Plague

hey friends, i'm writing this with the intent of crossposting it to various long form platforms and hopefully the reason will be obvious in just a minute.

first i just want to say thanks to my supporters - things are REALLY hard and i've fallen a LONG way from my peak, but those who stick with me and contribute via my sticker, print or art clubs are a lifeline. october breaks down as such:

Patreon - $77 usd
kofi- $392 usd
comradery - $113 usd

as i am responsible for our utility bills in addition to vetting bills, and because this is my primary source of income, these contributions mean a LOT to me. in a time when 12% of americans are about to become food insecure bc of a gov shutdown, knowing people are willing to offer up 6, 25 or even 50$ a month to help me stay above water is very touching. i only hope the things ive been creating and mailing have made it feel worth the money! and if you're looking at what amounts to less than 600$ income a month and going 'wow that is impossible to live on' i agree!!!!!!! but there's very little i can do!!! nobody will hire a transmasc teacher right now!!! this is all i have!!

i only wish i could be more productive with my art, but, well... about that.

the thing is that since sometime about mid september, my fatigue situation has got a /lot/ worse. at first i thought it was from the recent minor surgery, as surgical recovery fatigue is very normal. but it seemed extreme for that? at its very worst, i'd wake up to feed the cats their breakfast and then instantly fall back asleep for another four hours. then i'd wake up for just long enough to change/bathe/eat myself and feed cats dinner before immediately falling asleep again. talking like 14-15 hours asleep.

while sleeping more than half the hours of the day might sound relaxing or fun, it honestly is a huge problem. i can't focus - i can't get a good workflow going, or even reliably contact people to let them know the issue was happening. i just kept hoping i'd feel better! and because fatigue is insidious, i'd have maybe one good day and then BAM out for 15 hours again the next. it wasnt til after i got my covid/flu vax and realized that i was NOT feeling a significant increase in fatigue because i was already like MAX FATIGUE that i began to worry and try to figure it out.

"you didnt NOTICE?" hey i walked off a broken toe recently, i just push through discomfort by default. until one day i can't anymore.

there's several factors that could be contributing, but i think the most likely? is because i increased my antidepressant (venlafaxine aka effexor). my doctor thinks its anemia (but i have no symptoms) or thyroid (likewise no symptoms) tho all recent tests were clear. i think long covid tbqh is more likely than either of those, but either way the result is something that looks a lot like Chronic Fatigue.

so for now, i'm doing what i can within my control and switching to taking my medication at night rather than in the morning. it's too soon to be certain, but i haven't fallen asleep in the middle of the day for two days in a row now so i'm optomistic.

fingers crossed.

if you want to know how to help, joining the sticker club (or print club, or art club) is best. i'm still a far cry from where i once was before i fell ill, but anything helps. i really, really hope i'll be back to some level of functioning energy soon. and if it is related to meds, in 2029 when i stop taking my cancer med maybe i'll get some stamina back because i can switch back to sertraline. but that's a long time away in 2025 years.

anyway tldr my fatigue levels have been debilitating so my output has slowed significantly and i'm struggling to keep up with bills, but with the help of supporters i havent fallen through the cracks yet.

please be patient with me, and support my work if you can.