Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with health

How to survive winter

stenoboy — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:22:47 -0800

Tips on how to survive a long, cold winter. Now that winter has started to bite, the snow is falling, and the days are short, what tips do Mefites have for surviving the dark winter? April and the warmer air seems a long way away, and I'm interested to know how people cope mentally and physically with the harsher conditions.

I often wonder how people who live in Scandinavia and Canada cope with the lack of sunlight, cold, ice and snow. It's really hard not to get down this time of year, and I'd love to know how people get through it year after year.

Downward Dog is not for me...

TrickyLib — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:58:12 -0800

Can anyone give me recommendations for yoga dvds that do not contain downward facing dog poses? I really do not enjoy this position for reasons I don't want to explain here. I tried taking a yoga class at my park district, but there was so much downward dog I ended up quitting after just three classes.

I'm looking for a good set of free weights for my apartment. Any suggestions?

decrescendo — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:15:21 -0800

I'm looking for a good set of free weights for my apartment. Any suggestions? I'm looking to buy some free weights to use in my apartment. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I've seen PowerBlocks advertised before but I've never seen them in person.

Anyone have any ideas?

Or should I just finally suck it up and go to the gym? I seem to be avoiding that for some reason. I feel like I want to be a little more in shape before I take the gym plunge. Is that stupid?

Are Cell Towers/Wifi Harmless?

carterk — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:49:35 -0800

So cell towers are being installed next to a school that's near mine. Parents there are concerned about this, and also about the presence of wifi networks in schools. They cite research promulgated by a Magda Havas. I know hers is a minority viewpoint- but is it fairly described as 'crackpot'? Do parents have legitimate concerns over these issues?

Help me peak as an athlete.

vito90 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:24:43 -0800

I'm looking for tips on how to peak for an athletic performance. I'm 38 years old and soon to go head-to-head against more talented and athletic foes. I've been playing recreational baseball for the last 9 years every summer, and for the last two years at a highly competitive level.

I've mostly performed as our backup catcher but was just informed that our starter is taking the year off and I'll go into the season as the first-string catcher. In other words, I've been called up to the show.

I'm very motivated to take my game to its highest level this year, and want to start preparing now to be completely at my best by mid-season, which will be around July. I want to take a comprehensive approach to my training, in fact I'm looking a little bit less for advice on workouts than other aspects of improvement. I would especially love to hear tips on how to improve my vision, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, ability to recover, mental approaches, leadership tips, diet and supplements, anything you can think of. Anything that can help a slightly older, yet still pretty durable body to withstand some punishment this season.

I would love to hear old crafty baseball tips too...most of my opponents will be in their twenties and I know that just knowing a few things the kids don't will give me an advantage.

Really any kind of advice is welcome. How did you prepare for the competition of YOUR life?

Left biceps hurts on weightlifting noob. Now what?

nomadicink — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:08:08 -0800

Recently started lifting weights a few months ago. Now arm hurts, wtf? In the bid to get in shape, got a trainer, worked with him, did a lot of crossfit stuff, some weightlifting lessons. Have since left "class" and am lifting on my own for about 6 months.

Over the past few weeks I've noticed a dull ache in my left upper arm, in my biceps I think. It's not a fierce or sharp pain, just a dull ache that feels worse if I lift. I tried shifting down to a lower weights, say going from 195 on a seated press to 130 and that helps a lot but the ache is still there.

What should I do? Should I totally stop lifting with my left arm? If so, can I still do weights with my right? Do I visit a doctor? Like I said it's not sharp pain at all, mostly unnoticed as I go through a normal day, so it seems odd to visit a doctor. Is there some time frame about long I should lay off?

Mostly, I'm really kinda freaking out over starting to develop nice definition and form and losing that. Is there anything I can do to prevent that, while attending to the pain/ache?

How do I find a good doctor?

Jsn7821 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:53:59 -0800

How do I find a good doctor to look at my wrist? My right wrist has been undergoing various minor traumas over the last few months. Basically a small puncture wound became a problem when I landed on my wrist playing frisbee and pulled something. A few weeks went by and it seemed to be healing, but then I re-injured it working in my yard. It's been about 2 months since the frisbee incident, and the actual area of interest has moved a little, getting closer to my wrist, ceased to make progress, and has become a small puffy area, red and bruised, about an inch in length. Maybe there is some sort of infection going on, I am not sure.

