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A Less than Mantastic Health Update

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Introduction

Many people have asked what I do with my life whether I am a student, employed, or a secret agent spy. Sadly, I am not a secret agent spy and I haven’t been a student for a number of years nor am I employed. This post will contain virtually no Puzzle and Dragons content aside from a cleverly veiled reference here or there and I mostly want to share what is going on in my life currently as it will be having an effect on the next few days/weeks to come.

Video commentary

Background

I graduated from a well respected University and began working shortly after and actually discovered Puzzle and Dragons while reading a newspaper as there was an article describing the biggest mobile game in the world. I thought I would give it a shot and turns out I love it. Fast forward a year to July, 2014 when I suffered a serious back injury while playing soccer. I went to the ER and was discharged a few hours later with no notable damage to my spine/hard tissue and was told I should heal relatively quickly as I am both young and in good physical health.

So I took a few days off to see if things would settle down; however, my pain and lack of mobility only worsened to the point where I could barely stand and certain movements would induce nausea and dizziness. I then went on Long Term Disability (LTD) and the main problem with LTD is that it is based on your previous year’s employment income and I had only been working for 8-9 months and as with anyone starting out in a new career (for me it was Financial Advising), it takes time to become well established and my benefit is very small. I do live in Vancouver, Canada where free Health Care does exist; however, health care mostly works for individuals who are reasonably healthy and for people in my situation it means horrendous wait times and a lack of services. Thus, a large portion of my meager benefits goes to funding my treatment/medication as no longer have employment benefits and Health Care only covers very basic services.

I have spent numerous time in a variety of Pain Clinics (they do not sell pain, but attempt to treat/manage it), doctors, specialists, chiropractors, physiotherapists. I have pretty much seen them all and I am currently enrolled in perhaps the best Pain Clinic in Vancouver. My current treatment involves a lot of needles and additional pain. Now, I am not talking about tiny acupuncture needles, but instead, I am subjected to up to 2-inch syringe needles being repeatedly being injected into my neck, shoulders, abdomen, back, groin, buttocks, and legs. This practice is also known as Trigger Point Injections and I also receive some Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS). This process is excruciating to say the least and my screams can be easily heard in the waiting room. These are done on a 1-2x a week schedule and the recovery time varies from a few days to almost a week. I sometimes jest that I am doing a pin-cushion impersonation or that I become a hedgehog which are much cuter. In addition, I am also undergoing injections into my spine under ultrasound guidance to hopefully find the location of where the pain is coming from. However, it is pretty much a game of shooting in the dark as they have to test numerous places and so far it has been 4 misses.

My prognosis is improving slightly as I do have a bit more stamina (still worse than 10/min), but the doctors are running out of options and I may have to live with chronic pain for the rest of my life. The last option available is a procedure called Lidocaine Infusion which essentially floods my entire blood stream with a local anesthetic in hopes of resetting my nervous system and stopping the sensation of pain. Unfortunately, the wait time through the public health care system is 2-3 years and private costs thousands of dollars per treatment and there is no refund if it does not work.

Things couldn’t get worse, right?

Unfortunately for me, I am in a continuous state of rolling 3-stars out of the REM as my optometrist found an unusual lump inside my right eye at the end of last year. After seeing a few specialists I end up in the office of one of the leading experts in Ophthalmology who specializes in cancer of the eye. It was then determined that the lump should not be there and it is very very likely cancerous. Sadly, due to the location (inside the eyeball), a biopsy cannot be readily performed and instead I will be undergoing surgery on Thursday, September 8th as a means to both remove the lump and determine whether it is malignant or benign (finding out what it is will determine if radiation is necessary etc.). I believe she is the only surgeon in the entire province who performs this operation and it is quite a rare procedure overall.

The lump rests at the front of my eye below my cornea on the inside and should not impact vision in the long run. The operation will have the surgeon imagine a square where the lump is and cut along 3 of the four edges creating a flap for a trapdoor. She would then remove the lump and a small margin of the surrounding tissue, close the trapdoor. and sew it shut. This would result in no loss in eyeball surface area and instead leave me with a thinner section of the wall itself. However, due to the stitching required, it will cause extra tension on the eye itself and could result in blurred vision for a few months. There is also a strong possibility I would have to be hospitalized over night pending my progress post-surgery.

Where does this leave me

Either one of these health problems is enough for a lifetime; however, facing both at the same time is challenging at best. It is tough to watch my peers go out and live their lives/fulfil their dreams while I am left to ponder my existence and struggle to hold it together.

