VIRUS NEWS:
Dr. Fauci says ‘There’s no doubt’ that COVID-19 deaths have been undercounted in the U.S. A recent study counted 905,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S., nearly double the amount recorded by federal health officials.
Dr. Fauci says ‘There’s no doubt’ that COVID-19 deaths have been undercounted in the U.S. A recent study counted 905,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S., nearly double the amount recorded by federal health officials.
COVID-19 was 'a preventable disaster,' A World Health Organization-ordered report says.
Americans could soon see milestones like a full return to in-person classrooms now that COVID-19 vaccinations are open to young teens, the director of the CDC said.
America is finally winning its fight against the coronavirus.
Variants:
Variants:
The World Health Organization has classified the triple-mutant COVID variant from India as a global health risk.
The World Health Organization reported that the variant strain of the virus from India has hit 44 countries.
The World Health Organization is closely monitoring 10 COVID variants as the virus mutates around the world.
How a worrisome coronavirus variant spread unnoticed.
Florida reports more than 10,000 COVID-19 variant cases in a surge after spring break. 243 have been hospitalized with variants and 67 have died.
Vaccines:
The US FDA authorized Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for use in people ages 12 to 15.
The CDC also recommends the use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in 12-15-year-olds.
Pfizer will ask for approval to give its COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 2 to 11.
BioNTech expects COVID vaccine data on kids ages 5 to 11 as early as the end of summer.
CDC says there’s now real-world proof that vaccines cut hospitalizations for people 65 years and older: Fully vaccinated are 94% less likely to be hospitalized. People who only got one shot were 64% less likely to be hospitalized.
Coronavirus vaccines are exceeding expectations in the real world — even in the face of variants.
Fact check: No evidence that a 2-year-old died after getting Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Fact check: COVID vaccines do not ‘shed’ from one person to another and then cause reproductive problems.
Fact check: COVID-19 vaccines don't cause magnetic reactions or contain tracking devices.
Fact check: No, other people’s COVID vaccines can’t disrupt your menstrual cycle.
COVID vaccine myths: These reasons for not getting it don't hold up.
Risk of dying from COVID-19 is 40 times the risk of a rare blood clot after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Anxiety, not problems with shots, caused adverse reactions, officials say.
A blood expert says he found why some COVID-19 vaccines trigger rare blood clots. A scientist in Germany thinks he has found an answer as researchers around world examine AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson shots.
The governor of Ohio announced $1 million lotteries over 5 weeks for vaccinated residents.
The governor of Wisconsin is mulling vaccine incentives to get more people vaccinated.
Michigan has reached the first of the state’s vaccine milestones -- in-person work can resume in 2 weeks now that 55% of Michiganders have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
A Texas hospital system will require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine and could fire them if they don't comply.
Some New York City subway stations will soon offer walk-up vaccine appointments.
A COVID-19 vaccine clinic has opened at Dracula's castle in Romania. Really!
US-based Moderna will send 25 million vaccine doses to Australia.
How a small Texas town doubled its COVID-19 vaccination rate in a month as the state’s rate declined.
How Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout is leaving essential farmworkers behind.
Mixing COVID-19 vaccines has been tied to more side effects, early UK data suggests.
CNN's Jim Acosta guest asks if Fox News' Tucker Carlson has been vaccinated — and why he won't tell his audience.
'How many people die after watching Tucker Carlson': Fox News host blasted after implying the COVID vaccine kills 30 daily.
A Bikers for Trump woman says her son 'dropped dead for no reason' 10 days after getting the COVID vaccine.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) is spreading dangerous misinformation about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Czech drug regulator said it doesn't have enough data to recommend Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for use. And it's not alone in this: Over the last few weeks, regulators in Slovakia and Brazil have reached the same conclusion.
Slovakia has halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
German vaccine seekers are getting aggressive, doctors say.
The alarming COVID-19 resurgence in the world's most vaccinated nation leads to questions about a Chinese vaccine. More than one-third of the new cases are people who have been fully vaccinated with it.
'Vaccine tourists' fly from abroad for injections on a US beach.
Kaiser has released the latest data on COVID-19 vaccinations by race/ethnicity.
A delayed second Pfizer COVID-19 shot produces more antibodies, a study suggests.
CureVac-GSK coronavirus variant vaccine generates good immune response in rats.
Top scientists question the need for COVID-19 booster shots.
Masks:
Fully vaccinated? You can ditch the mask, CDC says. "We have all longed for this moment," said the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky. (This is going to be a problem... Who will be able to tell who is vaccinated people and who are the anti-mask/vaxxers?)
CNN's Jake Tapper asked Jeffery Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, about President Biden wearing a mask when he is in a room where all are vaccinated.
It may be time to relax indoor face mask mandates, Dr. Fauci says.
