Re: your question about Long COVID and ME/CFS... I'm in that same school of thought of them both being under the infection-associated umbrella. My biggest criticism of the STAT column was its sweeping dismissal of research on ME/CFS -- it said something like "decades of unproductive research." True, when research is woefully underfunded, it can appear unproductive. But, the bigger fault was not mentioning the June 29-30 workshop at the National Academies on infection-associsted illnesses. No one who watched even a fragment of that event could say the research is unproductive. The authors clearly didn't do their homework, and it showed.
Thanks Amy for always being such a wonderful source of information for everyone who is afflicted by Covid, and those who care about it! You continue to inspire and teach! š
Amy, I am so glad you are figuring out a writing pace that works for you! The info about Metformin is very interesting! I take it twice daily for my diabetes. I have read that Covid may cause some people to develop diabetes. I think it definitely pushed me in that direction. So the fact that Metformin may prevent long Covid seems plausible. Keep up the good work Amy! ā¤ļø
Thank you, my friend! You and me both with the diabetes - my endocrinologist discovered I was pre-diabetic last fall and I too have been on metformin since. Then a few months later, I had crazy high cholesterol and my TSH levels, which had been under control for over 20 years, started bugging out. These are the wacky metabolic changes that COVID causes, according to my infectious disease doctor. I wish more people understood these risks š
Now that I feel coherent enough to comment again...
I agree with the idea of LC being one offshoot under a larger infection umbrella. I think those of us having to work with LC, ME/CFS, Lyme, and the rest would be best served if we came together to work on changing the "it's all in your head" paradigm we keep butting up against to get some real progress made.
I also wanted to thank you for the Atlantic article reference. (They have great Covid coverage; I was a subscriber in the past and intend to resubscribe when finances allow.) When I saw "dysautonomia" and looked into it, huge puzzle pieces fell into place for me. This is definitely one of the things I've been dealing with!
I hear you on the fatigue factor in posting. I definitely have to pace myself as I compose my missives and do my other online work. Sometimes I feel "the pinchies" in the center of my forehead; other times it's a wide band of tension across my entire forehead, but when I start feeling either sensation, I know that's my signal to switch gears and step away from the screen before my brain "overheats."
Keep up the good work. Sharing our stories will light the way for others. Many blessings to you and yours.
Thanks for the shoutout Amy! And it's great to hear you're enjoying this enough to keep producing your newsletter weekly, despite the hardships!
Thanks Anne! Having great writers around me here definitely keeps me inspired. Love your stuff š
ā¤ļø
Re: your question about Long COVID and ME/CFS... I'm in that same school of thought of them both being under the infection-associated umbrella. My biggest criticism of the STAT column was its sweeping dismissal of research on ME/CFS -- it said something like "decades of unproductive research." True, when research is woefully underfunded, it can appear unproductive. But, the bigger fault was not mentioning the June 29-30 workshop at the National Academies on infection-associsted illnesses. No one who watched even a fragment of that event could say the research is unproductive. The authors clearly didn't do their homework, and it showed.
Totally agree with you there. Iām never surprised when MSM says thereās been no good research, but STAT can and should do better than that.
Thanks Amy for always being such a wonderful source of information for everyone who is afflicted by Covid, and those who care about it! You continue to inspire and teach! š
Thanks for saying that, Jenny, and thanks for reading āŗļø. Please stay safe out there š
Amy, I am so glad you are figuring out a writing pace that works for you! The info about Metformin is very interesting! I take it twice daily for my diabetes. I have read that Covid may cause some people to develop diabetes. I think it definitely pushed me in that direction. So the fact that Metformin may prevent long Covid seems plausible. Keep up the good work Amy! ā¤ļø
Thank you, my friend! You and me both with the diabetes - my endocrinologist discovered I was pre-diabetic last fall and I too have been on metformin since. Then a few months later, I had crazy high cholesterol and my TSH levels, which had been under control for over 20 years, started bugging out. These are the wacky metabolic changes that COVID causes, according to my infectious disease doctor. I wish more people understood these risks š
Good thing that wine glass was empty! 'Twas a dangerous tilt. š¤£š·
Now that I feel coherent enough to comment again...
I agree with the idea of LC being one offshoot under a larger infection umbrella. I think those of us having to work with LC, ME/CFS, Lyme, and the rest would be best served if we came together to work on changing the "it's all in your head" paradigm we keep butting up against to get some real progress made.
I also wanted to thank you for the Atlantic article reference. (They have great Covid coverage; I was a subscriber in the past and intend to resubscribe when finances allow.) When I saw "dysautonomia" and looked into it, huge puzzle pieces fell into place for me. This is definitely one of the things I've been dealing with!
I hear you on the fatigue factor in posting. I definitely have to pace myself as I compose my missives and do my other online work. Sometimes I feel "the pinchies" in the center of my forehead; other times it's a wide band of tension across my entire forehead, but when I start feeling either sensation, I know that's my signal to switch gears and step away from the screen before my brain "overheats."
Keep up the good work. Sharing our stories will light the way for others. Many blessings to you and yours.