Do you need to vent about things COVID-19?

[Lyssa Greymoon]

Taking a chance on off-brand hand sanitizer to discover it either smells like burning skunk buttholes or a New Orleans cathouse and it takes ten minutes to get the smell off your hands and thirty more to get it out of your head.

[Dafadilia Wayfarer]

3 minutes ago, Lyssa Greymoon said:

Taking a chance on off-brand hand sanitizer to discover it either smells like burning skunk buttholes or a New Orleans cathouse and it takes ten minutes to get the smell off your hands and thirty more to get it out of your head.

Oh my goodness yes! Some of the off brand ones I've tried leave a gross icky residue on my hands. 😆

[Seicher Rae]

I hate hand sanitizers, but they have become necessary. I hate the way they make my skin feel. Purrell is so sticky. Pipette brand is one I actually like. It has to be ordered, isn't cheap (but a tiny amount goes a long way). It doesn't dry out my skin. FWIW YMMV.

 

[Seicher Rae]

My PCP's office usually is really good about getting back to me, but for some reason on the topic of getting a COVID test they've left me hanging, and it is really bothering me. Now I have to do my own research about local options. Bother. Yet another stress. Yus, in a post that was overlooked so the offtopicers could rail, I'm freaking out about maybe having symptoms.

But, yeah... let's talk about cheese.

 

ETA: Expletive. Of course it is after 5 on Friday. I just found out WHY I hadn't heard back from my PCP. There was a software glitch and her office never got the message on Thursday. So for 2 days I was waiting patiently for a response to a question they never got. grrrrr

Edited November 6, 2020 by Seicher Rae

[Dafadilia Wayfarer]

2 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

I hate hand sanitizers, but they have become necessary. I hate the way they make my skin feel. Purrell is so sticky. Pipette brand is one I actually like. It has to be ordered, isn't cheap (but a tiny amount goes a long way). It doesn't dry out my skin. FWIW YMMV.

 

I may look it up and give it a try cause I have the same problem, but with most giving me rashes since my skin is really sensitive. Thank you!

[Ceka Cianci]

41 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

I hate hand sanitizers, but they have become necessary. I hate the way they make my skin feel. Purrell is so sticky. Pipette brand is one I actually like. It has to be ordered, isn't cheap (but a tiny amount goes a long way). It doesn't dry out my skin. FWIW YMMV.

 

I can't stand hand sanitizer..I just used soap and water because it works better and I can rinse it off..

My hands just never feel  like i cleaned them with hand sanitizer..hehehe

[Bagnu]

1 minute ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I can't stand hand sanitizer..I just used soap and water because it works better and I can rinse it off..

My hands just never feel  like i cleaned them with hand sanitizer..hehehe

I agree. Apparently it's necessary in the health care industry. And I question that very highly. Soap and water should come first. Then sanitizer!!!

And really, hydrogen peroxide wipes are required, and alcohol is NOT considered good enough, so this is just a supposed panacea..

[Luna Bliss]

On 11/5/2020 at 1:04 PM, Ceka Cianci said:

On 11/5/2020 at 12:45 PM, Luna Bliss said:

Looks delicious!  I'm worried about having too much sugar though, so I have low-glycemic fruits with spinach and protein power.

But...you said that guy was borderline diabetic and had no issues with all that sweetness?   I'm not borderline diabetic or anything but I do get low blood sugar so minimize spiking my blood sugar cause it bottoms out.

I just might try it...eat mostly fruits and veggies and see how I feel.

Do you use some frozen fruits btw or is it all fresh?

Expand  Expand  

I would say, if you have any concerns at all.. you should always check with your doctor..

the thing you have to watch out for with fruits is not the sweetness with a diabetic, but the carbohydrates.. plus you don't want to over due it.. myself i'm not diabetic or borderline and am really in very good health, so I drink these at work each night..

Berries are usually the ones that are fine for them like the ones i mentioned above.. But I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist..

I've only done research for myself and my family and researched all the benefits for us..

but  let me show you this also which is just on blueberries alone..

 

Also you asked about frozen fruits. yes i'll do those sometimes.. I've even heard that frozen berries can have different benefits even, that something with freezing them does some change to them.. I'd have to see if I could find information on that again.. that was awhile ago....