‘DeSantis said we don’t have to!’ Anti-masker punches Florida clerk over mask request.
The people who want to keep masking: ‘It’s like an invisibility cloak.’
Politics:
A fourth stimulus check is in jeopardy as payments dwindle.
South Carolina and Montana to end all pandemic unemployment benefits for jobless residents.
A growing number of Republican-led states are moving to end the extra $300 per week in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment benefits, arguing that the relief is dis-incentivizing American workers from rejoining the labor force.
Dr. Fauci clashed with Rand Paul again: ‘You are saying things that are not correct!’
'Not going to play that game': Dr. Fauci shut down a GOP senator's attempted gotcha question.
The Biden Administration says it would support easing patent rules on COVID-19 vaccines after internal debate and strong pushback from American drugmakers, potentially expanding global supply and narrowing the vaccination gap between rich and poor nations.
Healthcare:
‘A slap in the face’: Hundreds of frontline COVID doctors in the UK have been told they won’t have jobs from August. ‘They’ve not held up their end of the bargain,’ says one who worked in ‘war zone’ hospitals during pandemic.
More than 99% of hospitalized COVID patients so far in 2021 have been unvaccinated.
'None of us signed up to die': Filipino American nurses are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
The FDA has shared why you should not use Ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19.
India's COVID-19 catastrophe could make global medical shortages even worse.
Indian doctors warn against cow dung as COVID cure. Really!
COVID-Related Health Complications:
Two pandemics clash as doctors have found that COVID spurs diabetes.
Long-haul COVID-19 patients surprise Mayo Clinic researchers. Fatigue and continued breathing problems were most common symptoms along with neurological and cognitive issues.
A new study shows that 80% of hospital COVID-19 patients have neurologic complications.
True Stories:
A man from North Carolina is using his near-death experience with COVID-19 to push others to get the vaccine.
‘Disowned’: A family says pleas for help were ignored as an Australian man died of COVID-19 in India.
An Italian woman was mistakenly given six shots of a COVID-19 vaccine.
'We are fed up': Thousands pray at Portugal's Fatima shrine for world without COVID-19.
Children and Schools:
Children now account for 22% of new U.S. COVID cases. Why is that?
Resuming in-person learning at Texas schools last fall accelerated spread of COVID-19, study says.
Travel:
A major cruise ship company may avoid Florida if the state doesn't permit COVID-19 vaccination checks.
British Airways is trialing a ‘game-changer’ COVID-19 test with results in 25 seconds.
European vacations may be possible again as COVID infections slow.
Disneyland reopened for first time in more than a year.
Disneyland has finally reopened. Here's what to expect.
Universal Studios Hollywood returns with Harry Potter, pets and dinos after yearlong coronavirus closure.
Disney World reducing coronavirus social distancing protocols. The Florida theme park will still require a 6-foot distance in stores, restaurants and in places where visitors can remove their masks.
Hawaii is welcoming back tourists, but they still need to pass COVID-19 tests.
New vaccine pass allows vaccinated residents to travel between Hawaiian islands.
MGM Resorts' gaming floors in Las Vegas have returned to 100% capacity.
Heading to Mexico? These are the COVID restrictions in place. From Tulum to Oaxaca, here's what to expect if you're visiting Mexico, from pre-departure requirements to what's open on the ground.
COVID-19 cases are up and tighter restrictions are in place in Cancun. Here's what you need to know before you go (and, I'm sure, Ted Cruz will not be going there any time soon...)
Japan is still pushing for the summer Olympics despite the state of emergency due to the pandemic and a population that’s just 1% vaccinated against the virus.
The US is restricting travel from India over COVID as American aid begins to arrive.
Misc:
COVID vaccines may not protect people with immune disorders. A National Institute of Health trial seeks answers. Millions of Americans have immune disorders, autoimmune diseases or have received an organ transplant.
The logic of Biden’s new July 4 vaccination goal: The President’s new goal acknowledges how close America is to potentially getting COVID-19 under control.
COVID-19 false positives claim is positively false.
We're starting to see how the pandemic affected births in the US.
Michigan's Governor Whitmer to receive JFK Profile in Courage Award for her effort to fight COVID-19.
COVID adopted pets have helped people manage pandemic stresses.
Many pandemic puppies being returned to shelters: ‘The dog sits at the door and cries.’
California and Florida took different approaches in reopening. How are they doing with COVID-19?
Lifesaving tips on reopening the US.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts have said how crucial it is to reach some level of herd immunity. But now some say full herd immunity may not be necessary for life to look more normal.
Doctors reveal how they really feel about anti-vaxxers in a scathing, yet funny Jimmy Kimmel segment.
Revelers gathered for a UK rave experiment without social distancing.
