Essential stuff for fans of Lee Jackson

[leejacksonaudio]

Many, many thanks for all the kind words. I'm very glad (and very humbled) to hear that people are thinking of me. No, I'm not a perpetual fall machine. I just had a very, very bad day.

 

I saw the doctor for my wounds and maladies on Thursday. First off, he says the headache I've had since my fall is a symptom of a concussion. Joy. Too late to do anything about it now, though, since it's relatively minor. Next up, the gash on my butt. Something cut all the way through my shorts and through my shirt tail before tearing a two-inch gash in my left butt cheek. The skin area around it is blackened, and the gash itself is infected. My wife is putting Silvadene on it to dress it, and my doctor prescribed a week's course of Augmentin to knock out any systemic infection that might linger. Elsewhere, I've got other minor cuts and abrasions on my left wrist and some bruised ribs. My left knee is still out of alignment and swollen. I'm still using the walker for both legs. More annoying is that my edema (leg swelling) is acting up in spades again.

 

My doctor checked my blood for a factor called Creatine Kinase to see if it or its related electrolytes (potassium, magnesium) are causing my leg cramping and my shaking in other muscles. Here are my numbers:

 

Creatine Kinase    36 U/L    (normal 44 - 196 U/L) !LOW
Potassium    4.7 mmol/L    (normal 3.5 - 5.3 mmol/L)
Magnesium    2.5 mg/dL    (normal 1.5 - 2.5 mg/dL)

 

I e-mailed to the doctor about the results. He said that the normal Potassium and Magnesium results were good, and that the low CK numbers unfortunately don't tell him anything. They represent atrophied muscles according to some websites, which is to be expected because of the atrophied muscles in my left hand caused by my carpal/cubital tunnel syndrome. Can't aim the number anywhere else, though. All I can do is wait for the kidney doctor appointment, which I now have, and hope that he can find something that will help me. In the meanwhile, I'm shaky as all hell. Makes using a cell phone difficult - punching those tiny numbers and letters is hard, much less holding the damned thing still in the first place.

[pritch]

Um, Mr Jackson, as the composer of many of the greatest soundtracks of my youth, I hereby request and require you to take care of yourself!

 

Seriously, I'm very sorry to hear that you've been in the wars so much of late, and I wish you all the very best for improvements / speedy recovery.

 

I was excited to pick up the Apogee Throwback pack in the Steam sale at Christmas, less excited to see it try to run in Dosbox on a modern system, but then very excited to download WinRott and find it to be much better than some comments had suggested;

 

(NB to all ROTT fans, Birger Andreasen has recently (Oct '22) released a major update to WinRott and you should all download 1.78 from http://www.riseofthetriad.dk/DL_GlROTT.htm - the only issue I've had so far was with the first boss causing a crash - keep a few staggered savegames on the go)

 

To be able to play ROTT properly for the first time in.. decades, and to hear that full soundtrack again in context has been such a delight, Lee. "Task force" was used in a zdaemon CTF map pack circa early 2000s, amongst other Doom PWADs, and when I heard it it immediately took me back to those late nights playing CTF...

 

Your music is so evocative and I thank you for it.

 

Spoiler

PS I have been known to use "Run like Smeg" as a ringtone before now and hope you approve / don't owe you royalties for every call.. 😉

 

[PsychEyeball]

8 hours ago, pritch said:

I was excited to pick up the Apogee Throwback pack in the Steam sale at Christmas, less excited to see it try to run in Dosbox on a modern system, but then very excited to download WinRott and find it to be much better than some comments had suggested;

 

(NB to all ROTT fans, Birger Andreasen has recently (Oct '22) released a major update to WinRott and you should all download 1.78 from http://www.riseofthetriad.dk/DL_GlROTT.htm - the only issue I've had so far was with the first boss causing a crash - keep a few staggered savegames on the go)

 

Dunno how good this new version of WinRott is (I've never liked that port because it feels really off and unfaithful to the source game for the most part), but if you want another way to play the game, try ROTTexpr. It has not gotten updates for 2 years sadly, but it offers a solid way to experience the game, even though it's not 100% accurate (looking up and down in this version in particular feels really off).

