Page 838…
Ok…let’s get this one out of the way…
Yes…the rat-guard has no pants.
Yes…he has no…um…”private parts” that show.
No…I do NOT know where they are…and don’t want to think about it. OK?
I wrote this part with “guard 01” as the one who gets kicked.
By the time I got to this page, though, the rat guy was already being used.
So…I’m open to suggestions. Or we can all agree to just not think about.
Your choice.
Also. Saw the Orthopedist today. They took X-rays. They’ll do MRI on Monday.
But his initial thoughts are a Herniated disc. He’s thinking back surgery. But honestly…Donna and I both agree…it shouldn’t come to that.
The steroids are supposed to make me angry…but I’m not really an angry person by nature…and so far I haven’t yelled at anyone.
I have been feeling a bit blue the last couple days. So maybe that’s how the steroids are affecting me.
WHo knows?
Either way. I’m going to do my best to work through all of this. It’ll all be fine soon.
Please let me know if the quality of work over the next week drops in any way. I’d have to have this injury and meds affect Dreamland. I feel bad enough even talking about it to you guys.
I was always brought up to only talk about the “good things” in our lives. And leave the “bad things” to family. But you guys are kinda’ like family. And I feel you deserve to know what’s going on. Especially if it’ll affect the updates or the quality.
OK. I think I’ve said enough.
I still plan on going to Wondercon next week. But if the MRI shows anything bad…we may have to reconsider.
I’ll let you all know as I find out more.
Thanks for all of your prayers, support, well wishes, and good thoughts.
Scott
Ouch…that had to hurt.
Three Words: Suspend Your Disbelief… I don’t think it matters where whatever is on… yeah, you already played the awkwardly-avoiding-anatomical-phrasing thing… and the implication that it’s going to hurt is enough. Anyone knows that a kick to the groin isn’t pleasant, much more so for males obviously…
I’m on the “’nuff said” side of things here.
In regard to rats and their private parts. Male rats have the capacity to pull their gonads up into their body cavity so that they aren’t visible. So what you have depicted will work quite well. Otherwise rats have huge ‘nads that would be somewhat disturbing for a children’s comic. Cheers, Sam
I thought that he had Pants *blink, blink* are you sure he doesn’t have pants?
Sensitive parts or not, a kick between the legs is more or less universally understood as disablingly painful. I don’t think further visual queues are needed.
The art is lovely as usual. You must be really feeling blue if you’re that worried about it. Believe me, folks will understand if you’re injured and need some time off. If they get upset about it, they’re jerks, and who cares what they think? You don’t need our permission to rest and get better. As for the rat, I just imagined his fur was sufficiently fluffy to preserve his modesty. Or perhaps it’s really cold in Dreamland? As you said, best not to think too much on such matters.
Best wishes Scott! 😀
First the rat… The comic is fine just the way it is. Everyone will be alright without dwelling on rat bits. In fact, until I read your comments below the comic, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. So I say, let’s return it to the realm of not-thought-of. 😀
Second… *sigh* I must make comment about this statement, as it is the heart of many of the worst times of my life… “I was always brought up to only talk about the ‘good things’ in our lives. And leave the ‘bad things’ to family.” This idea was also taught in my family as a value, and was taught to my parents and their parents, etc and so on… It’s a VERY distructive ideology with absolutely zero “value” to it!
People know when you (meaning anyone, not specifically “you”) are open and it gives you honest credibility. People also know when you are hiding something (anything) and it makes them suspicious. This is the first downfall of that concept.
The second downfall it that it means your family gets to deal with the brunt of the bad, and gets to see how convincing fake smiles can be as you show that smile to others. The next logical step is to begin doubting the truth of the smiles directed at you from your family… Are they just as convincing, or are they genuine?
And the third negative part to that concept: Too many families deal with very negative things… All kept “hush-hush” and “under wraps” by keeping such things “in the family”.
No matter how it’s looked at, the open and honest approach is emmensely better than that ideology…
…Thank you for deciding to be open about what’s going on. I look forward to hearing the tales of wonderful recovery and the fun wrestling around and playing ball you will have with your boys.
