Brah, there are no words to say how I feel right now. I have always
considered you a friend, a talented artist and a very cool person. All I
can honestly do is pray for you, send you all the reiki I can through the
lines of divination and keep good thoughts for the best outcome. You are a
good man Jim, never forget that and you still have a legion of fans pulling
for you at all times. no matter what, we are right here beside you.
On Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 10:10 PM, a_change_of_plans_at_yahoo.com
[SkunkworksAMA] <SkunkworksAMA_at_yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
>
> I've been pondering writing about this for the past few months, but wanted
> to wait until additional testing was done and other affairs were in order.
> As some of you may have noticed, I haven't been posting much lately; in
> fact, I haven't even been online much lately. I have not drawn anything
> for months, though not for lack of trying.
>
> As some of you may know, I got a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2007.
> Despite a strict diet, consistent exercise program, and careful monitoring
> of weight and medications, the kidney started giving up the ghost back in
> 2012 (remember when I started having all those problems?), and is failing.
> The doctors believe it was due to an unknown auto-immune virus hidden in
> the donor kidney, as only the kidney has been affected.
>
> My current weight is 153 pounds, which is pretty normal. I've started
> rebuilding muscles lost over the past year (multiple surgeries did not
> permit me to continue my exercise program), as the doctors plan on grafting
> an arteriovenous fistula into my left arm at the beginning of August. Once
> healed (and built up), this will allow IV's to be inserted to allow
> dialysis, which will probably be starting later this fall/early winter.
>
> At the last check-up, my Creatinine level was 7.66 mg/dL. The acceptable
> range is 0.67-1.17 mg/dL, so I'm obviously WAY over the line. Blood Urea
> Nitrogen levels should be between 7-18 mg/dL, but mine was 91 mg/dL.
> Again, way out of the park. Protein concentration in the urine should be
> between 0.0-11.9 mg/dL, but mine was 305.4 mg.dL, which means the filters
> in the kidney aren't doing their job. The doctor said my kidney function
> is at approximately 8%, much to my surprise, as you'd never know it by
> looking at me or by asking how I felt. No swelling, no nausea, none of the
> shit usually associated with reduced renal function. The only problems
> I've been having are hand tremors (cause currently unknown) and a short
> supply of energy.
>
> I've submitted information to the transplant center to apply for another
> transplant. The doctors and I are hoping my excellent clean health record
> and impeccable monitoring of my diet, weight and other such factors will
> play a big part in moving me up the line. I'm otherwise in excellent
> health (remember, I was on the waiting list for the kidney and pancreas for
> only 3 weeks before I received my first call due to my otherwise excellent
> health), and am a far cry from most of the patients I see at the doctor's
> office (sickly, old, or morbidly obese people who pay little mind to what
> they are putting into their bodies). If I'm lucky, a suitable match will
> be found and I'll be able to get the defective kidney replaced.
>
> Before anyone says "Hope you get better!", let me just state that this is
> NOT something you "get better" from. You either get a transplant, or you
> die. Pretty simply math. The best I can do is try to keep my system as
> stable for as long as possible, at its current state, pending dialysis or a
> new transplant.
>
> Since most of this year, and a fat chunk of last year, was spent working
> or going to the hospital for various invasive surgeries, I haven't done any
> drawing for quite some time (aside from that little comic I drew a few
> weeks ago, which was pretty crudely-drawn despite taking a damn week to
> draw). Because of my hands acting up, any fine motor skills are pretty
> much impossible with them now. I totally botched the Lori outline picture
> for the dakimakura, but recently sent off two new, penciled versions of the
> picture to a fellow artist of mine in Florida who does excellent inking
> work. I've known him since high school, and have seen him perfectly pull
> off Jim Lee and Todd MacFarlane's art styles. I included copies of the
> other B&W dakimakura pictures so he could see how the inks are done. He
> told me to give him a few weeks and he should have it done (he works a
> regular job and is doing this as a favor for me).
>
> So until either my health situation improves or my hands quit acting like
> epileptic Parkinson's patients, I'm afraid I won't have any sort of new
> artwork to offer. There are two chapters and several other individual
> pages from the Skunkworks compilation which may have met their demise in
> the shredder a couple years ago (without me realizing it). I have not been
> able to locate these pages. I will likely try to redraw them, but may have
> to have someone else ink them. I might ask my friend Adam to do that if he
> doesn't mind (and is available).
>
> So that's what's been going on, and why I've been so quiet lately. I've
> already got my funeral shit taken care of, and my living will is done, but
> I'm still working on some of the stuff in my Last Will. Just in case, you
> know. Might as well take the opportunity to get all that shit done now so
> I don't have to worry about it later.
>
> While sorting through things, I've also set aside some more unpublished
> art from years gone by, which I'll likely post and/or auction off. Still
> waiting to refresh my Furbuy account, as the M.O. I sent them went to the
> wrong address and another one has to be sent out.
>
> So stay cool, enjoy the days and nights, and I'll try to get something up
> here soon. My friend Brian suggested some art tips to help me with my
> hands, so I'm gonna try those out to see if they'll do any good. Here's to
> hoping!
>
> --JMH, still not dead yet, but damn if the ol' Reaper isn't trying his
> best!
>
>
>
>
Received on Tue Jul 15 2014 - 21:00:04 CDT