I don't think we can consider Covid seasonal - the spike is more to do with a variant which has probably occurred in an immunosuppressed person and has now escaped and is spreading quickly as it's quite infectious. Australia had its worst ever numbers in summer, not winter, simply due to all precautions being suddenly dropped, rather than weather.

Very glad to hear a positive update and also glad that a number of different doctors are involved. I hope you're feeling a bit better and able to get some rest.

That was a really thorough overview - looks like Berberine isn't as good as hoped due to bioavailability. I hadn't heard of the other things.

Oh wow! I hope you feel better in the morning and it becomes nothing more than a good story.

OK that is good to know. I think I will definitely go for a dress and leggings once my next pay comes in.

Dying of laughter. Also glad to not to live in New Mexico.

Thanks for all the replies - I am tempted to get one of the dresses. Not using the dryer is easy here, but being careful not to shrink in the wash is something different. I tend to pile everything in and hope for the best.

I have been thinking about you - I'm so sorry. So many people underestimate the deep grief of losing a brother. My brother died 15 years ago now and it feels still sharp and fresh and unbelievable. To have lost your son and your brother so near to one another is excruciating. I hope you can cry as much as you need and sleep as much as you like. We are all thinking of you.

Never. But my husband definitely would not have said yes to more than 2. And we were older parents so intellectually I knew we'd better stop. But yes I still dream at night that I'm pregnant etc, and I'm almost 50. I am just one of those people who loves babies. Probably lucky we didn't have more than 2 though as our two are very high needs.

So I read this article about a woman wearing a wool dress for 100 days (apparently it's a challenge or something). And she only had to wash it 3 times. I can't stop thinking about it. Has anyone tried this? I feel like I am washing ALL THE TIME. And I have so many clothes and I don't really like them. Bass Coast mum completes 100 Day Dress Challenge with focus on sustainability - ABC News

If strawberries are in season, grab a punnet or two and dip them into melted chocolate. Super easy and yum.

That's so scary - I am so sorry. We're all here. Remember though that even if the Drs in that hospital haven't seen (say) sarcoid in the heart before, there will be others they consult with, even if they're overseas, who have and will know what to do. And I guess while all this info is overwhelming, it sounds like things are happening fast and so hopefully they'll be able to get on it and help you really soon. Feel free to express how overwhelming this all is, because it's intense, and we're all here to listen.

People seem to be answering the question differently. Do I believe there is a force out there called 'luck' (or fortune or fate) that guides our lives? No. Do I believe there is any purpose for touching wood or wearing an amulet? No. Do I believe that people are affected by chance happenings, which are either good or bad? Well, of course. So much happens by chance - that is, a combination of tiny variables that no one person could have control over. I remember seeing a TV show about an air crash. Something broke that should have crashed, but by good luck, there was an expert trainer pilot who worked out how to help land the thing. Unfortunately, by bad luck, a chance gust of wind flipped the plane as it was landing and 50 people were killed.

I wonder if those dolls were ever in Australia? I have a dim memory of a doll character with a folded felt accessory - I thought it was a book maybe? I've never been able to work out what doll set it was. We definitely had strawberry shortcake doll sets - I remember the scents!

We had a bad flu season over here, and a long one. Started early and still going! I got my flu shot fairly early this year. I know a few people who ended up with pneumonia this year after flu/viruses.

I am so glad you have finally received a diagnosis! It sounds like you're in the right place at this hospital and you've got a doctor committed to helping you. All the best for the upcoming treatment, I hope it makes you feel better soon.

I am cautious about aspirin. Here's some recent research which is mixed: Aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitors in treating COVID-19 - European Journal of Internal Medicine (ejinme.com) I think because it's over the counter we think it's ok, but it can have real consequences in terms of brain bleeds etc. I will say the person I know who ended up with issues post covid a) took aspirin and b) didn't stop at all - used the week off sick to refloor a room. Ended up with weeks and weeks of inflammation and pain.