The New York Yankees are dealing with COVID-19 issues as seven members of traveling party test positive. All seven members of the team had been fully vaccinated, per the Yankees.
Joe Rogan admits he’s a ‘f**king moron’ for offering selfish COVID-19 vaccine advice. “I’m not a respected source of information, even for me,” the podcast host said as he tried to explain his wrongheaded comments about the COVID-19 shot.
A pastor in Oregon says he won't close church after a COVID-19 outbreak infected 74 members.
A Republican bill would ban the University of Wisconsin system and tech colleges from requiring COVID-19 testing or vaccinations.
South Carolina's governor banned mask mandates and vaccine passports.
A former staffer is suing U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), alleging "reckless" handling of COVID-19 in the office, calling it "hoax" and requiring personal errands from employees.
Bill Maher contracted COVID despite being vaccinated.
Delta Airlines plans to require all new hires to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
A new musical 'Breathe' was written during and is about the COVID-19 pandemic.
McDonald's coffee cups to feature 'We Can Do This' slogan promoting COVID vaccination.
Miramax greenlit a pandemic thriller co-scripted by Kevin Williamson, with Gideon Adlon set to star and John Hyams directing.
A new coronavirus lingers in the penis and could cause impotence.
Sex and COVID: What are the rules?
Condom sales have been in a slump during the pandemic as people sheltered at home and put their sex life on hold. Now, they're surging.
A GOP lawmaker that was charged with opening the Oregon Capitol's doors to rioters, now has a ‘really bad case of COVID.’
An anti-vaxxer recorded himself stealing a vial of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to 'investigate' in a laboratory.
An Arizona Republican official says that vaccines turn you into ‘potted plants.’
GOP representative and QAnon Crazy Marjorie Taylor-Greene says she knows what’s holding this country back: ‘We need to STOP the vaccines!’
Fox News' Brian Kilmeade got mad at a 6th grader for saying Biden is doing a good job getting the virus under control.
When it comes to the pandemic, Tucker Carlson may be America’s biggest public health problem.
Tucker Carlson doubled down on his batsh** crazy vaccine fearmongering and blames Biden for his inability to understand facts.
Fox News' 'The Five' say Biden is an 'anti-vaxxer' and Trump was 'ahead of the science' on masks.
Florida's governor says he'll pardon people charged with breaking COVID protocol.
A frustrated Trump supporter had a meltdown in a Costco after customers refused to join his anti-mask rebellion.
GLOBAL:
There have been 161,149,912 confirmed cases of the virus around the world. There have been 3,344,388 deaths from the virus globally.
Asia's 5.9 million COVID infections overwhelm hospitals.
Britain is set to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, but huge India outbreak persists.
India's daily COVID death toll surpassed 4,000 for first time.
India’s Modi is following the MAGA COVID model and it’s not going well.
India accounts for 46% of world's new COVID-19 cases and a quarter of deaths.
Bodies of dozens of suspected COVID dead found in India’s Ganges. Residents in the area believe bodies were dumped in the river because crematoriums were overwhelmed or families could not afford funeral pyres.
The Maldives has banned tourists from South Asia, cutting off an escape route for wealthy Indians fleeing their own country's COVID-19 crisis.
Mumbai newest mega field hospital that has a capacity of more than 2,000 beds with state-of-the-art medical facilities with oxygen and ventilators… is immediately already almost completely full.
Doctors in Nepal have warned that the country is facing a similar devastating wave of COVID-19 as neighboring India, with border districts already reporting an alarming spike in cases and shortage of hospital beds and oxygen.
32,000 vials of Remdesivir have arrived in Nepal.
Taiwanese cities have tightened restrictions after COVID-19 cases rise.
Australians returning home from India could face up to 5 years in jail and fines after the government made the journey temporarily illegal and banned all flights from India. There are an estimated 9,000 Australians in India, 600 of whom deemed vulnerable.
Australia's most populous state has extended its COVID restrictions as it hunts for a new outbreak source.
Britain ordered 60 million Pfizer COVID-19 shots for booster program.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is 'anxious' as the COVID-19 variant found in India spreads in UK.
How many people in the UK have been vaccinated so far?
Police in Germany are warning of a fake COVID vaccine passport problem.
Asylum-seekers in Greece are awaiting COVID-19 vaccines.
Citizens work to expose COVID's real death toll in Nicaragua as leaders there claim success.
Brazil is running out of ingredients for the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines.
The mayor of Calgary in Canada says anti-mask rallies are ‘thinly veiled white nationalist’ protests.
Ontario, Canada is keeping its ban on outdoor recreation for two weeks. The ‘stay-at-home’ order has been extended to at least June 2, as COVID cases rise in Ontario.
STATES:
Maine's Governor Mills is easing COVID-19 restrictions and lifting capacity limits. Effective May 24, public indoor and outdoor capacity limits will be lifted and physical distancing requirements will be eased. Yet, COVID-19 patient counts at Central Maine Medical Center have broken a record for the second straight week.
