A Full is great for girls if you have room. It allows them to have sleepovers in the one bed. In high school, I routinely had sleep overs with TWO girlfriends in my 3/4 size bed, which is slightly smaller than a full! (It was an antique. They don't make beds that size anymore, and the mattress was special ordered.) Anyway, my oldest dd has a Full in her room, and it was great for sleep overs, study/Netflix/etc. It's big enough to be comfy for her on college breaks, and a young couple could surely make do, too. (Her Full bed was my own parents' bed for their first many years of marriage, so I guess it can make do for an older couple, too!) My general principle is Full (or even Q, especially for a boy who might grow tall) if you have room for it. Our 6'2 son is in a full, and it *works* for him, but if it had a foot board, we'd need a bigger bed, as it's really not long enough for his height. If he were living at home for college, we'd upgrade to a Q for him.

I *always* use an extra rinse cycle on clothing as well as linens. Pretty much everything except "dog towels" and cleaning rags get an extra rinse cycle. I find this to be very helpful. I also keep at least 2 detergents available at all times. One is the "stinky stuff" detergent -- Persil. It cleans like magic. The other is a Tide Free and Clear. I generally use the free-and-clear detergent on as much of our clothes and linens as possible, reserving the Persil for stuff that is stinky or otherwise gross. You can even do an entire extra wash cycle after using a strong detergent . . . Either just water (as warm as safe for the fabrics) or with maybe some white vinegar or baking soda. And, of course, another extra rinse cycle if you use any products . . . I'm not worried about the eco-footprint of my laundry detergents. I'm just focused on keeping my family's skin intact and not getting hives . . . and, of course, not stinking so bad that we scare people. Oh, also, for detergent-resistant stink, I've found hanging things out in the sun *really is* as magic as people say it is. Got several blankets on the line at the moment, actually . . .

I haven't actually been assessed for co-infections yet, believe it or not. Accessing quality care has been exceptionally difficult, despite my super-hot-CDC-positive test and severe symptoms. I'm seeing a D.O. tomorrow who may go there . . . I'll look *so* forward to Mepron, lol. I'm just trying to survive the high dose doxy at the moment, which is a hobby unto itself. Last night, I had to have my husband pull off the highway so I could puke in the grass . . . with our dd and two of our (elder, adult) friends in the car . . . We were heading home from a fiddle and banjo contest (in which dd won top prizes in both and $400!!) and going to stop for ice cream, our traditional celebratory stop . . . After puking and peeing my pants from puking . . . We decided to save the ice cream for another day. I just went home and cried. I hate this shit. I just want my life back. Running off to a local Lyme meeting . . . first one I've been to . . . Ugh. It really is a PT job dealing with this.

LOL, that's funny. You know Lyme too well, and I'm sorry for your experience but so glad you (and your son) are on the other side now . . . Yup, I think I'm up to around 10 capsules (including the 2 probiotics) and 3 tinctures, twice a day. LOL. It's pretty insane how much effort and product it takes to try to un-do the chaos the Lyme Disease along with the strong antibiotics cause in the human body. I'm doing my best . . . Every week, sometimes every day, it seems there's a new bottle of something arriving in the mail.

Thanks, all, for the commiseration and encouragement. It does help to know I'm not alone. (((hugs))) right back at all of y'all.

