Where Things Are Now

If you're following me on Instagram you know that Sarah has had another setback in her cancer recovery. I took her in to memorial Sloan Kettering on the recommendation of her nurse, this is where she had her cancer surgery, treatment and program and they are continuing to monitor her and based on recent events it was seen as best that she be brought back in. We drove into Manhattan and she got a room in urgent care and they started a battery of tests, which will continue today. It's complicated so I won't go into the details of what's going on, we don't know what the root cause is or if it's something that will be an issue down the line. We're hoping it's just another speed bump and some bad luck. Coming so close to her having to go to the emergency room a few weeks or so ago via EMTs,  and being admitted to RUMC on Staten Island for several days is worrying, of course. But the positive thing is that so far nothing has been a result of her cancer acting up, this is all related to treatment and reactions and the like. Still unwelcome and troublesome but it isn't any kind of reversal or huge backslide as far as the cancer goes. But it still isn't good and we're obviously worried. The past month has been pretty stressful for everyone, Sarah especially, of course. Sarah's quality of life has not been good for some time between pain and recovery and these setbacks have been unexpected. We were getting such good news before, we weren't counting on anything but it's been tough for Sarah to have been doing so well and then be readmitted for emergencies twice recently. And we don't know what's going on this time. Fingers crossed it's worked out and easily dealt with. 

We don't know if she'll be coming home today or if she'll be in the hospital for a few days. Her brother Tim is with her, he flew in from Texas for a few days. I'm home with Ace, whose half-birthday is today. 

I have some card drawings ready to go out to a few folks, I will be back to work today if I can, I am trying to clear the drawing board by the end of summer to not only make good on my commitments but to help us move ahead and try to get things more stable around here. Sarah is unable to work, I've reached out to a friend to help out with a few photoshop/color tasks. This might push Beasts of Burden work off a few weeks, these last few weeks I'm juggling  work and house stuff and sell art and get orders out and run errands and I'm making mistakes but generally keeping it together. 

I'm trying not to let current events depress me to the point where I'm not functioning, because I'm of no help to my family, let alone anyone or any cause, if I'm under the covers freaking out. It's a process. I feel useless and stupid like many people, it's hard to sell stuff and draw goofy pictures and talk about comic books or toys or movies when you feel like the world's broken for good, politically, socially, ethically, economically, climate-wise. I talk to my therapist about these things, it helps, but there's only so much anyone can do or talk about. Commiserating helps, it lets you know you're not alone, but it isn't an end strategy. Can't stick your head in the sand, either. But you're supposed to keep yourself clothed, fed and employed while things keep falling all around you. It's a great system for those who benefit from it. 

Anyway, let's not mope too much. That's not good, either. I hope this finds you in good health, mentally as well as the other kind. June was shit for so many people. I hope you and yours, family, friends, pets, are finding some happiness with one another. As always, I sincerely appreciate your being here with me and I appreciate your support. At the same time, always understand that I understand if you ever need to back out for a while, or for good, or reduce your pledge. I try to make this fun and interesting, I try to post more often than the average Patreon creator. I haven't hit the goals I'I set, partially because of "everything" and largely because I'm doing this without any help and Sarah set this up so that while she wasn't going to post, she'd be helping me with the print PDFs and livestreaming. I'm catching up on a lot, and slowly unlearning my learned helplessness these past few years. As patreon, commissions and selling art has become our main source of income, it's been harder to actually make actual comics as planned for here, so that's been a mess. I have a few new fun strips and pages I'm pushing forward while ink dries on other things, I hope to be posting those shortly. And I hope to get some form of livestreaming and get on those process and ((iffy?) advice on writing and drawing comics. And telling stories more easily. I still have to get to the CBLDF cruise posts, I think enough time's passed that I can at least tell the Neal Adams science presentation bit, if not go rambling about him as a person and how he acted the few times I dealt with him (not so nice). Anyway, thanks for sticking around and for your support and patronage. But don't strain your own resources to be here, is what I want to remind you. We can only do so much, and so many are in need.

Back soon with the Earth X segment of World's Funnest and some more commission process photos, maybe the finished M&C/H&H toy sticker and some odds and ends. I'm pulling some art to make available to top-tier buyers first just to help defray some costs we've incurred this past week, no big deal, just some odds and ends if they spark any interest before I put them on Instagram. And if anyone is interested in doing a Q&A this month, please let me know, or if there's anything anyone is wondering about or has a request for me to cover here on the site.

Thanks, take care, be well. Here's to Christmas in July for us all, or whatever gift-bearing event you choose. We could all use a break.

More soon , soon.