I can do just about everything I need to with my wrist, which is why I haven't sought out medical attention yet, but I have somewhat limited range of motion, and something like rock-climbing is completely out of the question.

Anyway: I just moved from WA state to Hawaii and don't know of any good doctors out here, and it looks like anyone near by isn't covered directly by my health insurance. I still have 60% coverage for non-covered doctors though, but I want to make sure I visit someone worthwhile if I am going to be spending a lot out of my pocket. I think what I want is an "osteopathic surgeon", but I am not sure.

I really want my wrist to heal. How do I find a good doctor?

Duct tape and chickenwire and sh**

toodleydoodley — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:07:38 -0800

Can I use automotive-type silicone sealant to coat the metal handle of a kitchen utensil? I'm looking for some help in an inelegant solution to an intractable problem in the kitchen. Because our household heritage might best be described as Rednec-Tino (or Lat-Nec), a lot of messy, spattery frying and sauteeing goes on around here.

I finally found a 13-inch spatter screen that covers all but my largest (14-inch) pan, but it doesn't cover that one unless I rest part of the handle on the lip of the pan, which would make the stay-cool plastic center melt and leak out of the wire-loop handle of the splatter screen.

Here's what I want to do: I want to punch the plastic center out of the wire loop and replace it by coating the wire loop with silicone sealant, like Form-A-Gasket.

Will this poison me and everyone I cook for? How long should I let it cure?

caveat: I live in BFE, so bonus points for cheaper brands of silicone sealant that I can buy at ACE hardware.

Help Me Cheapen My Urine!

Danf — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:29:31 -0800

If you take vitamins, have you found one that is, for you, the sweet spot between price and what it contains? I currently take Rainbow Light Men's One. It seems to help me feel better (compared to times when I don't take it for a week or so).

This product is rather expensive, and I am wondering if anyone here, either gender, has gone through the exercise of finding an economical vitamin that has a lot of beneficial "stuff" in it.

Added a procedure or product to Australia's Medicare?

krisjohn — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:35:15 -0800

Are there any public advocacy groups in Australia to help people with debilitating illnesses get new medical products and procedures added to Medicare?

How to qualify my mom for long-term care insurance

mrstrotsky — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:51:47 -0800

My parents are considering long-term care insurance. The problem is that my mom may not qualify because she uses a walker. Is this legal? Any experience with long-term care insurance and pre-existing conditions? More details: She is 67, he is 65. She suffered from polio when she was 7, which left her mostly healthy but with a leg that has nerve/muscle damage. She started using the walker about 5 years ago. She also doesn't drive, due to peripheral vision loss (perhaps caused by some falls she had before she started using the walker). My dad would qualify, although he has had a heart attack.
I'm the only child, and I'm feeling overwhelmed about this. Any advice is appreciated!

YANMD/PT: How to maintain push-up-related fitness while recovering from hand surgery?

mccn — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:00:43 -0800

You are not my doctor or physical therapist. I am getting some minor surgery on my hand in a few weeks. (And I'll repeat the surgery on the other this coming year.) The surgeon stated it would be about 10 days before I could put my full weight on the hand to do things like push-ups (and probably, to get up from a seated position on the floor). I have recently been pretty out of shape, but started doing tae kwon do in September. Since then, I have graduated to being able to do 20 full-style pushups in a row, without a break, or 50-60 kneeling style (I'm a girl). I like having this facility, and it makes me feel better given how much work I still have to do in other areas.

If I purchase some wrist weights so that I'm not straining the hand, what kinds of exercises can I do so that I don't lose the muscle/endurance I've built up and have to start all over again? (For my next belt test, I have to be able to do 55 pushups/minute to pass - which would be about one month post surgery.) I tend to build muscle rather quickly, up to a point - but I also lose it fast.

Joint pain after treadmill usage

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:46:43 -0800

YANMD (or my personal trainer) but I need advice on a cardio workout that will help me lose weight and also not kill my joints. Difficulty: I am quite overweight...my BMI is just shy of 60 I have lost 50 lbs (yay me!) but still have a ways to go. To keep the momentum on my weight loss, my wife and I joined a gym this past weekend.

Living in a small town our gym options were limited and we settled for a Snap Fitness which has no 2 year contracts, is reasonably priced, and consists of a number of bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, and some nautilus-type weight equipment.

I am gunning for an hour workout a day, and as my goal is to build endurance and lose weight I'm focusing on cardio. My plan for these early days was 30 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes on the treadmill.

