Fucking love baconators

me too, and my triglycerides or whatever were high before and high blood pressure(I can;t take antihistamines or whatnot for colds, no claritin nothin xD) and i had high cholesterol last time i knew and i'm 25 :/ i feel ya dude i hope i don't end up like my dad having multiple open heart surgeries x-x

Strype
Hope you get better :D

We're all pullin' for you, brother. Good luck.

Jesus man...just stay strong and you'll pull through.

Get better lick this thing, you never know whats around the corner!.
Life will get better you just don't know in what way yet.

Oh no, I'm so sorry! =( I really hope that you find yourself on the road to recovery as soon as possible, and that the angioplasty goes off without a hitch.

Be well!

Best of luck, friend. I hope everything turns out for the better... After all, you need to get better! I've yet to get a commission from you! XD

On a serious note, look at it like this. medical advancements have taken leaps and bounds over the past ten years. Take a moment to realize that, even in the %.1 chance of that complication, there are at least three backups they have to help you. I barely know you. This is my first time writing on your journals or anything. And quite frankly, I wish you the best. I may not be a religious man, but you'll have my prayers, for what it's worth.

Really sorry to hear all that Strype, hope everything goes well with your up coming procedures. And you're no olds.

*hugs*

Strype, hun, I love your art, and I do pray for your health.

; o ; good luck!
Don't get too down about things, maybe once you change your habits you can start changing other things in your life.
Be a happy butterball

1+

why does this happen to people like you?! I mean i don't know you, but your art certainly shows that you are a talented person with a rare gift.

Sorry to hear that :( I have family heart problems too from my mom's side of the family. I had to change my diet and exercise bit more. I know you're a strong tiger and can hang in there ^^ I hope you get well soon :3

Damn, I wish you were in the UK. at least then you would have the NHS to help you.

I'm canadian, so money aint an issue

My apologies, just glad your not an American (In respect to health care)

I'd take offense to a statement like that, but it's true.

^this^ lmfao

Health care is getting better over here. >> Honestly, it's a pretty great system if you can afford it (no waiting lists), the hard part when you're young is well...affording it. So I like the new health care bill,it lets me stay on my mother's health insurance while I solidify everything in my life. And I hope the Republicans don't get in so they can repeal it. >>

This really sounds terrible .w. I hope it gets better somehow

*hugs lots* Man, I feel your pain, in a way. When I was 24, I almost died of heart/lung complications. It's super scary shit, but it sounds like they're catching it soon enough to hopefully get a handle on it before something happens. Just hang in there, dude. I wish I had something more to say, but... D: Good luck with everything <3

oh goodness, best of luck to you D:

Best of luck, dude. I'm sure everything will be alright and you'll pull through perfectly fine.

Best of luck man.

Sounds like a great excuse to start an exercise program! We are pulling for you!

Wow.... I really hope you're procedures go well and you can recover o__o;;

Strype. No one can tell you what you have to live for, you have to figure that one out yourself. If you live for bacon, then you'll have to fight everything else to get that bacon. If you live for furry art porns, gotta drop the bacon. You're an amazing artist, but you have to determine what you want to live for.

Honestly, if you want to go full on arts if that's what makes your life worth living, I'd suggest dropping the call center job and going balls deep in arts.. or something.

Its better to try and fail than to live in regret.

Love you Strype.

This, really.

Except maybe the love. Well, y'know...I could manage awkward man-hugs. That kinda thing. =P

my dad has heart problems and he takes insulin prescribed by his doctor and ask your doctor wat yu can do to restore choletrol lvl
and i hope yu get better

Salad

In truth, what is life? We get born and spend our first few years in blissful ignorance. Then, we spend about a decade and a half having a billion and one things crammed into our heads for "later in life". And when that is all finished, we spend the rest of our time just trying to keep a roof over our heads and food in our belly. Most people's general consensis is "I'll have some fun when I'm in a better position." But by the time we get in that position, we're too old to do what we wanted and are lucky if we can even remember what it is we wanted to do.

