3054 What Up, Nerds?

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UPDATE
The PHP security problem that is burning down the internet affected the site yesterday, as many of you will already know. The Hiveworks IT crew fixed it for now. We’ll see how long it holds. The site runs on ancient code that wasn’t great when it was new. I fully intend to have an update up sometime on Friday, but we have a lot going on with the situation with my mother. My sister is delivering medical supplies I’ll need to take care of mom on Friday. We don’t know when mom will be allowed back home since she requires PT now before they will release her. This is all part of the current plan though so we’re getting ahead of everything as best we can. Last I heard I will be going up to see mom on Sunday, but everything is in constant flux. I’ve recovered my sanity enough right now to be able to work and work helps keep me grounded, so I’m going to lean in to it while I’m emotionally capable.

If something happens to the website it’s faster if you contact Hiveworks directly since I no longer have the knowledge to fix anything myself: hello@thehiveworks is the general email if memory serves. There’s also a form on the hiveworks site under the contact link.

For the fastest updates follow my twitter: @betweenfailures

Or the same things on Bluesky: @betweenfailures.bsky.social

For slower updates there’s the subReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/betweenfailures/

I almost never use it but I do have a facebook I update sometimes: https://www.facebook.com/Jackie.Wohlenhaus

I started a daily vlogg on Youtube to help myself cope with everything and learn to be calm on camera since video is the only way a person can get attention for anything else these days: https://www.youtube.com/@BetweenFailures

I think that’s it. Just save whatever ones you want. Twitter is by far the best way to keep up with site news and me news. Bsky is basically a copy of twitter so it’s #2 and so on down the list.
I’ll keep you updated one way or another.
For now I’ll see you Friday hopefully.

End update

I honestly had no idea I had it in me to get through a day like today. One of my feet had been swelling in a way that wasn’t exactly normal for me, but I didn’t have the symptoms usually associated with a blood clot. However, I am within the danger range for them at the moment from putting off my phlebotomies for so long. So I asked my sister for advice. She said it was probably worth a call to the doctor just to be sure. Well they wanted me to go get another blood test to double check. So I went in again on zero sleep, and the weird thing is, I was basically fine. There’s this sweet spot I hit in the early morning where all my exhaustion kind of switches off the anxiety and I can just do things. The window is about two hours though. Anyway, got the test, waited for over an hour for the results so I wouldn’t have to drive back if I needed a sonogram. Finally gave up and drove home. Got the call at about 2:30 to come in at 3:30 for a sonogram. I was just inside the danger zone for a clot so they wanted it done out of an abundance of care. I was well outside the sweet spot by then and I struggled to get back to town. Somehow I managed to get to the hospital and a nice doctor’s assistant kept an eye on me because she could tell I was wiped out. She knew my mom very well from her visits and it was like mom had established a connection for me by way of her being a delight and telling people about me. That’s a good illustration of how my mom connects to people super easily. All her doctors and nurses tell us how much they love her. Anyway, she kept an eye on me for the entire time I was there and made sure I was capable of getting home. She insisted that I call her to make sure I got home safe. I found it very moving. Got the results pretty fast. No clot. I need to get some compression socks, although I now realize I should have asked if they needed to go to the knee or higher… I’ll find out tomorrow since I’m having a follow up call. By then maybe I can think of the questions I need to ask about sock specifics. Obviously I got back home.
I did this page last night because I already had part of it finished. I may be a little wonky since it was forged by an unsteady hand. Regardless I feel better knowing I could get to a state where I can work since work is something of an escape for me. At this point I’m making no promises. I need to get some real sleep. I may have to ask the doctor about sleep aids tomorrow just to get me over this hurdle. They generally have too many drawbacks to make them worth it, but there might be things I don’t know about various choices. I’m going to try and get a page up on Friday but don’t hold me to it.

I absolutely must lay down now. I’m starting to pitch over against my will. I hope you have a nice Wednesday and I’ll see you on Friday. Until then, bounce ’em if you’ve got ’em.

