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ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Ahimsa
@ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
330 followers 390 following 470 posts
Vegetarian, book lover📚
ME/CFS since 1990 ♿️
She/Her

What's ME/CFS? = https://www.s4me.info/threads/science-for-me-fact-sheets.43310/#post-596527

Mastodon = https://disabled.social/@ahimsa_pdx

Profile: Tabby cat w/white chest & paws
Banner: Green trees
Posts Replies Media Videos
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
This FAQ also debunks the idea that it's unsafe to get a flu vaccine and a COVID vaccine at the same time.

sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Ser...

#COVID #Influenza #Flu #Vaccines
I have heard that coadministration (getting a COVID-19 and flu vaccination together) is unsafe. Is that true? In an Aug. 25, 2025 memo, the FDA claimed that additional studies are needed to prove that coadministration of the COVID-19 vaccine is safe. However, years of real-world safety data involving millions of doses have guided CDC and OHA, since 2021, to recommend coadministration of the COVID-19 vaccine with other recommended West Coast Health Alliance Frequently Asked Questions for the Public Page 4 of 4 vaccines. Coadministration of vaccines is considered safe and effective, and represents the standard of care among providers for both children and adults. If you have questions about coadministration, we encourage you to talk to your provider.
September 18, 2025 at 12:58 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
The new immunization guidelines published by Western States Health Alliance mean that Oregonians no longer need a prescription to get the COVID vaccine at a pharmacy.

sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Ser...

So glad this happened before the ACIP meeting!

#Oregon #Covid #Vaccines
Do I still need to get a prescription from my provider to get a COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy? No. Effective Sept. 17, 2025, the Oregon Board of Pharmacy has changed its rules toallow pharmacists to resume vaccinating people 7 years and older without obtaining a prescription from their provider; influenza vaccines may be administered by pharmacists to children 6 months and older. OHA [Oregon Health Authority] encourages anyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine to first check with the pharmacy for availability and to be patient. Please recognize that it may take pharmacies a few days to implement these new protocols. COVID-19 vaccines are also available at clinics and at a providers’ office. Check with your provider on the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.
September 18, 2025 at 12:30 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
I took the shorter 20 question test and I can't believe I got them all right! 😁

Most questions weren't that hard but I was sure that somehow I'd miss at least one!
Screenshot from test that says, "Exam Complete! 100% - You got 20 out of 20 questions correct (weighted score: 27.2 / 27.2) Epidemiologist's Nightmare, Perfect score! You're so well-informed conspiracy theorists actively avoid you at parties."
September 16, 2025 at 2:10 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Hi, I tried to make an account for Blacksky and it asked for my birth date.

That surprised me. I know some social media platforms ask but I've never given my birth date for social media before (eg, Bluesky or Mastodon)

Why is birth date needed? Thanks!
Screenshot of Blacksky account creation page: "Step 1 of 2 Your account You are creating an account on Blacksky Algorithms. Email [Enter your email address] Password [Choose your password] Your birth date [calendar for choosing date] By creating an account you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy"
September 16, 2025 at 12:10 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Reminder: ASCII art can be hard for folks with disabilities to read. Screen readers won't be able to interpret it and folks with cognitive issues can also have trouble with it.

An alternative is to take a screen shot and then add alt text (see attached)

#Accessibility #Disability #a11y
ASCII characters are arranged to show a bunny holding up a sign that says, "Your efforts matter"
September 15, 2025 at 4:44 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
I bought this shirt for airports (I always need a wheelchair)

I think it has helped, at least with the staff who push the wheelchairs.
Purple t-shirt with the text "ambulatory wheelchair users exist." Under the text is an illustration, going from left to right: first, a stick figure is getting out of a wheelchair, next there's an arrow pointing right, finally there's a stick figure walking.
September 14, 2025 at 11:56 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
It's fine, I just like to share posts from MEAction on Mastodon when I can. But if your posts aren't meant to be public I won't.

Attached screenshot shows recent quote post by MEAction. Not sure who runs their account but I'm guessing they thought your posts were public?

Hope this helps!
Post by #MEAction Network quoting another Bluesky post but the quoted post is grayed out with the message "Sign-in required. Labeled by the author. Learn more." The text from #MEAction says: "Our Scientific Director, Jaime Seltzer @exceedhergrasp1.bsky.social, is sharing from the Stanford ME/CFS Community Symposium"
September 6, 2025 at 5:20 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Can't a law be written so law enforcement can have medical masks if needed, but no masking just to hide their faces?

There's a proposed Oregon law about this, see link (gift link). An exception for medical masks seems possible.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Cyrus Javadi, a Tillamook Republican, and Tom Andersen, a Salem Democrat, hope to get fellow state lawmakers to refer a proposed constitutional amendment to next year’s ballot that would ban what the lawmakers describe as “secret police.” Their proposal would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings and would require them to wear “official uniforms” with badge numbers and names. It would not apply to SWAT teams or undercover police officers as they currently operate. “Oregonians shouldn’t have to wonder who’s knocking on their door in the middle of the night,” Javadi wrote in a news release. “In a free society, the people who enforce the law should never be faceless or unaccountable.”
September 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
A butterfly trapped in glass 😢

And the message with the photo ("How many years am I meant to wait and what am I waiting for? ...") was very well said.