Get well soon Scott, and know you DO have extended family out here, and we care about you alot.
Your friend,
~Prince Demitri
Yikes, herniated disc?! Let’s all hope it doesn’t come to surgery, jeez. **Crosses her fingers!** Yeah, I totally don’t wanna think about that rat dude’s nether regions. Oh, and I think little Felicity should TOTALLY have her own cartoon show. Aye, that would SO rock. ^.^
Kick him in the knees!
[/Star Trek VI reference]
Ain’t gotta hold nothin’ back from me, boss.
Bring it on.
I’ll let you know if it drops in quality. And no big even if it does, I ain’t goin’ nowhere. You got me hooked, man. 🙂
I’ve a herniated disk (spondylosis, at the age of 26, yay me!); since you want to avoid surgery, my suggestion: Physical therapy (mostly they will tell you to work out more, build the muscles in your back to make up for the herniated disk) + invest in a nice massage class for your wife. Because she’ll almost always be the first on hand when your back is killing you, so her knowing these gestures may help relieve the pain when there’s no other person to do it.
And, um, with regards to rodent privates… I am more than happy to leave that to the unspoken, especially since it means I don’t have to wonder what Felicity and Nicole have been looking at. 😛
I whole heartedly agree on the nads parts of the rat about being in the whole, “don’t speak” part. Look at the Mutant TURTLES FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! they didn’t wear pants, and people still like them. So those who have a problem with the rat. You just now effectively killed off Remes from Ratatouille. Thanks a lot. Now i can’t enjoy my meals.. *cries for three seconds* and scott i so seriously hope you don’t have to go through what the doctors r considering. My dad has gone through FIVE BACK operations. One whole section, i think is just now pure fused bone and metal. Hopefully, very hopefully you don’t have to go through that much. I SECOND THE PYSHICAL THERAPY THINGY!! and yes. I, with me sometimes witty comments will be the first to let thy know bout the drop in quailty, among many others. X_X… Just be all Hakuna Matata, K?
yeah I’m just going to assume the Rats “bits ” are all tucked away out of view, and hidden by fur…and thats all the thought I’ll give the subject. Mooovin on. 😛
Well, it actually kind of looks like the rat has some form a baggy medieval pants on
Of course the rat guy has private parts. everyone can imply that and it doesna need to be spoken of. And everyone knows what happens if some guy gets hit in that region. That’s also no secret. We know it hurts baaaaadly. thats all there is to it. Just in case some little kid asks ma or da, they should tell him/her honestly what’s going on – in private.
I for one don’t care for political correctness, but I do care for discretion, modesty and … heck, you know where the drift goes.
And scott – you shouldna care so much about us – care more about your health, your mending and your family. Take your time for the mending, especially if surgery is needed. I’ve had three of them already, and none has been a pleasant experience for me. So – best to avoid them, if possible.
But I gotta ask for I do not know the word: herniated? what’s that mean?
yeah, you’re still that guy that people are going to ‘complain’ about by griping that you’re too nice and all good things come your way sooner or later. but i hope that includes an end to the pain without surgery – which you are both right – should always be set aside for worst case scenario.
If you don’t know–Herniated is a fancy kind of pinched. Usually the tissue has slid out of place or is strained.
My Mom has two herniated disks. She damaged them twisting while carrying building plans for her work. I was in early high school at the time and it was a big life switch for the whole family. She didn’t want the suggested surgery either, so here’s what we did–
Mom was lucky enough to have access to a YMCA that had open adult swims for laps and aerobics. The swimming is low impact and strengthens all the right muscles for her back. It has made a huge difference–before she started swimming she was is pain and it was effecting her ability to function and be happy. Now she doesn’t even need meds most days, as long as she keeps up on her exercises! Ask your doctor about what kind of stretching and strengthening your specific case needs (since your not my mom so it may not be the same 😀 ) Good luck, and take it easy! Until you can readjust to this new factoid of life, don’t strain yourself. Take a little longer to do things–better late than never (or painful!)
My first thoughts were that he actually wore pants. But now you say it…I guess the gray part on his legs is fur then. To me it seems like pants so I wasn`t even thinking that far. 🙂 But I agree with the others. Just the kicking between the leg thing implies pain and that is enough I think.
