Low Battery Life

Be safe, and take care of yourself, don’t worry about making videos, your heart and health is WAY more important, rest up, much love, and blessed be!

Regarding dust masks: Jake Von Slatt from Steampunk Workshop made a positive pressure personal dust filtration system using a computer fan and a automotive cabin filter a copule of years ago: http://steampunkworkshop.com/respirator-shtml/

Søren Møller

I really sucks not being able to sleep - laying in bed for 8 hours not sleeping is not fun. I know. Hope you get your energy up soon.

Søren Møller

My wife makes masks and sells them on Etsy (MasqueInTime).. They are two cotton layers with a none-woven interlayer. With my mask, when I breathe in it sucks onto my face meaning a good fit and a good filtering function. While not medical you should find them useful for at least a dust mask. They are washable. If you want to select 2 on Etsy, send her a note that her husband is paying and I'll have her send you a couple at no charge.

Sending long-distance supportive thoughts from overseas, patiently waiting and hoping for the best. 🤞

Ozone S.

Hope you're back to your usual self soon! I know what it's like to not get any sleep for too many days. I found it very difficult to get sleep when I first moved into my apartment because of the noise of the highway outside my window, I definitely had the waking dream thing happen a couple of times! Unfortunately I was still at university at the time, and I ended up falling asleep in an exam and not even realising it! I remember looking at the clock and I had 1.5 hours left, then I looked again what I thought was a few minutes later and I only had 20 minutes left! I only managed to get just over half way through the questions, and failed pretty miserably, which meant I failed the subject and had to re-take it a year later. I only passed my other subject because there was no exam, only assignments, and even then I only just scraped through with a passing grade. I've also had heart problems before too, for a couple of months it was irregular, missing beats. It also affected my sleep the same as you, thinking my heart might just stop in the middle of the night. Eventually I worked out it was the medication I was taking for hayfever, and my heart went back to normal a couple of days after I stopped taking it. Anyway, you're a strong lady, so I'm sure you'll bounce back in no time!

UpLateGeek

Thanks for sharing Fran, hope your doc gets the meds sorted and you feel better soon, give yourself any time you need. Thanks for the great videos

Cannot enter or be in any public building without a mask. City ordinance.

Fran Blanche

The condition is preexisting, my MD says that the event was due to malnutrition and lack of exercise and some other factors.

Fran Blanche

Hey Fran, you look like you are holding up OK. I want to thank you for the welcome to Patreon gifts you sent! From the Apollo Moon Shot stamp to the "Franteam 9" button (Was big into buttons in those old days) all really classy trinkets and tokens of appreciation I love....PEACE~AND GOOD HEALTH ! ....Keith

Thanks for taking the time and energy to give us an update, Fran. I can relate to a lot of what you describe, and I am so sorry you have to deal with it. It really sucks. I'm glad you are recovering and maintaining some optimism. As Richard Morgan (a pox on his house) put it in Altered Carbon, sometimes you just gotta get to the next screen. Your videos are a big help to me on that front. Take care. <3

Robyn Banks

Fran... Thanks for posting. I was wondering if you were ok. I’m glad you don’t have “that thing”. You don’t often mention other people in your life, but I hope you have someone to talk to during rough times like this.

nj Phil

Our bodies do mess about with us sometimes and we don't always know why. Of course your health and wellbeing comes before YouTube. The covid 19 issue is affecting many and my company is concerned about the mental well-being of its staff who are on furlough or still working. The world was just not prepared for the outbreak and how to deal with it although some countries appear to have dealt with it better than others. On a positive note we will get through it and hopefully learn lessons and you will get your mojo back 😀

John Russell

You HAVE to have a mask in public in Philly? Really? What happens if you don't?

EEVblog

Woah, heart condition caused by malnutrition? Never heard of that. Lack of some vitamin perhaps? Take care.

EEVblog

Fuzz... taken to a whole new level! Stay well; pity your government doesn't take as good care of you as your doctor.

Bill Rule

Hey Fran, don’t beat yourself up over lack of content. Your well-being is what matters most to us. Thanks for letting us know you are OK. These are crazy times and we are all coping as best we can. When it impacts your health, you need to take the time out and do some self care. We want you to be a living treasure not an archive of memories and videos. ❤️ Coincidentally today is IDAHOBIT day in Australia so was so nice to hear from you.

Sunlight. It’s good for the psyche and the body, in moderation. Having a snack in sunlight is a major recharge. Vitamin D status is a monumental factor in susceptibility to infection, too. Thanks for the update.

