So where did I disappear to for the past 6 months or so? What a story.
I never expected to just vanish from steemit, especially after such an awesome start and so much love from the network. But a lot happened to me in that time, it is was just a snowball of events - one after another.
Marijauana Arrest
It started in the end of Oct with me getting pulled over by the police and getting arrest for possession of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia. In the place I live, paraphernalia possession holds a more harsh penalty than that of marijuana possession.
How much harsher?
Well possession of marijuana holds a maximum of 6 months in jail whereas paraphernalia possession holds a maximum of 18 months in jail. Why? Because they don't distinguish paraphernalia possession from one illegal drug from that of another.
So having a marijuana pipe, is the same thing as having a crack pipe where I live and hold the same punishments by law.
Don't worry I didn't get tossed in jail for 6 months, nor for 18 months. However I did spend a few nights in jail.
When I got out of jail, I was having a toothache so I went to the dentist.
They put me on some antibiotics. It seems the toothache was caused by an abscess that was actuall under the tooth in a pocket inside my gums.
I scheduled an appointment to have the tooth taken care of, however before that happened, I started having incredible ringing in my ears.
I am not talking some small ringing that goes away on its own. I mean every morning waking up with high pitched screeching, and it lasting all day, and waking up with the ringing the next day - and the next, and the next, and the next.
Apparently its a lot more common than most people know and is something called tinnitus.
This sent me to the emergency medical centers multiple nights in a row before I was finally able to make appointments with the audiologist and ear doctor.
It was found I am having hearing loss in one of my ears and I was given a hearing aide. The hearing aide, solved nothing in terms of the ringing so I didn't use it for very very long.
While this was going on I postponed the teeth appointments.
What I also learned was the tinnitus also gets worse when smoking marijuana, so I had to stop using. I was using marijuana to help with anxiety, so suddenly my anxiety attacks got a lot worse.
So I went to the doctor and was prescribed Xanax.
Xanax is used for both the treatment of anxiety as well as the treatment of tinnitus.
This helped a little with the ringing in my ear but not a lot. However it worked wonders on my anxiety.
This went well for about a week.
Then I started having pains in my chest.
Back to the emergency care clinics I went. I had both x-rays and CT scans done on my chest, where a mass was discovered in my left lung.
At this point, it was almost Christmas time.
So at the exact same time cryptocurrencies started tanking, I was racking up what was close to 100,000 american dollars in medical bills.
It was at this point, my doctor wanted me to have something called a pet test done. The doctor thought a pet test was a better option than a full blown biopsy at this point because my medical bills were racking up so fast.
I wasn't able to get an appointment made for a pet test until after the holidays.
None of this however mattered to the court proceedings which I also had to attend.
So in the first week of January came my sentencing for my arrest charges. I was to have to pay close to 3000 American dollars in fines as well as go on 1 year probation that prevented me from going anywhere outside a 35 mile radius of my home.
I also was to have to go to 3 months of rehabilitation for marijuana addiction which also was to be covered from out of pocket expenses.
By the time I had the pet test done, it was nearing the middle of February. Luckily for me, the results came back that the mass was not cancer.
Rather it appears to be some sort of calcium buildup. According to my doctor unless the pain is constant and unbearable - there is no reason to go further with a biopsy.
Now the pet test alone cost around 25000 American dollars - the biopsy would cost an additional 60,000.
So back to the dentist i go finally to have a few teeth removed.
By the first week of march, the proceedings had finally gone through to have to begin rehabilitation treatment.
The very first visit I explained my medical conditions. I explained that using marijuana made my tinnitus unbearably worse and because of that had not used in nearly 4 months time.
Immediately the rehabilitation clinic called by probation officer and told them I did not need rehab and that part of things was dismissed.
So I still have another 9 months of probation to get through, but I am finally starting to get my life back on track to a point I can focus on the things that matter to me most.
I have insane amounts of medical bills I have to get paid. I can't see my kids again until after this probation period ends, which is at this point the hardest part of things - but I suppose this is what is mean by "life happens".
So hopefully people will be seeing me posting more often again but i have kind of fallen out of the loop in terms of keep up to date with things, so its going to take some time to catch myself back up.
Hopefully everyone will continue to bear with me and show their support when I do make posts.
As always thanks for reading, please do resteem, tag friends, vote the post up, show it love, and in return as I rebuild my status on this network, I will again get back to sharing the love in upvotes and giving back maximum value - but this will take time.
You've had a lot of different events, but now it's steemite @gizli-guru
Thanks for the comments. I don't mind having lots of different events, and it keeps life entertaining. I just hope to get a few more positive ones coming in and a few less negative ones. At this point things seem to be going good again, except getting those pesky medical bills taken care of. I am used to ups and downs in crypto, but never really needed the money to pay bills until now. I suppose all things happen for their reasons and in their own time. :) Thanks for the comments and for tagging others :)
You've definitely gone through a lot bro. I used to think I am under some hardships until I see people with conditions and problems like yours. Be strong, you'll definitely pass through and be out much more stronger than before.
You have my support and follow. All the best.
