Hurry hurry
Jump in front of me
Don’t slow down
Wait and never ever
Stop
Crowds rushing by on Saturday caused me to make a quick shift in movement. I fell into the wall of a building, scraped elbow and a goose egg on my head. Got to a restaurant cleaned up elbow and iced head a bit.
Milestone: getting a cane Monday.
Of what is reported:
November 2021. 4 LGBTQ people are murdered everyday in Latin America and the Caribbean
2021. Mexico sees deadliest year for LGBTQ people 117 killed … 27% increase
More than 600 LGBTQ people murdered in the USA in the last 20 years. Since 2021, 57 murdered
50,000 estimated to have been jailed by the Nazis- 10 to 15000 sent to concentration camps; many died, many castrated, many subjected to medical experiments
After the war the Allies, the German States and Austria kept homosexuality illegal and imprisoned the concentration camp survivors.
Long as I remember the rain been coming down
Clouds of mystery pourin’ confusion on the ground
Good men through the ages tryin’ to find the sun
And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain
Happy Gay Pride
I’d go today but for the crowds.
And never forget 1969 and that
Oslo was this week
4000 steps yesterday and then
Very helpful
then on the street
A new mural in the East Village
Then what we have a lot of in the East Village now
The Ukrainian Flag for the newest freedom fighters
The colors symbolize blue sky above the yellow field of wheat representing Ukraine and the Ukrainians as they are- freedom-loving, independent, brave, and vibrant.
And then: The Supreme Court has reversed our nations course toward the ideals of the enlightenment liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity (need to update that one, monsieur), constitutional government and separation of church and state.
Too much
on this our gay pride weekend and not without fear and loathing I think of my murdered and attacked gay brothers in Oslo, Norway: I will stay vigilant. I learn again we are not safe it is a matter of life or death.
40 mg a day
Yesterday, walked to the Whitney Museum to see their Biennial. Then walked to the film forum to see the movie “Miracle”. Then walked home. 12,679 steps. And
The Museum
The Movie
On the street
And feeling good today
I have an active disease and need medication to stay alive. The disease is ANCA Vasculitis and the medications are prednisone, a steroid and Rituxan a cancer treatment medication. The Vasculitis was first officially diagnosed in June 2021 after a kidney biopsy. December 2021 I went into remission possibly only due to medications, Prednisone and Rituxan. Doctors don’t know what caused the disease. They don’t know what brought it back. They know, profess to know, and or just accept that medications are the reason. I have to believe that too. It’s been my experience. So I’m back to this treatment plan Prednisone and if that’s not enough a 6 hour slow IV of Rituxan.
But there are side effects:
PREDNISONE:
Fluid retention
High Blood Pressure
Problems with mood swings, memory, behavior, confusion, delirium
Upset stomach
Weight gain with fat deposits in your abdomen, face (moon face), and back of neck
Elevated pressure in your eyes (glaucoma)
Clouding of the lens of your eyes ( cataracts)
High Blood Sugar (diabetes)
Risk of infection
Thinning bones
Suppressed adrenal gland hormone production that may result in a variety of signs and symptoms, including severe fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle weakness
Thin skin, bruising, slower wound healing
I’ve experienced fat deposits in neck and face and abdomen and need medically prescribed calcium and magnesium
. . .
RITUXAN
Can result in serious, including fatal, infusion related reactions within 24 hours
Severe mucocutaneous reactions, including fatal reactions
Progressive multi focal leukoencephalopathy (PML) including fatal PML
For god’s sake it’s enough, right. Why go through it: just live with the consequences of the life you’ve chosen.
Ah, yes. But there’s nothing like another day.
ANCA Vasculitis has resurfaced in my lungs with increased ground glass opacities and I’m on increased steroids, 40 mg. I feel like James Whale’s ‘Frankenstein’ :”Steroids … Good” ( if you don’t know who James Whale is check out the remarkable film ‘of Gods and Monsters’.
Steroids have got me moving again in more ways than one. Got to check on the long term side effects of it cause I really like it.
Had to get back to writing to expressing to catching the moment.
Jan 6th hearing seems to be having a moment that may impact for change. They have tv not talking about Trump supporters but Fascists and the violence of Fascists. Very important distinction.
Got to run. Literally not physically. Not there yet.
Not writing lately because of exhaustion. Trying to push my self out of this. Like going to the Museum of Natural History to see the exhibit on gems and minerals. Went 3 times over two weeks to take it all in. I can tell you ice is a mineral and that minerals are necessary for our existence. Think of salt. Ice is a mineral because it is naturally occurring, solid, crystalline and uniform in composition. There are more than 5000 minerals on earth. Then I went home to bed.
Feel this is a little sloppy as a presentation. Tired. Above is part of a giant Geode.