About the quality…. You`re in pain, you have an operation to consider, you`re on medication which makes you blue and you worry about quality decrease… I know this project means a lot to you and also to the readers, but it`s understandable if you have to drop out for a while because of your health. That and your family are more important than the comic in my opinion. Just listen carefully to yourself, if you need rest or you don`t make it to update every day you can do several things:
– you can go on hiatus, but you don`t like to do that. In that case you could ask for guest pages again. I think that people would be glad to help you out. 🙂
– you could update less times a week
– or you could post some `unfinished` pages for the sake of behind the scenes artwork. You would still provide us with pages so we can continue reading but you don`t have to work so hard.
f.e. I really enjoy watching beauty and the beast in the work-in-progress version. Sometimes you see just moving pencil lines or storyboard but I love it!
When doing this you don`t have to worry about putting up a finished page with quality loss because it`s meant to be unfinished
– You could post short (side) stories you`ve lying around if you have any, or which don`t take you so long to make. Something less complicated than a Dreamland page.
I`m sorry if this isn`t helping but you could go for something in between instead of worrying about the comic because you already have your troubles. 🙂
I wish you all the best and a quick recovery!!
Silly guard. Doesn’t he know that a cup/box/codpiece is one of the most essential bits of a suit of armor? Chain greaves are just plain inadequate for that purpose. I suppose it could be expected, however, given the visibility-restricting helmet.
Re:Rat privates… I honestly didn’t even think about it till you mentioned it. I think it’s fine as-is 🙂
Re:Herniated disk: Don’t count on using the steroids forever… they carry some significant side-effects in long-term use. Real ones, not just mood alterations. I’m sure that your doctor told you this while prescribing them for you. Also, these aren’t the type of steroids that will make you get big and strong, nor should they provoke ‘roid rage 🙂
If you can tolerate the pain for a while, try PT to strengthen your back. Surgery shouldn’t be the first thing tried (obviously), but it’s not the end of the world, either. Hope you feel better!
Yeow… man.
Little cute Felicity fights dirty!!
Remind me never to steal her cheezburger!
Don’t discount back surgery- it gave me a much better life. Severely herniated disc with sciatica here. I can do so many things now that I thought I’d lost forever.
Don’t think back surgery until you really have to do it.
Double herniated discs here. Couldn’t move my left leg for almost two weeks, after that weeks of recovery.
Started rock climbing two years ago. Caught the “climbing virus”. I only go there once a week for about two to three hours with my wife.
No more back pain, no more tinsling legs, great body shape and some real qualitiy time with honey!
You should be careful about the temper though. I’m not the kind of person who gets angry either. I do however bottle emotions, and bottled emotions can explode ten times worse then expressive emotions and usually over somthing small and seemingly inconsequential.
I have lots of experience going back and apologizing to people because I exploded over some semantic that had nothing to do with why I was angry.
I thought they WERE Pants! :p
Get better…don’t hesitate to take time off, if you need it. We like updates, but we don’t want you working if you’re in pain or sick! I know very well how awful back pain can be, and computer chairs can make it even worse. Just…take care of yourself, okay?
Steroids do not make you angry. They do make you aggressively energetic. And they ramp up your appetite something awful, so watch what you eat. If you’re on them long enough, you’ll get depressed once in a rare while. I know all this because I spent 15 years on the stuff (I have a rheumatic inflammation disease). As a result, I have severe osteoporosis, and have had to have both my hips replaced with titanium ones. The stuff works, but if you can help it, don’t use it for more than a year.
Honestly, I noticed he wasn’t wearing any pants; I just didn’t think about it. See what Disney does to your brain. Donald Duck doesn’t have pants either. 😉
back surgery should be a last resort. seriously, speaking from secondhand experience through my mom getting back surgery a few months ago. unless you can squeeze your insurance to pay for ALL of it and if its ABSOLUTELY necessary…..
there might be something else you can do, be sure to ask around and see what other possibilities exist!
Pants, schmantz! A kick in the groin regardless of gender (or lack there of) will get the attention of whoever was struck. Great Panel!
