Thanks for the update Sandy! You are doing better at transitioning than I am. Even downgrading from N95 to KN95 in some settings is giving me some intense anxiety. It is so weird how most of the population is back to normal life, and then others like me are still afraid of air. I am working on an anxiety hierarchy with a therapist to ideally be able to do some things without a mask. I've made a lot of progress, but bigger goals (like international travel & dating) seem so far away. Please keep your updates coming. It's really helpful to see others mindfully and intentionally doing risk calculus to get back aspects of their lives that are important to them
Thanks. That's exactly my only reason for doing these updates. I figure I can't be the only person in this situation. Years of (warranted) steadfast risk mitigation left an imprinted fear-thinking pattern in my brain so to speak. I'm working to undo it now. Sounds like you are too. I know it's a little risky, but, at this point, fear, isolation, etc are worse imho. Sounds like you're working through it too. Be well.
I've really enjoyed your videos for the past year or so and can absolutely understand your position and relate to you. It's very difficult to find a balance at this point, especially now that Covid is a distant memory for most people, and so we're starting to miss out on more. I really feel for you and wish all the best for you. I'm thinking of doing something similar to you -- I would ideally travel next winter, so maybe I'll keep going as I'm going, isolating/social distancing outdoors/masking indoors and then in Dec, get my next bivalent (got my previous one last fall), enjoy Christmas and do some travel right after. Like you though, I wonder... would I even enjoy eating in a restaurant now? It seems like a very uncomfortable experience and I'm not sure it'd be worth it. So tough.
It really is hard. That's why I'm not making a recommendation one way or another. I'm just documenting my progress so that others can hopefully benefit. I hope it's helpful. Be well.
Boy, do I identify! I started to try and break out of bubble last month. Then 7 members of my husbands family, including my grandkids, all caught Covid. Last weekend I sold at an outdoor flea market and wore an KN95. I debated all day on whether to keep it on. Yesterday morning we get a call from a old friend we ran into and hugged at the market. He had just returned from urgent care and was waiting for Covid test results. These situations tend to make it difficult in ditching a mask completely. Baby steps! 😊
Among other things, on April 18, 2023 the FDA wrote "Individuals 65 years of age and older who have received a single dose of a bivalent vaccine may receive one additional dose at least four months following their initial bivalent dose."
Our stepdown was from an n95 to a kn95 since we got COVID (probably) while wearing surgical masks after getting tired of the n95. We found relatively comfortable kn85s that are supposedly effective.
Thanks for the update Sandy! You are doing better at transitioning than I am. Even downgrading from N95 to KN95 in some settings is giving me some intense anxiety. It is so weird how most of the population is back to normal life, and then others like me are still afraid of air. I am working on an anxiety hierarchy with a therapist to ideally be able to do some things without a mask. I've made a lot of progress, but bigger goals (like international travel & dating) seem so far away. Please keep your updates coming. It's really helpful to see others mindfully and intentionally doing risk calculus to get back aspects of their lives that are important to them
Thanks. That's exactly my only reason for doing these updates. I figure I can't be the only person in this situation. Years of (warranted) steadfast risk mitigation left an imprinted fear-thinking pattern in my brain so to speak. I'm working to undo it now. Sounds like you are too. I know it's a little risky, but, at this point, fear, isolation, etc are worse imho. Sounds like you're working through it too. Be well.
@@SandysDIYHealthAdvocacy have you seen any more data on how effective enovid is at preventing infection?
@@seaweed88 nothing new.
@@seaweed88 for me, even if it only helps a little, I figure that's a lot. Plus it's helping me make this transition
I've really enjoyed your videos for the past year or so and can absolutely understand your position and relate to you. It's very difficult to find a balance at this point, especially now that Covid is a distant memory for most people, and so we're starting to miss out on more. I really feel for you and wish all the best for you. I'm thinking of doing something similar to you -- I would ideally travel next winter, so maybe I'll keep going as I'm going, isolating/social distancing outdoors/masking indoors and then in Dec, get my next bivalent (got my previous one last fall), enjoy Christmas and do some travel right after. Like you though, I wonder... would I even enjoy eating in a restaurant now? It seems like a very uncomfortable experience and I'm not sure it'd be worth it. So tough.
It really is hard. That's why I'm not making a recommendation one way or another. I'm just documenting my progress so that others can hopefully benefit. I hope it's helpful. Be well.
Boy, do I identify! I started to try and break out of bubble last month. Then 7 members of my husbands family, including my grandkids, all caught Covid. Last weekend I sold at an outdoor flea market and wore an KN95. I debated all day on whether to keep it on. Yesterday morning we get a call from a old friend we ran into and hugged at the market. He had just returned from urgent care and was waiting for Covid test results. These situations tend to make it difficult in ditching a mask completely. Baby steps! 😊
Among other things, on April 18, 2023 the FDA wrote "Individuals 65 years of age and older who have received a single dose of a bivalent vaccine may receive one additional dose at least four months following their initial bivalent dose."
Our stepdown was from an n95 to a kn95 since we got COVID (probably) while wearing surgical masks after getting tired of the n95. We found relatively comfortable kn85s that are supposedly effective.