Maine's Governor Mills is easing COVID-19 restrictions and lifting capacity limits. Effective May 24, public indoor and outdoor capacity limits will be lifted and physical distancing requirements will be eased. Yet, COVID-19 patient counts at Central Maine Medical Center have broken a record for the second straight week.
New York City plans to reopen without most capacity restrictions by May 19th.
New Jersey plans to move forward with its major reopening plan to lift many COVID restrictions next week. The state reported 26 COVID deaths and 820 cases yesterday. Hospitalizations have fallen below 1,000 for first time 7 months.
The governor of Delaware updated his COVID-19 order, eliminating capacity restrictions effective May 21.
North Carolina reported yesterday that the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests has dipped to 4% as hospitalizations remain below 1,000 cases.
Is Florida 'leading the way' on pandemic recovery? Not so much, says data. Governor Ron DeSantis suspended all local COVID-19 orders. South Florida mayors say they were blindsided and disagree with decision. 4,064 new coronavirus cases were reported Thursday in the state with 47 new deaths.
In Pennsylvania, nearly half of Philadelphia's firefighters and police have skipped COVID-19 vaccines.
Ohio's COVID-19 health orders will be lifted by June 2, according to the governor. Yesterday, the state reported 1,161 new cases.
Michigan health officials reported 2,057 new coronavirus cases and 112 additional deaths yesterday.
Vax yes? Mask no! Governor Pritzker plans to ease Illinois' rules on face coverings for fully vaccinated people following the CDC's update. The state reported 1,918 new COVID cases and 35 deaths on Thursday.
A Texas high school campus closed due to a COVID-19 case at prom. There are at least 7 positive cases among students.
New Mexico reported 2 new deaths and 202 additional COVID-19 cases on Thursday.
Coronavirus cases in Arizona, mapped by county: May 13.
StemExpress unveiled a COVID mobile vaccination solution in Nevada.
Governor Inslee has set a full 100% reopening of the state of Washington now that virus cases are declining.
Oregon expected to start COVID-19 vaccinations of youth age 12 to 15: Here’s how to get a shot ASAP. Also, the state has passed 2 million people at least getting partially vaccinated against COVID-19. The state reported 14 more COVID-19 related deaths and 733 new cases yesterday.
Employers in Hawaii can mandate a coronavirus vaccine, workers can request an exemption.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a $100 billion economy recovery package, with the centerpiece a proposal to give $11.9 billion of direct cash payments to Californians.
California’s coronavirus hospitalizations hit an all-time low. Some Bay Area hospitals are treating just a few COVID-19 patients.
Long Beach is offering free aquarium tickets in an effort to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations.
Where children 12 and up can get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in California.
The state has set up a map program that shows how many people are vaccinated in your ZIP code.
California ending mask mandate June 15? Newsom softens earlier remarks.
California will effectively end mask mandate when state fully reopens next month, governor says.
California on pace to drop tier restrictions and capacity limits by June 15 and Disneyland may open to out-of-state guests.
There is a proposal to end California's COVID workplace guidelines by August.
The Bay Area could be the first region in California to reach herd immunity, according to a UCSF doctor.
San Mateo and Mono counties have joined the yellow tier.
Sacramento, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties won't move to lower COVID-19 tier and are staying red.
Los Angeles County, once California's pandemic epicenter, could soon enter the final reopening phase.
Orange County reported 35 new cases and three new deaths as of May 13.
Riverside County coronavirus cases, deaths are among lowest reported.
A Temecula councilmember’s email called the coronavirus the ‘China Virus,’ bur she says she’s not racist.
Crushing COVID-19 left California with scars as it starts to reopen.
As California posts America's best COVID numbers, Newsom's approval rises — and Caitlyn Jenner's recall hopes sink.
The California Mid-State Fair is set to return this summer.
LOCAL:
Fresno County is NOT close to herd immunity, health officials say.
Central California COVID-19 vaccines: How to make an appointment, latest information by county.
Several vaccine clinics this weekend will offer incentives in Fresno County.
Valley counties prepare to vaccinate kids 12 and older.
A COVID vaccine clinic at Fresno City College began giving shots to younger teens, 12-15.
People in Central California are less likely to wear masks in public. (And I've seen that this is true...)
Fresno County can help you if you're struggling to pay rent due to the pandemic. 'This program is specifically designed to wipe out back rent.'
15 Valley restaurants receive $3,500 COVID relief grants.
Madera County has moved into less-restrictive orange tier.
Clovis Unified will return to in-person learning 5 days a week in fall.
Regal Cinemas (formerly Edwards) in River Park spent the pandemic revamping itself and will be reopening today.
