Physical Health

Mask Reviews

I struggle to fit my face into anything other than cloth masks. In order to fix this, I put in an order with Mask Bloc. Highly recommend them. They were quick and communicative, and give out KN95s or better unless requested. I've tried a few, and will add the others as I wear. Sort of ranked.

1. KN100 Mask Laianzhi HYX1002 Particulate Respirator / Small: Official site is here, but MaskBloc purchased through the above link.
Here is the Laianzhi with foam on the bottom, which people seem to like and say is more comfortable. This fits me well, with a good seal all around. Passed the Sewage Test (do I smell sewage when I walk over sewers on the way to work). Didn't smell anything! Headstraps are a bit awkward, but once I got used to them, they were fine.
2. Wellclean KF94 Dust Prevention Mask: / Small? Does not seal at the bottom but fits nicely otherwise. Easier to throw on than the Laianzhi, but performed worse at the Sewage Test. Also has less filtering.
3. Wellbefore KN95 3D Face Mask / Adult Small: Required more adjusting and was a little tall, but formed a better seal than the Wellclean. Interestingly, it forms a better seal on the bottom than the Wellbefore Petite Regular. Also, the straps hurt my ears, which seems to be a running theme with earloops. Nowhere near the pain of the 3Ms below, though, and the adjusters help.
4. Wellbefore KN95 3D Mask / For Petite Faces / Petite Regular: The same as the above Wellbefore, with a slightly worse seal on the bottom.
5. Powecom KN95 Protective Mask: Too tall! Jabs into my eyes when moving my head down. Real shame, because I wanted to like these. Width is okay, though. A lot of people seem to enjoy them, and you can get them for cheaper here."
6. 3M Filtering Barrier Face Covering NOT NIOSH APPROVED! The seal felt great, but I had to connect the loops below rather than behind my ears, otherwise it hurt too bad.
7. Powecom Kids KN95 / Large: Fits near-perfect on the face, if a bit too small. Ear straps way too small. The velcro trick didn’t work, and made it fit even more weirdly.
8. aei Advanced New KF94: / Small: Seals well on the top but not the bottom, shame because it fits so well and the ear loops make it easier to use than head straps. Seems to be similar to the Wellclean in that way.
9. PAULMADE KF94 Black: / Medium: Does not seal on the top or bottom. As a result, I didn't wear it out, so can't provide more info.

Here are two guides on proper fitting. Had to look it up. It's been a while since anyone's talked about it in my circles. Also found this guide for surgical mask wearers.

Recommended: Zimi Air, which can also be purchased at the PPEO website.

03/29/2026 Health Update

I went through a few tests and procedures recently, and I'd like to recount them. I've had a colonoscopy/endoscopy, laryngoscopy, CT scan of the face, MRI of the lower back, X-ray of my chest and a pulmonary function test.
The most fruitful was the colonoscopy-endoscopy, a totally chill procedure with an un-chill prep. The stuff they gave me before to drink was nasty, but the symptoms were no big deal. The colonscopy/endoscopy itself revealed a Class-3 histal hernia and nonspecific irritation of the entire stomach. The hernia explains the burning when I don't eat and reflux, but fails to explain the lower GI symptoms I experience, which I want to attribute to dumping syndrome. My psych thinks it could be connective tissue. My PCP thinks it coud be vagus nerve problems. But it is nice to get that clarity! I've had burning without eating for over a decade, which means this hernia has been developing for a long time. No surprise, considering how advanced it is.
Then came a pulmonary function test, a follow-up from a clean chest X-ray. While I'm great at exhaling, there's an obstruction preventing me from inhaling well. Likely part of it is asthma, as I responded well to an inhaler, but the most common cause of a "variable large-airway obstruction" is vocal cord dysfunction, which my doctor referred me to Ear, Nose and Throat for.
My first laryngoscopy found mild vocal cord hypertonia and massive amounts of secretions. The second found a small gap in my vocal cords during phonation. Whether this is enough to explain my trouble inhaling remains to be seen. But it does explain some hoarseness and shakiness when singing/speaking.
A CT scan confirmed there was no long-running infection. I just make more mucus than the average person. When I asked my doctors why, they said they didn't know.
Unrelated to the other tests was an MRI of my lower back, recommended by my PTs, who kicked me out on account of PT not making me improve. I could either go back for another round of PT at another clinic or get imaging done. My PCP recommended imaging. I got it done while listening to a band that definitely wasn't KMFDM, despite my request. The bed was a little warm, and I was afraid of any secret metal I might have missed, but it was fine. I'm lucky not to be claustrophobic. The MRI itself was compeletely clean. Which is a miracle. My mom's back looks like a car crash. I have sciatica. My back hurts constantly. How?