 

There's also gonna be a new official port coming hopefully sometime this year, spearheaded by Nightdive and New Blood.

[Murdoch]

10 hours ago, pritch said:

Stuff

 

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PS I have been known to use "Run like Smeg" as a ringtone before now and hope you approve / don't owe you royalties for every call.. 😉

 

 

Good to see you still around Pritch. And yes, Lee's had a bloody hard road lately. It's not nice :(

[pritch]

15 hours ago, PsychEyeball said:

 

Dunno how good this new version of WinRott is (I've never liked that port because it feels really off and unfaithful to the source game for the most part), but if you want another way to play the game, try ROTTexpr. It has not gotten updates for 2 years sadly, but it offers a solid way to experience the game, even though it's not 100% accurate (looking up and down in this version in particular feels really off).

 

There's also gonna be a new official port coming hopefully sometime this year, spearheaded by Nightdive and New Blood.

ROTTexpr was actually the first one I tried, compiled and tried site license exe first and then commercial but whichever I ran, just a split second working wheel then exit with nada. Could be anything with Windows, I may try it on the ubuntu machine, assuming I can ever find it (still packed from moving) and update the libs.

 

I've never been that fussed about the feel shifting towards modern ports as long as the basic look and gameplay experience remain unchanged, be it ROTT or Doom etc. I've always felt it more important that it feels matched to the setup I'm playing it on today, with resolutions and peripherals etc. well supported, and stable ofc. Case in point - recently found out that an old favourite of mine, Klingon Honor Guard (which I believe was the first commercial release that actually used the Unreal engine, ahead even of Unreal itself) had been refreshed to use DX11 and modern resolutions, including my ultrawide. It looks great, but it's otherwise untouched, and the same runaway loop crash I used to get at the end of Map 08 ~twenty years ago, I'm still getting now :D

[taufan99]

16 hours ago, PsychEyeball said:

There's also gonna be a new official port coming hopefully sometime this year, spearheaded by Nightdive and New Blood.

In addition to it being a more modern, official port, it is also planned to have new content from the "lost" beta versions of the game, thus pumping in fresher blood for the experience.^{See what I did there?}

 

While we're at it, I'm hoping Ludicrous Edition will put in a fitting tribute to our beloved Mr. Lee. He's been in hard times, I feel like life needs to cut him some slack by at least another heartfelt acknowledgement of his contribution to video game OST in an official degree.

[leejacksonaudio]

I am in the hospital. Allow me to explain. I had ulcers erupt on my very swollen legs, so I called to have an appointment with a Wound Care Specialist at a Dallas hospital. He also happens to be a specialist in leg swelling cases, BTW. He examined me on Thursday of last week and told me he could not fix my problem without admitting me into the hospital. I agreed to let him admit me, so he admitted me straight from his offices after putting wraps on my legs.

 

Since then, I've had one problem after another. We found out that a muscle relaxant medicine I was taking for muscle spasms was actually causing said spasms, so it was discontinued. I've had a couple of panic attacks in the overnight hours. I've lost so much water weight from diuretics that it's messing with my blood pressure, sending it as low as 83/35 the other day. And, I'm still getting post-concussion headaches.

 

I have no idea how long I'm going to be here. My latest diagnosis is Peripheral Artery Disease, if you want to go look that up. It's supposedly somewhat serious - I don't know, I haven't had time to investigate it yet. I'm in Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, room M439. However, in place of sending cards or the like, I'd prefer you buy one of my albums from https://leejackson1.bandcamp.com instead if you haven't already. Either one would help cheer me up.
 

[Dusty_Rhodes]

Just bought the Lady Tigress album, great stuff my friend. Praying for you, I really hope you'll get over all this. It's mind blowing that a medicine for muscle spasms created them. Hang in there Lee. 

