DFL Runner: Blog

Chapter 29 has been submitted for posting. Full disclosure, the chapter features a character experiencing a mental-health episode. It was a bit arduous for me to write, having been through some similar episodes over my 30-year mental-health journey. I don't want it to be equally challenging for you to read it. I am asking you to please take care of yourself and not read it if you are not in a safe place.

Thank you as always for reading. Thank you as always to jetson63 for his editing assistance. See you in two weeks!

I had my knee replaced about a year ago; it was one of the things that contributed to my extended hiatus. Shortly before the surgery, I fell in the shower and landed on my wrist. I was diagnosed with a sprain at the time, and I was just grateful for a diagnosis that wasn't going to risk delaying my knee surgery, so I didn't ask too many questions about it.

A year later, the wrist still hurts (also a factor in my disappearance) and it has recently started swelling, so I went to a hand specialist (recommended by my childhood orthopedist's protege, who is named Dr. Milstein in this story). The doctor x-rayed my wrist, compared it to the x-rays taken last year, and informed me that a small piece of a bone in my wrist is physically gone. Something appears to have eaten away at the end of the bone. Further followup will be done in the coming week and we will see what happens.

In happier news, last weekend I got to see "Kim" for the first time in close to two years - she and a few other members of our running group did a 5K and I was part of the race crew. I even ended up walking part of the way back from my position along the course before the pickup vehicle found me, so I feel like my body is finally telling me it's ready to start working toward the next start line.

I have put the Chapter 28 in queue to be posted tomorrow (Saturday) morning. It is a shorter chapter than most, but matters in Lisa's life will be coming to a head in Chapter 29, presently scheduled to post in two weeks. See you then!

I am, as always, grateful to jetson63 for his editing assistance. Enjoy!

For those who may be curious about the information at the end of Chapter 26, which is in queue and should be posted shortly:

https://www.firehouse.com/lodds/news/21070554/fallen-me-firefighter-died-saving-a-colleague-from-an-inferno

Like my main character in "The Inches Between Us," I am Polish-American. "Wesołego Alleluja" is a Polish Easter greeting, and translates to "Rejoice, He is risen!"

The approximate pronunciation of the first word is VESS-so-LAY-go. "Alleluja" is, of course, just a Slavicized spelling of "alleluia" and is pronounced the same.

I have just added Chapter 25 to the queue, albeit a week later than I had originally planned. My atonement is that Chapter 26 will be posted this Friday, April 22.

A dark and challenging event has transpired in Lisa's life, and the next couple of chapters are necessarily going to be a bit of a challenging read. Certainly they were challenging to write; this part of the story is derived from real events in my own life. In fact, I'll tell you now that an upcoming chapter will open with a trigger warning asking people to ensure they're in a good place mental health-wise before reading it.

That said, if you've stuck with me for this long, you know this is not and never was a stroke story. Please hold on; brighter days (and more pleasantly intimate moments) are ahead for our heroes.

May you all have a blessed Easter Sunday. Please enjoy the next chapter, and please offer feedback! I'm always happy to receive it, and will respond to it as I am able.

Thanks --
DFLR