One year anniversary, T4-S1 revision fusion surgery

62, F, 126.5 lb, 5'3". I've had three fusions: 

• L5-S1 - (2018); left with left leg nerve damage. 
• T11-S1 (Feb 2024, then PJK failure) 
• T4-S1 (revision, Oct 2024)

So it's been a year since the last fusion, and I have to go back to UCSF for full eval. I also participate in several studies, as I am in an older demo from most long fusion patients, it's useful to see how my creaky-ass body makes it through such a traumatizing process, lol. 

ANYWAY, the goal I had set for myself after two fusions/recoveries in one year, and much of it in bed, or PT (6 months of pool therapy & 2 land based; I now do treadmill and resistance band PT at home) is to br able to make the 2.5 hour drive alone to SF. It's no small feat because driving places an incredible amount of stress at the top of my hardware (T4), where your natural spine takes over at that point in your thoracic spine, up to the cervical/neck/skull. I was able to drive very short distances at about 12 weeks, and it was extremely draining. In the interim the longest drives before this one to SF were about 90 mi RT in one day, and the longest about 200 mi RT (w/a rest day).

Holding that steering wheel is brutal just because of the position, so rest breaks are advised. I planned it all out because from my part of CA, if you don't time your drive right, a 2.5 hour drive can become a 6 hour nightmare because of traffic. So I had to work out all the logistics for what would be a mere 3 hours in the actual clinic.

Plan:

1. Leave on Sunday night, check into a hotel that has indoor parking;
2. Take an Uber to the actual appt on Monday AM and back to hotel after it's over;
3. Stay over at the hotel for either several hours of rest and drive home later that night OR stay until the AM and check out.

So yeah, that's a very expensive, extended doctor's appointment, but it's the only way to be able do this alone and to be safe. It's incredibly difficult for me to safely do stairs as I can no longer bend at the waist because of the fusion hardware, and my balance is craptastic now, so a hotel is the most comfortable way to do it. 

So I packed a bag - no small deal once you're disabled and need assistive devices for dressing, putting on socks, grabbing things off of the floor, etc., and the right clothes, shoes, and toiletries, medications - required me to make lists and check them twice. I'm also stubborn and only use a cane if I'm going to be on uneven pavement where it's easy to topple me over. I'm like a tortoise on its back; it's hard for me to roll over and get up. But I always keep a cane in the car.

Took a small cooler & my trusty thermos to stay hydrated and I was off.

Sunday, Oct 26, 2025

The drive was pleasant as I left in the afternoon so I planned to arrive around check-in time. The Central Valley weather is dry and cool in the fall; once you get to the Bay it's humid and cooler; it was in the 40s-50s, but felt so much colder to me since I don't tolerate cold damp weather at all (if you have rheumatoid arthritis it's a double whammy that humidity and big swings in barometric pressure are horrid on the body). Now that I have a spine full of hardware, the cold I can feel very acutely. It's a known phenomenon for spinal fusion patients to feel like the titanium conducts cold, so winters can be brutal. It has always been so for me. Ugh.

On this day it was tolerable. Sundays are an easy drive going to SF, but coming back in my direction this time there was quite a bit of traffic as I neared the Bay Area. But driving into the downtown area was actually pleasant. My room at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway was nice; it wasn't my first stay there, so I knew the bed would pass the "broken spine test" - I could actually sleep on the mattress, not too hard, not too soft. Once you're sliced up and turned into Robocop, bed comfort is HUGE. No great view, but I wasn't paying for that (I had accrued points to save $). Just a clean comfortable convenient room (and it has indoor parking for the car, so it was safe for the duration). 

So I was hungry, and decided I'd landed successfully at my destination, so I ventured out a couple of blocks away to get some takeout Indian food (something I had not had since before the 2024 surgery!). The walk was down a long block, so the walk back was cold, a lot harder, and dicey as the wind nearly blew me over...but it was worth it. It was yummy, and as you might imagine as it's SF, pricey. This is what you get for $30: 

I surfed for a while, let folks know I was ok and it was jammie time. No TV, just put my earbuds in, watched a few vids, then crashed out, since I knew I would have to be up around 6 and head to the hospital.