Sure, some people catch a break in life and have the chance to do all the stuff they want to do, when they want to do it, and more. And others are lucky just to see the end of their education years. The thing you need to ask yourself is, are you happy? Not are you satisfied with what you've done, but are you content with things as they are? Have you enjoyed yourself?

I'm 26 and have done about as much as the next average shmuck. But I can honestly say that if I were to die tomorrow, tonight, 5 minutes from now, I'd die happy. I've made about as many friends as I have fingers on one hand, but they are spectacular friends. I've seen some of the most magnificent movies and listened to songs that can literally move me to a new emotional state. I've played games and followed along storylines with some outstanding characters and explored worlds I couldn't hope to in reality. And I've had chance after chance to admire and appreciate some of the greatest art this world has ever created, right here in this very fandom.

Though brief and probably more than a little crazy, I've felt an emotion so powerful it can only be love, pure and unconditional.

I've lived 26 years and in the last 6 of those years I consider myself to have lived more than I ever could if I were one of those people who "have everything."

Perhaps it's because I never truly let go of my childhood. I clung to my imagination and soared on the limitless wings of creation that only the mind can conjure. Perhaps I'm one of the truly lucky people who are able to have little yet do so much.

I'm 26 and if I were now, I'd die happy.

That's pretty deep man

it's nice to see someone that thinks this way. i wont expand on that, as i don't want to seem like i am speaking negatively of anyone. but it's refreshing.

wtf, man?

oh sweetie. I am sorry to hear that. I know it doesn't mean much, but as a nurse I have been a part of many Angioplasty's. It really is a 0.1% and in 10years none of my patients have had any issue. You can ask for a relaxer if you want also aka xanax. also the doctor to lower the lights to help calm you and off course you will be numbed. **hug** I know you will be fine, but I will be thinking of you no matter what.. Let us know how it goes please.

Stay strong, guy.

Stop saying 29 is old! But lemme stop ya, you have an EPIC talent! You can breath new life into new and/or existing characters. Your Coloring and attention to detail is admirable. Don't go thinking your nothing, because you'll end up just like that, a nothing, if you keep thinking that way.

As for health issues, My father went in for *counts to self* three of those Stints. Proceedure is simple, quick, and your back on your feet in no time. Just be thankful your driving to you surgery instead of being escorted to one.

The Community in FA loves ya dude and many of us would hate to see ya fade away or die. Keep up you inspirational work. I'm sure you'll work through your creativity issues one day.

Awww, you might be surprised how much better you feel once you get this fixed and the diet stuff under control. It won't be an easy path though.. its gonna be difficult. I don't have the level of troubles you do but when the doc gave me the frowny face and slapped me on meds that was enough to scare the hell out of me... BP was at 179/190 they werent even sure if they wanted to send me home and i was pushing 200 lbs and i am only 5'2....diet and activity life changes are the hardest to grasp, I am struggling with it and its been almost a year now... I've lost 30 lbs and its getting there but its not easy and I am also to stubborn to remain on drugs for the rest of my life I am to young for that [I am older then you are by the way]..... anyways best of luck have a good recovery and try not to become stressed to much about it.

They've made a lot of medical progress in the area of heart surgery, still it's very scary and I know I'll be sending good thoughts your way!

Best of luck. It's about all I can wish ya right now as I am sorry to hear things aren't so well for you. *Hug*

Don't give up, show your heart who's the boss! There's always a point in living, and you still have more than a half of it in front of you. ^^

Welcome in a world whithout vegetables

Animo! Good luck, Stype. i'm 29 old ages and Sorry to hear that :( my familly too have diabetes problems, I feel your pain, in a way. Hope you get better :)

You can have my heart if you want i dont really use it that much

Be positive, I wish you good luck.

-hugs softly- I hope you feel better soon and that everything goes well o .o'

oh wow. -hugs- Good luck at the docs and hope you can get on some lipitor to help with the fatty stuff in yer system
if not go out in a blaze of glory with a pound of bacon in your belly and a beer in your hand.

