For the last few months, I’ve been focused on nothing more than getting my vaccinations, so that I could do my part in keeping the community safe and bringing back a degree of normalcy to our lives. Now that I’ve received both doses, and once my symptoms subsided, my attention turned quickly to next steps. Vaccine passports are definitely on …
Tips to help book your very own ‘nearly painless’ process
Thursday I received my first vaccination for COVID-19, and I feel like I have joined a secret club; that of those who beat Sault Ste. Marie’s vaccination registration system. It’s frustrating when you know that other regions and provinces aren’t facing the same difficulties, and when you learn that your twin city across the border has vaccines available … if …
Try ‘treading lighter upon the earth’ and eat less meat
Four years ago, I started going meatless once a week. It was a strange shift because I usually started my meal prep with: “What meat shall I thaw?” and then I’d go from there. Then, when the lockdowns began, I went meat free other than fish or shellfish (pescatarian) for close to a year. Now, I’ve reversed my original stance …
Afraid to say pandemic brings on phobias
Today I experienced a new form of anxiety, dare I say, even a phobia. As a placeholder, I’m going to call it engytitaphobia. While I am an introvert, this fear (phobia in Greek) of nearness, or closeness, or proximity (engytita in Greek) is new to me. It’s been brought on by the pandemic, the health threat that others have potentially …
Misinformation, hypocrisy make COVID weigh more heavily
I may not be sick, but I’m tired. I’m tired of COVID. I’m tired of misinformation from all levels. I’m tired of feeling like not enough of us are taking this seriously. I’m tired that the weight for so much of this is on the shoulders of us to personally figure out what to do since we aren’t getting enough …
For the love of buying local
As snow starts to dust our rooftops, thoughts of shopping for the holidays are like subtle sugar plum fairies dancing in my head. The pandemic accelerated our rate of online shopping this year, and that trend will likely continue, but take a minute to consider what happens if we don’t support local. Also think about what will occur if we …
What exactly is the end game for COVID-19?
It’s October and with that comes a renewed passion for scary movies. For me, the increasing polarization of society is horror movie scary. Aside from race relations, one of the top polarizing issues right now is COVID-19 and how we should be acting and reacting to keep ourselves, our friends and families, and greater communities safe. Opening schools was one …
No buses should spell no classes
This past Monday marked the third Monday, and the fourth day in 2019, that the school buses were cancelled due to weather. Reviewing the bus cancellations, first, Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 the buses didn’t run due to the amount of snow expected. Jan. 28 the buses were cancelled due to extreme cold. Feb. 4, buses were cancelled because of …
Flu shot helps more than recipient
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? There is no question. Immunizations save lives. Period. The smallpox vaccination eradicated that disease completely. Hundreds of thousands of people died because of smallpox outbreaks and now no one needs to be vaccinated against it anymore. Similarly, I don’t think anyone could dispute the importance of childhood vaccination programs that have almost eradicated diseases …
Tale of two lung transplants
It is the tale of two lung transplants…with the best of health outcomes and not the best of health outcomes (I won’t call it the worst). Two Algoma area ladies got the call in December of 2015 that they had been added to the lung transplant list, both relocated to the GTA to be within the required distance of the …