Happy 2017!
I hope this new year will bring you all the desires of your heart.
For me 2016 was a bit of a challenging year. I was diagnosed with diabetes in May. My blood glucose wasn’t sky high, but my fasting level was 170-189. Normal is 80-99, and pre-diabetic is 100-125. Diabetic is anything over 126. So you see, I was well into diabetic territory. Diabetes can have terrible complications. Nerve damage. Kidney failure. Eye damage. Cardio Vascular disease. Stroke. My grandmother lost most of her feet due to it. I was understandably freaked out. The doctor put me on metformin and sent me to a diabetes educator and a dietitian. I spent the rest of the year learning how to eat and exercise. And I did pretty good at it. So good that my blood glucose regularly crashed (that is, dropped too low), and after I started passing out, I was taken off the medication metformin in August. Since then I’ve been struggling again to control my eating habits. It is a very hard thing to do! And my writing has suffered from it.
OK, that’s the bad news. The good news is my blood glucose is doing much better. Even the holidays didn’t throw me too much off track. My fasting blood glucose is between 95 and 105. So just barely tipping into pre-diabetic range. I need to do better, but this is a good change.
That is probably WAAAAY too much information. Sorry! I’m just proud of myself. 🙂
I have good news on the writing front, too. I finished writing Brave Hearts, a contemporary stand alone novella for Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World. I am really happy with it. I fell in love with the hero, and the heroine is someone I’d like to know. The hero is Taye and Shadow’s great uncle, Dusty Wolfe. It will be released on January 19, 2017, and I’ll be doing the cover reveal on January 10 in the Facebook page. You can see that here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/966241843518224/
I began writing Victoria’s Cat. Starting tomorrow, I will post short Tuesday Teasers. I hope you’ll enjoy Victoria. She’s a bit headstrong, brash, and has a loud mouth. I love her! Off to write some more tonight. Find something good to read!
Hello, World! – An Update
“Hello, World!” is usually the title of the first blog post anyone makes on WordPress. It’s been so long since I made a blog post that I thought that title was appropriate.
I wanted to make posts, but I didn’t have anything to say. I didn’t think anyone wanted to hear me whine about the day job, or complain about my health issues, or grumble about my upstairs neighbors, or gush about how adorable my cats are. OK, maybe posting about the cats would have been alright, if you like cats. But if you don’t … well.
Here is what I’ve been up to these last few months:
- Sneezing and hacking. Stupid sinus infection is back and it likes living here. It’s not moving out, no sir. Biaxin? Augementin? We laughs at your puny antibiotics! And hey, as the cherry on the top of your misery, here’s a yeast infection. Have a lovely day.
- Writing. Deleting. Changing the middle. Changing the end. Re-writing. Deleting some more. Re-writing… Brave Hearts was supposed to be a quick little story for fun. Somehow it took me months to find the story. That hasn’t happened to me before, and it was hard on me and my self confidence. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but after writing about 70,000 words and deleting 50,000 of them, the story finally came together. I am really happy with it now. It is with the editor at the moment. That story releases in January.
- Knitting. I completed a glamour wrap, and some hats, and and wrote a hat pattern. The heroine of Brave Hearts owns a yarn store and she teaches the hero to knit. One of the things he knits is a simple hat for his mom. That pattern will be included in Brave Hearts. I’ll also post it here when the book releases.
What is up next?
Tomorrow I start my Christmas novella Under A Christmas Star. This book is going to be published under my own name, Terese Cascio, and it will be an inspirational contemporary romance. I plan to write from November 26 through December 31, 2016. If it’s done, yay!! If it’s not, it gets put away for a few months. The story begins the day before Thanksgiving and ends on Christmas. I thought writing it between those times would make it easier to get into the spirit of it. So far it is too warm and sunny to feel Christmas-y. *sad face*
On January 1 I begin writing Victoria’s Cat. Victoria has her sights set on Marty Madison. It’s not that Marty is running away from her. He thinks she is absolutely gorgeous. But after a “subtle” hint from her dad and brothers, he decided it was better for his health to keep a little distance between them. He figures that won’t be hard, since he has to go to Omaha for the legislative session which lasts 4 months. But the mayor of Omaha/President of Nebraska has called for all the communities in the area to send a representative to the legislature. Guess who goes (along with a bodyguard of brothers) to represent the Clan?
