Blooming Magnolia

#LongCovid Support + #MentalHealth Advocacy 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

Heads up! Blooming Magnolia is gearing up for our 3rd Annual Giving Season! If you've been a part of our incredible network, you know that this is our most significant fundraising campaign of the year. 1/6

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

1/ That concludes our 2nd Annual Giving Season!

We almost TRIPLED our impact from 2021. 😱🤩

Donors, we will be sharing stories of how your dollars have impacted these patients, so stay tuned! & thank you for believing in our work and our mission!

[Dr. Alice 💕 @calirunnerdoc]

If you were in a car crash w/ your friend, and walked away with a scratch, while they were seriously injured, would you brag about how well you "handled" the car wreck?

Because when you say your C-19 was a "just a cold" to a person w/#LongCovid, that's exactly what you're doing.

[S Blitshteyn MD, FAAN, FANA, Dysautonomia Clinic @dysclinic]

This also applies to #PatientCare: when people are sick with chronic and disabling conditions, they will naturally feel depressed and anxious. Some may develop fears of various types and intensities. Some may act out and have temper tantrums. Many will be grieving their past lives and old healthy selves. As physicians, we don't need to pathologize normal responses to life-altering conditions, and we certainly don't need to treat these normal human response states with psychotropic medications.
#MedTwitter #NeuroTwitter

[Dr. Alice 💕 @calirunnerdoc]

This is so incredibly important:

“As physicians, we don't need to pathologize normal responses to life-altering conditions, and we certainly don't need to treat these normal human response states with psychotropic medications.”

H/T @dysclinic

@BloomingMagOrg thanks you!!!

[Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle @DrDoyleSays]

I was hopeless. Couldn't find hope; didn't know where to look; couldn't imagine what it even looked like.

Others' words that I read in books, heard in songs, found in poems, heard spoken in the unlikeliest of places-- saved me.

YOUR words can and will save someone.

[Dr. Sean Mullen @drseanmullen]

This TIMES article on Long COVID research failure not only does a disservice to the intricacies of biomedical science but also prematurely calls for a paradigm shift that could potentially derail years of progress. The authors' suggestion to pivot from the biomedical model to a focus on symptom management and health services research is a regressive approach that risks abandoning the pursuit of a deeper understanding of Long COVID's underlying biological mechanisms. Such a shift is a capitulation to complexity and an implicit endorsement of ignorance.

Furthermore, the proposed centralization of research under a government agency, such as the Health and Human Services Office of Long COVID Research and Practice, is a simplistic solution to a multifaceted problem. History has shown that bureaucratic centralization often stifles innovation and delays action, which is the antithesis of what is required in the dynamic field of emerging diseases. The call to concentrate power within a singular entity seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to the understandable frustrations with the pace of research, yet it disregards the benefits of a diverse and decentralized approach that can spark creativity and rapid responses.

Lastly, the article's call for patient involvement rings hollow when the authors themselves advocate for a narrow focus on management over treatments. This token nod towards patient advocacy groups contrasts starkly with their recommendation to step back from research aimed at unraveling the disease's mysteries. Patients are not just seeking empathy and management of their symptoms; they are desperately seeking answers and solutions that can only come from a robust and sustained scientific inquiry into the fundamental nature of Long COVID. By suggesting otherwise, the authors seem to be out of touch with the very community they purport to serve, and the article reflects a resigned attitude that patients, researchers, and clinicians should find unacceptable.

Finally, the conflation of ME/CFS with Long COVID is a disconcerting oversimplification that dismisses decades of patient experiences and scientific inquiry. ME/CFS is a distinct clinical entity that existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic, and while there may be symptomatic overlap, each condition warrants its own separate consideration in research and patient care. To assume that Long COVID is simply a rebranded form of ME/CFS is to erase the unique challenges and struggles faced by patients of both conditions. It is only through dedicated, condition-specific research that we can honor the lived realities of those affected. Science, not supposition, should lead the way in our efforts to understand and treat these complex syndromes. Only with clear, evidence-based insights can we hope to provide the recognition and respect that patients with ME/CFS and Long COVID rightly deserve. The medical community's responsibility is to keep these conditions distinct in research and treatment until such time as rigorous scientific evidence suggests a unified approach.

https://t.co/5kn3bwZtem

[Dr Elisa Perego @elisaperego78]

There are thousands and thousands of papers on #LongCovid detailing prolonged damage and dysfunction across basically all organs and body systems. Some studies go down to the cellular level. We need more biomedical research to further this knowledge and translate it into care

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

@gpanger Hi Galen! We are a 501(c)(3) Long COVID Support & Mental Health Advocacy nonprofit established since 2020. We are headed into our biggest fundraising campaign of the year where we give grants to LC patients in need. We have numerous avenues to donate, including Benevity! 🖤

[Dr. Alice 💕 @calirunnerdoc]

@CNN on a role with “5 Tips for #LongCovid:”
1. Rest & Pace
2. Get evaluated for dysautonomia
3. Get checked for MCAS
4. Do breathwork
5. Reach out for help (friends & family)

No emphasis on CV disease, immune system & organ damage. Disappointing in ‘23.
https://t.co/TAKl87yjUj

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

@calirunnerdoc @WebMD @Medscape To make a reckless claim based on these studies & then send it out to a massive audience with this headline is absolutely DANGEROUS & UNACCEPTABLE. How many people looked over this email before it was sent out?
@WebMD @Medscape

[Joaquín Beltrán Free Palestine @joaquinlife]

.@theacecoalition, after months of organizing weekly public comments and protests, over 13k letters to the county, and thousands of phone calls to @lapublichealth and @LACountyBOS, the LA County Board of Supervisors has added Masking In Healthcare Facilities to the agenda!

