SteampunkCharlie

Get the lemons: http://charlie.kjsr.net/index.php?p=...&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

So. Just for the heck of it, I started blue-skying plans for a road trip today.

Depending on how I do after the first couple of surgeries, and getting the gas money, I started mapping out a road trip to visit as many DJs and friends as possible.

Keep in mind, this is all very blue-sky.

The map so far, is here: http://charlie.kjsr.net/thetrip/

If you want to be added, give me a city/state to add to the route!

So. I made the decision after speaking with the doctors all together today.

They answered my questions, and after a LOT of discussion, we came to an agreement.

I'm NOT having the big surgery that would leave me with no touch sensation, blind, and deaf. Quality of life just isn't worth what I'd lose.

Instead, we're going to have a series of smaller surgeries, to cut away as much of the damaged areas as possible, without touching the sight or hearing nerves.
What does this mean?

Well, the damage is done. I'll still go deaf, and blind, eventually, but a lot slower than if they did the big surgery.
I'll still be permanently in the chair, and lose most touch sensation after this surgery, and it won't save my life, but I'll be mostly out of pain, and still be able to see and hear for now.
Doing it this way, I'll gain a few more months, maybe a year. But at least I'll still be able to see and hear. And the pain will be more bearable.

Thanks everyone, for keeping me in your thoughts, and all your kind words.
Above all, remember one thing: I love you all. And I intend to be around as long as I can!

Thanks everyone. Whatever happens, it will be for the best. I have to give them my decision tomorrow, and I've not really decided yet.

But I have some ideas in mind. I'll let you know how things turn out.

Ok, long story short. Today was mapping out the damage, to see exactly how far they could cut without damaging my hearing/vision/etc.

Good news: They can do the surgery, and I'll never be in pain again. The surgery will increase my lifespan a "good amount."

Bad news: It's going to leave me deaf, permanently on the right side, and a good chance mostly deaf on the left. Partially blind (hopefully temporarily), without any touch sensation, and in the chair 100% of the time (no more using a cane/walker to get to the bathroom).

So, my choices are: have the surgery, and be stuck in the chair blind, deaf, and numb. Or, don't have the surgery, and die from the pain within the year.

F****** yay for choices!

The doctor pointed out something too.

25 years ago is when I had my knee replaced, and my lower leg has been numb ever since. If they had thought, they could have tested me then, and found the Marburg's, and started me on meds to treat it then.

5 years ago is when I damaged my hand. If they'd thought to check, they could have tested it, and started me on meds to treat it then, too.

Over the last 25 years I've complained about numbness any time I've gotten a decently sized injury. That's the big symptom of Marburg's Variant. Numbness caused by nerve damage.

The meds wouldn't have cured it, but they'd have stopped it from getting so bad. It'd mean a lifetime of taking medication daily, but it would have kept me from being as bad off as I am now.

Once it reaches the occipital nerve and settles in, no meds on earth can fix it.

So all this could have been avoided, if somebody had thought for a minute, sometime in the last 25 years.

I'm a bit bitter about that, to be honest.

Whatever choice I make, remember one thing, my friends. I love you all. Even Rasta.

So I finally had the first surgery today. It went fairly well, just one minor screw up.

The nerve block is in place now, 8 positions stretching from the C2 ganglion up along the greater Occipital nerve, and into the balance cluster. While the doctor was placing it, he examined the cluster, and after a quick consultation with a radiologist, confirmed what the other specialists have been saying: my balance cluster is 40% destroyed.

Had one minor screw up, but it was quickly corrected. And this is where the doctor's skill really shined. While he was positioning the injector, he grazed the wrong nerve, and myheart stopped. They had me hooked up to several monitors, and soon as he grazed that nerve, the heart monitor changed from "beep...beep...beep" to "beeeeeeee."

Nobody panicked, he doctor just calmly said "Wrong nerve there. Hitting the defrib," and pressed a button.

When they laid me on the table (face down, strapped in, with my head in a brace), one of the nurses slid a pad with 2 metal plates under me, saying "This is the defriblilator, just in case."

Well, anyway, I leasrned it's nothing like in the movies. He pressed the button, I felt my chest tingle, and the heart monitor went back to going "beep...beep...beep..." like normal.

He talked with me fora few minutes, explained what had happened, and continued the procedure.