I'm a self-prescriber as needed. Sometimes Drs are just idiots. If I were you, and you've got the Nystatin, I'd start swallowing it after the rinse/swish. (I did that myself when I had a bad case of ABX-induced oral thrush, and the DR only told me to swish/spit, but I was having more GI symptoms. Worked great for me . . . Cured . . .) I'd also get some fluconazole (Diflucan) if you can. I have a bunch (from the same oral thrush, another visit). If you can get your hands on it, I'd get it, and take one dose, repeat daily for a few days or every 3 days for a week or two. I was RX'ed a 10 day DAILY course, so it's apparently safe even when taken a lot.) Personally, I know this is radical, but I wouldn't hesitate to outright lie to a DR to get the meds I needed. (You've already tried the good-patient route, and that's getting you nowhere.) I haven't had a DR ever ask to see my private parts to diagnose a yeast infection -- not since my first one in my teens -- and I've had dozens of them, several of which were treated by first-time-patient at an urgent care, as they always happen on vacation or when the regular doctors don't have an available appointment for several days (and I can't wait!) You walk into any urgent care and say, "I've got a yeast infection. I itch and burn. Fluconazole always works, but sometimes I need more than one dose to knock it all out. These yeast infections tend to crop up when I travel to beaches, etc, and I'm going to the beach at the end of the month. Can you prescribe a few extra doses in case I run into problems while traveling?" And, I bet dollars to donuts you'll walk out with an RX for at least 2 doses if not 4 or more. I'd also recommend taking Caprylic Acid 2-3 times a day beginning ASAP. You can order it on Amazon. I like the NOW brand, but I am sure there are other good ones. I have learned to take it whenever I'm on ABX to prevent yeast infections, and it is very helpful. No miracle, but very helpful. You can also use it topically if needed. (Just pierce the capsule and use the oil.) Also, take some good probiotics. I prefer to take two: like the acidophilus type one (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041U6OOG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and also a S. Boulardii one (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053W995W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) When on or for a few weeks after taking antibiotics, I take them each twice a day, a couple hours after my antibiotics. In normal life, I'd take them 1-2 times a day. In your case, I'd take 2 times a day (whenever). Also, yeast like sugar . . . If you don't mind changing your diet, then eliminate sugar for a few weeks to see if that can help. I love my sugar, so that's not one I ever do. . . If money is not a big barrier to accessing care, go to an urgent care and see another DR. Repeat as needed until you can get someone to RX what you need (and/or isn't as stupid as a bag of rocks). Or buy it from Canada or Mexico if you have to, especially if you live close enough to drive and get it. I don't know reliable overseas online pharmacies, but I'm sure they exist. (((hugs)))

Sometime between ages 11 and 14, it seems that my role in my kids' lives (in their perspective) is downgraded from heroine to villain. It seems to get upgraded again by late teens, that's true, but that expectation/understanding doesn't relieve the pain of being seen as the opposition when, as I'm sure you all know and also experience, I am my kids *biggest* fan and supporter in the universe. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them . . . I pretty much accept this as reality, and yes, I went through that, too, as a teen, but it still really annoys me and discourages me. I experienced it much less with my oldest, to the nines with my middle, and with my youngest, it's just hitting it's peak today. A couple weeks ago, I was her hero . . . today, her nemesis. My eldest is/was just a really easy going and appreciative kid. My middle was much tougher but is slowly coming around after a rough several years and much effort and growth on all our parts . . . My youngest is now experimenting with the parents-are-the-enemy perspective that her older brother just in recent months began to let go of . . . Honestly, she's not too deep into it, and I think it's retrievable, and I have more skills and experience parenting teens than I did the first two go-rounds, but, maybe because she's my baby and the last one whose "mom is hero" perspective I could once rely on . . . It just stings and hurts. I also feel like the teens lose out on so much not having the comfort and faith that their parents are their allies. So, it worries me not only from my selfish perspective of losing that warm-fuzzy-loving relationship but also from the perspective or worrying about their own happiness, mental health, etc. Some days, some months, some years, it seems my role is to just drive and financially support the good things (activities, friends, travel, etc.) in my kids' lives. Of course, I found and arranged said good things; but, that doesn't count. I'm still just wheels and a checkbook. Parenting teens bites. Just needed to share that. Gentle advice and/or commiseration is welcome. Criticism is not. Thanks much.

What kind of environment are you in? Beach? Woods?

Sadly, we have nearly zero food trucks here. I'm still waiting for the taco truck on every corner I was promised. I regret many things about the 2016 election, but the failure of the taco truck team is surely one of the great tragedies. Maybe after the next election cycle, we'll get the promised taco trucks.

For moisturizing with low risk of reaction, I'd try a straight oil such as coconut, sesame, or similar. Try one that is as far removed from anything you are allergic to, and try it in just one area for a few days before putting it all over.

Ugh, that's so repulsive. I'm so sorry your mom has to deal with that. It's great that she's come to you for help. I'm not good with snappy comebacks. Personally, I think it's so wonderful that your folks are happily married after all these years . . . I wonder if you can turn the question into something that celebrates that? I also think it's super sweet that your mom comes to you for help with it. It's hard to come up with something appropriate, especially since the bitch reports to your dad. It's dangerous to even allude to sex in a work environment these days. TBH, I'd try to find a way for her to be fired, but that's me, and I'm not very nice when it comes to people being mean to my elderly parent. If it weren't for the work-place complication, I'd want to say something like, "How awesome is it that we *STILL* can't keep our hands off each other! So many families fall apart, but not us! 45 years married, 45 years parents, 46 years in love! We're so lucky!!" But, that's probably not something your mom would say . . . (((hugs))) Be sure to reassure your mom. She might be feeling more insecure about her past than she indicates. (Inappropriate) guilt/shame about long-past errors is a contributor to many cases of depression among the elderly.

