Monster Commute – a Traffic Novel

Hi there -

As you might have heard on Twitter or Facebook, I’ve been having some minor medical issues.

Mostly, it’s just high blood pressure, and perhaps another thing or two, that I’ll find out about in the next few of days.

Really the biggest issue I’ve had is the side-effects from the high blood pressure medications. I’ve only been on them a week, and I thought that I was going to go nuts. Rashes on my arms and legs, as if I were bit by 300 wasps, each. Add to that a constriction of my throat, and I’ve been having a really tough time swallowing.

I thought that I could handle it, but I was wrong.

Saturday night at 10:00 pm, Dawna ended up taking me to the ER, as I wasn’t quite sure that I wouldn’t start choking while trying to sleep.

When I got there, my blood pressure was found to be higher than it’s ever been before. Meh. Not what I was hoping to see. Suddenly that became the focus.

With that visit, I discontinued the evil first drug, and added 4 more new ones. 3/4 are to combat the side effects of the rash, while one new one is to combat the blood pressure.

Trouble is, the side-effect of three of the 4 drugs is severe drowsiness. I’m a total frikkin’ zombie. My energy is sapped, I can’t handle conversation very well, and I shuffle around like a shambling mound. Not my usual self.

Talking to Brent, a friend of mine of 24+ years who works in an ER, most people don’t take their blood pressure meds because of the ample side-effects. They’re just too annoying.

This weekend I needed to get another couple comics done, but I haven’t been able to do it. Comics requires thinking, and I can’t think so well like this. (“Well” was just “whell”.)

So instead, I’ve been drawing and making new prints for the San Diego Comic-Con (and online store), which I’ve been needing to do anyway.

I’ve gotta keep my comic production schedule moving ahead, lest my buffer disppears totally. That would not be good for you, or me.

I’m telling you all of this not because I want your sympathetic attentions… I’ve gotten lots of those from you guys already, and you’re all quite nice. I want to do it because I’m fairly transparent, and you are pals of mine of one degree or another. I have the best champions anywhere in you guys, and you motivate me to do my best.

I just thought that you should know, in case I’m a bit more quiet.

The last thing that I want to do is draw so much attention to my health issues, when my job here is to draw attention to our art / story / comic stuff.

I’m taking care of the health full speed, and Dawna is here doing a great job making sure I focus on it too. We’ll get through it, and I’ve already made significant changes to my diet and exercise routines.

Advice to you: Avoid hypertension like the plague. Skip the burger as it is evil. Don’t put your work ahead of your well-being like I’ve been doing.

Can anybody recommend a recumbent bike of quality?

- Daniel