Sunday, August 24, 2014

Time Off

I've decided to need to take some time off from Best Things in Beauty. The next month or so is going to be really busy as I get ready for knee surgery. I hope to have the surgery in late September or early October.

I have a choice: left knee or right knee. The left knee may go first. My long-time readers will remember that I had it replaced in December 2010. Not too long ago, it started hurting. I have two diagnoses (hard to believe because they are so different), but no matter what, they have to cut into my knee and figure out what's wrong. Is it my prosthetic, or have the ligaments stretched? If the ligaments have stretched, it's a simple matter of putting a taller plastic spacer between the two metal piece parts. I hope it turns out to be that easy. If I go with the right knee, it will be a total knee replacement. I have needed to do it for years.

I have to clear away all the beauty products - and every other indulgence - that will be in the way of a walker. It's a mess here right now. I will have to bank blood, I'm sure. I've got to go to doctor's appointments and physical therapy to get ready. There is just too much to do - and too little time in which to do it.

I will write a little during my time off. I can't go cold turkey. When I get my hands on that Tom Ford palette, for example, I will post swatch photos. Anything fantabulous will bring me right back. I just need time to get myself prepared without stressing over it - and I've been stressing during the last few weeks. How can I get everything done? I think I'm making myself feel sick.

I hope you will come back when I do.  Until then, I recommend you read The Beauty Look Book, The Non-Blonde, and any of the wonderful blogs on my blog list on the right-hand sidebar.

See you before long!

Photo courtesy of bravebit.com

76 comments:

Tanja said...

I'll definately miss your posts, you are my daily start. I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery

alrenwald said...

Hi, CG,
I am an occupational therapist, and I wish you a speedy recovery and rehabilitation post knee surgery. May I suggest that in addition to PT, you consult with an OT while you undergo rehab? An OT would be able to recommend the proper adaptive devices and equipment to aid you with your mobility needs, e.g. a reacher, a stocking/sock aid, a shower chair, a raised commode seat, etc. Good luck! You will be missed here, and I will sure go through a serious makeup blog withdrawal especially the "BTW blog" kind lol.

Annie M said...

Please take care of yourself Charleston Girl-we will be here when you are back in the saddle. Good luck with your preparations and your surgery.

Anonymous said...

I wish you not too much stress going towards the surgery, the less invasive solution for surgery and quick recovery and above all peace of mind. I will miss you - you are my daily read as well and I appreciate your mindful, intelligent reviews and the commenters here.
Best wishes from the bottom of my heart and warmly.
Tanja
PS: I have been the only Tanja here - now I see there is someone else with my name so I will sign as TanjaO in the future.

CGirl said...

I'm going to miss your posts, but I hope everything goes well for you! Sending positive thoughts your way for a speedy recovery.

Unknown said...

I will certainly miss reading your posts. Your take on new product is usually spot on and make for an enjoyable read. I love reading the comments of your followers too.

By all means, please take care of yourself. You don't have an easy choice to make one way or the other. Which knee first, the right or left?

I wish you a speedy recovery. I hope the whole thing is not as arduous as it seems it might be. Rest assured, we wish you well and will be waiting upon your return.

Christina said...

Good luck CG! May you have a swift recovery and feel a million times better after it's all over!

You will be missed, but we'll be here when you return; we always are! See you later!

ewewhojane said...

Good luck to you as you leave all us fellow junkies in the lurch! Your blog is my favorite beauty blog and you will be missed, but of course, I am sure we all understand.

Sabrina said...

Sending you lots of good vibes, e-hugs and warm wishes for you as you prep for your surgery. Your posts will be missed but there is so much I refer to in older posts as your work is a wonderful resource for so many things, both new and classic.

Take care and I wish you a speedy recovery!!

(PS Thank you for the link love.)

Francesca said...

I will miss your reviews but I expect you will recover soon to return with your readers quickly. Best wishes with the surgery!

Anonymous said...

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

LilyBiscuit said...

Best wishes from me too, I'll be thinking of you and saying a prayer.

