I guess there's no trying to dodge it any longer -- I need rest.

What feels like a muscular / nerve-related problem has worsened since I first started experiencing symptoms in mid-April / early May of 2022, where a build-up of tension + pain centralized around the back of my right shoulder.

This tension/pain would soon start radiating down my drawing arm and has also started giving me small aches on the left side of my back recently, even though I don't use that side particularly often.

Various tasks throughout the day do not tend to aggravate this pain -- Nor do the various stretches and physical therapy assignments I had been given -- but for a while, they seemed to reduce the pain. This is still the case but on a reduced level.

NSAIDs and topical ointments like Aspercreme work well enough, but the relief is temporary.

Hot baths and cold-shocks in showers also help. Again, only temporarily.

Pain in the arm is concentrated in a few locations;

-Specific dimple on the rear/back of my shoulder.

-One continuous line down the right arm from the shoulder, extending (most recently) into the tip of the middle finger.

-Some pressure on the wrist, but it feels negligible compared to the shoulder / upper arm.

-Pain spikes/flares when I have my elbow against a surface. In this case, my computer chair's armrest.

-No weakness, no decreased range of motion. Just pain.

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Several friends have done what they can to help me out during this time, and I appreciate the effort provided. A computer chair to help with my posture and drawing-angle correction, and some gave monetary help from when I first experienced this pain (and the resulting doctor bills), among other things.

Again, this community has been wildly supportive and I love/appreciate everyone within it, even if that support has just been in kind words and patience.

But if I want to heal myself completely and get back to doing what I love to do for people, I need to take a break for a month or two, keep up with doctors, and see what else I can do fix things, really.

I need to be clear; If I don't take the time now to recover and get better NOW, I won't be able to draw at ALL later.

It took a lot of pushing myself even to make this GoFundMe. I despise feeling like I'm slowing down, like I'm failing. Like I'm letting people down. But it's becoming more and more apparent that if I don't do that, then I'm going to hurt myself.

Even as I say -that-, my arms are aching simply from typing. I'll be applying more Aspercreme and taking a few more aspirin soon, but after that I might need to drop desktop computer usage for a while.

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In the event that any medical advice or help can be provided, I'm also including pictures with this post that detail where the pain is located.

Support during this time is highly appreciated. Thank you all.