SHINGLES PREVENTION

A dear friend of mine has SHINGLES. She tried to get the shingles vaccine BEFORE she broke out.  She had a prescription from her doctor but the pharmacist would not administer it to her because she was not 60, yet.  ( WALGREEN'S is now administering  the vaccine to anyone over 50 - the age limit just changed June 2011)  If you have had the chicken pox, there is a 50 % chance that you will have shingles.  The chicken pox vaccine was developed in 1995, so before that time, close to  95 % of children had the chicken pox.
Listen to this online podcast from the CDC
http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=10098

Check out this website !!   http://www.shinglesinfo.com/index.html

It is the first vaccine reimbursed through Medicare Part D, which is administered by individual drug plans that contract with pharmacies, not physicians.
Why aren't people getting the shingles vaccine ???
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/health/10chen.html

Four years ago at age 78, R., a retired professional known as much for her small-town Minnesotan resilience as her commitment to public service, developed a fleeting rash over her left chest. The rash, which turned out to be shingles, or herpes zoster, was hardly noticeable.       

But the complications were unforgettable.

For close to a year afterward, R. wrestled with the searing and relentless pain in the area where the rash had been. “It was ghastly, the worst possible pain anyone could have,” R. said recently, recalling the sleepless nights and fruitless search for relief. “I’ve had babies and that hurts a lot, but at least it goes away. This pain never let up. I felt like I was losing my mind for just a few minutes of peace.”

Shingles and its painful complication, called postherpetic neuralgia, result from reactivation of the chicken pox virus, which remains in the body after a childhood bout and is usually dormant in the adult. Up to a third of all adults who have had chicken pox will eventually develop one or both of these conditions, becoming debilitated for anywhere from a week to several years. That percentage translates into about one million Americans affected each year, with older adults, whose immune systems are less robust, being most vulnerable. Once the rash and its uncomfortable sequel appear, treatment options are limited at best and carry their own set of complications.

While the search for relief costs Americans over $500 million each year, the worst news until recently has been that shingles could happen to any one of us. There were no preventive measures available.

But in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine against shingles. Clinical trials on the vaccine revealed that it could, with relatively few side effects, reduce the risk of developing shingles by more than half and the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia by over two-thirds. In 2008, a national panel of experts on immunizations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went on to recommend the vaccine to all adults age 60 and older.   

Read the rest of this article    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/health/10chen.html

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If you are over 50 years old and if you can locate a Walgreens Drug store that has a TakeCare Clinic and if you have a drug plan that is accepted by Walgreens then you can get a Shingles Shot for an out-of-pocket co-pay.  (Otherwise it is $220 self-pay.  Read on -you may decide that it is worth it !)

In our experience this co-pay is often in the $35-$45 dollar range. You do not need a prescription since the Nurse Practitioner will write one for you. The Walgreens computer will deal with your insurance company so that you do not need to have correspondence with your insurance company.

You can call 1-866-825-3227 for the central office of the TakeCareClinc. They can provide locations and other details.  You will need to call the central office to see if the clinic near you has the vaccine.

http://www.takecarehealth.com/default.aspx  to find a location near you.

It is $195 at my local health department.

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Then go to this page --

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/paying-for-the-shingles-vaccine/

The shingles vaccine is made of a weakened form of the chickenpox virus. Can a person who has received the vaccine infect others with this virus? No. It is safe to be around infants and young children, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems after you get the shingles vaccine. Transmission of the chickenpox virus from a person who has received the shingles vaccine has never been documented.

Can shingles be spread to others?

Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles, VZV, can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox through direct contact with the rash. The person exposed would develop chickenpox, not shingles. The virus is not spread through sneezing, coughing or casual contact. A person with shingles can spread the disease when the rash is in the blister-phase. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or with post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after the rash is gone).

Why is the shingles vaccine only recommended for people 60 years and older?A person’s risk for getting shingles begins to rise around age 50. However, shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is only recommended for persons age 60 and older because the safety and effects of the vaccine were only studied in this group, which accounts for about half of all cases of shingles occurring each year in the United States. Future research will determine if the recommended age for vaccination should be lowered.  (some are now administering it after age 50 as of June, 2011)

Can the shingles vaccine be given to people who have already had shingles?

Yes. People who have had shingles can receive the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. This is true no matter when they first got shingles.

The current data indicate that the shingles vaccine is effective for at least six years but may last longer.

A few testamonials for why you SHOULD get the vaccine.