I'm on Lipitor now. I get to deal with the muscle pain it causes as a side effect. yay.

had no idea it causes pain. hmmmm, does it mix well with a pain reliever?

Or somehow get a supercar and fly through the pearly gates backwards in a fireball :3

I feel ya on the greymuzzle side of things. I'm 29, too, and getting grey hairs at the temples. :P

Luck on Monday.

Had the angioplasty and stents in '07 (age 45), and it'll do ya a world of good after the recovery period!

The doctor thinks my husband is starting to have heart problems and he's only 22. Guess medical things are starting all ages these days.
Hope all goes well.

I'm very sorry to hear that brother, is there anything we can do to help?

i know there isn't much to say that will change anything or even really affect how you feel. but best wishes to you.

Every day that you are alive is a day things can get better.

Hey man, I feel your pain. :V Not heart issues, per say, but my family's pretty prone to getting cancer, and I'm already a 2 year 22 year old survivor.

Shit's scary. I've recently been learning about how to make diet changes for the better, because I have no doubt that all the candy I used to consume as part of my dietary pyramid was the source of the cancer.

I hope that you are able to decide that you want to make such a change as well. There's a shit ton of delicious-ass foods that you can have that SHOULD be tried anyway, because omfg, they're so good.

Eep. All I have to say is: Life only has the meaning you give it. I've made up my mind that living is what I live for. As in I want to live as long as humanly (Or otherwise) possible, by whatever means necessary.

Live because you're alive. Live because the world's amazing. Live to show that you will not be beaten by adversity. Live because you can.

Corny and maybe a little cliche, but it's still a valid point.

For what it's worth, the fact you're scared means you do have plenty that you don't want to lose.

Genetics play an awful part in that mess. I am sorry to hear, but it's better that you caught it now, rather than when you're laying on the floor wondering what happened to your life and wishing you could do something about it. Don't give up, no matter how bleak things seem. I wish the best for you.

it's never too late to turn things around

You probably have more life advice than you can handle, but I hope whatever changes are being made will pull you out.

I can't help you make anything better with your mind. These people can't help you to some degree. The mind is stubborn.

Regardless, I wish you the best. You've been pumping some damn good work. I love the busty busts you've been handling. Do what you enjoy. If you don't want to draw, don't, if you're not dependent on it.

Follow the doctor's instructions and diet.
That is all.

Try and stay positive, it's hard but sometimes it's just something that needs to be done. Everyone here supports you and we all think about you and worry about you, so keep us updated on your progress!

I hope you get on the road to mending soon *big hugs* and what someone else said is true, perhaps a small change in your life can lead to bigger more rewarding changes later on. But you've got to take the first step :3

http://books.google.com/books?id=fD.....onepage&q=fiber%20sucks%20up%20cholesterol&f=false

This should help you with your health if you follow it. Especially the fiber part.

So basically you are in such bad shape, even the lions and hyenas should mark you off the menu?

Hope you can get it stablized somehow.

You may be 29 but that still leaves you time, don't think it's all over yet.

Best of luck! I'm sure you'll be just fine :3

Yo dude, gimme a hoot if you're interested in a comics gig. ;) Or at least, doing hot covers! :D

Forgive the cliche, but it seems appropriate: "So long as there is life, there is hope."

Strype, I'm as straight as straight goes man. But I gotta say, I love ya man, even if we don't know each other, I love everyone. I wish nothing but good for you and I know with your courage and a little help, you can pull through this and I'm rooting for ya.

Naww you can't die, then we'd lose one of the most impressive anthro artists out there.

You get fixed, and then we build universes


.... UNIVERSES man

Best of wishes.

I've been through a few things that've left me worse for wear, and... 'old man'. If you want someone to talk to, all my stuff is on my front page.

It gets better. It really does. I speak from absolute experience, that nothing beyond the initial terror compares for shock and negativity. Hold your ground, be strong for a little while, and be prepared to re-learn yourself if need be.

Prepare beforehand for the possibility of changes in your lifestyle, some that you get to enact, and some that are acted upon you.

Steel yourself. Ride the waves. Land on an appendage that isn't your head... come to knees, one foot, then two. Move slow, look around, survive, adapt, thrive.

