Staying the Course -- January 18, 2021

[Superbob]

Happy New Week, hearty Coursers! Hope you are all doing well. The winds blow cold around here, for about the 10th straight day on our dawgwalk. Better than the hot air coming from sources other than Nature, if you know what I mean. (Not to mention specific politicians -- so as to adhere to wise forum rules.)

Anyway, gotta always be prepared to move hyper-fast in our connected world. Last week I told you how I managed to get on a local hospital's appointment list for COVID-19 vaccines for ancient people like me. So DW and I are on that waiting list; however, it turns out that South Carolina hospitals are being severely shortchanged on vaccine supplies. And though online sign-ups began at midnight, I dilly-dallyied and didn't sign in 'til 10 a.m., so we likely are about about 10,000th on a waiting list of 20,000. Which means it might be mid-February before they call us to come on down.

Ah, but just idly surfing this afternoon, I come upon a news release announcing that our local Publix will start offering the vaccinations this Wednesday. Online signup to get in line starts tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 a.m. So in an attempt to be a tech-savvy oldster, this time I will set my alarm and strive to check in at one second past 6, or closest to that as possible. Don't want to be in a waiting line of days or weeks or months. Want to get it over with. (Of course, if I succeed, I will notify the hospital to take us off their waiting list.)

I am under no illusion that the vaccine ensures immunity or adds years to life. I came to terms with my mortality a long time ago -- for sure, 16 years ago, when I faced the great unknown of my first open-heart surgery. But knowing of the horrible ordeal COVID has delivered to so many patients and their families, I would rather that my mended heart just give out one day than that I or my loved ones go through the gamut of coronavirus agonies, if that can be avoided. Would like for our country -- and the world -- to escape this pandemic's iron grip as well.

Okay, not a very chipper week-starter. But, hey, the sun is shining -- another beautiful day on the coast. And I'm getting my post-holiday eating under control. Better days lie ahead, hopefully.

Let's hear from all you good Coursers!

Cheers,
Superbob

 

[Protimenow]

Here in Los Angeles, they're setting up a lot of vaccination clinics. One is being set up at a University just two blocks north of me. It starts giving vaccinations tomorrow.

Already, they've blocked of a street that I was using to beat a lot of traffic on a big boulevard just west of me. I wonder how the lines of cars that will undoubtedly fill a block or so will mess up traffic near the University in the days ahead.

Don't get me wrong - I don't want to say that I don't want people to get vaccinated. Some of the larger places (Dodger Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Disneyland) have large parking lots and can have cars snaking through lines -- and don't mess up surface streets. But, of course, getting the hundreds of thousands of vaccines delivered every few weeks will probably require this.

At least people will be able to stay in their cars, rather than having to park at a pharmacy, loading up their parking lots, and waiting in line outside the pharmacy.

 

[Superman]

Vaccines seem to be at the forefront of conversation lately. Honestly I barely give it a passing thought. When they show up at work and tell us all to line up, I’ll get it then. But then again, they won’t be coming to my basement!

In a callback to our porch pirates around the holidays, they did finally get some money out of us. Spent a little on a couple cameras that are connected to our home network. Maybe we won’t catch anyone next time, but at least we’ll have pictures!

 

[dornole]

Covid-19 is feeling a little heavier because my friend from church just died from it. Very much looking forward to getting the vaccine when I can for the extra protection, but I feel lucky that our work and overall lifestyle allow a lot of isolation for our whole family. Hubs is the only one of us 6 in the house who goes out at all to school or work or stores, and since he's the boss he is able to enforce the mask and social distancing compliance at the plant and office. We are lucky to be able to socialize with each other and I do see friends outside for hikes and geocaching. Wearing a mask is kind of a plus when it's 20 degrees out, it is almost a mini scarf keeping my face warm and lips unchapped! Maybe they will be a permanent MN winter trend. LOL.

 

[Superman]

Covid-19 is feeling a little heavier because my friend from church just died from it. Very much looking forward to getting the vaccine when I can for the extra protection, but I feel lucky that our work and overall lifestyle allow a lot of isolation for our whole family. Hubs is the only one of us 6 in the house who goes out at all to school or work or stores, and since he's the boss he is able to enforce the mask and social distancing compliance at the plant and office. We are lucky to be able to socialize with each other and I do see friends outside for hikes and geocaching. Wearing a mask is kind of a plus when it's 20 degrees out, it is almost a mini scarf keeping my face warm and lips unchapped! Maybe they will be a permanent MN winter trend. LOL.

