I mean it. This is a quick update.

Since the last time I posted I've been physically compromised. I went effectively blind, and could not use computers for longer than ten minutes at a time without severe headaches and loss of vision. This has meant that I couldn't do any work that involves text, graphics or staring at the screen for a long time.

This has, as you might imagine, been a scary and anxious time. The GP and the NHS in general have been incompetent as hell about trying to get to the bottom of this, including an "urgent referral" to the ophthalmology specialists that will take four months.

The problem was originally put down to badly managed diabetes, but has been revealed to be due to eye strain from not adjusting to varifocal lenses in my glasses. Since switching back to single vision lenses, including a pair of middle-distance glasses specifically to allow me to focus on the distances where computer screens generally live, I have regained the ability to use computers for longer periods of time and, more importantly, to be able to edit text and graphics without screaming in pain. Ultimately, my ability to focus normally has been seriously damaged, and may never recover. Hopefully the ophthalmologist might be able to find out for definite one way or the other.

This has gone on now for just over ten weeks. In that time my day job has suffered and my home life has had to take on a slightly different form - for once my wife has been MY carer. I've been able to to things that largely don't involve using computers for longer than about 10 minutes (e.g. recording videos and dumping them on YouTube) and have been able to use mobile phone screens with less issues.

During that time I have also had a minor operation at the hospital, and am still recovering from that.

I am now back on the ball with the RPG work and tunneling desperately towards the deadline.

I won't be updating or replying to anything in the next few weeks so I can focus on the writing and final layout things for the book. I know this is another problem in a project thast has been beset by endless problems and delays, and you probably have gone past the point of caring now, but I hope you will maintain your patience and that it will be rewarded soon. Unless something goes even more wrong. Like I die or something.

Either way, see you on the other side.

Dave