Scott, surgery of this nature is not so bad these days, best to go ahead if MRI finds something. My films last year didn’t show much, yet when the doc went in he found 2 ruptured discs! I am better off now because the repair was done. Main danger is spinal fluid leak, if you start having bad headaches after, get right back to the doc. Goos luck, and thanks for the great story and art.
my mama had a slipped/fractured disc that was pinching her spinal cord, and giving her pain down the leg as well as in the back – she had the surgery to fix it with no complications. 🙂 good luck with whatever you find/decide.
Scott – Rat = nonissue, Felicity = totally rocking, (Nicole looks devastated, btw)
I hope your back gets better, and that you don’t have to do anything particularly complicated to make it so. Don’t be blue, I’ll go hunt up some fun stuff for you to look at!
she is so friggin cute!!!
I am with those that say it looks like pants but pants or no pants I am glad you choise not to show his privets. My children read this and that would ended it for me. so thank you.
Herniated disk – Been There, Done That…actually, still doing it. I’ve had MRIs, I’ve taken steroids, I’ve had it go from nothing to agony in a second, and then go back to nothing a day later. I’ve had a few injections into the lower back area, and they do work miracles, often avoiding the need for surgery.
Given the current state of disk surgery, and the recovery time and the therapy you need afterwards, avoid surgery if you possibly can. Yes, there are good outcomes, but the odds are not good enough, in my book.
I definitely feel your pain, though. When it’s bad, you just can’t get comfortable. You can’t sit, you can’t lie down, you can’t stand, you can barely walk.
I will say only this about today’s page… “OUCH!” And I agree with ScottyA. I will definitely not be stealing any cheezeburgers from Felicity!
No worries about the pages, Scott. Your health absolutely comes first. I’ll put my two cents in re: surgery. It should be a very last resort. As other fans have suggested there are plenty of really good options to try first. It depends of course of what the MRI shows. If the herniation is bad enough or no other options work, then surgery is definitely something to consider. Keep us posted and we’ll all keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
Oh and not to bug you, but currently the ad on the bottom of the page from Project Wonderful is called “Coldbloodedchillers.com”??!! Not too kid friendly if you ask me. oye!!
Sorry to hear about your injury. I understand what you mean about being brought up only to talk about the positive stuff, and keep anything unpleasant hidden away, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we want to know how you’re doing.
The “no pants” thing is an old tradition with cartoon “animals,” so I honestly wouldn’t even have thought about it if you hadn’t brought it up. 🙂
I would suggest seeing a Chiropractor, did wonders for my spine and disks. I worked DHS/TSA and heavy bag lifting finally did me in, but went and saw local Chiropractor and after some visits I got a lot better and I still see him to this day. Ended up being massively cheaper than constant pain pills that probably still would have lead to something more.
Would not hurt to look into it… there’s more to it then most would think.
First the strip … I vote to “just not think about it”, or change to kick to “in the knees” … either is fine with me.
Second is the back issue … I had a similar issue many years ago and actually was in such pain that I could not move. I also was on steroids and hated it! As a Pharmacist, I understood the medical points & value to it but the way it made me feel was AWFUL, and on 2 occasions after 2 different rounds of therapy, I “crashed” both physically and emotionally the day after my last dose … hope to NEVER take them again.
My solution was a trip to my friendly neighborhood Chiropractor … that’s right, even with my “training” in modern medicine I see the true value in a Chiropractor. There are MANY things they can’t do, but the things that they can do are incredible. He was the only person who figured out my REAL problem, posture and pressure on my body from my wallet … sounds crazy but it is true. After taking time to be aware of my standing (which Pharmacist do ALOT of) and seated positions, and switching my wallet from my right back pocket to my left (where it actually is to my side and therefore never sat upon), my problem went away and never came back. True story.
You situation may not be as simple, but I do always recommend a trip to a legitimate Chiropractor for people with back issues … who knows that might be of SOME help …. good luck Scott!
I honestly didn’t even think about the pants thing until you brought it up. I doubt I would have ever noticed at all. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Most kid-friendly stuff basically ignores the whole anatomically correct thing.