I'm gonna add this also: With the guy at work, The ones i was giving him were more in line with doing green smoothies than anything, because he was looking for more energy while at work.. A lot of kale, spinach Bok choy carrots and mixed with some fruits.. like green apples pears grapefruits lemon and lime and almond or cashew milk, things like that.. plus also giving him stir fry recipes and some ideas for what i was eating during the day..

I didn't even have the drink i take to work with me every night yet.. I think I've had this recipe for little over a month maybe,maybe two..

Do you have any idea what causes the energy with juices/smoothies.

I'm suspecting the electrolytes, as I feel an increase in energy when I take an electrolyte drink too, and those are in fruits..

[Luna Bliss]

On 11/5/2020 at 1:09 PM, FairreLilette said:

Medi-Cal supplements Medicare to where if you qualify, you pay zero except a few things which right now are glasses and not all dental is covered.

Medicaid too?  I heard Oregon has good programs for disabled people as well...

 

[Luna Bliss]

8 hours ago, Dhyaanee said:

I endured Coronavirus in February and never fully recovered from it.
The company where I worked closed because of this virus.
I became too unhealthy to work any damn job due to Coronavirus.
I lost my health insurance when I lost my job because of Coronavirus.
The type of health insurance the States will develop will determine whether I'll ever heal from the long-term effects of Coronavirus.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with a chronic illness. I've had one myself, mostly healed, but I still have issues and have to take very good care of myself. I think your plan to pull information from wherever you can in order to heal is a good one. I'm a big believer in Science and official sources, but sometimes anecdotal searches lend great results...most especially with chronic illnesses. Full scientific proof takes time to evolve, and why suffer for years when you discover a person at a website with your identical problem who took or did something that helped them tremendously -- with caution, of course. I discovered some doctors are slow to catch on to new conditions (they're probably busy working for the most part and it takes a lot of study to keep up to date with everything -- hopefully not just lazy).

Truth emerges first in groups of people who came together to fix their specific problem (speaking to chronic diseases  that traditional medicine has been slow to find treatments for, if ever). These support groups can even have recommendations to doctors who treat specific conditions, although you'll likely have to travel (unfortunately I ran into doctors that didn't believe my condition even existed yes others believed the condition was real!).

Regarding insurance, as you research you'll discover ACA covers some drugs while Medicaid won't. Fortunately, you can pick your plan with ACA should you be able to work again, and you can view their drug formularies before choosing the plan to make sure the drug you need is covered. Hopefully, if some drugs come into existence that treat Covid you'll be able to pick the plan that covers the cost.

One big problem I've seen with Medicaid is that many doctors won't even take it as payment because they say it doesn't reimburse enough, so unless it changes into a better type of what will in effect be 'medicaid' under the Biden Public Option best to try and work to get a good ACA plan IMO. Also, states can vary in what they'll cover, so you might consider moving if you can get better care in another state.

[Luna Bliss]

7 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

As far as I'm concerned, everything is on-topic until a Linden decides otherwise. We might try to skirt politics (at which I've been known to fail) simply to avoid thread lock, but otherwise I just don't see a problem.

About Vitamin D, do not assume that any over-the-counter supplement is even relevant to your Vitamin D needs. It can take years of ongoing blood tests to figure out how to fix Vitamin D deficiency -- which is surprisingly common, even before there was COVID-19. Some folks require dosages that would be toxic to others, and it's not only the dosage but also the formulation that can work differently for different people. Each test isn't all that expensive, but it can take a lot of them over a long time.

Did I ever learn about Vit D the hard way. A chiropractor recommended massive doses of the stuff and it made me ill. I discovered Vitamin D is actually a hormone (same with Vit A), and not good to overdose on it! Now I take a small dose, and never if I'm spending quite a bit of time in the sun. Vitamin D3 is what most advise.

So many are advising VitD to protect against Covid now -- but they need to exercise caution and take small doses if they can't afford appropriate tests!

[Luna Bliss]

I use soap around the house, even for cleaning groceries -- the alcohol was making me sick.

Leaving the house though, not much choice but the hand sanitizer for convenience.

[Rat Luv]

33 minutes ago, Bagnu said:

I agree. Apparently it's necessary in the health care industry. And I question that very highly. Soap and water should come first. Then sanitizer!!!

And really, hydrogen peroxide wipes are required, and alcohol is NOT considered good enough, so this is just a supposed panacea..