[Fernito]

Dear Lee, I really hope everything turns out the best way possible. I'm really sorry you're going through all this :(

 

Everyone:

Spoiler

I'll give away full copies of Lee's complete discography to the first 5 people that contact me via PM. Don't be shy! :)

 

[leejacksonaudio]

Update: There is a light at the end of the tunnel. My swelling has gone down, as has my redness. My infection markers are clearing, but they're going to keep me on Vancomycin while I'm still hospitalized. That may not be for very much longer, however; I've been given a tentative discharge date of Thursday, February 2nd (yes, Groundhog Day). It'd be sooner, but we're iced in here in the D/FW Metroplex and there's no way my wife would be able to make it to the hospital. In any case, I'll be right back up at the Wound Care Clinic on Friday for a new wrapping on my legs. I'm going to have to be careful once I get home, however, or I could end up right back in the hospital according to the doctor.

[Jello]

I wish you the very best, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart. Not just because you make some amazing music, but you just seem like such a great person, and you're always upbeat, and the world needs more wonderful people like you. You'll get through it, there are quite a few people who have never met you that would be very sad if you didn't. So you do it. And you take care. But you'll get through it. Doomworld loves you Lee. 

[Azuris]

On 1/29/2023 at 1:49 PM, leejacksonaudio said:

. However, in place of sending cards or the like, I'd prefer you buy one of my albums from https://leejackson1.bandcamp.com instead if you haven't already. Either one would help cheer me up.

 

 

Than i'll send you such "Card" , hope you will get well :)

 

Btw. even if you know what you have, the Range of what it does and how it will go can be very wide, so hear what the Doctor says, he has the Experience to take all the Informations and make a proper Conclusion, the Internet will tell you the most horrible Scenario :D

So just be aware of it when searching.

 

Ereis Overture is pretty nice!

It is some kind of JRPG Castle Theme spiced with a bit Warcraft 2.

 

I also like the Super Nintendo "E-Guitar" Vibe in Double Decker Chase and Ant Farm Melee.

 

[leejacksonaudio]

Had a chance to discuss a few things with the hospitalist while I'm waiting to be discharged today. Found out that I was presenting with a kidney injury when I showed up at the hospital, thanks to a creatinine level of 1.8. I'm down to 1.2 now, so the injury has been resolved. However, I'm now in Stage III Chronic Kidney Disease. Not the worst diagnosis (there are 5 stages), but not something I wanted in the first place.

[leejacksonaudio]

I'm home from the hospital. The schedule is a bit delayed - I won't be going to wound care until next Friday. I'm going to have home health come in, potentially 3x a week, potentially as soon as tomorrow. In the meantime, I get to settle back in, preferably with some different lifestyle patterns, and become a functional human once again. Thanks for all of your messages of support during my hospitalization. I do appreciate them.

[leejacksonaudio]

I've updated the Commissions page of my website with more information on the synths I use and more samples of the songs I've done. I haven't reopened the commissions queue yet - my health still needs to recover from heart palpitations, peripheral artery disease, and a severe problem with trying to stay awake first - but I am entertaining e-mails about projects that I would take up once I'm healthy again. Please have a look and let me know what you think!

 

https://dleejackson.lbjackson.com/commissions/

[Biodegradable]

3 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said:

a severe problem with trying to stay awake

 

You've been through an awful lot lately, Lee. Don't fret and catch up on as much sleep as you possibly need.

[leejacksonaudio]

I have six years left before I'll need eye surgery to remove cataracts.

 

Or, so the optometrist told me today when I went to get new glasses. She said my left eye had a large cataract in it that prevented her from correcting that eye down any further than 20/25. In 5 or 6 years, she said it won't be correctible down any further than 20/40, at which point I'll need surgery. Sigh. At least I won't need surgery for it *this* year.

 

In other news, my prescription has changed drastically in both eyes. I definitely needed new lenses, and thanks to a pair of faceplant falls I've had, I needed new frames as well. The frames were covered by insurance, as were most of the extras for the lenses, but the bill still rang up at around $225 due to the part of the high-end stuff (high-end Crizal, Varilux X) that wasn't covered. This sounds exorbitant, but I've researched the Crizal/Varilux stuff and have worn both on my current glasses for years. These are a step up from what I'm wearing currently, and a sorely needed one. The high-end Crizal will give me blue light blocking from my computer screen, and the Varilux X will give me a better field of focus while working at the computer. 

 

I pissed off my wife for spending so much and not wanting to go shopping around for other prices. Sorry, but I really need this stuff, and I wasn't feeling good enough for a shopping trip.

