No, nonononono. Steph was specific: she wasn't venting, she was presenting something that was going to be read to a group of people, and as such, she wanted edits on all levels.

Besides, if you're callous then I'm worse, and I'm a big old softy-head.

And we both lurved the piece.

Steph, sweets, what are they in fact doing for your back? Do they know what's causing this? With only brother and older of two sisters both having suffered from severe disc compression, I get militant about doctors just telling sufferers to experiment with muscle relaxants or heating pads. Have they figured it out, and what are they going to do to fix it?

Deb, Susan, Lizard -- it's 2:30 a.m., and I'm going to address your thoughts in detail tomorrow, but I am up for the time being, and wanted to say (1) thanks! (2) I overuse adjectives mercilessly -- part of that is because this is a first draft and when I wrote it I was, in fact, experiencing searing aching [etc.] pain -- so that was more from my core-dump; I always end up taking adjectives out. (3) I'll take a sentence or phrase from the final paragraph and weave it into the penultimate paragraph and leave it that way.

(4) Lizard, definitely NOT callous! This is what I wanted!!!! I'm not very thrilled with my small group in class this semester; this is the type of feedback they *should* give me but don't. The way the class is structured is this: it's 20-22 women, 16 weeks, 1 class a week, 2 1/2 hours a class. For about 1 1/2 hours, the entire class is together, doing some in-class writing to a prompt the teacher chooses, and then we read back what we wrote (if we choose; it's much more of a loose workshop than a *class*, per se). For the other hour of the class, we are in groups of 4-5 women that stay together for the semester -- this is our small group. It's designed so that each woman can receive more intense, specific feedback AND can give specific feedback to the members in the small group.

I was in the same small group for 2 semesters, and they were wonderful at giving feedback -- especially my first drafts, pointing out what they liked, what worked, and what could be tightened or clarified, or what points I might have not explicitly written but needed to make explicit.

For some reason my teacher split us up this semester, even though we had requested to stay together. I had hoped that new people would be a good experience -- fresh eyes and ears -- but they're not very good at saying what needs work. Mostly, it's all "I like this; I like that; this reminds me of such-and-such."

It's very frustrating, and I've thought about requesting to be switched into another group, but that would make things in such a small overall class VERY awkward. So, I'm taking what I can from it, and plan to have a talk with the teacher before she assigns small groups next semester.

(My writing school -- it's really a wonderful, wonderful school.)

And man, can I ramble!

As for what the docs are doing for my back, Deb -- I'm taking oral steroids, muscle relaxants, naproxen, and Tylenol 3 (I was taking vicodin for the pain, but it makes me itchy and hive-y). I had an MRI a week ago, which showed that my bottom 2 discs are bulging out and pressing on my sciatic nerve.

My doc referred me to the very good back and spine clinic in town, and they're going to see me, but the soonest appointment they can get me in for is April 7. Which is fine in THEORY, because I'm taking oral steroids for 12 days, and I just started them, so I'd like to let them run their course and see if they help. However, after a day like today, I want to say they aren't helping.

I'm going to call the clinic Monday and let them know I'll take any sooner appointment, even if it's a last-minute cancellation.

So. There you have it. My feelings about the feedback here (summary: thank you! not callous!), my class, and my back.

Now I go back to sleep.

Mmm. I know exactly what you mean. About your co-workshoppers.

I love you, Steph.

I love you back, Lizard.

Now I go to sleep. For real.

Heh. I figured it was a core-dump; but I wanted to make sure. A lot of writers work that way, some of the best out there, but because I don't, I always check and make sure.

Jesus wept, honey, two bulging discs? I remember sciatica all too well; the Adam's Rib kept me severely sciatic all through pregnancy. Horrendous. If they can get you in a moment earlier, I'd go in a heartbeat.

And take heart of grace; Joe Montana had surgery done on (I believe) also two severely bulging discs, and went on to the Superbowl that year.

And I wish to hell you could do my twice-monthly writing group, here in SF. Dinner and feedback.

Deb, darn it, I wish you hung out in one of the chatty threads. What is Adam's Rib? I was on bedrest quite a bit because of back pain for both of my last two.

I work with a woman who had the exact symptoms I have, and she had surgery at this back clinic -- when I asked her if it was horrible and did recovery just make her want to die, she said no, that day 1 after surgery was rough, but then she was up and walking around her neighborhood in 2 weeks. So I'm really okay with the idea of surgery, if it comes to that.

Also, w/r/t my class -- it's a wonderful experience overall. (The link to the Web site should give a clear picture of the mission, etc., which is essentially to give women writers a space to write what they want, tell the truth, and know they're sharing it in a venue that isn't going to criticize or judge for telling that truth. The modality is writing, and as such, the *writing* gets critiqued -- in theory -- but never the truth behind it. It really saved my sanity getting into this school at the time I was getting out of the freak-ass church.)

Deena, insent. An Adams Rib is a protrusion of bone from the rib, generally microscopic, generally on the outside of the ribcage. Mine, being different, is on the lowest righthand rib, interior, not microscopic (it's almost half an inch long, and can be clearly seen in x-rays), and down-pointing. So as the womb expanded, it pressed the nerve and during labour? On my side, because I could have fetched up paralysed: bone hitting spinal cord.

Steph, I did a writers group for about seven months last year, we published a very nice anthology, most of the people were wonderful, but alas, the woman running it is unpredictable and started trashing people behind their backs, in group e-mails. She'd send out emails to 11 out of 12 of us, and trash the 12th, some weird snotty comments. I can't stand that sort of thing, so I walked and started my own group. There are six of us, five women and one man. I find the input and simply exchanging air with other writers incredibly nourishing.

Deb, and replied. Once I do the edits, I might post it here for more response. I'm feeling a bit braver now.