Who I supposed to only be in for 3 days? I thought we weren’t getting past freezing until next weekend. I’m doing everything I can to stay inside. I’m pathetic enough as an Austinite, but poor Spouse is from the Valley and his blood is thin as water. Ha!

YEP! We did our shopping on Thursday and aren’t trying to leave the house at all for the next week. We’re dripping faucets, protecting plants, sternly speaking to the dogs about wanting to go outside (LOL), etc . . . We’re in Austin. This is ridiculous. We are not built for such severe weather! Give me a run-of-the mill tornado warning over this any day.

I hope you’re bringing your own red carpet. No one wearing that dress should sully their shoe soles with barn hay. The very thought is beyond!

I got my 2nd Moderna dose Friday morning. My experience: Exhausted. Saturday I slept ALL day. I literally could not stay awake for more than 2 hours. And I wasn’t just laying down, I slept hard all day long. My arm felt like a balloon - tight, warm, and very sore to the touch. I couldn’t lay on that side or wear sleeves that brushed against the injection site. I had the same headache as after the first shot, kinda relentless. BUT I woke up today, Sunday, pretty much like myself. No headache. Very minor arm soreness. I’m doing laundry and regular Sunday chores. I’m not sure what will happen next, but I am incredibly grateful to be among the very few in Texas who are fully vaccinated. Immensely grateful.

We loved the Spanish. We have Spanish speakers in my home, who are also Americans. We were excited when J Lo showed up (looking spectacular) and looovvveeddddd the acknowledgment of her heritage. Why wouldn’t she? But we are an acquired taste. Obviously.

Oh, thanks for asking me this. I forgot to post that part. She said she usually sees the “Big Red” the very next day, but I am not the only one who has had a more delayed reaction. She also said that she has seen it come and go. So you can have a Big Red, it goes away, and a few days later another Big Red pops up. As long as I don’t start running a fever. But my clinic has temperature checks every time we enter the building, even if you just forget something in your car, so I never would have made it to her office with a fever. It’s worth mentioning that it’s Wednesday morning and my Big Red seems to be completely gone. So there you go!

Quoting myself to add a new development. On Sunday , Jan 10th, eleven days after receiving my first vaccine, I developed a big, red, raised hive (?) around the injection site. It’s about 4 inches in diameter and very warm to the touch. On Monday I went to see a nurse in occupational health and she didn’t seem overly concerned. She drew a circle around it with a sharpie and took a picture of it. Told me to come see her daily. She said I could take Benadryl, but it makes me too sleepy for work. I already take Zyrtec daily because we’re in cedar season. It’s slightly smaller and less intensely red, but still there.

I got the Moderna vaccine the morning of Dec 30th at work. I am a social worker in homeless services at a VA clinic. The shot was uneventful. No pain or burning. My annual flu shot usually hurts during the initial stick and burns as it’s being administered. No symptoms for the rest of the work day. Developed a pretty relentless headache that night and it continued off and on throughout the next day. I took ibuprofen, which helped, but the second it wore off, the headache was back. The next day, Dec 31st, I worked but was extremely fatigued and ended up falling asleep around 8 PM instead of staying awake for NYE, which is very unusual for me. None of this has been debilitating or life altering, just noticeable. Today is Jan 1st. I feel fine. I think I’m back to normal, but it’s the weekend and I wouldn’t be doing much anyway. I fully plan to get my next dose at 28 days, but will probably take the next day or two off just in case I have a more pronounced reaction.

I hear so much sadness, grief, and loss in your post. You seem to be trying to hold yourself together when you need to give yourself permission to let it all out and make meaning of it. If you decide that therapy is worth a try again, I would search for a grief and loss specialist, particularly related to complex trauma and give it some time. The therapist shouldn’t be trying to “fix you” or “do anything with you.” They should hold compassionate space until you mentally declutter enough to find your own healing. Sometimes it takes a while, particularly after living a long time. Lots of emotional clutter. Try not to be so destination oriented and lean into the process. The process is the healing And please accept my gentlest virtual hugs. Sounds like you really could use someone to love on you right now.

That is Colorism. It is a very different problem born of internalized racism.

I have to say that Art Acevedo has grown and changed with education, information, and age. He was fairly awful when he was police chief here, but really seems to be a better, more empathetic person in Houston. I don’t love his replacement either, but I digress. Being a POC in Texas will always be a challenge.

That’s remarkable. Medicine has come so far.

Wow. I actually don’t have a lot of information. Everything I know is so old. My Baby Boy was born with this condition (among others) 27 years ago. I’ve never even met anyone else (other than GI doctors) who has heard of it. The TE Fistula was repaired on day three and the atresia widened and nissen procedure was done around seven years. Life was very challenging before and dramatically improved after. Although there are still dietary restrictions that are permanent. My Baby Boy spent twelve weeks in the NICU, it he had other health issues as well. He was a preemie. Hugs to that precious little baby. And to all who love them.

