2013 @ Cheap Geeks Anonymous: "Resolutions"

Hope anyone reading had a great New Year's Eve!  (Anyone not reading is not my concern)

I personally don't think of New Year's Eve as much of a holiday... people just use it as an excuse to get beyond drunk (like most holidays...although that is a discussion for another time).

And while I am not a person who makes resolutions for the new year--frankly, we should work towards and create goals continually, not just during the month of January!--I thought this was as good a time as any to say a couple things about this blog.

I haven't, by any means, been an avid blogger.  I'm a shy blogger, just like I'm a shy person in real life.  The public audience thing freaks me out, and I feel like I have to please people.  But the whole point of this blog was attempting to get over that!

I don't know how much time I will have to blog over the next several months.  I hope I can make it a habit.

I struggle with the idea of sticking into a "niche."  Obviously this blog was supposed to be about all the nerdy and geeky things in my life... but what I'm beginning to realize is that my interests and passions are constantly changing--I'm really focused on acheiving a healthier lifestyle and I really enjoy cooking/baking.  So do I write about that?  Or just stick to video games, comic books, and stuff like that?

We'll see.  I'm still trying to explore this space, and I guess I should do that instead of being afraid of posting something "off-topic"?  After all, this blog is mine!

Anyway, enough of my random personal posting.  Although you might start to see more of it.  Who knows what 2013 will bring!

League of Legends: I Hate You

Have you ever been in one of those awkward situations where your whole group of friends went to see a movie/concert/event of some sort, and you were the only one left out of the loop? 
That’s my life every day right now.
My entire group of friends have been consumed with League of Legends, an MMO Battle Arena (MMOBA) PC game.  This is all fine and dandy with me; it’s happened before, so not a big life-shaking deal, right? 
Wrong. 

League of Legends happens to be a pretty spectacular game (this is my opinion, based on watching my boyfriend and a few friends play and their opinions on the game).  What makes the game increasingly interesting and addictive is the sheer number of possibilities it holds.  First of all, it’s totally free.  Can’t beat that.  In the game, you are a summoner, and you control a champion (character) in the game.  As you level up, you build your base abilities.  Each game, you can pick a different champion to control, and you spend the game leveling up and building their abilities. There are also dozens of characters to choose from.  And the graphics aren’t too shabby, either.  Though normally, I dislike battle arena games, this one is very enticing and potentially exciting.

But I can’t play it.  I am stuck with an HP Netbook that has trouble loading YouTube videos.  Getting this computer was not my choice; my awesome laptop broke right before the end of summer and frankly, I needed something for my classes.  Until I can scrounge up the money, I can only play PC games by mooching off my boyfriend.  In addition, between doing homework, working, and maintaining this blog, I’m not left with much time to game (especially since when I play video games, I tend to play for hours without realizing it). 
I would like to play League of Legends with all my friends.  I really would.
Until then, I will continue to abhor this game for all it’s worth.  
Whenever I see my friends, after the pleasantries of “How’s your day going?” and things like that, the conversation inevitably gets torn out of my hands and plopped right in the center of League of Legends.  Suddenly, everyone is talking about MF-ing Cho’Gath!, how they totally whooped Annie Bot, builds for Olaf, and a bunch of other things I’m completely oblivious to.  Any sort of strategy on my end to try and lead the conversation back to something I can at least attempt to do more than smile and nod at fail.  Eventually, I end up spouting something totally untrue (or...not?) and inappropriate like “Man! My pubes itch!” or “I hit children with my car last night!”  Unfortunately, after brief confused stares, League of Legends dominates again.
None of this is even mentioning the fact that I get continually spurned by my boyfriend, because he’d like to play a “short game or two” that end up lasting 2 hours...or all night.
Oh, League of Legends...I hate you.

Week of Flufferwuffer: Toast

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

That wholly unpleasant sound snapped me out of my morning routine of watching my cat Loki acting adorably as he begs for some of my yogurt.  Startled, I quickly snapped around to see that my precious gingerbread Poptarts had suffered a horrible fate in the depths of our cheap-as-cheap-can-get $5 toaster, whose timer had decided that a year and a half of good service was more than enough and it would just let whatever the hell was supposed to pop up perfectly instead smolder in the toaster’s clutches.  A good-sized stream of smoke was climbing upwards to pool at the ceiling.  I jumped up, shut of the damnable toaster, and snatched a calendar to wave the smoke away from the smoke alarm.