Anonymous said...

wishing you well, Charleston Girl, you will be missed. A speedy recovery!

Tracey K said...

Wishing you a speedy recovery,!

bisbee said...

Best of luck cg! Put your health, both mental and physical on the front burner without hesitation. We'll be here patiently waiting for your recovery!

Alix said...

Wishing you a speedy recovery from your surgery, and looking forward to your regular posts soon after!

Walls said...

You will be missed, CG, but our thoughts will be with you as you prepare and undergo surgery. Best of luck to you!

Behindthepillar said...

Joining the warm wishes for your speedy recovery, CC. Do not stress about your blog; beauty should be fun not duty and your loyal readers will be happy when you return but understanding of your need for space and rest. Susan, London

SaraP said...

Like everyone here, I'll miss your posts and wish you a very speedy recovery. Best wishes as you undergo all the preparations for surgery.
SaraP

Claire said...

You will be missed, CG! I haven't been commenting but have always read your posts. Speedy recovery and we'll be waiting for you to come back, hopefully soon.

Anonymous said...

Hope all goes well with your surgery ! Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Anne

P.S. Hope you like the TF palette as much as I do :)

Unknown said...

Thank you for the heads up, CG!
Your beauty posts are such a valuable resource, thus you will be missed sorely. But taking time off for your health is understandable and most important. I wish you all the best as you navigate through this process for your knees in the upcoming weeks and months. I also hope and wish you don't have to endure extra complications and will be able to recover quickly with less pain and more ease.

Mo said...

I live for your blog every afternoon. Please heal soon and remember it's only makeup. I'm sure most of your readers have enough to last them several years (at least I do - probably until I die)!

C-K said...

Best wishes for a successful surgery, and quick recovery. I had a total left knee replacement 6 years ago, and now the right knee is going. Not too bad yet, so I'm holding off on it. Good luck.

Eileen said...

Yes, indeed, there is going to be a lot of serious BTiB withdrawal going around :-). But, we all understand your need to get both your work-a-day and personal worlds in order before your surgery. We'll all miss you, but every time we think of you, it will be to send you love and support and to pray for your speedy recovery. You're a strong, gracious, and beautiful woman worthy of only the very best of outcomes. Good luck!

makeup magpie said...

Sending best wishes for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery! xo

Terri said...

CG, I understand your reasoning & I'm just glad you were smart enough to realize it. I will miss you for sure because this is my favorite blog! Hands down! I do not post but keep this page open on my phone always because I visit more than once a day. Take care! I will be looking in every day anyway just to see if you've checked in. You will remain in my thoughts & prayers.

Sylvia said...

I enjoy your blog very much, and will of course be here when you come back. Take time to care for yourself, and try not to stress too much ( I know that is hard). Good luck with your surgery, you have lots of good wishes and thoughts coming from me.

Linda in TX said...

Good luck with your procedure. You will truly be missed, and we will all be checking for your glorious return! I'm glad you are taking this time. I've had joint replacement, and the pre-op and post-op can become hectic. I am praying that you will be well in the near future. Take good care Charleston Girl.

Melanie said...

I wish you all the very best, CG, with the planning that you have ahead, as well as for the surgery itself and your recovery. I look forward to reading your blog again when you can come back to your readers. Be well, take good care and à bientôt !

Charlestongirl said...

Thank you, all. Your best wishes are so heartwarming. I'm going to go to sleep soon. I have to be up and moving at 4:30.

Laura said...

Wishing you the best during your recovery!

sasa said...

Hi CG,
Wishing you all the best with you surgery & please look after yourself & don't worry - we will all be waiting patiently for your posts. Best wishes for a speedy recovery

Lisa said...

Take care and heal yourself. Know that your presence will be mised and your faithfull readers will gratefully await your return. Hope you have a speedy recovery!

Tania G said...

I hope everything goes well, best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Anonymous said...

Hoping you have a swift recovery, whichever knee you choose :)

AnneD said...