On Sunday, our first day working out, I did a bit over 30 minutes on the tradmill, my heart rate held around 140, and my average was just under 3MPH. I was happy with that result...it was a well paced walk, which is what I could handle at this point.

I quit after the treadmill, not moving on to the bike, because after stopping I realized I was in a lot of pain. It wasn't muscle pain, which is what I anticipated, but instead it was severe joint pain, focused in my ankle and my knee. My feet also ached.

I took some Advil and resolved to go back the next day, but the pain actually worsened the more time passed. It's now been over 48 hours and I'm still on a heavy Advil rotation and have not returned to work out as standard walking is quite painful at the moment.

(background: despite my weight I have no history of joint problems, and my feet do normally bother me if I walk a good distance of a couple miles, but never my ankles and knees like this).

I'm not sure if I should "push through the pain" and hop back on the treadmill, if I should just focus on the stationary bike for a while and do 60 minutes on the bike completely foregoing the treadmill, or if there is a better option.

Suggestions would be most appreciated.

Scared to death of traveling. What do I do?

Takeyourtime — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:55:38 -0800

Scared to death of traveling. What do I do? Ok so first off a little about me (male 28)

When I was little (around 2 years and all the way to 16) I traveled to Mexico on a yearly basis. I thought nothing of it and somewhat enjoyed my company there (mostly family). I stopped traveling after 17 due to some money constraints and finishing college, starting a life etc. Well at about 25 years of age my family in Mexico was tried of not seeing me so they booked a flight and of course they wanted me to go. At the time I was incredibly stressed. I was about 26k in debt, going to college and working to support myself because I had my own apartment. I barely let myself have a weekend as a vacation little alone taking a whole week off for something that I didn’t really want to do in the first place.

I also was expected to use my own money for fun and entertainment down there. Again having so much debt and spending money frivolously scared the crap out of me. Anyway, so against my gut instinct I took the trip, mostly because of guilt of not seeing the family. I got to about Phoenix and can only describe what happened to me as a mental breakdown. I was super super anxious. Didn’t want to go. Couldn’t stop worrying about my problems at home. I saw tons of my hair on the pillow while lying down and immediate thought I am going bald. How was I going to explain taking a week for myself doing something that I didn’t want to do. Etc etc. Well I called my mom and she suggested me just tough through it. I immediately broke down sobbing more then I have ever sobbed in my life. The tears just kept coming. At this point I knew there was no way I could complete the rest of the trip. I told her and she again told me to try and tough through it. I hung up on her and am still mad at her to this day for that (im 28).

On the way back to my home town, I started having what I can only describe as a panic attack. I starting “thinking funny,” that mole on my arm suddenly because melanoma, and I was to die right and then. Vision of me dieing to some internal parasite finishing me off etc. Basically just crazy thoughts. I didn’t act on them do to having a very rational logical mind that I relied to on to make me realize there is no way these were the classes. Despite my logical minds best efforts the shear trauma made me just accept my fate and at this point I just gave up. I fell into my feelings and gripped my seat like I was holding on to dear life the whole way back to home. I was pretty stressed out for next two weeks just recovering from this one day.

My next trip was 3 years later at the beginning on this summer actually. I was extremely nervous about it but I knew I couldn’t continue to live in fear for the rest of my life (I didn’t travel before because of anxiety and panic). I finally felt like I was in a more comfortable place to try again. I had less debt, no job, free rent, still debt but manageable. School was still a huge stressor (still in college, harder classes this time). I actually took the flight immediately after my finals. Needless to say I could focus on anything, paniced weeks in advance and was extremely terrified the whole time. But the difference is I actually wanted to go this time. No one was pushing me, this was all me. Yet I still felt scared for reason I cannot describe. I didn’t have the crazy thoughts just a feeling of anxiety. Which honestly I probably misinterpreted excitement as anxiety.

Anyway I took the trip and nervously doubted myself a week in advance. I had to call just about every person I knew and talk to them about my situation to convince myself I should go. Everyone I talked to was supporting and told me that this was a great idea for me and at a perfect time. So I went notifying my flight attendant that I will probably puke at any moment due to the stress. I got to my destination and felt fine for a bit, but wow the next 3 days I just couldn’t relax. I had to listen to mediation tapes for about 3-4 hours just to feel normal again. Mornings were the worst. Over the course of those days things did get better though. And by the 4th day I was pretty much back to normal except tired. Once I relaxed the rest of the trip was amazing. I loved every minute of it. I traveled around, met an awesome friend. Ate good food, had good company, just loved it.

