So I went in and read all of my sitting emails... This guy's was short and apologetic. It seemed sincere. He admits being uncomfortable with it and not understanding it and distancing himself from it. That makes me feel hurt but not angry. I can't fault him for not being able to deal with my health issues. I'm not sure about the earlier email, he says he was trying to help, I'm not sure about that but I feel comfortable dropping it. Going back there will only hurt me more and really my goal here was to find a way out.

Most importantly it gives me a bit of relief in my own mind that I can get back to work there at some point and fit in again.

Going back to the beginning of this post, in one sense I should have never started this off by engaging this guy. But not speaking with him was the source of my "recovery halt" and backslide I described in another post. There was a better avenue toward handling this that my pride and my personality would not let me take, I prefered to tackle it head on in a friendly manner and, maybe predictably, it backfired.

I'll return his email with a friendly response and be done with it unless he decides to continue continue communicating. If he does not, I'm OK with that. Goal is coworkers and get comfortable with that and healed before I really decide if I want to be friends with him again.