This week I have become very knowledgeable about the appendix. My youngest daughter had an inflamed appendix and had to be rushed to hospital.
Trust me on this, an inflamed appendix can bring you a lot of unexpected life chaos, even if you’re not the one suffering from it.
Up until this week I knew nothing about the small, pouch-like-sac of tissue that is located in the first part of the colon. Now I feel pretty confident I could answer some quiz questions on it.
Anyway, my daughter’s appendix was just grumbling and in the end, after a lot of stress, emotion, time spent in an uncomfortably warm hospital ward, hours of waiting around for test results, endless cups of tea and a sleepless night spent on a busy ward it did not get removed.
Before all this chaos I had no idea that this worm shaped tube which exists inside our bodies has anger issues. Apparently it can become irritable quite quickly. From what I can gather it either then explodes with rage or in my daughter’s case, forgets all about its grumpiness and goes back to sitting quietly next to the colon. I love the fact we have a body organ which has anger issues!
So, this week my writing played a different role in my life, it helped me get through the life chaos.
As writers we often moan about our writing a lot and I am guilty of this. We become obsessed with word counts, drafts, social media and possible final destinations for our work. We lose sight of the magical therapeutic benefits writing can offer us.
This is how my writing helped me through the life chaos brought on by an inflamed appendix:
- I found writing about the life chaos in diary form really useful. This cleared my mind and got rid of all negative thoughts. Once I had got stuff down and taken the emotion out of a situation I was better equipped to face the next medical hurdle.
- In quiet times whilst we were waiting for results my blog series character Roxy Collins took my mind away from the life chaos. I recalled a post I had done a few weeks ago where Roxy makes an unexpected appearance on stage at a music gig and sings a ‘Meatloaf’ song with a band. This brought a much-needed smile to my face.
- When I was having a sleepless night on the busy children’s ward and my daughter had gone to sleep, making notes about my current W.I.P was a godsend. Writing can sometimes be a wonderful distraction.
- Viewing the appendix as a fictional character with anger issues has at times taken the stress away for my daughter and I.
- Whilst spending hours waiting for test results I asked my daughter her ideas on names for Roxy’s fourth child. This helped take both our minds off the tests.
This week has taught me so many things although at times its felt like a biology lesson.
Unexpected life chaos has helped me to appreciate my writing and I am grateful I have a creative outlet for my mind.
Writing for me is not just about getting my work published, it’s also a wonderful tool for helping get through unexpected life chaos.
I can’t believe I am going to say this, but thank god I am a writer!
Do you find your writing helps you through a stressful life event?
Before I go here are my reasons why I think the appendix has anger issues:
- In view of its size maybe it has small organ syndrome? Maybe it has an inferiority complex about its size?
- For years we have been talking about it being a useless organ. Maybe it gets irritable so quickly because it actually has an important role to play and we have been ignoring this? I have actually read somewhere that new research shows it may indeed serve a purpose and protect beneficial bacteria living in the gut.
- Maybe the appendix finds the colon annoying? I mean in view of the size of the colon compared to the appendix it must be like an annoying large friend. Maybe the appendix looks for an opportunity to break free from its mate, the colon?
- Maybe the appendix is like a quiet person who rarely says anything BUT when annoyed they really lose it?
Have a lovely day 🌸
Don’t miss tomorrow’s gem of a post!
I 100000% agree!
Writing be it creative, and nothing to do the with situation, or clearing your mind of whatever issues you are dealing with, by writing about them down is immensely therapeutic!
I think you have a new series based around Angry Organ and his body issues. So glad the grumbles are done with and you and your DD can go back to whatever passes for normality in the BlondeWrite household.
Lol to the new series!
Yes already getting back to some form of normality in the BWM household 👏🏻
So glad your daughter is OK and no removal of any organ necessary. I have found writing has got me through a couple of rough patches in my life. Thank god we are writers!!
Yes thank god we are writers! Let’s be grateful for our creative minds 👏🏻
Hope your daughter is on the mend and her appendix stays calm! Like this post and really agree that writing and blogging helps in so many ways x
Writing is the best therapy ! It has saved my sanity on more than one occasion!
So glad the grumbling stopped…
Thank you and yes it is a sanity saver 🙋🏼
I swear its keeping dementia away too!
So glad your daughter is ok, Lucy! Loved the stuff about the organ with anger issues. 😀
Thank you for reading my post Jackie 🙋🏼
Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out this great post from the Blonde Write More blog on the topic of how writing can help you get through unexpected life chaos
Thank you Don 🙋🏼
You’re welcome
The appendix is a particularly angry little organ! I love how you characterized it. I think giving it a personality does help bring a different kind of lightness to an otherwise serious situation. I’m so glad your youngest is okay–but it does sound pretty much unfun.
I wrote my first novel as a troupe of therapy. When it became something else I realized two key things: I had the ability to write a full length novel that didn’t suck and SIGNIFICANT rewrites and possibly just starting over might be necessary to extract the nugget of story from the emotional brain dump.
But, in the end the power of writing, no matter what it becomes in the end, speaks (or writes) for itself. Thank you for sharing your reflections on a challenging time with both humor and grace.
Wanting to be able to write more than a few lines has made me keep trying. A condition that has many symptoms, one being like dementia stops you in your tracks. Not the worst symptom ofvthe condition but the hardest for me. As a “writer” I need to focus, concentrate for more than five or six lines. On a good day I post a little something and feel elated, only to see missing bits typos and sometimes crap the next day. Personally I believe a goblin answers on my behalf… Today is a good one but do I trust it? Writing makes us all want perfection and writing helps us through … I need not to loose that. I am glad you all coped and things are settling now. X
Thanks Ellen Best 🌸
Thanks Lucy Mitchell 🎀
The therapeutic effects of Writing are often underrated. It helps a great deal in sorting up the mind.
How is your daughter now?
Thank you my dear!
She’s ok, her appendix has agreed to stay friends with colon…for now 😍
That’s such a relief to know. God bless her 🌸
Writing has gotten me through a lot of life chaos and misery. It’s a very good form of therapy!
And I can understand the colon. As a usually quiet person who often gets ignored and overlooked, I can verify that sometimes it gets annoying and you just have to get mad.
Love this – thank you for reading my post 👏🏻
First and foremost my best wishes to you Lucy and your daughter … and yes the release of writing can ease tension relating to all shapes and size of organs.
Thank you Eric – nice to see you in this blonde part of town!
1. How scary for your daughter and your entire family! Glad she’s on the mend.
2. I totally agree. I started writing when I wasn’t in an entirely good place and it has made a huge difference. Thanks to writing, and sharing things publically, I feel as by calling certain things out by name I’ve lessened their power while gaining this massive support network. It was so scary at the start, but remains one of the best decisions I ever made.
I am glad that your daughter is OK now, Lucy. I did laugh at the thought of the appendix having a hissy fit and playing up! Mine threw I wobbler when I was 9 years old and got itself into such a rage that I was rushed to hospital to have it removed! I think it gets annoyed that most of us don’t even know that it exists and sometimes it wants to assert its authority and kicks off!
Great post Lucy. I’m glad your daughter is okay. And your writing helps others too. xo
I’m so glad your daughter is okay, Lucy, but I’m sorry that you all had to go through such a traumatic time. I can totally relate to writing helping you through the tough times – I base my non-fiction career on it haha 😉
I agree 100% Writing has helped me throughout my entire life 🙂
So sorry about your daughter Lucy, glad she doing okay.
Thank you Galit 🌸