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A Long Time Gone
a year ago
I've been sick for a long time, and I've left a lot of people hanging. I have been diagnosed (after a looong back and forth with doctors) with Interstitial Lung Disease. I was first told it was Atypical Pneumonia, and I thought, 'Yeah! It's curable!' Then I was told that, no, it's COPD. I was all, "But wait! I never ever smoked!" (My parents -- who were tricked into disinheriting me by my evil brother -- smoked, though. Chain smoked.) Now it's ILD. I see a specialist (finally) next week, so maybe they'll say it's something else. *eye roll*
The bottom line is that for a few years I couldn't walk -- even around my house -- without being unable to breathe. I was coughing all the time, choking on phlegm, gasping and nearly passing out. All I could do is sit... it wasn't so bad if I didn't move. My creativity wasn't just dulled, it was dead. I even considered suicide. It's been awful.
So, now there's today. I'm on oxygen. I had to banish my birds to their own room. I can now move around with only minor panting. I have a portable oxygen generator that means I can finally get out of the house, maybe go to conventions again (in the future.) Then my creativity came roaring back suddenly, and I've been super busy.
Which is why I'm here. I owe a lot of commissions to a number of you folks, and I'm working on getting them to you. I've done a few, which I'll post, along with other art I've stuffed in here and there. I'm so sorry for the long delay -- and I profusely apologize to those I've made wait.
Best Always;
Terrie
The bottom line is that for a few years I couldn't walk -- even around my house -- without being unable to breathe. I was coughing all the time, choking on phlegm, gasping and nearly passing out. All I could do is sit... it wasn't so bad if I didn't move. My creativity wasn't just dulled, it was dead. I even considered suicide. It's been awful.
So, now there's today. I'm on oxygen. I had to banish my birds to their own room. I can now move around with only minor panting. I have a portable oxygen generator that means I can finally get out of the house, maybe go to conventions again (in the future.) Then my creativity came roaring back suddenly, and I've been super busy.
Which is why I'm here. I owe a lot of commissions to a number of you folks, and I'm working on getting them to you. I've done a few, which I'll post, along with other art I've stuffed in here and there. I'm so sorry for the long delay -- and I profusely apologize to those I've made wait.
Best Always;
Terrie
It's good to see you back, and I look forward to seeing the results of your renewed creativity!
I'll give you a poke on our old email chain about a commission for you to get to when you have a moment!
Also if it's alright, I had some questions I sent you a note about.
I've always enjoyed your work, you're one of the earlier furry artists I encountered way back in like early 00's
I've been keeping track of most of your Livejournals over the years and sorry you had such a rough...well, everything. It is good to see you being able to bounce back and finally regain your ability to create again. I do hope that things will at least continue to further improve with you and that you can finally start enjoying yourself again.
Also, as someone who has been waiting in line myself, do not worry at all about the absence. I could see that you were going through a lot (and that was made quite clear both on and off the journals) and I had figured things weren't really looking all that great on you returning with the way things were go. I am still very thankful of the pieces you finished for me in the past, and I have waited just fine for the ones on hold, so rest assured there is no hard feelings whatsoever. Just be sure to also be sure to take your time and that if you're in dire straits again, don't beat yourself up over it. Just glad that you're back :3
Thank you for all the hard and amazing work that you do! ^^
Sorry to hear this, hon.
I'm disabled now. (can't walk any distance.)
Had a weird lung infection almost kill me in 2012.
Then I caught influenza type b just as covid was beginning, and was flat on my back with tubes pumping antibiotics into me due to developing a nasty bacterial infection/pneumonia and that was very bad. (Ken had to call an ambulance and have paramedics carry me out of my bedroom and get me into the ambulance because I was so weak I couldn't even get up.)
So I can definitely sympathize.
I hope you improve, and sad to hear about yet another old friend having a bad time.
Too many good friends suffering right now.
-Badger-
Sorry to hear about isolation from your birds, I have a Green Cheek Conure myself that's my sanity switch and mental stability friend. Thankfully not having issues with the bird.
But I am thrilled to see you come back. We seriously missed you big time. Main thing is you are back and hopefully soon mobile.
BTW, Richard Konkle says "Hi Terrie!!"
*world is restored to it's happy place*
Glad to see you're still with us.
Sorry too hear you've been sick for so long.
That you are recovering and improving is a blessing, and I'm glad you're finding your way back.
Stay strong, be of a light heart, and continue to dream, Terrie.
--a client since 1984
So glad to see this update though and I really hope things improve from now on. Hopefully some creativity too coming with it. I had really missed seeing your drawings.