As far as your back is concerned, I hope it doesn’t come to surgery for you. At the same time though, don’t discount it as an option if you’re not getting better. I’m a recently-graduated nurse and one of my placements was on the Neurosurgical floor. A good neurosurgeon can do wonders.
I hope you get well soon. 🙂
Scott, I also have a herniated disc. My ortho said surgery, but I said no way and ended up with a pain management doctor who is giving me prolotherapy. Check it out and see if it might work for you. It’s a very good non-surgical and non-steroid route to take. I’ve been going for about 2 years and I’m in considerably less pain than I have been in my entire life and it’s a permanent fix. Feel free to contact me if you want any more information.
Thank you all.
Wow. I hope my post wasn’t too “heavy”. I haven’t re-read it yet.
But thank you guys for being so supportive.
My cousin’s a Chiropractor and I wish I could see him…but he’s in Connecticut and I’m down here in Nashville.
I’m sure with enough treatment…I could avoid surgery. But the Chiropractor I went to last week…I just didn’t feel comfortable with.
My Steroid perscription is for 6 days. I’m on the fourth day today. So we’ll see how we progress.
Thanks for letting me “vent” a bit and I will keep you all up to date on things. I promise.
Scott
Good luck with your back Scott! I hope it gets better! I live in Connecticut, and my mom is looking for a good chiropractor. Maybe she’ll run into your cousin!
Definitely inquire about an epidural steroid injection. If you do not have leg weakness, then you want to do more conservative measures prior to surgery. There are 4 main treatments for herniated disks: 1) Physical Therapy 2) Medications [including pain killers, and anticonvulsants which can settle down the nerve] 3) Epidural Steroid Injections [as opposed to oral steroids, this can work locally right on the disk that is herniated] 4) Surgery.
Even Pain Medicine physicians read Dreamland Chronicles! 🙂
Honestly? I just assumed he was wearing pants.
Also: Chiropractors are a mixed bag. If the one you found doesn’t fill you with confidence, drop him and get a referral to someone else. The good ones are rare and hard to find!
It’s a world of dreams, mostly inhabited and feed by the dreams of kids. They arn’t use to seeing rat privet parts. =p
*chuckles* but they know if a grown up guy gets kicked in the crotch they go down in a lot of pain.
Hince… rat with no privet parts still goes down like he has them.
I know from my Dad’s experience (he’s about 4-6 in. shorter than he should be) that a good chiropractor can do wonders. But yes, it can definitely be hard to find a good one.
Doggaryth: Yeah, spinal fluid leak SUCKS. Never knew what a headache was until I experienced spinal headaches.
As to the rat = there’s an issue? 😀
In many cartoons, an anthomorphic character is considered “properly dressed” when either wearing just pants (Mickey Mouse) or just a shirt (Donald Duck), and sometimes nothing at all (Bugs Bunny).
And really, I assumed he was wearing gray trousers until you mentioned it. I like the page anyway, shows how devious Felicity is, and smart. I can’t help but wonder, decades in the future, how the guards would feel when Felicity goes of old age: happiness at no longer being plagued of missing an honored adversary.
Take care of yourself first and foremost, Scott. Find a chiropractor you trust, otherwise, everything goes to waste. Confidence can act as a great placebo. A couple of days delayed is better then indefinetely delayed because you’re in the hospital.
I wish ya lots of luck with the back. I’ve done quite a lot of damage to mine – its is damn hard to rest the way you need to to keep healthy. Make sure to have a good physical therapist once your done with whatever treatment you decide. That’s going to be the real deciding factor to your healing. Don’t skip out on it!
Maybe he’s especially fluffy and the fur is covering everything? Don’t really bother me to be honest.
Ninja kitty Strikes Again!
Yes, definatelly leave it in the not thinking about it realm. It worked very well anyway. And, no back surgrey. I’ve only heard bad things about that. If you do go to a chiropractor, make sure they practice the Gonstead technique. it’s a lot better than most because they move ONLY the bone that’s out of place. It really works well with me, at least.
Who says rat guard isn’t a woman? I assume Dreamland is an equal opportunity sort of place.
It’s a little kid’s dream. Why would she be seeing rat bits? And I thought those WERE pants!