I hereby swear to post more often. Even if it is just pictures of my cats. 🙂 I hope everyone has lots of good books to get you through the holiday season!
Happy Reading!
Back From RAGT!
I’m back from Lori Foster’s
Reader & Author Get Together!
As always, I had a fantastic time. My first time at RAGT was in 2011, so that makes 6 for 6. If this was baseball, that would mean I was batting 1000. I think this is one of the best reader events out there. This is the only one I’ve ever been to, but I still think it is the best. Why is it the best? It’s small enough that there is time and places to hang out with authors and readers. It’s big enough that there is always something going on to do, but if you want to just sit down in the ballroom and relax you can do that too. I got to spend time with some of my favorite people like Paige Tyler, Janet Juengling-Snell, Monette Michaels, Joni Anderson, Janet Rodman, Wendi Zwaduk, Jennifer Sapa, Linda and Mary Ellen Faneuff… There are just too many to name! And this year Tina Holland, my fellow LSB author and local critique group member, came to RAGT for the first time. I think she liked it a lot. Who wouldn’t?
The raffle baskets are awesome! The Science Fiction/Fantasy basket my friend Jessica and I put together was pretty popular. It had the Star Wars quilt I made, the first season of Sherlock on DVD (not specifically fantasy, but Benedict Cumberbatch!!! Need I say more?), a Firefly Monopoly game, and gift cards to both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Jessica and I both put in a large number of tickets but didn’t win anything. I was disappointed, but as Jessica said, it was a great donation to One Way Farm, and how would we fit any winnings into the car for the drive home? It was already stuffed to the gills.
I did my third fashion show at RAGT. Lori Foster caught us and did an impromptu filming of each model. Fun! Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/lorifoster/videos/10153648932642966/
And of course Paige and I had to play with Dean and Sam! Most of 
us had our picture taken with one or more of the hunky cut outs. 🙂
Another super fun thing is the goodie bags. Everyone who registers and comes gets a tote bag full of swag. Pens, mirrors, lip balm, BOOKS, screen cleaning cloths, notebooks and more stuff! More than I can use. Stay tuned for a newsletter going out later this week. I’ll be having a contest to win some of that swag.
And now I need to kick my writing into high gear. Dusty Wolfe and Isabel Ybarra, prepare to fall in love!
That’s the wrap up of the 12th Annual Reader & Author Get Together. I’m already counting the days until next year!
An Update From Maddy
Once again it has been too long since I made a post. I have not fallen off the end of the earth, I promise!
Life has been a little crazy lately. I was diagnosed with diabetes a few weeks ago, and since then my life has revolved around exercise and learning how to eat. I can’t tell you how much I mourn the loss of eating half a package of cookies at a time. But on the other hand, I’m feeling much better already. I have more energy, more enthusiasm for things, and I’ve already dropped a few pounds. I’m doing fairly well with managing my blood glucose. I started out with my numbers in the 120s to the 170s, and now it is usually in the 90s to 120s. That’s practically normal! I don’t even flinch anymore when I have to press the button to poke my finger. 🙂 Of course, I’m not happy to be diabetic, but I’m glad to have the chance to make changes in my lifestyle. I’ve feeling pretty well these days. Except for work. The day job is just a teensy bit stressful right now. Just a teensy bit. *cough*
Anyway, just wanted to drop a quick line to let you know I’m still alive and kicking, and to give you a heads up that I’ll be sending out a newsletter tonight with a super quick contest. I will introduce the new website (Ta-Da! Isn’t it beautiful?) and gave a giveaway for TWO $10.00 Amazon gift cards. Who can’t use an Amazon gift card, huh? If you’re like me you’ve been buying birthday, shower, wedding, and graduation gifts left and right for the past couple of months. You deserve a gift too! So if you get my newsletter, check your email tonight. If you don’t get my newsletter, why not? It’s easy to sign up; just look on the right and fill out your info.
Ciao for now, and Happy Reading!
Catch Up Post
It’s been quite a while since I made a post, so I thought it was time I let everyone know what I’ve been up to!
Warning! Pictures ahead!
WRITING:
Olivia’s Mate-I got the edits back from Athena at Wandering Minstrel Press. I’m taking a break right now from editing to write this post. I have a wedding to go to this afternoon, but I plan to finish the edits before bed. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll read through it one more time before sending the manuscript to the proof readers.