Water parks in Fresno County reopening.
CREATIVITY:
Here is a marvelous new Randy Rainbow video:
Here's Bette Midler singing about the crazed GOP:
And, of course, political ads in general:
MAIL:
My friend Angel in Colombia sent me a note and a bizarre-O video:
"I'm waking up," he said. "I got to take the medicine. Is that they removed my wisdom teeth and gave me tonsillitis. And as my teeth were huge, I have large holes and I have to take care of myself. Everything hurts."
"I'm fine, with today two days without eating, but I have no appetite. It gives me a lot of agony to see those holes in my mouth. And for a piece of food to stay inside of those holes and then it rots, and then ahhhhhh... Stupid program of a thousand ways to die...that left me with traumas.
"The tonsillitis is about to end and I have not had a fever."
SHIRLEY:
Vye was awesome. With her watering can and bag of tortoise food, she made sure my Shirley girly was okay. I was so thankful for that--especially when it was apparent that she was no longer sleeping in her doggy igloo on the side of the house. (It got too hot for that, apparently.)
"Shirley's coming out of her box" or "Shirley's walking towards the door."
When Shirley would be walking across the floor with her nails clicking on the tile with each step, Karen would hear her and get up from her seat at the table and move over to the stools at the snack bar. A couple of times, I went back in there to check on things, but Karen eventually acted as Shirley's door monitor, opening and closing the door to let her in or out. Shirley was rather fickle the first few days. I think Karen confused her. She went out and came in several times. Finally, on the last day of my therapy, she went out before Karen arrived and never bothered to come back in as long as Karen was here.
A few days later he sent this shocking note:
"I have videos in front of the room where I live," he said. "There are riots. In Venezuela it was really much worse. We are already used to protests. Of course they are close. Ha Ha ha. Look what I see if I look out the window."
There was a quick follow-up note after that:
"Today there were no disturbances, thank God," he said.
Robby in Pennsylvania (who I hadn't heard from since the beginning of the pandemic) sent me a nice, newsy note:
"COVID seems to be coming to it's final chapter in the States, but not it's epilogue. I'm starting to get my life back after a year of hibernation and much overeating.
"Ken and I are fine. Thus far, we have not caught COVID. Thank God, if God exists. One has to wonder after four years of Trump and a year of a pandemic. Hmm. We both have worked through the plague. He is a banker and my industry sells masks, fire supplies, and medical supplies. So, we have been quite lucky. If luck is what you want to call it. We've kept away from our friends because they are carriers. They wear masks, but they are not careful about their doings: restaurants, visiting, etc. But as of this Tuesday, Ken is getting his second shot. I have both my shots. We are planning May 18th as a free-for-all day. Shopping. Eating out. And visiting friends. Plus, I can go to the bookstore again. And he can physically go to the grocery store. We haven't done these actions in forever. A fun day. We will be completely vaccinated. Of course we will still wear masks.
"We are already planning a trip to Nashville with our two girlfriends. We planned this in February of 2020 ... right when the pandemic first started and had to cancel. Well, the time has come to try it again. It should be a blast. It's 10 hours from here. We are going to spend 4 days there. My bestie has a cousin who lives there. We will be staying on a ranch. It should be most exciting.
"We are also planning a 10-day trip to Nova Scotia in September. Details
pending.
"I'm attempting to compile a list of all the authors I've collected during the plague. I bought more books on Amazon than I can read. Just to name a few: Ray Bradbury, Anne Bettie, Carly Phillips, Anne Rice, Carl Hiaasen, lots of Stephen King, Rachel Joyce, and others. So many books. Now I have to start reading them.
"Well, it's almost 9am here. I have to get dressed and cut the grass."
My friend Eric in Costa Mesa sent this note and photo:
"I have to go back to Bakersfield ( silly long story), but will be back Sunday night," he said. "Last week when we went, I needed to get Diet Coke for Dad. So, I went into your liquor store. (See photo) There was a rough crowd at night: a guy trying to pass a counterfeit $100 and a woman of ill repute blowing her top because they charged her $5.50 for a little container of bleach. They should at least maybe hire a security guard!
"The photo was taken the next day. I didn't want to upset the people hanging out outside at night when I was there."
Mikey in Iowa dropped a note:
"We finally got our Johnson and Johnson vaccines," he said. "It was not as bad as I thought, but I knew that's how it would be. I just could not stop stressing about it until it was over. Oh well, that's why they call it a phobia. We called the doctor to see if he could prescribe an anti-anxiety pill for me to take before I got the shot. The nurse said that it was inappropriate. Wow. Guess she doesn't know how needle phobia affects some people. But, at least it's over.