I know there will be more hurdles to overcome in the next few days and I will be missing for a brief period of time as I adjust to my new vision and fight of the remnants of general anesthesia.

Future of Mantastic PAD

I am grateful having made Mantastic PAD as it is the only good thing to come out of all of these past 26+ months. I started in mid October, 2015 and have gone from receiving a couple hundred views a day to the 6,500+ from the previous month.

I am actually very close to achieving over 1 million views on my site (should happen by Saturday or so). I fully intend to continue providing entertainment and guidance for all things Puzzle and Dragons related. I originally started this website as a means to help other players and provide a creative outlet for my own PAD addiction.

My hope is to return to at least a modest state of health and resume my content creation whether it be through my YouTube channel, Streaming, or guide writing. You can follow me on my various social media platforms by clicking the links below:

Mantastic Icon Mantastic Social Media Mantastic Icon
FB icon Facebook twitter Twitter YT YouTube Twitch Twitch

So once again, this is not a final goodbye, but more of a be right back. I will try my best to reply to comments, but there may be delay during the next few days.

Your support

Your support during this very challenging time is greatly appreciated and I feel a closer connection to this community than any other I am a part of. Support can come in the form of visiting my site as well as sharing my content on the various Facebook groups, Reddit, or within your own peer circle. I have tried to monetize my website; however, it only pays pennies per thousands of views, but turning off AdBlocker should help.

In addition, if you do wish to help via a monetary contribution, it would be greatly appreciated as I am facing a long uphill battle this next month. The PayPal icon will link you to my twitch donation page which allows you to leave a message; however, I would also like you to leave a comment below so I can have a means to thank you directly.

new-paypal-logo

Once again, thank you for your time and understanding.

Happy Puzzling!

114 thoughts on “A Less than Mantastic Health Update”

  1. I’m so sorry to hear that. Never would have guessed from the streams and videos that you’ve been going through this, I’ve had my own health issues this past year but nothing on the level of this. Anyway take care of yourself and yay for free healthcare and hope you get better soon!

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  2. Oh man, I never signed the permission slip for that feels trip. I really hope you can make it through this since your content is amazing, entertaining, and regular as well. Best of luck to you and stay strong!

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  4. Healt is very importante and irreplaceable. Sadly because I live out of USA (Chile) I don’t have PayPal to make some kinds of “buys” in places that aren’t my country, so I can only give you all my emotional support and energy, so you can have the best of lucks in your future. I o oy know you for your PAD contento, but that is enought to know that not your of anybody deserve suck pain.
    Hope you n get a bright future…and remember “The force is strong in you, my young PADawan”.

    PS:Sorry is sometimes my gramar can turn a little weird…That is basically because my primary language is spanish.

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  5. Healt is very importante and irreplaceable. Sadly because I live out of USA (Chile) I don’t have PayPal to make some kinds of “buys” in places that aren’t my country, so I can only give you all my emotional support and energy, so you can have the best of lucks in your future. I o oy know you for your PAD contento, but that is enought to know that not your of anybody deserve suck pain.
    Hope you n get a bright future…and remember “The force is strong in you, my young PADawan”.

    PS:Sorry is sometimes my gramar can turn a little weird…That is basically because my primary language is spanish.

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  6. Healt is very importante and irreplaceable. Sadly because I live out of USA (Chile) I don’t have PayPal to make some kinds of “buys” in places that aren’t my country, so I can only give you all my emotional support and energy, so you can have the best of lucks in your future. I o oy know you for your PAD contento, but that is enought to know that not your of anybody deserve suck pain.
    Hope you n get a bright future…and remember “The force is strong in you, my young PADawan”.

    PS:Sorry is sometimes my gramar can turn a little weird…That is basically because my primary language is spanish.

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  7. Man…., I wish you a safe surgery tomorrow and a swift recovery… I’ve also been going through some health issues and sometimes, just wish I had a normal health like many people and not have to feel pain all the time so I feel you. I’ve watched your videos with your Mom in it and she seem like a wonderful person who supports you greatly. I’m sure she is praying for your recovery every waking moment and I hope the prayers of her and everyone else whose life you have touched will be answered soon. I’ll also be praying for you and leave a small donation. I hope many others will also contribute and help you through this tough time. Take good care of yourself and please keep us posted on how you are doing. Hang in there and hope you can go back to the fianancial adviser job soon.