I’ll be sending out a newsletter in a few days with instructions on how to win an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) . The release date is April 28, 2016.
My next project is Brave Hearts, part of Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World. This will be a contemporary romance between a Latina yarn store owner who lost her lower leg in Iraq and the medic who saved her life. When they meet again a decade later, can she embrace a future with him or will she stay in the safety of the past?
Crafting:
You know I love to spin and knit and sew. So far this year I’ve finished a few little knitting projects like this sweet summer cotton cowl. It’s made with cotton yarn with strips of shiny rayon. This will show up in a future Mystery Giveaway.
I’ve also been busy sewing and repairing costumes for the Fashion
Show at Lori 
Foster’s Reader & Author Get Together. (More about RAGT16 later). One of them is this steampunk. I bought the corset, but the skirt and blouse and hat I made myself. What do you think?
I am looking forward to #RAGT16 SOOOOO much! It’s the only author event I go to. I can’t wait to see some of my author friends again, and every year I get to meet some of you. If you are at RAGT in June, please come find me! And bid on my raffle basket! My friend Jessica Pease and I always try to put together a fun and unique basket. This year our theme is Sci-Fi Fun. I have a Firefly Monopoly game to put in, and I’m making a Star Wars quilt, and Jessica is adding a season of Dr. Who dvds and a gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon. The quilt is ready to sew together. I have completed the blocks and squared them up. I plan to add some narrow sashing to sort of break it up. What do you think? Is that the sort of raffle basket you would be willing to bid on?
Well, that’s what I’ve been up to lately! I better get back to Olivia’s Mate and get those edits done. Have a great day, and
Happy Reading!
Tuesday Teaser 1/12/16: Olivia’s Mate
Well, it has begun. Overtime at the day job. Sigh. That will cut into my writing time. But, to look on the bright side, it will be nice to have extra money on the paycheck (I’m still paying for that darned surgery). The weather here in Fargo has gotten quite cold. The low on Sunday was -22F, which is about -30C. It’s a good thing I like cold weather! Although, to be perfectly honest, -22 with a windchill of -36 might be too much of a good thing. How’s the weather where you’re at? I hope you’re keeping warm–or cool, depending on where you’re at.
Here is the next snip from Olivia and Kit. Keep warm and enjoy!
How had Kit gotten her uncles to agree to let them have ten minutes alone? Olivia wasn’t sure they actually were alone, but the family dining room was empty and most everyone was working the lunch shift in the restaurant. When he sat next to her on the sofa, she glanced around. Except for Rob Russell, she’d never been alone with a man. Remembering what she and Rob had done in the stall of his father’s smithy made heat creep up her checks, and flare in other places too. She swallowed and pressed her knees together to prevent any telltale scent from escaping.
It must not have worked. Kit leaned close her and inhaled. Then he groaned. “Olivia, I promised Del and Hawk that I wouldn’t touch you.”
“You’re touching me now,” she pointed out. She liked the feel of his shoulder and thigh pressed to hers and missed it when he moved circumspectly away. “When we’re married …”
He muttered something in a low rough voice she didn’t understand. “If your parents consent.”
“They will! Why wouldn’t they?”
“Your father said he would kill me if I ever came near you again.”
Olivia shifted her weight on the sofa. “That was before he knew you truly loved me and I love you. Besides, you’re not giving up now, are you?”
“No.”
She smiled. That sounded definite. “The train should arrive in an hour. You stay away until after supper. That will give me time to explain everything. Okay?”
He looked unhappy. “Okay.”
She couldn’t help it. She scooted over to him and kissed him. For a moment his lips were soft against hers, and then they did something that sent her heart speeding. She felt it slamming against her ribs. She was practically in his lap, their mouths hot and open and mating with a heat that shook her. It lasted only a minute before he dragged his mouth away from hers and stood up, panting.
“I promised not to touch you!” he cried.
“I didn’t promise not to touch you,” she said, smug satisfaction running through her. “Now I really can’t wait to be married.”
The expression on his face indicated painful torture. Even the thick denim of his jeans didn’t hide his erection. “That’s not fair. Your family won’t trust me if we do that anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, chastised. “You’re right.”
When Hawk came to find her a few minutes later, she sat on one end of the sofa, and Kit sat on the other. Her uncle sniffed, gave them a neutral look that turned pointed when he nodded at Kit, and spoke.
“Train will be here soon. We’re leaving in five.”
