Tara H

A little background info - I had a yeast infection 3-4 years before, and got it treated with a pill by my doctor. Since then I've lost my insurance, and I'm trying to get treatment I can afford. I am a virgin and I have no idea how I got it this time since I'm not taking antibiotics or anything else that puts me in a risk category. The symptoms are basically the same as last time - itching, burning, thick white odorless discharge (sorry to gross you out). Should I try the over the counter stuff first, or take a big financial hit and see my doctor? I hate to spend hundreds of dollars just to have him tell me to use the over the counter stuff anyway.

I sent out a short story at the start of September to a magazine with a good reputation. I've submitted many stories to this magazine in the past (unfortunately all rejected), and always got a prompt response. The website submission rules say to wait 8 weeks for a response. It's been 14 weeks, and I've heard nothing. They just hired a new submissions editor, so I don't know if they're just behind on their reading, or if maybe my story got lost in the mail. At the same time I don't want to be that writer who's always bugging the editors. How much longer should I wait before contacting them?

I'm looking for headphones that will block out my drums, but also let me hear a recording of the rest of the band so I can practice with the recording on my own. Are there any options that won't cost me a fortune?

My right incisor has been bugging me on and off for a week. It started hurting out of nowhere as sort of flash in the pan pain that came suddenly and went suddenly. Some days it wouldn't hurt at all and then the next day it came back for an hour and then left again. The pain is really mild and sometimes is barely noticeable, but is starting to get annoying that it still keeps coming back. It is not sensitive to heat, cold, pressure, tapping on it, or anything else. It just hurts on its own sometimes. I thought it was getting better, but I could feel something like pressure way up there above the gum line, and last time I flossed it set the whole tooth off again for a few minutes. My insurance doesn't cover dental so I don't know if I can afford to do anything, and I'm terrified of my dentist telling me I need a root canal. People have been telling me for years all their horror stories about how incredibly painful and horrifying a root canal can be, and how it's the most miserable and painful procedure to have to go through. The tooth and gums surrounding it look completely normal. I floss and brush regularly, so I'm hoping this isn't an infection, or that it will clear itself. Should I go in? What can I expect if my dentist tells me I need a root canal on that incisor? I don't want a big ugly toothless smile for the rest of my life, especially if I can't afford a root canal or a crown.

I got my ears peirced last August and I followed all of the instructions for care. I ve always had a really hard time changing earrings, and it takes me a good 20 minutes to get one pair out and another in. They always hurt a lot going in and out and they usually bleed a little. But the last two times they bled a lot and started hurting even when I wasn t changing earrings. This last time my ear was pinkish and a fair amount of white pus came out with the blood. I ve kept the earrings out for tonight and coated my earlobes with neosporin. I ve also been covering the earring posts with neosporin over the last 2 weeks because they always bleed when I change them and I didn t want an infection. Now I m afraid to put earrings back in tomorrow because everything is so painful and swollen in there. But if I don t the piercings will close up and I ll have to peirce them all over again. Is this normal for eight month old piercings? If not, what can I do to wear earrings without all the blood and pain? I hate to give up on earings when I haven t even had time to wear all the pairs I bought. It seems like this is getting worse every time I try to put in a new pair. Shouldn t it be getting easier?

I've been gaining a crazy amount of weight over the last couple of years and I can't make it stop. I'm on anti anxiety drugs which I know causes weight gain but I've tried switching drugs and doses and it doesn't help. Right now I only take 1/3 of my prescription but it hasn't made a difference. I count calories and nutrients with an app and I rarely eat more than 1,400 calories a day. While I still eat bread and an occasional sugary snack, I've been cutting down on carbs and fats, and eat vegetables like spinach and broccoli until I can't stand it any more. I also took up running almost two years ago and I run about 12-13 miles a week. At one point I dropped down to a 900 calorie diet but it made no difference. I went right on gaining weight at the same rate. I had to stop because I kept getting lightheaded. I've had blood tests and thyroid checks, but my doctor seems to think I'm just over eating. Is he right? I don't know what else to cut from my diet and I'm exercising right up to the brink of injury on a fairly regular basis. But I keep gaining weight at the same rate as when I did nothing. I've gone through three sizes of clothes in three years and I'm about to have to move up to another new size. How do I make this stop?