Monday, Oct 27, 2025

Got up without needing the alarm, but I felt pretty sore all over. But I was excited to get going for the day. Got an Uber, was checked in and didn't have to wait long to get underway. I had imaging done and, thank goodness, looks like all is well, in terms of things fusing properly. It can take up to 18 months, but the one-year point you want to make sure there are no hardware issues or signs of adjacent segment disease (fractures at top of the fusion that are under a lot of pressure, even if you are strict about no bending, lifting, twisting during recovery). 

So I'm in the watch and wait, was able to continue PT, walk, stretch, but still mindful of falls and ways that you can still screw up your fusion. I continue to do acupuncture once a week, because I am too this day thrashed by driving. 

I was very tired after all the tests and things during the appointment, so I was glad to get back, finish what was left over from last night for a meal, and then crash out in bed to see how I would feel later once the roads were dead, long past rush hour, I decided to drive back that evening on Monday, but left around 8:30PM. 

Got home in about 2.5 hours, great timing. Was VERY glad to slowly unload my stuff, get into jammies, hydrate and get my legs up. Pain management can be challenging when you overextend yourself. Most of my pain is nerve related -- existing severe neuropathy in my legs and feet, and nerve damage related to fusion #1 and #2. 

Everything seemed to go well...for a few months anyway. Sigh. 

Saving that for the next post...

Fall 7 months after T4-S1 & nerve damage

One of my posts from the r/spinalfusion sub (highly recommended for folks facing back surgery)

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61, F, 125 lb, 5'3". I've had three fusions:

• L5-S1 - (2018); left with left leg nerve damage.
• T11-S1 (Feb 2024, then PJK failure)
• T4-S1 (revision, Oct 2024)

I've been doing great in physical therapy (pool) rebuilding strength after losing so much during recovery. I'm also doing acupuncture, along with cupping & massage (all together in one session). I can no longer bend at the waist because of all the hardware:

Pic: Before/After Fusions #2 and #3

THE FALL

I had a rough fall yesterday after squatting down (properly) to pick up something off of the ground, which is always awkward.

I went to stand up and my left leg nerve (damaged from 2018) completely gave out and I collapsed like a tree falling over.

When I hit the ground on my side, the impact felt like it shook my entire body and I rolled over onto my back. My friend was there and came over to help.

I collected myself and rolled to the curb and he helped me up. It would have been almost impossible to get up if I had been alone.

It's one of my worst nightmares because I can't bend at the waist and I've practiced in post-surgery rehab to get up if I fall at home. I've not fallen at home yet, but the left leg nerve can go out at any time, anywhere. Thankfully I live on one level.

So it's the day after and my entire body hurts like hell (muscular pain). I don't feel like any hardware has been affected after 7 months of recovery/fusion.

Q: Have others fallen or injured themselves during the first year of recovery / fusion? Did you experience that whole body ache with multi-level fusion?

A: Yes, others answered that it's common. 

Q: What would make things safer? I use grabbers all the time at home but maybe I need one in the car if I'm alone or carry it on my person? They don't always work for every situation.
A: Yes I have all kinds of grabbers of different lengths and they are all over the house sometimes two in one room in case you drop one you can pick it up. None of them are small enough that they fit in a purse but they would in a larger satchel or messenger bag.

Q: Since that nerve is unreliable will I need to use a cane now?
A: I have started using a cane when I'm on uneven surfaces. I have a few canes. The most comfortable one is the kind that will stand up on its own that has the rubber flexible sole. A knock off of the hurri-cane. 

It left me feeling pretty defeated because I've regained a lot of strength in my legs and core but it's kind of rendered irrelevant if nerve damage can take me out. 🤔

Recovery from a long spinal fusion (T4-S1), my third!

Written Nov 2024.
122 staples, BTW, removed painfully 21 days later. Surgery was on October 22nd, with 5 days in the hospital, 2 weeks in rehab facility. I came home two weeks early because I worked really hard on PT and OT. Plus I had the unfortunate experience of having two prior fusions, so my home was already prepared for a back surgery with a shower chair and pickers in strategic places. I only needed home health nurse for three visits to change dressing since I live alone.

In 2018 I had an L5-S1 fusion and the surgeon said it's likely you'll be back in 5 years or so. And he was right.

The second fusion was T10 to S1, that was February of this year by a different surgeon. About a month after I came home I had primary junctional failure at T10 after collapse of the fractured vertebrae (see before and after the revision surgery below).