Kit took the hint. “I better get going then. I’ll see you tonight, Olivia. Sir.”
Olivia always blinked when he called her uncles ‘Sir’, but it was respectful, and he was all about showing her uncles that he was polite. She smiled at him. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Kit was barely out the door before Hawk raised a brow at her. “Did he kiss you?”
“No,” she said earnestly. “He said he promised he wouldn’t touch me.” She paused to smile wickedly. “I kissed him.”
His chuckle sounded reluctant. “You kissed him, huh?”
“He made me stop.”
Hawk shook his head. “Must have ice water in his veins to stop his mate when she’s kissing him.”
She remembered the bulge in the front of his pants. “No, just too much fear of what you would do to him.”
“Smart boy. Go get your coat. Don’t want to miss the train.”
*
The wind sent snow scurrying over the train platform, circling the benches and whistling around the corner of the station. Olivia could have gone into the station to get out of the cold, but she was too excited to see her parents. She raised her scarf further over her nose and watched the train pull even with the platform. She ignored the men who hurried to the freight cars to begin unloading and kept her eyes glued on the passenger car. A conductor jumped down, lowering the steps for the passengers.
The first person to emerge from the train was Parker. Any childhood animosity she’d ever felt for her bossy older brother was forgotten in a blaze of happiness. Taylor came next. The boys gave the platform a careful examination, searching for any trouble as was their habit. Satisfied that it was safe, Taylor turned back to the train and waved. Her mom came down the steps, closely followed by her dad, and the sight of them brought tears to her eyes. She launched herself at them.
“Mom! Dad!”
Her mom dropped her suitcase just in time to catch her in a hug. Her father laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She could tell by the warmth in his eyes that he was glad to see her. Then Taylor and Parker closed in and the twin expressions of angry accusation on their faces made her forget that she was glad to see them.
“Later,” her mom said sharply.
Her dad gave her a long, thorough examination, and though his face didn’t reveal his thoughts, Olivia was sure he was unhappy with her. “Later,” he agreed, and gave her shoulder another gentle squeeze.
At least he wasn’t glaring at her. Not that he ever glared. Hawk and the others from the Plane Women’s House came forward to greet the newcomers. The baggage was collected—there wasn’t too much, as her family believed in travelling light— and headed back to the House. Olivia was careful to walk beside her mother. Her brothers were behind with Sharp Tooth and He Charges, probably getting every detail about Kit out of them. She cast one glower over her shoulder at them before moving closer to her mom and asking about the trip.
When they all came through the back door, stamping snow off their feet, Connie and Des were there, smiling widely. Connie and her mom had always been good friends. They didn’t hug, but they grinned widely at each other.
“We’re putting you and Tracker in our third bedroom,” Connie said above the chatter of welcome, “and your boys can bunk with Hawks’ brood. Sound good?”
Her mom agreed.
“Good,” said Connie briskly. She pointed at her older son. “Rock! Get the bags carried up.” She turned again to Olivia’s mom. “It’s four o’clock now. Renee will have chili and cornbread for family in half an hour The Eatery opens for supper at five o’clock. Olivia is on the roster for kitchen duty this week.”
Olivia hid a sigh of relief. Her parents would have to put off grilling her until after supper. Connie’s next words rushed her worry right back.
“But since you haven’t seen her for over a year, we’ll make do without her. Give you a little time alone with her.”
Olivia would have sworn her dad was too deep in conversation with Red Wing and Des to have heard Connie. She should have known better. He turned from the men to look at her. She swallowed, feeling like a bug pinned to a card.
“Good,” was all he said, but Olivia swallowed again. She was going to have to find the right words to convince her parents that Kit was the right man for her.
Tuesday Teaser 12/15/15: Olivia’s Mate
Oh, my gosh! Christmas is only TEN DAYS AWAY!!! Are you going crazy getting ready? I still have to quilt and bind a table runner gift, bake cookies, take my mom shopping, clean the guest room/sewing room/ office for my brother who will be staying with me, and decorate. But not tonight. Tonight I’m relaxing.
Kit, however, isn’t relaxing. He is being interrogated by Stone under Colby’s antagonistic eye. 🙂 Enjoy!