Once I got back home though, I took a new job the next day. Seriously got home at 11 pm and started a new job at 2 pm the next day. I worked that job for about 3 weeks before I got food poisoning from a pot luck. It was really bad I felt horrible for 3 days. And for some reason this triggered a whole slew of anxiety. I no longer could function day to day, I was having panic attacks left and right, anxiety every moment (about things like debt, making a living, finishing college how I was going to survive if I didn’t keep this job). I had to quit 3 week in because it just got so bad all I could do all day was take walks to keep myself calm. I should also mention that this second trip was also a way to “combat” my fear of traveling for 3 years. Something I was hoping would work. Instead it backfired. I spent the next 3 months with generalized anxiety and just barely making it through a job. Of which since I had to make for lost time took up another job. So I was trying to manage 60+ hours a week. Yes I push myself way to hard but honestly the stress of piling debt is worse than working that much.

Ok so here I am. I am about to travel again. I have over 1.5k in the bank for needed emergencies. I have a car that is not a piece of crap that actually brand new. I am almost done with the semester (I have 2 finals in 2 weeks). I am taking less school. Still working part time but took all of next week off. I have Xanax incase I freak out. I have hotels books. I am only staying for 3 days total. I am not flying but taking my car instead. And even though I didn’t have therapy for the above. I have done severaling talkings with friends and family to find out what the causes of my anxiety are and why they seem to be coming. So I think I have that somewhat solved. Although I will be taking therapy again soon since I finally have medical coverage.

I am leaving tomorrow. Didn’t have stress until today (had to take one xanax though). Hotel is booked. I will be driving the whole time. So no plane. (8 hour drive). I have plently of money incase of anything. Everything seems to be in place. I am alittle worried about my finals but I could walk in blind and get a 60 to 70% on them. And I have no work for 2 weeks, plently of days to recover once I come back. O and the whole trip is 3 days total. So nothing major like a week or more.

So why do I still feel anxiety? Its greatly dimished but I still wake up with nightmares and didn’t sleep well last night or this night. I feel like I have gotten things in order. And have emergency on top of emergency plans in case of any possible mishaps. I do still need to pack though but for 3 days that should be easy. And above all I am doing this trip for myself to have and also to make it so I am not afraid of traveling anymore. I refuse to let myself get carried away into thinking I can never travel again because of anxiety.
So still I am feeling anxiety, should I go at all? It took a long time to recover last time and this time I doubt it will be as long. But still I am at a loss if I am doing the right thing. I will be seeing great friends there that I met last time so I won’t be alone. I just wonder if maybe I should cancel. But then I think I gave into the fear which is probably worse honestly. Anyway have any ideas about this whole situation?

What is (or is there any) relationship between cancer, pregnancy, and a fetus?

raztaj — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:06:19 -0800

What is (or is there any) relationship between cancer, pregnancy, and a fetus? I have been wondering for some time about the relationship between a pregnant mother with a late stage (3 or 4) cancer, and how this affects a fetus, if at all. Does it depend on the type of cancer? Are cancerous cells ever transferred from a mother to a fetus?

Have there been any studies about increased risk of certain cancers because of pregnancy? (i.e., not just familial history, but with the added factor of being in a womb of someone with late stage cancer)

I am curious about cancers in general, but bonus insight about melanoma would be good to know. My mom found out that she had stage 3 malignant melanoma the morning she went into the hospital to deliver me. In my late 20's now, I'm in very good health, and am conscious of sun-exposure and changes to moles, but still sometimes wonder about the effect of having cancer while pregnant.

carbs or protein

leotrotsky — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:03:56 -0800

Dean Ornish vs Gary Taubes. Ornish claims through clinical trials to have reversed the effects of heart disease. Taubes argues that there's evidence high carbohydrate, low fat diets increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, etc. Surely they can't both be right. Is there a unbiased opinion out there? What do the plurality of clinical trials seem to indicate?

I like it raw.

blackcatcuriouser — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:46:54 -0800

Any suggestions for a 14-day raw food detox diet? What can I expect to feel like? I've been in the process of losing weight (via eating better and exercising) and have lost about 20 pounds since early summer. I fell off the health wagon in early November due to work/school stress, started ordering takeout more often, missed the gym for weeks at a time. Throw in a few weekend birthday celebrations and Thanksgiving - all of which involved indulging heavily in fatty foods and quite a bit of alcohol - and I gained about 4 pounds back.