Actually, I never noticed that the rat guard wasn’t wearing pants until you pointed it out /shrug
I didnt even think about his private parts in relation to his lack of pants until you mentioned it. I was good to go without even wondering about it until then. If you force me to wonder about his privates, then I have to wonder about Bugs Bunny and other pantless characters. Dont make me do that!!!
Hey, I’m a new reader and just read the entire saga in the last week. I’ve always seen the ads for your stuff and I must say I’ve missed out! Your art is great, your characters are amazing and realistic and your story is engaging.
My prayers and thoughts go out to you for your back. Having a family and a home business and a debilitating injury is a stressful combination, and I hope you get back to normal soon.
😀 Maybe he DOES have pants. But in closer looks…he seems to not be. Oh well.
Oh….and tubagirl. I HIGHLY recommend my cousin Dr. Russell Caram in Bethel, CT.
I was his guinea pig when he was going through school. If I can survive that…i can survive anything I think…ha ha.
But he’s really great.
Thanks Randall…
So glad you finally clicked and hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
🙂
It sure looks to me like he’s wearing pants. His thighs are exactly the same color as the outer garment (breastplate?) he’s wearing on his upper body. Additionally, there is a line just below his knees where it changes to his skin color. Note also that his tail is the same color as his lower legs, but not his thighs. Everything I’m seeing implies that he’s wearing short pants; in fact, I was surprised that the move worked because I thought he was wearing armored greaves!
Take care of yourself, Scott. I hope you feel better soon.
If it’s a herniated disc, in some ways, that’s a pretty simple thing to deal with as long as you don’t have a doctor who insists that fusing vertebrae (brrr!) is a good idea. My father had it done years ago, and he’s been in pain ever since.
I had surgery for a herniated disc a month before my wedding. They did a less invasive procedure called a microdiscectomy (sp?)–small incision to clear out what was putting pressure on the nerve and tidy up the disc. I wasn’t sure about surgery so close to the wedding, but the relief was IMMEDIATE. I had to be careful, but I was up and around within a couple days and everything proceeded on.
As awful as the situation was, in retrospect, it was a blessing. I was uninsured, so we had an informal wedding at the justice of the peace so that I could have my husband’s health insurance (we had the “real” wedding after the surgery). My husband’s father was able to be there with us, and see his only child get married. He died of cancer a month later– just before the “real” wedding. Bittersweet times. It means a lot to have his name as a witness on our marriage certificate.
I think it would be safe to assume he gets his furry stretch pants from the same place Sabrina (of Sabrina On-Line) does.
I choose to not think about it…
Since it is supposed to be kid friendly, I think the Hanna Barbarra slope is the best bet…
Hope you get better before the surgery option, Scott. Either way, I hope you can get this fixed completely. Back pain is so miserable.
I don’t think you should worry about it, trust me, my 8 year-old gets that the guy got kicked and it hurt – bad. I think it is more about a tiny girl taking about a big bad guard than the technicality of how she does so anyway.
Hope everything goes well with your back. Based on your recent bio, etc. I would say we have similar philosophies/outlooks and I would not say you are droning on about it or anything, but you should not worry about it bothering anyone here (update-wise). Remember that your track record for updates already speaks volumes for you!
I just started reading this comic recently. I’m just completely in awe about it, you’ve done an absolutely magnificent job. As far as your injury I’m sure everything’ll get better with time, hopefully you won’t need surgery cause well.. surgery sucks. But if you do, then at least afterwords you’ll feel much better right? That’s the most important thing. ^^
Hey there – Just wanted to offer some support on the back issue. I’ve been in the same boat. Until you have the MRI, don’t believe them when they say hernaited disk. There are so many things that present the same way, and the herniation is just the most serious of them. I went through the same process you’ve gone through up until this point. When I had my MRI, there was no herniation, and they decided it was a lumbar strain. A big muscle pull.