There's also this 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-hand-gel-sanitiser-superbugs-a9697031.html

[FairreLilette]

18 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Medicaid too?  I heard Oregon has good programs for disabled people as well...

 

Medi-Cal is also another program called Covered California.  It's complicated but I think Covered California is more for pregnant mothers, children, and individuals in need who need help as opposed to Medi-Cal which is for longer time use, usually for the disabled and/or elderly.  An internet search says we have Medicaid in California but I have never meet anyone on it.  It's usually Medicare and Medi-Cal that people look into.  And, now there is Covered California as well. 

But, there is no clawback here.  Home owners do not lose their home here.  At least I've never heard of that. 

https://www.coveredca.com/health/medi-cal/

[LittleMe Jewell]

8 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

About Vitamin D, do not assume that any over-the-counter supplement is even relevant to your Vitamin D needs. It can take years of ongoing blood tests to figure out how to fix Vitamin D deficiency -- which is surprisingly common, even before there was COVID-19. Some folks require dosages that would be toxic to others, and it's not only the dosage but also the formulation that can work differently for different people. Each test isn't all that expensive, but it can take a lot of them over a long time.

This ^^   Dietary changes can work for some folks, whereas others need pills, and still others need drops.  It took me about a year of working with a doctor, and doing many tests, to find the method and amount that would raise my Vitamin D levels into the 'acceptable' range. The amount of drops that I take would very likely be toxic to most other people.

While supplementing your vitamin D, via normal vitamins, is usually not going to cause issues, people really need to be careful about high doses unless they are working directly with a doctor on the issue.

[Ceka Cianci]

4 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Do you have any idea what causes the energy with juices/smoothies.

I'm suspecting the electrolytes, as I feel an increase in energy when I take an electrolyte drink too, and those are in fruits..

It depends on what's in your smoothy..also juices will give you a quicker energy boost because digestion is much quicker, where smoothies will take longer to digest and  spread out the energy over time..all that fiber slows down digestion, which is good..

A lot depends on what you are mixing in.. there is potassium, carbs, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, proteins..

Just good fuel rather than bad fuel..

What i do is i look at what I want to get out of a juicing or a smoothies.. I have two goals.. My long term goal and my short term goals.. then I research what will give me the best results in those..

I look at the benefits and then look at the negatives as well, just to make sure that I don't over due any certain thing..

Some of my juices and smoothies are for both and some are just for each goal..

Also I balance out what I'm having to eat that day as well.. If I'm having  stir fly for lunch I might not have a green smoothie that day..

 

If i make a smoothie with spinach, kale, carrots, green apples, kiwi and a grapefruit, lemon and lime.. put that in my 24oz shaker..

I'll drink on that for a couple hours..

I'm good to go for maybe 10 hours  of working around the farm and another 5 at the house just getting things done there, not really losing much energy at all..

Also find that I sleep better, plus when i wake up,I get right out of bed rather than dragging myself out of bed all sluggish like..

 

I just think it's really important for someone to know what they want out of doing this and research in the way that suits them best.. find the best foods, fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts and so on that will benefit them the most in the way they want them to..

Is it losing weight or maybe inflammation reduction, pain reduction, energy increase or just wanting to lead a more healthy life in general or whatever.. Could be all of the above and more..

I'm stressing this part because I tend to forget that there are a lot of people with health problems when i get excited with how well doing all this has worked for me..

I don't want to give someone bad advice.. someone may be allergic to something or have some bad reaction to a certain ingredient I'm putting in my drinks..

I get all excited and want to share so bad that I forget, there is all kinds of different health problems out there.. I sure don't want to cause anyone any harm..  The main reason I ever started to talk about doing this is because, 1. we are in a pandemic and 2. because I wanted to share what seemed like a really good way to getting healthy..

Each body is a little or even a lot different than the next.. learn about the benefits of what you want, but also learn about what the negatives are that someone might not be able to have, then find the alternative in some other source and mix that in there..

 

I guess i'm pretty much rambling on now.. so I'm gonna hit submit or i'll just keep going on and on.. hehehe

 

 

 

 

[Seicher Rae]

It is amazing how broad this topic of COVID is. Here from the land of fiction, and who doesn't like the idea of a menopausal vampire?