A like seems weird when you lost a friend. My apologies and condolences. The like was in reference to taking sensible measure for you and your family and your husband showing leadership at work in managing through these times.

 

[rich01]

I took my 1st dose of Ivermectin yesterday. I will take my 2nd dose tomorrow and then every 2 weeks. It acts prophylactically to help prevent Covid-19 according to the FLCCC.

Yesterday I had a sneezing spell in the morning. I must have sneezed hard about 10 times in a row. That has never happened before. A few hours later it happened again and then again a few hours later, this time with nasal congestion and a runny nose.

I checked to see if sneezing was a sign of Covid-19 and it wasn't, but there were sure a lot of people asking if it was. Congestion and a runny nose are symptoms.

I had the Ivermectin and was having trouble figuring out the right dose. I decided to take about half of what I thought the right dose was and if I felt fine, I would take the other half later. I pushed the plunger into the syringe and a full dose shot out onto a piece of paper, so I took the full dose. Within 2 hours the nasal congestion was gone and so was the runny nose. I haven't sneezed once since then. That was probably just a coincidence.

Anyway, no side effects whatsoever from the Ivermectin.

I'm considering waiting for the J&J vaccine or even the AstraZenica. Both make vaccines the old way and J&J only requires 1 shot.

 

[Superbob]

Octogenarian agonistes: Earliest I've been able to schedule covid-vaxs for my wife and me so far is March 18. One site tells us "see ya in several weeks." Many sites fill up as soon as they announce (or maybe even before?). Heck, it was easier to find toilet paper last March than it is to obtain a vaccine touted as a pandemic-slayer.

But maybe it's all a blessing in disguise. Do the current vaccines do what big pharma and the guvment promise? Are there side-effects of which we're not fully aware yet? Are better ones (like J&J as Rich mentioned) still to come? Maybe better for now just to curl up in a cocoon and wait for this plague to run its course.

 

[rich01]

But maybe it's all a blessing in disguise. Do the current vaccines do what big pharma and the guvment promise? Are there side-effects of which we're not fully aware yet? Are better ones (like J&J as Rich mentioned) still to come? Maybe better for now just to curl up in a cocoon and wait for this plague to run its course.

I watched a video of 2 very smart Ph.D.'s in Biology discussing vaccines. They thought it was dangerous to give everyone, especially healthcare workers, a relatively untested, new RNA vaccine. If we later find a problem with it, we might have wiped out a large portion of our health care professionals. They both plan to wait for the older type of vaccine.

It is impossible to know who to believe, but some skepticism of the government seems to be "prudent". I was already taking all the supplements recommended by the FLCCC except for melatonin. Melatonin is supposed to help a person sleep, but even at the very lowest dosage, it causes me an uneasy sleep with vivid dreams. In addition to helping with sleep, melatonin also helps regulate the immune system and reduces inflammation. Now that I am taking Ivermectin, I think I am probably as well protected as if I had the vaccine, but with no side effects.

I am still going to wear my mask, social distance, wash my hands, and spend as little time indoors with lots of people as possible, but this does give me a little more freedom.

I just found this. SuperBob, you might want to ask your doctor for a prescription. There is a fact sheet on FLCCC for your doctor if needed. The I-Mask+ and I-Math+ protocols and fact sheet are available here.

NEW YORK, N.Y.—JANUARY 15, 2021 One week after Dr. Paul Marik and Dr. Pierre Kory — founding members of the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) along with Dr. Andrew Hill, researcher and consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), presented their data before the NIH Treatment Guidelines Panel, the NIH has upgraded their recommendation on Ivermectin, making it an option for use in COVID-19.

https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-...19-Recommendation-Change-Jan15.2021-final.pdf

 

[Superbob]

Thanks for that information on Ivermectin, Rich. I will check it out and talk with my doctor, with whom, coincidentally, we have an appointment coming up soon.

 

[rich01]

I had sneezing spells last Thursday, Saturday, and this morning (Monday). I started using a shampoo that is supposed to get hair growing again (I have a small bald spot starting on the back of my head. I used the shampoo Thursday, Saturday, and this morning.

As soon as I got out of the shower this morning, I started sneezing. That's when I realized it was probably the shampoo. I jumped back in and washed my hair again with my old shampoo. The sneezing seems to have stopped, but I am still congested. I think the medication must get absorbed through the scalp, so it will take a few hours for it to get out of my blood.

Much better than having Covid-19 which, I was worried about last Thursday when the sneezing and congestion started.