Our toaster, unfortunately, DIED.  As did my gingerbread Poptarts, which had become unbreakable bloated black pouches filled with molten marshmallow crème.  Very unfortunate. 

For two days our apartment was filled with the sweet aroma stench of burnt Poptart.  I strongly advise that you don’t burn Poptarts.  It smells awful.

So, my boyfriend figured out that the toaster works fine; put simply, the timer stopped working, so instead of popping up after whatever time…that thing will just keep on toasting whatever the fuck is in there, even if it’s on fire (presumably).  Whenever we want Poptarts, toast, or Toaster Strudels for breakfast, we have to sit and watch the little toaster like Big Brother.  Not fun.

Of course we’re getting a new toaster.  This thing’s useless now. (Unless, of course, we get so bored that all we can think of doing for fun is watching bread…toast). 

That is why I posted a new Geeklist the other day…can you guess which toaster we’re buying?  You have a 20% chance of being right!

Week of Flufferwuffer: First Post

This is my first time writing a post like this, but I’m doing my best to keep it as entertaining and interesting as possible!  Every week, I will post a new “Week of Flufferwuffer”, just to keep my readers updated on various events and reflections happening in my life.  Honestly, I don’t know why you’d want to read about me, but I figured it would be a great way for the readers to get to know me a little more.

Really quickly, I’d like to point out my new “About Me” page.  When I started blogging, I was going to make a point to remain as anonymous as possible, but I’ve done away with that. My name is Chelsea Fetch.  You can find out more about me by visiting the new page.  Oh, here’s my mug, if you’d like to see it…

For this post, I’d like to start the series off by outlining a few different goals I’ve set for myself.  You can call them New Years Resolutions if you want, but I’m not doing this just because the year has changed. It’s more about me.

• Learn how to knit more than just lopsided scarves
• Learn about computer programming/more about coding
• More creative baking projects
• Spend more time writing/improve writing

All of these, in some way or another, are geeky or nerdy.  Trust me.  May not seem like it now, but as I write more posts from week to week, everything will become clear.  If any of you reading this think you can help me with any of those, just let me know.  I need mentors!

Things Are Going to Change Around Here…

2011.  Something about the fact that my computer is now displaying that number has made me reevaluate why I started blogging.  And that’s why things will be changing around Cheap Geeks Anonymous.  Not much, but hey, bear with me.

When I started blogging in May, I think I was reading the wrong blogs.  I should have been reading blogs like GeeksAreSexy, Geek with Curves, or jeffisag33k.  I got caught up in the idea that I needed tons of people following my blog right away.  In the end, I’ve ended up with the majority of my following (as reflected by Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and Google Friend Connect followers) being absolutely dormant. 

I fell into another pitfall along the way.  Last semester, I was putting too much time into my hobbies, and less time into schoolwork and the blog.  Thus, my grades suffered (got the first C since junior high), and posts on my blog have been lackluster and scarce. 

Both these things will change.  I’m going to start posting more about me, my geeky adventures, and the things I want to post about.  I’ll still work to grow my audience, but not just for the numbers—for geeks who actually want to read, discuss, and comment on what I write.  Some things will stay the same, but I’m hoping this not only makes my blog more rewarding for me, but more manageable as well.

Along with my normal, random postings, I’m going to be typing up two (as of right now) posts that will recur.  First, every week or so, I’ll be posting a “Week of Flufferwuffer” (title subject to change…seriously!) post…which will basically be an update of geekworthy stuff happening in my life.  Next, I’ll be honoring the “Cheap” of Cheap Geeks Anonymous a little more by posting more deals, which will include anything from video game, computer, hardware, and gadget deals I find throughout a day or two.  In addition, I’ll be posting more of my opinions on things—not reviews, just opinions—like why I’ll never buy Apple products. 

To wrap things up, I’m doing this for me…and you.  If you are already following my blog somehow, and decide to leave because you don’t like my new way of posting…fine, I don’t really care; you’re wasting your time here anyway.  I want an audience that likes me, likes what I like, and will worship the ground I walk on.  Hopefully, these changes will make my blog more enjoyable to other geeks out there and me.