We will be thinking of you and missing your great reviews. Take care of yourself and know we will be here when you return! I will certainly be looking for those Tom Ford reviews. I never buy anything until I have checked your blog as well as The Beauty Look Book and The Nonblonde.

roxymisha said...

Wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery from your surgery. As others have said, you will be missed but undoubtedly we will get a message about your surgery and a little bit of beauty news. Take care of yourself CG. x

LSBD said...

Sending love and prayers for the best possible outcome and speedy recovery!

We'll be here when you are ready to return :)

Running with Scissors said...

Good luck with everything! thinking of you, Christy x

Iluvmidge2 said...

Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Take care of yourself, and don't worry over the blog. Your readers will certainly be here when you're well and able!

Jennifer said...

Dear CG,

You will be missed while away, but I wish you a speedy recovery! Please not to worry about keeping up with the blog as there are tons more important things in life than just makeup - I'm sure all of us will understand!

Jenni

Lisa C said...

You take all the time you need, we love you and aren't going anywhere! I'll keep you in my prayers for a speedy recovery. Best of luck with everything, take care of you xoxo

Anonymous said...

Best wishes to you!! Looking forward to you getting back into the swing of things, your posts are my ' me time' at night. Will miss you :-)

Meredith said...

Wishing you luck and may God bless you. This too shall pass, you will recover and move beyond it. Just take each day at a time and don't overload yourself. If you've never read "The Power of Now", may I suggest it; it saved me when I was going through cancer. We all will be waiting for you when you return and will go on to have many adventures in makeup. I will pray for you.

Anonymous said...

All the very best for a successful surgery & speedy recovery!

Laura in NYC

Anonymous said...

Take care and get well, CG. I read regularly, and will miss your cheerful blogging voice.

Anonymous said...

Dear CG,

I am so sorry that you have to go through all that horror with your knees. I hope that everything goes well and that you are recovering very fast. Like everyone else I will go through some serious BTiB withdrawel ;-) But the biggest priority is your health. So please know that I will be here, whenever you feel better and you can write again :-)
Sending you warm wishes and many hugs
xoxo Stephanie

Kiss & Make-up said...

I'll miss your posts but I totally understand that you need to prioritize now and take some time off. Take all the time you need! I wish you a very speedy recovery. I struggle with knee issues myself and I know how delicate a knee can be and how slowly it can heal...

saw said...

Hi Charleston Girl,
I wish you an effective surgery and a fast recovery, best of luck with both. I hope you will be back soon.
Xox

Anahita said...

Hope your surgery goes well and the recovery period is a breeze. I know I will be anxiously awaiting your return to beauty blogging. God knows you have inspired many a purchase.

solanace said...

Take care. I´ll be here when you are back.

Unknown said...

Good luck with your surgery and recovery!

Grlnxdor said...

Take the time to recover and heal. We all wish you the best and we will return when you do. Prayers sent your way.

Anonymous said...

We will all be here when you get back! I wish for you all of the best, quick recovery and look forward to hearing from you when you return!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy your blog. Wishing you a speedy recovery and a low stress prep period. See you when you get back.

ame said...

Good luck! My dad replaced both last year, he did his right first (the worst of the two) in October, and then the left right after Christmas as soon as he was "clear" to really function on the right.

If you can do both back to back, do it.

Sarita said...

Sending many healing vibes your way. You take good care of yourself.

lovethescents said...

Dear friend,

I wish you LUCK and an uneventful experience. You know I 'm with you.

Anonymous said...

Hi CG - Please take care of yourself. Wish you all the best with your surgery and a speedy recovery.

Subway Dreaming said...

Thank you so much for letting us know that you will be away for a while. I appreciate the respect you have for your readers.

Good luck with the surgery - wishing you a speedy recovery.

Bellyhead said...

Have a restful break and a quick recovery!

Evelyn said...

We'll be in withdrawal but at the most a quick note from you letting us know how you are doing would be the best post! Hope everything goes well and you heal easily. :)

Jo said...