And tell me if I'm wrong, but there's a little bit of solace in not having a tough choice. The choice has been made, the course is straight and simple (for you, at least).

And for god sake do not stress about everyone else around you stressing. Make it clear to them that their being stressed and agitated in your presence does not help. It didn't help me. I had to push some people away for awhile and then let them come back. That was how it had to be.

You might not find out 'who your real friends are' with this, but you will learn a few people that decidedly aren't your friends. It's okay. They wouldn't be good for you anyway.

I'll count the days until the "It's all over and I'm ok" journal gets here.

I will pray for your recovery, but you are going to need all the support you can get from us. *hugs you*

I've had a few relatives have angioplasties done, no issues there, just a bit of bed rest and some discomfort. I know it probably doesn't feel like it, but you should be okay being as young as you are. You'll probably recover even faster, and who knows, maybe the diet change will help your gloomy mood too.

I'm sorry to hear that. Best of luck.

I am sorry to hear of this man. I have been a poor fan and haven't really kept up well with what all has been going on. I really hope the procedure goes well without incident and that your health will improve. It makes it very difficult when there is a strong family history. I have been fortunate thus far because my family is also riddled with high BP, cholesterol, and heart disease. I also understand your feelings, I tend to be a pessimist about many things in life, always expecting the worst and not realistically evaluating the odds. I too suffer from depression, which clouds my logic about such things. I am 27 and am getting the white hairs too.

From tiger to tiger, my heart goes out to you. I wish you the best for the procedure, and the recovery after. You and your work have strongly helped shape who I am today (and I am being dead serious about that). You were one of the few artists who opened the world of the Furry Fandom to me (back on DeviantArt years ago), I owe a great deal of sustaining my creativity to you.

Be strong, keep fighting.

Your long time fan,
Kilo

I've technically been on my way out for over 10 years now (got diagnosed with something nasty back when I was 20) and I'm still here to annoy and pester the lot of ya. One can of course give up and probably hasten the inevitable but, it's not really how I'd want to spend my last days. If you don't like your situation change something. You're freakishly talented with the arts and it's rather depressing to imagine that wasting away in a call centre.

There are still plenty of lovely foods you can eat just, probably not the easy ready made tasty morsels you are used to. You'll probably be advised to exercise too. In the end the choices remain yours. I'd like to see you around and drawing long after I'm gone. Dudes younger than me kicking it is rather sad. The world is full of infinite sorrow and beauty. I like to distract myself with the beauty and wonder when shit gets hard. Always more to do, see and learn. Don't give up yet boyo.

Sorry to hear what's going on within your life, but hold in there. You and your skills as an artist enspire others to achieve.

I have lost a father to lung / neck cancer in 2003. he smoked from the pipe to cigars, his death finalized that i would never smoke ever.

that sucks. based on your family history and your health .youre gonna have to make lifestyle choices unless you want to die young. as blunt as that sounds it seems thats the hand youve been dealt

Jesus your my age dude. >.< My wishes an prayers are going to you. I hope you live another 50. :(

*hugs really really tight, being shitty with words a lot of the time*

Work out and stop eating shit. Please.

Dad had issues about 10 years ago. Had a blockage and had a couple stents put in.. Meds galore but I am glad he is still around.

That sucks, sorry to hear man. =(

hey, man, the way I see it, you have a lot more talent and shiny poetic-inside stuff going for you than most people I know. I say, lay off the baconators (and that fingerlickin chikun!) and watch the stuff, and you'll get better. hopefully, you life to a waaay old age, have waaay loads of fun, and as for the commisions... DUDE.

Heh, I'm a year older than you and have diabetes, and had high triglycerides (however you spell it), and somewhat high cholesterol. Most of that is under control now, though.

Good luck.

I hope your health gets better strype

I never used to take care of myself either, and was diagnosed with extremely high cholesterol when I was, like, 12. My parents tried to get me active and eating right, but it didn't stick until I was living on my own.