I thank you kindly, hopefully the worst of my problems are past now and I can get back to my regular posts and share projects I am involved with and more about cryptocurrency. I just thought an explanation as to why I disappeared was in order first :)
You are most welcome.
I think you can make good posts. You should post more often my friend.
As stated in the post, I definitely intend to. It was never my intent to disappear but its not always easay to keep up with posts when one is in and our of doctors offices and court rooms every other day.
HOW DID YOU GET THAT VOTES SO FAST... CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN + I also voted
I am well connected. Not just here but all over the crypto community. People tend to love my writings. I am sure part of it had to do with my suddenly reposting after vanishing for 6 months.
Nice story
Thanks friend, the truth of ones personal life generally makes for a good story. Glad you enjoyed and thank you for the comment.
I wish everyone could recover from this drug activity and poor health.
I strongly promote campaigns so that more and more people can save their lives from these kind of drugs.
Nature gives us many more beautiful and healthy things to have. So don't get addicted to that.
I post Nature's pictures here on my blog. You may like my pictures. Please do follow me to get natural pics everyday.
Thanks for the comments. Not really sure I have an addiction problem so to speak, but I keep myseslf in check with how much and how often I take the Xanax. The marijuana was as natural as it gets really, but smoking probably waasn't the healthy way I could have used it, but as long as I am on probation its pretty much a non-option no matter what. In terms of other alternatives, I have been recommended more alt medicines than I can possibly explain. The problem with anxiety, is its not always related to diet. So alt medicines tend not to always work as much as health people want t o insist. In any event glad you liked the post and thanks for commenting.
Wow that's a lot to handle! I wish you all the very best. Sending you all the light in the world.
Thanks. Like I say in the post "life happens" but I suppose that is indefinitely true :) Patience and times heals all ailments :)
Well the story from which many can get inspiration. You faced the downs of life , kicked them and reached back to the steemit now . A warm welcome from side . Have a great second innings . I couldn't stop myself seeing your posts raining in my feed . Keep on rocking bro :)
I certainly hope others find some sort of inspirations from this. It would be nice to know my hardships in some way help others get through their own. Glad you enjoy seeing my posts in your feed. Hopefully they won't just randomly stop this time around.
Your luck seems to match mine brother except I caught 2 chargers but I beat 1 due to the officer arrested me lie on the witness stand under oath and the case got tossed!
The arrests were easy in comparison to the medical issues but the timing of things snowballing couldn't have been worse. Would have been much better off it all this started in early 2017 instead of late 2017. :) The arrests - well I suppose thats what happens when one breaks the law. For me the real surprise was walking away from rehab smiling that the rehab clinic had a vastly different opinion than that of the court system :)
This is too much for you to bear, sorry man i hope you get out fast so i can see more of your post, my prayer is God in his infinite mercy grant you his mercy and grace
It was incredibly hard to bear at first, which was part of my reason for just not posting. Doing much of anything became a challenge for a while. But I am mostly working through it all and beginning to put most of it behind me. Now the biggest problem as i stated in another comment is those pesky medical bills. Thanks for the prayers - can't ever get enough of those. Also thanks for the comments. Its nice to know people on this network are so friendly and welcoming.
You're welcome man
Hmmn! @secret-guru you've really been through a lot, which all happened too fast...
I'm happy for you that you're back -- and back for good. Your post reminded me of the fact that life really happens, and most of the time, we think our predicaments is the worst in the whole world until we hear the plight of someone somewhere.
Truly, where there's life there is hope.
I do really look forward to seeing your awesome posts, as you keep them coming.
Thanks for sharing an emotional but inspiring post, such as this.
Thanks, starting tomorrow you will start to sese my typical cryptocurrency style posts. Just wanted to explain to people why I magically disappeared. Didn't want people to think I am just some flake that posts one in a great while and vanishes again. :)
You're welcome. Good.
We're all expectant.
Wow, how many events have happened to you !!!, but what I read in your story is the perseverance to face so many vicissitudes. Strength and faith friend. From today I will follow you.
When you can, I invite you to visit my profile ...
This was actually only part of it, some things I still kept to myself but yeah its been a heck of a last 6 months. Thanks for following and showing me some love :)
You just have to have faith and confidence in yourself. That is a trance and from there you will go out ... Armrests.
I am not so worried, all things happen for their own reasons. :)
Great to get an update from you. Sounds like you've had a lot going on. I knew some of this from LinkedIn but I didn't know the extent. Hope all is well now. I know you have some big things going on in the crypto world.
Hopefully we will see some postings from you coming soon. If you need help, you can always ask me over on linkedin. :) As you can tell, people love me everywhere I go - and who doesn't want blockchain based social networks that pay for beingn active :) Though don't expect to get the same level of love I get without a lot more effort than I have to put in :) People just be loving me.
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i hope you always healthy @secret-guru ^^
https://goo.gl/43ikcJ
Thank you for sharing your story!!
Wow.. life has really hit you with some curve balls, but it sounds like your taking the right steps to move forward. Wish you all the luck, upvoted 👍
when storm is come...soon the sunlight comes out....this is called "Life" the best thing we can do is to fight and keep strong and 'Pray"
Steady your amazing postings, I see, read and enjoy it thanks for sharing