Yes, I’m Back!

That’s your cue to run away screaming.  Ha! 

I haven’t posted in almost a week…sorry!  While in Wisconsin, I had mere minutes every day to get on my computer, and those minutes were spend checking my e-mails, answering the important ones, and *cough*perusingfacebook*cough*.  But now I’m back in action.  Tired, yes.  Not wanting to go back to classes (even though I’m sitting in one right now), yes.  Wishing I could go back to Wisconsin and spend more time with family, yes.  But back to writing, school, work, and every other aspect of life, nonetheless. 

Even though I was deprived of computer time, Wisconsin was a lot of fun.  Wrestling around with my niece and nephew, eating way more food than the average person needs, and discovering that Sesame Street Live can be fun for more than just 4-year-olds were just some of the highlights of my trip.

But, alas, I realize that most of you probably aren’t interested in hearing my sentimental memories of sitting around the table at the Thanksgiving gorge-fest, and would rather hear about my awesome new creation:  the Bacon-Waffle Taco.  (In hindsight,  I really should have taken a picture of that before I wolfed it down)

Well, I guess I should quit reminiscing and start typing up reviews and giveaways for you guys! 

Snow and a Trip

Two nights ago and yesterday, Fargo-Moorhead received their first Christmas gift.  We got bombarded with over a foot of snow in less than 12 hours.  That marked the first snowfall of the season for us, and needless to say a lot of people around here aren’t too happy about it. 

I, for one, was really hoping that we wouldn’t get snow until after Thanksgiving.  The reason?  Tonight my family (boyfriend in tow) is driving all the way to Waupan, Wisconsin, to spend the holiday with my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew.  Even though I won’t be driving, I had hoped that we wouldn’t have to drive through snow and ice to get there. 

So, since I’ll be gone basically all weekend, spending time with family and whatnot, I can’t promise that I’ll be posting very much.  Just a heads up. 

What are all of you doing for the holidays?  Any traveling?  And, have you gotten snow yet (or do you even get snow where you live)?

So…I suck.

Yep, I do.  100%.  I just…can’t muster up the motivation to write these days!  Every time I try to think of something…ANYTHING to write about lately, all my thoughts turn to rabbits.  Or birds.  Or unicorns.  But not even cool robot soldier unicorns on a mission to take over the Moon.  Nope.  Just plain, white, boring unicorns. 

Not sure what it is…might be NaNoWriMo.  Might be schoolwork.  Might just be that I’m worn out and am trying to find a break.

So, the point is..sorry for the lack of super-entertaining posts.  I’m trying.  We’ll see what I can think up over the weekend.

In the mean time, it would be really cool if you guys gave me ideas.  Feel free to put in the comments what you’d like me to write on.  That would be super cool.

Kinect Kicks Wii’s Ass!

All right, this is going to be a quick post, so I’m not going to back this up with articles, pictures, or videos.

Seriously, Kinect is awesome.  The first day we got it (November 4th), BigJones and I played for at least 4 hours.  We don’t have any games for it other than Kinect Adventures, the game it comes with, but it was so fun.

I am so glad we opted to get Kinect rather than getting a Wii. Granted, I’ve only played the Wii a few times, but playing Wii Sports is absolutely nothing like Kinect Adventures.  There’s something about not having to hold a controller, jumping around on a raft, getting a workout, and actually having fun doing it that just blows Wii out of the water.

I cannot wait to get more games for Kinect, but that doesn’t mean we’re getting bored with Kinect Adventures.

The other thing I absolutely love about Kinect is the face recognition and voice commands.  I really hope that they integrate the voice commands throughout Xbox and Kinect games, so you can just say “Xbox, pause!” at any time while you’re playing to pause the game.  The face recognition is awesome; you just have to use Kinect ID a few times for it to recognize you in almost any lighting.  And it’s so awesome playing as your Xbox avatar.

So basically, Kinect is awesome.  If you don’t have an Xbox, I can see how it would be too expensive (4GB Xbox 360 + Kinect bundle is $300).  But if you have an Xbox 360, I don’t see how you would not want Kinect.  Unless, of course, you hate moving around while having fun, or breaking a sweat while gaming.  Sure, I’m not going to stop playing Halo or Red Dead Redemption, but Kinect is just damn fun.

