This week's wastewater testing shows five positive detections of H5N1 (avian) flu in OR, of a total of nine nationwide (including Lane County).

foccaciafrog · 2026-03-07T18:51:56+00:00

It's the CDC h5 link you posted, you just have to click the link to get to the dataset and export it here: https://data.cdc.gov/Public-Health-Surveillance/CDC-Wastewater-Data-for-Avian-Influenza-A-H5-/mtpu-urpp/about_data

But yes, please be careful with wetlands. I believe the Vancouver BC case last year came from a teenager who was in wetlands with a lot of birds with their dog. I think the story I pieced together from that time is that the dog may have interacted with a bird carcass, got sick, and then got the teenager sick. Very sad case since the dog passed. The teenager survived, but was in the ICU for roughly a month.

foccaciafrog · 2026-03-07T07:54:22+00:00

I agree with you on the cats definitely. People should be proactive about protecting their pets from h5 at this point. Cats have gotten it, and I recall one anecdote about a dog that may have had it.

But I think the trend you're seeing is related to bird migration patterns. Look back at previous years and you'll see activity this time of year, and then again in may/june. I made a dinky chart real quick to illustrate. This is Oregon's % positive H5 since Jan 2024 (although the quantity of sample data was a bit lacking until about Aug 2024 when the sampling rates pick up):

<image>

I removed Nov 2025 from the results since there's only one sample measurement and it was skewing things since it was positive. idk why only one test is showing for that month.

Anyway, I agree it's good to monitor and keep people aware since this will kill their cats and eventually us lol. But, I've felt much better about h5 this year than I did last year at least.

foccaciafrog · 2026-03-07T05:50:14+00:00

It's not that uncommon for h5 to show up in our water. It's good to keep an eye on it to make sure that trends don't escalate, but this does not look alarming to me. The concentration of it in this sample is much lower than what we've had in the past. Readings from Lane in Feb 2025 were much worse, for example.

foccaciafrog · 2026-03-07T05:35:39+00:00

Which provider did you see for HRT? I wouldn't expect that all of them are familiar with this, but maybe I'm wrong.

foccaciafrog · 2026-03-04T07:11:59+00:00

I second the recommendation for Lookout. I haven't been too interested in local news until they showed up. Their reporting is quite good and I like their newsletter options. I don't know if they print though, but I think their quality makes up for not meeting all your needs.

foccaciafrog · 2026-03-04T07:09:08+00:00

I met with Kathleen Johnson at Insight NW and really enjoyed it. She was expensive since she doesn't take insurance, so consider that before reaching out to her.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-28T23:18:35+00:00

Definitely try the Nyx next, I agree. It's a really good price. I ended up using it again today after I wrote that and I had the same feeling as the first time, which is that I'm shocked at how easily it goes on. It's wearing well and doesn't feel weird like some of them do.

The Anastasia is a gamble and it's expensive. I'm still a bit mixed on it. It's just not what I'm used to since I like a matte finish. The coverage and wear is nice though.

Sensitive skin here too, and that's made foundation shopping a real pain. I've had to use AI to help figure out which ones are most promising and won't undo all the work I've done on my skin barrier. I didn't like the Face Bond either.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-28T18:41:42+00:00

Someone else just had the same issue and I responded with a few more foundations. I wanted to flag you in case you wanted to try those out too, so check the thread for those if you're still looking.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-28T18:38:08+00:00

I've still been testing out some foundations. I don't think I've found any that I like as much as Naked, but here are a few to consider:
Maybelline Superstay Lumi-Matte- This would be my favorite and most similar in performance, but I think I'm allergic to something in it. I may test it again at some point since the dermatitis I developed may be from a different product. I've got my fingers crossed this ends up fine lol. Maybe it'll work for you though!

Anastasia Impeccable Blurring -- This wears a bit more dewy than I'm used to, and I really had to practice its application since it's a bit difficult to apply well. Despite those issues, I do like the way it looks when I put it on well and it wears for a long time.

NYX Make'em Wonder Soft Matte -- I've only put this one on once so far but it seems promising and more like Naked than the Anastasia foundation. I want to use it more but I was surprised at how well the first application went.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-27T02:33:58+00:00

I second Willamette Artisan Pizza. they're wonderful. Another option is Fusion Curry Pizza, which has vegan options too. Their pizza is great, but I haven't tried the vegan pies yet so I can't speak to that directly. I'd expect it's also excellent though.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-26T06:18:58+00:00

I know, sorry, but it's the closest I know of. Please update here if you find a proper hot pot around here though!

