some have been asking so i thought i'd put it here:
i was doing daily YouTube and Twitch livestreams for a while, but had to stop. my back issue flared up again, and this time i had to go to the ER. they basically did pain management, and couldn't offer an MRI to see what was going on. it's definitely some nerve issue.
it started out with not being able to sit for more than 5 minutes (literally), then progressed to the ER visit and not being able to walk, forced to lie down for about 5 days.
it's been maybe 2 weeks now. i have an MRI pending (who knows when that will be) and i have pain meds. by now, i can walk a bit, finally back to my day job, but need to lie down often to "reset" my back. pain meds don't do much.
anyways, not sure when i'll be back to livestreaming, but hopefully some day. people were asking, i don't usually share this kind of info for sympathy or whatever.
hope all is well with everyone. life is precious and we take a lot for granted until we literally can't move.
--
also re-reading posts are comforting again. i finally have insurance so doing doctor things is finally a possibility. thanks again for all the info. prior to this, i was doing Physical Therapy for strengthening muscles, which helped a bit but clearly not the solution. but i looked at the invoices - i only paid like $15 per session thanks to insurance, but each 45 minute session where i moved my legs a bit was $1000 at face-value. holy moly. medical is crazy