Check out my buddy Matt's comic on Zuda!

Update: Cat goes in on Thursday morning, Jan 11 (tomorrow), and student loan money came through today.

Okay, I really didn't want to post anything about this here, but I've gotten some worried email from a few people, so here goes. Those of you who know us outside of the comic already know all this.

Everybody is pretty much aware of what has gone on before (i.e. my scooter accident, Cat's and my car accident, Shan's GI problems that led to her gall bladder removal, my bronchitus, etcetera, etcetera...), and you were all incredibly supportive. It just seems that lately, every time things begin to calm down around here, something else happens.

In this case it's a triple whammy;

Shan stuff: They're switching Shan's medication around (most of you know she has ADD and bipolar disorder) while she tries to hold down her day job. Of course that, combined with financial stress, is making things difficult for her, and I am letting her get back to drawing the strip when she comes to me and tells me she's up to it again. The GOOD news is that as of next month she will have medical and dental insurance!

Cat stuff: Cat had gotten bronchitus, a throat infection (she gets those every couple of months--We're hoping for a doctor to someday approve yanking her tonsils out), and an ear infection, all at the same time.

A ten-day run of antibiotics cleared that up, but toward the end of it she developed a kidney infection. We took her to the ER at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. They admitted her and put her on two different IV antibiotics, plus dilaudid for pain, and toradol for inflamation. Turns out the reason she gets frequent kidney infections is that her left kidney has been blocked her whole life due to a congenital defect, and is non-functional except as a breeding ground for bacteria.

She was in the hospital from Friday evening until Monday afternoon, when they released her with additional painkillers and oral antibiotics, and we should find out within the next day or so when she goes back in to have the offending kidney removed (they wanted to get the infection under control first). When that happens I'll post her room number for anyone who wants to send a card or flowers (her favorites are irises) or whatever. She will probably not have a job by the time this is all over, but it is fortunate that her mother's insurance is covering this stuff.

As for me, I'm recovering pretty nicely from the accident, although I don't see the neurosurgeon until February 21st for the final verdict. I can still type (and have been invited to the honors program for my writing!), but drawing for more than a few minutes at a time still makes my arm cramp up. This means I won't be taking any drawing classes for a while, although I still hope to eventually get enough use back to add illustration to my English major.

I'm starting to get enough dexterity back in my arm/hand to play guitar, which is nice, but that is still pretty difficult, as well. I had to stop physical therapy because, as the only one of us without health insurance now, I can't afford it until the settlement comes through. I'm doing my exercises and stretches at home, though, and am getting by with progressively less and less pain medication.

The other comics and sites I had planned to launch are, of course, on hold for now, although I am writing them out in novel form in the meantime. I am working with Poser and Photoshop to see if it is feasible for me to get the look I want (I don't want to do them 3D rendered)for the graphic novel versions even though I can't really draw much right now. It looks promising.

So, for those who've been worried, that is what has been going on. Thank you for all your patience and support. We figure that after this the universe somehow owes us good health and no accidents for the next ten or twenty years!