A Deviant Mind

Greetings, Members! Due to some changes, I have had to go in and overhaul some pages on A Deviant Mind's website, and I've made a decision that will affect all of your memberships. After spending a couple of months programming my S2 Member website (which ComicPress programmer Phil Hofer has told me is not an easy task to accomplish) I ran some tentative ads and solicited memberships from readers. Some of those memberships were $25 per year, a few are for $50 per year for Platinum Level VIP memberships.

A lot of people suggested I also set up a Patreon page, which worked--but interestingly enough, some of you who are already VIP members at this site were the only ones to go over there, so some of you are subscribing twice. What the hell, darlings?? One valued input told me that the pages were larger and easier to read on Patreon, but I soon realized I was spreading myself too thin having to post pages on multiple sites.

Last Monday, August 22--some of you may already know about this, some of you not--I was diagnosed with Stage Three Chronic Kidney disease. It was a lot to think about for one day, and it changed my perspective on everything. I tried to become a recluse for a bit as I sorted things out, but life went on.

I have been taking Mobic for severe arthritis pain for about a year and a half--between previous back injuries, a broken leg in 2014, plantar fasciitis on the other foot due to so many years of working on my feet, I was in desperate need for some relief--and for awhile it was helping. Turns out the Mobic darted straight for my kidneys.
The most common causes of kidney failure are heart disease and diabetes, neither of which I have.
Dr. Chrys says all my vital signs are normal and the issues related to my kidneys have been stable for around three months. (So, outside of the aches, pains, fatigue, sweating, cursing, restless legs and weird bizarre dreams and being slightly overweight I am in really fabulous shape.)
Dr. Chrys also said that kidney failure is sometimes reversible, sometimes not. We all agreed that I discontinue the Mobic and they have scheduled me an appointment with Nephrology on September 21st (after a change in diet and no more medication) to evaluate whether the damage has repaired itself and where to go from there.
My wife seriously needed the reassurance because she has been far more upset than I (our #1 rule is it's forbidden for both of us to freak out at the same time because that gets ugly), and she quite honestly is not ready to let me go just yet.
Right now I'm on tea, juice, vegetables and vitamin supplements to offset the imbalances, so I am starting to feel better. I'll continue to work on getting the toxins out of my system and see if I can't get these kidneys to regenerate. It's all I can do.

In the meantime I wanted to check in with my Members and find out who was willing to go for monthly sponsorship when your current memberships expire. Another reason I wanted to feel out Patreon was to scope out their prices for levels of support, which I thought were pretty pricey. According to my records, a large percentage of your subscriptions will expire around October 15th. Due to the S2Member changes, all Bronze Memberships (which were previously guest courtesy access) will revert to Zero Level basic access on October 15th. You will have the option to leave the Guest list or subscribe to a new Membership at the level and price of your choosing.
My wonderful Patreon supporters, please please pretty please cancel your pledges and renew your subscriptions here. This website is terribly lonely without your comments and visits. 🙂
The new levels of Membership are as follows: Bronze, is now Bronze Member / Saturday Matinee $.50 for two day FULL COMIC access, non-recurring. No commitment! For those who just want to check things out and see if they like the series; Silver, $1.00 per month; Gold, $2.00 per month; and Platinum at $25 per year. My plan was to revert all memberships to Zero Level and allow them to resubscribe at the rate that they choose to, but you would require a heads-up first. There are some Platinum Level VIPs here who seized that level when it was on a sale rate for one low annual price, so please consult with me once you have had time to read this post. I don't have any sponsors who support me on a $100 per month rate and don't expect ever to.

These changes are all about getting a regular monthly income, and Stage 3 Chronic Kidney failure is scary. I'm offering options and keeping my dignity. In the darkest stages of denial after I was diagnosed, I thought about ending A Deviant Mind altogether. But I don't think I'm ready to do that just yet.

And I hope you aren't, either. Stop by Membership Signup and check out the new options. There is also an Unsubscribe button there if you choose not to continue your membership.

And thank you for supporting me for all these years.