Then, seen your art coming back is like a dream coming true
I still have a pic you did for me on my wall.
Also, I'm very happy to see you creating again! I've missed your beautiful art!
I'm so sorry you've had to go through all that, but hopefully you're on the upswing. Being able to breathe plus a creativity boost are certainly good signs. Great to see your work once more, too. Best of luck as you pull through with the oxygen :)
It's no fun having your body shut life down to the point of giving up on it. Keep strong and look forward to more good days ahead.
May you be well
May you be happy
May you be creative
May you be prosperous
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I too suffer from a form of COPD. I've had chronic asthmatic bronchitis for over 50 years and the medical community has redefined it as a form of COPD. Both of my parents smoked when I was born and my father continued to smoke until days before the cancer killed him. I was forced to work in enclosed places with people who smoked heavily until the law changed around 1990, but then I still had to endure the 'Smokers' Rights' faction piled up outside every door. Now I'm retired and all I have to contend with is my neighbor blowing cigarette smoke at my house.
I hope you find a good resolution soon and continue to improve.
Also glad to see you back and posting new artwork and commissions. I hope that my commission from back in 2015 is on your list. I look forward to seeing it!
Best of luck to you!
Hope you can recover as best as possible.
Hopefully they've got you on the road to recovery or stabilized enough to be able to share.
Beets also as well are supposed to have some nitric oxide or something that can help breath, worth a shot, sounds like your smoking parents might have gotten to your lungs as secondhand smoke. And also with the arts, i hear a lot of stories about happy arts but strained irls, coughing phlegm, that sounds serious if you haven't seen a doctor yet on medicaid or country medicine. Sounds like the o2 machine helps, though it might be the smoking in the house.
If you're still near the problem, you might be keeping yourself away from the cure. I used to remember moving to a place for clean air but that's so much harder to do economically in 2024.
I'm glad you finally got some answers along with some solutions. Oxygen helps with a myriad of problems. Hopefully they'll figure out something to help with the phlegm.
Love and health to you and Glen and all of your household.
Seriously, that con badge and those sig doodles are happy memories from way back.
Been locked up with some massive burnout here too for the same timeframe, and know how painful it can be. Whatever it takes to take care of you, PLEASE do what needs to be done, and if you need help, PLEASE ask for it.
Looking at the well-wishes here, it's like half my inspirations for getting into the whole furry art thing to begin with is right here with you... legendary!
...just don't let it go to your head, eh?
.....seriously though, you got a TON of fans, a MASSIVE history and legacy... if you need head-space help, I'm sure I speak for most EVERYONE here when I say, all you need to do is ask.
Physical health? Always gonna be a prob, so, again, whatever needs to be done to keep things going, do it.
Art?
From another well-known way-back artist: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
-name withheld
Do WHAT you can WHEN you can.
Said artist dug themself out from a SERIOUSLY deep hole, so yes, it CAN be done. Don't stress. You'll get there.
Wish there was more I could do than just offer talk, sorry.
(No kidding, look at the art style I developed through the years, elements of your style had a HUGE impact... lit. inspiration)
Please take care of yourself.
=^.,.^=
Thank you for the update! Sending positive vibes your way! 😁
I'm happy to provide any updates to my commission in pending... including any info I may have emailed to you way back in the day! Not a thing has changed since then, I'm sure of that much... but let me know if I can bring you up to speed!
Again, it's GREAT to see you back in action once again. This is a very reassuring thing for me to see after all that went down with Dragoneer... :/
I'll be in touch, fellow artist! Take care in the meantime. <3
-M.
All of us will be, eventually
Live your life as best you can while it's there - don't let obligations/'obligations' clog up your exceedingly-precious time
Stay tough!
I'm really glad you're back.
I'm so sory to hear that you have had such health problems. Much love, my friend!
Yell Glen to answer his messages sometime!
I was put on "Oxygen Therapy" to help me recover from a bout of COPD about two years ago, and at first, they gave me so much O2 that I was hallucinating. A yellow wildcat appeared on a tree branch above my bed, and it snarled at me. Of course I snarled back.
Sounds like a horrible time there. Glad you at least feel better by now. Hope things goes well from here with the new specialist.
That said, it may be safest to avoid cons, since the risk of catching something that would become serious in your present circumstances is too great. (Smudge is in much the same boat.) Supposedly, there's a San Diego group trying to put together a furcon. If they do, that may be the best case scenario for you. We shall just have to see.
Gaia bless
Pakesh_De
Snoofy old bear.
Wishing you well, Terrie. I've been a fan a long time.