My Secret

All the best comic book heroes have secrets. Secret identities, secret hideouts, secret desires. I have a secret too.

My kidneys are sick and failing. For most of the time that I've lived with my illness (Polycystic Kidney Disease) this hasn't impacted me too much so I've not shared that information with anyone but some friends and family. However those days are rapidly ending and I'm feeling the effects of my disease more and more. I expect to be on dialysis by around the end of the year and will need to be hooked up to a machine for hours each day to live (until -- and if -- I can get a kidney transplant) -- a sobering thought.

On the plus side, I'm otherwise in good health (my doctor tells me I have a "wonderful body") and I do have health insurance (it's not great by any means but it'll help with the bills of which there will be plenty).

I mention all this for two reasons: One, I suspect I won't be posting for a long while as I simply do not have the energy right now (I have to focus on family and work. I still plan to do CBH:LIVE! at WonderCon next year and finish up a new Comic Book Heaven book by 2010 but will put off deciding on what to do about the CBH blog until early next year). And two, I'd like to ask for a little help (even with insurance my illness will be expensive).

You'll notice to the left and right of the main center column there are an Amazon.com ad featuring comic related books I like and an ad for a Zazzle gallery of stuff I've designed. Ordering products via either would be greatly appreciated as I'm paid a small amount per order. I realize that these are difficult times for everyone but if you've gotten any enjoyment from the magazines, blog, or presentations that I've done over the past decade this would be a really, really good time to thank me in a solid way. And if you can't buy something but perhaps have a buck to spare I've added one of those fancy Paypal donation buttons below:

Thanks for your time. I look forward to more CBH style fun in the future. In the meantime, I'm not just sitting around feeling sorry for myself. I'm making comics! Be sure to check out my latest effort (updated every Wednesday): Java Town.