Here's Part 2 of our ALL ABOUT FOOD episode (a.k.a., The More Colors That You Eat). This week, we hear about Lance's relationship with food as related to too much, not enough, intolerances, moderation, illness, wellness, and philosophy. Not necessarily in that order. And we revisit the semaglutide question.

THE MORE COLORS THAT YOU EAT

... In the After Times, since I’ve been sick, I have thought about food more than I’d previously imagined possible. I have tinkered with my diet in all of the doctor-recommended, nutritionist-recommended, thin-person-recommended, expert-looking-person-recommended ways possible. I have targeted all of the bad guys - sugar, gluten, alcohol, processed foods, saturated fats, trans fats, my own fat.

Guess what?

I’M STILL SICK!

In 2023, I heard a talk by a doctor who has been deep in the COVID research trenches from the beginning, a doctor I respect deeply (as do many others, including his peers). This doctor presented early findings and hypotheses from his research on Long COVID.

Among those hypotheses was the idea that fat tissue might contribute not only to the ceaseless mental torture of women raised in modern-day Western cultures (my addition to the hypothesis), it may actually serve as a cozy little resting place for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Continues at ⁠⁠https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/the-more-colors-that-you-eat⁠

It's all about food! And Long COVID and semaglutide and food agony and fat and fatigue and health and all the cultural beliefs and myths and other crap that's wrapped up in all that. It's such a whopper of a topic that we had to break it up into two. This week, Amy opens up about her lifelong tumultuous relationship with food, the lengths she's gone to to "fix" herself through food, and her various (and generally failed) attempts to "cure" her Long COVID through food and food-related drugs.

THE MORE COLORS THAT YOU EAT

More fiber. More fruits. More protein. More probiotics. More veggies. More variety. More water. More supplements. More whole grains. More fish. More lean meat. More exercise. More sleep. Track everything.

Fewer calories. Less sugar. Less alcohol. Less white flour. Fewer fried foods. Fewer preservatives. Fewer processed foods. Less fatty meat. Less exercise. Less sleep. Don't be so obsessed.

Love food. Proceed with caution. Love food. Be very afraid. Food heals. Food kills. Just shut up about it and eat. Just shut up about it and stop eating so much.

Can't you see? It's easy, dummy!

Continues at ⁠https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/the-more-colors-that-you-eat

In this episode, we discuss the power of taking back control when it feels like you have none. And in true Dr. Amy fashion, she's taking control in the most contrary of fashions by employing the most horrifying of allies, one Mr. Freddy Krueger. Dr. Amy describes how she has harnessed Freddy's powers to give hell to her tormenters so she can stay focused on her mission of spreading kindness, staying true to her values, and generally trying not to be an asshole (or a dingleberry). Lance shares some brilliant insights and enjoys a cocktail. A good time was had by all. Join us!

KEEPIN' IT REAL WITH KRUEGER

I was 12 years old when the first Nightmare on Elm Street movie came out. In 7th grade; my first year at John Adams Junior High School. My friend J and I quickly became obsessed with all things Freddy Krueger. A monster designed to evoke fear but, for us, he held the intrigue of the forbidden fruit. The movie did, too. It was violent, full of gratuitous (and, on reflection, extraordinarily stupid) sexualized imagery of young women in their nighties, and even had a few f-bombs scattered throughout.

We couldn’t get enough!

Freddy has remained one of the more stable men in my life. He can always be counted on to show up, whether you need/want him to or not. He’s predictable. You know what you’re gonna get with Freddy. There’s no pretense. No pretending. We all know what he’s here for. It’s cool. Do your thing, Freddy. He can’t be blamed if you think about it. As I like to say, he comes by it honestly.

Continues at https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/keepin-it-real-with-krueger

Ever wonder how the sausage gets made? In this episode, Dr. Amy and Lance take you backstage and discuss Maine bill LD1688, An Act to Encourage Continuing Education Relating to Certain Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions for Physicians and Nurses. It's like your own modern-day ⁠Schoolhouse Rock⁠! Dr. Amy reads her Bangor Daily News Op-Ed wherein she introduces the bill and we share our recent experience testifying in favor of it. We also share why we think it's so important for providers to become better educated about these conditions, why (we think) they are against this effort (even though we think they should be in favor of it), and what roles patients can play in this effort.

5 YEARS AND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS LATER, WE'RE STILL UNAWARE OF THE FULL EXTENT OF COVID

If you knew there was an illness costing the global economy ⁠$1 trillion⁠ per year, would you want to combat it? What if you learned this illness cost the U.S. economy ⁠$3.7 trillion⁠ over the past five years? Would it make a difference to know that an estimated ⁠400 million⁠ people are affected globally or that ⁠one-quarter of U.S. Marines⁠ are now experiencing long-term decreases in functional performance because of this illness, or that ⁠more than 272,000⁠ Mainers are impacted?

The illness I’m describing is Long COVID, a chronic condition lasting months to years following an initial period of COVID-19 infection. Continues at ⁠https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/03/18/opinion/opinion-contributor/were-still-unaware-of-the-full-extent-of-covid-joam40zk0w/⁠.

The bill we discuss: ⁠Maine's LD1688⁠, An Act to Encourage Continuing Education Relating to Certain Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions for Physicians and Nurses

Lance is back, baby!!! Oh, how we've missed him! This week, Dr. Amy offers her first report from the field in her effort to spread kindness and give fewer f*cks in this, the year of our Lord Saint Dolly Parton 2025 (I guess the year of our Lord Saint Dolly Parton is technically 79 since she was born that many years ago but whatever). This may sound like a simple enough task - Be kind! Let them! (To borrow a phrase from Mel Robbins, who borrowed - ahem stole - a phrase from Cassie Phillips). But throw in a chronic illness (an invisible one, no less), a crappy medical system, and a whole bunch of institutions and individuals who don't get it and, well, YOU get it.

