Loren is not well.

[mcgurk]

Loren Update

I don't really have the energy to post to a lot of places each day, so until my energy level comes back up, I'll put a little something here and let you guys spread it to the TML, CoTI, and wherever else you think fit.

I'm recovering, but I am really, _really_ tired. The injection site bruises are fading, and the accompanying soreness is also going away. My left leg (where they took the donor blood vessels for the bypasses) is now a collection of smaller purple bruises instead of one gigantic bruise. My chest no longer has a dinner plate size bruise on it, but it is still sore and sometimes actively painful, especially when I cough or sneeze.

My sister Linda drove here from Illinois last week to act as my chauffer and help out (I'm not alowed to lift anything over my shoulders, and can't lift anything over 10 pounds in any case). She is now dozing in my living room while I sit at the computer in the bedroom.
L

 

[Jame]

I'm glad he got through the operation, and that he seems to be recovering - if slowly. I hope he gets better quickly.

 

[Kilgs]

Oh man, he's written more of my faves than G.R.R. Martin. Best wishes for him!

 

[Cryton]

Its already posted

 

[mcgurk]

Thanks to everyone for all the good wishes and your other kindnesses. My sister drove down from Illinois last week and I am driving her crazy because I am starting to get cranky: I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

On the plus side, she likes the Pinky and the Brain marathon made possible by my friend Richard Kerr loaning me his DVDs.

Medical bills are now $8700 and still rising, for those keeping score.
__________________
Loren Wiseman
Traveller Guru-in-Residence
Austin TX
www.lorenwiseman.com
www.irbw.com

 

[mcgurk]

Just wanted to say that the TML Loren Wiseman Deckplans Project is progressing nicely, people are really getting behind it and there is a lot of positive movement 8)

 

[mcgurk]

Latest Update


Here's what's going to happen:

I go to the various creditors and tell them I would love to pay, but that my income stream is highly variable, and I cannot in good faith enter into a payment plan when I can't guarantee I can make the payments. They will discuss it a bit, and eventually hand my debt over to a collection agency, writing me off on their taxes as a bad debt. The collection agency will bug me, but I will tell them the same thing I told the original creditors, and they will proceed to trash my already poor credit rating and eventually sell the debt to another collection agency. Launder, rinse, repeat.


What I need donations for is to cover the future cost of my medication on a monthly basis (for instance: I'm running low on insulin, which I can buy Thursday because of your kind donations), and the various doctor visits to adjust such medication, etc. I am applying to various local assistance groups for the indigent/underemployed, but this could take weeks to even get an appointment to acess my eligability. Meanwhile I have to worry about medicines, rent, utilities, and food (since I can't do much in the way of useful work for the next month or more and my relatives are in about the same fiscal shape I'm in.

I'm tired and I need to go to bed now. Good night all!
__________________
Loren Wiseman
Traveller Guru-in-Residence
Austin TX
www.lorenwiseman.com
www.irbw.com

 

[mcgurk]

Latest Update


Went in for the 3 weeks post op acessment, and passed with flying colors (most of the colors are now "bruise purple" and fading). Lungs sound good, no sign of infection, and the 7 gauge surgical wire binding my sternum together seems to be holding. I'm off the heavy drugs and popping ibuprofen now, but I just discovered that a month's supply of Lantus-type insulin will run me $105 (and I need one other type in addition).

I've been told I should look into something called "emergency medicaid" to see if I qualify. Anybody have a clue?

 

[Sturn]

I've been told I should look into something called "emergency medicaid" to see if I qualify. Anybody have a clue?

I know nothing about medicaid, but look into the company that makes the drug to see if they have any assistance in the form of coupons or rebates. My wife had to go on a shot that cost $100 per day before insurance. For a time even with insurance I thought it was going to be $30 a day for several months. o: The maker of the drug had coupons that gave up to 60% off for the needy.

 

[mcgurk]

By the way, I'd like to thank everyone for their good wishes, prayers, magic spells, and animal sacrifices. My 3-week post op acessment says that I am healing faster than average. Evidently it literally does my heart good to have such fans as yourselves.
__________________
Loren Wiseman
Traveller Guru-in-Residence
Austin TX
www.lorenwiseman.com
www.irbw.com

 

[FreeTrav]

Just as a side note... if someone is (re)posting Loren's actual self-reports, it'd be both less immediately confusing and good form on general principles to put it in a quote box... please?

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Just as a side note... if someone is (re)posting Loren's actual self-reports, it'd be both less immediately confusing and good form on general principles to put it in a quote box... please?

That would definitely help.

 

[mcgurk]

Ooops my bad

fair point

LATEST UPDATE work for you?