At least you're getting your problems under control, which is always a good start. I'm liable to get full dentures soon, and I'm only 25 :D Young-old people are the best people.

I hope it gets better for you.

In all seriousness Strype perhaps it's time you quit doing commissions for a while. I don't know how it effects you but it's added stress I'm assuming and it sounds like you really don't need to deal with that right now. You should take a break. You're health is more important. I'm a fan of yours and fuck I don't want to see you go down this road if I was in some way related to the cause.

it'd be awesome if I could, but I'm the only one earning money in this household, and the near-minimum wage I'm getting from the call center isn't enough. I don't have a choice

Have you considered a job in the video game industry? You do art as a second job but why not make it your first? Even texture artists get a -decent- income?

Dude, this is scaring me. Reading the title alone made my stomach lurch. I'm really sorry to hear that and I agree with the many comments before mine. And a break would probably do you good.

But please. PLEASE. Don't say that you don't have anything left to live for. I understand how you feel. I've been there. You think "What the hell am I going to amount to? What am I doing with my life? What am I going to do? Is this the best it's going to get?" Trust me, I've asked that many times to myself and cause myself to just break down. But after a while I pick myself up. I know there's things I can do to make things better. I just have to put the effort into it. And I know you can too. And I know. I KNOW. You're a stronger man then I am. Then I'll ever be. So please don't give up on yourself and stay strong.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and I wish you the best of luck. I'll be pulling for you.

Wishing and hoping the best for you man. :<

I know that feel kind of- congenital/genetic related heart issues are certainly no walk in the park to deal with. At least you have what sounds like a doctor who cares and are getting care that can help! I'm not even twenty three yet and I'm already on dietary restrictions and soon bi-annual heart checkups.

As for the depression, I'd suggest talking to a licensed psychiatrist, a close family member, or even just a good friend. If you really find yourself in a deep depression it's important to get help- sometimes feelings can spiral wildly out of control, but trust me when I say there's always someone who cares. If they don't know about your troubles though, they can't help.

Ouch ,an sorry about that.
bad genetics, but if you can see if you can slide infor any treatments you can. Baconators... sorry about having to forego those.... bacon, natures perfect food... .__.


Scott

I wish I could type this larger but...


PSSHT~!

WTF are you going on about "nothing to live for"? What do other people have to live for? Life is an interesting thing, my friend. I believe that you live exactly as long as you feel you should keep on living. I also believe that some people who are technically alive have died a long time ago.

So what does that mean for you, in my eyes? Fairly straightforward. You need to decide if you want to keep living or not, and why. You're right in saying that you're young; it means you still have some time to think about it, even with your health problems. ...what do you have to live for? What do you WANT to live for?

Me? I've been having a hell of a time in my life of late, but I'll be damned if I let life beat me. And yeah, I kinda see it as a competition, with life trying to run me into the ground, and me moving on, trying to see more of what there is it see, and flipping life off all the way down the years. I'll fuckin die when I fuckin WANNA die~! ...You should feel much the same.

Don't assume what the future is holding for you is horrible, or that it's not worth trying to see. Don't give up. EVER. Life in the now is NOT life in the future... not even as far as tomorrow. It's only when you stop even looking forward to seeing what might be coming next that you find yourself in the place you're in now. Keep your head up, take your meds and get your medical treatments, and LIVE. I can't tell you that life will get better... but I can promise that it will always be changing, and some of that change will be wonderful.

wow, i didn't think it would be that bad, but hey man, i know you're tough, and you'll pull through! just gotta keep looking for that one ray of light, you know? maybe try some new things, see about some schooling, if you can get the funding. i know how hard that stuff is to come by, though....

Well... damn...

I bid you the best of luck.

And I feel you 100%.

I love baconators, but yeah, that shit is too much X_X

I agree with Lilyface and most of the others here..DO NOT GIVE UP! even if things look bad...even if it looks the worst it could ever be...never give up because then you lost....before you could even start fighting back. Just do what the doc says and you will be fine.

Strype, if you need dietary advice, come to me. I used to be an overeating fattening food addict, but since January have lost over 45 lbs. If I could do it so far, anyone can!

