Emily M. DeArdo's Blog, page 35

The State of the Wicket

My babies on IG! :) You can follow me there @emily_deardo.

Oh, my babies are in the house!!!!!

Really, it’s so weird. It almost doesn’t feel real. I just like to look at them.

They are coming off the presses. There are two weeks until the publication date! Aghhhh!

This post is titled “The State of the Wicket” after a Diana Gabaldon blog post of the same name, where she updated her readers on what was going on with books. So I’m doing the same thing today.

Here’s what’s going on:

My first event has been scheduled! I’ll be doing a book signing at the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference. As more events are added, they’ll be on the event page here on the site.

I’m also lining up some interviews. When those are released, they’ll be noted here on the blog, on social media, and I’ll link them on the book page. I’m probably going to create a separate media page for interview links and such. Some interviews have been done already, and I can’t wait for them to come out!

Here are some ways you can help promote the book….Add it to your Goodreads to-read list if you’re on Goodreads! Ask your library to order a copy. Ask your local Catholic bookstore and “regular” bookstore to stock it! Once you get your copy, share a picture of it on social media, tagged #livingmementomoriLeave a review on Amazon once you get it and read it!

Preorder links are all here, so you can choose your bookstore of choice!

I know, I’m talking about pre-ordering all the time here, but it really is important. It helps the press know how many copies to print, and it helps build up buzz for the book, which is tres important in getting the word out so as many people as possible can get a copy!

If you want to read something I’ve already written while you’re waiting for your book, Catholic 101, my ebook, is available!

If you are subscribed to the newsletter, you get everything first. Links to interviews, first opportunities to buy signed books (once I figure out logistics), any fun things, etc.

I would love to come speak to your group!! just drop me an email and we’ll connect!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, MY BOOK ARRIVED

There she is, guys.

She really exists.

It’s so hard to explain what goes into a book. Years of work, in my case. I started writing my story when I was in college. Sending out queries and proposals and getting nothing back, or form rejection letters. Freaking out over sample chapters.

And now it’s here.

It’s been written. It’s been published. It’s beautiful.

It’s just like when Jo March opened her package at the end of Little Women and whispers, “My book!”

It’s really real.

So yeah, today was pretty exciting….

And then I took the book to Chuy’s for lunch with my best friend Tiffany.

And showed her to Jesus….

Over the next month—the official pub date is January 24—I will be talking about the book in IG videos and Facebook lives, as well as sharing endorsements and telling you what is exactly in the book, because it’s not just my story. There are tools for you to use!

If you haven’t pre-ordered, please do so, because if I want to write another book (and I do), then this one has to sell like hot cakes. :)

I was going to write about Christmas for quick takes this week, but this just takes the cake over everything else.

I’m just so excited!!!

The Top Ten Posts of 2019

What did you guys like to read the best in 2019? Saints, Jane, and Stitch Fix…..

Drum roll, please…….

10) Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church

9) Poems for St. Cecilia’s Day

8) The About Me Page

7) “Happiness in Marriage Is Entirely A Matter of Chance: Jane Austen and Married Soulmates” (this one had 425 views, so go Janeites!)

6) Stitch Fix Box #4

5) Stitch Fix: When You’re Not Happy With Your Stylist

4) Hospital Hair Salons

3) The Forgotten Demographic: Catholic Single Women

2) St. Martha and the Dragons (this is ALWAYS in the top 10 posts. I have no idea why!)

And number one is….

the main blog page. :) So I guess it’s good that people are coming to see what’s new!

Christmas is Practically Here Seven Quick Takes

Linking up with Kelly!

-1-

So gonna start off with—I saw Star Wars last night. No, not at midnight. At a special 5:00 “fan screening”—I did get a cool opening night pin (sorry, bad photo in dark theater!):

So that was pretty cool. And there were heated seats in the theater—talk about decadence. I’d actually been wanting to try this out, and it was like a nice heating pad feel in your lower back, so I have to say, enjoyable. And you could turn it on and off! Yes, I am easily amused.