And this most recent fusion was as I said in October with all of the hardware removed and replaced and extended up to T4. Let's just say I pray I don't have failure there. I was put into a cervical collar after surgery to ward off failure at T4 and I have to wear it until my first follow up on December 19th. Then we will see how it goes. No driving for 12 weeks.

At home my only physical therapy is walking. I have a walking pad.

And the final bit of information is pain control -- yipes, it is extremely difficult. I can't tell you how horrible surgery pain of this magnitude is. I have a high pain tolerance and between the pain of the surgical incision and all those muscles sliced, and the discomfort of the cervical collar, I get very little sleep. I can't complain about actual pain medication. I was given adequate coverage while in the hospital and rehab, oxycodone and gabapentin as well as tizanidine. All common prescribed medications.

Because I also have rheumatoid arthritis and neuropathy in my feet up to my calves I'm used to chronic pain (4 out of 10 is a good day for me), but this is another level of misery. I have pain management through a pain clinic and they did a good job handing off the baton to my pain clinic once I was home.

So I'm not quite a month out from surgery, and it's really rough but I am managing to get an hour here or an hour there of sleep. Then I get up and walk. With this collar on you don't really have to worry about violating bending, lifting, twisting... It's really hard to do comfortably.

PROCEDURES PERFORMED

(The most recent fusion, Oct 2024):

1. Posterior spinal fusion, posterior spinal instrumentation, T4 to pelvis. 

2. ICBG bilaterally 

3. Pelvic fixation bilaterally

4. Type 1 posterior column osteotomy T4 to S1 at each level x 13 

5. Allograft

6. Ligament repair T4 to T5 

7. Exploration fusion T11 to S1

8. Removal hardware T11 to S1

Making it past rough times with unrelenting pain, isolation, multiple surgeries

A dark, but realistic meditation I posted on r/ChronicPain (highly recommended sub), when I was in deep suffering from the failed second spinal fusion, and myriad health conditions.

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Basics: 60F, I live alone, and I have had chronic pain from several issues with increasing pain over the years to manage: rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy in both feet and calves, and I've had 3 back operations (1 discectomy and two fusions, 2018: 360 L5-S1 and Feb this year TLIF T11-S1), and because of a fracture and collapse at T10 a couple of months ago during my recovery, I now face a revision surgery, extending the fusion into the upper thoracic spine because of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK). Argh.

Dealing with the pain and isolation (or not)

I'm sure many of you on this sub have encountered similar situations and challenges. I read many of your stories to feel less alone about how difficult this journey can be.

The pain is sometimes unmanageable and the medical system does nothing at lightning speed. I don't have a consult for my fourth surgery until July 22nd I don't know how I'm going to make it until then. Because of the relative danger of operating on this area of my spine, I'm being referred to a specialist in this type of surgery and he's in demand.

I'd like to hear from others about the psychological impact of being in so much chronic, acute pain for an extended period of time while waiting and waiting and waiting for diagnosis and consultation and then another surgery with a very long recovery…with an uncertain outcome.

I'm also acutely aware that I'm always initiating conversations with friends and family. No one ever checks in on me -- even knowing the condition I'm in. From my perspective, I imagine if I died no one would even know. I'm not saying no one would care – but it's pretty self-evident folks would get over it and move on.

It's a real, but sorry state of affairs. And it's not that I'm living alone. Plenty of people live alone but people stay in contact with them. And some people have plenty of people and support around them but feel extremely alone anyway.

However, I also think there are other things that have nothing to do with me personally that are responsible for my isolation.

Compassion fatigue. When people talk to me I really have nothing positive to report about my life because it's deteriorating and spiraling out of my control. My health, despite all of the good work that I do to care for myself has resulted in nothing but further disability, deformation, and horrific chronic pain.

The fractured back means I rarely get out and all my energy is just to do simple tasks, buy a few groceries, and just survive. Right now I spend about 80% of my day in bed because the pain is so bad. Driving is particularly difficult because of the location of the fracture in my thoracic spine. The pain feels like my rib cage is in a vise wrapping all the way around me.

So, no one wants to hear about things that they can't do anything about -- they feel helpless and so they just drop out of contact because feel they can't contribute anything helpful.

And the other phenomenon, I think, is that in the recesses of almost everyone's minds is aversion to the terror that this kind of situation could happen to them - declining health, disability, and isolation. So you avoid the thing that scares you.