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    1. Thank you Debonair for all your contributions through my site and comments as well as the donation =D

      The past 2 years have been a challenging journey to say the least and unfortunately the surgery simply postponed the inevitable. Hopefully the follow up in 6 weeks is positive =)

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  8. Stay strong there, man. Hope your surgery goes smoothly. I don’t comment much but I find your content extremely helpful. Take care of yourself, yeah? =)

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  9. Hope you get better and everything ends up alright! Wish you the best of luck and a healthy recovery! You’ve got me and many others praying for all to go myraculus for you!

    I’ve sent a little something something and hopes it helps out 😀

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    1. Thank you Drifted Away! I greatly appreciate the support on all fronts and I am doing my best to hasten my recovery (I even brought my full scarlet system to do it faster!)

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  10. I’m praying for you! In the same situation career wise, and this really makes me see how much I am taking good health rng for granted in my youth.

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    1. Well to be honest Michael, only a very very small percentage of the population is in my situation (probably 1% or so); however, purchasing LTD was the best investment I ever made!

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  12. I will pray for you.

    I think, such kind of challenges makes people deeper in the soul. I see, those people as warriors and they have a lot to tell worth hearing.
    We are all human and being a human is means being weak. But, accepting this weaknesses also makes a human stronger.

    I hope God be with you,
    -Enes

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  13. Gasp! I had no idea. I’m a laboratory scientist in the U.S. and studying for a medical degree. I’ve seen how patients come into the lab for blood work and I’ve seen some intense lab work. But I also seen many people recover and come back for follow up and see their cheerful and grateful stares! You will be one of these! I wish you the all the best.

    -Brent

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  16. I hope everything turns out well. This is my first comment here, just to say a big thank you for all the helpful guides and entertaining youtube videos. Can’t wait for you to be back to full health!

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  17. Sad to hear about your health. Hopefully your surgery goes well and it turns out to be benign. I’m not sure about you’re religion, but I will pray everything works out fine. Good luck.

    On a personal note, my mother suffered an injury at work about 7-8 years ago. She has pretty much been in pain since then. She had knee replacement surgery, but they couldn’t do anything for her back pain. And over the years it’s gotten worse. The only thing that worked were Cortisone shots (might’ve been something else), but she only had two shots. The doctor said he didn’t recommend anymore because it might make the problem worse in the long run. Like you she also had bad luck with her health and needed other surgeries not related to the accident.

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    1. Thank you for the encouragement AO! Last year, I underwent a facet block injection procedure and there was some miss-communication as I was orally told I received Cortisone, but on the report it was stated I had none. Regardless, it made my condition significantly worse but I may be having another similar procedure next May.

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  18. I won’t go into the details here, but I had a severe spinal cord injury almost a decade ago. The story is long and complicated, but it sounds like you’re going through a lot of the things I dealt with/deal with (trigger points included). Unfortunately chronic pain, particularly in the spine, comprises a very serious and poorly understood set of conditions that are often irreversible unless you’re “lucky” enough to have orthepedic causes.

    I wanted to share 2 things with you:

    1) I’ve been stuck in bed a LOT over the last decade and have found that very few things have helped pass the time as well as PAD. 🙂 You seem to have found the same outlet (and made it as social as possible) which is kind of awesome. When I’m laid up for days at a time because I’m unable to function due to immense pain, PAD is often the only thing that keeps my mind occupied and sharp when I am otherwise unable to work. Just know that there is at least one other person out there who can directly commiserate.

    2) I’m still young, though a few years older than you, and pain has really changed my life in many direct ways, along with secondary and tertiary social and financial consequences. I would encourage you to look for resources to help find communities (both online and in person) that might help in other ways. I’ll just say that I’ve personally found some things very helpful only after thinking to look after more than 5 years of suffering.

    I’ll check back in a few days after you’ve recovered a bit from your surgery. If you’d like me to point you to some resources privately or share more about the details I’m happy to. We can find a way to get in touch.

    Hang in there. I know it’s a lot, but just know that others can identify. As cheesy as that sounds, knowing you’re not the only one in the world diddling your phone because you’re in too much pain to think properly might help in some small way.

    All the best with the procedure, and beyond!

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  20. So sorry the rng gods are being cruel to you outside of the puzzling (3 star eggs are enough to drive you insane as it is). I can’t even imagine daily back pain let alone the possibility of cancer. Wishing for a speed recovery from today’s surgery and hopefully a solution for your back can be found sooner than the dreaded later. Lady Luck and all her glory be with you sir tastic!

