Category: The Best Healthcare in the World

Long covid sucks

~ susie

I don’t write about it much, but damn, it sucks. I take a gazillion vitamins a day, some of them expensive. I still get overtaken by extreme sleepiness and the memory problems seem to get worse every day. (And typos!) How ironic, that someone who earns her living with her brain might lose it because of this fucking virus. This week, I saw three people in my Twitter feed who had a family member or friend — vaxxed and boosted, no high-risk conditions — go to bed with a mild case of covid — and they never woke up.

The only reason I’m even mildly functional is because I’m obsessive about reading research. I found a new study that found something like 76% of patients with long covid saw great improvement of the fatigue with this vitamin protocol. I would love to look for a full-time job, but that’s just not practical.

This shit is not over. Get your shots, wear a mask.

Brain fog

~ susie

I think they mean it mostly showed up in women, who make up the vast majority of those with autoimmune disorders, so who cared, amirite?

Thank you, Liz Warren

~ susie

I’ve needed a hearing aid for several years now, ever since the wired fire alarm went off in my apartment — on Christmas Eve, when my landlord was nowhere to be found. The sound was so piercing, I desperately tried duct-taping a pillow over the alarm. It went on for two hours and then my landlord finally called back and told me how to go into the basement and shut it off.

What I learned from this experience a couple of years later (when my ENT insisted on a hearing test) was that I could have protected my hearing if I’d only gone to a doctor right away. Steroids would have prevented permanent damage. Oh well!

The ironic thing is, I am actually someone who cared enough about my hearing to wear earplugs to concerts. So the thought of maybe being able to afford hearing aids is a relief. It means I won’t have to spend what’s left of my life asking people to repeat themselves.

Thanks, Liz!

The life of the mother

~ susie

I’ll just mention here that Annie Lowrey is one of my favorite journalists, not least because she actually covers poverty issues — and she does it thoughtfully. This piece about her own pregnancies is a tour de force and you should read it. No matter what you think you already know, this adds endless layers to your knowledge.

Compare and contrast

~ susie