I'd like to get back on board and continue to lose the weight I started losing. (I'm about 10-15 lbs to my goal.) I've started going to the gym again, and lighter eating began the day after Thanksgiving. But I still feel sluggish and generally gross from a month of face-stuffing and boozing.

I've developed, based on various internet articles, a plan for a 2-week raw (or mostly raw) cleanse. It's a variation of the vegan raw food cleanse in that it's not as super strict as some of the ones I've read about online. I plan to eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts and drink water and herbal teas. (Which is pretty much what I normally drink anyway.) I'm allowing occasional oatmeal with raw honey and fruit, maybe 1 or 2 mornings a week. I'm also thinking of throwing a teaspoon of olive oil per day into the mix, for salad dressing. Maybe some light salt and pepper. No meat, dairy, eggs, pasta, bread, alcohol, candy or processed foods. I am going to allow myself avocado and canned beans, but no tofu.

Anything else I should avoid? Any cool raw recipes I should consider feasting on or advice in general? I've never done this before. What can I expect to feel like? (Some background, I'm a mid-20s female of a healthy weight, and I usually eat everything.)

How do I decide between the pill, a test, and a surgery?

grablife365 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:31:51 -0800

We're still not too sure what's wrong with me. I know you are not my doctor but the decision has been left to me for the most part right now. Should I consider the CT, change pills or go straight for a Laparoscopy? Possible causes we've talked about: gall stones, hemorrhagic cyst or endometriosis. Long background and possibly TMI. If anyone has dealt with any of those three, I could use some advice. My doctor has mentioned that she's ready for the surgery when I am. Today has been a very painful and tiring day so I'm just about ready to say yes but first I need advice on whether I'm making the right choice based on whats going on.

I've had incredibly painful periods since I was 16. Among other symptoms, I get absolutely horrible cramps, occasional side pains and back ache with the back ache being the worst but with all the other menstrual stuff I'm usually to the point where I feel like passing out and would gladly take that for the next week. The pain used to start a day before and would stay for two or three days after. I have never really responded to OTC pills, or back stretches and exercise and heat only does so much. I've always had regular cycles some being heavier than others but pretty uniform.

I started the pill ( a low dose pill called Levora) from a clinic in December of 2008 prior to getting with a Doctor. I was fine for the most part but my periods were still pretty bad. Maybe a 7- 9 instead of a full blown 10 (want to pass out from pain) every time.

July 29th I had the worst pain ever in my left side, some in my right and my back pain started up. So much so that it was incredibly hard to drive 40 minutes home without near tears. I figured I was getting my period due to the back ache and thought nothing of it though I couldn't explain why my side pain was worst than it had ever been. When my back pain didn't go away after my period was ending (side pain lessened), I found a doctor (Aug 5th)who prescribed pills but didn't think it was odd that I felt too bad to walk upright and didn't find any nodules that made her think it was endo. I held off on the pills, found a new general doc (aug 20th) who told me to go ahead and take the pills (off brand of ortho tri cyclen) and I got a non transvaginal ultrasound which showed a cyst on my left ovary.

I couldn't sit, stand, laugh or lie down the first week of the pill but it got better and I was later able to walk but the back pain wasn't gone. The pain in my left side comes and goes even now.

My next appointment was somewhere in early September with the same doctor who then referred me to an OBGYN who started me on Loestrin24 in mid October since my back pains had still not stopped (it lessens on some days but hasn't stopped at all since July) with an even higher dose pill. She mentioned endometriosis being a concern. My guess is because I feel worse when my period starts or when I'm not on any pills at all but a she also mentioned gall stones.

I don't have problems eating, peeing, the back pain goes everywhere but never leaves my lower back especially my left side. I've read on gall stones and though my mother has had them I'm not sure my symptoms line up. I have had a ton of pain in the right lower front but more than anything its on my left lower front if its in front. Lower back especially left never goes away.

I saw my Doctor last Friday, changed pills and am now on Seasonique in order to cut down on how many periods I get. I've been on it a week and my pain, while better for a few days at the start, has not really improved as much as we were hoping. I can walk upright for the most part on most days (today and yesterday were not one of them) but the pain persists. My initial plan was to give it two weeks in case I react the first week like I did with the other pill.

