The Times Are Changing
Well, it’s been a while, but a lot has happened. Firstly, since my last post back in November of last year, Dad has been in a long-term care facility. He seems okay there, and they do appear to be taking good care of him. He started having his aggressive fits again while there and calling Mom up to yell at her hatefully. The people caring for him gave him a new medication to help with those fit and it seems to be working. He hasn’t had such a fit or called to argue with Mom since. Mom went to visit him late last week and he didn’t really know who she was. His dementia has, of course, worsened. Mom thinks I should go visit him too, but I am not so sure. It breaks my heart to the point of pain to see what little, if anything, is left of him. I would rather remember him as he was. I’ve been mourning him for nearly five years now. I don’t think it would be the least bit beneficial for me to see him like he is now, and he wouldn’t even know if I had been there. A friend suggested I take Pixie (his once beloved dog) to visit him. I’m not sure he would remember her, but I would like to do something nice for him if it’s allowed. I still very much love my dad.
Dad’s side of the family does not agree with our decision to put him in long-term care. They think we should bring him home immediately. They have no idea what care he needs. They might, if they had ever checked on him while he was here at home or, you know, helped out like they all said they would. They will probably be mad at us once they realize he’s not coming home, but it’s partially their fault. If they had actually been proactive while he was here, and family-like, he might still be here.
As for me, while I was stressing out about Dad for the latter half of last year, I gained nearly 20 lbs. I also noticed that a spot in my lower back was starting to hurt to the point of being unbearable if I did too much activity. An x-ray revealed sciatica and degenerative disk disease in my spine. Now I’ve gotten to the point where if I move around for more than five minutes, I get a stabbing pain in my lower back that is so bad that I nearly start crying. My doctor prescribed physical therapy for it which I start next week. I really, really hope it helps. Also, the foot I had surgery on last year is giving me trouble. The back of my heel, where the surgery actually occurred and where the massive scar is, is very tender and sometimes causes me pain. I go to see the doctor who did the surgery later today to see what’s going on and what can be done. In addition to all of that, I’ve had a stubborn sinus infection since February. I went to urgent care for it and the NP there thought it was just allergies. I did as he instructed and… have had zero relief. I guess he was wrong. I’ll be going to see my regular PCP later this week.
In my professional life, I’ve nearly given up on 3D art. It hasn’t been bringing me the peace and satisfaction that it used to. Also, the market for 3D assets has more or less dried up. It was always a niche market, but I used to be able to rely on making at least a bit of money each month. Now I can’t. Instead, I am focusing on my Sims 4 modding as Simularity. I started doing early access for my mods and stepped up my activity on my Patreon. It’s working! I’ve been doing fairly well, financially speaking, to the point that I’ve decided to devote my full-time to modding. It’s far more appreciated than my artwork which is another bonus.
