On the Lack of Blog Posts and Podcast Episodes

Last updated on November 6, 2024

Offering excuses for not keeping up with The Autistic Me frustrates me, but life has a tendency to get in the way of personal projects.

I failed to release podcast episodes for most of 2024. I blamed an overloaded teaching schedule and a two- to three-hour commute (each way, 115 miles or more). It seemed I was always driving or grading, with little time for much else.

Working a mile from our house for a mere eight hours each weekday seemed like a perfect situation. Yet, sharp pain in my right arm started a few weeks into September, and it increased to the point I just couldn’t move without screeching. I have poor body awareness, so the situation was probably serious before October.

At the point of collapse from the pain, my wife took me to an after-hours clinic. A few hours later, I was getting a CT scan in an emergency room. This was more serious than I had hoped. (Wishing away pain never works.)

I have a pinched nerve in my cervical vertebrae C5-C6 and a herniated disc at C3-C4. To say I am in some pain understates the situation. This pain comes pretty close to the pain of my subdural hematoma of Spring Break 2023. Kidney stones hurt less, and so did the torn meniscus. The doctors have treated the pain with an epidural and steroid injection directly into the spine. That was not fun, either.

The spinal injection didn’t last a full 24 hours. I’m in extreme pain. I struggle to type for more than a few minutes at a time.

Pain takes a physical and emotional toll on anyone. I am exhausted yet pushing myself to work full-time. By the end of the day, I simply want to sit and decompress from all the time around people.

I still hope to push through the pain to get one or two podcast episodes released this month. It could happen, right? Maybe?

Whatever the medical outcome, I’ll let followers know.

I wish I could make The Autistic Me and Perspectives on Neurodiversity a full-time gig, or part of what I would do as a writer at home. However, I need a job that pays a steady income and has a retirement plan. Blogging and podcasting aren’t enough, but I don’t have the energy to maintain the social media presence of an influencer.

There will be more blogging and podcasting. As always, I appreciate your patience.