Kit stood outside the gate to the Plane Women’s Eatery. Big lazy snowflakes filled the air and collected on his hair and shoulders while the guards moved slowly to open for him. They had never been friendly, but tonight they bristled at him. Literally. One was in wolf form, his hackles raised and his teeth showing. Kit knew he had somehow offended Olivia. He just didn’t know how. His offense obviously annoyed her entire family.
He nodded to the guards as they let him pass. Olivia’s uncle Hawk was at the front door to let him in. The Alpha, Des, stood in back of the entry, arms folded, brows pulled down. He was another of Olivia’s uncles. Justin and his mate had taught him about human family relationships. An uncle was the brother of a person’s parent. So Des and Hawk were the brothers of either Olivia’s father or her mother.
He followed Des down a corridor to a different room than before, this one smaller. There were three couches pushed against three of the walls, with small tables and chairs scattered about. Just about every seat was taken. Most of the people in the room were men, but he saw five women there. A quick glance around showed him Olivia wasn’t there. Fear gripped its icy fingers around his heart. What had he done to offend her so badly that she wouldn’t see him?
The sound of his mate’s voice melted the fingers’ clutch and he turned back to the doorway. She came in with her cousin Colby behind her and a man he didn’t know beside her.
“Kit,” she said, smiling. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you came in.”
“That’s okay.” He felt the relief leap into his smile. “I just got here a minute ago. How are you?”
She walked to a small square table and beckoned him over. “Sit down, Kit,” she said. “Meet my uncle Stone.”
Kit shook the other man’s hand. He wasn’t young, but neither was he old. He wore his hair the way many of Olivia’s kinsmen did, in two long black braids. His eyes were light brown instead of inky black, but they held a watchful expression as he accepted Kit’s hand and gave it a vigorous pump. They all sat down at the table. Kit wished Colby would’ve chosen somewhere else to sit. His eyes were not only watchful, but anger smoldered there as well. Was that just Colby’s usual dislike, or was it related to whatever Kit had done to offend Olivia?
He sat opposite her at the small table and smiled at her beautiful face. There was something there but he wasn’t sure what it was. Excitement? It wasn’t that cautious, almost fearful, look she had given him on the sidewalk yesterday. Her uncle Stone sat at her right hand and her cousin Colby sat on her left. A quick glance around the room showed him that most of the people there weren’t staring this way. Some were playing cards and others were working on some sort of handwork. Talk was quiet and the tone was casual. Nonetheless, but he could almost taste suspicion and anger on the air. Kit was sure they were straining their ears hear everything he and Olivia would say. They were all related to Olivia in some way.
“How many uncles do you have?” he asked her.
She counted on her fingers. “Well, there’s Taye, and Shadow, and Des. Hawk, Red Wing, Quill, Sand, Snow, Sky, and Stag. Oh, and Snake, Raven, Lobo, Standing Bear, White Horse, and Matt, but Matt’s more like a cousin, I guess.” She screwed up her face and looked at Colby. “Who am I forgetting?”
“Never mind,” growled Colby, looking from her to the uncle. “Get on with it.”
Stone leaned forward, catching Kit’s attention. “Do you love Olivia?”
Another protective male relative. Kit didn’t mind answering that question. He would say it as many times as he needed to. “Yes, I love her.”
Stone looked over at Olivia and gave a brief nod. “I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “What would you do to keep her safe? If the only way to save her life was for you to die, would you do it?”
He felt no hesitation. “Yes. I would do anything to keep Olivia safe.”
The other man lifted one eyebrow and gave a very subtle nod to Olivia. Her face lit with a smile so beautiful Kit caught his breath. Every time he saw her she was more lovely and more precious to him. If he could see her smile at him like that every day he would be the luckiest man in the world. A faint sniff sounded from one of the couches against the far wall. Kit sent a quick look in that direction and saw the woman named Marissa raise a finger to swipe a tear away. Alarmed, he glanced quickly at the woman’s mate. Making a woman cry couldn’t be good. Her mate would want to punish Kit now. But the man, Red Wing, didn’t look angry at all. He wore a tender smile as he slipped an arm around his mate’s shoulders.
“How about happy?” Stone tapped a finger on the table to bring Kid’s attention back. “What would you do to make her happy?”
“Anything. I want her to be happy.”
Colby slouched in his chair with a scowl. “Yeah?” The younger man sneered. “Would you brainwash her to make her think she was happy even if she wasn’t?”
There was dead silence in the room. Kit shifted in his chair when he felt everyone staring at him. “Brainwash? What is that?”
