I preferred a nice game of Global Thermonuclear War.

I'm sorry you had side effects from a medication or felt that your physician was not being honest with you. However what you are saying about cholesterol and statins is utter BS. Sure cholesterol is necessary for us to live -- every cell has cholesterol in its cell membrane to regulate membrane fluidity. We use it in construction of bile salts for fat absorption and to make endogenous steroids. But its role in cardiovascular disease is well documented since the 1950s. Here, let me cite you the Framingham Heart Study website. Literally thousands of papers demonstrate that high cholesterol, specifically LDL, leads to atherosclerotic plaque formation, then eventual arterial occlusion, infarct, and possibly death.

Regarding statins -- sure there are side-effects, the most notable being liver dysfunction and myalgia. But let me cite you another famous study, the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). The pertinents: 30% relative risk reduction in all-cause mortality and 42% relative risk reduction in coronary mortality (patients with angina or prior MI).

So please cite me some evidence for what you are saying, or stop spreading ridiculous misinformation.

This is complicated by the fact that if you ask those over the age of 50 what 2 + 2 * 2 equals, they'll answer, "Get off my lawn."

Without making any arguments about immigration in the current time, let me point out the Emergency Quota Act of 1921. Ok it was 89 years ago rather than "100+", but that's pretty close in my mind. It had also been proposed several times before. Immigration quotas are nothing new.

Gestures and multi-touch I'd guess.

Perhaps you don't realize this, but not all antibiotics can be given as an intramuscular injection.

No problem :)

As for your question, infection implies pathological invasion of the host. Otherwise you are merely colonized with the organism. For example, many people have MRSA present inside their nose, but that doesn't mean they are infected. And yes, you do have a symbiotic relationship with your bacteria, especially the skin and gut. Just have a look at wikipedia for lots of fun facts.

Basically. If you somehow lost them all in the same proportion, this might not happen. The general problem is that you take, for example, an antibiotic like clindamycin that selectively kills anaerobes of the gut but not Clostridium Difficile. Now all of a sudden you have created a selective pressure that favors the growth of C.diff, and you develop an infection with pseudomembranous colitis.

And get off my lawn! </sarcasm>

Anyway, I look forward to your RCT comparing not being a sissy to placebo.

I agree with your overall point, however I would not consider significant weight gain to be "useless rubbish." It can be a sign of many diseases if put into context.

Interestingly enough, many people are on low-dose rat poison - it's called warfarin/coumadin!

I don't disagree except for the webcam part. If there's a lesion that needs to be looked at, they need to just come on in. A professional camera often can't do a rash justice, much less some crappy webcam.

I see your point, but if the diagnosis is wrong because the evaluator had incomplete data, I fail to see how this is better. If someone diagnoses GERD (acid reflux) rather than a peptic ulcer with the potential to bleed because the person would never come in for an endoscopy, I see that as worse.

*Disclaimer: I'm not sure if endoscopy is warranted for suspected PUD off the top of my head - treat as a hypothetical that could apply to many situations*

While I sympathize, there are reasons some of this takes place. What if on a macro level, anyone could just order a B12 test? You would likely have lots of unnecessary tests driving up costs for everyone. So insurance shouldn't necessarily be faulted for that. Now the $25 per visit does suck, so you would think they could come up with some kind of "package deal" for everything. Sorry :/

One shortcut for your situation: why not just ask for the shot and ask the doctor to forgo the lab test. Getting a shot of B12 isn't going to hurt if you're not B12 deficient. If the symptoms persist, you're going to go to the the follow-up appointment anyway, and it can be addressed with the lab test then. That may or may not be possible, but it's a thought.

It does seem like a virtual appointment (or just a phone call) might fit your situation if she is asymptomatic after the shot.