I drew a butterfly in a cage when I did a pillowcase for the 2023 Millions Missing protest.

#MEcfs #PwME
Photo of a white pillowcase with January 1990 (illness onset) in red at the top. Below that is this handwritten message: "Millions Missing means: - Millions of patients missing from their lives. - Millions of dollars $ missing from research. - Millions of doctors/nurses missing ME/CFS education." On the right side is a drawing of a colorful butterfly trapped inside a black cage.
August 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
If you get PEM then you'll get this meme ...

#MEcfs #PwME #LongCovid #PwLC
Distracted girlfriend meme. The distracted girlfriend in the center has the label "Person with ME/CFS." She's looking longingly at a guy who has the label "Task that looks fun but will trigger a huge crash later." She is ignoring the guy she is with who has the label "Pacing and resting."
August 30, 2025 at 6:03 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
You've been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who's coming to save you?

I'm sure Geordie will find me in time and solve the case!
Photo of Geordie and Alphy, characters from the TV show Grantchester, with the police station in the backgroun. They look steely-eyed and ready to solve crimes!
July 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Masks work! It's not living in fear to use safety precautions whether it's a seatbelt or a N95 respirator.

maskevidence.org/masks-compared

#CovidIsNotOver #LongCovid #MaskUp
Graphic showing filtration efficiency for different types of masks. Title: "How Masks Measure Up When Worn" There are three rows showing different filtration efficiency for masks and respirators. Filtration efficiency is 90+% for the first row. There are three examples, Level 1 medical mask (looks like surgical mask) and brace (it goes over the mask), Level 1 medical mask and cotton overmask (with ties), and N95 respirator (with overhead attachments). Filtration efficiency is ~70% for the second row. There are three examples, KF94/KN95 (with ear loops), Level 3 medical mask, and Cotton mast with cotton overmask (with ties). Filtration efficiency is ~50% for the third row. There are two examples, level 1 medical mask and cotton mask (with ties). Text at the botttom: "Wear the best mask available. Children under 5 and people who cannot remove their own masks should wear masks on earloops." link = maskevidence.org/masks-compared
June 27, 2025 at 9:34 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Show Your Stripes Day 2025

Find your country and area here: showyourstripes.info

What the graph means:

showyourstripes.info/faq

#ShowYourStripes #Climate
An image from the showyourstripes.info website. It has vertical stripes in shades of blue, orange, and red to show an increase (red) or decrease (blue) in average temperatures in Portland, Oregon, between 1850 and 2024. The graph shows an alarming increase in average temperature in recent years.
June 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Thanks for posting ❤️

Reposting image with alt text description.

#AltText #Alt4You #Accessibility
Post from user sahardelijani (not sure which platform) that says: "I was born in an Irandian prison. My parents were held in their jails. Muy uncles lie in their mass graves. Nothing you can tell me about the crimes of the Iranian regime that I haven't lived in blood and bone. That doesn't mean I want my people bombed, maimed, killed, their homes in ruins. If your vision of liberation comes only through the destruction of innocent lives, then it's not freedom you're after."
June 15, 2025 at 7:54 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Been there, done that - but not lately, fortunately!

A few years ago I was eating candy "orange slices" and my crown got stuck in one and it popped right off. I was happy I didn't swallow it!
Small package of candy. It says "Orange slices, naturally flavored, soft & chewy candy" on the label. The texture is kind of like gum drops.
May 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
I agree. I think this comic helps explain "mild" ME a bit. A lot of activities in panel 2 (before ME) are removed in panel 3. Only work and home are left.

What it doesn't include is that a lot of folks (I think most? can't remember) who have mild ME can only work part time, if that.
A six panel comic by Kornelia Paulsen. Panel 1: "M.E. - How it can shrink one's life bits by bits" (text only) Panel 2: "Before M.E." The drawing shows a house, mountains with a campsite (tent and campfire), and several buildings that are labeled work, cafe, and gym. In the middle is a banner saying "Party!" with a birthday cake and balloons. In the sky is an airplane labeled "Travel." Panel 3: "Mild M.E." This drawing shows only two buildings, work and house, sitting on top of high pillar with PEM rocks below. (PEM stands for Post Exertional Malaise) Panel 4: "Moderate M.E." Now the only building is a house sitting on top of high pillar with PEM rocks below. Panel 5: "Severe M.E." Now there's no building at all, just a person lying in a bed on the high pillar with PEM rocks below. Panel 6: "Very Severe M.E." This caption is written in white text on a completely black panel.
May 20, 2025 at 12:22 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Thanks for posting this comment! This happens a lot - so often that I created a meme for it!

I've often reached out to the author and about half the time the headline gets changed. I hope it works this time, too 😁

#MEcfs #PwME #MedEd
Side by side photos of a dog. The left photo shows the dog looking very excited, tongue hanging out, with the caption: "New ME/CFS Research!" The right photo shows the same dog after a grooming session, with an expression that looks annoyed, with the caption:" Headline says 'Chronic Fatigue'"
May 16, 2025 at 11:48 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
I missed this back when it was first published:

"The hermeneutical injustice of ME"

www.thereforme.uk/p/the-hermen...