Oh yay, angiogram. They inject dye into your blood while you go through an MRI if I recall correctly. That and your mouth tastes all coppery for the duration.

yup, and lets not forget that feeling like you've pissed yerself

I'm getting really tired of coming across FA pages of gone-before-their-time, artistically talented people marked (deceased) with those cryptic shouts in the shoutbox that always seem to refer to it all as feeling 'like a bad dream.'

Ever since Athus' passing, this kind of thing has been haunting me. I keep finding dead people.

I know I don't really talk to you or give you much feedback, but I do not want to see you go. Your awesome art featuring militaristic furs in mechsuits makes this 'fandom' seem so much more decent.

You've heard the warnings. It's up to you to act upon them. I can't tell you what your future has to offer, but I can tell you that it is against your very nature to surrender to your own mortality. You may have nothing to live for, but you will refuse to die, regardless of the quality of the hand you've been dealt.

Usually it isn't as bad as it's been this year. I've been keeping track, and we've lost upwards of 7 furs in 2012 alone. In a fandom of thousands it doesn't seem like a lot, but most years I've been active we've only averaged about one loss a year.

Best wishes Strype ^^

Good luck man. Hope everything works out well for you.

Older people have survived worse. At 70, my mom survived Acute Stage IV lymphoma, and the body-wrecking 6 months of chemo that went with it.

Your youth is your advantage.

You can overcome this.

You can be fit by 30. I just did it at 41. It's not as hard as it seems. You've got your whole life ahead of you.

Take the drugs. Take the surgery. When you recover, get your "buttery ass" in shape. I gotta confess, I laughed at 'buttery ass'. Good one. ;)

You know it's just the chemicals talking; you got plenty of ppl who care about you and admire you...aaand a lot of other ppl have already said encouraging things better than i can.
You take care, and keep us updated.I still owe u a thank-you pic btw.: )

Look, I'm not good at comforting people, but do not condemn you. Medicine improves. I'm sure everything will go well for you.

Maybe it'll just be the scare you need to get your health back on track. Take care of yourself, man.

Jsut remember, Goku had a heart condition too, and we all know how epic Goku is!

Had similar - its just another kind of wake up call, gotta occasionally have them in life to remind yourself you're alive & to do something good with it. I'd definitely suggest doing more with your art, it wouldn't look bad on a sci-fi novella cover, but I know there's stress going commercial as well. Maybe just try to really be objective with yourself in a quiet period and work out the path to get where you want to be.

Good luck. Take care of yourself. DON'T STRESS.

Ouch. Hope things go as well as possible! If it helps any, I've had patches/streaks of grey in my hair since I was 15 ;)

I know how you feel man...
My dad just recently died, because of a long history of heart problems, a blood clot, a stroke and coma :/
And since I'm not in the best of shape myself, and have had weird "pressure" around my heart area I've been talking to the doc, and have had confirmed that my blood-pressure is too high.. I assume more tests will be done later as well.

But yea, the real thing is realizing that death can come at any given time... and yet, I have done nothing of value with my life. It all just seems so pointless in the end...

omg think i gotta do a diat too i wght 100 kg

Please don't die. :(

I'm totally going to lay off the baconators now.

In all seriousness, though, I hope everything turns out for the best for you.

So many people writing above I can't read it all, but suffice to say you have a lot of support. When you get through this (and it'll be tough, you have some major shit right there), take it as the massive wake up call that it is. Time for a lifestyle change. Laying off the baconators is a start but changing things fundamentally with regards to diet and exercise is the only way to turn it around in the long run. You'll also need to alter other parts of your life to make this a priority. Please don't feel like I'm preaching, I'm sure you're worried and scared so if you want to get better remember what all this feels like and how you never want to feel like this again. And then go win at life. Rooting for you very much.

