Progress Report (11-5-2025) (Patreon)

I now have roughly 17 pages of Chapter 4 of Ranko. I'm still aiming for releasing this Friday if I can. Currently, I'm waiting for design direction from my honorable client regarding the details of the final scene of the chapter. The chapter really needs one exciting scene at the end to make it complete. Real life got in the way of creating this chapter quite a lot, and it is likely that this chapter might get released relatively unedited, because it has simply taken too long to create. This has been one of the worst months of my entire life.After 60 days of sobriety and testing clean on my THC test, I relapsed, 2-3 days after I finally got clean. I began smoking again, and burnt roughly 10 joints over the course of a week or two, until I began feeling physical sensations in my body that warned me to stop. I stopped smoking again and I have now been off of it for over three weeks. Sadly, my brief relapse was enough to fully reset my terrible disease and condition, making it worse than ever before.I'm writing this to raise awareness of the disease known as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. I think people do not know about this disease and how terrible it is. I think most people feel that Mary Jane is harmless. She is certainly not harmless.I have broken bones, had mononucleosis that came with "throat rot," and food poisoning, and I would put CHS (cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome) up there with all of those easily. It might even be worse. Not sure. I would describe this condition as "unreasonably uncomfortable." One of the worst parts is how long it takes to heal. The only help is hot baths and there is nothing else you can do but abstain and wait it out.How I felt during the peak of my negative symptoms two days ago was "I couldn't open a door if I tried." I felt like a completely helpless thing, unable to even stand up. When friends would text me I would just reply "I am too sick to communicate effectively right now."Two weeks after I quit smoking again, my body went into "recovery mode" or "expulsion mode" realizing I wasn't putting any more toxins in my body. It became severely ill. I began burping, puking, acid reflux, chronic fatigue, and feeling intense stomach discomfort every day. The apex of which, I tossed my cookies eight unique times in a single day, a lifetime record. For roughly five days straight, I've had my face more or less attached to a white plastic bucket at all hours of the day. If I ever notice that my plastic bucket is not within arm's reach of me, I panic and immediately go and grab it. I need it by my side at all times as a must. Right now I'm holding the bucket in my lap as I write this because it brings me comfort and peace.I have no appetite still and I can't eat. Two days ago I had half a serving of mac n cheese only and it was a miracle I kept it down. Yesterday I had three packs of applesauce, one of which I lost very quickly in under 30 minutes after consuming it. It is difficult to put anything into my stomach without losing it again in a short time frame.I am slowly getting better every day. I'm very committed to my physical health. I'm going to sign up for Martial Arts lessons when I'm able to stand up and function better. I am determined to become healthy again and rebuild my health from the ground up. I know it will take me a very long time and that's okay. Last time it took me 60 days to start really feeling better. It looks like I have some weeks ahead of me that might be a bit less pleasant for me, but that's fine. I will get through it all. Every day it gets slightly easier, but it's very slow going for sure.This is all TMI and maybe unpleasant to read. My apologies for letting myself down and slowing down the creation of my art. I can definitely say that I learned a very powerful unforgettable lesson through this experience. I'm highly unwilling to ever suffer like this ever again, and thus I need to make serious permanent life-adjustments and I will succeed at that. The only reason I'm sharing this is because I felt the world would benefit from more people knowing that this can happen to them. I also believe in transparency so that people know why the speed of my art creation is going fast/slow. It's all science and you can look it up online and learn for yourself how nasty CHS is. I just think a first-hand account of the experience is more useful and clarifying than reading a list of symptoms on the internet.Thanks for being patient with me everyone. When my body gives me any brief reprieve from this suffering, I'm working hard on this art as best as I can. I think the chapter is coming out well. It just needs an exciting scene at the end. Chapter 4 will be ready soon, probably by Friday, but end of the weekend at the latest.Love you all a metric ton and I'm always deeply grateful for your support.