My Best Day

This is the best day I have had so far. Very little pain and an almost normal knee. The blisters from the tape are healing and I feel so wonderful today.

The therapist I have is so nice. She has taught me a lot about getting out of a chair and now we are walking with a cane. I have to use my walker until tomorrow, then I'll be on the cane. I can live with that.

Today I go back to the doctor. I think he'll be surprised by my progress. I know I am surprised. I thought I would use the walker for a much longer period of time.

When we bought this house, we have a patio that was marked for basketball free throws. It's almost a half court. It's been a problem to try to figure out what to do with it. It is wonderful for me to walk on. I try to go around it twice a day.

Yesterday I gave my husband a six hour pass to go fishing. I slept most of the time he was gone. He came home with two bass, each weighing about four pounds. He was getting stir crazy.

I'm looking forward to the trip to the doctor. I guess cabin fever is setting in on me. I'm anxious to get to doing more things around the house. This seems to be such a good day starting and I hope it finishes that way.

Home From The Hospital

Surgery is over and I am doing well. I came home from the hospital on Friday. There is no place like home. My husband and I had a hard time sleeping Friday night. We swapped sides of the bed several times and finally when we got on our respective sides of the bed all was fine. It's harder for me to get the the bathroom from my side, but we've worked it out.

There are a lot of nurses who read Christian novels. I talked about my favorite authors and pitched a few books to them. It is always great to talk about writing.

I just finished the Advanced Readers Copy of The Master's Wall by Sandi Rog. I've written so much about Sandi and this book that I am probably being boring. After reading it, I can truthfully say it is wonderful and I highly recommend it. You can still get free shipping and a signed copy by contacting DeWard Publishing. I'll do an interview with Sandi when it publishes November 1.

So much needs to be done today with my writing. I haven't done much lately and I need to get busy. The recliner and I have made friends and it is getting easier to work from it. I've got a couple of weeks that I will be more down than up and I plan to take advantage of it.

Surgery Over

Yes, the surgery is over and I'm doing well. The nerve block is working and I really have no pain. I walked this morning and sat in a chair for three and a half hours.

My surgeon is wonderful and very concerned about me. He said I was the healthiest he had operated on yesterday. The others were very heavy, so that made me feel good. I'm not skinny, but he said I was healthy.

They just took my IV out and they're calling to see if I can take the antibiotics by mouth. I am doing very well.

Just wanted you to know how I was doing. Have a good day.

News

Not really any big news today, just a lot of old news.

The best news is that I received my Advance Readers Copy of The Master's Wall. I was so excited when I opened the mailbox and found a package there. Monday, I had written DeWard Publishing about how excited I was to read the remainder of the book. They wrote me back and said it went in the mail that day, Monday! For media mail, that is fast to receive it Thursday.

Of course, I had to start it and I've read almost two chapters. (I had to go to a soccer game that my oldest grandson played in, so my reading had to stop. Sorry, grandchildren come first.) After I get my work done, what little I can do, I will be reading again.

Last week-end my husband and I traveled to Alabama to visit my niece and her family. Her son attends Mars Hill Bible School and each year they have Show Choir. This is his senior year and so far we had never been able to attend. This year, we knew it was now or never. We were so glad we attended. Show Choir is wonderful. My great-nephew was wonderful. We didn't see much of him, but to see him enjoy performing was wonderful.

My niece and her husband raise sheep. One of the ewes had delivered a set of twins on Wednesday. They were so cute and still unsettled on their feet. We had a wonderful time with them. My sister and her husband were there and it was almost like a family reunion.

Three more days until surgery. There are still a few places that I will have trouble with the walker, but we are going to take care of them today. I have decided not to take my computer to the hospital. I hope my husband will bring it to me so I can keep up on emails and this blog. I don't think anyone wants detailed information, but some of my friends read this and I can tell you how I am doing.

If you are not one of my FB friends, please do that. I am Katt Anderson.

One more thing. If you have my cell phone number, you can call me at the hospital. I hope I will be able to talk after Monday. I'm waiting for the nurse to call me and tell me the time that I go in. I'm scared, excited and a million other emotions. Most of all I want to get this behind me and think about the other knee.

Pen Names

Several years ago, when I decided to write, I knew I had to have a pen name. One reason was my real name. Not one that people can pronounce or spell. I felt I needed something simpler and my maiden name was Anderson. That is also at the beginning of the alphabet, so it would be placed on the shelf first.

There have been a few things happen since I am now know as Katt Anderson. A friend I have known for several years through a loop, had no idea what my pen name was. I reminded her with my real name, and it has been great to really get in touch with her.

One night this week, we visited some friends. Their daughter is on my Facebook and knows me by my pen name, more than my real name. The daughter introduced us to some of her family as "Katt and ___ Anderson." I had to correct her. The first time my husband has been introduced as an Anderson. I think he got a kick out of it.