Have any of you tried Kinect?  I’d love to hear what you think!

Technorati Tags: Kinect,Xbox 360,gaming,video games

NaNoWriMo: It’s NOW

This year, I’m participating in NaNoWriMo!  I kind of got talked into signing up at the last minutes (namely, midnight of October 31), so I don’t have a plan, rhyme, or reason.  I only just started writing today.  But I’m still hoping to reach the 50,000 word mark!

Anyway, I just thought I’d let you all know that I might not be writing long, interesting posts for the month, since I’m focusing on my NaNoWriMo project.

If you’re a NaNoWri-er too, feel free to add me as a buddy!  My username is (you guessed it) Flufferwuffer.  I really love seeing other peoples’ progress; it’s a big kick in the butt for me.  So don’t be afraid to add me!

Um…now back to Kinect!

Technorati Tags: Nanowrimo,writing,national novel writing month,novels

The Geeklist: Coffee Edition

All right, so by now, most of you know that I’ve been struggling to sate my caffeine addiction.  I haven’t had coffee in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!!! That’s way too long for someone who used to have a pot a day.

So, since I’ve been daydreaming about everything coffee, I decided to create my own geeky wishlist of 5 coffee-related things I’m geeking out over!

Cool Beans Ice Tray from Lazybone

Cool Beans?  I agree! These would be perfect for making iced coffee.  Or just awesomely-shaped ice cubes (or beans?) for water or lemonade.  I wantz this!

Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans by Chargers

Chocolate. Covered.  Espresso. Beans.

Coffee + Chocolate = Sex

Need I say more?

Self Stirring Mug from ThinkGeek

Unless black coffee is your favorite, I think you’d love this just like I do.

Self-stirring mug! So instead of wasting those precious seconds mixing creamer and sugar, your mug will do it for you. Oh, luxuries.

The Brugo Mug

What makes this mug so special?  It’s the first of its kind to have a “temperature control chamber” so no matter how boiling hot your coffee is, it’s just the right temp when you take a sip. 

I really want to try one of these!

Xelsis Digital ID SLX 8870 MS by Saeco

This is more than likely the most expensive thing on my wishlist, but this is so freaking cool.  This coffee machine comes equipped with a fingerprint reader that will brew your coffee specifically to your tastes.  Kick ass! 

I won’t lie; I’m drooling over this.  I wonder if anyone would think I’m being a little too wishful if I tack this on to my Christmas list (it does run you $2,500)?

 

So what do you think of my Geeklist?  See something missing on my list that is geeky-and-coffee-related that is a must have?  Link to it or just mention it! 

 

Technorati Tags: coffee,geeky,geeklist,wishlist,gadgets

Bravo, Bungie! A Commentary on Glitching (aka Cheating)

Today, the folks at Bungie did something awesome and reset the credits of people taking advantage of a glitch in Halo: Reach.  As Bunjie’s post about the issue put it, the glitch “allowed players to complete a Challenge 20+ times via intentional network manipulation (i.e., disconnects.)” and thereby continually earn credits for it. *For those of you who don’t know, credits are basically currency in Halo: Reach, which you can use to buy armor and armor effects*
My boyfriend, BigJones, was one of the people who got their credits reset, and also got a one-day credit ban.  Others I know who got the credit reset are a handful of 12-year-old players we know from our hometown who we often play customs or matchmaking with.  All of them were guilty of taking advantage of this glitch.
What do I have to say to them?  I told you so.
The day my boyfriend discovered this “glitch” (which I unabashedly call cheating) online and began using it, he asked me if I’d like to do it for some quick credits.  I said “no,” of course, because I’m a very big fan of not cheating, and I told him so.  That sparked an argument between us because, as my boyfriend puts it, “It’s just a glitch; it’s not cheating.  If Bungie really cared, they’d do something about it.”  But, nonetheless, he stopped doing it after a day (but not before telling his super-obsessive-Halo-playing-group-of-12-year-old friends about it.  I just told him, “They will do something about it, though.”
And now that they have, it’s a hot-button topic for me and BigJones.  He’s not mad that his credits are reset, but he believes that Bungie took something “small” way too far. His argument is that this glitch didn’t hurt anyone, so why is it a big deal?
Well, it’s cheating.  I’m glad Bungie did what they did, and I don’t think they were too easy on everyone.  Think of it this way.  At most colleges and universities, plagiarizing a paper gets you expelled.  No second chances.  But, it doesn’t hurt anyone; it just helps you.  With my boyfriends’ logic, since plagiarism doesn’t hurt any other students, you shouldn’t get expelled.  But Bungie didn’t ban anyone from Halo: Reach permanently (which they could have done); they went easy on people!  So your credits reset, so what?
If credits are that important to you, you really need a life.
Or maybe you shouldn’t have taken the risk of getting your credits reset in the first place and earn them like the average person does: by enjoying the game, not taking advantage of it.
So bravo, Bungie!  I hope this at least teaches some glitchers their lesson!