It's definitely a thing. But being aware of it, and knowing it, doesn't change the outcome on the person who is experiencing it. You are essentially "abandoned" by everyone you know.

Add that on top of just life in general. Everybody has their day-to-day lives that they attend to, often that includes taking care of other relatives or children or work, or enjoying vacations, gathering time with friends and family etc.

And distance really isn't the issue because many people experience what I have because they simply can't participate in so many social events, even if they live nearby because they are too broken or sick to do so and so you stop getting invited, called, etc.

So I'm not sure why people are surprised, with a significant sick, disabled, elderly population, there are many many people who don't feel they matter...

But it's probably time to start talk therapy to make it through this.

It's all gone now...

I gave up. It's all gone now.

After taking ashwagandha for a month to deal with stress and chronic pain as I look forward to a fourth spinal surgery in October, I started seeing my locs drop off at an alarming rate.

I started my locs in 1999, cutting them over the years. They started to thin a few years ago (and I had very thick hair) so watching them disappear slowly, started wearing more hats, and then rapidly over the last month, I decided to cut off the rest. A lot of tears were shed.

Seeing what I was left with (a short natural), my hair was patchy with plenty of bald spots.

The night before last, I just gave up. Because I have PCOS, female pattern baldness was definitely partially responsible, and at 61 I'm probably perimenopausal so what was left was probably doomed anyway.

I buzzed it down to 3 mm.

Yesterday morning, I took a razor and shaved all of it off.

So it's Day One, post-hair.

I'm in mourning, in shock, slowly accepting that I will never have that hair back. It will never be thick again. The question is -- what will grow back. What I did have was different in texture and thickness thsn the hair of my youth. And I don't know how much gray will come in. I had some front and on the sides but I'm not going to color it. Heck maybe I won't even grow it out.

I have plenty of scarves and hats, but not quite enough courage to go out full chrome dome. 

At least my hair will be low maintenance while I am in physical rehab for weeks after my seven-level fusion surgery. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just leaving my story here; I know others feel the pain...

Worker's rights: Sasha Banks and Naomi dustup could result in challenge to WWE's contracts

I haven't posted in a good while, but a recent comment I made on a YouTube video (hat tip, JDfromNY206) about an interesting case involving long-standing misclassification of workers -- the classic independent contractor vs employee situation, debated and legislated long and hard here in California in recent years re: AB5 (see my numerous posts about it here; ironically on the side of certain indy contractors/freelancers, such as gigging musicians, not being forced to be classified as employees), made me take notice of the issue occurring over in Stamford, CT, with World Wrestling Entertainment, a billion-dollar mega company that is a fertile legal test case regarding its bizarre and craven, controlling contracts of its professional wrestlers, er, Superstars, as WWE prefers them to be called. They are athlete-performers that work year-round acting and engaging in challenging physical, often dangerous feats for our entertainment guided by scripted storylines. 

What piqued my interest? Well I'm a lapsed wrestling fan just recently reacquainting myself with the landscape, and these issues related to the walkout of two main roster talents, Mercedes Vernado (ring name owned by WWE, Sasha Banks) and Trinity Fatu (ring name Naomi) are blowing up the Internet. I won't go into detail as to why they walked off (there's plenty to read both on wrestling and mainstream news sites with various perspectives), and what kind of punishment WWE felt it needed to mete out.

Goodness knows I could write a year's worth of posts about WWE's non-traditional approach to hiring and treatment of talent, but quite honestly I've been waiting for the day SOMEONE on the roster with enough clout and a good lawyer would challenge the unbelievable contracts these folks sign as "independent contractors." One has to believe that the company has gone out of its way to keep challenges quashed and the Department of Labor out of its practices. But an investigation is long overdue. ANYHOO...

This is an expansion and condensation of my YouTube and Reddit comments on the matter...
 

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Sure, WWE can discipline Sasha and Naomi for walking out during a show (WWE's version of events here). They can choose to handle the situation as they have -- suspension, removal of merch, deleting Facebook pages, etc. BUT if they push any of their top talent too far, they can take WWE to court and win on every WWE wrestler contract's state and federal labor law violations -- and that can blow the roof off the industry as a whole.