I was worried that you had gone missing. Take care of yourself.

Fran, I was thinking about you, too, today, as the others have noted. Things are weird right now and there are many of us that are feeling the strain of the current state of affairs and coupling that with physical issues, it can be a lot for a person to bear for sure. I think that your fan base is in this with you and will support you no matter what. Take care and reach out if you need to.

Geez, I thought we had some common interests, but our physical situations have way more commonality that I had ever imagined. More, in fact, than anyone else in my life, including family. The wide arm span is known as the "Swimmer's Gift", where we call it a "wingspan". I didn't learn to swim until turning 52, at which time I became a fish, despite not having much upper-body strength. I now coach swimming for beginner adults. The sunken sternum is known as being "Pigeon Breasted", restricting chest volume, shape and flexibility (change of volume). For me, it hurts most after doing lots of pushing or pulling. I suspect your chest really hurt during your move. I have lifetime asthma, which is fortunately well managed by inhalers. And is also helped by swimming, which forces me to breathe regularly while exerting myself, preventing the panting that can trigger my asthma (despite the meds). Which is made worse by the sternum situation. I also have food allergies that I take no meds for (watch what I eat), but has caused multiple ER visits, so I keep an EpiPen with me at all times. To top it off, I've had major depression since puberty, which wasn't managed until my mid-40's. My only saving grace during all those years was that technical stuff let me get into "flow", where I could be happy and productive despite things sucking otherwise. I had lots of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) during my 30's, but it never gained traction: I learned so much but couldn't apply it. The theory was I needed an intervention to get a brief "vacation" from the depression, during which the CBT could be applied and yield benefits. Went through the entire psychopharmacology, drawing the line only at tri-cyclics. Did that twice, because the shrink my therapist worked with couldn't believe none of them worked. I was one of the rare negative responders to Prozac, where it triggered my one and only manic episode. Which was actually huge fun for me, but was extremely rough on those around me. What finally gave me the gap I needed was exercise. Not aerobics, not body-building, but right in-between: strength training. Three months after starting regular workouts I was off all meds, and 3 months later I said goodbye to my therapist. I've returned to therapy only during extreme stress, and then only for a "review and tune-up". I'm fortunate in that I'm able to safely get out and about during this isolation, and am around people who are great about social distancing, masks and gloves. However, I was in lockdown for 7 weeks starting the first week of March, which destroyed my exercise schedule. Still, I was able to do squats and lunges for the legs, and push-ups and small dumbbells for my upper body, with lots of planks and crunches for the core. 20 minutes a day was all it took, and the results not only held back the worst of my depression (still had way too much leak through, but it was bearable), but it also gave me quality sleep (most nights). The other pillar for me was balanced eating, with minimal simple carbs. No flour, rice, potatoes or sugars, but lots of protein and dark-green veggies (the fresh-frozen kind). I also ate eggs as my primary protein, with much less meat, mainly for texture and flavor, but also for nutrients that are far less convenient to balance from other sources. I've become a master of the omelette and frittata. Fast, easy to cook for one, and a massively good source of quality nutrition. I'm also on OMAD (One Meal A Day), because when I'm depressed, "carb comas" become much worse. Plus I like to eat, and eliminating the "easy" carbs lets me eat more of the good stuff. I do keep nuts handy to fill the gaps, where literally 5-6 nuts with a glass of water can kill hunger pangs. The goal was simply to not gain or lose weight during lockdown, and also to maintain decent fitness to retain all its benefits in my life. I did well for those 7 weeks, but broke during the 8th week and had to modify my isolation. Because my employer sent everyone possible home, I was able to return to my regular work schedule in a nearly empty building, where it was easy to maintain social distancing. Always masked and gloved when away from my office, where I kept the door closed. Even with all the above, sleep was often minimal and erratic, adding yet another source of stress, despite meditation/mindfulness, exercise, good eating, and lots of calls to friends, family and coworkers. First, I had to make my bed screen-free, either sleeping or reading from a book or a paper-like ereader. Second, I had to get to bed and get up at regular times, no matter how much/little sleep I had. Third was no naps: This was HUGE for me! But sometimes none of that worked. I've had nasty reactions and side-effects from the usual sleep aids such as Ambien. What worked best for me was diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which also ensured my sinuses would be cleared. Normally a half-dose (25 mg) 30-60 minutes before bed would do the trick. But if not, I'd take a full dose the next night. And I never used it more than twice a week: Partly to retain its effectiveness, but also to avoid dependence or habituation. Also important was staying hydrated, just to the point where I could pee just before going to bed, and not have to get up more than once during the night. Two pee wakeups always ruined the night for me. That said, I also keep a water bottle next to the bed, as it just feels good to have a sip to interrupt tossing and turning. Hope this helps, or at least gives comfort, sympathy and hope. If you have questions, or would like some specifics, please don't hesitate to DM me. Edit: Did I mention my arthritis? Got that too, and fortunately my exercise somehow keeps it at bay (no meds yet), though my wrists hurt if I do anything wrong with them. For example, I need to use handles when doing push-ups. In many ways, I'm the sum of my prosthetics. I have all the meds and devices described above, but several discs in my back have evaporated to the point that the impact of walking barefoot hurts, so my shoes (many pair) are very carefully chosen to balance that loss, especially so for running (well, fast jogging). I ride a custom bicycle that isolates my body from road vibration while still allowing me to ride long-ish distances. Yes, I am a triathlete. Now at 63, with things doing nothing but degrading yet further, I'm still finding ways to get stronger and go faster and further. I did my first half-Ironman race a few months after turning 60 (though I will NOT say how long it took me to finish). When I turned 40 I was tired of life, and had little desire to extend it further. Thank goodness I stayed the course. I couldn't have imagined how good life would be at 63, even with all the baggage I'm still lugging around. Even with the added stresses of isolation. That may be the greatest surprise: My unexpected resilience, finding ways even to bounce back from significant physical, mental and emotional collapse less than a month ago