Anyway, no spoilers here, but I think it’s the best Star Wars movie since Empire. The critics who are giving it crap? What are they watching? No idea. But it’s good.

-2-

I am going to start Christmas baking this weekend, because I only have to make two things—Ina’s Hermit Bars, and her crumble bars—for the family to nosh on over Christmas Day. I’ve made the hermit bars every Christmas for a few years now, they’re easy and delightfully good. I don’t do the glaze thing. To me, it’s an easy way to cut down on sugar intake by removing it and thus we can have more sugar later. Right? :)

For the crumble bars, I leave out the almonds, and you can use any type of jam you like. I’m using blueberry this time.

-3-

I’ve started a baby blanket for a friend’s baby….

Bad apartment carpet, forgive me. :)

The yarn is Knitpicks Shine Sport, which I really like (L-R: Robot, Clarity, Sky, and French Blue). It’s so smooth in my hands, but it’s not sliding all over the place (One reason I love using wooden needles. When I tried metal ones, disaster.). It’s 60% cotton and 40% beechwood fiber, whatever that is, but I figured this would be good for a baby. And it’s washable!

The pattern is….another story.

-4-

I’m making the Quince Sully blanket pattern. Pretty, right? I looked at the “skills needed” section and thought, OK, I have all those skills. I can pick up stitches and change colors and knit and purl and totally long tail cast on (that’s the only one I do…..)….

Bought the pattern.

then read the pattern.

The pattern calls for binding off the main color sequence (stripes), and then picking up the border and increasing stitches and god knows what else, and the number 600 something popped up, and I just went oh….

via GIPHY


Whhyyyyy pattern writer? WHYYYYYY?????

Anyway, besides that bit of crazy, it’s really easy to do, with a nice seed stitch row with every color change. I really like doing it. I’m just scared of the border. It might not happen.

I do not think the baby will mind if there is no border, right? Because, um, my skills may not be up to it.

Sigh….
-5-

It’s that time….if you haven’t pre-ordered the book, please do so! If you have, MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Next week….well, OK, in January, there are fun graphics coming!!! I’m excited about them!
-6-

Two more gifts to wrap. Well, three. Two of them go in gift bags, and one requires actually wrapping, at which I AM TERRIBLE. Oh well!

-7-

Are y’all done shopping? Sort of done? Haven’t even started? :)

Seven Quick Takes --Second Friday of Advent

-1-

Around these parts this week:

Yarn Along #93

-2-

Soooo this week. It was pretty quiet, which was nice. I got my hair cut on Wednesday. The reason this is notable is because I am terrible at doing hair cuts. I gone like once a year, and I really should go more often. Resolution for 2020—have better hair? (As in, don’t let split ends go one for months and months without end….)

-3-

speaking of resolutions—do you set them? I generally don’t. I use Lara Casey’s powersheets to set goals for the year, and that’s incredibly effective for me. I’m in the middle of doing the prep work for the 2020 sheets. If you haven’t used powersheets before, or have trouble setting and achieving your goals, I highly recommend these. I doubt my book would’ve been published without the work I did with the powersheets. That’s how important they’ve been to me over the last five years.

Her blog is also full of great tips and she walks through doing the prep work with you! So it’s really lovely and I highly highly recommend this way of goal setting.

-4-

Let’s talk about Advent? In my house, I have my tree, nativity, and Advent wreath up. Baby Jesus isn’t in the manager yet, and the Wise Men are making their way to the manager (they’re currently living on the living room bookcase). I keep my tree up until Candlemas (Feb. 2), pretty much. If not the tree, then the nativity for sure. I love Christmas, the whole Christmas season, and so I will celebrate it to the hilt.

-5-

How are you doing on shopping? Are you done? I am, yay! (And yes, from every take until the book is published, there will be a link to buy the book—it makes a great gift, go get it….)

-6-

In terms of Christmas movies, I watched The Nutcracker and the Four Realms last night, and it was pretty good. I think kids would like it. It got really iffy reviews, which I don’t really understand. It’s a fine movie. (Fine as in, perfectly acceptable and you don’t feel like you’ve wasted two hours of your life when it’s over.) If you have never seen Muppet Christmas Carol, you must. (It’s on Disney+!). That’s all I’m gonna say about that. You have to watch it.