When I go to a conference, I have both names on my name tag. Most of my writer friends know me by both names anyway, so it doesn't matter.

I guess I have a dual personality. It can be exciting. So many of my church family call me Katt and it doesn't bother me at all. I'm happy to be a writer, even if I do have two names.

Five Days And Counting

Five days till surgery and I am counting! I will be so relieved to get it over with and learn how to manage with a knee replacement. I'm also looking forward to going through the airport and setting the alarm off again.

Thursday my husband and I went to a Joint Replacement Class at the hospital where I will have surgery. That was the best thing I have done in a while. The nurses, anesthetist and therapist all came in and told us what would happen before and after surgery. It was very informative.

I will have a pump in my thigh that will administer pain medicine for twenty-four hours. My daughter had the same thing and it helped in her recovery. My doctor prefers no bandages, so my incision will be open. He will stitch the inside of the incision and use super glue on the outside. This will be great because I can shower sooner.

They gave us exercises to start doing now to help our muscles. The therapist said it would be easier when we go to therapy. She also said we should be walking without assistance sooner.

I've heard the nay-sayers, but I have heard more positive comments than negative. I know it won't be hurting as much as it is now. I can stand five more days of this. The pain is very bad, but the pain medicine is good.

I'm beginning to put my things in my suitcase. The hospital has WiFi and I can take my cell phone. I know my cell will go with me, but I'm still trying to decide about my computer. I could get some work done, but I doubt if I will feel like it.

This is another adventure in my life.

Congratulations Sandi Rog

We, who are members of American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Month Club, are so proud of Sandi Rog. Her book, The Master's Wall, was voted for the January, 2011 Book of the Month. If you have read my blogs before, you know Sandi was my editor and is a very good friend and sister in Christ. She was also my roommate at last years ACFW Conference in Denver.

Besides writing and editing, Sandi is also a devoted wife and mother. Her family are jewels and I know she is the sparkle in that gem. Her husband is so nice and the children are very well-behaved and polite. One thing that impressed me, and I don't think Sandi realizes this, was when we ate dinner together. She and her husband were talking and the children drew me into their conversation so I would not feel left out. How many teens and pre-teens do you know who would do that? So mature and thoughtful.

You can order The Master's Wall at www.dewardpublishing.com. It will be out on November 1, but if you pre-order the shipping is free. I have read the first chapter and I loved it. It is graphic, but not as bad as some books I have read. Let me rephrase that. It is graphic in a Christian way. You will not be embarrassed to read it.

Sandi is receiving great reviews and she deserves them. She is a mighty storyteller. The other day she read me part of a book she is working on. Chills ran down my spin, it was so detailed and believable. Her book is set in the first century and gives us views of what the early Christians went through. Even reading the Bible and other history, we know they were persecuted beyond belief. This book will put you in the head of a young boy who watches his parents being arrested and tortured.

I am hoping Sandi will do an interview with me on November 1 when her book releases. I guess I'm a little partial to her, but her writing is refreshing and wonderful. You won't regret reading this book.

The Nina and The Pinta

We had a wonderful Labor Day yesterday. The highlight had to be The Nina and The Pinta. The reproductions of these two ships was amazing. They were supposed to be the correct size as the original one. The Nina is on the right. It was the smallest of the two. Still, it was too small for me to even think about living for months and months on end in these cramped quarters. We talked about storms they had encountered. How could a ship that small even stand against the storms?

The Pinta was a larger boat, but not much. I think the children were struck by the starkness of the boats. I am sure they did not go to a lot of trouble to make them pretty as we do today. They had to be coated with tar so water would not get inside them. They did not have to worry about other ships on the ocean back then. They were the only ones, so there was no need to be recognized by other vessels. An interesting thought was the accommodations. With those small boats, there was only room for a hammock at night. It wouldn't have taken long to scrub the deck.

I didn't get the pictures right, but the first one is the Pinta and the next is the Nina. They were an amazing sight and a good ending to our day.

August Was A Wild Month

Thank goodness August is over! It was a wild month with my daughter breaking her leg and then surgery. I've traveled the road to Nashville so much that I think my car knows it's way. We have been blessed that my daughter has done so well from her surgery. She had all 24 stitches out yesterday and the cast removed. She can now move her ankle and toes a little each day.

Now that my book is finished, I wanted to refresh myself with my research notes. I want to be sure everything is as accurate as it can be. I didn't recognize too many mistakes, so I guess the research is good to go.

I love to do research. It connects me with the people of that time. Because this research has been about a race I am familiar with, it has been a wonderful experience. I've reconnected with people I love and thoughts have run through my head about them and my relatives.

September will be better in some ways. I have about two weeks before I have surgery. I will be able to write when I come home. I'm excited about what lies ahead.