Yes, I was fully awake and conscious the entire time. The doctors and their assistants kept talking with me to make sure I was okay.

After the surgery was done, the doctor sat with me in the recovery room the entire time, discuissing what's going to happen, and keeping an eye on me.

He apologized several times, even though (in my opinion) he did great. He kept apologizing about the fact that from this point on, I'm pretty much stuck in the chair. But, I can honestly say, that's ok. My pain level right now is about a 2 (it was an easy 8 when I got there this morning), and should drop even lower over the next 24-48 hours.

2 weeks for this to fully take hold, and then the next surgery takes place. Yay.

-- Charlie

Kyo's right, they did delay me again. BUT, after talking with the surgeon himself, they DO have good reason! Two very important things:

1. I'm deathly allergic to contrast dye, so since they can't use it, the 20 minute procedure becomes a minimum 45 minute procedure.

2. The nerve in question is literally wrapped around several other very important nerves (including my balance center). So they have to be very careful what they hit.

The receptionist is still a twit, but I'm willing to take my time and get this done right.

Oh, there's going to be rails added soon. along with rope lights on the decking so i can navigate at night.

Yay! I now have a Ramp!

http://charlie.kjsr.net/index.php/pictures

Thanks Abrahms. I was so MAD last night that I forgot to post the update.

Note: the receptionist who rescheduled me was the same bleach-blonde, Tammy-Faye-wannabe who told my primary surgeon 4 times in a row "we got the fax with his medical records, but not the referral slip." until the primary surgeon's nurse finally gave up and WALKED IT TO HER from the office across the street!

UPDATE for those of you who are interested... Today is the first surgery! I (or more likely, Kyo) will post after we get back to let everyone know how it goes!

Been in there already today, and so far it's been pretty much as predicted last night...

Player1: Are the servers back up yet?
Player2: When will the servers be back up?
Player3: How long until the servers are back up?
Player4: (long rambling story about their character and a carton of pistachio ice cream)
Player5: WHY ARE THE SERVERS DOWN???
Player6: Are the servers back up yet?

All in all, still a fun thing to watch.

Saw the new surgeon for the exploratory today, and he has good news and bad news.



Good news: I'm a perfect candidate for the Berkeley procedure. And the occipital nerve is dead. I'll be having a temporary nerve block put in sometime in the next week or so to see if it can be safely removed before they ship me off to Berkeley.



Bad news: Depending on how that nerve block goes, I'll be in a wheelchair permanently. My balance center is severely damaged, it's just a question of when now.



Either way, the new procedure stands a chance of adding some time to my 3-5 year expiration date. We just don't know how much yet.

Steampunk Charlie in "Dressing Like a Hero"

Professor Winthrop had been in Paragon City for just over a month since the Interocitor had exploded, sending him screaming through dimensions from his alternate-history Earth to this world, and he was slowly starting to come to grips with the situation.

Upon being released from the hospital, he had been issued a “Temporary Hero License” and been given quarters at the Department of Advanced Technological Application’s labs in Atlas Park. They hadn’t asked much of him in return, which he found surprising, but they were very interested in his ability to tinker with the odd bits of hardware he found laying around.

Rick Davies, whom the Professor actually enjoyed visiting with, was paying him another visit.

“So, Professor, what have you come up with this time? Is there anything I can get you?” Rick asked, eyeing the metal-covered mannequin the Professor was attaching several unidentifiable bits to.

The Professor paused for a moment in his work, smiling at Davies, “No thank you, Rick. I have almost finished here. As for what I have tinkered together this time, I have decided that since your fantastic city seems to think of me as a Hero, I should at least make the attempt to ‘play the part’ so to speak.

“To that end, I have been constructing a suit of armor to ‘even the score’ as I believe I overheard one of your technicians say.”

Davies ran a critical eye over the decidedly “Victorian” style of body armor hanging from the mannequin in front of him. “Okay Professor, I’ll bite. What does this armor do?”

“Simply put, aside from enhancing my body’s strength five-fold, the steam-powered body-armor will be capable of harnessing and unleashing static electricity in large quantities for several purposes,” the Professor said, as he attached a large, flat tank to the back of the armored suit.

