Setting the record straight once and for all.
I've gotten wind that my absence at Realmscon ticked a few people off, and that my excuse of not attending for health reasons was considered to be, by some, an outright lie.
Yep. I'm pissed.
So here's what happened- it's personal, it's mildly embarrassing, but the one thing I can not stand is to be called a liar- especially by people not even in the know. My wife, Juno, Tanya, and a few other close friends all knew that for a period of two years I was on the prescription drug Lexapro for anxiety issues. It just so happens that due to our move and a lack of medical insurance, I was not able to renew my prescription nor continue to afford paying a hundred bucks a month for the medication. I had to quit cold turkey. Why's that a problem? Because any doctor who prescribes this medication will tell you that's one of the worst things you can do to yourself. The withdrawal symptoms include:
Sweating. Fever. Flu symptoms and general malaise. Crying spells. Suicidal thoughts. Anxiety.
Dizziness. Fatigue. Headache. Muscle and joint pain. Jolting electric "zaps.”Tingling sensations. Insomnia. Nausea. Vomiting. Restlessness. Tremors. Visual and audio hallucinations. Blurred vision. Vertigo. Gait disturbances. Confusion. Memory and concentration difficulties. Lethargy. Weakness. Myalgia.
For a period of four weeks, I got to experience and cope with the greatest hits of that list. Four. Weeks. It just so happened that Realmscon, a con I was sorely looking forward to, fell in that time.
Do you honestly think, for one second, that I could get on a plane, fly to new con without my wife, and function through panels I agreed to sit in on to help the con, all while suffering any of these in combination? Do you think I'd be willing to upset or disturb people by symptoms of a withdrawal that are beyond my control?
I chose to stay home rather than risk anything happening to me, my friends, or the con itself by virtue of me having an episode. I spent the time at home, in bed, praying that the worst of it would pass soon so I could just FUNCTION on a reasonable level. I represent myself, the companies I've worked with, the industry I love, and the work I've done to date when i agree to go to a con. I'm not willing to put that at risk because of what I had to go through.
To those that know and understand- I remain sorry that I could not attend. To the others that get off at sniping at a person who's not even present to have their say:
Fuck you.
Yep. I'm pissed.
So here's what happened- it's personal, it's mildly embarrassing, but the one thing I can not stand is to be called a liar- especially by people not even in the know. My wife, Juno, Tanya, and a few other close friends all knew that for a period of two years I was on the prescription drug Lexapro for anxiety issues. It just so happens that due to our move and a lack of medical insurance, I was not able to renew my prescription nor continue to afford paying a hundred bucks a month for the medication. I had to quit cold turkey. Why's that a problem? Because any doctor who prescribes this medication will tell you that's one of the worst things you can do to yourself. The withdrawal symptoms include:
Sweating. Fever. Flu symptoms and general malaise. Crying spells. Suicidal thoughts. Anxiety.
Dizziness. Fatigue. Headache. Muscle and joint pain. Jolting electric "zaps.”Tingling sensations. Insomnia. Nausea. Vomiting. Restlessness. Tremors. Visual and audio hallucinations. Blurred vision. Vertigo. Gait disturbances. Confusion. Memory and concentration difficulties. Lethargy. Weakness. Myalgia.
For a period of four weeks, I got to experience and cope with the greatest hits of that list. Four. Weeks. It just so happened that Realmscon, a con I was sorely looking forward to, fell in that time.
Do you honestly think, for one second, that I could get on a plane, fly to new con without my wife, and function through panels I agreed to sit in on to help the con, all while suffering any of these in combination? Do you think I'd be willing to upset or disturb people by symptoms of a withdrawal that are beyond my control?
I chose to stay home rather than risk anything happening to me, my friends, or the con itself by virtue of me having an episode. I spent the time at home, in bed, praying that the worst of it would pass soon so I could just FUNCTION on a reasonable level. I represent myself, the companies I've worked with, the industry I love, and the work I've done to date when i agree to go to a con. I'm not willing to put that at risk because of what I had to go through.
To those that know and understand- I remain sorry that I could not attend. To the others that get off at sniping at a person who's not even present to have their say:
Fuck you.