MNgirl

I had what felt like a rubber band in my stool - it got caught on it's way out and i grabbed a wad of toilet paper and pulled - but it felt like it was attached to a rubber band and it finally snapped. I looked at what i had and it appeard to have a distinct cut in it. later i had another BM and it looked like a brown rubber band was in my stool, about 6" long. was that a tapeworm? I always thought they were white. it wasn't moving. i didn't get a good look, didn't really want to look at it honestly! I had some pretty rare steak a few weeks ago, and the meat came from a latino market and i probably should have cooked it well done, in hindsight. I really don't think i ate any rubber bands...

I don't know much about Quickbooks at all. I have Quickbooks 2011 on my business computer. I used to be part of a corporation that is dissolved as of June 2012, but now I have a sole proprietorship as of July 1, 2012. I know I can create a new company in Quickbooks, but will there be any problems with the taxes at the end? The two companies shouldn't have anything to do with one another as far as taxes go (besides my own taxes). I would like to keep this separate. Do I need another version of Quickbooks or can I just keep my 2011 edition and start a new company and have no problems? Thanks.

I have a small dental lab and would like to set up my garage (in Ventura County, California) as the lab. It won't affect traffic or make noise for my neighbors. Do I need a permit? My house is located on a main street, near businesses, but is in a residential area. I need special equipment, but no customers would be coming to the lab. Thanks

My daughter is due in a few weeks. We are naming her Annika to reflect her Swedish heritage. We can't decide on a middle name, though. I want it to be Flor, after my mother-in-law's name, or Ruth, after my grandmother's name, but hubby doesn't like either. We both think her middle name should be short because the first and last names are kind of long.

I've searched this question and people have asked before, but don't really like the answers...so looking for more ideas.

The middle name doesn't have to be Swedish, just whatever sounds good.

thanks :)

HI,

I would like to know how much each procedure/service costs when giving birth at a hospital. I only am able to find averages of total cost when I do a search for this. I live in CA, but would appreciate any info about any US state. If anyone has personal experience based on an actual hospital bill, that would be great.

I would like to know costs of:

IV (general, hep or saline lock, with fluids, etc.)

pitocin IV drip

IV fluids

anesthesia (epidural or other)

amenities (over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol, toiletries, diapers, etc)

hospital stay

actual delivery (vaginal and cesarean)

fetal monitoring

manual induction (breaking water)

any other services

doctor's fees

I'm not asking how much a patient pays after insurance, I would like to know how much the hospital charges/bills to the insurance company and/or to the patient for each of these services/procedures.

If you have any information on any of these, I'd appreciate you sharing it here!

Thanks for your help

I am agianst being made to have an IV on principle if it is not needed. It's not the fear of the needle (although I do hate IVs, that's not the point). My mom is a retired L&D nurse and says that even though most hospitals say their policy is to put one in so you have an open line ready, in the case of emergencies, you can still have an IV put in at that time. But the head nurse told me and my doctor on the phone that I absolutely have to have one or I won't be admitted. Needing an IV because of medications or for necessary interventions is another thing, but just having one ready when I'm planning a natural birth negates having a natural birth and I don't want them to have easy access to my veins, or be encumbered by the equipment in my hand/arm, even if it just has a hep lock.

Anyway, I have read the patient's bill of rights and know that I can refuse any treatment, especially one that is not medically necessary. Of course if I need one I will consent to one. My question is, if I refuse to have the line put in when I'm admitted, can the hospital refuse to admit me? I know I have the right to refuse, but do they have the right then to turn me away? I asked my doctor and instead of giving me a straight answer about that (he said I have to follow the policy, I can't sign a waiver refusing, etc.) he suggested I find a hospital that doesn't have that policy (I found one that's about 45 min away and with LA traffic could be further, while my current hospital is about 5 min away). But that would mean changing my network, primary care physician, etc. all in the next couple of weeks (I'm almost 35 weeks now).

I'm planning a home birth now with a midwife so I won't need to worry about this, but I want to know - I have a right to refuse treatment but does that mean the hospital could turn me away? Do they have a right to do that?

I feel like my doctor and the nurse at the hospital don't want me to know that I have a right to refuse, so they don't give me a straight answer and hope I would just comply when I get there. But hypothetically, can the hospital legally make me leave for a silly thing like an IV that's not medically necessary?

Thanks

I'm 34 weeks and have been seeing an OB. I have HMO insurance through work that doesn't cover birth centers so I have just resolved myself to going to the hospital. But I really don't like their policies, and my OB supports what I want, just not the hospital, so he's fine with me going elsewhere.

Anyway, I have had all of my prenatal care with the OB. Can I change at this point and actually give birth at a birthing center? I know I will have to pay for probably all of it out of pocket. How much would that cost?

Thanks

I took a maternity tour and had a birthing class at the hospital where I plan to give birth (I *plan* to give birth their because with my insurance, my options are limited). While visiting the hospital for the tour and later for the class, I asked if I could refuse an IV, including one with just a hep lock. During my doctor visit I asked my doctor about refusing an IV, provided I don't have strep B and don't need antibiotics, and he said that was fine with him but he thought the hospital had a policy, so he took me to his office and we called the RN at the hospital, and she said that absolutely everyone needs a vein ready for emergencies. I can't just be without it until the event of an emergency. So now I have conflicting stories. This is a hospital in Burbank, CA.

My mom, who was an RN in labor and delivery for 26 years in Minnesota, said I can absolutely refuse anything. But maybe they have different policies here in CA.

So, can I refuse the IV with hep lock or will the hospital turn me away?

