Patrick update

[mattblakk]

Patrick is home and doing well. He is feeling well enough to keep up his part-time therapy practice and is enormously grateful for the outpouring of love and support. He's hoping to use the funds from folks to first pay the ambulance and then hospital bills when they come in. Clearly, he's trying to rest and recover, and deal with the enormity of trying to navigate attempting to get low-cost services from the county hospital, which is never easy, or quick.

I want to thank you all for reaching out to our family in our time of need.

If you've recently added me to your friends list, please feel free to comment and let me know how we know one another.

Comments

[little-king.livejournal.com]

That is good news Matt, I'm happy to hear he is feeling so well. I have definitely kept Patrick, you, and Blake in my thoughts these past few days.

Take care.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Ryan. I've been keeping up on tornado news, too.

[sethanikeem.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you till a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend posted the info on Patrick and referenced you. I've been a fan of Patrick's work for quite some time now, particularly Sex Changes. I'm a kinky, intersexed writer (sounds like a personals ad) and I like to keep in contact with folks in the trans and genderqueer communities.

--M

If I can be of a little help...

[abahjake.livejournal.com]

I'd like to be... I'm a nurse (NP student as well) in Portland, and if Patrick has any medical questions or wants some free nursing advice or feedback about symptoms that are troubling, any time of the day or night, please do feel free to use my cell number: 503-453-2651. I know how it is to have no insurance, and so sometimes it helps to have a friend in the field, rather than spend unnecessarily because of a symptom that might be nothing. I met Patrick at some conference or other, a few years back, and you as well, I think! I wish I could send money, but at least I can offer my time and whatever connections to information I have, for whatever that's worth. My best wishes to Patrick and you, and good luck...
Jake B

Re: If I can be of a little help...

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Jake. I'll pass your message on.

[matt79.livejournal.com]

Recently added you to my friends list.. we don't know each other, but I'm always interested in reading the journals of other folks in the community. I'm also really interested in reading about your parenting experiences, as my partner and I are headed down that path (though we're not at the actual baby-making place yet).

I hope Patrick continues to do well in his recovery.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

The baby making stuff for me was frighteningly easy.

The rest, not so much. You get what you get, and that's the roulette we all play when we decide to become parents.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

As a fellow local gimp, I've recently navigated the benefits and costs nightmare of local services myself. If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to ping me. Also, most of the local community clinics have a social worker on staff, and they know the crazy benefits dance even better than I do. Pat's probably due for some follow-up care from one of the local clinics anyway, so it might be worth checking with their social worker about the benefits mess.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm sure Patrick is really overwhelmed by what he needs to do to navigate the system. When he's had a little more time to recover I'll gently inquire and see if there's any info or help making connections he needs.

I genuinely apppreciate the offer of assistance.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks. You're generosity and grace are always appreciated.

[ms-monkey.livejournal.com]

I've been reading your blog for several months now after linking from a friends blog. I have a friend who is transitioning FTM and has a similar situation having parented a boy. So that was the initial interst, just gain wider perspective...but your blog talks a lot about parenting an Autistic Child and I work at an agency that helps children on the Autism Spectrum and their families, so I've appreciated the first hand take on that. I didn't ask to friend you, perhaps a faux-pas...but alas the internet is vast and I enjoy the many windows into humanity it offers. I didn't coment with everyone else about sending positive thoughts, but I'm so gald that Patrick is recovering, I hope you are hanging in there as well.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the introduction. We're all doing the best we can.

[podle.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad to hear that Patrick is on the mend.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks, dear. Much love from me and the bunny boy.

[weavingfire.livejournal.com]

I added you basically because you are a parent and I'm always interested in hearing what other parents have to say...I came to your journal off the news of Patrick Califia's heart attack, which sucks.

I posted how we know each other in the other post ;-)

-Anne

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

Just caught up with Patrick news and found your LJ. Me and Elizabeth (formerly of SF) and you and Pat drove down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium quite a few years ago and I've ran into you a few times.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Wow. How are you and Elizabeth?

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

Pretty good. Living together and with housemates in Leicester, England (http://www.goleicestershire.com/visit/) which we like. E's been over here about 6 years now. Both doing too many projects as ever. My big ones at the moment are helping run Leicester Pride (http://www.leicesterpride.org.uk/), IDAHO ( International Day Against Homophobia) (http://www.idahomophobia.org/) in Leicester and learning to be a psychotherapist. I'm trying to drop commitments and have more time for my course and just to live.

Really good to make contact with you again!