Housekeeping

My original idea was to create this site as a trial space for continuing conversations I've been having with a small Facebook group. I figured it would save time and energy to have awareness of my situation going in.

But I also included people who signed up a few years ago for my newsletter, which barely got off the ground before I contracted Covid and then long Covid. So just to keep the ball rolling here...

It's been three years since I first got sick. This is the way I am now – I have a chronic illness. Accommodations have to be made, certainly by me. It sounds depressing but we don't really go there here in this particular Chuck's World, mostly because I'm not depressed. There's probably a distinction that can be made but the point is, I'm OK mood-wise. I get blue, and discouraged a lot, but I'm plugging away every day.

So there's that. We're also doing a big basement renovation that we really didn't anticipate, but it's a lot of fun to watch develop. There's about 1000 sq ft of usable space there that really hasn't been utilized well over the past 37 (!) years here, so it's about time.

For the past few months, my neurological status has declined. I have more balance problems, and I try to use a cane when I remember. Otherwise I keep my arms extended and always know what I can hang onto if needed.

And my short-term memory is scary bad. I'm trying to document this for the eventual neurological workup, but a common occurrence: I set a timer for something, or a reminder, and when it's time I note it, turn off the timer/reminder, and immediately forget.

I'm concerned about early/prodromal Parkinson's, which is absolutely not a stretch for a long Covid course, but there's not much to do at this point. It's another thing we'll review, but I have a feeling it's a watch-and-wait situation.

Hippocrates, nearly 2500 years ago in northern Greece, documented what is now called "long flu," an illness that never gets better and causes all sorts of bizarre symptoms (it was considered by most to be a spiritual problem, but not by Dr. Hippo). This is not new, a lingering post-viral illness, now suspected to be from viral persistence – fragments of virus hide out in the body, causing alarms to go off and immune systems to gird for phantom battles.

It creates a cycle of inflammation, and let's leave it there. It's bad news, and Covid is a bad bug anyway. It goes after organs.

Anyway. We're doing some remodeling this summer, which is stressful and exciting, and will be wonderful (if we don't run out of money). I may mention it.

I started leaning in to video/animation during the pandemic, and then after I got Covid it became something I could do without wearing myself out. An analogy: I can play the piano, play chords and improvise, play by ear. It's fun, and I can fool you for a minute, but I'm just messing around.

Now imagine that I started practicing, every day for 8, 10, 12 hours. For three years.

That's what happened. I think it confuses family and old friends, because graphic arts have never been in my wheelhouse, but here we are. I make cartoons and I will continue.

But I want to write. It's easier than it was a year ago, but I still give up a lot. And the typos are now horrendous (I'm so sorry for those of you who are driven mad by this, me too, but I apparently can't help it now). I do think I'm a better writer because I have to go slower, but I also have to actually write.

There. I think we're caught up, but I'll try not to be obscure here with details. I'm writing every day to wait for people to figure out I'm here, so my apologies if it's overwhelming your inbox. We'll get there.

(AND YES, THE WORLD IS HORRIBLE. I AM AWARE AND DO NOT WISH TO DISCUSS HERE)