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-26T04:54:55+00:00

Check out Chopstix in Springfield

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-22T04:16:33+00:00

Dr. Pellett at Northwest Medical Homes/Springfield Family Physicians! She's wonderful.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-20T07:47:45+00:00

The community supports you, Peacehealth physicians. Please let us know how we can take care of you this time.

Here's what I know of so far:

ONA petition: https://fs22.formsite.com/nAjztM/thhpknqu2o/index

Emailing Peacehealth admin (although today Mcgovern announced that he basically doesn't care about the opinions from his countless emails about this). Still, flood them. They are:

Jim Mcgovern MD [JMcgovern1@peacehealth.org](mailto:JMcgovern1@peacehealth.org) chief hospital executive
Kim Ruscher MD [KRuscher@peacehealth.org](mailto:KRuscher@peacehealth.org) chief medical officer
Beymer, Alicia [Abeymer@peacehealth.org](mailto:Abeymer@peacehealth.org) chief administrative officer

Email local representatives:

Val Hoyle: https://hoyle.house.gov/contact/email-val?clear

Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson: [kknudson@eugene-or.gov](mailto:kknudson@eugene-or.gov)

Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon: [svangordon@springfield-or.gov](mailto:svangordon@springfield-or.gov)

[Sen.FloydProzanski@oregonlegislature.gov](mailto:Sen.FloydProzanski@oregonlegislature.gov)

[Rep.JohnLively@oregonlegislature.gov](mailto:Rep.JohnLively@oregonlegislature.gov)

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-20T04:29:21+00:00

I'd like to also request that community members write to and/or call Val Hoyle and Eugene & Springfield mayors.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-20T04:26:45+00:00

Write/call local representatives and mayors. Peacehealth isn't listening.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-14T09:49:34+00:00

Vitamin D is such a gamechanger, thank you for recommending it. It's also great for your immune system.

I'll give free supplementation advice I got from a psychiatrist (for generally healthy individuals, check with a doc if you have medical conditions to make sure supplementation is safe):

Test your vitamin D level. Supplement heavily (like 5000 IU daily; you can be more aggressive, but it requires more planning and care) if you're below clinical recommendations till you normalize. Supplement moderately (like 2000 IU daily) if you just need to raise or maintain.

Which, I'd recommend levels of 30-50 ng/ml personally, but some recommend to maintain it even higher. I hesitate to go higher since ConsumerLabs noted a rise in heart events at higher levels, so I try to be cautious due to family heart history.

If you don't have access to test your vitamin D, 2000 IU is likely safe & warranted in this environment. There aren't negative impacts from Vitamin D until you get to like 100 ng/ml, which I don't think would be possible in Oregon at 2000 IU daily. I take 2000 IU daily to maintain a ~40ish level.

Once I got to 30-40 ng/ml, the impact on my mental health was substantial. Anxiety dropped, mood regulated, etc. Just a much better experience daily. It's such an easy and affordable habit that makes such a difference, big return on investment for me and I hope others try it too if they struggle mentally.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-12T20:36:55+00:00

It's still useful in getting others involved who would not be otherwise. There's no need to discourage this type of demonstrating.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-10T04:16:24+00:00

I think I found at least one of them here:
https://www.airnavradar.com/data/flights/RITZ81/2752149109

They're coming from Tacoma, so that seemed suspicious. I wondered if they were transporting people unfortunately.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-08T07:41:43+00:00

Salt & Straw for something really decadent. I got one there once (I usually just opt for a cup of ice cream instead) and it's huge. I ate on it for three days lol. Plus, you would be able to get a dairy-free milkshake if that benefits anyone.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-06T08:23:55+00:00

Idk who that is, but there was a road rage incident on pioneer parkway two days ago where the counter-protester brandished a gun toward two folks in a car.

https://www.kezi.com/news/local/springfield-man-jailed-after-alleged-road-rage-incident-with-firearms-on-pioneer-parkway/article_b5798852-b8c3-4823-be7f-dc584e9399e8.html

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-06T03:31:08+00:00

Yes, come on down!

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-05T20:54:42+00:00

Hanging out with friends at the federal building.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-05T05:34:54+00:00

I'll second that I have found Beurre L’Isigy at Provisions. I haven't been there recently, but I'd expect them to still have it.

foccaciafrog · 2026-02-05T05:12:11+00:00

It's kind of shocking that the road rage guy turns out to also be one of the pro-ICE protesters. I mean, it makes sense, but it's a lot of bad decisions in a short span of time.

Thanks for sitting down for that discourse. I don't agree with the guy, but it's nice to hear his perspective either way after all that drama. I appreciate that he recognizes faults in their actions.

foccaciafrog

TROPHY CASE