Stay strong sir, you have those who support you and care for you so focus and pull through everything. If you have to change how things go then that's what you'll have to do, don't worry so much about this or that, I know first hand worrying endlessly about your health condition can just make you feel worse and put you in a worsened state. I'm just a year under you and I feel like i'm suffering from so much, and being on a weak medicare assists with putting me in that worry since not all procedures by the hospital aren't covered so money is also an issue. But I know you'll pull through everything and get back to what you were at, stay strong and feel free to message me (Or any of your fans) if you just simply wanna chat it over :P

Best of luck to you, and hope you get better in all you do.

You're not done, and you're not old. If you've not done what you want to in life, maybe this situation will re-prioritize things for you. You're strong, you've made it this far, and you're going to be more than "okay." You can make it. I don't have to tell you to focus on this first, but maybe afterwards you can focus on improving what you don't like about your life, whether that's income, living situation, or places visited and people talked to and things done. For all that you're scared, also know that you have power over yourself and your life.

Your creativity is NOT gone! You can make it through this, and you WILL! There are so many people here who not only love your work, but love you as a person (even if they/we've never actually seen you offline), so... HANG TOUGH friend! Whatever changes you need to make, people will learn to accept them. I've had a few panic attacks before, and I have had type 1 diabetes since I was 12, so I know a little bit about what you're going through, I think. I'll be praying for you, Strype!

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear this. I hope things improve in the future, dude. We're all pulling for you.

I'm 28 and just recently went through chochlear implant surgery, so I know something of how you feel. I admit there doesn't appear to be much for us in this world where love is kept at a premium and the global situation worsens with each passing year. It's easy to feel as though you're ready for it to end.

But you know, the cochlear implant gave me something in renewed hearing. Maybe a stint and a lifestyle change will give you a new lease on life in a similar fashion?

I honestly don't know how long I can go living only for myself. While having a cochlear implant doesn't destroy the possibility of companionship, it does increase the likelihood that no one will find me attractive. But damn it, I can hear now. I can (and am) doing stuff that I could never do before.

Getting a stint is a fairly common procedure these days. If successful it will prolong your life. Use it dude! And if it isn't successful...well, then you can rest.

I can only speak for the stent as my father had to have one of those fitted around Christmas 9 months ago, but once he'd had the stent fitted he was up and about really surprisingly quickly but just had to take things easy for a while. Since then he's finished putting back together a Land Rover and got on with so many other things around and about.

One of my fans has been through hell with heart issues and he's not old either. It happens, and it sucks. :P You did not deserve to have this happen at your age.

We're all rooting for you! You are an inspiration, even to old folk like me. :D Please don't think you have made an impact, because you have. Believe it.

Stay alive if you can [and will], because it's the only one that you'll get. If anything, keep trying to have fun whilst you have the chance to do so.

Just make some core lifestyle changes man, they suck for a while but then they feel great and the whole "you don't have anything if you don't have your health" thing is crazy true.

Also go vegetarian for a measly 6 months. After that you'll crave that kind of food more and you'll have a better dietary balance

Good luck, bud. I hope it all works out for you.

Dayumm, and I thought my dad was young.

At 46 he just had a heart attack and ended up needing quadruple bypass with a valve repair, because they weren't able to put in a stint. It caught us by surprise for sure.

Hope you stay stable and improve.

o_o



*chews pizza*

I have taken care of people who come out of getting stents and I have never come across one person that has had complications. Though the thing is to keep in my the kind of stent they are putting in.

It's ok to be nervous man, but know theres lots of people out here rooting for you. Strangers in the flesh, but kindred in spirit.
Take comfort in knowing we're pulling for you.

Bah, you're not that old. Do you have a cane? I have a cane, durnit!

Seriously, hoping everything works out for ya.

I stayed away most of the junk food now, but there are some that I don't mind having on anyday.
I hope you get through this man. All of us are counting on you. :(

Ok, how to put up something that isn't just a typical 'Oh noes!' post and have something that might help...?

Well, my Granddad is over 80 now, and smoked most of his life. They didn't know any better back then. He now finds getting up and moving to open the front door hard work, let alone going upstairs. He goes upstairs once a day, and that's to go to bed. Vice versa in the morning. It's lucky that they have a downstairs toilet in their house. And you never forget even for a moment, because he wheezes like an old steam train all the time.
And he's still trucking on. He goes to the gym three times a week, fitted around his breathing-exercise classes, even though he can no longer be as active as he used to be. He can still manage some of the machines, and a slow, steady walk on the treadmill. All of this to keep him going.