Colby jerked upright, his chair scraping on the floor. The anger that had been smoldering at the back of his eyes was now a fiery blaze. “Like you don’t know.” Breath whistled between his clenched teeth. “You’ll stare deep into her eyes and tell her she’s happy and she’ll believe you because your magic will force her to.”
No one had touched him, but Kit felt like Colby had just sucker punched him. “I would never, never do that to her.”
Both Colby and Olivia looked at her uncle.
“Truth,” he said.
Colby sneered again. “But you could if you wanted to.”
A tiny spark of anger pricked Kit. “No, I couldn’t. I can’t make people change their emotions. I can’t make people love me, or think they’re happy.”
“You can force people to do other things, things they don’t want to,” Colby accused bitterly. “Like surrender.”
Oh. The reason for the anger and suspicion became suddenly clear. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.” He looked at Olivia pleadingly. “I told you I wouldn’t do it again. I promise, I never will.”
Again, all eyes went to Stone. “Truth,” he said.
Tuesday Teaser 11/24/15: Sleeping With the Wolf
I said I was adding a couple of new scenes to Sleeping With the Wolf, and I have. They are fairly short, and they add to the story without changing it. Here is one. I like the idea of giving readers a little hint of what is to come. What do you think?
With that issue resolved, Taye cocked his head. The voices in the hall were so low even his superior wolf hearing couldn’t make out words. Carefully, he disentangled himself from Carla and walked silently to the door.
“I hope I find my mate soon,” said Snake. Taye imagined the young wolf with his wavy dark hair spilling loose and wild over his shoulders. “I don’t want to be old when my wolf chooses a mate for me. I want to be young and strong so I can protect her and our children.”
“Yeah?” Sky challenged him. “Even if your wolf chooses a mate for you, how will you get the woman accept you?”
“I’ll do anything she wants. I’ll bring her the best horses, or I’ll bring her many deer to feed her family, or I’ll kill her enemies. Then she’ll love me.”
“My mate will do everything I tell her to.” The complacent note in Sky’s voice made Taye grin and shake his head.
“Everything?” Jelly asked.
“Everything. She’ll obey me because I’m the Alpha.”
“Oh.” Jelly’s voice was low and thoughtful. “But what if she doesn’t agree with you?”
“Why wouldn’t she? I’ll give her everything she wants. She’ll agree with me because she’ll love me.”
“Oh,” said Jelly again, doubtfully. “If you say so.”
Sky muttered something in Lakota. “So what will your mate be like?”
“I don’t know,” Jelly said dreamily, “but she will love only me. She won’t even notice other men.”
A low snort came from Sky. “Of course she’ll love you. Mates never love anyone else.”
Taye caught the faint rustle of a fourth person in the hall outside. “That might not be true,” Quill said in a mild tone. “What if a mate already loves someone when the wolf chooses her? It could happen.”
Sky’s snort was slightly louder. “So what do you want from your mate, Quill?”
“Love,” was the instant answer. “I only want to love her, and for her to love me.”
“And sex,” said Sky. “Like the Chief and the Lu…” His voice broke off and even through the closed door Taye could smell his abrupt wariness. “Do you hear anything? Are they sleeping now?”
Taye spoke in a growling whisper. “Not yet. Go to bed!”
The muffled gasps and the scamper of bare feet down the hall made him laugh silently. He remembered trading dreams with his cousins when he was young. In those dreams his mate was always beautiful and brave and loving. He turned toward the bed, his gaze lingering on Carla, asleep in his formerly lonely bed. A smile of wonder curved his lips. His mate was so much better than his dreams. His wolf had chosen well. He was a lucky man. He went to the bed and curled up around Carla’s wonderfully bare body. Sleep caught him with that smile still on his lips.
My Aspirin Desensitization At The Mayo Clinic
If you are considering going through the process of becoming desensitized to aspirin but are a little uncertain or even nervous about it, let me tell you about my experience with it at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I am obviously not a health professional, and this is only my story. I know some others are thinking about it and wondering what exactly to expect. This is sort of long and meandering, so you can skip about halfway down to get to what happened during the actual procedure.