I had a positive strep test on Friday and I've been taking 1000mg of amoxicillin since then. I've had had three days' worth of doses, and while I think the right half of my throat might possibly feel better, the change is so slight I'm not sure if I'm feeling different or not. Should I feel a significant change when the antibiotics kick in? I came down with it Tuesday but didn't see the doctor until Friday because I thought it was a cold until it got really bad. I guess I got lucky with a mild case. I thought maybe because I waited so long it's taking longer for the antibiotics to work? Or do you think I've got a strain resistant to amoxicillin? The doctor said it would only take two days for the antibiotics to start working, but I'm heading toward day four and don't really feel all that better.

I recently lost my job and can t afford health insurance so I don t want to go to the doctor over a bad cold. I ve had a severe sore throat for two days now along with a cough, mild fever that comes and goes, and a slightly dripping nose. It sounds like a cold except now my left tonsil has just recently gotten swollen and clearly has a lot of white pus. But I actually feel overall a little better and I have no swelling in my lymph nodes. Can a cold cause infection in tonsils if its severe enough or should I bite the bullet and pay $500 I don t really have for my doctor to do a throat swab?

Recently, a boy in my town was hit by a car. The whole town came together and prayed for his recovery for days on end, but he died from his injuries. This is the fourth or fifth time in a row when I've prayed for someone who had gotten sick or injured, and that person died. It's really disheartening. For a while I stopped praying for people altogether because I felt like I was cursed - every single time I prayed for someone, that person died within days. It doesn't make any sense to me why this should be, given what the Bible says about prayer.

The one that really confuses me is Matthew 18:19: "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."

It seems to say that if people come together to pray for something, such as a little boy surviving an accident, they will be given what they ask for. But it seems like everyone I pray for dies. Does anyone have any thoughts as to why prayer in real life seems to be at such odds with what the Bible says? Sometimes it's hard to go on praying to God when it seems as if he doesn't hear my prayers, or the prayers of anyone else in my community. It's not that I'm angry, it's just really depressing to see this continue to happen over and over and over again, and sometimes it makes me wonder if there really is any hope in prayer. Or maybe I'm just praying for the wrong people, who God has already chosen to die?

I've been seeing this guy for 3 months, and while he's a nice guy, I don't have feelings for him. I don't have a lot of dating experience. I've never broken up with someone before. My mom told me it's normal not to be attracted to someone at first, but if I kept dating him I would develop those feelings. I tried it, but after months I feel the same. Even she agrees it's time to end it. He's a great guy and I hate hurting him.

To make it worse, I'm super-shy and I have some anxiety issues, especially with confrontations. I've tried to break it off with him face to face twice now and couldn't do it. The last time, I started steering the conversation in that direction, and then he told me about how he's had a crush on me for years and how grateful he is I haven't told him I want to just be friends. Then he gave me a really thoughtful Christmas present. I couldn't bring myself to do it.

At the same time I feel terrible about lying to him because I can't return his feelings. It keeps me up at night trying to figure out what to do. I can't stand the thought of looking at his face when I tell him, it just makes me feel too nervous and guilty. Since I haven't been able to do it in person yet, one friend said to text him, and another suggested a phone call. I feel really guilty now that it's Christmas time and he's giving me gifts being romantic, but I can't make myself feel that way about him. I need end this before it goes farther but I don't know what to do.

After class, one of my students came up to me and told me this:

One of my students needed help, and while I was distracted helping him, another student slipped his phone out of his pocket and took a picture of the test.

My classroom is a science room with lab benches instead of tables, and cubby holes facing the students where they can easily hide things such as phones. Unfortunately the tables are fixed in place and I cannot move them.

