January 15 Update

Today I'm completely free of pneumonia although my doctor has insisted I take a break for two weeks before going back to work. The last thing I worked on was Monsters Unleashed #3 where I was supposed to ink 30 pages for. I ended up inking 25 pages before I was struck sick. I was in the middle of inking this really incredible two page spread when I had to stop working. I'll include a bit of that spread here, I think that should be all right. It's Fin Fang Foom after all and he's awesome:

That spread sat on my table for a month or so before I went back and tried to finish it. By this time they were already looking for other inkers to finish the book. Understandable because the book does have to come out. But I did ask if I could try and finish the spread because I love working on it and I really want to leave my mark on it. It was so hard. I would work an hour and stop because I'd get so tired. Eventually after two days I was able to finish it. The next day my doctor told me to stop working and rest. I really want to thank Leinil and Marvel for allowing me to finish this spread.

By this time I developed some kind of rash on my back which turned out to be shingles. SHINGLES. The fun just fucking never stops. It's an annoyance more than anything else, but it's still a pain.  I was able to get through pneumonia only to get shingles immediately afterwards. I had chickenpox when I was in high school and because my immune system got so weak after my pneumonia, it reactivated into shingles. Ugh.

So now I'm on a bit of a break. Which I really, really need. After I'm OK I'll just concentrate on work and not much else. I'd have to sacrifice a lot of other things. That said, I won't be able to go to Komiket this February as I had planned. Kevin hasn't finished the book we're working on yet so that's one thing we're waiting for.

January 9 Update

I've gotten so many messages on FB and elsewhere during this time. I must apologize that I haven't been able to respond at all to most of them. It's been so hard to just sit and respond. But I am very touched at the messages of concern.

Over the last couple of days I have begun the process of returning to work, but it's been very difficult. I get tired easily. Perhaps I just need more time to rest and not force myself to activity that might cause a relapse.

Because of the steroid they gave me I've been eating a lot. Which is good because eating is giving me lots of energy. I haven't been spending my time just lying in bed. I've been sitting and reading. Sometimes I try going around the house. One time I did some cooking, but it really exhausted me. But it was one awesome pot of pork and beans, from scratch.

Been watching lots of You Tube and Netflix. Ilyn and I have been watching lots of Star Trek: Voyager. Capt. Janeway is now our favorite Captain. I've also been watching  a lot of food videos, fail videos, paranormal videos, lists, movies and TV related videos on You Tube.

I do feel bad that I kind of missed celebrating Christmas and New Year's properly. I guess I'll make it up on my birthday.

January 7. Thank You Very Much

I really should be more careful when I say "I'm getting better." because as soon as I say it, I'm flat on my back in bed, weakened and cold. Pneumonia really is a bitch. I hate it. But today, 7 days after saying "I'm getting better.", I think I actually am getting better. The last few days after my last blog entry I just spent in bed, unable to get up. In a way it was no longer as worse as before because although I still cough, gone is the insane lung busting coughing from before. I no longer have fever. And more importantly, I got a bit of my appetite back. Just 2 weeks ago I was averaging around 71 kilograms. Yesterday I was down to 66. Hopefully I get my weight back because right now I feel so bony. My Hematologist prescribed me a low dosage steroid to help increase my platelet and a few other blood related things. And since it's a steroid it will also definitely increase my appetite. When I took it last night during dinner, just a couple of hours later, I felt suddenly ravenously hungry. I have never felt that kind of hunger in quite a while. I had to control it because I don't want to suddenly blow up from so much eating.

Today I woke up feeling really good. I spent most of the morning on my lounge chair just appreciating the awesome morning under the shade of our macopa tree as the cool December wind blew all around me. It was so great. I even had a bit of energy to direct one of our housemates on how to cook some homemade pork and beans for breakfast tomorrow.

Right now I have a bit of strength to write a blog entry and later, I think I will be able to start working again. I won't be pushing it because I don't want to find myself flat on my back again. I have to take it easy. I have no choice.

That said, I must say here how truly grateful I am for all those who sent help and support my way during this time. I truly am overwhelmed. I haven't had the energy to respond to everybody, but please please know that I read every single one of those comments I take them all to heart and I'm just speechless to realize how many people truly think well of me. This will take some time to digest and understand. But please know that I truly appreciate it.

Happy 2017!

