The healing magic of The Golden Girls

Plus, the Antidote #48: caregiving, racism in health outcomes, why language matters, and hot dogs!

Nov 08, 2025

The Tonic is a lighthearted, heavily resourced newsletter for folks interested in learning about long COVID, ME/CFS, and other health conditions. Come for the info; stay for the whimsy. Or vice versa.

If you are new here and curious about the tools that have been helping me in my long COVID recovery, please check out the Recovery Tools series tab on my Substack site. (Please start with part one, as it includes an important disclaimer about how highly individualized recovery tools can be with a heterogenous illness like long COVID).

The Tonic will always be free to read - Amy is so happy you’re here! However, if you are valuing the experience and are able, please consider a show of support by upgrading to a paid subscription. If that’s too much to bite off at the moment, you can also make a one-time contribution through Buy Me a Coffee. Any help is appreciated! Anyone who does gets a 📢 in an upcoming post. Thank you!

‘Supdate

Life in this mostly recovered place continues to be interesting.

After three interviews, much internal and household deliberation, and a heaping dose of fear around the future and what I can handle, I finally accepted a job offer. I’ll be joining a second therapy practice part-time along with the one I’m currently working for extremely part-time. Whereas the practice I work for now is owned by a dear friend and very anti-oppression and anti-colonialist with pro-chill vibes, the one I’m joining is a national outfit with a more corporate (cough cough, white, cough cough) feel. Together, these two gigs will get me enough client work to start counting hours toward my clinical social work license (I need to log 2,000 supervised hours in at least three but no longer than six years…and then I’ll have to sit for a dreaded exam…but, let me not go there).

The fear I was feeling for a few weeks around this whole sitch caused a very definite return of my three worst symptoms: fatigue, brain fog, and a touch of neuropathy. I was also not sleeping great, which always makes my days rough. It’s wild to have been basically on the other side of these symptoms, only to watch them crop up again and see how clearly linked they are to stress, fear, and a dysregulated nervous system.

Simultaneously, I am beginning to taper off the many medications I’ve been on for years, primarily for mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and that has been A LOT. I’ve been itchy for a few weeks (after getting off hydroxyzine, an H1 blocker) and have had acid stomach for about a week (after stopping famotidine, an H2 blocker). I also dropped down from 10mg montelukast (a leukotriene blocker) to the 5mg made-for-children chewable tablets in a bid to step down from this too. For anyone interested, I did baseline MCAS urine and blood testing a few months ago and will do so again once I’m off all these meds, especially if I’m still itchy/acidy. My immunologist is trying to determine if I truly have MCAS, as the testing really wasn’t done properly back in late 2020. It’s just been assumed that I have had it all this time (many long haulers do) and I’ve been on some variation of these three different meds since then, possibly needlessly.

Yay, medicine?

Image result for doctors don't know what they're doing meme

In any event, once I threw caution to the wind and signed the offer letter, I started sleeping better again and my symptoms pretty immediately got better. Coach Junior from CFS Recovery spoke on a call this week about how facing the fear often means just taking the first step, and I think signing the offer was that for me. Each step from here feels a bit more manageable. I start the job in December with two weeks of training before they begin helping me build my client caseload. It’ll likely take a few months to get up to the number of clients I’ve agreed to, so I’ll have time to adjust.

This is life post-recovery: figuring out how to incorporate the lessons I’ve learned as I venture back into things, and navigate it all in a calmer, more tuned-in and grounded way. Testing the ‘edges’ of this recovery with varying levels of real-world stress helps me figure out how to calibrate. For example, I realized I had gradually let my daily meditation practice drop off as I started feeling fewer symptoms. This work situation made me incorporate it back in and it’s been helping a lot again.

I have the tools I need; I just need to remember that I do.

Other goings-on include NEW CAT (scroll down to Cat Dump for that update).

It’s always a big energy expenditure, even when it goes well.

I have a bunch of therapy clients, a few coaching clients, and my days are getting FULL. And here’s a fun update…

Below is a screenshot of the last time I played basketball. Note the date at the top…otherwise known as The Day Before Everything Changed™️.

Next up is a pic from November 3, 2025: my (triumphant? more wrinkly?) return.

Quick backstory: we moved into this house in 2019, and I was so excited that it came with a basketball hoop in the driveway. I vowed to revisit my high school varsity days, except this time not warming the bench. After months of unpacking, settling in, and then winter, with 2019 ticking over to 2020, I finally got outside on a warm day in late March to shoot some hoops. Little did I know I wouldn’t be able to get back out there for five-and-a-half years.

But back I am, and it feels sooooo good. I’ve still got some skillz. Just like riding a bike, except way less uncomfortable in the undercarriage.

