Kristin Houlihan, Writer

@kristinwrites

Poet, Wife, Mom, LongCovid/MECFS. Looking to connect and learning to advocate. EIC, Poetry @epistemiclit.Bsky.social, @nimblewitlit.bsky.social. Micropoetry chapbook Lift the Mask available widely. www.kristinhoulihan.com

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Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· 21d

Set two of my kids to writing acrostic poems about lemurs. They separately did oil pastel drawings of different lemurs they saw at the San Francisco zoo last month. Idea from this sign at said zoo: #Poetry

Photo of a zoo sign that says “Be a poet… and know it!”

“An acrostic poem is one where each letter in a word begins a phrase describing that word.”

Wary of people
Observant
Lively
Fantastic

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· 29d

Hey look, it’s me!! Thanks so much to @the-engine-idling.bsky.social for the spotlight!

CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT
KRISTIN Houlihan
Lift the Mask (2022)
Website: kristinhoulihan.com
Epistemic Literary and Nimblewitlit magazines:
EpistemicLit.com

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Jun 22

Just fried my brain reading this but you get the gist from the conclusion here, which is what I’ve been trying to say in much less sophisticated terms for yeeeaaaars. #MECFS #LongCovid #Endocrinology www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Conclusion
ME/CFS and Long COVID are complex, fluctuating illnesses in which neuroendocrine findings remain inconsistent when examined through isolated, static hormone measurements. A systems endocrinology framework shifts the focus from single hormone concentrations to the timing, coordination, receptor sensitivity, and tissue-level effects of hormonal signalling. This approach may help clarify heterogeneity in disease presentation, symptom variability, treatment response, and recovery profiles..

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Jun 16

Cabbage soup!

Soup cooking on a stovetop. A child’s hand is putting chopped cabbage into the pot. The background is a bowl of chopped cabbage and a fruit bowl with hanging bananas.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· May 18

(Actual donation is $20, the other $2 covers fees)

Transaction receipt for donation to me action

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· May 17

Celebrating Blue Sunday for #MECFS with a few of my kids. Sandwich and hot chocolate for me, cookies and sparkling water for them! Donated to the emergency department project @meactnet.bsky.social

Cut and wrapped sandwich on a paper plate with a tall purple mug that says “best mom ever”

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· May 10

Happy birthday to meeeee (tomorrow but I have to share the gorgeous cake my teen made and decorated for me NOW bc preeeettty)

Top of a round chocolate cake with chocolate icing. There edges are designed and there is a flower made of icing in the middle. Background is a pastel plaid tablecloth.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· May 4

A little girl in school gave my son a blue heart gem sticker today. He brought it home and gave it to his mama 💙 (He also doesn’t know her name, even tho they’ve been in class together since August… 🙄)

The back of a woman’s left hand, fingers fisted, with a blue heart gem sticker on it.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Apr 10

Sprouts update: rinsed, separated from seed hulls, and draining. Sensitive palate has declared several of the varieties spicy so we may try a different mix or maybe only alfalfa next time

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Apr 10

Sprouts. Grown by my 12yo. Bc I want to share something happy after all my griping tonight.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Apr 10

My children today — 3rd and 6th grade — essentially said, “Mom think about the time before AI, when you searched. That would be so much better. Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to think about whether the first thing that comes up is lying to you?” YES. YES, IT WOULD BE NICE.

Some technologists argue that Google's AI Overviews are reasonably accurate and that they have improved in recent months. But others worry that the average person may not realize those results need double-checking.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Apr 5

Chocolate bunnies!

Plastic bunny mold with a milk chocolate bunny and a dark chocolate bunny, lying on a pastel plaid tablecloth and resting on a pile of paper napkins

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Apr 5

My son has prepared for the Easter bunny. He has never believed in the Easter bunny but thinks it’s fun

Corner of a room with wooden cabinet. On the floor is a pink blanket spread out, with six empty Easter baskets lined up in front of the cabinet. Giant Easter bunny stuffy and plastic egg and several pairs of Easter bunny ear headbands on the blanket. Small Flying dove latch hook rug on the left.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Feb 28

Pie. I am sweating (like literally dripping. My hair is wet) but my heart rate alarm didn’t buzz which means it stayed under 100 👍 I was seated in my power chair, kids did almost everything. I am back in bed. Kids will do screens and I will nap. #LongCovid #MECFS #POTS

Lemon cream pie in a graham cracker crust on a snowman tablecloth.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Feb 26

#BookMail! @stanchion.bsky.social book club @tcboudreau.bsky.social #Poetry #ARC from Scarlet Tanager Press #100SmallPress #BookSky

Two paperback books on a bed.