I had a transvaginal ultrasound done Friday also. My right ovary is fine but she wasn't able to get a good enough picture of the left. Again she mentioned endometriosis but also brought up the possibility of a hemorrhagic cyst.

I don't know what would be smarter to do now. While she seemed like this wasn't just a normal, here take your pills and it will go kind of problem, she didn't immediately usher me out for surgery.

I've written all that to ask what direction it would be smarter to move in. You are not my doctor I know that and I intend to check with her next Friday but I am not sure if getting a CT would show anything or if I would waste money, if changing to yet another pill with a higher dose would be smart, if I should not delay this in case its something serious and if surgery is the best option or all of them together. She mentioned gall stones and getting a CT. She mentioned endometriosis and the cyst and said she's ready for surgery when I am. I have an appointment scheduled for January 22nd but I'm not sure I can go that long. I don't respond to anything OTC, never have but I recently tried it all again and was given Darvocet but was told to take it when I was not going anywhere or driving for the day and only when the pain is a 10 like today. I couldn't do it with the holidays and travel but I plan to do so tomorrow. Other than that I was told Motrin 600mg every 6 hours but thats yet to kick in and its been about a week.

Also my uterus is not tipped.

Has anyone been through anything similar or have advice on what I should do from here?

Sorry if this is scrambled and long.

I've just seen a face...

eatdonuts — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:21 -0800

Yikes! Nearly every 'healthy' cosmetic brand has toxic waste in it! Here I thought using Burt's Bees was good for unicorns and everything, apparently they have issues too! So does the Body Shop - badly. Search the database... Anyone have a good, healthy brand line? Please no "Stop Using." Try telling that to a 13 year old who just got permission.

I think I might have Asperger's. What should I do?

edguardo — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:32:59 -0800

I think I might have Asperger's. In my case, should I even bother being tested? What would a confirmation/disconfirmaton mean? I'm 22 years old, male, college student, soon-to-be post-bacc medical student.

I've been medicated in the past for anxiety and depression (Lexapro), but I've been drug-free for a year and, I think, coping really well.

My coping methods, however, are optimized for living alone, as I did for a year before my girlfriend moved in with me a few months ago.

When living alone, I can take all the time I need to myself to chill out, calm down, and take myself out of overwhelming situations, generally involving other people. I've been controlling my anxiety and mood swings by avoiding the things that cause them, and now that I live with someone else in a small apartment, I feel like a lot of my "solutions" have just been temporary fixes.

Now, I'd say we just need to work things out and talk to each other, which we're good at doing when we clash, except for the fact that both my girlfriend and my mother think that I have Asperger's.

If it were just me, I wouldn't bother seeing a mental health professional, since I know there's no "cure" for AS and it's just something you deal with. But it isn't just me; I have my relationship with my girlfriend to consider, and I know I can be very difficult to live with (I find myself difficult to live with sometimes too).

My girlfriend says I've become easier to deal with since she's decided I have AS, and my mother says she's wondered for years if I had mild autism. It just seems so late in the game, so to speak, for this to come up.

I'm afraid that if I am determined to have AS, that I'll be considered a faker or excuse-maker since I'm fairly well-adjusted. I'm afraid that if I'm determined NOT to have AS, that I'm dealing with something like a mood disorder instead, and I'm not interested in going back on medication.

I've already sent an email to a local psychiatrist who works with autistic children, asking if she counsels adults or who I should see about it. That's a first step, but how do you think I should proceed?

The Subway vs. My Back

airguitar2 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:29:12 -0800

Is the subway causing my body to hurt? I've been riding the NYC subway twice a day for the last few months, and I'm noticing an overall body/back ache that I haven't felt before. I've looked around for research on this, but all I can find is a study showing that a test group of subway operators suffer more back and neck pain than a control group. Apparently total-body-vibration is not such a good thing in large doses.

Is the subway causing minute but detectable bodily injury?
Have others noticed this?
What can I do about it, other than walk three hours to work every day?

Thanks, Mefites!

(It's also possible that my teaching job, what with its stress and being on my feet all day, is also contributing.)