Image result for riding a bike hurts my butt meme

“Thank you for being a frieeeend…” 🎶

The Golden Girls - The Golden Girls Photo (19704656) - Fanpop

I’ve recently started rewatching The Golden Girls (on Hulu).

So why write about it in a newsletter about health?

Well, as I’ve said before about this newsletter…

But moreover, and simply put, the show still holds up comedically, which sparks joy and laughter, which convey messages of safety to my brain and nervous system. You simply can’t be in a state of fear and panic when you’re belly laughing. The brain can’t hold those two states simultaneously.

To take this further, let’s cover the health benefits of laughter, as brought to you by my quick search on the interwebs:

If you’ve been reading The Tonic for any amount of time, you know that I love the memes. I love humor. I love watching comedy specials, sitcoms, funny movies, etc. In fact, within eight hours of typing this, I’ll be in a theater seeing the comedian Leslie Jones live. Yay! (Reporting back: lotttttssssss of dick jokes 🍆).

My family has always been big on sarcasm and yuk yuks. It started with the OG of alternating dry humor with goofiness, my pops:

As for me, I had long COVID during the entirety of the pandemic, as many of you know (some say the pandemic is still going on, and I don’t necessarily disagree). During these years, I’ve watched or rewatched a lot of comedy. My favorites are Schitt’s Creek, Ted Lasso, The Big Bang Theory, Friends, Shrinking, Platonic. I stick with SNL, even though it is extraordinarily hit or miss, mostly miss these days, but it’s like a car wreck and I just can’t look away.

And now The Golden Girls. Like I said, it still holds up, though there are some cringe-worthy moments in the writing around gay folks, Black folks, and Midwesterners, to name a few. It straddles the line of including story lines about such folks, which was probably ahead of its time in the mid 80’s-early 90’s, and being offensive. Taking it in that context…helps? (shrug).

My favorite character by far is Dorothy, played by Bea Arthur. The writers gave her a lot of the zingers, along with Sophia, her mother, played by Estelle Getty. They are both gifted with excellent comedic delivery. But Dorothy plays sarcasm and dry humor perfectly, including with her facial expressions. I often marvel at how she didn’t crack, though it was filmed in front of a live audience and edited for the at-home audience, so who knows.

Here’s some fun, weird facts I’ve noticed or looked up while watching season one, which I’m still on:

In the first episode, the women had a live-in (gay?) chef. His presence was strange, given that they were clearly not wealthy women and Blanche’s home, while Florida-lovely for the times, was no mansion. He also just didn’t fit into the snappy rhythm of the women’s lines and comedic timing. Still, one can’t help feeling a bit bad for the actor who played him; the show took off like a rocket, and the ship left him on terra firma.
Also in the first episode, Blanche’s bedroom was off to the left while the other women’s rooms were down that hall more to the right. This is characteristic of a lot of Florida homes, where the main BR is on the opposite side of the house as all other bedrooms. But the lanai was also to the left, and I think the writers didn’t realize how much they’d use the lanai in subsequent episodes, so they moved her room near all the others.
Sophia was a year younger than Dorothy IRL! The ages in the pic below are what they were when the show started. They did a hell of a make-up job on Sophia to age her up to age 80. Also, wild to think that Blanche was only a year older than I am now, and that was considered “golden” (picture my palm to my 50yo face).

10 Beloved Sitcom Casts Whose Real Ages Will Shock You - Woman's World

A late-night Wikipedia rabbit hole taught me that Dorothy didn’t much like Rose IRL. Can you imagine anyone not liking Betty White? It seems like a capital offense. But apparently Bea Arthur was uber-professional on set and didn’t like to break character between scenes, while Betty White enjoyed turning to the audience and being playful, and this irked Bea Arthur tremendously.
The outside shot of the house for the first three seasons is a house in Brentwood, CA, not Miami, FL where the women supposedly lived. They later built a replica set of the house in Florida that became part of backstage tours at Disney’s Hollywood studios.
And lastly, a fun fact that also involves yours truly: I went to LA only once in my life, and only for two days, and the only celebrity sighting I had was seeing Blanche (Rue McLanahan) driving her BMW, squinting into the late afternoon sun to make a right turn on red.

How Old Every Main Character Was In The Golden Girls – entert.online

And finally, if you weren’t already aware, there were two entire episodes (“Sick and Tired”, which aired in 1989) about a mysterious, months-long illness Dorothy has after getting the flu. Incredible that the show highlighted this just five years after the 1984 outbreak of what would later come to be known as ME/CFS in Incline Village, Nevada.

Also incredible? How little has changed as far as society’s and the medical system’s dismissiveness and gaslighting around any illness involving fatigue, and namely, women’s fatigue. Sigh…long COVID has helped with awareness raising, and we stand on the shoulders of those who suffered in isolation for decades with ME/CFS.

