time, I want to write about selfish billionaires, and of course I want to write about saving what’s left of our democracy.

And I want to write about spring coming—if it ever comes. I won’t be far. And I’ll be thinking of all of you. You are the best!

❤️💙❤️

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