Thanks for the mention. I'm familiar with the new research on stevia. I haven't tried it myself yet, but have been on a highly recommended "biofilm buster" since I started the doxy, so I think I have the biofilm issues somewhat in hand. I actually have pure, leaf stevia in the pantry . . . I will probably try it at some point . . . Thus far, I'm taking about 17 supplements/tinctures/etc in addition to the medications . . . Most of them are aimed at un-doing the damage done by the antibiotics . . . (i.e., detox things, probiotics, pre-biotics,etc, etc.) Treating severe Lyme is crazy difficult. At the moment, I'm just trying to survive the side-effects of the ABX I'm on right now, and holding out hope that this latest round of ABX will be my winning combo . . . and that the "detox" period coming at the end of the month will be a time of healing and saying goodbye to Lyme . . . If not, I'll just keep trying new things . . . Thanks all for your sympathy. I appreciate it. This is a bitch of a disease.

Assuming that the vast majority of kids with a bulls eye rash who go on doxy . . . are fine for many months after . . . by the time the occasional kid gets sick with Lyme arthritis or similar months to years later . . . I believe that they are *not* likely to test positive at that late date. Once you've got one and any one CDC-positive test in the medical record, I agree that it's meaningless to re-test. I'm so sorry your son has been sick. From what I've heard, kids tend to respond well to ABX and have a good prognosis. I hope your son is among those who respond well and is A-OK very soon!

One thought . . . How about move the kids' wake time to when you get up. Just keep them up later, get black out blinds for the kids' rooms, and change *their* sleep schedule. So, if they sleep 10 hours now, and you want them waking 2 hours later, then put them to bed 2 hours later, with black out blinds (and some natural sun-light lamp alarm clock to wake to if you feel bad about removing their natural-sun-induced waking.) This *will* work. You all change their sleep schedule by an hour every 6 months with daylight savings time, right? This will allow you to better supervise, and especially to begin the day together in a positive way. I'd also try to go for a couple weeks with close-to-zero unsupervised together time . . . Keep one or the other "staked" to you for all their waking hours if you aren't all together for something. You'll get a break from staking anybody when one or the other is in an activity, in the tub, or otherwise supervised by Dad, etc. I'd do this as nearly 100% as you can for a couple weeks to break the cycle.

Oh, of course, I understood that for your child, this wasn't a concern anymore. I was posting for the benefit of the OP who still has an opportunity to get a CDC-positive test. Being deep in the middle of a severe case of Lyme, I have discovered that I am *incredibly* lucky to have a CDC-posiitve test in my medical record. There is a small but not at all insignificant chance of anyone who has Lyme (as indicated by the bulls eye bite or other symptoms and/or a CDC positive test . . . developing very serious health issues months or even years after the initial bite. (The better care you get and the sooner you get it, the lower those chances of morbidity or, even, mortality.) However, if you don't get a CDC positive test in your medical record from that original infection, it will be very, very hard to access needed care, etc. The people struggling with late Lyme disease who never got a CDC-positive are nearly universally dismissed as mentally ill, depressed, imagining their ailments, etc. It's really, really, really messed up. I'm 100% confident this is the true belief of the vast majority of medical practitioners today. Sad, but true. Google up "chronic lyme mentally ill" or similar and you'll see it for yourself soon enough. Talk to some infectious disease docs and/or family practitioners . . . about "chronic lyme", and if they are being honest with you, you'll see I'm utterly, sadly right. It's really messed up. The chances might be 1% or 5% or 20% that your acute case will result in long term disability, or whatever number you want to assign to that risk, which is *very* controversial, but I'm just saying that from my very personal experience, if I thought I had an acute Lyme case, I would absolutely do whatever I had to do to get tested (and retested if needed) during that acute period so I had that positive in my medical record -- as an insurance policy towards getting better medical and financial care in the future if anything awful happens. Feel free to ignore this advice at your own physical and financial peril. I just wouldn't want to take that risk. I'm personally looking at maybe a 5% chance of long term disability from my Lyme, given my current status, and a certain chance that my total medical bills from TRADITIONAL providers will be at least 10k in the first year, best case, and add at least another 1-3k in uncovered care from Lyme docs who do NOT accept insurance. That's if I am one of the lucky 95%. If I'm one of the unlucky, then I could easily be looking at years to decades of medical care and significant disability, on top of 10s of thousands in non covered medical care trying to get out of that spiral. I'm grateful I don't work, because if I did, I'd have lost my job weeks ago, and my family would be looking at a minimum of 6 months with no ability to work, and that's assuming I'm in the lucky 95%. So, yah, to me, it's worth the trouble and expense of getting a CDC positive test. Because, at least in my case, that test means doctors and specialists WILL see me eventually and I WILL access the care I need, and if I am disabled, I WILL qualify for coverage of my disabilities through whatever insurance/etc we have . . . If I didn't have that CDC positive test, I'd be totally, utterly f*cked. Essentially, by getting a DX in the record, I've armed myself against being dismissed as crazy. I hope.