27 Comments

Tequila is a readily available sleep aid, although the drawbacks are indeed worth remembering, until you have enough tequila that you stop remembering them. Tequila is also good at dealing with blood clots; my grandfather was a raging alcoholic, and while his liver was like a burnt steak, the coroner noted his arteries were practically sparkling.

But for real, easy and fairly cheap things to help prevent blood clots; capsicum, turmeric, curcumin, piperine, ginger (basically anything spicy). Fiber, berberine, and pro-biotics, are good for insulin control, which helps prevent tons of sugar from clogging up the pipes. Olive oil, if you can find actual, real, good, concentrated, minimally-processed, extra virgin olive oil, is great–put it on whatever, or literally just drink like half a shot of it. Then DMSO; just rub it on yourself, especially on your legs and feet, then put a teaspoon in a big glass of water and sip it down. Something else that can help that sounds funny is just an IV of saline. Not only to hydrate you, but being perfectly balanced helps it really flush things out–you can find places that will do them, usually loaded with vitamins. Liposomal melatonin (it’s a liquid and I find it actually works, where pills and gummies do nothing) is good for sleep; so is CBD oil but I have no idea if Kansas allows even that (I order from CBD Stat). And, of course, drink lots of water, try to get some fresh air and sunshine (I mean that literally; get sun on as much of your skin as you can, it’s good for you, as long as you’re not roasting yourself), and whatever exercise you can manage–improved blood flow means lower chance of clots.

I know, I know, the annoying a-hole who starts spewing medical advice no one asked for. But I’m just trying to list stuff that is fairly cheap and readily available, not requiring doctor’s visits, prescriptions, fiddling with dosages, monitoring for potential side effects, etc. And it works. I usually don’t actually blurt all this stuff out to people–I’m doing it because I would care if you shuffled off this mortal coil, and it’s fairly affordable.

Jackie, I’m very sorry to hear about your mom’s critical health situation. Your description of her is so vivid – so sunny and lavish with her warmth and light. She sounds very special, and I hope you share more stories about her.

I am praying first and foremost for her recovery, that God would bless her with more time, in both quality and quantity. I pray also, regardless of what happens, for divine faith and peace for the family. We all walk into the future facing backwards, we see the past, but can’t see even a minute ahead, let alone the next life. So I pray over that burden of uncertainty and sadness, to have assurance and comfort that your mom will be translated into the beautiful poem of heaven, and that it would bring you good sleep :)

Glad to hear you got some good new, I wear compression stocking and they be fine, just keep a eye on your toenails so you don’t shred the liners and give yourself a little extra time in the morning to deal with them.
Then they are nice and cosy.

I wore compression stockings for a while as I was recovering from Back surgery. I found them oddly comfortable. AS a guy it gave me some insight why as to why some folks are into that.

Sending love and strength. And thank you for taking care of yourself as best you can, in the midst of all you’re coping with. We out here care about you there.

Be careful with sleep aids, especially ones like Ambien. My grandpa was on it in the later stages of his life and would often sleep walk from it. Take all the time you need to spend time with your family and do some self care. We’ll leave the light on for you.

Rulette knowing how to make an entrance haha; seems it was effective all around.

Outside the comic, continued thoughts and prayers

I’m hoping you are sleeping now Jackie…
I’m also glad to see the site is back up especially since this is a stressful time for it to be giving you grief…
Take it easy on yourself you have a long way to go to be burning your endurance all up this early….

Nice entrance patty, super effective on Mike, he looks like he took a critical hit. Even Jess didn’t make her save roll by much. I think Jo is still recovering from Friday’s comic. Go get’em girl! This is shaping up nicely.

Hi Jackie,
I have asked the people on an [online, prayer request site], to pray for: you, your Mom, + for your family + friends. I have requested that they pray that all of you will receive: healing, hope, and comfort.

The people on the site said that they will pray for all of you.
Cheers, TRA

Dude, you have been doing this thing for almost two decades with, as far as I can tell, no breaks. Go do what you’ve got to do; we’ll be here when you’re ready to pick it up.

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