[Dr. Alice 💕 @calirunnerdoc]

Masking policy is an agenda item for LA County Supervisors Meeting on Nov 7.

Masking in healthcare should be required regardless of vaccination status.

It could keep patients & healthcare workers safe like @cityofhope has for the entire pandemic.

Great work, @theacecoalition

[Dr. Alice 💕 @calirunnerdoc]

I find this very true for #LongCovid advocacy, too.

@CDC & @NIH don’t want to talk about cardiovascular events, organ damage, & death in LC. They don’t want to talk about stopping forward transmission of C-19.

They have other agendas & support advocates willing to parrot them.

[Dr. Alice 💕 @calirunnerdoc]

Concerning stats as unmitigated C-19 produces devastating long term health conditions:

👉Among U.S. med students, 1 in 4 are considering quitting.

👉58% of medical & nursing students plan for careers in health care that don’t involve treating patients.
https://t.co/GNbh0b1RS7

[Dr. Alice 💕 @calirunnerdoc]

My friend (50s) has confirmed kidney cancer. She has zero risk factors for this type of rare cancer. She’s had #LongCovid for nearly 4 yrs, never vaxed, previously healthy.

Correlation doesn’t imply causation. But to ignore the trend of increased cancer & CV events is foolish.

[Breathe Safe Air @safe_breathe]

😷✈️ Masks and travel.

A few people have been asking me about masking and travel, and I thought it would be an interesting topic to talk about. As a digital nomad, I fly frequently, often taking 4+ monthly flights. However, I’ve never once caught COVID while travelling. I have had it once, but that was when I returned home to New Zealand last year for six months, and I let my guard down. When travelling, I’m always very careful to mask and remain as safe as possible.

Is it safe to travel?

The first question I often get asked is, is it safe to travel in the first place? After all, you are exposing yourself to a significant risk due to the close proximity to other people (and the poor ventilation when the plane is grounded and at many airports). While there will never be zero risk, if you wear a well-fitting respirator (N95 or better), it’s entirely possible to avoid COVID, as I have. On almost all of my flights, I’ve used an Aura of some kind, but I have also used my Envo Mask and even @airpophealth Light SE at times.

How can I eat or drink?

For short flights (less than six hours) I won’t do either. If I prepare by eating and drinking beforehand, I don’t find myself hungry during the flight. While I often become thirsty towards the end of the flight, I’ll wait until I’ve disembarked to remain safe. For longer flights, @SIPmask has been my friend since I started using it. However, I am always careful to ensure my straw never leaves my drink before my respirator.

What respirator should I wear?

As always, this comes down to what is comfortable for you and what fits best (but should always be an N95 or equivalent or better - no masks, only respirators). It’s important to consider comfort when on a long-haul flight, so I opt for headband respirators as they don’t cause pain behind my ears after 4+ hour flights. Since travel is high-risk, I will also ensure I have the best-fitting respirator I’ve used on hand. For me, this is usually an 1870+ or 9205+, but it will differ between people.

It is possible to travel while remaining safe. While there will always be some risk, taking the right measures can greatly reduce this risk. I think it's important to remain aware of COVID and the health impacts it can cause, but I also try not to let it get in the way of my life - I'm just always very careful to ensure I take the measures I can to improve my safety.

Have you travelled during COVID? What has been your experience?

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

Our gross receipts are well below the threshold for a long-form filing, so we use a short form. If you ever seek more info, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. Your support means the world to us, and we appreciate each & every one of you! 2/2

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

We rarely encounter individuals who attack our mission, as we have supported & impacted so many over the last almost 3 years. But when we do, we want to address it. We want to clarify that we file our tax documents, and this can be easily verified through the IRS website. 1/2

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

@froglet80 @calirunnerdoc We do indeed file tax documents, which can be verified on the IRS website. However, we want to emphasize that we do not condone or accept disrespectful attacks, which unfortunately we have experienced since our launch in 2021 from you. Nonetheless, we wish you well, as always.

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

Heads up! Blooming Magnolia is gearing up for our 3rd Annual Giving Season! If you've been a part of our incredible network, you know that this is our most significant fundraising campaign of the year. 1/6

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

1/ That concludes our 2nd Annual Giving Season!

We almost TRIPLED our impact from 2021. 😱🤩

Donors, we will be sharing stories of how your dollars have impacted these patients, so stay tuned! & thank you for believing in our work and our mission!

[Blooming Magnolia @BloomingMagOrg]

@froglet80 @calirunnerdoc Wendy, we're here to address you respectfully. Again, we're open to emails & providing transparency. Due to IRS requirements, our gross receipts are too little to necessitate a long-form 990 tax filing. For more info, please email us at [email protected]

[Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle @DrDoyleSays]

Nobody thinks "all mental health problems" are attributable to trauma. Especially not trauma specialists.

It's BECAUSE not all mental health problems are attributable to trauma that trauma informed care is so essential to the treatment of ALL mental health problems.