“Steam-powered?” Davies asked, incredulously, “But Professor, we have made such great advances in miniaturized power sources since your time! Why not go with micro-atomic, or Kheldian Crystal, or…”

“No, no, my dear young man,” the Professor interrupted Davies, “You have all these wonderful advances, but I prefer working with a medium in which I am well-versed. Much easier to repair this way, in case of damage on the field of battle. Besides, I do have a few pieces of that damned Interocitor with me, and they should prove quite capable of making my armor even more efficient.”

Davies looked thoughtful for a moment. “Speaking of that, Professor, my teams have found some more debris from where you first landed in our world. We analyzed them, of course, but can’t really tell much about them. And I was kind of hoping you could shed a bit of light into how they work?” he asked, as he reached the Professor a handful of small objects that looked like marbles with metal rods pushed through the centers.

“Ah, yes!” the Professor exclaimed, “The very parts I need for the electrical generators! These, my young friend, are ‘bead condensers.’ Basically, they take any form of energy, and convert it into electricity. On a rather large scale too, if I remember correctly.”

“Yes, as we found out, just before Lab Bay Six was blown apart from the energy discharge.” Davies said, as the Professor installed the components into the gear-shaped shoulder pads of his armor.

“Oh my. Was anyone injured?” the Professor asked, looking concerned. “It seems that everything about the Interocitor is cursed to do nothing but harm.”

Davies smiled at the Professor’s sudden empathy, which was quite out of character for the slightly uptight, and very British, gentleman. “No, Professor. Six is an automated testing lab we use for unusual or unknown devices. We managed to pump thirty thousand kilowatts into one of those ‘bead condensers’ before it discharged. The three hundred thousand kilowatts it sent back out was quite impressive, too! Can you tell us exactly how they manage to do that?”

The Professor looked sad for a moment before answering, “Unfortunately, no. All that I can really say of them is that they are part number AB-619 in the ‘Electronic Service Unit 16’ catalog. Now if we could happen to find a copy of that book, perhaps I could give you a better answer.”

Davies, apparently lost in thought, wandered around the mannequin, examining all the components the Professor had integrated into the rust and steel colored battle suit. “Well, Professor, I’ve got a team over at the Portal Corporation working around the clock on trying to find a copy of the book for you. If we can get it, perhaps you could use it to build another Interocitor and eventually return home.”

“That would be most excellent my young friend,” the Professor said as he tinkered with what appeared to be a large pair of metal boots, “but there is no way I could return home again without finding Mary first. Has there been any news on her whereabouts?”

“Very little actually, Professor,” sighed Davies, as he examined a piece of metal hose that ran down the back of the armor to the legs. “But from what the Freedom Corps have been able to tell us, at the same time you appeared in Atlas Park, she appeared in Cap Au Diable. Unfortunately, before any of the Longbow agents could get to her, a group of Lord Recluse’s men snatched her away.”

The Professor laid his tools down on the bench, looking grim. “Then I must go straight away to rescue her.”

Davies laid a sympathetic hand on the Professor’s shoulder. “Until we know for certain whether or not your suit can handle battle, I’d suggest staying away from the Rogue Isles, sir. That’s a very dangerous place that even the great Statesman doesn’t visit often.”

The Professor, summoning every bit of control he could muster, turned towards Rick Davies. “So what do you advise me to do, Richard? Shall I stay here in the relative safety offered by D.A.T.A. and allow my fiancée to be killed by this Lord Recluse?”

Before Davies could answer, a voice called from the doorway of the lab, “No Charlie. We expect you to fight Lord Recluse and get Mary back.”

The Professor and Davies both turned around, startled. Standing in the doorway, his arms folded casually against his chest, was Detective Frietag.

“Inspector Frietag, my good man!” the Professor exclaimed, rushing forward to shake the Detective’s hand.

“Told you before Charlie, I’m a Detective, not an Inspector,” Frietag returned the Professor’s handshake warmly, a smile playing across his stern features.

“And as I have told you, Inspector, my name is Charles, not Charlie,” the Professor replied good-naturedly.

Rick Davies watched the two men bemusedly. The Professor was the only person who could make the “Detective with an Iron Face” come close to smiling.

After a few more “friendly” exchanges, the Detective resumed his stern posture. “What it comes down to Charlie, is you have to learn to walk before you can run. I know you’re a brilliant egghead scientist, but how are you in a fight?”

