Further book research. An intriguing phrase in a book by Thomas Beddoes sent me off down a literary rabbit hole. And among other places this phrase shows up as early in literature as the Epic of Gilgamesh. “To give King Death ass’s ears.” It means to make light of darkness, even Death. It means to … More Book Research: King Death has Ass’s Ears.
I cannot sleep as I am caught somewhat in an obsessive loop. Rather than concentrate upon it further, I have decided to revisit some ideas that I came across recently. Thus, I shall offer some thoughts triggered by some remarks discovered in a letter from a friend… But what I find harder to believe in … More On Mortality in the COVID-19 Age.
Just a quick few lines here. It has been forever since I updated this last and largely because I was going through a period of suicidal depression wherein I was letting literally everything else slide. I suppose I could write a good deal more about that – about the doctors and tests and hospital visits … More Whelp, the holidays are here, let’s have some bloody cheer.
The Red Cross Blood Donation Disconnect It is confusing as all get out to me that the American Red Cross, bulwark of public safety, and the biggest source of US blood donations, absolutely will not accept blood from patients who have had babesia and in the majority of states will not accept blood from people … More Lyme Disease: Stories From the Front Lines of an Epidemic – Nonfic Insert 1 – Some Lyme Paradoxes – Sam S.
This person insists upon not being named here. Prefers that I not even use any gender pronouns. This person has perhaps legitimate concerns about how posting any part of their story might impact their treatment and life at this juncture. So here is their story in their own words. ANONYMOUS – A FAILED SUICIDE On … More Lyme Disease: Stories From the Front Lines of An Epidemic – Anonymous
This was written in May of this year (2016) as a late addition to the book I was still pretending to write. Like many people with Lyme, Steve developed first leaky gut syndrome, and then the cataclysmic allergies that tend to go with that. It’s partially the disease and partially the heavy load of oral … More Lyme Disease: Stories From the Front Lines of An Epidemic – Steve
Dear friends, I learned a hard lesson today. That lesson is that I cannot be the person I wanted to be. 20 plus years ago I was bitten by a tick. I came down with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and I spent some time in a hospital. For the next 17 years I was subject … More Lyme Disease: Stories From the Front Lines of An Epidemic – Author’s Note
The beginnings were mundane enough. One day, I just could no longer put cheese on my burgers. Cheese made me feel awful. Sweaty, hot, nervous, and itchy. Sometimes it made my breath short and my throat itchy. So I just quit asking for cheese on anything. I missed it, sure, but the cost was not … More A Slice of the Anaphylaxis Life
Chronic illness is something of a Catch 22 and a dangerous one at that. You are expected to take care of yourself, to eat well, to behave according to your local societal norms – be that by stringing seashells through your labia or scrotal sack as in the case of some Pacific Island cultures or … More The Invisibly Ill
EVOLVING MALE 