And the answer is? I haven’t the foggiest idea. The 4DCA didn’t post their opinion on my case yesterday, so I remain on justice watch. Even more frustrating is a “FAQ” I read today that was recently posted on the Appellate Court’s website that advised anyone wanting to know, that the average time between the judge’s conference on a case and when their written opinion is published is 180 days. That’s six full months!! And that is for “average” cases (which I suspect mine is not). So it sounds like I may have to stay in the dark until sometime in September – or even longer. And that may not be the end of it in the event they send the case back to the trial court for more determinations (such as the amount for legal fees and/or other sums. While I am glad they are taking the time to do a thorough job in reading the record and researching the applicable law and whatever else they do during this process, it is very nerve-wracking in general, but especially given my health.
Way back in 2003, just as I was starting on my second round of chemo, I was told that if it wasn’t successful, then I had a statistical chance of being able to survive only another 5 years. Well, while that round (which I was on for 12 months) and then a third round (which I was on for 15 months) did give my liver a reprieve while I was on the chemo, they both failed to get rid of the Hepatitis C virus which has been turning my liver to stone. And the genetic disorder (Hereditary Hemochromatosis) which put me at high risk for Hep C in the first place (and may actually have caused it) is wreaking havoc with my body in roller-coaster fashion, as it shifts from one problem to another and the intensity of the effects likewise rises and falls to extremes from one day to the next – and sometimes from one moment to the next.
If I didn’t have my artwork to bury my consciousness in, I don’t know that I could stand it. While I have somehow, miraculously, been able to survive this long (2 years past the original prognosis I was given) there is no way to foretell how much longer before my body gives out. Because the severity of the side-effects of the chemo (which are particularly severe in my case due to the combination of diseases and conditions I suffer from), my team of doctors feel that it is far too risky to put me through yet another round because, at this point, the side-effects of the chemo would probably kill me even faster than the diseases. So my only hope now (beyond a miracle) is to try to stay as calm as possible since stress is known to accelerate the disease process and weaken the immune system), until, hopefully, modern medicine comes up with some alternative “cure” or treatment. Whether or not I’ll still be alive when the court finally issues its opinion – or when this case is completely over on every possible level – only God knows and time will tell.
Now, as I’ve indulged myself in negative thoughts far beyond my allotment, forget I said all the above and let’s get on to something far more interesting and pleasant. Like… this morning’s freebies! What I’ve got for you today is somewhat hard to categorize. It is purely art for art’s sake – don’t know whether it’s the least bit useful for anything – but it was fun to create. My inspiration for this, believe it or not, was the cover art for a box of French cigarettes you may or may not be familiar with: Gitanes. I hope you enjoy!
Enjoy!
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