Four years ago, I had shingles and it is the most painful thing I’ve ever endured; more painful than kidney stones and more painful than a motorcycle crash that broke a clavicle and resulted in a serious concussion.
Yet, if I one can’t afford the vaccine, one just lives in hope of not contracting shingles.
Having said that, I would urge anyone age 60+ who can possibly afford it to get the vaccine.
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Get the vaccine, anyone can get shingles even those under 60 years old if they had chickenpox. I had it in my fifties and lost over 2 weeks of my life, not able to work and in miserable pain. Even if it cost more it would be worth it. Trust me, you do not want shingles!
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I am just recovering from a case of shingles and am praying that I don’t develop the long-term neuralgia. The recent pain I have gone through was the worst I have ever experienced.
GET THE VACCINE!
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My husband got shingles in his eye, and I witnessed the struggle with saving his vision. Five years later, he is still on maintenance meds to protect against shingles return. Not fun, but grateful the scar damage in his eye is limited to high eye pressure which we can control. So, when the vaccine came out I said to me, “hummm, $150 -$300 out of pocket for vaccine, or risk going through something similar”. Guess what, $300 is easy compared to the meds we have bought over 5 years. It’s a no brainer. Do it! Save yourself!
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Having had a terrible case of shingles on my forehead and eyelid, plus the postherpetic neuralgia which is still causing me pain and itching three years later, I would tell everyone over 60 to get the shot. The pain was excruciating and was very difficult to control, plus I had to see an opthalmologist three times to be sure it didn’t damage my eye. This was besides seeing the internist and the dermatologist. I was out of work for about 6 weeks because I was so weak from the attack. It also made me very sensitive to lights and sounds.
I just wish my doctor had told me there was a shingles vaccine. The shot would have been much cheaper than all the doctors’ visits and meds I had to pay for.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/?s_cid=cs_000

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles-vaccine/AN01738

The shingles vaccine isn't recommended if you:

• Have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin or any other component of the shingles vaccine
• Have a weakened immune system due to HIV/AIDS, lymphoma or leukemia
• Are receiving immune system-suppressing drugs such as steroids, adalimumab (Humira), infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel), radiation or chemotherapy
• Have active, untreated tuberculosis
• Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. An episode of shingles usually heals on its own within a few weeks. However, prompt shingles treatment — often including an antiviral drug such as acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) or valacyclovir (Valtrex) — can ease pain, speed healing and reduce the risk of complications.

You'll want to do your own research to alternatives to the shingles vaccine --here are some articles.

http://www.healthiertalk.com/prevent-shingles-vitamins-not-vaccine-3836
Prevent shingles with vitamins, not vaccine

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/medical/shingles1.htm
Preventing Shingles from the Discovery Channel
http://www.helium.com/items/2066396-shingles-liquid-vitamins
How nutrients can help prevent shingles

Protect yourself if you use a DEBIT CARD

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/protect-yourself-if-you-use-debit-card/nC3Nz/

Debit card account fraud is on the rise, according to the latest numbers from The Cleveland Plain Dealer. I want to tell you the best way I know to protect yourself.

Years ago, the bulk of financial fraud involved credit cards alone. But now some 40% of the fraud involves debit cards, while the remaining 60% is with credit cards.

If your credit card is compromised, the harm to you is relatively small. You contact the issuer to report false charges and you may have to do some paperwork, but no money leaves your hands.

With debit card fraud, however, there is money that leaves your hands. And you have to fight to get your own money back. Unfortunately, it's now taking longer and longer to get that money back.

Under the law, banks have 10 business days to give you your money back in the event of debit card fraud. Visa and MasterCard, however, have set their own standard of 5 business days if a compromised debit card has either logo on it, as most do. Yet I'm hearing from callers that the true wait time to get your money back is substantially longer than either 5 or 10 business days.

Now, I know debit cards are popular because people got in over their heads spending money they didn't have on credit cards. Debit cards, in theory, allow you to spend only what you have.

But the problem comes if a crook cracks your debit card. Then you have no money to pay your mortgage, your car loan or to buy gas or food, among other things. Your checks start bouncing and, depending on your bank or credit union, the institution may not cover the bounced check charges that result from debit card fraud.

You now have a 1 in 65 chance of having your debit card compromised. That's not horrible, but it is a real problem. So what can you do?

If you are someone who would be financially devastated if your bank account were emptied, I suggest you open a second account and tie your debit card to it. Then fund the second account only with money that's used for debit card activity, so your principal account won't be at risk in the event of a breach.

That's the best way I know to protect yourself.

MEDICAL RECORDS / important for you to have

I have become aware of how important it is to have a copy of your own medical
records - especially when you see different doctors and they all want to know
your history.  My memory is not all that great, but I know that my history is
important.  Now I can look through the records and see EXACTLY what
happened and the treatment that I was given.  No more guessing when, either.
I have the exact dates !!  And how important would it be for your family to
have access to your history should your doctor be unavailable ?  Keep these
records in a place that they can be located by friends and/or family members.

http://patients.about.com/od/yourmedicalrecords/a/getmedrecords.htm

How to Request Your Medical Records

By Trisha Torrey, About.com Guide

Updated February 24, 2011

See More About:

• medical records
• hipaa
• patients' rights

According to federal law, we have the right to get copies of most medical records, whether they are paper copies, or electronic health records. Doctors' notes, medical test results, lab reports and billing information must be supplied to us if we ask properly.

