a scare that leads to a Reminder (Not Writing)

[melissa_writing]

A few weeks ago I went in for my mammogram.  I turn 40 in a few months, and this has been on my to-do list for my 40th since my 20s when I went through a series of surgeries.  Back then my ovaries, breast, & cervix all decided to grow unnecessary growths (bad cells, cysts, & a tumor). I've been surgery-free since 1998 though!  Still, my grandmother

Comments

[yasminegalenorn]

Oh hell yes...we made our wills a few years back and updated them last year. Sobering thought, but necessary.

[olmue]

Totally agree, and I'm so glad it turned out to be benign! (And compared to childbirth, back pain, or even a small child kicking you in the chest after crawling into your bed at night, a mammogram is not as painful as its reputation makes it out to be.) I didn't know the law would regard your DNA and non-DNA children differently. That is so strange--I thought adoption meant "as if you had been born into that family." But sewing up all possible outcomes--yes. Very important.

We need to do the will thing, sigh. I don't care about my stuff (what stuff??), but I do care about where my children go if something happens to us.

[melissa_writing]

Adoption might mean that, but I've never adopted my daughter. She has a bio-mom still. Loch has full custody (thankfully!), so I'm the mother who RAISES her. :)

[olmue]

Ah, that makes sense. Then yes, you definitely want it in writing!!

[blackholly]

I need to do all that estate planning stuff, but I feel like I don't even know where to start!

[melissa_writing]

My attorney walked me through it in detail. It even included what was authorized in re correspondences, early drafts, editors notes. It's a detailed document.

In my case, I gave both of my children equal veto power. To release anything anywhere, it had to be mutually agreed. In fact most of it was "mutually agreed" so that neither of them are embarrassed by me after my death :)

I also have legal papers for my co-authored series with Kelley. Again, I expect both of us to live through the series, but best to be sure.

[blackholly]

Can I ask what kind of lawyer you use? I don't really have a lawyer of my own, other than my entertainment lawyer who works primarily with film contracts. A couple of years ago, I tried to go through the process of finding one, but I didn't really know where to start.

Collaboration paperwork I understand. Contracts I get. Estate stuff makes me confuzzled.

Also, hope you had a great time at RT! I heard it was a lot of fun this year. Hope I can make it next time.

[melissa_writing]

The attorneys I used specialized in wills & estate planning. (Carrie Ryan has expertise in this area bc she was a lawyer, & she told me that's what I should look up. I did. She was right.)

I'm already starting the RT 2013 planning, and you know I'd love to have you there, so definitely let me know. I'm supposed to have my panels all set up by July (!) for next year.

We had 200+ people at the Teen Day workshops, 600+ at the Teen Day Party, & then during the week, our LOWEST number for the craft panels was 50+ It's double last year in the overall YA numbers. . . and it'll be bigger next year. Teens flew in from Alaska, CA,FL, etc. It was crazy (& I was feeling like the walking dead by Saturday night).

[lisadesrochers]

SO glad everything turned out okay. We've been negligent in handling all those details, but it needs to happen.

*hugs*

[ext_1086026]

So HAPPY everything turned out okay, tks really much to share all this experience with us, it is so important for women to have their breasts examined on a regular basis and perform monthly breast self-exams, but some women still think that cancer "It Only Happens to Others". XOXO