I know the reasons the hospital wants an IV ready, so don't explain all of that, I just want to know if I will be turned away or forced to have one. Of course if I test positive for strep B i will take the iv with antibiotics, but on no other condition (except for emergencies, then I would consent to having an IV put in).

Thanks

If you have insurance (blue cross, in this case), how much can you expect to pay out of pocket for laser treatment of kidney stones?

A general ballpark is fine. thanks

Please tell me if this is correct -

...during either of the players' turns (the turns of either of the players) or should it be "either of the player's"?

The word "players" is plural (there are two players in this case), so that leads me to believe it should be players'.

thanks

I have the book Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and would like my "coach" to read the method in his first language, Spanish, so he can understand completely and can help me with my birth. I have looked all over Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, etc. and can't find one or even know if it exists. I would really like to find The Husband Coached Childbirth by Bradley in Spanish. Or if there are DVDs on the subject, that would be great, too. I have googled all of these and found nothing. Thanks for your help.

I occasionally get a sharp, shooting pain that runs from my right shoulder down my arm that fades out into a burning sensation. I didn't do anything I can remember to injure myself and haven't been sleeping in different positions, but I am pregnant. I don't know if it's related or not, I don't see how it could be. It's been going on for about half a week. It's so hard to get a hold of my primary care physician, and I'm not sure this is a question for my OB. Or is it? What could cause it? Is it related to pregnancy? Should I ask my OB if I can't get a hold of my regular doctor? Thanks

It's a Swedish name (i'm Swedish) but the middle name does not have to be Swedish. I'd prefer something short, one or two syllables. One idea we came up with was Noel, but I don't love it. If I could find a Spanish name that sounds good with Annika (I know, it's a stretch), that would be great because my husband is Ecuadorian. Thanks!

And I don't want anything trendy, like Bella or Sofia or any other top 100 names. Thanks!

I was put on prescription strength vitamin D a few months ago (I finished all of them and need to wait a month to have my levels checked again). I just recently became pregnant. I am now taking prenatal vitamins. Are there potential problems? Could I have too much vitamin D for the baby? I took the last pill (50,000 IU of vit D) around the time of implantation, before knowing I was pregnant.

I have my first prenatal appointment at 8 weeks (I'm 5 weeks now). It is so difficult getting a hold of my doctor otherwise, of course, I'd bring this up to them already. When I do get a hold of someone in my doctor's office, I get very short responses or I'm told they will call me back and they don't.

What if I'm getting too much vitamin D or what if I'm not getting enough in my prenatal vitamins (or I'm unable to absorb enough D)?

Thanks!

I've been taking a "boot camp" class at my gym, where we do a mix of cardio and light weight training in circuits, sometimes jumping around and sometimes using punching bags. I'm concerned about jumping, and the shocks of punching and kicking a punching bag. Also, I've read mixed things about abdominal exercises.

Is this class safe, if I make some modifications, or should I just stick to walking and using an elliptical machine at the gym while I'm pregnant?

I'm at 5 weeks and have been going to the class for about 8 months before getting pregnant, but am pretty active besides.

Thanks!

I'm 30 now, and have a nice tight neck, but don't want a turkey neck when I'm 50 or 60. Is there anything I can start doing now to prevent the saggy skin 20 + years from now? Obviously, avoid too much sun. Facial exercises? Supplements? Collagen creams? What works?

My boyfriend tells me to put a sweatshirt on when we leave the gym and it's only 60 outside. I'm hot and sweaty from running and he says it's bad for me to go from hot and sweaty inside to cold outside so quickly. I said maybe if it's 30 or 40 degrees out, but not 60, and I tell him about the Finns who leave a hot sauna to jump in an icy lake etc., and he says I'm accustomed to LA weather (even though I'm Swedish from Minnesota). I say it feels good to be without a jacket when it's 60 out and I'm sweaty from running, he says it's bad for me and hopes I get sick. He doesn't seem to understand that germs give you a cold, not cool weather. Is it bad for you to go from extremes in temperature so quickly like the Finns do with their saunas? Is it bad to go from extremes when working out in a gym that's 72 degrees to the parking lot if it's 20 degrees? I'd like to know, but I'm sure it's not bad to go from a gym to slightly cooler weather. And I checked, it's 60 outside right now. Thanks for reading my rant, and thanks for the help!

Every now and then I seem to emit a scent that is kind of sweet. I first noticed it as a teenager, and when I would sweat I thought it smelled kind of like raspberry jelly, or some other sweet fruity scent. It's not a constant thing, it comes and goes now and then. It is not related to any lotions or perfumes, as I rarely use any of these things, just deodorant. Besides, the scent is totally distinct from any of these things and overpowers it, and when I have this smell, it's the same smell and recognizable. I've heard of people having a sweet smell due to some ailments, like diabetes. I had a blood test fairly recently and although my blood sugar was in the higher range of "normal", I don't have diabetes as far as I can tell, or maybe I'm wrong? What else could cause this sweet smell?

I used to think it had to do with hormones and my monthly cycle, but there doesn't seem to be any pattern. I haven't changed my diet or anything so it could be due to diet, but I don't think so.

I live in an apartment building. The rule of the building is to be quiet after 10 pm. Everyone else, even the loud ones obey this rule, but this guy has not been following this rule all of the time. It is especially bothersome when this happens on a Sunday night when I have to get up early for work (like most people who work). I don't know when he works, but I think most people in our building have a 9-5 job. There are only 8 units in my building, so I know exactly where the noise is coming from, right next to me. I have pounded on the wall between us and he stops, but I shouldn't have to get out of bed at 1:15 to remind him to shut up!!! Sorry, I'm venting but it's really bad.

I feel bad about tying up the police with something trivial like this, but I don't want to wake up my super in the middle of the night if this happens again.