1. Love you, miss you, goodbye forever: stories — by Timothy Boudreau

2. Convergence: Poems on Environmental Impacts of War — edited by Anne Coray, J.C. Todd, and Teresa Mei Chuc

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Feb 23

Anyone live in Alaska who is able to submit such a request? (Image with alt text) #LongCovid #LongCovidAwarenessMonth

Proclamation Request: COVID
Awareness Month
Dear Ms. Bishof,
Thank you for contacting the Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy regarding your request for a proclamation designating March as Covid
Awareness Month. We appreciate your interest; however, our office policy requires an in-state supporter for a proclamation request to receive full consideration.
We value your engagement and appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Michelle Hodel
Constituent Relations
Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Feb 10

Gets “the stamp” — means it’s a winner! @fbereaud.bsky.social @stanchion.bsky.social #BookSky

Title page of “A Question of Family- a novel” by Francois Bereaud with a stamp in the top right corner that says, “From the library of Kristin Houlihan”

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Jan 14

@keristars.bsky.social My four earliest in the series (I believe)- #2 - The Hidden Staircase (1930) #8 - Nancy’s Mysterious Letter (1968) #10 - The Password to Larkspur Lane (1933) #12 -The Message in the Hollow Oak (1972) #NancyDrew #BookSky #OldBooks

Four hardcover Nancy Drew Books

#2 - The Hidden Staircase (1930)
#8 - Nancy’s Mysterious Letter (1968)
#10 - The Password to Larkspur Lane (1933)
#12 -The Message in the Hollow Oak (1972)

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Jan 14

Book mail! #BookSky @fbereaud.bsky.social @stanchion.bsky.social

Photo of the cover of a book. Title: A Question of Family”
Author: Francois Bereaud

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Jan 9

Alt4You

Black and white photo of Theodore Roosevelt on the left. Text on the right:

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.
- Theodore Roosevelt

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Jan 4

I love that we’ve created a home where its entirely expected to find books lying around in random places. This is apparently the last place my kid was reading… 👀 @stanchion.bsky.social - Street Cats!

Photo of the hardcover book “Street Cats and Where to Find Them” by Jeff Bogle, page marked by an orange toy, lying on the floor behind a gray couch and next to the bottom of a lit Christmas tree.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Dec 25

Would you care to see one of the ornaments my spouse gave me this year? I’m amassing a collection of similarly themed ornaments. #DumpsterFire

Christmas ornament of a green dumpster with Christmas lights. Dumpster is on fire. It says “2025 - Everything is Fine” on the front and “it’s fine, I’m fine” on the side.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Dec 17

interventions have gone badly for me, or not worked. So many “I’ve never seen anyone have a bad reaction” things are disasters for me. What if the mast cells hate it? 12 pills a day is A LOT. And they’re huge. And gross-looking. And I so desperately want to get better. #LongCovid

Three ginormous gray pill capsules in an open palm.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Dec 8

#BookSky with alt text

9 non-pirate websites where you can read books for free:

Project Gutenberg
LibriVox
Internet Archive
Google Books
ManyBooks
Smashwords
BookBub
Open Library
Libby (App)

- For Reading Addicts

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Nov 26

This is a fabulous initiative. Truly. I so hope it succeeds! Image reattached with alt text

Important announcement

Building access now

“The more we raise now, the faster we can serve thousands more people who can’t wait for care.” - Access to Care Framework

Image of a megaphone

Batemanhornecenter.org

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Oct 23

My kid braided my hair 😊 she’s been waiting ages for it he both clean enough and detangled enough. Spouse is going to cut it tomorrow (I cannot maintain it. The tangles are too much) so this was her last chance

Back of a brown haired woman wearing a black shirt. Hair is in a loose braid partway down her back.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Oct 11

Late post for #PoemsAbout #ImperfectMe @thebrokenspine.co.uk @alanparrywriter.co.uk From my book, Lift the Mask, and the piece its title was taken from (this is a photo of the page from the paperback)

#Ubiquity

Normalize the
#ubiquity of brokenness.
Enlighten all to the
universality of struggle.
Lift the mask worn
by the apparently whole.
Each broken soul
will then find solace
in knowing it's
not alone.

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Aug 19

#Disautonomia friends — anyone know anything about trans vascular autonomic modulation? Someone important to me is asking and I’ve never heard of it. @exceedhergrasp1.bsky.social

10:19
# Syergy leath
Go to:
TVAM (Transvascular
Autonomic Modulation)
TVAM (Transvascular Autonomic Modulation) is an endovascular procedure in which a catheter is inserted via a small incision and threaded up into the jugular vein. A balloon is then inflated that stretches the vein. While the balloon is inflated, manual compression is applied over the the balloon. This maximizes the physical energy delivered + the autonomic nerve fibers that travel within the outer
help
sues of the jugular vein. By stimulating the nerve fibers,
• are able to reinvigorate the ANS (autonomic nervous , stem) by improving communication between the organs and the brain. Patients respond with relief from cognitive impairment (brain fog), chronic fatigue, waking headaches, thermal intolerance, bladder/bowel dysfunction, and other debilitating symptoms of autonomic dysfunction.
The theoretical basis of TVAM arises from the work of Zohara Sternberg. She describes the relationship between CCSVI and autonomic dysfunction. Our clinical experience supports this theory, we believe that the benefits of the treatment may come through stimulation of the ANS during the course of the procedure. The mechanism of action for TVAM is analoanus to renal denervation Renal
• synergyhealthconcepts.com

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Aug 7

#BookMail @stanchion.bsky.social, issue 19 - guest edited by @fbereaud.bsky.social Can’t wait to dive in!

Photo of Stanchion Zine Issue 19 - All Are Welcome. Cover has a photo of multicolored seats in cement viewed from the top of stadium seating

Kristin Houlihan, Writer@kristinwrites· Jul 2

With alt text — thanks for posting, @jenny-lou.bsky.social #DisabilityAwarenessMonth #MECFS #PEM