-7-

It’s almost Gaudete Sunday! Yayyyy! I love lighting that pink candle.

How was your week? What are you up to this weekend?

Yarn Along #93--new project, finished project, project in progress.....

I missed this last week, so was happy that Ginny didn’t have the link up and I missed it, because last week was insane (see here for why). But now I’m (knock wood!) feeling like I am ready to get back into rhythm in all ways, and that includes knitting! (I’m not sure if Ginny will have a link-up this week either, but here’s my knitting and reading anyway!

New project

For some reason, I always cast on some new project Thanksgiving weekend. I don’t know why. It must be some sort of switch in my brain. “Ah! Turkey! Must cast on new project!”

So this year it’s one I’ve already done before—the Skye cowl—but in a deliciously autumnal color that I ordered while I was in the Resort. (My journal is full of knitting scribbles—some of which are really just that, scribbles!—about projects and colors and types of yarn….the meds obviously made me go nuts in this department!) The color is Quince’s malbec, in their puffin yarn, which is so nice and squishy and knits up beautifully. I think I twisted stitches somewhere, but honestly, I don’t really want to rip it out. I don’t mind a cowl with a twist in it. If it was a hat, obviously, I would’ve had to start again. But with a basic cowl? Meh. So I didn’t and I just keep knitting.

Finished project

My Felicity scarf, made of Colonial Williamsburg yarn! Yay!

Simple, but I really liked working with this yarn. It’s thick enough that you can cross it over your upper chest but not so thick that a coat won’t close nicely over it. It’s also nice to grab if I’m just running out to get the mail and want something a little warmer over my top, but not a whole coat.

In Progress Project

Yup, I’m still working on the Isla scarf. This takes four skeins of yarn, so it’s a long process, but I’m about halfway through the third skein, so the end is nigh!

Reading….

You can see my pile there. I read When Less Becomes More last month, and it’s probably my favorite of Emily’s books to date. My Aunt Mary got me The Dutch House when I was in the hospital and I (sadly) have not started it yet, but it’s the next book I’ll start! A Single Thread was a Christmas gift (early) and that’s after The Dutch House.

(Speaking of books—pre-orders for Living Memento Mori are open…..)

How about you? Are you knitting any Christmas gifts? What are you reading?

Seven Quick Takes--The Medical Saga Endeth (we think)

Linking up with Kelly!

-1-

So, here’s a spicy take I wrote this week about Medicare!

-2-

And here’s the follow up:

So, we got the great folks at the CFF involved (they have a team that just looks at insurance stuff). They came to the same conclusion we did: that there really is no plan that covers everything, but that hospitals and doctors and I will make it work. (think Cinderella’s sisters: “I’ll make it fit!”) NCH doesn’t normally have a lot of Medicare people (because, it’s a, um, Children’s hospital), but….”they’ll take it”, says the finance office. (Thank you finance office!)

What I kept hearing from everyone was “well, we haven’t had to deal with this before.” Yes, I am the one that is trail blazing for everyone else. Future generations, YOU ARE WELCOME! I expect copious floral arrangements on my grave and Masses offered after I die. :-p

So, my hospitals are (sort of) covered. My main doctors—as in, the Big Three—are covered. The next issue?

The Prograf (or, THE GRAF).

-3-

The prograf is the med that basically keeps me alive. It keeps my lungs from realizing that they aren’t actually, um, the factory setting. :-D

Now, when I was emailing my nurse about this, she said, “Well, we can always try generic.”

“What do you mean?” quoth I. “Generic doesn’t work for me!”

“Well, the formulation is a lot better now, and the hospital is even considering switching its formulary to the generic,” nurse said.

AH! Well, that would solve problems!

Or….would it????

-4-

So I go to the insurance site. I plug in generic prograf, expecting to see massive cost savings and ease of access!

Hahahaha.