Oh, and the steriods could make you feel a bit blue very easily. I can’t take them because I had a bad reaction to them. Like teen age mood swings, just all wrapped up into half an hour. If you’ve been taking them for a few days though, don’t worry about that side effect 😀
Hi, Been reading your comic for several weeks now and the first night I saw it I had to read through all the old ones, I was hooked. I plan on getting the books when I get extra cash to read to my 18 month old for bedtime stories. It’s such a fun story and I <3 it complete. 🙂
I’m usually a luker when it comes to forums and comment posting because I get easily distracted and forget to post but your last ‘rant’ really made me want to comment.
I have several herniated discs from scoliosis, a fall out of a tree years ago, and then having a huge, fatty baby. 😉 It was getting extremely bad where I could hardly walk and I had nerves that were being pinched which were making me throw up. It was fun times and I couldn’t hardly take care of my newborn boy.
For relaxing your back and easing the pain I suggest a a warm vinegar and epsom salt bath. Get a supportive pillow for your chair and a heating pad to use in it. Wet heat heating pads are great. Find a good chiropractor! I was going to go see a specialist in back surgery till a friend suggested his chiro and within 3 weeks I had no more throwing up from the pinched nerve and was already starting to feel much better. Yoga stretches. Start slow. Try getting a WiiFit, it’s fun and actually pretty good. (I was surprised)
Those have all helped me greatly, so maybe they can help you out? I hope so, I know how horrible back pain can be.
Get better!
Scott, I’m a hypnotherapist and I’ve recently recorded a pain control script (for my wife, actually, she has arthritis, and it’s helping her). There are at least seven techniques of pain control without drugs, and I include most of them in this recording.
If you’d be interested I’d be glad to send it to you as a thank-you for so much good entertainment. Might reduce your perceived pain.
Email me if you’d like it – thanks.
They have so many new ways of handling back pain with Chiropractic techniques today that if you do that and physical therapy you should never have to even consider surgery. I swear doctors are always so eager to cut you up….
I never even thought for a moment about the rats whole parts and lack of pants situation… quite odd.
Parts or no remember that in Life a cat’s main weapons are her feet ( rear ones) those nails ate the killers so Pants or no Felicity’s Rear Nails are going to really leave a mark, hehe Poor Rat.
Hm. This is my first comment, so hope it works.
First of all, i love your comic. You are awesome, and it’s beautiful.
Second, and what made me decide to figure out how to comment, is the back thing. I am so glad that you’re of the opinion it shouldn’t come to back surgery. I strongly believe that surgery is a -last resort-. My father has several fused vertebrae, which have left him somewhat disabled for all of his adult life. My brother just had unnecessary spinal surgery in which they removed a piece of vertebra, for a herniated disc. That was the first and only option the doctor gave him, and it’s really upsetting to me. There are other things to be considered first, such as a good massage therapist, or chiropractics. Both can do wonders, and i’m sure there are many other alternative/complementary treatments that can help, too. Good luck to you, and take care.
LMAO!! “Remember THIS?!?” I can’t wait to see her knock him the heck out!
My husband suffers from a herniated disc, but he chose chiropractic and massage therapy over drugs and surgery. It isn’t a quick fix, but it’s loads better than going under the knife. I also agree with Silere in that there are many other alternative/complementary options out there. I hope you find one that helps!
Man, Felicity is dangerous.
I say go back and put pants on him; it won’t be hard, just make them “Hammer pants” and basically color his legs a different color or something. Looking back, he might as well have gray pants on right now. I mean, he’s the only one who doesn’t wear pants in this scene, and he’s also the only one whose nether regions matter… so I say he should wear pants. 😛
Chewbacca never wore pants.
Thank you all. Wow.
To be honest…I’m feeling a bit better today.
Very sleepy. But Donna and I went for a walk and I’m more sore now than in stabbing pain.
Maybe with the two more days of steroids…it’ll start to get better.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of the support and advice. You guys are amazing.
And welcome to all who’ve posted for the first time. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story…
…and so sorry I had to herniate my back to get you to comment!
🙂
Either way…thanks!
I don’t think little kids would even go so far as to think about the rat wearing pants, so he only needs them for the crude adults 😉 As for steroids, I once had to take them for an allergic reaction and they made me hyper. So hyper I was folding laundry at 2AM. As a TEENAGER. Needless to say, that was a long time ago. But anything that makes a teenager want to fold laundry is probably either really good or really bad for you. Feel better!