"I was hoping we could get the shot at our clinic here, but we had to go to the tiny town near us and visit a pharmacy there for the shot. There was nobody there, except us and the lady that gave us the shot. No waiting or anything. She was very friendly and understanding and I hardly felt anything. I'm still double masking when I go into town, but hopefully in a couple months or so, we won't have to do that. We have been looking forward to visiting the local restaurants near us. Most of our grocery shopping has been online and we only went to town to get things like fresh vegetables and meat. We even have our prescriptions mailed to us.
"My mom finally passed a couple weeks ago. Ray's mom passed in March of this year. This seems to be the 'death' year so far. Now we are wondering who will be next; my dad, or Ray's sister. I was unable to attend the funeral for my mom. We visited Ray's mom prior to her passing when she was in hospice. Ray's mom had cancer. She beat it once, but when it started to come back some years later, she decided not to go that route this time. My mom went a couple months later. Her health was declining over the years. Neither one had the COVID. We are glad neither one is suffering any more.
"Things here are starting to look a little less "COVID-y". The cases aren't going up as fast
as they were, but I'm not sure if that is because there is less testing. We never did get tested, but at least we are both vaccinated!
"Someone got ahold of my debit card number and went on a "shopping spree" at Big Lots! They took the time to obtain a debit card number, and then rushed over to Big Lots to spend $27.89! LOL! I keep a daily check on my bank account since we have online banking here. It's handy.
"Well, gotta' get going. It's time to go grocery shopping again. We are still wearing our masks whenever we go to town."
Mom sent me a quick picture of a tiki plate that her friend Della picked up for me:
When we left off in the previous entry, I was off to Washington state---leaving Shirley all alone to fend for herself in the backyard...which I had somehow flooded via sprinklers which hadn't shut off. The neighbors called and shut the water off...and I was able to check on Shirley a few times via my security cameras. However, when we left off in the last part of the Virus Diary blog, I had not been able to spot her for a few days. Oh no! How was my girl?
Fortunately, the incredible Vye was able to visit occasionally and check on her. On the Saturday before we were to come back, she stopped in to check on her and sent this photo:
When I arrived home that Tuesday evening, the first thing I did was go out and look for Shirl. She was no where to be seen. Where was she? And then I found her, sleeping in her cardboard condo, which I had left on the patio near the patio door. (I guess she slept there when I wasn't there to let her in the house at night.)
The next night, the cardboard condo was back in the house and Shirley slept inside. It was also the start of my next series of IVIG infusions. While I was sitting in the living room infusing, Karen, my nurse, was having to deal with Ms Shirley. Although Karen has said she likes her, I think Shirley creeps her out a little. I was constantly being given updates about Shirl's activities.
Last Sunday, Erich was still here. He and I went out back to check on ol' Shirl. She was right at the corner of the house, where the backyard L's off. Erich sat down on the grass and, after much maneuvering, I did as well. We called to her. She had been watching us (She's always timid, expecting something to attack her.), and jerked her head up at the sounds of our voices.
She started walking and it looked like she was angling away from us, towards the patio. Then she turned and walked up to me. Slowly, I reached out to pet her. She pulled her head in at first, but she eventually let me pet her and came closer. I was having a hard time sitting flat, so I was kind of sprawled with my left leg arched to support myself. She crawled under my leg and continued on her way, eating grass but sticking close to me so I could rub her head and neck as she went.
Although she had previously (last year?) come up to Erich when he sat on the grass, she gave him a wide berth and continued on her way while avoiding him. I think there had just been too many people for her lately---Vye, Karen, and Erich--so she only came to me this time, the only constant in her life these last several years.
On Monday, after Erich had gone home, the gardeners showed up. I went out back and grabbed Shirley and brought her inside. She clearly didn't want to be inside, and headed for the door--even though I had closed the screen curtain to block her view of the yard. I laid down on the floor in front to her and talked to her. She turned around to face me. She gave me a good looking over and I petted her the whole time the gardeners were there with their scary sounding mowers and blowers. I rubbed her head and neck, legs, feet and petted her shell. When the gardeners were gone, I put her right back where she'd been when I had grabbed her. I hoped she liked the interaction. I think she did. I hope she enjoys her last summer in her backyard. Next year she'll be in a new state in a new yard in a smaller, caged area (to protect her from predators, such as raccoons and eagles).
It was such a sweet moment. Shirley doesn't interact with me all that often. I go up to her to pet her, but rarely does she come to me for attention. The grass was tall as I had told the gardeners to not mow it while I had been out of town (because I didn't want to chance them hurting Shirley). She ate away, like a mini-lawnmower. Ha!
As we leave her now, she's snoozin' away in her cardboard condo in the far corner of the dining room. Sweet dreams, Shirley.
ME:When I left off at the end of the previous Virus Diary blog entry, I was in Washington state with my friend Erich, visiting my family on Whidbey Island (as a test to see if I could drive there with my CIDP when I move this fall).