Technorati Tags: Halo Reach,Halo,Video Games,Bungie,Ban,glitching

Why I’m Excited for Kinect

I’ve been seeing way too many people on the net who, frankly, think Kinect is a huge mistake in the gaming industry.  I’ve seen everything, from “researched” and extremely opinionated articles about why Kinect will fail, comments simply saying “Kinkt is 4 looozers rotfl”, and the inevitable GIF image that takes a video of one second of someone playing Kinect and speeds it up so the action going on looks completely silly.

Case in point:

 

Me, on the other hand? I’m excited for Kinect.  No, wait.  I’m f***ing ecstatic.  As a matter of fact, my boyfriend and I just preordered the 250GB Xbox + Kinect bundle.  Oh, we are excited.

But why? What makes me laugh in the face of all the speculation and outright disgust?

1. No Gaming Platform is Perfect

   Yes, you may have your favorite console (personally, mine’s the PS3), but you can’t deny that every console has their problems.  And while Kinect is technically a controller, the same principle applies.  Whether you agree or not, the closest you’re ever going to get to perfect gaming is on a PC (even though, I’ll admit, I’m not a PC gamer).

   Likewise, all consoles/controllers/um…whatever had their issues when they were first released.  Don’t you remember all the TV screens completely desecrated by the Wiimote? Oh, and am I the only person who didn’t forget how people made fun of the Wii when it was first released?  *ahem*giftoright*ahem*

2. I Need to Get Fit!

   Okay, this one is personal.  But I’m sure I’m not the only person who could afford to lose a few pounds.  One of the downsides of being a gamer is the lack of exercise.  I don’t have a Wii, and don’t plan on getting Move.  I’ve decided to forgo the two just for Kinect. I can’t wait to play video games and get a workout at the same time.  Sure, it won’t be anything like playing Halo: Reach, but at least it will be a fun alternative to the gym. 

3. I Have Never, EVER Been One of the First People to Get a Console

   Another personal one (hey, this is why I’m excited for Kinect; get off my back!).  But it’s so true.  From when we were young, having to talk my parents into buying a computer after months of hearing our elementary school friends talk about how awesome MSN messenger is and the cool flash games they found online, to now, when I don’t have a Wii (and have played Wii a grand total of twice) and don’t own a console (I’m horrible, I know…all the consoles in the apartment are BigJones’).

   Finally, I’ll get my hands on a new gadget before everyone else.  I know, there are people getting Kinect before it’s even released.  But I live in Fargo, North Dakota, people!  Do you have any idea how many people here are getting Kinect on release day?  Um…maybe a dozen.  After a month, how many?  Okay, 50. Maybe 100 or so.  I might be exaggerating a little, but I can honestly say that our of my circle of geeky gamer friends, BigJones and I are the only ones preordering Kinect. 

4. It’s The Future of Gaming!

   Okay, this last one may sound incredibly corny, but it’s unavoidably true.  I don’t know about you, but when I first saw Project Natal, my first thoughts were about virtual realities.  Might be a leap from hands-free gaming, but it’s arguably what gaming companies are striving for.  Hasn’t every gamer dreamt about being in the game?  Simply put on a helmet, and you suddenly are on Reach, clutching your DMR and dancing in delight as Grunt-brain-confetti explodes around you.  You’re behind the wheel in Grand Theft Auto, feeling the thrill of driving at 150mph. 

   The fact is, it’s happening.  Slowly, but it is.  But it’s not like controller gaming is going away (seriously, try telling people they can’t play Halo anymore.  Yikes!).  Kinect is just a new way to play.  And hey, I like options.  Don’t you?