Back to the comedy of it all

Do you love The Golden Girls as much as I do? Have you used joy, comedy, and laughter as part of your daily living or recovery plan? What shows or movies have you particularly enjoyed? Spill it!

COVID, Long COVID, and ME/CFS

😷 COVID-19 spreading again: how serious is it and what are the symptoms?

🚸 COVID and children: Covid raises risk of heart issues in children more than vaccination and COVID in pregnancy linked to kids’ risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.

💉 Vaccines: IDSA 2025 guidelines on the use of vaccines for the prevention of seasonal COVID-19, influenza, and RSV infections in immunocompromised patients and people with some cancers live longer after a COVID vaccine.

🩸 ME/CFS: blood flow to the head in a person with myalgic encephalomyelitis experiencing postexertional malaise: a case report.

🫀 Infections and heart disease: some acute and chronic viral infections may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

💊 Metformin and long COVID: studies show it reduces risk, so why isn’t it more widely used?

💪🏻 Creatine and long COVID: Dysautonomia Dietitian with a super informative post on the mechanisms and potential benefits of creatine.

🎭 Mental health and long COVID: people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression may be at increased risk for long COVID, according to this study.

⚖️ Weight loss drugs: insights and trials underway for GLP-1 agonist use in ME/CFS, FM and Long COVID.

Resources

💰 Long COVID and disability benefits: join Pandemic Patients and Kantor & Kantor LLP for their upcoming webinar, From Brain Fog to Benefits: Navigating ERISA and Winning Long COVID Disability Appeals on November 12th at 3pm ET. Register here. (side note: Kantor & Kantor gave me free advice a few times when I was going through my own employer-based disability journey - they are top notch!).

🫂 Caregiving workshops: #MEAction is hosting two upcoming workshops for caregivers of folks with ME/CFS, long COVID, etc. The first is Top 10 Lessons from 20 Years of Caregiving Workshop with Kim Moy on Sunday, November 16th @ 12pm PT/3pm ET. Tickets here (they ask for a suggested donation - any amount will do). The next one is Chronic Illness Caregiving for Youth, Teen, and Adult Children
with Denise Lopez-Mojano on Saturday, November 22nd @ 12pm PT/3pm ET. Tickets here (same suggested donation situation).

🩸 Menopause webinar: join Let’s Talk Menopause for their upcoming talk, Breaking the Silence: Menopause, Leadership, and the Workplace on November 14th at 9am ET. Register here.

🔬 Long COVID study: check out the study sites for clinical trials of the drug Bezisterim through the ADDRESS-LC initiative. Must be 18 to 64 years of age, have brain fog and fatigue attributed to a COVID infection, and have symptoms for at least 3 months. The study recently expanded to accept ‘first wavers’ (2020 infections) and there are sites across the country.

📖 Guide for caretakers: check out Kim Moy’s Navigating Clinical Uncertainty: Practical Tips for ME/CFS and Long COVID Caregivers, or share with someone you know who is caretaking.

😷 COVID-safe youth: a wonderful compilation of resources for young people trying to stay COVID-safe, by JD Davids @TheCrankyQueer.

Health miscellany

🤢 Gluten sensitivity: it could be something else entirely.

🏓 Pickleball: as the sport continues to gain players, injuries are increasing.

🦷 Bad gums: tied to big brain risks.

🥤 Soda recall: FDA announces recall for three popular Coca-Cola sodas due to possible metal contamination.

💤 Better sleep: why “dark showering” could be the secret. Sounds dangerous to me.

🤖 AI and health: AI is transforming medicine. Could it bring doctors and patients together? And yet, more than a million people every week show suicidal intent when chatting with ChatGP. And large language models struggled in responding to menopause questions.

🫸🏽Racism and cardiovascular health: researchers in JAMA Health Forum linked structural racism with a higher prevalence of coronary heart disease and stroke.

☠️ This week in genocide: WHO leads medical evacuation of 41 critical patients out of Gaza, and billions needed to rebuild Gaza’s health system (the U.S. and Israel should PAY). And tragically, famine is declared in Sudan.

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans suicide: Erin Reed with a post on how every trans suicide is a murder by those in power. RIP, Lia Smith.

