Just over a month ago my wife and I made the trip across the pond to spend some time with our friends Bob Canning and Steve Sansweet. For Sarah it had been seven years since her last trip to San Francisco and for me it was almost five (thanks COVID). We very much needed some time to decompress and relax, and we definitely did that, heading to the theatre with our hosts, going out to eat, seeing some of our extended Rancho family, and just chilling together.
Of course there was some Star Wars involved and we were only too pleased to help the wonderful Anne Neumann with whatever she asked, plus I got to spend some time exploring all the changes at Rancho Obi-Wan, especially the new LEGO section. At a boot sale in Petaluma we were with Steve when he found and purchased a rare gem in the form of one of the costumes from Beach Blanket Babylon, a long running show in San Francisco that closed after forty-five years in 2019. The costume pays tribute to a certain dark lord and Mr. Peanut (the logo and mascot of Planters).
After almost a week together, we said our farewells to Anne, Bob, Steve and the menagerie of animals, and headed south for a night in Half Moon Bay. We were impressed with the quaint town and beach and were pleased we made the effort to see something new. On our last day we made our way back into the city to meet Pete Vilmur at Lucasfilm, who very kindly showed us around the new office space, the Java the Hutt coffee bar, and of course, a requisite visit to the store. On leaving Lucasfilm we had an hour spare before heading back to the airport so we pulled into Fisherman’s Wharf.
This is where things took a turn. We went into a shop to buy a San Francisco souvenir and the next thing I knew I was in an ambulance on the way to hospital. I’d had a seizure, my first, and I was out for around ten minutes. On arrival at the hospital it was made clear that I would not be travelling anywhere that evening and was being admitted for observation and tests, lots of tests. Seeing as we had no hotel, and Sarah wasn’t insured on the car, they allowed her to stay with me the whole time, a huge relief for both of us. The following day, with help from Bob and Steve, Sarah retrieved all our belongings from the car which was then towed away, suffice to say we were less than impressed by the lack of help from the hire company. It was another day before all my tests were completed and they were satisfied I could travel home, on the condition I went straight to my primary care provider on our return. The care I was given by Saint Francis Memorial Hospital was incredible and we are extremely thankful for everything they did. British Airways were fantastic too, rearranging our return trip home was a simple call, and they were very understanding.
We weren’t completely honest with the family back home as we didn’t want to worry them too much, but we did come clean on our return. Since then, I’ve undergone yet more tests, with more planned over the next couple of weeks, as they try to piece together what caused the seizure. Until then, I need to take things very easy and allow my body to recover. I’m not allowed to drive and I’m very much reliant on Sarah to get me to my appointments and more. I want to take this opportunity to thank Sarah for everything she’s done for me over the last few weeks, it’s not been easy on her, watching me fit as she looked on helplessly. I also want to thank all those that have reached out and wished me well, there’s been so many messages and I’ve not been able to get back to everyone personally. My gratitude goes to Steve Galloway for picking up the slack here at Jedi News.
I’m still very tired, my body’s been through a lot, and I’m pacing myself. That means there’s been a disruption to our weekly coverage of the final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch on our podcast RADIO 1138, and my attendance at the numerous upcoming May 4th related events will be very limited, if at all.
Health and family come first, and I want to thank you all for your understanding whilst we get to the bottom of this frightening episode.
MTFBWY!
