Fred Rossi
@darthfoo.bsky.social
I write about shrinking reserves from #LongCOVID and #MECFS with brutal honesty and zero fluff. Also: Star Wars, comics, cats, and Penguins goals. 🚨 #LetsGoPens #PwME
https://darthfoo.substack.com
https://darthfoo.substack.com
Today has been hard. The pain is relentless, and my muscles feel like they simply don’t have anything left to give. Standing hurts. Moving hurts. Existing in my body hurts. Long COVID and ME/CFS can reduce an entire day to simply enduring it.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME
September 15, 2026 at 2:36 AM
Today has been hard. The pain is relentless, and my muscles feel like they simply don’t have anything left to give. Standing hurts. Moving hurts. Existing in my body hurts. Long COVID and ME/CFS can reduce an entire day to simply enduring it.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME
The cognitive fatigue dam has broken. Terrible PEM today.
The grief over Genie has hit too. I miss my baby girl very much. This is the last photo I took of her.
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS. #PEM #Grief #Cats
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The grief over Genie has hit too. I miss my baby girl very much. This is the last photo I took of her.
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS. #PEM #Grief #Cats
substack.com/home/post/p-...
August 24, 2026 at 3:22 PM
The cognitive fatigue dam has broken. Terrible PEM today.
The grief over Genie has hit too. I miss my baby girl very much. This is the last photo I took of her.
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS. #PEM #Grief #Cats
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The grief over Genie has hit too. I miss my baby girl very much. This is the last photo I took of her.
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS. #PEM #Grief #Cats
substack.com/home/post/p-...
“Four weeks ago I made four very large withdrawals in four days. The account did not have the funds. The body is still presenting the bill.”
#LongCovid #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Grief
substack.com/home/post/p-...
#LongCovid #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Grief
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Four Weeks
There is a version of the last four weeks that is hard to explain to a healthy person.
substack.com
August 23, 2026 at 7:35 AM
“Four weeks ago I made four very large withdrawals in four days. The account did not have the funds. The body is still presenting the bill.”
#LongCovid #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Grief
substack.com/home/post/p-...
#LongCovid #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Grief
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Visible said I woke up a few points better. Then three to four hours on the phone with our health coverage. Flat on my back, AirPods in, eyes closed. There goes the day’s energy budget. More calls tomorrow, and I need to shower. 🤦♂️
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS.
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS.
August 19, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Visible said I woke up a few points better. Then three to four hours on the phone with our health coverage. Flat on my back, AirPods in, eyes closed. There goes the day’s energy budget. More calls tomorrow, and I need to shower. 🤦♂️
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS.
This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS.
“I am borrowing a horizon, because mine has been four walls and a ceiling for a long time, and a person needs somewhere to look.”
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Disabled #Gaming #Reading #Tools #AI
darthfoo.substack.com/p/twelve-per...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Disabled #Gaming #Reading #Tools #AI
darthfoo.substack.com/p/twelve-per...
Twelve Percent
A year with Breath of the Wild, and what it actually costs to play a video game
darthfoo.substack.com
August 11, 2026 at 3:47 AM
“I am borrowing a horizon, because mine has been four walls and a ceiling for a long time, and a person needs somewhere to look.”
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Disabled #Gaming #Reading #Tools #AI
darthfoo.substack.com/p/twelve-per...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Disabled #Gaming #Reading #Tools #AI
darthfoo.substack.com/p/twelve-per...
I’ve been re-reading what I wrote back in October, the essay where I laid out how this works. Full-time to demotion to part-time to eventual departure when even part-time becomes unsustainable.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Disability #Grief #Work
darthfoo.substack.com/p/when-showi...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Disability #Grief #Work
darthfoo.substack.com/p/when-showi...
When Showing Up Is Not Enough
Why Employers Must Learn the Economics of Chronic Illness
darthfoo.substack.com
August 4, 2026 at 10:58 PM
I’ve been re-reading what I wrote back in October, the essay where I laid out how this works. Full-time to demotion to part-time to eventual departure when even part-time becomes unsustainable.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Disability #Grief #Work
darthfoo.substack.com/p/when-showi...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Disability #Grief #Work
darthfoo.substack.com/p/when-showi...
July 2026 can go fuck itself.
July 29, 2026 at 6:31 PM
July 2026 can go fuck itself.
We had to say goodbye to Genie today. We helped end her suffering at 4:03pm. I’ll be away for a while. We loved you every day, Genie; your suffering ended today, sweet girl; ours begins. Hug your fur babies tight.
July 23, 2026 at 2:45 AM
We had to say goodbye to Genie today. We helped end her suffering at 4:03pm. I’ll be away for a while. We loved you every day, Genie; your suffering ended today, sweet girl; ours begins. Hug your fur babies tight.