Scott: I can understand about being a bit stand-offish towards the one chiropractor you have had a bad experience with. I have met with a few myself. Don’t let a bad experience turn you away. Get some referrals and try again. Word of mouth is the best advertisement.
-Palmer student-
Scott, Apparently a lot of people have back problems. I too have herniated discs (2 actually) and have some weird allergies to all the lovely meds they try to give me, so no steroids, muscle relaxers or pain pills for me. I rely on my chiropractor and do a ton of stretches. I usually have a flare-up every year and a half or so, but until I have absolutely no other choice, I won’t have surgery. From my own experiences, try whatever type of physical therapy makes you feel better, whether it’s yoga or massage or swimming or whatever. Since I started these methods, I’ve had fewer flare-ups and they usually last less time (a week or two as opposed to one to two months). Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon, I know how much it can suck.
Scott-
Whatever you do, take your time making a decision about surgery. It’s not something you can take back once you have it done, so it should be the last thing you try.
It sounds like the treatment you’re getting now is starting to have some effect, plus whatever natural response of your body is kicking in. Give it time, and look into the alternatives. Exercise of the right kind is almost always a good idea whatever you do – so give that a chance when you are up to it (and get an expert’s opinion on that.)
Again, time is the thing to remember. There are no quick fixes – your body will take as much time as it needs as long as it is getting treatment that is effective. And, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion if that’s feasible.
Good luck with your back problems. Take care of yourself first – we can wait if that’s what it takes to get you feeling better. Pity YOU can’t drop in on the Centaurs now – it looked like they’d done a good job on Felicity. 😉
p.s. I wouldn’t worry about the Rat Guard and his sartorial dilemma. Until you specifically stated otherwise, it was not apparent he was NOT wearing pants of some kind. It’d be easy to assume he was just wearing some baggy gray knickers.
It’s too late now, but I suspect the proper response to someone who had been wondering “if” would have been “What makes you think he isn’t wearing pants?”
In any case, there’s always the Donald Duck precedent.
Oh no she di-in’t
I think it’s something that gets used in cartoons a lot with characters who don’t have pants, either. Don’t worry abut.
I am so sorry to hear about all that has been going on with your uncomfortable situation. I understand your concerns about Surgery. I understand that you worry. Think of it this way if you have the surgery it will help the healing process go much quicker. Yet if you still do not wish to have surgery speak with your doctor about other possible treatments. By law he should tell you what they are. Also do research about what other treatments are out there before going to your doctor so you are well informed and can ask questions. Also I love the work with Dreamland and have surely enjoyed every page and cannot wait until the next one comes out.
Oooohh
that hurt my marble sack.
Thanks Scott! I’ll be sure to tell her!
I should read ahead and see what the outcome of your back is before I post this, but if I don’t post this now I’ll totally forget it ^^;
When I was 18 I woke up on Halloween unable to move. I figured it was something muscular so I just blew it off and lightened my load and did heat/cold compresses on my lower back. After a month I was then getting shooting pains down my legs. I went and saw an orthopedic. She prescribed pain killers, muscle relaxants, and physical therapy. After months of doing this, I was then in even worse shape. So she upped the dosage of the pain killers, muscle relaxers, and sent me to get steroid injections in my back. Got worse. After 2 years of dealing with it, she finally sent me to talk to a surgeon. 20 years old and having major back surgery. I was terrified. But I was also in immense pain and just wanted to get back to my life, which has now been on hold for 2 years.
The back surgery was a life saver. I had a micro diskectomy. I woke up from the surgery with more range of movement in my back than when I went into the OR.
I hope that after I post this and catch up on how your back is that your experience was much easier than mine ^^ Now I just have to wait till after my pregnancy to go back to playing hockey XD
You know, the location of that kick doesn’t hurt as much as that sound effect. “Krak” makes it sound like she broke his pelvis.
Heh. Nutshot :D.
uff.
Right where the sun don’t shine! 😉
“If you don’t mind…I’m going to lie here a while to keep the swelling down….”
poor poor Rat…he had it coming though
Animals can retract their ‘shafts’ into their crotch so don’t worry about the rat.