Aaaand, I didn't check in with TWTM board. (I forgot my password and didn't want to mess with resetting on my phone!) Our roads were just fine; we had no trouble. And we are so glad we got to go! Wonderful family Christmas memories made: check! Edited to add: There were a lot of abandoned cars off the side of the highway on our drive. So, Thursday was definitely a bad travel day here, but the highways were clear by afternoon Friday when we drove.

We plan to travel today — leaving in about an hour for a five hour drive. We are far enough south (in the US) that we have a couple inches of snow and the dangerously cold temps (2 degrees at the moment, with a high forecasted of 11). Our son only has Christmas Day off for work, so this is the second year that we (dh, dd23 and I) are taking Christmas to him. We rented an Airbnb house. Planning has been fraught with difficulty! Dh tested Covid positive a week ago Wed. We are thankful he tested negative Tuesday, and I didn't get it. So, we didn't know if we could go because of that, and now the storm! The back seat is full of snow pants and blankets. We do have some wind here (not like up north), but skies are clear, and we are getting good reports about the roads being clear. I'll try to check in tonight from our destination. Thanks for staring the support group, Laura! Prayers and good thoughts to all who are traveling!

My husband and I made it this far without Covid infections, but dh tested positive Wednesday night. He started Paxlovid Thursday night. So far, I don't have symptoms and am testing negative. Anecdata: Dh: full vaccine course; bivalent in October (all Pfizer) Me: full vaccine course (J&J and then Pfizer) except bivalent—last booster in August before my nephew's wedding and waiting now to get bivalent until after follow up mammogram at the end of the month Dh felt crummy Wednesday night with fever, like a "bad cold or mild flu" during the day Thursday, but then felt bad and had fever Thursday night; felt like "a head cold" yesterday; and feels good but is very stuffy today. Dh has been isolating in our master bedroom/bath, and we are employing all the Boardie tips: towel in door crack, air purifier, cracked window with fan blowing out, bathroom vent on, wearing masks, no access to the rest of the house for dh. I'm really hoping he clears the virus and I don't get it. I'm sad that I missed my aunt's funeral yesterday and will miss my extended family's Christmas party on Sunday. We have rented an Airbnb house in my son's city 5 hours away for Christmas weekend for our family of five. (He is a retail manager who only gets Christmas day off.) I'm hoping and praying we will all be negative and will be able to celebrate together!

Praying for him!

Your family is in my thoughts and prayers this morning, Jann!

Just got my DEXA scores back, and they weren't great (osteopenia). So, thanks for the encouragement to go ahead and get scanned! I just ordered the supplements @She Travels recommended. They have a money back guarantee, so I figure they are worth a try!

I love that!

1. How many kids did you want before you had them? 4 2. How many do you have? 3 3. Are you happy with that number? yes (although I certainly wouldn't mind another adult child; I was hoping #3 would be twins) 4. Do you have any kids that are just like you? no 5. How many siblings do you have? 1 6. What's your birth order? younger of the two

What a beautiful post! I understand how this is causing some issues now, as it comes around again, but what an encouraging story for many FB and WTM readers!

April Love (LOL, just no!) or Susan or Sally. I prefer Susan to my name, but my dad wanted all four of us to have names that started with "D."

Thank you! Nothing is close to me, but I'm glad you mentioned this new test. I'll be watching to see if it is available in more locations in the future.

That looks like a great tool! I wonder how one finds locations? My searches aren't coming up with much.

Now I'm curious. Did you do dietary changes? Weight training?

Thank you, ladies! I'll keep the appointment. Thank you for sharing your experiences. It does makes sense to me to do a check early in post menopause, since that is when a lot of bone loss happens, rather than waiting until 65. I really appreciate the input! This was my first time visiting this doctor, and I felt like a lot of boxes were being ticked but that not a lot of information was being shared.

Update: Just got my DEXA scores back, and they weren't great (osteopenia). So, thanks for the encouragement to go ahead and get scanned! I just ordered the supplements @She Travels recommended. They have a money back guarantee, so I figure they are worth a try! I am 56. I had an annual check up last week and asked when DEXA screenings usually start and if I should get one. The doctor said the recommendation is at 65. I said something like, "Oh, OK! I was just wondering since I actually met my insurance deductible for this year." She said, "Well, I guess you did have a bone fracture." (I had a skiing accident last May and had a compression fracture on the tibia head and a partially torn ACL, which is why I have met my deductible.) When the women's clinic called to schedule a mammography, they said a DEXA was also scheduled. Pros and cons of going ahead and getting the scan? I found an online FRAX tool asessment, and my score said that early screening was not warranted. (My only flags where the cracked tibia and a lower end of normal BMI.) I am fine boned though and a couple of my elderly relatives have (or had) osteoporosis (no broken hips in any relatives). What says the Hive? Would you do the test or pass on the bit of extra radiation? Pros? Cons?

Verde

Edit: Never mind. I just tried to order, and it says it can't ship to my US address. This one on Amazon might be the iota carrageenan one: https://www.amazon.ca/Betadine-Defence-Nasal-Spray-milliliter/dp/B082331GXK/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_1/138-0351017-0920778?pd_rd_w=LePAZ&content-id=amzn1.sym.17b2b149-58e2-4824-ba79-851c5f351fdc&pf_rd_p=17b2b149-58e2-4824-ba79-851c5f351fdc&pf_rd_r=N0EJA5HQQJR96N0ED5BY&pd_rd_wg=pbC8C&pd_rd_r=f083d2b2-4265-41b2-b291-70e4d3d16286&pd_rd_i=B082331GXK&psc=1 Delivery time is 1-2 months though.

Praying.

I'm am cross posting here, in case others may be interested in joining this study: The COVID Human Genetic Effort is seeking research participants who have been closely exposed to COVID but have never exhibited symptoms, as well as those who have been hospitalized with COVID: www.covidhge.com/participants

The COVID Human Genetic Effort is seeking research participants who have been closely exposed to COVID but have never exhibited symptoms, as well as those who have been hospitalized with COVID: www.covidhge.com/participants

Here's a good news story about a low-cost, nonpatented vaccine (Corbervax) for less wealthy countries: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/08/31/1119947342/whatever-happened-to-the-new-no-patent-covid-vaccine-touted-as-a-global-game-cha I apologize if this has already been shared and I missed it.

Our dd27 has been diagnosed with long Covid. I would suggest keeping postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) on the radar and pushing for testing, if symptoms seem to indicate it. Google "Covid and POTS," and you will find information that Covid may trigger POTS in some people—this was the case for our daughter. Also, there are some long-Covid clinics available now. There are none in our daughter's insurance network, but she is working with a cardiac rehab group.

Praying!

Yes, still very congested and coughing and no smell/taste (but I know that can linger a long time). She said the meds are making a positive difference, though! Thank you for your well wishes!

Many thanks! She is on day 14 and was prescribed steroids, antibiotics (not sure why--last go around she developed pneumonia, so maybe they are seeing an indication it is going that way?) and a nasal spray. She lost all taste and smell this go around, but not last winter. (I remember there was some discussion on the issue of whether or not it was likely to experience those symptoms with reinfections.)