LED light therapy is promising as a drug free pain reliever. It’s been used for years by dentists and also by cancer patients to help with pain. I’ve tried a hand held device a few times and it helped me. SunPowerLED.com

Is he at Otago? My brother works there and I heard there’s a lot of cases with the students. I’m planning to go to Dunedin in the next month or 2. I thought I’d have a bit of a break from all the Covid stuff. Alas no.

A friend is a high school secretary getting these tests ready to distribute next week. They were 250 short for their school and won’t be getting more. It is voluntary- I guess they are expecting 250 to refuse? Meanwhile I got a rapid test in the parking lot of a restaurant yesterday so we (co-workers) could eat unmasked at the table! Come to a Christmas party! Come 15min early to get your rapid test!

Between 10 and 30% of Covid cases are long Covid. I was off work for over 4 months when I had Covid and then had to work greatly reduced hours. I’ve gradually built up the number of hours I work, but it’s still not to the amount I was working a year ago. Many people aren’t able to work at all, some employers can’t/won’t accommodate their reduced capacity to stand/concentrate. Some people won’t wear the mask required for the job.

When my son was 14 he took 3 hours to write a sentence, but it was perfectly formed. By the end of the year it was one hour per sentence. He’s good at math/science and really struggles with writing. Poetry was better - amazing the quality of work he produced. At 16 he handed in only 3 paragraphs of a 5 paragraph essay. They were good, he was just sick of it and wanted to be done as it takes so long. Of course getting 40% on a 5 paragraph essay didn’t help and solidified his thought that he’s a failure. Life would be good right now if not for the torture of the compulsory English class.

Skeleton with 2 heads! Hmmmm

DD interviewed to be a housekeeper at a hotel and she was told she would have to cover up her tattoos. She turned down the job.

Speaking as someone who has had Covid and long Covid…. I joined a Facebook group for long haulers as I wasn’t getting better after a few months of rest, etc. Many of the members of the group had been marathon runners, kindergarten teachers, flight attendants, paramedics, professional athletes. People in top physical condition - not obese or with underlying health conditions. They could no longer even walk around the block. One lady in a wheelchair, when she ran marathons before getting Covid. So many tragic stories- broken marriages, having to sell the house as they can’t work. A lot of people in the group have expressed that they felt lied to, “Just take your vitamins.” I was spouting that too and taking vitamin C and D before I got infected. I took zinc, B complex, etc as well. What helped was silver and probiotics, but mainly the physio who helped with the inflammation in my diaphragm and lungs. We feel we can control sickness and disease by being as healthy as possible. I think it does help. But Covid is no respecter of persons and has brought down so many. The fatigue, brain fog, heart and lung issues….. And kids are dealing with this as well! I feel blessed I am as well as I am. You don’t want this. Please get vaccinated.

So proud of you! Well done.

The result of my second swab was negative! Yippee! The first swab hurt a lot but cleared a blockage I’d had since January. There must have been some virus remnant stuck up in there. There was a high CT number so I was recommended to get retested. The second swab in the other nostril didn’t hurt at all and no virus there.

Yay I guess. But I’d rather go to NZ. I’m missing my Mum’s 90th! It will probably be a while….

Yes, so far. Everyone is getting tested tomorrow. I got retested this morning in case it was a false positive. But I’m feeling yucky. Hopefully it will be mild and no one else catches it from me!

Looks like I’m one of the few to catch Covid twice! DH caught it between Christmas and New Year and passed it in to me and our 2 teens. The teens were mild and recovered in 2-3 weeks. DH and I didn’t recover for months. He felt better after his first vaccine shot, I didn’t. By May and no income I slowly went back to work and gradually increased my hours. Was feeling so much better, but still budgeting my energy. Double vaxed. Now I’ve tested positive again! I’ve been a lurker here for many years. I tried to sign in before, but couldn’t work it out. Started homeschooling in 1998, teens now doing high school virtually.