Oh, don't worry about joining and canceling. I think most people only join for a set time or to get a specific benefit like early access. It wouldn't feel like cutting me off at all, and your surgery is much more important! If you do join and then cancel when the month is up, it'll ask you if you want to remain a free member, which will mean you get public announcements if I send them. Then if you ever want to join again, you could upgrade to a patron tier.