Kraken: Blog

Yep, I won an all-expenses paid extended staycation at ‘The SPA’. It’s not exactly what you’re probably thinking though. You see, ‘The SPA’ is the acronym for the local hospital and the expenses were paid for by my health insurance.

Let me back up a little to a few weeks after my last blog post and my story will be a little less murky.

I’m muddling along happily following my doctors exercise plan getting stronger and stronger as I went when one morning, I nearly fall flat on my face trying to get out of bed. My left knee is swollen up to the size of large grapefruit. By the time my wife gets me to Urgent Care it’s even larger. Turns out I have Bursitis, which can’t be cured, and the only real pain reliever is Naprosyn, which can’t be taken with Ibuprofen. Hmm…Naprosyn for the bursitis or Ibuprofen for the arthritis in my right knee and hip. Decisions, decisions. Yes, I know. Naprosyn works for Arthritis as well, but it takes a lot longer. No one has ever, nor will they ever, accuse me of pursuing delayed gratification.

I finally get over that, have a new exercise plan from the doc and start feeling better when the doc tells me it’s time to get my COVID shots. I had a really severe reaction to the second shot. It knocked me on my ass! To say my holidays were blown would be an understatement. Eventually I did start feeling better, but it took a few months, and even then, I had some little health issues, like spring pollen allergies, that needed to be addressed.

Fast forward a few weeks. I woke up one morning short of breath. I mean I was really having a problem catching my breath. Off to Urgent Care we go…no I wasn’t driving…that’s my wife’s job. Urgent Care took one look at me and called the ambulance for transport to ‘The SPA’ where I was admitted for Congestive Heart Failure, Acute Diastolic Heart Failure, and Atrial Fibrillation. Two days later, just to add insult to injury, they added Covid to the mix, which seems to be standard for the times here in the US.

A few weeks later, I was sent home with a large bag of pills and inhalers, a portable oxygen compressor, and a nebulizer. I was told to "get plenty of rest" and that Atrial Fibrillation was the only thing still wrong. Either my body will reset the heartbeat within the next few months or the Cardiologist will correct it with an electrical shock near the end of the year. The oxygen and nebulizer are just in case I need them until I have a few months of follow-up with a Pulmonary Critical Care Specialist.

So, here I am now, right back where I was a little over two years ago. Rangers remains a Work in Progress. I’m ready to start my revised and improved exercise regimen and, hopefully, start back to writing in the next few weeks. I certainly can’t make any promises or forecast a date when I’ll start posting, but the intent, not to mention the need, is there.

As always, I want to thank all those who sent messages and emails asking about my health, although, I will say that there were a couple that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, exaggerated news of my death. I trust that this blog post lays to rest the question of whether I’m still alive or not as well as answers those messages and emails as it would take me forever to respond to them all individually.

It’s been a rough two years, health wise, but as I started out this post, all things considered, including the alternative, as far as I’m concerned… I Won!

It seems part of my blog entry last night ran afoul of Rule #17 dealing with promotions and was deleted in its entirety. I blame the muscle relaxers...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Here it is again without the offending section:

Kinda. Sorta. OK, so I'm almost back. The first run of meds from my new doctor didn't work as well as she thought they would. The last set of meds she gave me seemed to do the trick! So after just a little over a year I'm finally off most of the meds except the muscle relaxers for the lingering neck and chest pain (it's amazing the muscle stress and pain coughing for almost a year will cause) and the ones most of us old folks take for high blood pressure and cholesterol.

There are a few lingering issues, as one would expect, which will keep me from immediately returning to writing. All of these issues stem from lack of energy and the doctor assures me they will self-correct once I rebuild my stamina. To that end she's prescribed a detailed walking regimen with a stern warning not to exceed her instructions. Like my wife, she tells me that patience (something I've never been accused of having) is a virtue.

Assuming I'm able to faithfully follow her instructions, she assures me that I should be recovered enough to begin writing again in four weeks.

With her warning in mind I'm tentatively hoping to release Ranger sometime in September. I can't promise but that's my hope. So keep your fingers crossed.

My sincerest thanks to all you who've emailed, texted, and/or messaged me with your thoughts and prayers over the last year. All were much appreciated.

Until my next update, I wish you all well.

Yes, I'm still alive! At least that's what my wife keeps telling me. The last five plus months have been a blur as I fight what the doctor has finally decided is a chronic Upper Respiratory Infection. Between the symptoms and, eventually, the various combinations of pills, nasal sprays, inhalers, and shots, I've spent more time comatose than aware. Every time I start getting better, it comes raring right back. Needless to say, my focus, concentration, and stamina have been completely shot. On the plus side, it's not Covid!

The latest rounds of medicines seem to be working as the symptoms are decreasing day by day. My focus, concentration, and stamina increase a few more minutes each day, so I hope to finally recover and get back to writing soon. Even though I only have a handful of chapters left to write on Rangers, Book 5 in the Robledo Mountain Saga, I can't give a solid release date until later in my recovery.

Meanwhile, Dan Carrol has been hard at work and completed the audio version of Refuge. I currently plan to work on editing this over the next couple of weeks, assuming my recovery continues, as it's much easier to listen and read along, for an hour or two a day, than it is to write new material. I'll keep you updated on the status.

My thanks to all those who've emailed and/or texted me asking about both my status and the status of Rangers! Please accept my apologies for not responding as, until today, I haven't looked at either emails or texts since early June. With over 250 emails and texts, it's going to take a while to answer all of them, but I will spend a few minutes each day responding to them until I'm done.

The final two chapters (19 & Epilogue) have been submitted to the moderators and should post in the next few minutes.

My thanks to all of you for reading this latest installment, commenting, emailing, and voting. The feedback (good, bad, or indifferent) helps improve the next story, so keep it up.

Robledo Mountain Book 5, RANGERS, should start posting here in July. The audio version of Robledo Mountain should become commercially available by then as well.

Until then, continue to practice social distancing and stay safe.

Chapter 18, the penultimate chapter of Railroad, has been submitted to the mods and should post soon. The final portions of Railroad (Chapter 19 and Epilogue will post next Friday)

Rangers (Book 5 in the Robledo Mountain Saga) is a Work in Progress currently scheduled to start posting in early summer. For those who've asked, the audio version of Robledo Mountain (Book 1) is in the editing stage. Depending on the QA backlog at the distributors, I hope to have it released no later than Father's Day.

My thanks to all who take the time to send me emails or provide comments. They are all deeply appreciated as are the grammar and punctuation corrections!

Until next week, stay safe!