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  21. I wish I could help you in any way but then, I’m poor and can’t help you with any of the freaking wait time in the health care system that we are in (Quebec here). If I got some extra money, be sure I’ll sent you some, until then, wish you a good recovery and good luck for your next rolls!

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  23. Keeping you in my prayers for a swift recovery and a surgery without complication! You are so strong to endure those kinds of pain treatments and I hope and believe that the pain will be cured.

    What’s funny is you are one of my inspirations. I have always wanted to make a living off of my love for drawing, video games, blogging, and PAD. And here I see you rising through the ranks of the streaming community while I sit here stuck in college hell (and life hell in general) wondering if it would be best to just give up. You are NOT alone in that feeling, I understand so well, and I want you to know that from the outside I see someone who is achieving some of their dreams and is doing some amazing things!

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  24. Hi Mantastic!
    I wish you well, and can well relate. I have fibromyalgia and recently been told I have cancer. I included my “website” that has become my “cancer journey”. I am not as good as you, and don’t update often, but I am someone that can relate if you need someone.

    PAD has become my “I can’t cope right now” outlet (it started as “just” a fun game/obsession though lol), and although I am not near as gifted at it, it’s nice to have someone else that uses it and writing as an outlet 🙂 I will send prayers your way. I hope, if you visit my site, it helps.

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    1. Hey Personal me, thanks for sharing your own story. I will try to take a better look in the next few days as it is still challenging to read a screen. PAD is definitely my little happy place where I can pretend to be someone more Mantastic than I actuall am =)

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  25. Here, have a roll of magic stones for a rainy day.

    You have brought much joy and addiction to my puzzling life.

    I pray you mend your back and get back to pun-packed-puzzling ways.

    Here’s to a Myraculous comeback, Mantastic PAD!

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  26. Keeping you in my prayers for a swift recovery and a survery without conplication. You are so strong, those pain treatments sound absolutely brutal.

    Funnily enough, you are my inspiration. Watching you slowly become more well known in the blog and on Twitch has been amazing. I have had a long time dream of streaming my art and video games but I’m stuck in college and life hell and when I think about how many people my age are so well known as artists online I want to give up

    I know how it feels, being stuck like that, you are NOT alone and from the outside looking in, I see someone accomplishing amazing things!

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    1. Well I know GH has once featured you on their Twtich stream for your artwork! Considering you are a full time student and most of your effort/energy/resources are pooled there, it is no surprise you haven’t been able to reach your full artistic potential. I have learned that is it is very unhealthy to compare yourself to other as there will always be someone better/in a worse scenario than you. Other people having problems does not invalidate your own struggles and I am certain you will persevere!

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  27. Oh my god, I’m so sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine what you must be going through right now. You’ve been absolutely influential in my PAD journey, and I can’t thank you enough for that. It’s amazing to see how popular you are these days. I wish you a quick as possible treatment and recovery, I hope they do as much for your health as Raphael’s active! You will be in my prayers.

    Best of luck,
    Max

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    1. Thank you Max for the kind words and wonderful PAD reference XD I am touched to have been able to help you out thus far and I will continue to be making heart crosses for the next few days!

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  28. Whoa, Mantastic. I’ve always seen you as one of the most, if not the most, enthusiastic and passionate people for Puzzle and Dragons, and to find out what you’ve been going through and how it may affect your future is beyond heartbreaking. Normally I would do more than just write a comment on a blog post to express my condolences and sympathies, but as I am stuck in university for now with no job and no money, I find it very hard to do much more than that. So here I am, wishing you from the bottom of my heart my deepest sympathies, and hope that you get both a quick and easy treatment, a Fantastic recovery, and a bright return to Puzzling and Dragoning with Rainbows and Blue Skies ahead. With 100% SBR, your PAD skills will surely not be bound, and in the words of Athena, “You’ve done well to make it this far.”

    Thank you for everything, and I hope to see more Mantastic content from you!

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    1. Thank you Cobalt for such a heartwarming reply! Your words bring a smile to my face and even though it is challenging to read the comments, yours shines extra bright!

      I will continue to be making extra heart crosses in my spare time XD

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  29. Hey Mantastic, just wanted to let you know that your blog inspired me so much it’s what kept me playing and enjoying more and more PAD ! Stay safe and hope you’ll be back for more happy puzzling 🙂

    I’ve also shared something, it’s small but I hope it can help in any way 🙂

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  32. Prayers in your way, Jonathan. Have faith, then believe that God will be working for you and with you. You might consider also open a Gofundme.com where family and friends can try to help with any flexible amount. No matter how much they can raise to help you out, anything is better than nothing. May God bless you.