😡 Government fuckery: no shortage once again. Here’s some government shutdown fuckery: as Obamacare premiums climb, some plan to drop their health insurance and go uninsured. And SNAP benefits cut spark rush to food pantries across the nation and at least 25 states plan to cut off food aid benefits in November. And civilian employees at several federal agencies miss their first full paycheck and Trump administration hints furloughed workers may not be paid after shutdown - how incredibly depraved and illegal. In trans fuckery, judge strikes down rule extending health protections to transgender care and SCOTUS okay putting trans folks directly in harm’s way as they rule against passport gender markers in shadow docket ruling (raise your hand if you didn’t know what a shadow docket was before this shady administration took office?). Everything RFK touches turns to shit: Kennedy directs CDC to study alleged harms of offshore wind farms, and RFK Jr to urge Americans to eat more saturated fats and HHS employees now being measured by loyalty to Trump’s policies (fascism much?). Research cuts may widen racial disparities for common blood cancer, multiple myeloma. Make America…healthy again?

💪🏾 Fighting back: first, Democrats sue after Trump administration says it won’t pay November SNAP benefits, then Trump administration ordered to restore full SNAP benefits by Friday (then, these fucks filed a federal appeal to block this judge’s order. They want people to starve). And here was a good move: Senate Democrats head to Trump’s ‘backyard’ to press him on Obamacare. And eureka!: California union floats idea of taxing billionaires to offset Medicaid cuts. And California invests over $140 million to support Planned Parenthood health centers amid Trump’s efforts to defund. Lastly, new righteous fight anthem by Brandi Carlile:

Inspiration & Recovery

💗 Loving yourself: 8 Things Every Person Who Loves Themselves Actually Knows, a beautiful post by Paolo Peralta.

🗣️ TED Talk: What long COVID taught me about life (and data), by graphic data artist Giorgia Lupi.

🙏🏻 Gratitude: the different types, and why it isn’t always helpful, a post by Dr. Talia.

📽️ Recovery wisdom: I’ve recently discovered Sam Miller’s YouTube videos. Here’s an intro post from her, in case you want to check her out too. You may also want to check out her video on The Schedule as Safety.

🔤 Language matters: a video by Dan Buglio. I have found it very effective to shift away from super descriptive language around symptoms/flare-ups. Worth giving a try!

😹 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards: some real gems here. I think my fave is the bird who’s got the other bird’s head in his beak.

🌭 Hot diggity dog: this furloughed IRS lawyer is living out his dream of being a hot dog vendor. I love that he charges people more for ordering what he deems the ‘wrong’ hot dog toppings. My kinda guy (I’m looking at all of you who order vanilla or mint-anything ice cream!).

🐧 Penguin of the year: get your vote in! Maybe you like Captain here best.

🖼️ Art with a side of insults: German museum’s ‘grumpy tour guide’ is surprise hit.

👻 Halloween health haikus: right up The Tonic’s alley!

🤦🏻 Buffoons of the week: there were a few this week, so here goes. Woman Sues SeaWorld Orlando Claiming Duck Hit Her Face on Roller Coaster. “Ma’am…you do know there’s WATER at SeaWorld, right??” And here comes absolute piece of racist trash Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who wore a Mexican sombrero and dress for Halloween and holding a sign that said, “Mexican Word of the Day: JUICY. TELL ME IF JUICY ICE COMING.” Because making light of people indiscriminately getting snatched off the street in front of their families is hilarious. TRASH.

🏆 Winners of the week: we’ve got a few here too! First up, ballerina Misty Copeland recently retired, after returning to the stage in post-partum years in a changed body. Her embrace of the changes is what we’re celebrating here, along with her triumphant and historic career as the first Black woman to become a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre. Then there’s this guy, who won $1 million on a scratch-off after he showed up for a doctor’s appointment only to learn it had to be rescheduled. And lastly, it’s sister act: meet the Austrian nuns who fled a nursing home to break into their old convent. They moved right back in! Some sets of ovaries on these gals.

🐈‍⬛ 💩 And finally, it’s this week’s Cat Dump. Acclimating new kitty Nova edition.

Nova is a sweet and super-duper playful girl, making up for her lost kittenhood by running her new mom in circles with requests for play! She’s definitely more play-motivated than food-motivated (like Birdie) or affection-motivated (like Fritzy). We took all the recommended steps to introduce them slowly, keeping Nova in the guest room for a week and doing scent-swaps (we put Nova in the bathroom with Birdie’s and Fritzy’s cat beds, and let Birdie and Fritzy sniff around the guest room for a bit). We then put up the baby gate so they could all get visuals. Fritzy jumped the gate a few times, but he kept hissing at Nova, so we had to remove him. Birdie keeps her distance and remains unsure about her new sister. And just this morning, while Nova was still in the guest room where she spends overnights still, Fritzy was going after Birdie uncharacteristically and I had to separate those two for a bit. <Sigh>…it’s a transition and to be expected. Overall though, it’s going as well as can be expected, and we are staying patient. We’ve been through this phase before with each cat we’ve added to the brood.