Although we had visited the town of Langley on the island the day before, that Friday we visited it again. We wanted to pick up a special something for Vye as a thank you for looking after of Shirley while we were away.
In addition to being home to frequent whale sightings, Langley is known for its rabbit population. I know to many they are considered pests, but I think the bunnies are awesome.
Before it got too late, Erich and I visited Oak Harbor. We wanted to gas up the car before taking off the next day. On the way we stopped at the brand new Grocery Outlet (Ooooo. How glamorous. In a small town, a new Grocery Outlet really is big news.) We had just parked and and were about to enter the store, when we heard this woman shouting, "Get outta my way. I've got to go to the bathroom!" I turned to see this rather large creature in a red muumuu with even more unnaturally redder (almost magenta) hair. Her hand slapped down on the hood of a car entering the parking lot, stopping it. She made her way past the car and continued on towards the door, pulling her face mask on as she charged ahead.
I didn't know what to do. Should I get out of her way so she could rampage her way in or should I continue to enter? I looked back at her again, and she had slowed down...apparently waiting for gimpy me to hurry up and hobble through the entrance, which I did as quickly as possible.
Later, as we were pulling out of the parking lot and still laughing about the bathroom lady, I was noticing the signs for businesses across the street. I have a(n annoying) habit of reading signs that amuse me out load. One was called Sally Beauty. We laughed and decided that, of course, the bathroom lady--with her glamourous muumuu and Magic Marker-colored hair, had to be Sally and that was her beauty shop. I somehow dubbed her Oak Harbor Sally, and that became a joke that has us still laughing. (Erich, the lucky guy, even got a postcard "from" Oak Harbor Sally when he got home a few days ago! Ha!)
I guess you had to be there...
Early Sunday morning, we headed out. We caught the ferry in Clinton to Mukilteo. When we disembarked, we were both stunned to find we were on a whole new ferry dock. The old Mukilteo ferry landing is no more...
Seeing Robin and Skye again was great. We had a nice dinner and got to check out their new house. Did I remember to take any pictures? Ugh! Of course not... Grrr.
The next morning, instead of continuing down the 5, we headed southeast to visit Crater Lake. On the way, it was shocking to see so many fire damaged forests. We passed the Steamboat Inn, where my aunt had taken us for lunch one day years ago. It had survived the ravages of the forest fires as had the trees near it.
We got to the southern gate. Snow was plowed up on both sides of the road, but the park was open. There was only one area open where we could view the lake--but the view was breathtaking and we were right in front of Wizard Island. The crater of Crater Lake is a dormant volcano. For some reason, I had always thought it was from a meteor millions of years ago.
Of course, wherever I go, I have to visit the gift shop. (I'm such a sucker!)
When we arrived, the parking lot was near the falls...but you had to walk down a fairly steep path to reach them. I was wondering if I'd be able to handle it with my CIDP and cane. I'm not sure how long the path down was. I could go down it and return the same way...or there was the Falls Loop trail, which was only 1.2 miles long. Could I possibly do that?
As we started down the trail, we could see hints of what was ahead through the trees. Hmm. It looked like it was going to be well worth the detour to see it.
The path down was cut into the side of the hill as a series of switch backs that were a bit steeper than they looked.
I made it back to the car--amazingly--and even to the bathrooms to pee before we headed off.
I was so incredibly exhausted after the trail--unbelievably so--but I still needed to visit the gift shop. Ha! Like Crater Lake's there was another giant stuffed animal thing wearing a shirt. Is that a thing now?
Erich finally left on Monday. Somehow his luggage had morphed. Jinkies! It was almost like he was moving.
And then we reached the falls themselves. WOW!! Just spectacular. This video clip does not do them justice. They are 129 feet tall and run off 100 million gallons of water a day. Just so awesome.
Because of the unique way the water flows through underground rivers in the lava rock as well as along the river above, the waterfall is said to run continuously all year long, even during dry years when the above ground river dries up. It was so curiously odd to see the water just raining down from the middle of the hillside like that. Amazing. I'm just glad we saw it in late spring when there was a good water supply for the full effect. Wow!
Deciding if I should turn back and go up the path I had come down or continue on for the Falls Loop trail was tricky. I used to walk 5 miles a day or more with no problem. The trail was only a little more than a mile. Could I handle it in my current state? It was probably not the wisest decision I've ever made, but I decided to give it a try.
Not long after crossing the river, we were working our way up the hill on the opposite side, when Erich spotted a snake slithering away near the trail. It wasn't a rattler, so I thought (hoped) it wasn't dangerous. I pulled out my phone to get footage of it wriggling away into a hole....at least I thought at the time it was going into a hole in the ground. However, if you watch the lower right-hand corner of the video clip towards the end, you'll just see it slinking along. Yikes! It was much closer to me than I had thought!
