Health Natter: COVID: Jelly Turtles from Spain

[elisem]

Still have COVID.
Still continuing.
Still resting like potatoes.
(With the caveat that I do get up and sit in a chair for a while each day, because my body needs that for some things.)

Today's things included talking on phone with multiple people at new insurance/pharmacy/et cetera.
Cried twice.
This is harder than it actually needs to be.
Told them, when they asked if med was medically necessary, that I like breathing and wished not to give it up.
(I DUNNO, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU GUYS THINK, IS A MED THAT HELPS WITH MY ALLERGIES AND MY ASTHMA POSSIBLY IMPORTANT WHEN I AM IN ACUTE COVID RIGHT NOW? WHY COULD THAT POSSIBLY MATTER, RIGHT GUYS?)

Paxlovid mouth-taste is evil.
Only have to get through tonight and tomorrow and however long the aftertaste lasts.
Am combating it with gummy candies. 
Decided why the heck not.
About to open bag of jelly turtles that tells me they are from Spain.
O jelly turtles from Spain, I put my hope in your benevolent tastiness.

Thank you all for being here.
Good words help a lot. Maybe tell me something good from your life today?
I like hearing about good moments.

I do have plans. 
They are not vengeance unless vengeance is making really good art.
I just have to get well enough to realize them.
Meanwhile, jelly turtles from Spain, and also some weird blueberry planets that are freaking huge.
And you all. I like you people. Hello, people!
I may be slightly giddy again.

Comments

[jenett]

I did my yearly speech for the school founder's day (every year a different founder) and it was well received and appreciated.

Then I got to talk to other people about the history of trees on campus which was weirdly satisfying (one of them is about to start a project looking at what trees we have now, cross referenced to memorial and other interesting trees we used to have.) Trees = good.

[resolute]

I am reading your posts and such with relief, that covid is awful but you are still hanging in there. By fingernails, perhaps, but hanging.

Good things: We got a new dog! Jessie is a rescue from Texas. She is between 4-8 years old, and is a "Maltese cross," meaning she is white and fluffy and small and other than that, who knows? She is clingy and adorable and is accustomed to being CARRIED EVERYWHERE and generally treated like a doll, so we are on hour 23 of teaching her What Dogs Do. Luckily, we have two senior dogs who are very clear on the concepts and are demonstrating what life here is like.

[ckd]

First, a bit of secondhand good news: aedifica has new cats (two kittens and their mother) and has been enjoying their company immensely. Today she also has one of her relatives around for a brief visit so they both get to enjoy the cats!

Second, I had a pretty good day at work today (especially for the Monday after the time change). I joined a new team at the beginning of September and am still getting up to speed on their area of responsibility, but I feel like it's progressing well and today I was able to help out with a particular area I already had experience in from work on previous teams!

[gwynnega]

This morning Stew shared his lovely campaign song for Zohran Mamdani:

https://youtu.be/b0qlC6tpBCQ?si=ZhrHmmjseqtV44an

[catherineldf]

Oh no! Just seeing this now. Urgh! Let me know if you need something dropped off. Paxlovid is unpleasant, but it really does move things along quickly. Sending all the *hugs*.

[mrissa]

Something good from my life today: the book my Zoom book club is reading is SO MUCH BETTER than the previous book we read OMG. It's not just me, everyone else is relieved as well. (We do short story anthologies about four stories per session. So the good part is that if you don't like one story, maybe you'll like the next one! The bad part is that sometimes you get an entire anthology of yuck.)

[davidgoldfarb]

My Katie is back with me today, after a couple of weeks away helping tend to her brother, who had his own medical emergency a month or so ago. She had originally been booked to change planes in Chicago, but it turned out there was a non-stop here departing at just the same time, and the Southwest gate agent was able to get her onto that, saving more than two hours of trip time. (And at no extra cost, too.) I am very happy to see her.

[madgastronomer]

If you're stuck with covid again, ask for Lagevrio (brand name) Molnupiravir (generic) instead of paxlovid, which interacts with many fewer other meds (including not interacting with montelukast, in case that's the one in question), and also fewer people et the horrible taste (although some do).

In addition, I recommend alternating sweet with salt. Salt... I don't know the details, but it more or less switches off the bitter taste buds, and will leave them switched off for a few minutes. Sugar only covers the taste. So keep yourself some crackers or chips (potato!) handy and swap.

Happy things: I'm just finishing up my monthly Death Cafe, and it has been delightful, maybe the best I've been to this year. (I've been attending this one for ten years.) We talked about our beliefs about the afterlife, mostly, and mourning, and memorial tattoos, and memento mori.

Also, the silliness of this:

David Tennant wearing a shirt with a picture of a Dalek and the legend, "OMG, it's R2D2! I loved him in Star Trek!"

goodness

[siriosa]

my bodyworker (now retired: woe) has been having a thin time of it, medically, for ... oh, ionno. seven years? ten? and he had a birthday recently. i am making him a postcard-sized trans pride flag, with his new age superimposed, out of dots of watercolor. it's soothing, grounding work, and i'm quite enjoying it.

(in other news, i've spent the last 24 hrs sneezing hard enough to blow the house down. will test for covid on friday, bc i tend not to show positive until 5 days after symptom onset. feels weird to be hoping for a cold, but here we are.)

[athenais]

May the jelly turtles from Spain have done the trick.

[radiantfracture]

All strength and efficacy to jelly turtles from Spain.

The other day I saw two eagles circling very low above the street, just before I happened on the secret orchard.

[vass]

I'm sorry you're faced with both insurance/pharmacy health admin at the same time as COVID. That seems very unfair.

I am cooking red kidney beans. They're not ready yet, but they're already smelling good.

[maribou]

I have three cats, Ruckus Rumpus and Radar, who are brothers and they are the best part of my day any day that doesn't have its own unique best parts that aren't them.

Today, Ruckus figured out how to communicate that he did not want to voluntarily go into the room of cats-being-closed-up that I was trying to lure him into with treats, but he was WILLING to be closed up and would I please come along to this other floor into the room where he was fine with me closing the door until I was done with my mysterious human business. It was a veritable ballet of information.

I was so impressed! He is always figuring out new ways to improve cat-to-human communications.

[vcmw]

We got a dahl soup from the Indian restaurant down the street that had a truly delicious amount of spice + oil. It was a relatively thin soup but it had a very pleasing scent and taste that was extremely satisfying.
[edit to add: I hope you get satisfying soups!]

[china_shop]

Belatedly, so sorry about the Covid. Sending all best wishes!

(IIRC, FWIW, I found the Paxlovid dead-mammal flavour passed really quickly once I finished my course.)

[tinny]

Good things that happened this week: the weather was sunny on two days out of five, and there were lots of yellow leaves flying through the air. The good side of fall. <3

I hope you're feeling better and the potato-ness isn't getting on your nerves yet. :D