Some would call that kind of existence crippling. But it's still not stopped him. He still paints pictures (oil on canvas) for family and friends. He *always* has one on the go. He's not giving up any time soon, and lord knows no one could really blame him if he did.

A friend from Uni, along with having the massive loan to pay off like most students in the UK, also spent most of her growing life being beaten up by people, mostly her brother, who got away scot free everytime because he was the 'special one'. Not mentally or anything, he was just the parents favourite. She even got in trouble once for lying about it when she had boot marks all up her back. What was she meant to have done, taken her boots off and hit herself with them?
Eventually the parents twigged that he was a total washout, and that only meant the 'must succeed' urge was transfered to her. Instead of going to drama/theatre school like she wanted to, she was sent to Uni. The TV course was run by morons, sexists and scum, so let's just say that was not a nice place for her. And then, after quitting that, her parents without her input put her on an animation course. Which was also a pile of shit. I should know, I was on the course too.
Did I mention that she also has to walk with a stick, due to her knee being utterly fubar? She's twenty something too. And she still trucks on, despite the horrible crap she's had to put up with.

It's kind of humbling for me. I've never had any of that horrible stuff to deal with...and I still suffer from depression and stuff, even without any bigass problems like that.

---

Put it like this, man. You are insanely talented. You make art, real art, not the 'half a pickled cow' or 'blue canvas of blue' kind of bullshit 'modern art' junk. You are, by all accounts, a nice guy. You have a big ol' fanbase here, you obviously have people who care for you in person. I know that I get mildly annoyed with people saying 'look on the bright side' to me when I'm feeling off kilter, but I guess it is also kind of true.

What you're going through is undoubtedly scary and not good in any way. No question there, and I seriously, truly hope you pull through this and come out the other side at 100%. But you need to stop putting yourself down. Don't let the crapness win.

And hey, be thankful that when you do get out of art block you draw awesome stuff. Some of us would make deals with the devil to be as good as you =P

Good Luck with operation!
I dont want to sound as some old man (im just 25). You still have lots of time in front of you and you can use it visely after operation.
Of course it will need from you some restriction in eating fastfoods and other junky stuff, but then you will have your live back.
It very easy to get some issues with health. I know it by my self,
Eppilepsy + 2 year treatment = horror.
But im here after of 2 years of seeing life like a hell with a broken volume. Always loud and painfull.

You do great art. People admire it.
Dont get depressed, keep your heads up and keep going!

Wow dude, I hope things get better for you :c

Can only wish you to get better. Get a grip and be the first one to beat the family history.
Finding the reason to go on is a task much more difficult and personal. Fighting through every day to earn the cash and keep the family fed is what a man HAS to do, but not necessarily something he ENJOYS to do. Every day coming home tired and depressed I keep asking myself - what is there for me? What do I get to enjoy through the course of my life? That might seem selfish but that is the correct thing to ask as it just might be the only life you get. So spending it barely making ends meet isn't exactly the fun thing to do. Every one will have to choose the answer for their own situation. When facing the same questions I had decided that I will keep struggling to learn the ways of an artist, something that's still ahead of me, far far away. Sometimes I will spoil myself with tiny pleasures I will reward myself with for the hard work I do. But A big smart answer in the cosmic scale? I never found it. And I don't think it exists. I'm 26 and I already feel like I've wasted all my good chances in life. I'm old and I'm weak. But that's ok.

Wishing you the best for your health!

As someone who is concerned about your health, can I help by nabbing a commish? (I dunno why I haven't gotten around to seeing about getting art from you before now...)

i feel like ive missed so much just by not reading a few journals
the greatest wishes to you. good luck and god speed. dont 404 on us, dammit

Never late for a change

Wish nothing but the best man! I'd say more but I feel that'd be too much.