NO.

Generic Prograf is covered—but as a tier 4 med, meaning it’s like, non-preferred, no one wants to use it, and then I see, oh, step therapy may be applied.

Step therapy, for you new people, is when you have to try other drugs first before the company will pay for the med you want.

Yeah, we’re not doing that with the drug that keeps me alive.

So, what we’re going to do is go through prior authoritzation stuff, and we won’t have to pay out the nose, because I qualify for the Medicare Extra Help program (which is a great thing, so kudos there), so we can’t pay more than a certain very low amount.

So.

I have picked a plan. The saga is over. (For this year!)

-5-

In other news, my tree is up, and Susan the Corgi is ready to celebrate….

And I think I’m doing buying gifts. That’s exciting. :)

-6-

I had my first book interview on Wednesday with the delightful Fr. Patrick, O.P. We talked for forty-five minutes about all sorts of good stuff! The interview probably won’t be up until January, but when it is, I’ll let you know! I’ll be posting all media related to the book on the book’s page. . (And pre-order links, to a variety of retaliers, are there are well! Amazon US, Canada, and UK; Barnes and Noble; Indiebound….)

-7-

Just a note about what Kelly wrote about today—how we tell the stories of the disabled.

One of the things I’ve noticed, especially as the practice euthanasia almost on demand rises, is that people don’t really understand life with a disability, or an illness. They think they do. They imagine the horrors of it.

But honestly, that isn’t the way it works.

When I lost my hearing, it was very gradual, over a period of years. It was gradual. Now, if I’d lost it all at once, yes, that would’ve been traumatic, and highly so.

Did I grieve losing my hearing? Um, yes. A lot.

But when it came to CF stuff, it was gradual. I still enjoyed my life, and I do enjoy my life, even with insanely stressful weeks like this week.

Being disabled makes things harder, but it doesn’t make my life worthless or less.

Why Medicare for All Is a Terrible Idea

OK, I know, some of you don’t like political posts.

And this is political, in the sense that, all the candidates who are pushing “Medicare for All” are not candidates that should be voted for, amen.

But, really, this is a look at how Medicare “works”—as someone who is currently going through the incredibly difficult work of selecting a plan.

Here’s why it’s hard:

I take a medication that must be the brand medication. I cannot take the generic because we can’t get what’s called a “therapeutic level” with it. The drug in question? Prograf. The drug that basically keeps me alive. So, I have to take brand name Prograf, which is expensive.

I see all the normal doctors people see—dentist, eye doctor, etc. But I also see special specialists. Meaning, doctors that are not normal run of the mill doctors.

I also see these doctors in two separate hospital systems—The Resort, and OSU (Ohio State).

So, we must find a plan that covers my meds, my doctors, and my hospitals.

Under private insurance, this was not hard at all. I just typed in names and meds, saw they were covered, signed up. Done. It took less than a half hour.

Private insurance did not like to pay for prograf, but it did. And if it didn’t, then the manufacturer had a Prograf saver card I could use to reduce the out of pocket costs.

Now, I have Medicare.

And here are all the problems.

There are plans that refuse to cover prograf. It’s not even in their formulary. It just says, “not covered.” Even though this med is basically what keeps me alive. There are many, many plans who do not cover it in any way, shape, or form.

There are plans that cover the med, but not my doctors. As in, one entire group of plans refuses to cover any OSU doctors. OHIO STATE! One of the top-ranked systems in the country!

These are, to put it mildly, big problems.

My dad and I have spent at least three days—as in, hours upon hours!—on the phone with people, looking at plans on line, until our eyes have crossed and our brains have melted.

Because a plan will cover some of these things—but then we’ll see, oh, there’s no out of pocket max. Well, that’s gonna get expensive, quickly.

They’ll cover my endocrinologist, but not my transplant doctor!

They’ll cover doctors, but not meds!

Or meds, but not doctors or hospitals!

Do we see the problem here?

Oh, and to make it even better, Medicaid will cover Prograf. But Medicare plans don’t!