WWE should be concerned about any challenge to the validity of its contracts in relation to independent contractor status versus employee. It doesn't matter whether wrestlers sign a WWE contract if they are not legally worth the paper they are printed on. WWE has coasted on the fact that there has not been sufficient competition in the industry, and thus wrestlers sign contracts that wouldn't hold water. They violate laws in Connecticut (see below) and other states regarding the definition of what an independent contractor is.

These performers have no control over what they wear, when they travel, how they travel, whether they can take independent bookings outside of WWE, etc. that is the definition of an EMPLOYEE. Not to mention its practice of releasing people under contract yet the same people cannot leave the contract before it's terminated is open to question legally.

Only wrestlers with sufficient clout and money would be able to ride out such a lawsuit, even if they are going to win it -- do Sasha and Naomi have that clout or desire to change the industry to benefit themselves and their peers? Most wrestlers have chosen not to rock the boat. To a degree, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) does treat its wrestlers as independent contractors because they can earn a living taking independent bookings, having their own merch shops, and owning their own twitch accounts etc.

That is also giving wrestlers bargaining power when they choose whether to leave WWE.

I'd like to see the Internet Wrestling Community (IWC) discuss the issue from this perspective in a sane manner, devoid of tribalism. It really is worthwhile because we are at a critical point where even actor and former WWE writer Freddie Prinze, Jr is in the process of creating his own wrestling promotion where he will treat his wrestlers as employees who will be members of the Screen Actors Guild as performers, a union that provides the very benefits that WWE wrestlers do not have and cannot have as long as the company considers them independent contractors.

WWE tries to treat them like independent contractors when it suits them, and treats them like employees when they want to control them. WWE can't have it both ways. 

Why? The documentation is out there.

As I mentioned, Connecticut (the HQ location of WWE/Titan) is one of 20 states that have adopted the ABC test for unemployment insurance eligibility and/or wage and hour protections for employees. So it is relevant if a company is classifying people as independent contractors when they may actually be employees...

"To address the problem of misclassification, more than 20 states have adopted what is known as the ABC test for determining whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor for purposes of coverage of certain workplace laws. The ABC test got its name from the three, interlocking elements of the test—parts (A), (B), and (C). It establishes a presumption that an individual performing services for an employer is an employee, not an independent contractor, unless the employer can establish three factors:

(A) The work is done without the direction and control of the employer.

(B) The work is performed outside the usual course of the employer’s business.

(C) The work is done by someone who has their own, independent business or trade doing that kind of work."

Source: Misclassification, the ABC test, and employee status - https://tinyurl.com/yzu82aea

So, according to Connecticut state law, the WWE is clearly misclassifying the wrestlers that work for them. Factor (A) is the more egregious of the three. The wrestlers are misclassified just on that clause alone. Nearly every aspect of their work is controlled by the WWE. What they wear, how they travel, where they have to be, and the company determines their hours of work. How are they NOT employees?

The implications are huge re: burden on the employer and tax withholding, unemployment benefits, workman's comp, etc.

So yes, the WWE does not want its contracts being challenged in court on that basis.

The E has benefited from these contracts up until a few years ago because they were the only real game in town -- if wrestlers wanted to work and earn a decent living in the industry. WWE tries to eliminate competing, ascendant promotions not just in the name of market "competition," it is to protect its contract practices by squashing any competition challenging that norm.

The IWC should be behind the talent's ability to negotiate fair employment for their services that entertain us, rather than fealty to any promotion for tribal reasoning.

AEW, for example, may pay less, but its talent has the ability to earn more income through independent bookings and side gigs that WWE disallows or takes a cut out of. It and all promotions would be affected by changes wrought by legal scrutiny of WWE's contracts.

I also want to note that these issues are wholly separate from the matter of unionization, which seems to get conflated with the issue for some reason. I doubt the wrestlers themselves would agree to unionize any time soon, though a sale of the company could change that (see at the end). Addressing the question of whether WWE is violating existing labor law practices in its contracts would more profoundly, positively impact talent if challenged.

The benefits and other collateral issues would likely resolve themselves if the WWE would simply offer legal, truly independent contractor status contracts to talent -- or hire them as employees. but it won't do so willingly.

Will Sasha or Naomi challenge the E on this matter? Hard to say.