Article today about the rise in Invasive Strep A since Covid lockdowns ended in Australia. It links to the study, which clearly states that Covid, rather than lockdowns, is the likely cause of the sudden rise (there was no rise in cases until after Australia opened up and Covid began to spread widely). I do find it interesting that even The Guardian refuses to use the word 'Covid' in the article. Cases of flesh-eating invasive strep A bacteria surge in Australian children | Health | The Guardian

Firstly, is he getting help from a speech pathologist and audiologist to use the hearing he has? A speech pathologist may have great ideas about teaching reading in this context. I used to use Cued Articulation - hand signs that related to each sound - to teach reading. Something to look into. Sounds for Literacy - cued articulation

I agree. We could see this coming, and now it is here.

An online American friend told me about it, and I said, 'Who?' She was like - isn't he the most famous Australian ever? But at the time I didn't have a TV, and I don't even know if Crocodile Hunter was on Australian TV. Maybe only in Queensland! I remember the Challenger disaster - came out of my room to see my mum crying next to the radio. I also remember Sept 11. I had no TV or internet, but on the way to the train station I saw everyone talking in the street and knew something must have happened. I found out about the Boxing Day Tsunami when I was in an important meeting with a minister for education in a developing country. We were interrupted by an admin person who came in and told us. I didn't really know the extent till I returned to Australia though.

This was a definite comfort read when I was a kid, and you MUST go on and read "the little white horse" by her - it's wonderful.

Wow, that's a scary story, but believable. So I was chatting to the head of the fire brigade today about the strong anti-fire fighter sentiment after the fires here. Which moved into anti-medical sentiment once Covid hit. Not by thinking people, of course, but people who are ruled by their amygdalae. Anything reminding them of fires was bad - like the fire fighters. Anything reminding them of Covid makes them stressed - like masks.

So I met up with some friends who are school teachers. This is now happening even at school. The kids will turn up to school but won't go into the rooms - they hang out in the playground. Often they have an IEP allowing them to hang out in the playground. It's not a long term workable solution, it's a way for family, school, child to survive. And it isn't just about the child's issues - I think it is child issues, family issues, school issues and society issues. Local school is short staffed, can't supervise properly, has locked all the toilets due to damage, leading to kids having accidents, leading to more school refusal. It's a cycle. Only real change can really make a difference. Lots more staff, trained staff, whole school programs, and a different culture at the school level. And then on top of that professionals to help change things at home - from how the day begins to transport to food to medical issues . . . it's so enormous that it's difficult to comprehend. There are some schools out there who are really doing all of this, but they're tiny schools which are specially funded, not our local high with over a thousand kids.

Everything in Australia changed after the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. It was in a smaller area than the 2019-2020 fires but so many more people were killed - 173 I believe, the worst death toll for a fire in Australia. The fire was so much hotter and faster. It was mostly caused by power lines. People couldn't get out fast enough, and there was no way to stay and defend. It melted brick and steel. I guess it was similar in a way to the Maui fires - there was some warning, but no one realised how bad or how quickly it would come, there was nowhere to go because the roads were cut off, and there was just no way for emergency services to help. What changed was that the main message now is to leave and leave early. The fires are no longer 'severe' but 'catastrophic'. There is constant messaging that it's your responsibility to prepare your property before fire season, and to leave early. The reality is that fire is unpredictable, and life is worth more than property. We were very, very lucky in 2019. I can tell you that everywhere where I live is still very traumatised by it and as we creep closer to summer, the stress is increasing; people are retelling their stories, lots of conspiracy theories and blaming the fire fighters (that was huge in 2020). Pretty much everyone I know 'stayed and defended' their homes - but you are really defending against the ember attacks rather than a massive wall of flame. Nothing you can do about that. Preparation can make a huge difference, though. We had a lot of houses here surrounded by a ring of pure black, where the fire had burned so close. But because the house was utterly soaked, it was saved. Of course, we also had the planes pouring retardant, that's what really saved our town.