Options I’ve seen that are best for not compromising fit:

• loose crochet masks

• jeweled/sequined meshes that hang down over the mask

• single chain with beads or jewels attaching to the straps and lying across the nose bridge

• sheer chiffon fabric masks, sometimes with embroidery - some versions sold as UV protection/sun masks

• rub-on transfer stickers - people say these don’t compromise the electrostatic filtration, unlike other decorations, but I can’t verify

Ooblets. It is the game equivalent of a warm hug. Charming, polished, anti-capitalist.

And for every one set of parents that is willing to believe their kids over the doctors’ dismissal, there are - let’s say - five more sets who have caved under the pressure and are busy gaslighting their children and making them sicker. Five more kids with lifelong medical trauma, chronic illness, and broken trust in the people who are supposed to protect them.

It’s truly strange. Hard to believe sometimes that it’s 2024 and I’m bedbound from the plague and looking into bloodletting

There’s a weird thing that some people with LC have where large blood draws lead to symptom relief for hours/days/weeks. Probably something something microclots or inflammatory something being removed temporarily, or maybe the body’s response to injury…? No one knows, we’re all just speculating. But it happened to me personally after a big blood test and then I was seriously looking into donating blood regularly, or, alternatively, nurturing a crop of medicinal leeches at home.

How much water do you drink in a day? I have a pretty normal size reusable water bottle and it holds more than enough for a workday. You could just fill it at home in the morning instead of needing to use the water fountain that other people are using.

You can do a somewhat less effective but more convenient version with enough ice packs on your forehead and cheeks. You know it’s good enough when you do the big involuntary gasp

I am STRESSED about the potential mask ban in North Carolina and I am trying NOT to think about it but it is NOT WORKING

Waking up and feeling exhausted could be caused by sleep disordered breathing (apnea, UARS) or it could be an early sign of ME/CFS, which is a variety of long covid and can present in a delayed fashion from your last infection. Probably it’s something simple like vitamin deficiency or anemia, but these conditions are both mild at first but very bad long term if left unidentified so I thought I’d throw them out there

Yeah I think the gut dysbiosis from artificial sweeteners is something that happens on a longer timescale of continuous consumption. I second the tea suggestion - tea’s got l-theanine in it naturally

The sucralose is probably bad for your gut microbiome. If you want caffeine to feel smoother, you could experiment with taking it with l-theanine, and/or with the taurine that’s in that energy drink.

It’s got screws so I could technically open it up, but unfortunately I have very little experience with this sort of thing and wouldn’t be comfortable replacing a lithium battery without any sort of guide.

My Bluetooth speaker died today. Was faltering for a few months, but now it just won’t charge anymore. Shut down last night for the final time. I’ve used it on a daily basis for seven or eight years. It was present for some really important memories. And now it’s just trash, I guess. I know it’s odd of me but I do feel sad.

A concern I have about this is the long term effect on the nasal microbiome. In the same way that using antibiotics orally can fuck up your gut microbiome and lead to an increased risk of other health problems, could fucking up the nasal microbiome lead to poorer viral resistance in the long term, or an increased chance of developing allergy/histamine/MCAS issues (which are already triggered by COVID infections)?

I do this too and I think it’s great. I still have my screenshots from my 3DS, and seeing my old Animal Crossing town is really nostalgic.

And the way to prevent it is vaccination, and multiple vaccination is better than single to prevent long COVID.

Fun fact, if you say the word “mask” in 2024 you will spontaneously combust. Also definitely don’t cite the actual statistics on how much vaccination reduces the risk of long covid. It totally doesn’t matter. Everything is fine.

Are we going to start seeing people get COVID not from infection, but from themselves in reactivation?

I have been wondering about this for ages. In the past year I have seen a couple people who are uber-isolated (bedbound, no medical care) with long covid testing positive repeatedly with no known exposures. Either they’re astronomically unlucky, or…

I’m familiar with PolyBio because I have long covid and I follow organizations that are doing studies and looking for treatments. My impression thus far has been that they’re doing pretty promising research (unlike the government’s RECOVER trials, which have been inadequate and disappointing). Viral persistence as a root cause of long covid is something they’re investigating.

I think most people are extremely numb. Maybe emotionally just to get through the day, maybe as a result of the constant barrage of stimulation we get online. So media portrays things that are horrific and shocking because it’s the only thing that makes anyone feel anything.

I can’t tolerate it personally. I have to skip out on a lot of media that is popular these days because it’s just too brutal for me. But I am probably an outlier for neurodivergent reasons (mirror-pain synesthesia, high affective empathy).

I would look for your most local Still COVIDing group on Facebook for in-person masked events.

I would be devastated in your position. I’m so sorry