"For me, one of the hardest parts of living with ME was the absence of a clear framework for describing and understanding it."

#MEcfs #PwME
"Hermeneutical injustice [is] when someone is unable to understand or express an important aspect of their own experience because there is a gap in the shared tools of social interpretation." - Ella Barnard, #ThereForME
April 24, 2025 at 12:12 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Absolutely! Keep hope alive! ❤️

I'm attaching quote that inspired me recently.

Source = www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/epis...
Quote from Jamil Zaki: "And so cynics end up with what I would call a dark complacency, right? They don’t think things are gonna be great; they think things are gonna be terrible. But they also don’t have to do anything about it because why bother? So cynics, for instance, vote less often than noncynics. They take part in social movements and protests less often than noncynics. And in fact, I would argue that cynicism is a tool of the status quo. If you want nothing to change, one of the best things you can do is convince everybody that change is impossible."
April 6, 2025 at 12:52 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
The Oregonian website now has live updates of #HandsOff rallies. It includes this photo of the crowd (attached) at the Portland, Oregon waterfront.

"Live updates: People gather across Oregon to protest Trump policies"

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

#USPol #Oregon #Portland #PDX #Resist
An aerial view of the Hands Off protest in Portland, Oregon. A large crowd, with many folks holding protest signs, fills the Japanese American Historical Plaza area next to the river. Buildings and bridges can be seen in the background.
April 5, 2025 at 9:49 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Thank you Rep. Salinas! 💪

Reposting the statement (two images) with added alt text

#USPol #Oregon
REP. SALINAS STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SPEECH (part 1) In just two months as President, Donald Trump has crossed out the Constitution and crowned himself king - blatantly ignoring the wishes of voters and sending our democracy into a downward spiral. With the support of his unelected Co-President, Elon Musk, Trump has fired thousands of essential workers, cut off critical funding for small businesses, farmers, and rural communities, and attempted to steal trillions of dollars from the American people to give tax breaks to billionaires. He has pursued reckless trade wars that are killing jobs, devastating local industries, and raising prices for consumers in Oregon and across the country. He has abandoned our allies in favor of dictators who want nothing more than to see America destroyed. REP. SALINAS STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SPEECH (part 2) Tonight, President Trump spewed more lies and continued to ignore the reality that his policies are hurting working families - not helping them. In protest, I decided to leave the House Chamber early, rather than listen to more false promises from a wannabe dictator. I will not be complicit as the President makes life harder for Oregonians. Rather, I will continue to stand up for my constituents and speak out against the abuses of this Administration. Our fight has only just begun, and Tonight, President Trump spewed more lies and I will not back down. - Andrea Salinas
March 5, 2025 at 5:59 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Folks need to remember that DEI executive order actually banned DEIA, “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility." They're targeting disabled people, too!

Executive order:

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Axios article:

www.axios.com/2025/02/23/t...

#USPol #Disability #Accessibility
Excerpt from the DEI/DEIA executive order: "Sec. 2. Implementation. (a) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), assisted by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear. To carry out this directive, the Director of OPM, with the assistance of the Attorney General as requested, shall review and revise, as appropriate, all existing Federal employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs to comply with this order. Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements."
March 4, 2025 at 2:56 AM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
I guess it's time to change to knives 🔪
A package of plastic knives that have been mislabelled as spoons.
February 6, 2025 at 9:39 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
Do any ME patients meet the criteria of "no ongoing symptoms and the illness not lasting for more than a year"?Probably not!

I have heard of post-viral fatigue syndrome lasting less than a year.

Link to article: inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Re-posting image below with #AltText
#MEcfs #PwME
Changes to armed forces recruitment code * ADHD - Potential recruits with ADHD are set to have restrictions loosened, being presumed fit dependent on other criteria * Autism - People with autism are presumed fit if their diagnosis has had no significant impact on their academic, occupational or social function. * Chronic fatigue - Those with chronic fatigue illnesses such as ME, long-COVID, or post-viral fatigue syndrome are now declared fit depending on there being no ongoing symptoms and the illness not lasting for more than a year. * Drug and alcohol misuse - Those who have misused drugs and alcohol are now presumed fit if they have been clean for at least three years * Gastric band - If you have had a gastric band removed, you are now eligible to joine the military * Migraines - Candidates with a history of having migraines are now declared fit, as long as they haven't had more than two, required prescribe medication, or had one severe enough to require time off work in two years. * Back pain - Candidtats with back pain previously faced tough entry requirements, however these have been loosened.
December 10, 2024 at 5:23 PM
ahimsa-pdx.bsky.social
OMG, little pink sock, just like the Mutts comic strip! 😁
Drawing from the Mutts comic strip of a black cat on its back playfully biting a pink sock. Caption: ♫ Little pink sock 🎵 Little pink sock
October 30, 2024 at 2:59 AM