Pamela Skjolsvik's debut novel, “Forever 51,” is about a menopausal vampire (Fawkes Press). The author giving blood in Fort Worth, Tex. (Photo courtesy of Pamela Skjolsvik)   The coronavirus pandemic sucks. Nobody knows that better than Pamela Skjolsvik, a librarian who just published a vampire novel. “Forever 51” is a macabre social comedy about a hospice nurse of a certain age who avoids mirrors and doesn’t have a pulse. It’s a mark of Skjolsvik’s community spirit and her sense of humor that she’s promoting “Forever 51” this Sunday with a socially distanced blood drive.  “Donations right now are down,” Skjolsvik tells me, “and they need blood.” So, in an era of endless Zoom meetings that have drained the life from author events, she’s enlisted Carter Blood Care to set up one of its donation buses in the parking lot of the Dock Bookshop in Fort Worth, Tex. (If you’re in the area, sign up to donate here). That’s the quirky story I expected to write about a new novelist’s clever publicity stunt.  But as I talked with Skjolsvik, I learned just how tragically her life has been marked by the ongoing pandemic. In September, while President Trump was mocking people who took covid-19 seriously, Skjolsvik’s mother caught the virus. A month later, it killed her. “She got Remdesivir, and she got convalescent plasma and the same steroid that our president got,” Skjolsvik says, “but it did not help.” She was devastated, of course, but learning that convalescent plasma worked for some other patients strengthened her resolve to encourage people to donate blood. Her vampire novel felt like a fun way to do that.  Unfortunately, many people still aren’t willing to take even the simplest steps to control the spread of the virus. “I live in Texas,” Skjolsvik says, “and masks are a political thing. People can come into our library and take off their masks. I’m not willing to die for working in a library.” Wednesday, she quit. “There just isn’t enough money to pay me to be there right now.” Grieving and unemployed, Skjolsvik is now planning a writing retreat in Arkansas. “My mother actually lived in Bella Vista, Arkansas for like 15 years, and that was her favorite place,” she says. “So I’m going to take her cremains up there and sprinkle them at the lake because, you know, funerals and gatherings to mourn the people that we love who’ve died. . . . That’s another complication of this pandemic.”

[Luna Bliss]

15 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

16 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

Do you have any idea what causes the energy with juices/smoothies.

I'm suspecting the electrolytes, as I feel an increase in energy when I take an electrolyte drink too, and those are in fruits..

It depends on what's in your smoothy..also juices will give you a quicker energy boost because digestion is much quicker, where smoothies will take longer to digest and  spread out the energy over time..all that fiber slows down digestion, which is good..

A lot depends on what you are mixing in.. there is potassium, carbs, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, proteins..

Just good fuel rather than bad fuel..

What i do is i look at what I want to get out of a juicing or a smoothies.. I have two goals.. My long term goal and my short term goals.. then I research what will give me the best results in those..

I look at the benefits and then look at the negatives as well, just to make sure that I don't over due any certain thing..

Some of my juices and smoothies are for both and some are just for each goal..

Also I balance out what I'm having to eat that day as well.. If I'm having  stir fly for lunch I might not have a green smoothie that day..

 

If i make a smoothie with spinach, kale, carrots, green apples, kiwi and a grapefruit, lemon and lime.. put that in my 24oz shaker..

I'll drink on that for a couple hours..

I'm good to go for maybe 10 hours  of working around the farm and another 5 at the house just getting things done there, not really losing much energy at all..

Also find that I sleep better, plus when i wake up,I get right out of bed rather than dragging myself out of bed all sluggish like..

 

I just think it's really important for someone to know what they want out of doing this and research in the way that suits them best.. find the best foods, fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts and so on that will benefit them the most in the way they want them to..

Is it losing weight or maybe inflammation reduction, pain reduction, energy increase or just wanting to lead a more healthy life in general or whatever.. Could be all of the above and more..

I'm stressing this part because I tend to forget that there are a lot of people with health problems when i get excited with how well doing all this has worked for me..

I don't want to give someone bad advice.. someone may be allergic to something or have some bad reaction to a certain ingredient I'm putting in my drinks..

I get all excited and want to share so bad that I forget, there is all kinds of different health problems out there.. I sure don't want to cause anyone any harm..  The main reason I ever started to talk about doing this is because, 1. we are in a pandemic and 2. because I wanted to share what seemed like a really good way to getting healthy..

Each body is a little or even a lot different than the next.. learn about the benefits of what you want, but also learn about what the negatives are that someone might not be able to have, then find the alternative in some other source and mix that in there..