The Professor thought for a moment before answering. “Well, I can certainly hold my own in a fair stand-up boxing match, but I don’t believe Lord Recluse and his men would be willing to follow the Marquess of Queensberry rules, would they? Hence the reason I have designed and built this battle suit.”

“So when will the suit be ready, Professor?” Davies asked.

The Professor resumed tinkering at the workbench, “Just as soon as I finish installing these bead condensers into the electrical generators, Richard.”

As the Professor installed the casings for the generators on the shoulders of the battle suit, Frietag’s police radio gave a sudden squawk, and the Detective listened intensely to the radio broadcast.

“Looks like you’re getting it finished just in time, Charlie.” the Detective grimaced, “A villain named Comatorium is robbing the Atlas Park bank. Think you’re up to stopping him as a test of this steampunk tuxedo?”

The Professor hurriedly began changing into the rust colored body armor as he replied, “Well Inspector, I’ll certainly try my best.”

Davies appeared lost in thought for a moment. “Wait Professor! If you go out there to fight a villain, you’re going to need a name! The press will be calling to find out who the newest Hero in Atlas Park is, and you certainly don’t want them to know your real name.”

As the last pieces of the Professor’s costume settled themselves into place, he flipped a switch on the chest of his new body suit. A chugging sound issued from his back, and wisps of steam rose from the joints. “Well then, I suppose you can call me ‘Steampunk Charlie’ for now.”

-----

The rest of the Saga is still going at http://djs.kjsr.net/charlie/

Thanks everyone, it means a lot.

I have an exploratory on the 28th, and we'll be going from there on doing a possible trip out to Berkley for more tests and things...

I'll keep everyone updated!

Thanks to everyone who showed up, whether it was in the D (thanks to the Devs for shutting down Protector 10 minutes before we made the big announcement!), in the LiveChat, or just tuned in.

For those who couldn't make it, here's the short form: I'm dying.

Long form: We've found out that the headaches are being caused by a problem called Occipital Neuralgia, which is a side effect of Marburg's Variant, a form of MS. Right now a whole slew of doctors are saying I've got 3-5 years at the outside. BUT, there's a 20% chance that I'll end up living a lot longer (I turn 40 in July). Myself, I'm betting on that 20%.

Either way, we've already made arrangements, so the station won't be shutting down for a long, long time. And I intend to enjoy however much time I have left, be it long or short.

Whatever happens, keep in mind that I ask one thing of all of you: no crying. I'm not crying over it, and I don't want you doing so either. No funeral for me, thanks. I want a party instead. Celebrate the life I've had, not the death that stopped it.

I intend to be around as often as I can, between the constant dizziness, headaches, and blackouts. Because like I said, I'm betting on that 20%.

And remember, I love you all.

Just a reminder folks, Kyo and I will be in Pocket D at 7 Eastern to kick off our return, and to make the big announcement. I hope you'll be able to tune in. It's rather important.

Thanks everyone. It means a lot to me.

Thanks Ura and Korith.

I'm not really BETTER, but I'm doing OKAY. One day at a time...

Stuck in a wheelchair for the next while, but Kyo is helping me cope with that.

Kultie!!! I hope you'll tune in and stop by dear. It'd mean a lot to me!

Just bring yourself. That's gift enough for me.

Yes I'm still around. Still sick, but I'm not letting that stop me.

I've missed you all, my friends, but since I'm feeling a bit better, I'm going to make an effort to show up more often.

Just to recap what's been going on... Back in February of last year, I started having these MASSIVE blinding headaches. And as time went on, they kept getting worse and worse. Then the dizziness started, and the occasional fainting spells. Several doctors and medical tests later, they found out that a nerve in the back of my head was misfiring, causing all the trouble. Surgeries were discussed, as well as various medications (I could stock a pharmacy will all the pain meds we've tried that failed).

We finally have a (mostly) workable solution, and while the headaches etc aren't gone, I'm fighting my way back to semi-normal.

So expect to see me in-game a lot more often.

Also, Kyo and I are coming back to our show on KJSR.net this Friday at 7pm Eastern, and we have a VERY important announcement. So I have a big favor to ask. If you can, please tune in, and listen. Kyo and I will be in Pocket D during the show as well. It's THAT important.

Feels good to be back, and I hope to see you all on Friday!

-- Charlie