Also, shortly after making this vlog, I discovered a new way to annoy Mike. The “All for You” song does the trick, but any Mariah Carey song will make him threaten to burn an X into my forehead. I need your help. Give me Mariah Carey songs to sing to him! The only one I can think of and remember is “Sweet Fantasy” or whatever. I need a full arsenal, and you’re my only hope.
What do you think?
The community begins to clean up the horde of dead, and sit down to decide how to proceed into their future. Meanwhile, secrets begin to come out while Rick sits at Carl’s bedside.
This issue begins a new story arc, and carries on the note of hope that #84 (No Way Out Part 5) ended with. At the same time, there’s a lot of trouble a’brewin’.
The fun didn’t end with the issue, though; the letters column this month was pretty hilarious.
I really liked seeing everyone working together. Abraham kind of led the cleanup crew, and Rick led a meeting to discuss the community’s future, but everyone pitched in somehow.
I also really liked seeing some secrets start to spill out — though honestly, I didn’t immediately remember a couple of things having happened. I’m glad to see that secrets still bite humanity in the ass in the post-zombiepocalypse world.
I didn’t like that Rick spilled his guts to Denise about what happened with Carl, Jessie, and Ron. I think he should have kept that slightly crazy, very dirty little secret to himself. He doesn’t really know if he can trust Denise not to start talking. I mean, if Carl dies and we do get to see Rick really starting to slide into Crazy Land, Denise will be the one to let the cat out of the bag when Rick starts showing signs of losing it again.
I completely forgot about Abraham and Holly, and Andrea and Spencer. I felt really bad for Rosita. Abraham is one of my favorites — having replaced Tyreese — but what he said to Rosita was really messed up: “But I always found myself thinking, ‘What if you aren’t the last woman on Earth?’ And, well… You’re not.” I’d give him a loud, “Fuck you!” too. I’m hoping this doesn’t make her do something drastic. I’ve actually been waiting for something like that, though, so it might be kind of cool.
Sigh. I guess I’m just sick and twisted.
I don’t really care what happens with Spencer. I really, really loved Andrea and Dale. I don’t at all blame her for getting together with Spencer, but he’s not Dale. I’m kind of worried that Andrea is fading into the background of Characters We and the Writer No Longer Care About. She’s had it rough and grew immensely as a character, so I really hope we don’t lose her. It seems like Glenn has already become one of the Characters We and the Writer No Longer Care About.
Someone mentioned in this month’s letters column that it seems like anyone who hooks up with Rick dies a horrible death, and it’s kind of true. If I weren’t worried about the apparent Rick Grimes Curse, I’d root for Michonne and Rick, or even Andrea and Rick. I like Andrea and Michonne way more than I like Rick, though — even crazy Rick — so he’d better stay far away from those two.
Speaking of the letters column… I couldn’t help myself. I had to make a video and read aloud some of these letters.
I think I may be writing my own letter to Robert Kirkman, pleading with him to kill Carl. I want to see Crazy Rick.
Even though no one was eaten or attacked during this issue, it still rocked. It opened up many doors for future issues — and by issues, I mean problems. It also opened up many doors for good things, though. I think we are going to see a real improvement in the community, and yet more growth in the characters.
It’s too bad that we have to wait until June 29th for #86. On the Image Comics schedule, the description for #86 is, “How do we deal with what comes next?” What do you think comes next? (We all know what I’m hoping for!)
If you somehow missed the No Way Out story arc, you can preorder the trade paperback from my Amazon store. The trade comes out on June 15th, so if you preorder it, you won’t have to leave your house! You know. In case we have our own zombiepocalypse.
Format: Comic
Publisher: Image Comics / Skybound
Pages: 32
Release Date: May 25th, 2011
List Price: $2.99
Price Paid: I can’t remember; I just know I got a discount at Richie’s Comic Cabana, because Mike is a longtime customer.
I’ve been pretty quiet lately, in general. I’ve just been kind of… processing, I guess. To be completely honest, I’m very stressed, very depressed, and completely exhausted. My blood pressure is scientific proof. There’s so much going on, I can’t seem to catch up. But today I actually got some good news.
Well, okay, so it’s not actually news yet, but I think it’s a step forward.
I saw my rheumatologist today to follow up on last week. (I just realized that I haven’t posted the vlog I made about last week’s fantastical random health issue. The video below is from last Friday, and explains everything.)