We had a nice, simple New Year's celebration. I didn't have the strength to prepare our usual midnight meal of ham, roast chicken, wine and stuff like that. Ilyn and I had simple chocolate chip cookies she baked and we shared one packet of Swiss Miss between us.

We had been wondering for weeks how President Duterte's presidency would affect fireworks throughout the rest of the country. He had previously successfully banned fireworks in his hometown of Davao when he was mayor. Although he didn't say he'd ban it nationwide (I think he could have if he really wanted to), I was still hoping he'd do something. The only thing we heard about it is that they would just leave the decision to the LGU or the Local Government Unit.

Which was just crushingly disappointing. The LGU here has a history of doing whatever the people want afraid of losing votes, or for whatever reason. No political will whatsoever. That's why the public market is such a congested mess because they just let vendors and public utility drivers do whatever the hell they want.

So of course, it was WORLD WAR 3 tonight. The explosions were so strong they rocked the house. The worst of it lasted around 15 minutes, but it seemed like it would never end.

Ilyn and I (with Bugel at our feet) just sat at our living room sofa side by side just listening to everything. I wasn't afraid anything bad would happen, except for the old paranoia of being hit by a stray bullet. Good thing though, I didn't hear any shots fired from guns in our area.

Right now I feel very sleepy. I actually feel quite OK, if a bit full. My temp didn't rise at all today which I'm happy about. Hopefully, I'm really on my way.

Happy New Year's to everyone reading this. I hope this year brings good things to you.

December 31

All of a sudden I'm not doing so good again. Which is frustrating because last Wednesday I felt good enough and energized enough not only to change the design of this blog, but do two blog entries. The day after that I couldn't get out of bed, burning with fever. Today I'm somewhat... just somewhat better. So this will be short. When I lie down in bed often my wife is there keeping me company and I see Bugel on the floor and I'm happy. Simple things make me happy. I hope to feel much better soon. Please.

Getting Better

I posted this image on Instagram last week when the pneumonia was starting to creep up on me and I was feeling it big time. I was feeling insanely cold I had to sit under the noon sun just to stop from shivering. It was an interesting sensation, feeling so mind numbingly cold but you're afraid you're going to get sun burnt.

For days I couldn't sleep. I just lie down staring at the ceiling listening to the crickets and Bugel's quiet shuffling. At 3am I would stand, a morbid shadow looking over the street below. I actually want people in the neighborhood to think our house is haunted, so nobody thinks of stealing from us. If there was anything to steal that is. Today I'm feeling much better. I can sit in front of the computer much longer without having to rest right away. I honestly think I can go back to work tomorrow, which I'm looking forward to. I won't push it though. I'll probably work 2 or 3 hours and I'll give it a rest. If I can continue working later in the day, I'd probably would.

Oh yeah, Instagram. There is something I want to say about that. I'm such a horrible poser. Yep, I'm a despicable Instagram poser. I have to make a confession that I don't use a smartphone. I don't intend on getting one anytime soon. So how can I Instagram? I use a program I downloaded online. Yeah, I'm such a heel. But I really like the platform. I like posting photos there. So that's it.

By the way, Ilyn and I are celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary today. I'm so sad we can't go out. We'll try tomorrow morning.

End of 2016

Here I am facing the end of 2016 straddled with pneumonia. I think, at least I feel like, I'm getting better. With pneumonia, you really don't know. It's not like the flu which lasts a week at the most. This just goes on and on. Although the worst symptoms have burned themselves out within the first two weeks, you feel bad for a long time after that. With a danger of recurring, which is exactly what happened to me this middle of December. I first had it October of 2014. I didn't feel 100% OK until around July 2015. This on top of my other current medical condition. It may sound like it's so miserable, and to be honest, the first two weeks of pneumonia is really just that... miserable. I'm getting out of that two weeks right now and I find I'm well enough to write a blog entry. I haven't been to FB much. I'm on Twitter a little bit more and hardly on Instagram. I'll be getting active again there soon, i hope. I know people have messaged and emailed me and sorry If I was unable, still unable to reply.

Superthanks to my wife Ilyn for being the super wife and super friend for taking care of me in this time when I could not. Our relationship is certainly proving our marriage is truly through sickness and in health. I hope to share lots of the latter with her soon. I think we've both just had enough of the former.

Thanks to my pal Leinil Yu for having my back, for being understanding. Thanks to my editors at Marvel for letting me continue inking our current book, allowing me time to recover. That really means a lot.