 

[FreeTrav]

Anything's good, just as long as it's clear that "This is Loren talking in the first person, not the person whose handle is at the top of the post." Bracketing it with quote tags - you can insert them manually - is best, but, as I said, anything that accomplishes the aim works for me...

I don't care whether you call it the Department of War or the Department of Defense. It's irrelevant. What's relevant is that it needs to be the "mediaeval" in "Piss us off, and we'll get mediaeval on your ass."

 

[mcgurk]

Righto

just trying to help is all, figured that no one else was posting his comments over here and he did ask that people do so is all

 

[mcgurk]

LATEST UPDATE - LOREN SPEAKING

Hospital Anecdote:

A day or two after surgery, I can't sleep and so I'm watching The Sea Hawks on TCM at about 4 AM. The 20-something brunette nurse comes in to do a couple of blood draws and notices that a pirate movie is playing. "Hey," she says "I love pirate movies . . . who's the hunk?"

"Errol Flynn" I reply.

"He's hot. Was he a big star in the 30s?"

Oy.

 

[kafka47]

LATEST UPDATE - LOREN SPEAKING

Hospital Anecdote:

A day or two after surgery, I can't sleep and so I'm watching The Sea Hawks on TCM at about 4 AM. The 20-something brunette nurse comes in to do a couple of blood draws and notices that a pirate movie is playing. "Hey," she says "I love pirate movies . . . who's the hunk?"

"Errol Flynn" I reply.

"He's hot. Was he a big star in the 30s?"

Oy.

She was only off by a year, if she thought 1939...still the 30s. It is good to see some things do not age but only get better. Speedy recovery to Loren. Wish that I could do more but the best therapy now is rest followed by rehabilitation (which hopefully Social Services can pick up the tab - or am I being too Canadian again). My mum did not have a bypass as 2/3 of heart died in the infarction and lived a full life for 13yrs more years and she was older than you. So hang in there.

 

[mcgurk]

She was only off by a year, if she thought 1939...still the 30s. It is good to see some things do not age but only get better. Speedy recovery to Loren. Wish that I could do more but the best therapy now is rest followed by rehabilitation (which hopefully Social Services can pick up the tab - or am I being too Canadian again). My mum did not have a bypass as 2/3 of heart died in the infarction and lived a full life for 13yrs more years and she was older than you. So hang in there.

-----------------

Hey Kafka, I just took the liberty of posting your reply here up on the STEVE JACKSON GAMES forum for TRAVELLER, thats the only site that Loren is posting on at the moment
so if anyone wants to get his updates direct and respond directly that is the place to go

 

[mcgurk]

Latest update - loren speaking

still tired as all getout . . . I have to force myself to get up and walk the 5 minutes to the grocery or the 120 yards to the mailbox. Sis left last thursday, leaving me on my own for a while (until my nephew decides to drop by without my calling 911 : ) you may remember that he was one of the paramedics who responded to my initial call).

I'll have to get to my doctor's office tuesday (they're closed monday for labor day) . . I have a scratchy throat that seems to be turning into congestion in my lungs, which is bad for patients with lungs that have ben irritated by surgery, so i want to get that checked out. Thankfully, i have enough extra cash to cover that due to your kind donations recently.

Please continue to spread these reports as you see fit, and thank you one and all again.

 

[mcgurk]

I just wanted to take the liberty of posting the following information here (originally posted by Dom Mooney on the TML, POWER PROJECTION and BITS site)
-----------------------------------------------------------

You may not be aware, but Loren Wiseman – one of the founders of GDW and the man who was responsible for Traveller’s continued existence at Steve Jackson Games after Imperium Games imploded – has had a heart attack and is presently in hospital.

As a freelancer, this has hit him hard financially in terms of medical fees and his ability to work.

As a result, BITS would like to join in some of the efforts to raise funds for Loren and give something back in return...

Send a donation via Paypal to Marc Miller at Farfuture@gmail.com, marking it ‘Loren Wiseman Fundraiser - Power Projection’, and then send a copy of the transaction confirmation to webmaster@bits.org.uk.

If I receive confirmation of more than $100 in transactions, I will make the PDF of all the ships for Power Projection: Escort that were not included in Power Projection: Fleet available to download for free on 20th September 2010.

These are:

Imperial
200T SDB
Broadsword Class
Chrysanthemum Class
Fer-de-Lance Class
Kinunir Class
Midu Agashaam Class

Zhodani
Chtierabl Class Tender
Plokl Class
Shivva Class
Vlezhdatl Class
Zhdoq Class
Zhodatl Class

These will be updated to match the Power Projection: Fleet SSDs and include Points and RCP values.

I will post updates on progress via the @BITS_Traveller Twitter feed.

Thanks,

Dom