Update Day 150 (!!!!): This one's a bit of a mixed bag. Let me start with the good news. My husband and Kid 2 are asymptomatic and have been for a couple of weeks. Kid 2's energy is back and then some. #COVID19#CovidLonghaul#LongHauler#ApresJ120#CovidandKids
Kid 1's only symptom is a swollen lymph node in her chest that has been stubbornly hanging on for weeks now. We took her to the osteo yesterday and by working on her neck and shoulder, the osteo managed to bring it down in size, but the bump still bothering Kid 1.
Kid 3 got a steroid inhaler four weeks ago. After a week of using it, she had 8 blissful cough-free days. Then the cough came back. We now seem to be in a holding pattern, with 2-3 days of coughing, followed by 2-3 days without. Still waiting on the respirologist.
So this makes me the bad news. I was doing pretty well, more physically active, mostly symptom-free, but then after a busier than usual August long weekend, I relapsed pretty hard last week. Suddenly, any physical exertion more strenuous than walking from one room to the next
gave me severe chest pain. I got three big blisters on my legs, and one of them turned into a very deep abscess. So Monday, I had to go to the hospital to get it lanced and drained. (Shoutout to the staff of the @QCHOttawa who gave great care!)
Now I have added dermatologist to the list of specialists I am waiting to see. I'm recovering from the relapse but still dealing with lots of fatigue. Last Wednesday I walked 8,000 steps - today I hobbled painfully to the mailbox and back. Baby steps!
There is still a silver lining here - no swollen glands, no full body aches, no runny nose. So even though it was a relapse, I am still seeing fewer symptoms. And I know that resting and pacing my energy will help my recovery. So back to resting 'til it hurts.
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Remember when @sflecce claimed that the Ottawa bus chaos last year was the fault of incompetent Ottawa school boards? Well, here's what the Deloitte report commissioned by the former Minister actually found: 1/8 #onted #onpoli
"OSTA is projecting a funding gap of $7.0 million, which is derived as the difference between its amended and approved 2023-24 budget of $82.1 million and its 2023-24 funding of $75.1 million. This funding gap needs to be addressed."
2/8
The report goes on to note that a deficit like this requires that a board take $ out of other areas to continue providing transportation, which directly impacts the quality of education.
This is something I hear regularly from other boards who are facing the same problem.
3/8
Know why Stephen Lecce wants us all talking about cell phones (again)?
So that we’re not talking about how harmful his latest funding formula is for our kids.
A🧵.
1/16
#onted
First off, let’s acknowledge what this is once again: a funding cut. For the sixth straight year, the Conservatives’ education funding does not keep pace with inflation or enrollment growth.
2/16🧵
#onted
If funding had just kept pace with inflation since 2018, there would be $1000 more per-student in 2024-25. That represents a loss of more than *$2 billion* for our education system this year.
I’m concerned about the growing tendency in some circles to equate #LongCovid with #MEcfs. I think this is bad for both #Longhaulers and ppl living with ME/CFS. A thread. 👇
2. Before I start, let me be clear this is not a swipe at the #MEcfs community which has been hugely supportive of #Longhaulers, sharing tips & resources & lots of moral support. I am very grateful for that support.
3. Nor is this to deny the reality that some #Longhaulers have developed or are on track to develop #MEcfs. We know from the first SARS that this could end up being a significant number of #COVID patients.
1. This is a thread for my fellow #Longhaulers who are about to lose access to the #CERB on Saturday. I know some are quite worried about financial supports so this is a look at your options. As you'll see, it's quite a dog's breakfast. #COVID19#LongCOVID#ApresJ180#cdnpoli
2. The first stop is Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits. #EI eligibility was frozen in March, so if you were employed or self-employed but paying premiums and had accumulated enough hours for eligibility, you will now transition to EI sickness benefits.
3. It's not clear yet whether a medical note will be required if your illness is due to COVID-19. If it is, it can be signed by a doctor, psychologist, or chiropractor. You do not need a diagnosis to get a note (although you do need a sympathetic health care provider).
I will probably use asymptomatic for a long while rather than recovered, because as we've seen before, being symptom-free now doesn't mean they won't come back. I also remain paranoid about things like rashes & hugely swollen bug bites, although there's no reason to believe...
they're related to Covid. It will just take a while for the anxiety reflex to go away.
As for me, I'm having a really good week, including lengthy periods of the day where I have no symptoms at all and others where my only symptom is tinnitus.
Journalists frequently ask me if my family is pursuing antibody testing to prove we had COVID. Draw up a chair and let me tell you why that question is so problematic. #Longhaulers#LongCOVID#ApresJ150#CovidAntibodies
2. A negative antibody test doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have antibodies and it certainly doesn't mean you didn't have COVID. First of all, the accuracy of C19 antibody tests has been questioned by the CDC and others. Some C19 antibody tests have a high false negative rate.
3. For instance, some of the tests authorized by the FDA have a sensitivity rate under 90% - which means if 100 ppl are tested, 10 or more will be told they don’t have antibodies when they actually do. And that’s the rate reported by the manufacturer, not the rate in actual use.