CG, I will miss your daily feed but I, like everyone else, completely understand and wish you well in your recovery. It is important to set priorities and you getting well is first on the list. Think how much easier it will be for you to get out to the stores to check out all the new makeup!

I should get my TF Tuesday or Wednesday. I called NM on Friday to ask when they expect to have the collection and she said they don't have it in store yet but it could be shipped from the warehouse that day. I know I want the eye quad and nail polish so I went ahead and ordered it. The rest I will wait to see in store but I will likely pass on the rest of the collection. I saw pictures of the new TF matte lipsticks for Holiday 2014 but I am not a matte person so I will likely pass on those as well. There is not too much from Holiday that I've seen yet that I am excited about. Chanel looks like a snooze fest.

The entire Charlotte Tilbury color collection is available for preorder from Nordstrom online. It ships on September 3. I ordered a few things I have been curious about.

The new Armani is available from Neiman's online, I don't think it is in stores yet. I want all of the nail polishes.

I wish you well in your surgery and recovery and hope you will check in here from time to time just to update us on how you are feeling. The beauty posts can wait until you are fully recovered.

onegreatsmile said...

Thankfully surgery has come a long way, and you will be in good hands. We will miss you, but YOUR HEALTH comes first. Lipstick (&etc) can wait !!

EllenB said...

Wishing you a speedy recovery! Will miss you while you take your break.

Ellen B.

VancouverChic said...

Hi CG,

I will miss your posts and will look forward to when you are back again. I hope the surgery goes well and you have a speedy recovery.

Thank you for this incredible blog!!!!

Warm Regards,
Joanne ~ VancouverChic

regina said...

Wishing you all the best during your time off! I hope your surgery goes well and brings you increased comfort.

Inez Hansen said...

You have been such a highlight when I check my afternoon mail. So many of the ladies that read your blog have had our share of our joints failing us, including you so I too send you a speedy recovery! If you don't already have a walker with a seat I will tell you it is a lifesaver for quick rests and carting things around the house! It makes my life so much easier.

Christina said...

All the best to you and I will miss your blog.

Unknown said...

Wish you all the best on the surgery and may you have a speedy recovery :).

Tatiana said...

I hope you have a successful surgery and speedy recovery and that this time the relief lasts a long time. You've been uncomfortable far too long. Sending all the positive healing vibes I can muster.
I pre-ordered this quad from Nordstrom. They took my name, address, CC# and said they'd email me when it arrives and is being sent out. I haven't heard boo! I am hoping that my quad actually makes it to me. If not, oh well, money saved, one less item I need to find a spot in my drawer for. I ordered the lipsticks based on some washed out photos and the press photos. Now I'm seeing they are much brighter than the lipstick the models are wearing in the PR photos. May just return those untested. I'm curious to try the new foundation but haven't had the time. Guess I will try it in September when I'm in NY.
Keep us posted on your progress every now and then. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

DRTVrMoi said...

All the best with your impending surgery. Heal swiftly and know that your readers await your return.

Bonnie C. said...

Well I will certainly miss you during your time away, I have grown so accustom to seeing your emails pop up in my inbox, knowing that something beautiful or interesting is waiting in the links inside. :-) I hope whatever is decided for surgery that it will be successful over the long-term, and that it will provide a quick and smooth recovery (no complications, you hear?) :-) As one of the other commenters said, you might want to consider getting a reacher/grabber thing. As you know, I am bed bound, and the one I have has provided to be extremely useful (I use it multiple times a day). I believe I have a Mecanaids Featherweight Reacher, but anything similar might prove useful, depending on how mobile you are. Anyways, I wish you all the best, and will definitely be looking forward to your return! God bless! :-)

Anonymous said...

Oh I hope all goes well.....it reminded me of a builder friend, absolute workaholic, got both his knees done AT ONCE..... Decided it would mean less downtime! I've had minor arthroscopic knee surgery and the knee that was done is better than the other one. Removed a shredded meniscus. Best from Downunder....
Marion

Christine said...

Merci Beaucoup Chére Ami pour ce poste,vraiment trés intéréssan