Edited February 21, 2023 by leejacksonaudio

[Dusty_Rhodes]

I just got new spectacles as well. My prescription changed quite a bit, it was pretty jarring to see in focus for the first time in a while. I also noticed the new lenses dramatically helped my astigmatism. It had gotten really terrible. You need good tools, glasses especially so. It was definitely worth it to the more effective route. 

[leejacksonaudio]

10 hours ago, Dusty_Rhodes said:

My prescription changed quite a bit, it was pretty jarring to see in focus for the first time in a while. I also noticed the new lenses dramatically helped my astigmatism.

 

I've got astigmatism as well, in my right eye. Comes from when I slipped in the bathtub when I was a mid-teen and faceplanted against the rim of the tub. caught the right side of my eyebrow on the rim and tore it open. Needed 6 stitches to sew it up. (Sad story about that - when I was in the ER, I kind of got abandoned for quite some while. When the doctors finally came back, I asked what happened, one of them told me there'd been a major emergency in an adjacent room where the patient didn't make it. Put things in perspective for me for a good long time.) Anyway, they were able to get me to 20/20 in that eye for the new lenses.They told me the difference should be quite startling once I get my new glasses.

[Dusty_Rhodes]

I wasn't aware you could develop an astigmatism, I always assumed they were something you were born with. I wonder if mine came from faceplanting into a concrete step on Thanksgiving night when I was four years old? That's the only head trauma I've ever had. I still have a little scar too heh. 

[leejacksonaudio]

1 hour ago, Dusty_Rhodes said:

I wasn't aware you could develop an astigmatism, I always assumed they were something you were born with. I wonder if mine came from faceplanting into a concrete step on Thanksgiving night when I was four years old? That's the only head trauma I've ever had. I still have a little scar too heh. 

 

I don't know what the medical community has to say about it. I just know that the vision in my right eye started getting kind of wonky after that hit. I'm assuming that I changed the shape of my eye socket slightly, resulting in a slight astigmatism which has grown worse in the 50+ years since it happened.

[leejacksonaudio]

Got a cardiologist appointment today. Hoping this will help me try and sort out the problem I've had with heart palpitations over the last week. They've been severe and/or long-lasting enough that they just drain all the energy out of me and force me to take a nap. I'm guessing I'll be placed on some kind of Holter monitor or similar device. Will report after the appointment is over.

[leejacksonaudio]

Saw a nurse practitioner at the cardiologist's office today. I told her about the palpitations I've been having that have been draining my energy. She put me on a two-week remote heart monitor and prescribed a low-dose beta blocker. I've already had to trigger the heart monitor several times since this afternoon. The beta blocker prescription will probably be ready tomorrow.

[leejacksonaudio]

I've finally put some of my music up on Soundcloud! First to go up is "Lady Tygress' Suite and Other Commissions." There are also a couple of my older classical experiments as well. Please have a listen!

 

https://soundcloud.com/lee-jackson-12

 

[Dusty_Rhodes]

Will do. I've been enjoying the album on Bandcamp!

[leejacksonaudio]

Next up on SoundCloud is my third album, "Duke Nukem Tank Tracks." It's online now - please go have a listen!

 

https://soundcloud.com/lee-jackson-12/sets/duke-nukem-tank-tracks

 

[Scypek2]

I don't think I've ever heard that... sounds great at first glance, I'll have to give it a thorough listen!

[leejacksonaudio]

3 hours ago, Scypek2 said:

I don't think I've ever heard that... sounds great at first glance, I'll have to give it a thorough listen!

 

Thank you! If you really like it, please hit Buy All, right above the description in the middle of the page, and purchase the album on Bandcamp. You'll be able to get FLAC versions of the tracks, plus a PDF of the liner notes and a PNG of the digital cover art! Thank you for listening!

[Dusty_Rhodes]

FLAC Supremacy :D

[leejacksonaudio]

I've uploaded a 44.1 kHz FLAC version of the Lenoman theme from Duke Nukem Forever to my SoundCloud page. Please grab a copy today!

 

https://on.soundcloud.com/UndDb