REPORT FROM THE FIELD

A month or so ago I pronounced this my year of spreading kindness and giving fewer f*cks. Look! Here I am, basking in the glow of all that dimwitted naivety!

"Hi! I'm Amy. This year I'm leaning into spreading kindness and giving fewer f*cks. Can these two seemingly disparate goals be accomplished simultaneously? Stay tuned!"

Had I understood the enormity of this challenge, I may not have set such a lofty goal. Then again, tell me something is going to be tough, or even better - terrifying and possibly even impossible - and I'm first in line to prove you wrong.

In said pronouncement, I inferred with my “stay tuned” ending that I would keep y'all posted as I go about this mission. Thus, as promised, here's a report from each of a variety of social institutions/bureaucracies I've had the pleasure of interacting with in the past few weeks.

Continues at ⁠https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/report-from-the-field⁠

You know that thing in our outro where we say we drop a new episode every Friday, Long COVID willing? Well this week, Long COVID just isn't willing so instead we have a new-ISH episode for you! There's a very important message at the beginning wherein Dr. Amy introduces Maine bill LD1688 - the thing keeping us from dropping said brand spankin' new episode this week AND a bill that we hope will soon become law! Why? Because it would require Maine's medical licensing organizations to encourage providers to seek out Continuing Medical Education focused on Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions like Long COVID (and many others). Check out info on the bill at the links below.

Also this week, a higher quality version of one of our earliest - and currently least listened to (we suspect due to earlier poor audio quality) - episodes! Please listen. It's one of Amy's favorites because she wants everyone who cares about anyone with a chronic illness to hear it. There's always so much we want to share and do and say and so little capacity to do it. Here, she tries to explain.

This is also a very special episode because Dr. Amy's work with her students is and will always be one of the greatest joys and privileges of her life. As the current semester comes to an end, she's feeling especially gushy - and grateful - about that part of her journey. If you are or have been a student or mentee of mine - I love you. I thank you.

Dr. Amy reads "I Love You. I'm Sorry." from her Substack then she and Lance discuss how chronic illness can make you feel like you're letting everybody in your life down, maintaining relationships when you're too sick to move, and making peace with it all.

I LOVE YOU. I'M SORRY.

If I could implant an electronic ticker tape across my forehead, these are the words I’d string across that broad expanse. I should also add them to my email and text headers and footers. And perhaps to a billboard outside my house. You see, as a chronic illness-having person, I’ve learned that time with my peeps is so very precious. I wish I could express to each and every one of you just how much I love you and how very sorry I am that I haven’t been and can’t be more present.

Continues at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/i-love-you-im-sorry⁠⁠⁠.

ABOUT MAINE BILL LD1688: An Act to Encourage Continuing Education Relating to Certain Infection-associated Chronic Conditions for Physicians and Nurses

⁠Text of the bill⁠

⁠Hearing information⁠

⁠Info on how/when/where to testify⁠

⁠Patient-Led Research Collaborative statement of support

When Lance is away, Dr. Amy has pal's night! This is a special episode for many reasons. First, we have our first-ever guests! Please welcome the A-TEAM (different A-Team) to the NEVERTHELESS, PERSISTING podcast!

Dr. Amy's friends, Amy (different Amy!) and Alyssa pinch hit for Lance and we have quite a time. There are haiku, which we've used for connecting (with each other) and coping (with sh!t). We reflect on how we've managed to support each over the decades and across the miles. Someone digs up poetry prosed nearly two decades ago (are there laws against that?) and one of us gets roasted. Through it all, what remains is a steadfast love for one another that we'll never doubt. It is this that most gets us through the hardest of times. And I'd bet it is something akin to this that works best for Dolly, too.

WHAT WOULD DOLLY DO?

I am one of those fortunate souls who has been gifted with more than my fair share of loving people in my life who truly get me. They accept me and the wild wacky unpredictable world that is chronic illness.

I, together with two of those particular peeps, make up what we call the A-Team. Most deets are top secret but what I can share is that we are an elite team of awesomeness, love, support, and understanding. And we're really f*cking good at sh!tty haiku.

In the years since I’ve been sick, both A-Team members have sent me a variety of incredible, nay INSPIRATIONAL, gifts. Two such gifts were t-shirts honoring Saint Dolly Parton. In honor of her holiness and my A-Team pals, I present to you, a bit of haiku poo.

WHAT WOULD DOLLY DO?

What would Dolly do?

Whatever the hell she wants!

Dolly, take the wheel!

Continues at ⁠https://substack.com/@neverthelesspersisting/note/c-109421285

Themes for today include the joys of invisible illness, dealing with skeptics, the firm grounding that people who actually DO believe us provide, and thanking Republicans for the Americans with Disabilities Act (and of course giving them sh*t for everything else they do). It's like life; full of contradictions! Have a listen! And, if you like what you hear, we'd be ever so grateful if you'd share the pod with a friend and/or give us 5-star review. THANK YOU, hugs, and kisses!

DO YOU BELIEVE ME?

I’m terrified that you’re like I was. A skeptic. And why shouldn’t you be? People believe their eyes. Look at me. I look fine. No limbs missing. Nothing visibly leaking (I’ll spare you the deets on my colon, bunghole, and the havoc Long COVID can wreak on one’s innards).

You’ll only catch me in a wheelchair at the airport and if you see me there, you won’t know it. I’ll be incognito; wrapped in layers of clothing (baby, it’s cold inside), noise-canceling headphones (sounds kill), sunglasses and/or eye masks (ain’t no florescent light making its way to me), and immersed in the deepest of deep meditations (if you can’t escape physically, do so in your mind).

Continues at https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/do-you-believe-me.