It has been over a year since I last posted on this forum. At the time, I indicated that it was my last post, and that family obligations precluded me from continued posting. Although partially true, the real reason was that posting was beginning to leave me psychologically spent and exhausted. Life was busy with family needs and work demands. I figured I had done what I could to help, and now I could just hunker down, focus on riding out the storm, and get through all this with minimal impact.

Boy, was I wrong.

Shortly after I stopped posting, despite early and aggressive treatment with ivermectin, my wife became severely ill with COVID and nearly died. She's better now, but it took several months for full recovery.

All the domains of my life were affected - my internal world, my health, my relationships with others, both professionally and personally, and my family. Everything was turned upside down.

I had very strange, vivid dreams, and at times, horrible nightmares, and more recently, terrible headaches. Prolonged sleeplessness was profoundly clouding my judgement, and one emotion was dominant - fear. The nights were filled with confusion and anxiety, not knowing how to interpret what was happening. There was no stepping away from the storm.

Things are better now. My faith has become increasingly important, and I remember reading somewhere once that fear is the absence of God. Since then, I have put my fear aside, and I am posting this with the hope that this can contribute to an understanding for others that there is no avoiding this battle between good and evil, so you may as well engage in the fight.

As catsfive so aptly put it, if there's anything someone posting can contribute to benefit others, it is all worth it. NCSWIC. God bless.