Is it being repaired at birth?

I’m in Austin. I work from home now and I am extra tired at the end of the week. Working from home is ... harder. Spouse is immunocompromised. Cases are still growing exponentially. So I’ll stick to walking my dog incessantly. He’s very well exercised theses days! Got another jigsaw puzzle.

I’m not sure if I qualify as a front line health care provider. I’m a social worker in a VA hospital. It feels like we’re the sacrificial lambs in this whole deal. Very little/leftover PPE and near constant contact with patients. All Lysol, Clorox, gloves, masks, etc... I have are those I brought myself from home. I do use them no matter how anyone else feels about it. I am extremely psychologically taxed right now. I take my clothes off as soon as I get home and shower. I have a vehicle, hamper, bedroom, and bathroom just for me. I’m not sure what else I can do. I’m a middle aged woman just trying to take care of my clients while not dying in the process.

I *heart* Jessica Smith. She has a bazillion free workouts on YouTube. If you go straight to her website JessicaSmithTV, she has them sorted by length, style, body region, etc . . . She also has some great programs you can purchase. I use the digital downloads and my Roku, but you can get the DVDs on Amazon. I lost over 100 pounds doing her 6 week transformation program. It’s a 30 minute workout 6 days a week. I did several rounds, obviously. She has a fantastic personality. What I really like is that she explains what you should feel during each move to emphasize correct form and lessen injuries. Also she usually has her Mom and another lady with her to show modified versions of the moves. Here’s a couple of good free ones.

I think it depends on how you’re shaped. I am VERY pear- shaped (huge thighs and rear), so there is a little extra room around the waistband for me. I have to size up to fit my backside. It has a very wide waistband, about two inches wide. I find it to be very flexible and there is no hardware except the little grommets in the pretend front pockets. I drive a lot for work and it doesn’t press into my tummy when I’m sitting down, which is super important. Bonus points: the back pockets are fully functional.

I’m resurrecting this thread to say that I now have three pairs of these. They are AMAZING! People at work are so over me right now. I need 100 more pairs. They are comfy and look fantastic, especially from the back 😉. They’ve washed well and I’ve been super satisfied at how well they maintain their color and shape. Thanks for the recommendation!

May I have an invite? My kids are adults, I’m not sure how “young” we’re talking. 26 and 29. The oldest will be 30 (OMG!) next month.

If I want my daughter to get in her car, come over, and bring my grand babies with her, all I have to do is text “Hot Cheetos.” It’s code for “Party at Grammy’s House!”

I am in my late 40s and get “period flu” every month. It’s ridiculous. It started around age 44 or 45. I never had it before. People think I’m being dramatic and “extra,” but I get SICK for at least 24 whole hours every month. I don’t know what can be done about it. I just try to be very gentle with myself. It just is for now.

I lost 120 pounds and have kept most of it off for 3 years so far. It’s a bit of a struggle. That last 20 pounds comes and goes, but I hang on to the 100 pounds, because it’s so important to me. I use the My Score Plus app. For $25 a year it duplicates all the WW programs. I also use the KetoDiet app. I think it was $25 for a lifetime subscription. I switch back and forth every few months because my body adapts to one way of eating over time. My advise is just set small goals and take it one day at a time. Big goals are too overwhelming and success makes me want to do more and go harder. I LOVE to WIN! I started out just keeping a family member company through a health crisis. Next thing you know, I’m down 120 pounds. It took 2 years, and lots of peaks and valleys, but it did happen.

I'm finally back on track after a bit of Mommy Meltdown. I've been sticking to my calorie and carb counts, but the scale isn't budging. I've been getting up a few minutes early and working out before work. I didn't realize that I miss working out. It's good for my mental health. If I had been working out earlier, my Mom wouldn't have gotten under my skin so badly. Maybe next time. I'm trying to relax and trust the process, even though the results seem to be coming in very slowly. I want to offer encouragement and congratulations to everyone. I'm terrible at remembering which names I want to tag and even worse and advanced quoting. Love you all!

Oh, my mother and I had a bit of a disagreement last night and I couldn’t sleep. I ended up eating 3 or 4 oz of almonds because I really don’t keep sweets in the house and I needed to stress/sad/angry/emotional eat. So I blew about 1000 calories and 10 senseless carbs. BOO! Today was much better. I stayed below my calorie and carb limit and really worked off some frustration with a longer cardio+ strength workout. I’m on my cycle, so I’m a bit bloated and touchy. I think I’m just trying to survive this week without gaining any weight, LOL. I’ll try to resume losing weight next week!