First of all, why did I do it? I have AERD, or Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease. This is also called Samter’s Triad and Aspirin Triad. It means I have nasal polyps, asthma, and I am allergic or sensitive to aspirin. Sinus infections are a regular event for me. I have had multiple sinus surgeries to remove the polyps, but they come right back within a few months. I have no sense of smell due to severe inflammation and polyps blocking the air’s path to the olfactory nerve. It’s been decades since I took any aspirin or Advil, but the last time I accidentally ingested aspirin (Alka-Seltzer Plus. I didn’t read the label carefully) I ended up in the ER. My chest was so tight and my throat so swollen that I couldn’t get air in or out. Mega scary, and I’ve been very careful since then to only take Tylenol for pain.
I had my last sinus surgery on April 16, 2015. I developed a sinus infection in mid-May. I was put on antibiotics for 3 weeks. In late June the polyps were beginning to return. By the end of July they were back in force. The ENT put me on a very high steroid regimen and recommended Aspirin Desensitization. She explained that I would be carefully fed small amounts of aspirin in increasing doses until I had a reaction. By the end of it I would not be allergic anymore and would take aspirin every day for the rest of my life. The very thought of the process scared me senseless. All I could remember was the horrible sensation of not being able to breathe twenty years ago. She also explained that salicylates, the main item in the aspirin that made me so sick, were also in many other foods and products. Even though I didn’t react to them the way I did to aspirin, their effect may be cumulative and could be adding to the inflammation in my nose and sinuses. If I could be made to tolerate aspirin, I had a good shot at taming the inflammation and keeping the polyps small. After thinking about it, I decided it was worth the risk.
The nearest place to my home in Fargo, North Dakota, USA that would perform the Aspirin Desensitization was the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. It’s about a six hour drive for me. Several friends who live in Rochester offered to put me up so I wouldn’t have to spend money on a lonely hotel room. James and Becky Littlefield, Garret and Gayle Bitker, and Jason and Liz Coltom all offered me a guestroom. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends! These are all people I know from the SCA, my historical recreation group. I decided to stay with Jason and Liz because I looooove all their beautiful kitties!
In mid-September I went down to Rochester believing I would have the procedure then. My first appointment was the afternoon of Tuesday, September 15 with Dr. John Hagan. I thought Tuesday would be the general assessment and maybe some tests, and then Wednesday and Thursday would be the actual procedure, but it turned out that my polyps were too large. Dr. Hagan wanted them smaller, before the “aspirin challenge”. I guess the larger the polyps the larger the risk. But that is my guess, not a stated fact. So on Wednesday and Thursday I had some tests (breathing tests and blood work) and he wrote prescriptions for prednisone, flovent, singulair and budesonide rinse. Luckily, I’ve met my insurance cap for the year, because the budesonide rinse is nearly $500.00 for a month’s supply! A new date, September 29-30, 2015 was set for the actual desensitization.
The instruction sheet they sent me told me to not eat or drink anything after 11:00pm, and to check in at 7:45. I was to bring food and water, and any games or books I wanted to keep myself occupied with for the 8 to 9 hours I would be there. I arrived at the Desk 15L in the Mayo Building at the Mayo Clinic promptly at 7:30am, with my kindle, knitting, and lunchbox attached to my shoulder. I was a little nervous, to be honest, and being made to wait until nearly 8:30 made me even more nervous. Two nurses led me to a small room and took my vitals, and administered a quick breathing test to establish a baseline. They would do the same thing throughout the day, each time they gave me aspirin. An IV port was put into my arm, just to be on the safe side, so any meds could be instantly administered in the case of a rare severe reaction. All the nurses and techs were deft and professional. I barely felt the IV going in.
The first aspirin came not in a pill, but a nasal spray. I’d never heard of that, but I had one sniff in my right nostril around 8:30. No reaction. Then at 9:00 I had one sniff in each nostril. The nurse, Kelly, said they expected any reaction to be light, and usually it occurred before noon. Probably sneezing and congestion. Rarely, she explained, did anyone have a severe reaction, although the longer I went without a reaction, the more severe it was likely to be. 30 minutes went by with no reaction. She then gave me two sprays per nostril at 9:30. Still no reaction. No reason to worry yet, she assured me cheerily.
