PSA: if one of the two health insurances is military health insurance (Tricare) be very careful. They have a rule that says they are always the secondary payor (because they are essentially the government and get to make their own rules). I have seen problems where the other insurance is an HMO (like Kaiser) who will only authorize direct care by the HMO (except under the most dire circumstances).

I read the Hazlitt book for the first time in high school--it has stood me in good stead for many years. It is basic but really gives a common sense framework for evaluating all kinds of proposals/schemes and just understanding the fundamentals. Loved it! Big fan of Dr. Sowell, too.

I have seen steroids used but 30 days is a long time. Typically 3-5 days no taper. And yes, medication overuse (meaning triptans or Tylenol or other meds you take when you get a headache) are seriously under-recognized as a cause of chronic headaches.

At the moment,generally yes, but it is still less than the FDA allowed maximum for a regular four view mammogram. So, if your imaging center uses an old Mammo machine (especially analog) the tomo may actually be the same or less. They are working on/refining the machines and technique and so I think this is going to be less of an issue. For myself, I have dense breasts and I think the evidence is accumulating that folks with dense breasts benefit the most from tomo. Honestly, the breasts that are mostly fat probably don't benefit as much because it's easier to see cancer in them. Basically, most cancers show up on Mammo (and tomo) as white stuff. Dense stuff. Fat shows up as black. Glandular tissue shows up as white stuff. So if you have dense breasts (lots of glandular/fibrous tissue) it is harder to find cancer. Tomo makes it easier, because you can page through, slice by slice, looking for cancer.

Breast MRI is more sensitive than mammography (meaning it finds more "stuff", often leading to biopsy--but a lot of that "stuff" ends up with a negative biopsy). It is clearly appropriate for a high risk population (most insurance companies define high risk as 20-25 % lifetime risk of breast cancer). It's probably not a great option for screening average risk folks (because of their lower pre-test probability of having cancer). It also has a role (sometimes) in troubleshooting questionable or discrepant findings on mammography/ultrasound. Washington Post had a great interview with Dr. Kopans at Harvard where he pointed out that annual mammography beginning at age 40 clearly saves lives. Even the USPTF (the folks advocating every two year exams starting at age 50) have conceded that. The fight/debate is: is it worth the COST? (Meaning in terms of money, negative biopsies, anxiety/stress). For me, I want my annual mammogram. But I respect other women's right to choose. If the stress and hassle of the whole process isn't worth it to them, they are welcome to skip it and I will not guilt or harass them. But if the medical societies come out and agree with USPTF then insurance will only pay for "start at 50 and do it every two years." I think that's wrong when there is clear evidence of a survival benefit to folks screening beginning at age 40. I am a big fan of breast tomosynthesis ("3D mammography"), by the way. Some insurance covers, some doesn't. Emerging evidence suggests it truly finds more cancers with fewer callbacks and biopsies. It's not settled science or anything but it really looks promising. My 2 cents...

NONMEDICAL/casual bystander advice (disclaimer) I have seen it work well but it is not for everyone. Biggest complaints are sedation and weight gain, followed by constipation, blurry vision, dry mouth. Most people taking it for headaches will only take it once. At night. Usually much lower doses than the ones used to treat depression (like 25 mg at bed rather than 50 mg three times a day). One important thing--it is horrifically toxic in overdose and used to be one of top causes of accidental poisoning in kids. Keep it secure and away from kids! Some folks tolerate Pamelor (Nortryptyline) a little better, FWIW, so if you find it helps but you don't like the side reflects you might try that one. One last thing--nothing helps over night. Give it four weeks or so, looking for slow gradual improvement. HTH

Ooh! I'm listening in--first winter in the new state and definitely going to need a snowblower!

Pretty sure if you qualify, you just take the whole test.

Anecdata: I could not make it if my son went off meds. I can't tolerate his behavior. He would not focus long enough to learn anything. (Disclosure: he's actually ASD with a lot of attention and hyperactivity issues, so he is on ADHD meds.) If my 11 yo girl (plain vanilla ADD) misses meds then she's a bit spacey but we can cope so long as we prompt frequently, take breaks, etc. I think it just kind of depends. Have you thought about trying them for a few weeks and seeing if you feel the benefits outweigh the risks ?

Hugs to you. I wanted to foot stomp what Kinsa said--allow yourself to grieve. For myself, I would say it was not a "one and done" thing. Every few years, my ASD son's twin sister will hit some new milestone that I realize he is probably never going to make, and then I grieve a little more. It's ok. And ignore that lady's comments implying your child would have been better off in a public school. If you aren't sure, go visit some of the public school placements they would offer. If they are anything like what we saw in CA (for self contained special education classrooms) you will RUN (not walk) out and never go back.

This. One of mine had a CPC. They referred me out for a very detailed ultrasound to look for any evidence of other abnormalities and didn't find any. My memory is something like 3% or more of scans have an isolated CPC and as a single isolated finding it is generally not a big deal. Multiple cysts or a CPC plus other issues are much more worrisome. Also, they often resolve on their own but that doesn't seem to have much to do with outcome; rather the presence of the cyst is a marker for underlying chromosomal abnormality. So our OB said there was no real point in doing a follow up scan at 30 weeks.

We moved about 8 weeks ago to a new state. I still don't feel settled. We still have some boxes that haven't been opened and things I can't find. This house is much larger than our old one and some rooms have no furniture so the kids take this to mean it must be a playground for running and roughhousing. On the bright side, I really like the new area. People are very nice here and I feel like we fit in a little better here. But, it still feels very new and different. Not settled.

I have used both Zenni and EyeBuyDirect. I used to do Costco but I'm an online convert now. It's easier and cheaper. I don't have to leave my house and the prices are amazing! I bought progressive lenses and some of their more expensive frames plus the coatings for UV and glare...whole thing barely over a hundred bucks. Zenni seems to be cheaper but EyeBuyDirect seems to have a bit better (and faster) service. They have little videos to help you translate your prescription (so you can fill it in appropriately) and measure your inter pupillary distance. Takes a little getting used to but very worth it.

Great info--thanks! I am a snow and cold newby, too; we just moved to the Midwest and I'm apprehensive about the coming snow. What do people do if you are going to a place where you will be indoors all day (so warm), butslightly dressy--like work? I don't want to freeze to death on my way to and from work (think public transport) but I don't think I can wear layers and boots and such inside at work. Do people pack an extra set of clothes and completely change outfits?

So sorry to hear! We have a similar issue in the extended family and it is very difficult. Be gentle with yourself. Hugs to you