I’m a bad girl and didn’t see my gynecologist, but mostly because the cream that Sandy gave me was helping, and I
It cleared up completely, and I’ve just been trying to get rid of the athlete’s foot now (which I didn’t mention in the video, but I’ve had it between my toes for weeks). It’s gotten a lot better, and even Dr. Greco said so today. After doing some thinking, I figured that my diaper rash actually was a diaper rash, from the back-to-back IBS issues lately. Even if it was a yeast infection, the Nystatin that Sandy gave me is also an anti-fungal, so I killed two birds with one stone. I can also use it on my athlete’s foot (which sounds grosser than “yeast infection,” by the way).
However, because my body likes messing with me, I had a new issue to discuss with my rheumatologist today. Since this Monday, I’ve had this burning sensation across my cheeks, as if I have a really bad sunburn. It’s not really red, but it is uncomfortable. When I’m in the sun, it feels worse — just like a sunburn would. I haven’t been in the sun enough to have a burn, and I don’t burn easy anyway, so it’s odd. I thought on Monday that I had a fever, but my temperature was only 98.9, which is like .3 degrees above normal — nothing that would make my cheeks feel like that. I did some research and thought that it might be a Malar rash, but Dr. Greco didn’t seem to be concerned, so I’m just going to hit the STOP BEING PARANOID button and ignore it, unless something drastic happens (like an actual rash appears across my face, or something).
He did however set up the referral for my gastroenterologist, for my IBS issues. He said that Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome can be caused by the same inflammation that causes rheumatoid arthritis, but he does want to double check that nothing else is going on. “If,” he said, “Dr. Zlotoff says that the bleeding is not an issue, I’m going to start you on treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis.”
Treatment.
Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Those are two things I’ve been wanting to hear — treatment, and a possible diagnosis — for years.
In the meantime, he gave me a prescription for Skelaxin, which he said helps with musculoskeletal pain. I will see him again in about a month, and have to set up an appointment with my gastroenterologist as soon as possible. (I’m going to call in the morning.)
My fingers are crossed that Dr. Zlotoff finds no issue aside from hemorrhoids with my IBS bleeding, so that I can start treatment pronto. If treatment for RA works, that means it’s most likely what I have.
I just want to take back control of my health.
In other news, the nose is doing well. I asked my body piercings expert, Crystal, if it was okay to use saline nasal wash for my sinus infection with the fresh piercing. I figured it would be fine, but I wanted to make sure. She told me that it would be fine since she uses sea salt to clean all of her new piercings, so I decided to try sea salt, too. I don’t know about anyone else, but trying to wash and rinse the inside of your nose with antibacterial soap is a pain in the ass. I started cleaning it with sea salt, gauze, and Q-tips for the first time a few nights ago, and I instantly noticed a huge difference. I could actually turn the stud without hassle, could raise it a little to clean underneath it, and best of all, it was a lot less sore after using the sea salt.
I keep forgetting that I have it, though; every so often, I’ll think to myself, “Damn, I have a huge booger in my nose! I should get it out…” And then I’ll yank my hand away as it starts to move toward my face, mentally scolding myself for nearly forgetting.
Being me is a lot of fun.
This is my message to you: No matter what’s going on, no matter how bad it is, it’s going to be okay. Hang on to your support system, even if that support is a pen, or guitar, or whatever. In my little corner of the world, we’re getting poured on — hard. But I have a wonderful family and the best friend I could ask for, and I’m going to be okay.
I might not feel like it right now — in fact, I’m fucking terrified — but I have to believe that everything is going to be okay.
If things are rough in your corner of the world, let’s hang on to each other. We’ll be okay, as long as we have each other. Vent away in the comments, or email me. I’m listening.
PS: If you want the password for my post, The C word again, just shoot me an email at elizawhat@gmail.com. I don’t care who reads it; I just password-protected it because there are still people in my family who don’t know what’s going on, and I thought a blog would be a shitty way to find out. Like I said, though, it’s open for anyone. I’ll remove the password as soon as I know that the people who don’t know yet are in the loop. (Really it’s just one person I’m concerned about, since she lives out of state and I’m not sure if she’s talked to anyone yet. Please know, also, that I’m not purposely withholding this from anyone. In this case, I just feel like it shouldn’t come from me, if that makes sense. I did the same thing with my first post about Popi, though I didn’t have to password-protect it because I couldn’t even write about it for a while, and by the time I could, everyone who needed to know, knew.)
Hugs and love to you all.