 

So there you have it.  The reasons that I’m going to be waiting impatiently to receive a package on November 4th, and why I’ll probably be skipping class faking sick unable to make it to class that day.

Technorati Tags: Kinect,Preorder,Xbox 360,Gaming,Video Games

In Case You Haven’t Noticed…

My blog hasn’t been very amazing lately.  The reason?  No, I haven’t been super busy.  No, I haven’t had a life-changing event whisk me away from the computer. No, there wasn’t a family emergency.  I’ve been looking like this:

You see, a week from today, classes start up again.  I’ve been totally stressing out about it. I’ve been so busy this summer between getting this blog up and running, working, and entering my sweepstakes, that I have no idea how I can add classes and homework into the mix and get by.

Not only that, but an added stressor stems from my surgery.  You see, about a week after the surgery, the incision opened up a little bit and got infected.  I’m on antibiotics now, but having a gaping hole in your body that’s not supposed to be there is a little worrisome (or maybe it’s just me?). 

So between all of that, I haven’t been putting the time I would like to into my blog.  I’ve been trying to spew out a post a day, but it gets harder and harder.

The good news?  I only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays; I purposefully left myself the other days to work and blog.  So once I get into the swing of things, I’ll more than likely be back to spamming all of you with geeky stuff!

Also, I have some reviews and giveaways coming up that you should be excited about.  So keep your eyes superglued open for those!

Gamer Girl Woes

As females, women have to suffer through certain annoyances and setbacks in the video game world.  First, most men think that women are inferior gamers, especially in shooters.  That’s usually all the crap I have to put up with, but this morning I was introduced to another annoyance.

It started out as a normal morning.  I was playing Halo.  Out of the blue I got a message from someone, which isn’t totally uncommon because while playing online, someone who thought you were good or enjoys playing with you will send you friend requests.  I was in the middle of a match, so I didn’t look at the message, and a few minutes later I got another message from the same person.  So, when the match was over, I checked them.

First was a text message that just said “good morning :)”.  Second was a voice message saying “….Sorry, I just saw in your gamer profile that you were a girl and…uh, I wanted to say hi”.  Well, I decided to go ahead and send him a friend request.  Seemed nice enough.  A minute later he had accepted and wanted to chat.  This was the conversation that ensued (as I best remember):

(Me) Hi
(Him) Hi
What’s up?
Not much…what are you doing?
Eating breakfast and playing Halo.  Normal morning stuff.  You?
Same…..So, uh, what’s your name?
[my name here].  You?
Jackson.
Ah, cool, I have a relative named Jaxon.
Hehe.  Cool.  [my name]’s a pretty name.
Ha! Thanks.  I think it’s overused…
How old are you?
20.  And you?
36.
Woah.  So you’re all established in the world already.
Haha.  Kinda.  I’m in the military. I’m on leave right now.
Very cool.
So, do you have a job?
Yeah, I work for the college I go to.
Ah, a college girl.  Well, you must be smart.
I guess. I’m an English major.
So, what do you look like?  Hair color, eye color, weight?
Um…well…bright brown/blondish hair, blue-grey eyes, 5’4” ish… (I’m a little weirded out at this point)
Where are you from?
ND.  You?
Texas.  So you live alone?  With your parents still?
I live with my boyfriend.
Ah, a boyfriend….
Yeah.  What, you don’t want to talk to me anymore?
No, I’ll still talk to you.  Your boyfriend there with you?
No, he’s at work.

(okay, so at this point he started asking me other stuff, like how much I weigh, if I have a curvy figure, etc. etc.  It started getting really weird so I stopped answering his questions, and then all of the sudden he belts out…)

So, what are you wearing?
Jeans and a t-shirt. (Yes, I knew where he was going with it.  I was trying to get him to stop.)
What else are you wearing?
Yeah…I have to go.  Bye!

 

I mean, seriously?  I could have gotten past all the other borderline sexual things he asked me, but that?  I told you I have a fucking boyfriend, dude!  There was a little more to the conversation, but most of it was just me talking about BigJones.  I mean, really, you have to find girls on Halo and talk to them on chat to get off?  What a dick!

So, I texted BigJones and told him about it, and next time we play together, if the guy tries to talk to me, BigJones is going to tell him off.  I love it when BigJones gets all protective and jealous. :)

I’m…ALIVE!