Yup . . . I can't count the number of super-crunchy, organic-buying, free-range-meating, chemical-free folks, medicine-avoiding folks I know . . . who are now embracing the dark magic of pesticides and high dose antibiotics . . . due to close-encounters with Lyme. Count me among them . . . That said, after I take my 3 ABX pills . . . minutes to hours later I follow it with about 16 natural supplements (+/- one more prescription anti-emetic as needed) . . . to try to undo the damage I'm doing with the damn ABX . . . I'd *much* rather up my exposure to permethrin and DEET rather than to ever again face this monstrosity of an illness and the required medications to fight it . . . And, FTR, I live in a "low risk" Lyme region . . . caught it in my backyard . . .

Hopefully your kid is 100% good to go now . . . In general, kids respond well to treatment. However, if one misses the chance for a CDC-positive test, you're closing the door on getting access to many doctors and/or insurance coverage if you have problems later. I'm living with Lyme, and getting adequate access to care WITH a CDC-positive test is hard enough . . . having talked to many trying to get care w/o ever getting that CDC-positive test . . . I am VERY VERY VERY glad to have it in my documentation.

If there's a bulls eye rash, you may well get a positive test. Once you start ABX, it's unlikely you'll ever get a CDC-positive test. I 100% agree that starting ABX promptly is critical, but if you *can* get a positive test, it's well worth your while.

DOXYCYCLINE. DEMAND IT. He must start TODAY. Routine (adult) dosage is 100mg twice a day for 2-4 weeks. That's what I did (4 weeks), but it was too late, and now I'm on much higher dosage (double) of doxy plus a second antibiotic. Chances are I'll have to go on IV antibiotics soon. And DEMAND they send out Lyme tests. They aren't always accurate, but you want the Lyme diagnosed officially via a CDC-positive test if at all possible to smooth (somewhat) access to insurance for related problems if they occur (which they can, months to years later).

If you search for drop cloths for a HALL, you'll find just the dimensions you need! I have one that's about 20 ft long, and it's awesome. Check this out: https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Canvas-Drop-Cloth-Runner/dp/B00CMV99HU/ref=pd_cp_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WFMC1QT8CNMJFM1F0SYZ Just buy two or three, and you'll be golden.

Get a U-lock for the bike and advise your kid to be sure to lock it -- through the FRAME -- to something sturdy. Buy a nice gel/foam mattress topper. The dorm mattresses generally stink IME.

Cheap/flip phones around age 12. iPhone around age 16 (when they are driving).

I'd go with an iPhone with a large screen. When Alzheimer's got bad with my mom, we went with an iPhone for her and it was awesome. Just put *all* the "extra" unused icons -- including settings/App store/etc in a folder, hide the folder on the 2nd page of the home screen -- and she'll likely never see it and never mess stuff up. On the home screen, just have the essential apps -- phone, FaceTime, text (if she texts), etc. FaceTime was *awesome* when Mom's dementia got bad. It's much, much easier for a distant loved one to carry on a "conversation" when they can use pictures, and Mom really enjoyed just "seeing" and "being with" my brother, even when she couldn't converse coherently. My brother could be connected, and be with her for 20 min or longer . . . On a voice-only call, there were times when they couldn't have managed a minute . . . but with the video, my brother could entertain her, show her things, pets, etc . . .and Mom enjoyed just SEEING him. You don't have to have any password. We didn't on Mom's phone . . . It's easier to use w/o a PW. Mom was able to answer her iPhone up until her last stroke . . . So, anyway, I'd go with an iPhone for sure . . . big screen . . . and clean up her home page/contacts/etc. And put it on your network so you can use FindMyiPhone to locate the phone/set off the alarm/etc if it's misplaced. (If you can't put it on your own Apple network/family group, be sure to set all that up for her so you can log into it and know the passwords, etc.)