I chose to use one identical test for all my classes, something I will not be doing again. But my question is, what do I do now? I don't know for certain which student took the picture, and I have to do something to make it clear to them they should never do this again. I don't want to lose their respect by letting this slide.

They are allowed to have their cell phones in class (school policy) and at any rate the desk situation makes it easy to sneak them in. I'd give the whole class a different test or else cancel the test for that class, but it isn't fair to the honest students. So what should I do about this?

My biochemistry professor is really big on pKa's and pi's, and I know they'll be on the midterm, but I can't make any sense of them. I've tried looking at books and websites, and I've been studying like crazy, but I'm just not getting it. Today my professor went over the homework (I got a zero) and even gave us the answers, and I still don't get what I'm doing wrong or how he got the answers he did. I have to get at least a B in class for it to count as passing, and the first test is coming soon. Please help if you can!

Here is what my professor gave us. Can anyone explain this to me?

1. Find the pi of cysteine

a-COOH is 1.9pKa

a-NH3 is 10.7pKa

-SH is 8.4 pKa

At pH 1

COOH/COO- with pKa 1.9 is zero

SH/S with pKa 8.4 is zero

NH3 with pKa 10.7 is positive

At pH 6

COOH/COO- is negative

SH/S is zero

NH3/NH2 is positive

At pH 9

COOH/COO- is negative

SH/S is negative

NH3/NH2 is positive

at pH 12

COOH/COO- is negative

SH/S is negative

NH3+ is zero

Charges + 0 --

pi = (1.9+8.4)/2 = 9.8

This is the answer the professor gave for finding the pi of cysteine. I especially don't understand the table he made for the amino acid parts under four different pH values. I tried to copy the table, but just made a list of the pH values he chose. I can't figure out how the charges of the different parts relate to the different pH. I'm guessing it has something to do with whether their pKa's are put in the final equation? But I really don't understand how he could just pick some random pH numbers to compare the pKa's to, or how that relates to whether that part of the amino is positive or negative. Also, could anyone tell me why the NH3 pKa number is not added up along with the pKas of carboxyl and the side chain?

Thank you so much for any help you can give!

I've been accepted to two grad schools for a masters degree, and I'm having a really hard time deciding which one to attend. One school has accepted me for a masters of science in biology. The other has accepted me for a masters of arts in science, with focus on secondary teaching.

On the one hand, a masters of science might have some extra weight, but the school offering a masters of arts in science is more prestigious and is more open to arranging classes around work schedules. If I choose a master of science, I don't know that I'll be able to work while I go to school.

I am a science teacher but I was recently laid off and I've been looking at other career possibilities. Does anyone know if a master's of science is more desirable in the private or research areas, or would a master of arts in science still be enough to give me some job opportunities?

My mom's in her 60s and a long distance runner. She does triathlons once or twice a year, and does half marathons on a regular basis. She's been getting nose bleeds the last few days, and after finishing a five mile race, she had her blood pressure checked and found out its 190/160? I'm not sure about the bottom number but the 190 is correct. Her blood pressure shot up this high in just the past 2-3 days. She wants to see a doctor but doesn't know if she should wait until Monday for the office to open, or go to the ER for something that high, as she's worried about having a stroke. What makes matters worse, her doctor just dropped her health insurance and a visit to the ER would cost a weeks pay just to talk to a doctor. Neither of us knows what to do now. Anyone have suggestions?

Okay, my cat is on prescription food because of urinary crystals and past blockages to his urethra. There aren't many food options for him because of this. Over the last few weeks I noticed that his chin has several scabs, bloody spots, and black heads. At first I thought it was an allergic reaction to his plastic bowl. One of my other cats has this and feeding him in a metal bowl solved the problem.

But this cat's chin problems continued even after changing the bowl. It seems to be getting worse, and he's bleeding more from his chin than ever before. It looks painful down there, with lots of swollen up pin sized bloody spots, black heads, and scabs. It's enough that he's got red stained fur in spots around his face from his bleeding.

