As a writer, it is important to take care of yourself. Having the loneliest job in the world doesn't exactly scream healthy habit; it's up to you to make it happen.

I've recently gone through a trial to end all trials. I lapsed into a coma one night, sitting at my keyboard. My son found me and called the paramedics. I went to the hospital having a 105 fever and was completely unconscious, not even responding to pain. A smart-thinking doctor who was in the ER looked me over and found I had a crushing infection throughout my body. I had flesh-eating bacteria. It was in my heel.

I developed a little pain in my heel two weeks before I got sick. It felt like a bone spur. This happened to me a few years ago, and the pain felt the same. I went to my doctor, and she spotted nothing wrong. Two days later, I was in a coma.

After three months, I'm home now. My kingdom consists of the basement, which I made handicapped accessible. I have six stairs outside I need to navigate to be a part of the outside world again. My daughter gets married in a month, and I need this month to achieve this goal.

What could I have done differently? I spent the past three months trying to figure out the answer to that question. Perhaps being more persistent would have helped. Maybe increased activity would have eliminated the problem entirely. Because of a knee injury, I was having trouble before this happened.

If you have a chronic disease, you must stay on top of it. Being a diabetic since I was a kid, I know how to take care of myself. Exercise is the cornerstone of good health. My diabetes is well controlled. I suggest starting with easy exercises, such as chair yoga. If you use assistive devices like me, use a walker and try tai chi, which is what I'm now doing. Any movement at all helps.

My latest release happened on the day I woke up from my coma. This is not how I planned on making a kickoff campaign. When you have health, you'll be there for campaign kick offs and write more books!

Don't forget that taking care of yourself is the #1 thing you can do for yourself!