Then at 10:30 she gave me three sprays per nostril. About ten minutes later I began sneezing, my nose clogged, and my eyes got scratchy. Yay! A reaction! Hardly anything, really, more like getting a cold. They called Dr. Hagan to come look at me. Everything was going according to plan. The symptoms died down in less than a half-hour. At 11:30 I was finally given aspirin in pill form. 60 mg (which is less than a baby aspirin) in a gelcap-like white capsule. Oh, boy, a little wheezing. Nothing bad. If I were home I would have used my albuterol, but it wasn’t scary. More congestion and sneezing. The doctor came again and listened to my lungs, ordered a hit of albuterol for me, said he was satisfied, and went away again. I asked to go to the bathroom (they escort you down the hall and back, I suppose so you aren’t alone if you suddenly have a bad reaction) and I noticed spots on my face in the mirror. I pointed them out to my nurse escort, and she walked me back to my little room and called the doc again. He came and looked at my face and agreed that yes, I was having hives. Hives apparently is an unusual reaction, but nothing to worry about. I was given Allegra and albuterol and told to sit quietly. There was a break in the action once the reaction was gone, and I was allowed to eat my lunch. At last! I was pretty hungry after not eating for 14 hours.
At 1:00 we repeated the 60mg capsule of aspirin. No reaction. At 2:45 or so they wrapped the IV port in gauze to keep it from getting snagged, and I was released from Mayo. Day One of the Aspirin Desensitization was complete, and had gone as expected. I drove back to my friends’ house. Jason, Liz and I went out to supper that night and had a great time walking around the mall in Rochester. I felt fine.
The next day I returned to the little room at Mayo and the nurse, this time Michelle, took my vitals and gave me the usual air flow test. At 8:30 she gave me a capsule of 150mg of aspirin. That is about half the amount in one adult aspirin. We waited three hours. No reaction at all. At 11:00 I was allowed to eat the lunch I brought. At 12:30, she gave me a 325mg aspirin. That is the amount of a regular adult aspirin. I still had no reaction. Dr. Hagan came in to talk with me. The aspirin challenge went exactly as it should have, with me having a mild reaction to aspirin at around 60mg, and then no more reactions even at a higher dose. He has put me on 650mg of aspirin twice a day for life. That is two regular adult aspirin in the morning, and two at night. I am on the Singulair for another month. He wants me to continue with the budesonide rinses twice a day. I plan to do that for as long as I can afford them. We’ll see what happens when January comes around and I’m starting all over with my insurance. 🙂 And in January I need to travel back to the Mayo for a follow up. Possibly he’ll reduce me to 325mg of aspirin a day at that point. If I miss taking the aspirin for 2 consecutive days I’ll need to completely stop taking aspirin and come back for another desensitization procedure.
That was only yesterday and this afternoon I was able to smell the laundry detergent in the grocery store. The scent wasn’t sharp or clear, but it was definitely there. I was seriously nervous about going through the Aspirin Desensitization, but it turned out to be very easy. If you are like me and have suffered for years with nasal polyps, sinus infections, asthma, and aspirin sensitivity, maybe this aspirin desensitization could help you. It’s only been a day, so I can’t speak for the long term, but right now I’m feeling hopeful. And I haven’t felt that way about my sinuses in decades.
Feel free to leave a question in the comments, or share your own experiences. Knowledge is power, and I would have liked to know what to expect before I did this.
Ack! August!
Can you believe it is August already?? I have to say this is one of my least favorite months of the year. By this time the joy of warm weather has worn off, and I’m dying for some cool air. It’s too hot to work on my knitting or crocheting or spinning (there’s something so repulsive about having a pound of wool yarn or fleece spread over my lap when it’s so freaking hot outside), and sewing a renaissance costume is out too. The yards of fabric, the heat of the iron and sewing machine… Yuck. Of course, this August will be a little nicer for me because Wolf’s Princess comes out tomorrow. One of the best things to do when the weather is hot is read. I’m going through my kindle but can’t seem to find anything I really want to read. 41 book unread on my kindle, and not a one appeals to me!! This might be because I’m DYING to read some that aren’t out yet. For instance…
The Veil by Chloe Neill
Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh
That’s only three books, which won’t keep me reading for an entire 30 days. I’m always looking for good reading material, but my budget tells me I can’t afford to buy every book that catches my eye. I like to rely on friends to recommend stories they enjoyed. I like historical, fantasy, science fiction, inspirational, and some Young Adult, as long as it’s a good story and there is at least an element of romance. I love Anne Bishop, Elizabeth Hunter, Grace Draven, Wen Spencer, and Sharon Lee/Steve Miller among others. Help me out. What stories or series do you recommend?