If you read yesterday’s post, you know I had surgery yesterday morning.  If you haven’t read that post, I encourage you to so you not only understand what this post is about, but you will also probably learn about something you’ve never heard of before (I’m talking, of course, of hidradenitis suppurativa).

First, I want to thank everyone who sent me thoughts and well wishes yesterday.  I really appreciate it, every single word!

The surgery went well, lasting about 1.5 hours.  The operation was a little more extensive than anyone expected, because the abscess that opened and all the bad tissue connected to it went down almost to the muscle.  My doctor had to make a longer incision than planned and go down deeper to get everything out.  I don’t know exactly how long the incision is yet as I haven’t taken off the gauze, but from what I can tell it’s 4-6 inches long.

Because of that, I’ve been in more pain, and the pain pills aren’t offering much immediate help.  I feel a lot better today than yesterday, but I’m not going to work or anything to try and recuperate more.

 

In Other, Blog-Relevant News:

Tomorrow, I’m featuring my first guest poster!  I will be telling you a little bit more about her and her company later today.  I also have other, exciting things coming to my blog, but I can’t give away any secrets!

I’m still looking for more guest bloggers and post ideas, so you can comment here or shoot me an e-mail if interested!

For those of you who asked me to post blogger tutorials, know that I am working on them; they just take longer than others because I want to test out my tutorials and make sure they work right, as well as make sure they are easy to understand!

As You Read This, I’m In The Operating Room…

Please take a couple of minutes to read this.  I’m writing this post not so much for me, but for everyone who has the same disease.  The disease I’m talking about is hidratenitis suppurativa. 

I’m sure 99% of you don’t have any idea what hidratenitis suppurativa (HS) is.  Don’t bother trying to Google it, because I’m going to tell you about it.

If you really want the technical definition, you can click here for what mayoclinic.com has to say.

Or you can just read my description.  If you want to see pictures you can click here.  I’m not posting them because they might seem graphic…just a warning.

Basically, it’s a skin disease (thought to be a severe form of acne) where abscesses form under the skin, ultimately breaking through the skin and discharging pus.  They usually form where skin meets skin, like the armpits, the groin, and under the breasts.  The abscesses are usually hard and very painful.

I’m lucky enough to have a minor case.  I usually only get the abscesses in the armpits, though occasionally I’ll get a couple in the groin area.  The only ones that break open, though, are in my left armpit.  The surgery I’m currently having is my third. 

I’m also very lucky that when the first abscess broke open and I was whisked off to the ER by my mother, the doctor on call knew that it was HS right away.  However, she didn’t treat it very well, performing surgery right then and there while I was awake.  My mother had to to painful dressing changes in which gauze was yanked out and then fresh stuff was packed in twice a day.

My new doctor treats it better; it’s been three years since the last surgery and there is no packing to be done.  The spot I’m having surgery on now is the same spot that my first doctor operated on:  a spot just on the breast side of my left armpit. 

In between the surgeries, abscesses flare up and get hard and painful, but there is nothing anyone can do about it unless they break open.

There is no cure.

No one knows the cause.

It’s a disease that’s misdiagnosed a lot.  They believe Karl Marx had it, as he wrote of painful boils under his arms that kept him awake at nights.  My grandma recalls her mother having “cysts” under her arms, but they couldn’t afford going to the doctor.

Sometimes it horrifies me knowing that this disease can only ever get worse.  I worry that if I ever have children (the odds are against me on this one…I also have PCOS, which results in a high percentage of miscarriages and stillborns) will they have it, too?  Will my boyfriend, the love of my life, be willing to put up with the pain, my complaining, and the surgeries?

Those things worry me, but overall, I have to say that I’m happy I have HS.  Why?  Because I’m glad that there isn’t another, better person suffering through it instead of me.  I don’t mind the pain and the surgeries.  I can live with it.  Other people aren’t there can’t.

So if you read this, thank you.

This wasn’t a post about me (though it might seem like it).  I told my experiences to benefit everyone out there with hidradenitis suppurativa.

If you’re going to comment, please don’t say you’re sorry.  It’s not your fault I have HS, so there’s nothing you have to be sorry about.  If you do comment, just give support.  Give me some semblance that you read this and learned something.  That’s all I really want.