I answered the given question first because I couldn’t figure out how to bypass it and just write.

Writing is not as easy for me these days, especially late in the day as it is now. For the past two and a half years, I’ve been dealing with significant brain fog. In late July, it was confirmed that I have Chiari malformation, which is when the brain tonsils slump down into the top of the spinal column. I will be having surgery to treat it on October 26. Because this condition affects the flow and pressure of cerebrospinal fluid, the recovery time is estimated at 3-6 months to allow time for the brain to heal.

I’m hopeful that I will have better access to the creative side of my brain after the surgery as I am healing. I haven’t been able to do much with poetry during all this and am desperate to get back to it.