Help with vision problem

Bulgaroktonos — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:12:49 -0800

What are these moving lines in my vision? So, for quite sometime, I've experiencing a problem where I will get these moving lines in my vision. They look like worms, they're black and white and they move around for a few seconds then disappear. They're not floaters, which I also have. They only crop up when I've just exerted myself, or when I stand up. I've tried Googling, but I haven't come up with much. It's been going on for years, and I've never asked a doctor about it, which I probably should. I'm mainly curious, since it hasn't seemed like much of a problem before.

Caffiene snooze

divabat — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:58:53 -0800

Why does one cup of coffee make me sleepy? I've seen this thread, but it was more about confirming the effect rather than explaining it.

I've had an interesting history with coffee. I like the taste, and when I was a teenager I regularly had a cup of 3-in-1 coffee a day with no particular effects. In my late teens I was diagnosed with panic disorder, and I could no longer take any coffee without feeling jittery and anxious. Within the past five years I've slowly reintroduced coffee into my life, and now I can comfortably have a cup a day.

However, instead of either getting a buzz or being jittery, coffee makes me really really sleepy. As soon as I have a cup I have a deep need to take a nap, and I can be knocked out for a couple of hours. It's not particularly restful or refreshing sleep, but it's hard to fight back the urge to snooze. This is a recent development (and slightly annoying because there are times where I could use the buzz!!).

I'm usually described as "hyper" by my friends and peers, though that usually depends on the situation - in fun energetic environments I can be very vibrant and exuberant, though when I'm at home I'm usually sloth-like and lazy. I sleep about 7-8 hours a night; the sun awakes me, so I'm usually up just before 5, and for the first few hours (if I'm not having to be awake early for any particular reason) I vacillate between mucking around on my laptop and snoozing. I don't deal well with late nights - if I'm not distracted by something I usually clamour for my bed by midnight at the latest.

Guarana, ginseng, and other energy drinks & supplements of that ilk give me a headache. There is one particular Aussie brand of energy drink (can't recall the name offhand) that hasn't effected me either way; however I've only had a small tin so I don't know if it's a fluke. I have been suspected of having ADD but have never been on treatment for it or tested professionally.

What's happening with my hormones and my brain that makes me have the opposite reaction to caffiene? Is it something I need to worry about? If caffiene makes me tired, what can I do to get a buzz (assuming that I haven't already scared people off by being highly energetic!)?

Why do I always get so hungry late at night?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:32:35 -0800

Why do I always get so hungry late at night? I tend to go to bed around 12:30-1 am, though it usually takes me a long time to fall asleep. I always get hungry around 11-12, and if I stay up later than usual I get especially hungry. I usually eat something, but even then I don't feel full. I've been this way for several years, if not forever; I don't remember ever not being like this.

Maybe-relevant info: I'm 23 and male. I don't have any relevant health problems except a tendency to fall asleep late and wake up late (for which I take melatonin). I eat pretty nutritiously, mostly vegetarian. (I may lack some protein, but I try to get it from legumes; I might also lack some kind of vitamin, but I'd have no idea how to tell). I don't exercise much, though I think I had the same problem back when I did exercise more. I tend to consume a lot of caffeine, mostly tea (which I usually avoid drinking after 8 pm unless it's decaf).

Does this happen to anyone else? It seems like everyone else I know eats dinner somewhere between 6 and 8 and then doesn't eat anything after that until falling asleep, so it seems pretty weird! It's supposedly unhealthy to eat late at night, so is there anything I can do about it?

Anonymous just because I included a lot of identifying information.

How can I have a baby in NYC without health insurance?

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:12:36 -0800

We are having a baby! We are super excited, except that we are in NYC without health insurance and really scared. What are our options? To further complicate things we are both non US citizens (Swedish and Australian), freelancers, young and broke, and live here on non-immigratant visas. My fiance and I want to stay in NYC, but only if we can find a way that is best for mother and baby. One option is to return to our home country and benefit from free health care, but this is our home now. We will do this though if there isn't any alternative, but we hope to find a solution here.

I have called around to some OBGYN offices, but they quoted around $10k, and that doesn't include tests or complications. It seems too expensive, especially considering if there are potential problems. We would get her health insurance if possible, but from reading around it seems that pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition and wouldn't be covered? Either of us can't be employed because of our visa status and so company health care isn't an option either.

My fiance is 6 weeks pregnant and we are eager to see a doctor immediately, but we haven't had much luck so far. Have you been in this situation? How can we see a doctor immediately without a huge financial burden? Can we get health insurance in NYC even when pregnant? Thanks so much for any advice, leads or suggestions.