January Update – Injuries, Setbacks, and Slowly Moving Forward

Good afternoon. It’s currently 12:40 on the 14th of January, and this update is very overdue.

I didn’t get to update the website, work on the game, or create nearly as much art as I hoped over the holidays—and unfortunately, there’s a very real reason for that.

A Very Bad Holiday Surprise

Right on the edge of the holidays (the first proper holidays I’ve had in a long time), my horse Lenny decided to throw me. At the time, I didn’t think it was that bad. I mostly felt it in my right hand, which had some pretty nasty rope burn—open skin across my fingers.

It wasn’t until I was driving home that I started to really feel it in my hip.

By the time I got home, it hit me all at once. I couldn’t take my boots off. I couldn’t take my pants off. I couldn’t wash my hair because my hand was too painful. I couldn’t sleep comfortably. I ended up just crying because everything hurt so bad.

The next day I went to the hospital and found out I’d sprained my hip, with heavy internal and external bruising. I was given Endone, which is a very strong painkiller. I only got ten tablets, which wasn’t nearly enough, so I had to go back to the doctor a few days later to get more.

Even now, I’m not taking it regularly—but I still need it when the pain flares up, usually because I’ve done something stupid and pushed myself too far.


Trying to Be “Normal” Again (Too Soon)

I’ve ridden Lenny once since the fall. It hurt to get on, but once I was riding it wasn’t too bad. I’ve also tried doing some very light activities—like going to the driving range and swinging golf clubs, and going bowling.

Bowling absolutely destroyed my hip, so I probably won’t be doing that again until I’m properly healed… but I did win. I won with a score of 85, which is objectively terrible. I told my mum and she said it was embarrassing because we “come from bowlers,” so that was funny.

The Most Boring Holidays Ever

Honestly, my holidays were just really boring—and that sucked.

I couldn’t play games because I couldn’t sit properly due to my hip. I couldn’t hold a mouse or controller properly because of my hand. Even if I wanted to push through the pain, I physically couldn’t.

So I spent most of the holidays asleep on the couch, on pain medication, not playing games, not updating my game, not doing art. I was really disappointed because I had planned to use the holidays to dive fully into creative work—and instead, I barely existed.


Work, Jobs, and the Future

The holidays are over now, and I’m currently in the process of looking for another job. One I recently applied for honestly sounds perfect for me—a sales position that really fits my skill set. It does involve travel, which means if I get it, I’ll need to rethink streaming and content creation. I might end up taking my computer with me if that’s feasible.

I don’t want to jump the gun, but I genuinely think I at least deserve an interview. If I don’t get one, I’ll be pretty upset—but for now, fingers crossed.


Streaming & Content Updates

Despite everything, there have been some positives:

  • I’ve had two streams recently
  • Goal streams are back 🎯
    • Follower goals or sub goals will trigger a special end-of-month stream
    • This month’s goal is 700 followers, and I’m already at around 680
  • I missed a Monday stream because I was completely exhausted after my first day back in the office
    • Honestly, I can’t keep going into the office while my hip is this bad. The walking alone wipes me out.

I’ve also started doing daytime streams again. I stopped for a while because I didn’t really have a daytime audience, but I figured bringing them back once or twice a month couldn’t hurt. We’ll see how it goes.

New Linktree & Shop

I finally have a Linktree, which is great—it has all my socials in one place instead of linking everything individually. I still need to update my Twitch bot and settings so it stops spamming individual links and just points to the Linktree instead.

I also launched a shop, which I’m really excited about. It’s through a company called Fourthwall, and they let creators put designs on a huge range of products.

I’ve priced everything very affordably. My profit margins are tiny—usually only $1–$4 per sale—because:

  • The platform uses American pricing
  • Shipping from the US is already expensive
  • I’d rather people actually be able to afford my stuff than squeeze profit out of it

For me, it’s way cooler to see my designs out in the world than to make big margins.


Goals for 2026 (With Reality Checks)

This year, my main goals are:

  • Be more consistent with streaming
    • I’ve already stumbled, but I think a serious injury is a fair excuse.
  • Cosplay in October
    • I’m pretty bummed about this right now because I haven’t been able to go to the gym at all.
    • I couldn’t walk properly, couldn’t lift, couldn’t even hold things.
    • My fitness has taken a huge setback, so I need to refocus on diet, stretching, and gentle movement at home.
  • Finish The Witcher
  • Expand the shop with:
    • More tabletop RPG–adjacent content
    • Some League-inspired content
    • More merch using my own branding and logo

I think I’m adjusting my expectations a bit. Instead of forcing myself to update constantly, I’m aiming for at least one blog post per month. If I get a new job or things stabilize, I’ll do more—but right now it feels like I’m constantly playing catch-up.

Every time I push harder at work, my body hurts more. Then I have to slow down, do physio, stretch, recover… and suddenly I’m behind again. It’s a frustrating cycle, and I’m trying really hard to break it.

The Small Good Things

Outside of recovery and stress, I did still manage a few nice moments:

  • I made pizza 🍕 (it was good)
  • I went to a bird sanctuary near the Sunshine Coast
    • They have farm animals now
    • I patted a miniature donkey and I desperately want one
  • I spent time with family

It was a lot more relaxing than I expected—mostly because I physically couldn’t do much else.

Final Thoughts

I just wanted to get on here and say this clearly:

I haven’t forgotten about the game.
I haven’t forgotten about art.
I haven’t forgotten about my plans or goals for this year.

I’ve just been majorly set back by an injury that hurts a lot and takes time to heal.

I’m still here.
I’m doing my best.
And I’m moving forward—just slower than planned.

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