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  33. Mantastic! You’ve always been an inspiration to me in achieving my PAD dreams. Prayers and hugs for your upcoming operations, and I hope you’ll recover smoothly and swiftly! Well, it really doesn’t have to be swiftly, really just smoothly will suffice. 🙂 I’m blind in one eye, but that didn’t stop me from continuing on with life, you can make it. And remember, you’re fantastic to a lot of us here in the PAD community!
    ❤ 🙂 😀

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    1. Thank you Patch Preview for your kind words and support! Things are clearing up and I am glad to hear you are able to manage your life in a wholesome and productive manner!

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  34. Prayers sent your way. What an awesome legacy you are leaving – bringing a community together that would otherwise be splintered addicted puzzlers. My brother and I run twin Hermes (Weird but effective), and we are twins. We have appreciated your helpfulnes, and we have a sister who is going through severe issues as well. Life continues, though it be not what we want. Stay positive, you are loved and appreciated. -the addicts

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  35. Hey Man…tastic, I’ve been reading your blog for a bit now, and it’s been a nice resource (though I’m far, far behind in PAD capabilities and acquisitions). Appreciate all the time that you’ve put into it. I donated a little bit just to say thanks. Hope you start a new meta with 12x RCV and 24x HP. But for real, hope you just heal up good and fast.

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  36. Hey Mantastic,

    I’ve been a loyal follower of your blog and stream for a while now. I’d like to say thanks for being such a great resource as well as being such a positive influence on the community…even when you only run into Noah Dragon in A3 🙂

    Wishing you a safe and speedy recovery.

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  37. From screwing up Myr Descended too many times (unfortunately I still can’t clear it) to simply wanting to watch something while I’m sitting on the toilet, your stream and youtube videos have always been there as a source of information and just fun. In all honesty before I read this I thought PAD was a side hobby that you did to relieve stress from a high paying job, I guess I just wanted to say that you have been a monumental influence to not only me but also the PAD community as a whole. I pray for a fast recovery and hope to see some Mantastic videos soon!

    Cheers buddy,
    Jihwan

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  39. I think sometimes we forget that there’s a real person who has real life concerns and trials behind this blog and Streaming channels.

    Hoping for a speedy and straightforward procedure and recovery! Take care.

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  40. I’m really hoping for the best for you! I know it can be hard to stay positive during these times, but I’m glad you’re still able to jokes (I chuckled a little at the stamina one, haha).

    Also, thanks for all the time and effort you put into your posts. I appreciate how organized it always looks! I’ve used your site as a resource a number of times, and it’s been super helpful 🙂

    My donation isn’t much, but I hope it’ll still be helpful to you! Good luck in your recovery 🙂

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  41. Hope you get through this tough time and make it to the other side in good spirits. Thanks for contributing so much to the community. Please reach out if I can help in any way

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  45. So glad you posted your health story; I had no idea! Wow. I hope your eye surgery goes well. Thanks for your blog; I really enjoy your analysis of cards/teams, and watching you play is inspiring. — Dunamos@PF

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  46. As someone who has suffered both chronic pain/injury and a biopsy (benign) I can say that I have a sense of what you are going through. If it gives you any hope, I will say that I was able to overcome my chronic stenosis which made me quit playing music for a few years and am now able to function at 95%, with an occasional flare up here and there (like right now! Hand STOP TINGLING). There is light at the end of that bleak tunnel! I send you my prayers and best wishes to get better ASAP, I hope you are able to return to the regularly scheduled programming soon 🙂 Your blog is great btw

    P.S. I remember freaking OUT about this lump inside my mouth and it turned out to be nothing, so don’t fret too hard about that before you get results. Humans grow weird growths all the time, and usually it ain’t cancer.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your story and giving me encouragement/hope akm! Now I play the waiting game as I have a follow up in 6 weeks zzz

      Hopefully your hand stays steady when dealing the killing blow on Arena Kali XD

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  47. Hi Mantastic, long time lurker but I’ve followed your blog for the past few months. I hope you pull a gold egg bill of health soon! I gave a little bit on your twitch, least I felt I could do when you bring so much to the PaD community.

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  48. Thank you so much for all your thoughtful content, I always read up on your monster analyses. I hope things will improve for you!

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  50. Here’s a hoping that your surgery was a success! Sent a little a donation your way and also discovered this on Reddit. I hope this would also provide you with the strength and the positivity to push forward to your recovery!

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