BTW, if WWE is ever sold, the employee/independent contractor status will be a HUGE issue for the buyer -- it surely will have to comply with state and federal law if that transaction is to go through, and WWE, particularly CEO Nick Khan, who is from the entertainment industry, knows this. For instance, Disney, based in CA, has to comply with state law AB5 -- that specifically defines what an independent contractor and employee are (Source: California's Historic AB5 Gig-Worker Law https://tinyurl.com/y35zzc6x). It will surely have to clean up all active "independent contractor" contracts WWE holds.

What I don't understand is the tribalism of WWE fans. You can enjoy the company's past/present content and still understand how the company has continually strong-armed the talent by attempting to crush its competition to ensure it is a monopoly. If there is no competition, that means wrestlers have zero negotiating power for decent benefits or contract terms. Even worse, its clout has allowed it to repeatedly skirt  labor laws -- how is that beneficial to the wrestlers people are supposed to be fans of? I find it strange.

WWE fans should be happy that there is an AEW (or Impact, NJPW, etc.), and hope for additional independents to thrive -- it means more wrestling of different types to enjoy, and more places of employment for the talent to earn a living. It also forces promotions to put out a better product to woo its audiences. It's a win-win for everyone.

 

Mask DIY! CDC rethinks use of masks - may be helpful to curtail COVID-19 exposure

The Center for Disease Control is rethinking its policy of telling Americans NOT to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. NYT:

Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the C.D.C., confirmed in an interview with WABE in Atlanta, a National Public Radio member station, on Monday that the agency was reviewing its guidelines on who should wear masks. Citing new data that shows high rates of transmission from people who are infected but show no symptoms, he said the guidance on mask wearing was “being critically re-reviewed, to see if there’s potential additional value for individuals that are infected or individuals that may be asymptomatically infected.” 

The coronavirus is probably three times as infectious as the flu, Dr. Redfield said. Some people are infected and transmitting the virus probably as long as two days before showing any symptoms, he said.

...Dr. Fauci said: “The idea of getting a much more broad communitywide use of masks outside of the health care setting is under very active discussion at the task force. The C.D.C. group is looking at that very carefully.”

And the change is for good reason - the novel virus is staying in the air longer than epidemiologists thought:

There have been troubling reports that indicate the coronavirus may be able to travel farther in the air and stay in the environment longer than is possible by respiratory droplets, which have so far been assumed to be the primary mode of transmission of the virus. 

One study in Singapore found traces of the virus in air vents in patient isolation rooms. In another study, researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center detected extensive contamination in patient rooms as well as in air samples collected from the hallways outside rooms.

SO WHAT NOW? Given the shortage of surgical and N95 masks (those need to go to first responders and med folks), I found a great DIY solution below is better than a plain bandana (something the CDC advised not long ago, incredibly, to med personnel when PPE is not available).

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DIY Face Mask (Video)

Again, this is NOT a substitute for a sterile, medical grade mask (not that you can find any), or can serve as a fail-safe from contracting COVID-19. But it is disposable, fits well, and reminds you not to touch your face. Caveat - if you need to adjust your mask constantly, you're better off not using a mask rather than touching your eyes, nose or mouth! Now on to making the mask...

Supplies, all from $1 store, and makes a lot of masks!
- Coffee filters
- Roll of paper towels
- Bag of rubber bands
- Roll of wax paper or parchment paper. (The wax paper/parchment paper adds a modest moisture barrier, a big plus over just fabric.)

Instructions

1. Take large sheet of paper towel. Fold in half. Reopen.
2. Take 2-3 coffee filters and place on top half of open towel.
3. Cut a rectangular piece of wax or parchment paper and line the filter.
4. Fold the towel with the filter between the two sides.
5. Begin accordion-folding the towel as shown in the video.
6. Fasten the ends with rubber bands.
7. Insert and loop another rubber band at each end to go around your ears.
8. Done! Here are instructions on proper fit and use from the SF Dept. of Public Health.

Since the materials are so inexpensive and widely available, there is no need to sterilize, just toss and make (many) more. I guess the rubber bands can always be re-used by sterilizing them with Lysol or simply letting them sit for a few days.

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It should be noted that in Asian countries, mask-wearing is commonplace (and mandated in many cases) and community spread in those nations (e.g. South Korea). As you can see it is WAY less than the horrible curve the U.S. has (graphic).



Let's slow community spread by 1) Staying home, and 2) using masks, gloves, sanitizer, and sanitizing spray. It all helps. We are in this together!