BobC

Take care, take your time to get well! ⚘

I do the going into a room and forgetting why I'm there all the time, but in my case I think it's because I'm easily distracted. I set off, full of enthusiasm, see something on the way and think 'that's interesting', then arrive with the first thought gone. Take your time, Fran. We'll be here when you're ready.

David Peaker

My dear Fran, here's a hug so smothering you can barely stand it. Thank you for letting us know how you are. I was worried and rattled on to my friends about you, who gaped in amazement and asked me if I have an imaginary friend. LOL I'm using my big kerchiefs folded like bandit masks for my projects and going out in public. So far, so good. But then again, I do not fear death. I only fear dying in prolonged pain and terror. We're all going to die and all the elements & molecules we're made of have gone through the death of the beings they've been part of for billions of years. Each of those living creatures were as precious as us, struggled as hard as we do to remain alive and protect those we consider precious. And we torture farm, slaughter, and devour all the creatures who are delicious to the human species. Sorry, I got carried away there. Please take care of yourself. I want to tell you to stop overdoing worry, that it will only hurt you more than keep you safe. But that sounds too nagging motherly, so, sorry, Virtual hug.

Jan Snyder-Ellerman

Fran; It's good to see you up and about (in a social responsible way). I came across this Imgur post on Reddit about how to make a mask. https://i.imgur.com/blBnf2X.gifv It should be adequate for sawdust. It may be possible to sandwich some part of a HEPA vacuum filter in it. I made mine from the sleeve of a short sleeved shirt that no longer fit (thanks to inactivity) and a 2 inch wide strip of fabric from the back. No sewing required. Here's hoping that all of the Patreons are doing well.

Joe Conway

Fran, been wondering how you're doing for a while now, and i'm very grateful to you for posting this. Means a lot to me and a multitude of your fans to know how you are. Thanks! I hope your battery recharges and you are back to high energy as soon as possible.

Nice to see your video today. Hope you feel more with it once the side effects are over. Take care☺️😷

Darrell Ashby

Hug from me to everyone who feels depressed. I’ve been very deeply depressed myself, due to my own health. And sadly it’s taboo to talk about feelings. It’s not a sign of weakness to have anxiety or any kind of mental issues. It’s quite the opposite. I’m proud of anyone who talks about feelings. It is very important that these kind of things get highlighted more to remove stigma.

So I can relate to how you are feeling there. My solution was to just drive myself through it doing trivial things to get me going. That short term memory thing is one of my long term post stroke issues so I can relate to that too. I hope you find your way of dealing with everything that is going on. If you need to talk to a sort of stranger, sort of friend, I believe you can find my email address from my Patreon profile. Keep on fighting.

Dr Andy Hill

Hi Fran, was only just saying to my other half that I wondered if you were okay as hadn't seen a video in a while from you. I think this whole situation is messing with a lot of us in various and strange ways. Take care and hope you are feeling better soon.

Leigh

Thank you for sharing. Take care of you. 💙

A few times in the last few weeks my depression, which is generally pretty well managed by medication. Has manifested itself as what feel like a complete lack of energy and motivation.

Dr Andy Hill