It was only 1.2 miles, but I was regretting it by about the mile mark. Even then, I was surprised I had lasted so long. Erich kept trying to get me to stop and rest or sit whenever we came across a bench...but I wasn't about to rest (especially with that snake on the loose). I was afraid I'd never get back up again.
I was worn out, so Erich drove when we left Burney Falls. We had originally planned to also visit Lassen Volcanic National Park this trip, but it was still closed and snowed in. Zowie! We also had run out of time anyway. So back down further into California we went. On the way we saw an old (?) bi-plane.
We also passed (in the distance) the world's smallest mountain range, Sutter Buttes.
We were soon approaching Sacramento, where we would stop for a quick visit with Erich's brother and a hasty dinner before getting back on the road and driving all of the rest of the way home. I drove that last stretch--and it was a race to get home before the sun set as both of us hate driving in the dark.
On Wednesday, the morning after returning, my shipment of IVIG arrived early--which meant I didn't have to stick around all day waiting for it. (I had to be home to get it as it costs $35,000 and we didn't want porch pirates stealing it! Eek!) So, we decided to go to the movies (which is sooooo nice to be able to do again). We saw the "just okay" horror flick THE UNHOLY.
Speaking of IVIG and CIDP, May is National GBS/CIDP Awareness Month. Who knew that even existed?
I underwent several long days of IVIG treatments once again. Erich was going to leave the day before or the first day of treatments, but decided to stick around through the whole ordeal in case I needed help or anything---which was super nice of him, especially after he helped me with that long practice run up to Washington.
He also had several plants to haul home.
While he was loading up his car, he noticed that one of his tail lights was broken. He has no idea where or how it happened.
On Tuesday, I had an appointment at my neurologist's office. As I pulled into the complex he is in, I saw that one of the buildings had burned.
I was originally supposed to have a Zoom-type appointment with Dr. Bhatia, but I called to reschedule it as a live, in-person appointment because I am still having issues. I was initially told that with CIDP, I would start to feel normal again after my third IVIG series. That didn't happen, so he wanted me to come back after my sixth treatment. I was unable to get in after my sixth, so this appointment was after my seventh set of treatments. I told him that they weren't really helping. He did several little things testing my strength and used his reflex hammer on my arms and legs. Except for a little on my right leg, there wasn't any movement. He decided that I wasn't responding to the IVIG and he needed a second opinion. He said he'd refer me off to Stanford or UCLA for further study and analysis.
He did ask me if I wanted to continue the IVIG, as it didn't seem to be helping and it could possibly cause problems for my liver and kidneys. I hadn't expected that. He finally thought that there was still a chance it could be helping, so we are continuing that...especially since my appointments at Stanford or UCLA might not happen for several months. I'm supposed to return in three months.
Yesterday, after Erich's brilliant suggestion, I repurposed one of my security cameras and turned it into a Shirley Cam. It's at Shirley's level. If she ever comes to the door and I'm not around or don't hear her tapping on the glass, the camera will go off and alert me via phone. What a great idea. Why didn't I think of it earlier?
And that is that. Yes, this really is the FINAL final entry in the Coronavirus Diary blog. The only reason I had this second portion was because the previous one ended with a bit of a suspenseless cliffhanger (with Shirley home alone and me up in Washington). Now that both of those issues are resolved, there's just the problem of my health crisis left hanging---but that has been slowly coming on for years and apparently may NEVER be resolved.
There's not much other news for me to share. Looking ahead, I re-start physically therapy later today. (It had been halted until my insurance approved more sessions.) Tomorrow is the annual GBS/CIDP Conference (via Zoom). After my next batch of IVIG treatments, my mother will be coming to town for a month-long visit or so. While she is here, I'll be heading to the Bay Area to attend an interactive Van Gogh exhibit that I've long had tickets for...and hopefully visit some tiki bars. (I need my tiki fix!!) Beyond that, just more doctor appointments, therapy appointments, treatments, and packing, packing, packing for my move.
I hope that, on some level, this diary/blog has been educational, insightful, and at least somewhat interesting or entertaining. My intention was, in addition to sharing what was happening around the world with the virus through news links, I hoped to show that people's lives (mine and those of my friends around the country and around the world...and the life of one particular tortoise) continued on in spite of the pandemic. There has been tragedy and sadness...but there has also been joy and excitement--and life!
Thank you for coming with me on the journey--even if you only visited the blog occasionally.
Stay SAFE! Get VACCINATED! Mask UP! Stay HEALTHY! Stay ALIVE!
CHEERS!
Comments
On another subject, I enjoyed our visit so much. We have been basking in the glow. What fun.
I hope your health improves. We are here for you should you need to talk or just laugh.
Love from Oregon.