FWIW, I've looked into professional job opportunities in New Zealand (single payer), and *all* the employers I saw (small businesses -- maybe 20-40 employees) pay for supplemental private insurance, or you can purchase it yourself if you aren't offered it by an employer. It's maybe a couple hundred bucks a month. I have no idea the details, but from what I've read about and heard from other professionals working in universal insurance countries, there are plenty of options for private supplemental coverage. Some people feel comfortable with the free public care, and some choose to have extra coverage that gives them extra options. I'm sure this will be the direction the US goes.

Given that I've been in charge of pricing at our vet hospital for almost 13 years . . . I can tell you that pricing at vet hospitals is nearly random. :) I wouldn't judge pricing on the expense of one visit or one service, as one hospital might charge $200 for euthanasia but $100 for a wellness visit, whereas the next hospital might charge $120 for euthanasia but $150 for a wellness visit . . . and you really have no idea how it'll average out unless you've used a range of services over time. There are thousands of invoice items in the computer system . . . Not a whole lot of brain power goes into deciding relative pricing, and once it's set up, relative pricing is rarely thought about . . . So, anyway, at *our* hospital, your cost would be a good bit lower for that particular service, but that doesn't mean your hospital is overcharging. And it doesn't mean we're, on the whole, cheaper than your hospital. We might just charge more for drugs or surgeries or vaccines or whatever while less for euthanasia. In general, we charge as much as we need to charge to keep the lights on . . . and we increase prices across the board on a regular basis to keep up with increasing expenses . . . but we don't put a lot of thought into relative pricing on a regular basis. Occasionally, dh (the main vet) will notice that Service X is too much, so we just go in and reduce that one thing . . . or Service Y is too cheap, and we'll nudge it up . . . But that's very rare. There's no standardized way to price things . . . So, relative pricing is really pretty darn random in the vast majority of vet hospitals. FTR, euthanizing a pocket pet can be more work and more trouble than euthanizing a larger cat or dog. Finding a vein on a gerbil is WAY more work than finding one on a cat or dog -- and not every vet could even do it, especially on a sick, often dehydrated pet whose veins are even harder to find than in a healthy pet. Vets often use special equipment for anesthetizing/euthanizing pocket pets . . . The "hard costs" for drugs is a tiny part of the expense of euthanasia, so the smaller volume needed for a pocket pet isn't relevant. The fixed costs of the room/staff/equipment/controlled drug record keeping/etc are all the same, regardless of the size of the patient . . . I'd generally expect pricing to be similar if not identical among species for the euthanasia itself -- as it is at our practice. If anything, I'd expect the pocket pet euthanasia to be a bit higher due to the need for special equipment that then requires cleaning/etc. (If the pocket pet is one we can't readily get a vein in, they'll have to be anesthetized with anesthetic gas, requiring them to be put in a little glass box/aquarium with gas pumped in . . . since they're too small for our masks . . . Etc, etc. The process is time consuming, wasteful of gas, necessitates more ventilation to clear waste gases to protect staff, etc, etc. It's a PITA.) We used to price pocket pet euthanasias about 50% higher than cat/dog, but a few years back I just made them all the same price . . . as we do so few pocket pets that it's just not worth the hassle of having different prices, so we just eat our higher costs a few times a year. Also, euthanasia is very hard on the staff. Hospitals don't want to be the cheapest vet in town for euthanasia because they don't want to get all the price shopping euthanasia clients. It's depressing and hard on the staff . . . Our practice will not do price-shopping euthanasia clients. We don't perform euthanasia unless the vet feels it is medically indicated/acceptable ethically, so the vet needs to assess the patient before euthanasia. To do that, we require an exam (with fee) for new patients (and established patients who haven't been seen for an exam in a while) . . . SO, price can vary depending on your relationship with the vet (and this is common among vet practices). Essentially, it boils down to . . . vets feel bad making a profit of euthanasia, so often under-charge for this service. However, they also don't want to get "new client euthanasias" -- as they are frequently extra stressful and/or unpleasant, so they may inflate the official service for anyone phone-shopping it (and then often discount it for established clients). If we found we were attracting price shopping euthanasia clients, we'd increase our prices the same day we discovered it. The last thing we want is extra euthanasia patients . . . Anyway, that's probably as clear as mud. Hope it helps.