 

I guess i'm pretty much rambling on now.. so I'm gonna hit submit or i'll just keep going on and on.. hehehe

 

Great info.

Wow, Ceka, I think you have more energy than I did when I was 15!

Checking out recipes for inflammation as my C Reactive Protein was too high last time I had the test. Residual virus cr*p.

[Luna Bliss]

@Dhyaanee

These "long-haulers" who continue to be affected by Covid have support groups. Didn't check the ones listed in this article from May, but they might still be happening:

https://www.vox.com/2020/5/21/21264946/coronavirus-survivors-stories-symptoms-tips

Edited November 7, 2020 by Luna Bliss

[Ceka Cianci]

24 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Great info.

Wow, Ceka, I think you have more energy than I did when I was 15!

Checking out recipes for inflammation as my C Reactive Protein was too high last time I had the test. Residual virus cr*p.

I do lose energy some, but more comparing it to before I started doing all this.. plus I think making my smoothie last and taking a couple of hours to drink it helps with that also..

Like when it gets below half way in my shaker, I'll add Ice and the ice will melt and it will sort of fill it up a bit more but water it down some.. but i think that helps to stretch things out more..

I'll notice that hours later after I'm done with my smoothie I'm still getting energy boosts.. It's that slow digesting and releasing the fuel I think..

I just know that I'll get home and still be a busy bee around the house.. hehehe

[LittleMe Jewell]

There has been tons of beatchin over the last few months about Trump not wearing a mask out in public...... and I have agreed with those complaints.   Biden and Harris have both also commented on it.

Thus I was totally blown away by this picture in the news tonight -- currently front page of https://www.usatoday.com/

Edited November 8, 2020 by LittleMe Jewell

[Luna Bliss]

29 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

There has been tons of beatchin over the last few months about Trump not wearing a mask out in public...... and I have agreed with those complaints.   Biden and Harris have both also commented on it.

Thus I was totally blown away by this picture in the news tonight -- currently front page of https://www.usatoday.com/

You're being ridiculous. He's the main star...we want to see his face as his win is announced. He put his mask back on when he walked off stage. Likewise, Kamala took her mask off when she was center stage.

[LittleMe Jewell]

 

@Luna Bliss - Pray tell, Sweetie, what are you confused about?  Biden not wearing a mask after everyone in this country, including him, blasted Trump and other people for not wearing one at events or the fact that I decided to add it to the "vent about Covid" thread, or maybe something else entirely has befuddled your mind. 

He is no more immune to criticism as anyone else holding public office and since he is standing in the middle of a crowd of people wearing masks, he should be criticized. 

While I did direct the comment at you, you don't really need to bother responding.  I only see your reactions to my posts, which are mostly spiteful laughter regardless of you saying, in the past, that people should not use the laugh reaction that way.

 

Edited November 8, 2020 by LittleMe Jewell

[Ceka Cianci]

1 hour ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

There has been tons of beatchin over the last few months about Trump not wearing a mask out in public...... and I have agreed with those complaints.   Biden and Harris have both also commented on it.

Thus I was totally blown away by this picture in the news tonight -- currently front page of https://www.usatoday.com/

A lot of time when they are wearing masks is when they know they are going to be on camera..

They've been busted climbing into cars without masks on from cellphone cams.. there is so much videos on either side just trying to get shots of the other sides guy doing something wrong.. You almost can't help but trip over them on youtube.. hehehe

 

[Maximillon Lefavre]

22 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

A lot of time when they are wearing masks is when they know they are going to be on camera..

They've been busted climbing into cars without masks on from cellphone cams.. there is so much videos on either side just trying to get shots of the other sides guy doing something wrong.. You almost can't help but trip over them on youtube.. hehehe

 

 

2 hours ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

There has been tons of beatchin over the last few months about Trump not wearing a mask out in public...... and I have agreed with those complaints.   Biden and Harris have both also commented on it.

Thus I was totally blown away by this picture in the news tonight -- currently front page of https://www.usatoday.com/

We've also yet to hear him condemn all these large gatherings of strangers across the US today where people have been seen on video drinking hooch from the same cups and not wearing their masks while hugging strangers. But you know Trump supporters are the only one's that are irresponsible. The set of double standards is why we're so divided in the first place. If he wants to unify us then he can start by condemning the actions of his own supporters today but I won't hold my breath for that because he needs these same people 4 years from now.