And the copay card? Doesn’t work for Medicare patients. Only private insurance patients—when Prograf was covered by my private insurance!

This is insanity.

They’ll cover things like acupuncture and chiropractic, but not the med that keeps me alive. Not top doctors at top medical facilities. Nah. That’s too hard.

Also, it’s insanely complicated to compare plans. They don’t always list what doctors are covered, or what meds are covered. They don’t mention facilities. They put in stuff like Silver Sneakers—well, goodie, a free gym pass!—but not stuff that is actually life saving and vital!

How about we not cover gym costs, and instead, cover medications that keep people alive?

Oh, and. This is the good part.

Here’s an NYT story on this issue. Medicare will cover transplant meds if the transplant occurred while the person was on Medicare. NOT BEFORE.

This is the biggest piece of insanity I have ever seen. These are drugs that we know work. They are not new therapies, they’re not snake oil. They are proven. And yet, no, I’m sorry, we won’t cover that.

We have presidential candidates saying that this insanely complicated, twisted, insane system should be the one health care provider for the entire nation?

No.

Or, to be spicy, HELL NO.

Thanksgiving

“Freedom from Want”, Norman Rockwell

The Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 (with original spellings)

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Seven Quick Takes--My Book's First Picture, Gallbladder test, and more!

linking up with Kelly!

-1-

Look at my beautiful baby’s first picture! Thank you Ave Maria Design Department!

Isn’t she pretty?!

So yeah, I love this a lot. They also made me new graphics for Facebook and Twitter so if you follow me there, you’ll see those lovelies!

THANK YOU to everyone who has pre-ordered! If you want to, go here. (It makes a good Christmas present!!!! It’ll just come later, which extends Christmas joy!)

-II-

So on Monday I had a HIDA scan at OSU East hospital. The test wasn’t terrible. Well, at the time. But it did require an IV—to stay in for a few hours.

Well, that was a lovely piece of information….

It’s also a two part test, which I didn’t know.

So, the first part is: Put in IV (poor guy who had to do it…I was laying on the gurney [which was supremely comfortable! Really!] thinking, if we don’t get access, we can’t do this test….) We got access. It wasn’t very comfortable. I have bruises all over my arms right now, so my veins need a break for like, two weeks, minimum.

Anyway!

So we got the IV in. The contrast was pushed in. Then I went out to waiting room for an hour while the contrast worked. OK .

Came back into the room, took the pictures, took about four minutes. Great.

Then we went to part two: AKA, nap time. (I had woken up at 6 AM for this test. I was ready for a nap.)

This part is the “stress test”. They take was is basically the fat content of an Ensure drink and drip it very very slowly —as in it takes an hour—through the IV. This stresses the gallbladder. Then pictures are taken to see how it is moving through.

So I took a nap, then woke up an hour later when the IV beeped. A nurse came, rolled me back to the scan room, took the photos, took out the IV, and I was free.

I was insanely thirsty because I couldn’t drink anything, so I got some Sprite Zeros from the cafeteria, and Dad and I went to lunch. (He had to drive me, per their rules.)

Fortunately I had some phenergan left over from my previous hospital adventures….

-III-

because over the next few days, my stomach was not happy with the stuff that had been forced into me. So I felt nauseated, tired, and just weird for two days. Sigh. But I feel better now, so I hope that I don’t need to darken a medical doorway for the next few months!

-IV-

With the newfound energy, I have written out all my Christmas cards and begun mailing Christmas gifts. I want to mail them early. I also live right down the street from the post office so it makes mailing things and getting more stamps insanely convenient.

-V-

I take Christmas so seriously that I have a gift and card spreadsheet.

Yup. I’m weird.

-VI-

If you missed it: my post on how girls need a plan!

And: The Real Lucy Pevensie (whose feast day was last week!)

It’s also St. Cecilia’s Day, so here’s some music! And the poem by Dryden!

-VII-

Still looking for an Advent journal? You can get Take Up & Read’s!!!! And it’s on sale RIGHT NOW! (as of this writing, Thursday night. I hope it still is when this goes live!)