@mattreevesla.bsky.social That camera test today was exactly the kind of crumb that keeps us going. February 2028 feels a lot more bearable with little glimpses like that. Please keep them coming, they mean the world to us. 🙏🙏🙏
#TheBatman #TheBatman2
#TheBatman #TheBatman2
July 16, 2026 at 2:49 AM
@mattreevesla.bsky.social That camera test today was exactly the kind of crumb that keeps us going. February 2028 feels a lot more bearable with little glimpses like that. Please keep them coming, they mean the world to us. 🙏🙏🙏
#TheBatman #TheBatman2
#TheBatman #TheBatman2
Long day at Hopkins yesterday. 2 hours each way, and #Tesla FSD carried the drive so we didn't have to burn energy I don't have. Today I'm paying for it anyway. That's the math of chronic illness: even the wins cost something. #LongCovid #MECFS #ChronicIllness #FSD
July 10, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Long day at Hopkins yesterday. 2 hours each way, and #Tesla FSD carried the drive so we didn't have to burn energy I don't have. Today I'm paying for it anyway. That's the math of chronic illness: even the wins cost something. #LongCovid #MECFS #ChronicIllness #FSD
Reposted by Fred Rossi
OpenAI launches GPT-Live, a new generation of voice models built on a full-duplex architecture, meaning they can listen and speak at the same time (OpenAI)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
July 8, 2026 at 5:09 PM
OpenAI launches GPT-Live, a new generation of voice models built on a full-duplex architecture, meaning they can listen and speak at the same time (OpenAI)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Will I ever be able to do anything of substance again?
That question sits on my chest like a weight. Not rhetorical. Just the math of a life measured in what I don’t have.
I don’t know. I’m still here asking.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #PwME
That question sits on my chest like a weight. Not rhetorical. Just the math of a life measured in what I don’t have.
I don’t know. I’m still here asking.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #PwME
July 2, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Will I ever be able to do anything of substance again?
That question sits on my chest like a weight. Not rhetorical. Just the math of a life measured in what I don’t have.
I don’t know. I’m still here asking.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #PwME
That question sits on my chest like a weight. Not rhetorical. Just the math of a life measured in what I don’t have.
I don’t know. I’m still here asking.
#LongCOVID #MECFS #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #PwME
Woke up feeling ok. Sorted & took out the recycling, brought in the trash can, sorted the mail. Four small tasks. That's the whole list.
With #LongCOVID & #MECFS, "feeling ok" kills tomorrow's energy today. This is what invisible illness actually costs.
#PostExertionalMalaise #ChronicIllness #PwME
With #LongCOVID & #MECFS, "feeling ok" kills tomorrow's energy today. This is what invisible illness actually costs.
#PostExertionalMalaise #ChronicIllness #PwME
July 1, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Woke up feeling ok. Sorted & took out the recycling, brought in the trash can, sorted the mail. Four small tasks. That's the whole list.
With #LongCOVID & #MECFS, "feeling ok" kills tomorrow's energy today. This is what invisible illness actually costs.
#PostExertionalMalaise #ChronicIllness #PwME
With #LongCOVID & #MECFS, "feeling ok" kills tomorrow's energy today. This is what invisible illness actually costs.
#PostExertionalMalaise #ChronicIllness #PwME
Reposted by Fred Rossi
I’ve counted what #LongCOVID & #MECFS has taken. This counts the other column. The hour with my wife. A reader who gets the joke. A memory I can hold in an empty house. Not a recovery story. Just the light, counted at the same scale as the loss. #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
The Small Things, Counted
I have written a lot about what this disease subtracts.
darthfoo.substack.com
June 20, 2026 at 6:22 AM
I’ve counted what #LongCOVID & #MECFS has taken. This counts the other column. The hour with my wife. A reader who gets the joke. A memory I can hold in an empty house. Not a recovery story. Just the light, counted at the same scale as the loss. #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.
June 21, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.
I’ve counted what #LongCOVID & #MECFS has taken. This counts the other column. The hour with my wife. A reader who gets the joke. A memory I can hold in an empty house. Not a recovery story. Just the light, counted at the same scale as the loss. #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
The Small Things, Counted
I have written a lot about what this disease subtracts.
darthfoo.substack.com
June 20, 2026 at 6:22 AM
I’ve counted what #LongCOVID & #MECFS has taken. This counts the other column. The hour with my wife. A reader who gets the joke. A memory I can hold in an empty house. Not a recovery story. Just the light, counted at the same scale as the loss. #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-small-...
