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I have a really ugly scar on my leg due to surgery. Should I do something about it? [more inside]
posted by hankmajor at 7:38 PM - 26 answers

I've been suffering from plantar fasciitis for a year now. I reluctantly invested $420 in custom orthotics, but I don't like them. Should I just try to get used to them? [more inside]
posted by alex1965 at 9:40 AM - 11 answers

I’ve read that magnesium supplements can be helpful for people with ADHD, and anecdotally, I find that taking some in the morning seems to help me focus. I’d like to try a low, safe dose of magnesium for a 7yo who likely has ADHD, but Google is now so useless that it’s hard to search. Any suggestions on a reputable brand?
posted by vanilla.extract at 8:06 AM - 13 answers

Breast cancer statistics for English majors: If a 59yo woman has a 43% lifetime risk of breast cancer but has never had it, what is her risk of getting it in the next 20 years? Does the risk change the longer she goes without it?
posted by HotToddy at 10:38 AM - 7 answers

I know untreated apnoea comes with an increased risk of heart events, etc. But does that go for individual nights? [more inside]
posted by toucan at 4:20 PM - 11 answers

Dermatologist recently recommended taking Heliocare daily supplement (for skin damage repair/prevention). What is your experience with this? [more inside]
posted by falsedmitri at 2:18 PM - 5 answers

There is a 0-10 scale for pain severity with descriptors, eg 1 = "My pain is hardly noticeable"; 5 = "I think about my pain all of the time, I give up many activities because of my pain"; 8 = "My pain is so severe that it is hard to think of anything else. Talking and listening are difficult". Is there any scale like this for describing physical fatigue/physical exhaustion?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 2:30 AM - 12 answers

I'm working on my Advanced Healthcare Directive, but I'm not actually sure how to answer some of the questions about medical care I do/don't want to receive if I can't make my own decisions. I have a sense of what I want, but I don't know enough to feel like I'm making an informed choice. What factual resources can help me better understand the medical care options? (I'm just asking for resources on the medical care questions, please no advice on any other part of the Advance Healthcare Directive form or process.)
posted by rhiannonstone at 10:24 PM - 7 answers

A friend who may have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is planning to go to the Mind-Eye Institute in Chicago later this year. She has read that some sort of visual aid offered there has helped people with her symptoms. Her partner is concerned that this place may not be entirely on the up-and-up, but he can find nothing about it. Nothing good, nothing bad. Just the institute's own webpages. Does anyone here know anything about M-EI that I can tell my friends?
posted by bryon at 1:06 PM - 7 answers

Is there anything you wish you'd known before LASIK/refractive eye surgery? [more inside]
posted by ambulanceambiance at 12:52 PM - 22 answers

My bathroom scale has gone wonky. I can step on it a few times in a row and it will give me a slightly different weight each time. [more inside]
posted by SageTrail at 6:44 AM - 13 answers

My wife is a US citizen living overseas, and she was born when the medical recommendation was to only get one shot of the MMR vaccine, so that's all she got. She has an upcoming trip to the US that she can't put off, but it's to a part of the country that has a lot of measles and she's hoping to get another shot - we're trying to figure out if it's possible to get one in the UK. More details inside. [more inside]
posted by eternalhedgehog at 5:15 AM - 10 answers

I often find that when I am experiencing real-life difficulties, my creative juices flow much better. What's going on? Is this just me escaping reality or is it actually a positive thing? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 7:20 AM - 13 answers

I’ve had a busy week with poor sleep. Nutrition and exercise levels have been good. I’m irritable, anxious, and have trouble getting interested in/looking forward to things. I still have lots of energy and feel mentally sharp - and I don’t want to! [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 10:35 AM - 26 answers

My beloved primary care doc is no longer covered by my insurance. I would pay out of pocket to see her, but it's not feasible because I need referrals to go through my PCP. So, do you have a doc in NYC you love? Friendly, down to earth, preferably female? If she's good, she probably doesn't take my insurance, but I can hope!
posted by swheatie at 11:29 AM - 8 answers

I'm interested in finding an app that uses credible, evidence-based cognitive assessments (memory, executive function, attention, etc) and allows you to track these domains over time. I'm not interested in anything that's related to coaching, improvement, or practice. [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter at 4:09 PM - 8 answers

I recently lost my long time chiropractor. I went to see a new one for a minor complaint and now I’m in considerable pain. Should I inform her and give her a chance to help me, or just lay low and hope my body feels better in a few days? I cannot afford going to a different chiropractor at this time. [more inside]
posted by silverstatue at 4:58 PM - 16 answers

[US Filter] I have a health insurance plan through Covered California. I am due for some routine vacations, Td and Tdap, that I would like to take care of without having to pay a copay. How do I do this? More questions and details inside. [more inside]
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 10:34 AM - 12 answers

So what happens is I drink milk on rare occasions, like when visiting my mom, and I have a minor allergy. The right ear eustachian tubes clog up, it starts to hurt, and last time I went on antibiotics and it cleared up. Is there an alternative to antibiotics for clearing up this recurring infection? [more inside]
posted by mecran01 at 7:56 AM - 19 answers

I'm looking for concert earplugs that will reduce the volume of concerts, while maintaining fidelity as much as possible. willing to pay a lot. do such earplugs exist? [more inside]
posted by wooh at 7:22 AM - 14 answers