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Monday, March 02, 2009

Writing Feverishly


There's nothing like a fever and a touch of a stomach virus to get the creative, uh, juices flowing. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to update my loyal readers (if any of you are still out there) on my life over the past three months...

1. I finally completed my thesis proposal. Yes, at 2 a.m. last Friday, I e-mailed it to my advisor. Essentially, I'll be conducting a series of interviews with housing developers in Philadelphia to describe their attitudes toward accessibility regulations as well as toward people with disabilities. Ordinarily, writing a proposal would not be earth-shattering news. However, six years ago, when I left school, I not only thought I would never return, but I wasn't sure how much longer I'd live. But thanks to the support of some wonderful friends (Art, Lauren, Emma, Caroline, Pat, Kathie and Julie to name just a few), I decided to go back and finish what I started (gulp) nine years ago. I'm almost there!

2. I switched nursing agencies. I cannot function without the care of nurses. So when the nursing agency I had been with for six years since my tracheotomy could no longer consistently cover my shifts, it was time to make a move. However, my nurses all came with me to the new agency, which saved me the time and stress of having to train an entire new staff of nurses.

3. I had a cardiac scare. After a couple of sleepless nights in December, with my heart pounding through my chest, I saw my cardiologist. He ordered a Holter monitor, the results of which indicated repeated episodes of ventricular tachycardia ("v-tach"), he increased my beta-blocker. As a result, I have felt colder and more tired. But no v-tach. It's a trade-off I'm willing to live with, the operative word being "live"!

4. I hired a self-publisher. My book has proven to be a big hit. Keeping it in a print is therefore a priority. About a month ago, I submitted my book to a self-publisher. The new edition should look almost the same, including the cover. The nice thing is that sales will be on an on-demand basis, meaning I won't have to manage any inventory. When everything is set up, I'll be sure to post an announcement.

So that's it in a nutshell. I'm so glad March is here already, which means that warmer weather and Phillies baseball are just around the corner...

5 comments:

Jon Moulton said...

Congratulations on getting your thesis proposal submitted! It sounds like you are getting everything else lined up so you'll be ready to tackle the research. And it's nice to hear from you again here.

Anonymous said...

Nice to hear form you again Josh!

Anonymous said...

Hey old man :) Good to see your update! :) (I look foreword to hearing about the completion of your thesis project, and your graduation soon).

Well, the tulips are poking through the ground here in NEO, a sure sign that spring is on the way!

I truly hope you have another amazing year, my friend :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Josh, congratulations on the thesis proposal! That is some big news. I do hope you enjoy working on it and that it doesn't turn into "work". I have written a few pieces that evolved into "work" and lost their enjoyment along the way.

Happy Belated Birthday!
Laurie

Pamela Hamilton said...

Did you already finish writing your thesis paper? I totally agree with you that writing proposal is not that earth-shattering task, you just have to know what you what your thesis is all about. You can also find thesis help if you find some problems along the way. Anyway, just keep us posted on your thesis paper.