I haven't taken him to the vet yet because he gets really freaked out, to the point panting and hyperventilating, and stress leads to urinary blockages. If I have to I'll take him to the vet, but I don't want to put him through any more stress if it can be avoided.

So could his problem be an allergic reaction to his prescription food, an acne problem, or something else? Does anyone have any ideas on how to get him healed up, especially without aggravating his urinary problem?

I took my male cat to the vet on Friday, and he had a blockage. He had a catheter in, and came home Monday afternoon with prescription food and medication. But by Tuesday night, he was lethargic and peeing drops of blood. I took him back, and the vet says he is blocked again. She said there was a lot more blood when she put the catheter in this second time, and she is recommending euthanasia. I've asked about the surgery to make him anatomically female, but she does not believe the side effects are worth it. Even if he pulls through this second time, he might block a third time when the catheter is removed again. My kitty is only 2 and 1/2 years old, and he's such a sweetie! I don't want to lose him. Is there anything else I can do for him? How common is it for a cat to get a second blockage barely 24 hours after coming home from the vet?

I am a new teacher, and I have several cabinets worth of equipment and general "stuff" left by the last teacher in my room. Today I was looking over a box full of random rocks and crystals, and I found a plastic bottle labeled Uranium Ore, with a quarter sized rock inside it. Isn't uranium ore radioactive? Is this something I should be concerned about as far as my own personal health?

I've been teaching for two years, but this is my first year at junior high. I've never had such a big bullying problem as I have with my seventh grade honors class this year. I want to have a zero tolerance policy for bullying in my classroom, but I don't know what else to do.

Here's what's going on: three of my students have been picking on a small boy in class. Those are the ringleaders, but they're drawing most of the class in with them. It's been a lot of put downs and threats, and now they're starting to hit him. Today two of the ringleaders threw his new binder on the ground and stomped on it, breaking it. They've made him cry twice this week and I feel really bad for him. I'm also worried because the bullying is escalating so fast, and I'm afraid he's going to be physically or emotionally hurt. Kids are threatening to punch him, stab him, etc every day.

This is an inner city junior high, and parent involvement isn't there. I can't count on the parents of the kids doing the bullying, or any other parents in the class to help. I've tried detentions and giving office referrals, and I've talked to my principal. I've tried writing assignments and talking to the students involved. I intend to discuss the problem with the parents, but so far nothing's gotten through to these kids. I need some other ideas on how to stop this bullying fast and help this poor kid out. Please let me know if you have anything that might help!

I adopted the cat from my backyard last week. I checked him out with the vet and he is perfectly healthy and about 1-2 years old. He is very scared being indoors but is getting better and is starting to play with my other cats.

However, I've had him for a week and he still goes wherever he likes. I've tried putting his own waste in the box, and he has his own personal litter box, so the smells of the other cats shouldn't be a problem. I've tried putting him in there every couple hours and having him scratch at the litter with his paws. That partially worked. He will sometimes pee in the litter box, but he still insists on pooping on sofas and the floor. He never poops and pees in one place even out of the box, but uses different places for each.

I can't think of anything else to do with him, and I'd hate to have to stick him back outside and make him into a stray again. He's fitting in great except that I cannot get him to use the box. Any ideas?

About three months ago I went to a new dentist who found a cavity. She filled it with a porcelain filling. Everything was fine until about a week later that tooth suddenly became very painful whenever I tried to chew food using it. It never hurt any other time. I went back and the dentist tried reforming it. From what they said, the filling was perfectly set for my tooth but the pain I felt was due to it being porcelain and that I would have to put up with it until it stopped. They said it could go on hurting for days, weeks, or even several months. They also said it is common with porcelain fillings. It's been three, going on four months now and my tooth is still just as painful on that side when I eat. I can only chew on the opposite side of my mouth. I'm going back to my old dentist, but all the same, where they right? Is there anything I can do about this pain, or will I just have to keep waiting and hope it goes away someday like my dentist said?