KC C

Just found aluminium foil pieces, a lollipop, a card, and an empty water bottle with a hole in it in my nephew's car. We also found liquor in the trunk, just to give you an idea of his interests. Are those three items a sign of him doing weed? We do not smell anything in the car, but his behavior lately and the fact that he has a new group of friends is making us wonder. Let me know, thanks.

While swimming in a lake last summer I tried to get myself onto a raft by throwing my left leg up first. I twisted my knee and the pain that followed on the inside of my knee was immense. For the next couple of days I could not go running or even walk for that matter without severe pain. There was little swelling, not much. I never saw a doctor because the injury occurred while I was on vacation. By the time I returned home the knee felt better, and it ever only hurt when I (tried to) rollerblade or shifted too much weight onto it. To my relief, the winter came and my activity level dwindled--and my knee didn't hurt anymore. I figure it was healed. With the coming of summer now and me going back to running/walking/rollerblading etc... the knee is hurting again. Not awful, just a bit--especially (oddly) when I am laying down with my leg straight. Any ideas on what I possibly did to my knee last summer? Thanks!

I had a student in my class ask this question, and I didn't know the answer. Once desertification takes over land, can the land be brought back?

I have a yellow lab who wears a traditional collar. I am thinking about switching over to a harness, however. Most labs have a history of bad shoulders/elbows, and I want to make sure that the harness doesn't add stress to the shoulders. If anyone has a dog with a harness right now, what do you think are the positives and/or negatives of it? Thanks.

For the last 1+ years, I have been getting chest pains--but only if I get up ridiculously early (i.e. for work). Thankfully I am a college student and I rarely have to get up before 9, but for the 2 days a week that I have to be up, the pain is uncomfortable--and often times unbareable. The pain is in the area around my heart, and sometimes continues down into my upper stomach. I have tried watching what I eat the night before, even tried eating nothing before bed, and it still hurt.

Thankfully, the pain is usually gone by noon--but I don't know what is up. It sounds so strange. But if anybody has any guesses or remedies, please let me know!

My nephew, who is 3, hates the smells of certain types of food. He hates the smell of cereal, for example. When we went to breakfast last week he walked by a plate of scrambled eggs and vomited right after. He wasn't feeling sick--and when we asked what he was wrong, he specifically pin-pointed the eggs. As anybody ever heard of something like this, or know any ideas on how to make it better? The fact that I can't eat a bowl of cereal next to him is so crazy to me! Thanks.

My 9 year old lab had surgery about a year ago, and turns out the stitches were taken out a bit too early. She has had a sore on her back on and off since then. She's been on antibiotics, I've used neosporne (sp?), but nothing seems to work. Does anybody have any ideas for how I can make the sore better? Even if it is just your own created solution, or is an over the counter type thing, any suggestions are welcomed. She is pretty old, and I don't want to risk putting her under anesthesia again so the vets can patch up their mistakes if something else could possibly work. Thanks soo much!

I just had an indoor soccer game, and the goalie's head hit me right under my eye. I went airborne afterwards and fell onto my back, with my head hitting the hard ground afterwards. I remember getting hit, but I don't remember hitting the ground and I don't remember the seconds following it. Since it was near the end of the game, I sat out the rest of the time. When I got into the car afterwards I immediately got a pounding headache, my neck already hurt (from the wiplash, I am guessing) as well as my lower back, and my ears. I have had no nausea or vision problems. Also, it is worth knowing that I had a minor concussion about 6 years ago from playing soccer. Should I go to the emergency room, or should I just keep an eye on my symptoms (which is what I am leaning towards)?

I saw the movie Atonement and loved it. I was just confused at the part where Briony (grown up as a nurse) was sitting with a wounded French soldier. What was the point of that scene? How did she know him, even enough to love him? Somebody please explain the importance of this scene for me. Thanks so much!

I had surgery last summer to repair a ligament and take out some excess bone chips, and have received the okay from my doctor to begin playing soccer again. He wrote me a script for the Velocity ankle brace. The brace looks like it would give great support for my sprain-prone ankle, but it also looks like it would make it hard for me to have the wide range of ankle motions needed to play soccer. Has anyone had experience with the Velocity Ankle brace (LS) and could let me know how they feel about it? Thanks so much.

Two years ago, after bloodwork my doctor diagnosed me with an overactive thyroid, but by the time I got to the doctor for a checkup my thyroid had dipped low. After a thyroid scan, I was diagnosed with thyroiditis. She said cases usually clear up in 8 months-1 year. I am currently on synthroid because my levels are usually low, but about 3 times a year I become hyperactive again, having symptoms at these times that affect my daily routines. While I do see my endochronologist frequently--has anyone had a similiar problem, or know of the alternatives so I, being a 21 year old, active female, don't have to live with these crazy symptoms associated with thyroiditis? Thanks so much!!

I am due to have surgery on my ankle in a week and it just so happened that I had an endocrinologist appointment today. My thyroid levels (which I am currently on synthroid to treat a hypoactive thyroid) is now hyperactive, meaning my thyroid is now healthy and all I have to do is stop taking the synthroid and I will be good to go. BUT, my levels have to be in a healthy range--meaning no hyperactivity--before surgery can occur. About how long will it take for the synthroid to disappear from my body? If it helps any, I believe my levels were .01 but I am not 100% sure. Thanks!!