Resolved Symptoms

• Dandruff - Treated satisfactorily with ketoconazole and/or coal tar shampoo, zinc pyrithione was not effective
• Hair loss - Androgenic hair loss, treated semi-satisfactorially with 1.25mg of finasteride every night
• Upper right quadrant pain - Gallstones, treated with cholecystectomy
• Lower right quadrant pain - Partial perforation of IUD, treated by removing the IUD and replacing with another form of birth control
• Pinpointed pains in abdomen - Surgery clips left in after cholecystectomy, not treated
• Dizziness upon postural change - POTS, treated with propanolol
• Exercise intolerance - POTS and asthma, treated with propanolol
• Temperature change intolerance - POTS, treated with propanolol
• Dizziness - POTS, treated with propanolol
• Bicep tendon pain - Bicep tendon strain, treated with PT
• Rotator cuff pain - Rotator cuff strain, treated with PT
• Wheezing and shortness of breath - Asthma and vocal cord dysfunction, treated with budesonide/formoterol

Physical Therapy Exercises

I went to physical therapy for 6 months for sciatica caused by a disc herniation, a rotator cuff strain, a bicep tendon strain, and ulnar nerve pain. The rotator cuff pain has resolved. The bicep tendon strain only flares occasionally. The ulnar nerve pain has not resolved, but has lessened. The sciatica no longer hurts during internal rotation and squatting, but it still hurts when I lay on my side, although I can tolerate it more now. According to all my PTs at my last clinic, I need imaging of my back or to go to another clinic, as no significant reduction in sciatic pain after 6 months of 2x-a-week PT is unusual. Nevertheless, I want to share what I did.

Lower Body

These I do every day. They're for lower back mobility and back extension, which takes strain off the herniation.

• Lower Trunk Rotations
• Book Opener With Cervical Spotting
• Prone Press Up with Bilateral LE Extension

These I do three times per week.

• Sciatic Nerve Glides
• Foam Roll TFL

These I do once a week. Group them up how you like--strengthening stuff with kettlebells and bands could be one day, and stretches another. Don't start with more than five exercises a day.

• Bird Dog with Resistance Band
• Donkey Kicks
• Core Marches
• Seated Hip Internal Rotation with Resistance Band
• Prone Swimming
• Standing IT Band Stretch
• Hip Flexion - Runner's Stretch
• Reverse Clamshell (Towel Roll)
• Single Leg Balance on Foam Pad
• Side Plank on Knees
• Plank on Knees
• Goblet Squat
• SL RDL with Kettlebell
• Bridges
• Transverse Abdominis Activation
• Single Leg Sit to Stand
• Seated Hamstring Stretch
• Piriformis Stretch
• Modified Piriformis Stretch

Upper Body

I do these three times a week, alternating with lower body days.

• Isometric Shoulder Internal Rotation
• Isometric Shoulder External Rotation
• Bilateral Shoulder Extension with Resistance Band
• Wrist Flexor Stretch with Elbow Extended (Supinated Palm Up)
• Bicep Stretch
• Ulnar Nerve Glide

Sensory Guides

The below are guides to tasks that minimize sensory and psychological damage for me.

Brushing your teeth is more about brushing your gums, and any amount of plaque buildup disruption is good. I get by on brushing once a day. You can use a softer/smaller toothbrush, more mild toothpaste I use the hello dragon dazzle toothpaste because the flavor is mild enough not to upset me. Try for something that has fluoride. You can also use a wet washcloth alone or with toothpaste. Focus on the gumline and flicking the toothbrush down to get plaque away from the gum pockets.

Washing your face sucks because the water gets on your arms. Don't wear long sleeves or take your shirt off, then let the water run until it's a good temperature. Wet a towel or washcloth and use that to get your face wet (technically not necessary). Then rub the face wash between your hands so that it covers more area, so then you can just slap it on and rub a little bit. You can skip this step if you have a bar--just scrub it on your face. Wipe it off with a wet washcloth.

If you can't get out of bed, keep a spray bottle for washing needs. It's preferable to a normal water bottle for me because my hands are unsteady and I'd rather not spill water everywhere. I just spray my face directly and wipe it off with whatever cloth is close. Can also help with smell in the critical areas of pits, crotch, hands and feet.

I sweat at night and my clothes hold it against my body, so I wake up with painful zits. To help, I don't wear a bra or underwear to bed and try for loose clothes. This is also good if you have a vagina or anything that needs to breathe.

Waterflossing is more effective than regular flossing, according to my old dentist. I use warm water, as cold water on my back teeth feels like dying. The back teeth are highest priority, so I spend the most water and time on them, especially the area between my overgrown back gums and teeth. When I floss regularly, I wrap the floss as loosely as possible around my fingers, then start at the back. Pulling hard will make the floss tighten around the fingers, so I do a gentle sawing motion to work it up between each tooth and gum. A floss I've recently discovered that moves through teeth without much pulling is the Oral-B Glide Deep Clean Cool Mint floss.

Not fancy ones, just plastic bins, so when you need to wipe the counters you can take it all off at once. You can clean the bins by sticking them in the shower 👍

Here's a guide similar to mine on TUmblr, but more in-depth.

Another guide-thing. I'm definitely keeping my soap in a sock from now on.

Resources

Blinkies, Stamps, PNGs, etc