Summer 1998 to November 1998
By Alex Ness
July 28, 2023
WHY I AM WRITING THIS
From December 1997 other people thought my health issue was derived from
stress. I had health issues, but I also had a wife who was going to try
to be made pregnant by IVF, a father who died, and I was not just in
pain. I was getting crushed by health, it seriously effected my ability
to function. Wife did get pregnant, that was good, but she went on a
couple longer than 10 day trips, (to see family and to do business). I
was alone, and the health issues went well forward of just an issue of
concern. The point of this, is to show how life was made endurable from more than drugs or food or sleep or normal attempts to fix the problem. I had to find a way to endure, a fire inside me, burning, without relief.
THE ISSUE I FACED
Over time, I went from thinking I had reflux, or tummy issues, to knowing, it was something much worse. In May of the year my father died. My wife was pregnant, but away. And the pain of the gallbladder was so substantial I thought I was having a heart attack. I did research and didn't have an answer, yet.
My wife was gone, I was alone, and I didn't have insurance of any sort. I'd been poorly covered by student insurance, but I graduated. Then there was a gap until September 1998. Had I truly had a heart attack, it would wipe us out financially. I was told by the many experts of health people become when they experience it, and was told the pain was ulcers, or cancer, a bowel obstruction, or worse. All I knew, was the pain knocked me out, went on for hours, and affected my poo as well as my urine.
On the nights where my guts felt fire, I stayed awake, couldn't sleep. With my Russian Blue Mischa and my petit chat noir Simone comforting me, I'd read in bed, to avoid the pain, lack of sleep, and fears of the unknown. Life was painful.
THE 3 AUTHORS AND BOOK SERIES THAT SAVED ME
Alan Dean Foster: Jed the Dead, Cachalot, Midworld, and Mad Amos
Jack Kirby: Kamandi, Omac, New Gods, Forever People, Mister Miracle
HP Lovecraft: His poetry and all the Ballantine Adult Fantasy
I
read every work for the opportunity to escape. The reason for such was
clear. I was in hell, and I had to somehow endure until September 1,
when I'd have insurance. I had inklings from Spring and previous time,
and had removed alcohol, and most anything of possible concern from my
diet. It was growing, and without insurance I was told I was a fool. But
we only had so much money, and the year before was a choice, and one
many are forced to make. (Without getting political, this kind of choice
is that which led to a variety of states and President Obama to find a
way to get everyone coverage, of some sort.)
THE SURVIVAL
The doctor I was matched with upon receiving insurance, took a look at my symptoms. He said, you are fat, lose some weight and get back to me. And dismissed me.
I ended up having to go to an emergency room,
where they learned my Gallbladder had collapsed due to being clogged and
backed up. It was said to be dangerous, and how could I have even
thought to wait this long. My new doctor visited me in the hospital,
said, I don't know how it happened. I do. I had a health issue, he
looked at my stereotype and dismissed it as from being fat.
As a
doctor, he was brilliant. But he was wrong, despite this. Also, it
wasn't his only failure. He also missed a near fatal pneumonia, followed
by 3 other bouts. He had no bed side manner. So, I bless my lord that
he provided me a wonderful, magnificent doctor in 2013. A year when I
had cancer and more.
I am
not mentioning names, since again, I think my previous doctor was
brilliant. Had he simply been a researcher, I bet he'd have become a
legend and heroic figure. But my current doctor is compassionate as well
as bright, and aggressive in challenges my health issues.
MORE WHEN I KNOW IT
I am going to follow up upon my surprise announcement that I will be a guest, sponsored by HOT COMICS, at CRYPTOCON, Minneapolis, MN September 15-17.
END NOTE
FINALLY...
I
can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email
Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at
any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street
address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them,
but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these
at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry
that I'd dispense them for free to others.
My Creative Blogs:
5k poem blog AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Published works AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
is simply as fair use and no ownership rights asserted.
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