Reposted by Fred Rossi
The piece and the dialogue around it have taken a lot out of me. I’ve genuinely appreciated every thoughtful response. I may be slow to reply for a bit while I rest. Thank you all. #MECFS #LongCovid #PEM #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
The Patient Who Isn’t Supposed to Exist
I taught Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) before Long COVID made me a patient. WIRED got the story exactly backward.
darthfoo.substack.com
June 7, 2026 at 11:44 PM
The piece and the dialogue around it have taken a lot out of me. I’ve genuinely appreciated every thoughtful response. I may be slow to reply for a bit while I rest. Thank you all. #MECFS #LongCovid #PEM #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
The piece and the dialogue around it have taken a lot out of me. I’ve genuinely appreciated every thoughtful response. I may be slow to reply for a bit while I rest. Thank you all. #MECFS #LongCovid #PEM #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
The Patient Who Isn’t Supposed to Exist
I taught Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) before Long COVID made me a patient. WIRED got the story exactly backward.
darthfoo.substack.com
June 7, 2026 at 11:44 PM
The piece and the dialogue around it have taken a lot out of me. I’ve genuinely appreciated every thoughtful response. I may be slow to reply for a bit while I rest. Thank you all. #MECFS #LongCovid #PEM #PwME
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
For years I was told the way out of this illness was effort. Push through. Build up. Don’t give in.
Here’s where that led:
“The danger now is not trying too little. It is having tried too hard, for too long, on the theory that effort was the cure.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
Here’s where that led:
“The danger now is not trying too little. It is having tried too hard, for too long, on the theory that effort was the cure.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
The Patient Who Isn’t Supposed to Exist
I taught Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) before Long COVID made me a patient. WIRED got the story exactly backward.
darthfoo.substack.com
June 7, 2026 at 1:28 AM
For years I was told the way out of this illness was effort. Push through. Build up. Don’t give in.
Here’s where that led:
“The danger now is not trying too little. It is having tried too hard, for too long, on the theory that effort was the cure.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
Here’s where that led:
“The danger now is not trying too little. It is having tried too hard, for too long, on the theory that effort was the cure.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
Reposted by Fred Rossi
This explains A LOT.
Levinovitz's new book is called 'Demons by another name: Biology, belief & stories make us sick.'
It is clear that brain retaining fits the argument that he is making: that what was deemed as demons are still making us sick & the mind can miracle cure 1/8
Levinovitz's new book is called 'Demons by another name: Biology, belief & stories make us sick.'
It is clear that brain retaining fits the argument that he is making: that what was deemed as demons are still making us sick & the mind can miracle cure 1/8
June 6, 2026 at 1:57 PM
This explains A LOT.
Levinovitz's new book is called 'Demons by another name: Biology, belief & stories make us sick.'
It is clear that brain retaining fits the argument that he is making: that what was deemed as demons are still making us sick & the mind can miracle cure 1/8
Levinovitz's new book is called 'Demons by another name: Biology, belief & stories make us sick.'
It is clear that brain retaining fits the argument that he is making: that what was deemed as demons are still making us sick & the mind can miracle cure 1/8
They call us obstacles to progress. I’m enrolled in the research.
My response to WIRED’s “The Painful Truth About Long Covid.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Wired #PEM #CBT #GET
My response to WIRED’s “The Painful Truth About Long Covid.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Wired #PEM #CBT #GET
The Patient Who Isn’t Supposed to Exist
I taught Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) before Long COVID made me a patient. WIRED got the story exactly backward.
darthfoo.substack.com
June 5, 2026 at 7:30 AM
They call us obstacles to progress. I’m enrolled in the research.
My response to WIRED’s “The Painful Truth About Long Covid.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Wired #PEM #CBT #GET
My response to WIRED’s “The Painful Truth About Long Covid.”
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-patien...
#LongCOVID #MECFS #Wired #PEM #CBT #GET
Nearly 4AM. The muscle, joint and nerve pain is making sleep impossible. This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS. #PwME
June 1, 2026 at 7:57 AM
Nearly 4AM. The muscle, joint and nerve pain is making sleep impossible. This is life with #LongCOVID and #MECFS. #PwME
This was my reality before FSD. From my new essay, The Tools That Fit.
“There were shifts where I slept in the car afterward. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to.”
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Tesla
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-tools-...
“There were shifts where I slept in the car afterward. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to.”
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Tesla
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-tools-...
The Tools That Fit
Technology Didn’t Cure Me. It Just Improved the Math.
darthfoo.substack.com
June 1, 2026 at 12:51 AM
This was my reality before FSD. From my new essay, The Tools That Fit.
“There were shifts where I slept in the car afterward. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to.”
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Tesla
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-tools-...
“There were shifts where I slept in the car afterward. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to.”
#LongCOVID #MECFS #PwME #ChronicIllness #Tesla
darthfoo.substack.com/p/the-tools-...