Lauralee Dukeshire (she/her) @LauraleeDukeshire@qoto.org

Today marks one year since I woke up 5 days into my COVID infection without taste or smell. Both are still mostly missing. I’m very fortunate and can smell some things that are important to me: my children’s hair, laundry fresh off the clothesline, some flowers and many herbs. I can sense sour and sweet and spicy, though I might not be able to differentiate between different foods.

However: I’ve given myself food poisoning a dozen times because I can’t tell when things are rotten and when meals make no impression, you don’t remember when you put them in the fridge. I cannot smell natural gas, and have not noticed a couple times when I bumped a burner or the igniter didn’t work. (I now light the burner with a lighter every time to make sure.)

Like a lot of other folks with this long-Covid symptom, I have parosmia. Some foods and smells remain horrible. Coffee tastes and smells like oily cigarette ash. Apples taste like gasoline. Peaches taste like garlic. Cheese mostly tastes rotten and coconut tastes like soap. We haven’t traveled much, but trying to put together a safe meal on the road has been nigh impossible a couple times.

I’m incredibly fortunate that anosmia and parosmia are my only #longcovid symptoms and to have the resources to buy the foods that do work for me, but this sucks. I’m consulting with a new doc tomorrow, but have been told my insurance will almost certainly deny any treatments we try. Also, I’d like to thank the Korean people for kimchi. Throughout all this, it’s the one food that has always tasted like itself and on bad days, falling back on kimchi fried rice has been a blessing.

@Stoned_Deva_ I was about to make a list of what I look for in a restaurant, but realized that was all before 2020. Since getting Covid and suffering from #LongCovid, my criteria are much simpler: Is it close enough for me to get takeout home while it is still warm?

Before getting Covid, I did visit a few restaurants that had good ventilation and other sanitary precautions, but it seems most of those precautions have been dropped around the same time I got infected, so at this point, I don’t plan on eating inside a restaurant ever again. If I ever recover fully from this, the last thing I want to do is risk getting it again!!

Several countries around the world rejected Fox News with its Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Hannity shows because they saw it as propaganda for white supremacy and right-wing extremism.

It’s about time we give Fox News the same treatment.

The End of #Trans #America Comes Into Focus.

The #Genocidal #laws proposed around the country by the #RepublicanParty would make #life for #transgender #people #functionally #impossible. The #danger is in being #underwrought, not #overwrought.

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQIA #RepublicanParty #Hate #Bigotry #Violence #Genocide #Discrimination #Transphobia #ThePartyOfHate

https://newrepublic.com/article/172097/republican-plot-end-trans-america

Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News. Looks like he finally got “cancelled.”

We’re WAY past the point of #White folks being unaware of the potentially fatal consequences of calling cops on #Black folks. Yet for the “crime” of walking through his gated community this #Fresno HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL dials 911 calling the girls “Section 8” & “ghetto”.
This man should not be responsible for kids. #HesGotToGo #BLM
#BlackMastodon

https://www.revolt.tv/article/2023-04-22/297244/fresno-vice-principal-under-investigation-for-calling-black-teens-section-8-people-and-ghetto-girls/

9/ LOL...

Via Rep Maxwell Frost:

I heard George #Santos is hiring a Comms director for his re-election campaign in case you’re looking for work, #TuckerCarlson

4/ Via Andrew Feinberg:

As of today, #TuckerCarlson has now been fired from all three major cable news channels, CNN, MSNBC and now Fox
#loser #ClusterFox #Dominion

#Toodles, Tuckums!👋🏼 He’s all yours now, OAN or anyone else stupid enough to have him.

#BREAKING: #TuckerCarlson out at #Fox!

"We thank him for his service to the network," Fox said.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/tucker-carlson-fox-news/story?id=98801613

Oddly, today I don't mind seeing Tucker Carlson's constipated face in my timeline.

Usually, I cringe.

Was not thinking it was possible Tucker could become Glenn Beck so fast.

Let this be a reminder even the racist bastards mean nothing to their billionaire bosses.

Losing Tucker Carlson is a huge loss for the nation. And by "the nation," I mean Putin's Russia.

👉​ "It's wild to me that several estheticians/hair stylists/makeup artists I know have better #covid safety protocols than schools and hospitals"

#CovidIsNotOver #Onted #Onpoli
via 🐦​ @musewendi

Indigenous people only represent 3.3% of the B.C. population, but 16.4% of #ToxicDrugCrisis deaths in 2021.

Action is needed on the health emergency entering its eighth year, said chief medical officer Dr. Nel Wieman of Little Grand Rapids First Nation.

https://thetyee.ca/News/2023/04/24/Indigenous-People-Bearing-Brunt-Toxic-Drugs/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_content=042423-m&utm_campaign=editorial

Kevin Bacon shows support for drag in Taylor Swift dance video

https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/24/kevin-bacon-drag-taylor-swift-video-kyra-sedgwick/

#transgender #trans #lgbtq

In an act of defiance against Tennessee’s anti-drag law, Lizzo has performed in the state with a whole bunch of Drag Race faves and local queens, and yes, it was iconic.

https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/23/lizzo-tour-tennessee-ban-drag-race-queens/?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-pinknews&utm_content=later-34644990&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio

#transgender #trans #lgbtq