The federal law that addresses our medical records is called HIPAA (pronounced HIP-a), the Health Information Portability Accountability Act. These rules mostly address privacy issues, but are so extensive that many healthcare providers are still confused about how to enforce them. That confusion sometimes makes it difficult for us to get our records, even when we are entitled to them.

Who May Request Medical Records and Who Must Share Them

You must be the patient, or the parent or guardian of the patient for whom you seek records. Caregivers may be able to access records if the patient has provided written permission to the provider.
The US Department of Health and Human Services provides good background information for understand who may, or may not, have access to your records.

Providers are required to keep most adult medical records for six years or more, although this varies by the state where the records are stored. In most states, children's records must be kept for three to 10 years beyond age 18 or 21. If you seek older records, contact the provider to see if they are available.

Providers are required to share any notes or records they have created themselves, or any test results for which they have copies. They are also required to share any information provided to them about you by another doctor if that information was used for the diagnosis and/or treatment being discussed with you.

Diagnostic lab test records, for such tests as blood tests, CT scans, x-rays, mammograms or others, should be requested from the doctor who ordered them, or your primary care physician. In most states, the lab will not provide them to you directly.

If you seek hospital records or records from any other medical facility, you'll want to request them directly from that facility.

Be aware that you may be denied access to some records, usually related to mental health records. If a provider believes that letting you look at your medical records can endanger your physical health, your request may be refused. They cannot deny you access just because they think you will be upset, unless they believe that upset will lead to an attempt to physically harm yourself. If you are refused, the provider must make that clear, in writing.

A note about privacy: Many patients believe they or their designees are the only people who can obtain copies of their records. In fact, there are many others who can gain access to your medical records without your permission.

Next: Making the Request, Forms or Letters, and What Happens Next

How to Request Your Medical Records

Most practices and facilities ask you to fill out a form to request your records. Call the provider's office and request a copy of the form. They should be able to deliver it to you by fax, e-mail, or postal mail, or you may pick it up from the doctor's office.

If the doctor's office doesn't have a specific form, you may write a letter to make your request. Include this information:

·        your name, including your maiden name (if applicable)

·        Social Security number

·        date of birth

·        address and phone number

·        e-mail address

·        record(s) being requested

·        date(s) of service (months and years under the doctor's care)

·        signature

·        delivery option (pick up, fax, e-mail, etc.)

Simply drop off or mail the letter to the provider's office.

If your doctor is no longer in practice, or for some reason you can't locate the doctor or office where you think your records should be, there are some steps you can take to locate your medical records.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Your Records?

You may have to pay for the medical records copies you want. The price will vary due to several factors. Further, the pricing changes. Here is more information about how much it will cost to get copies of your medical records.

What Happens Next

Once you have made the request, you may have to wait for awhile before you get the records.

State laws regulate how quickly those records must be supplied to a patient. In some states, you'll be given access to review them in the doctor's office immediately but may have to wait from 10 to 60 days to obtain your own copies. Other states require access within 30 days. Georgetown University provides access to the medical records regulations healthcare providers must adhere to in all 50 states. Those time frames may sometimes be extended if circumstances warrant.

Once you've obtained copies of your records, be sure to review them carefully. If you find errors, you'll want to correct them immediately to be sure they cannot affect any future diagnoses or treatment you may receive.

What If You Are Denied Access to Your Records?

There is a protocol and complaint system to follow if you are denied access or copies of your medical records.

You may also be interested in:
·        Learning how much it will cost to get copies of your medical records, and/or
·        What to do if you need to get records from a doctor who is no longer in practice.

Networking Articles

Go to this website and read the articles – great info !!

http://www.wendykinney.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=34

Here are 2 examples -

It Only Works If They Remember Your Name

How many times have you met someone and two seconds later realized you don’t remember the person’s name? Unfortunately, the same thing may happen to people who are introduced to your sales pros for the first time. Encourage your team to use these name-badge techniques to make sure people remember them:

WEAR YOUR NAME BADGE HIGH ON YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER.

Most of us are right handed, so it’s tempting to put our badge on the left. Instead, make it easy for people to refresh their memories by glancing at your written name when you’re shaking hands (always on the right).

JUST YOUR FIRST NAME – LARGE.

Make it easy for new acquaintances to introduce you to someone else. Don’t worry about your last name at first, because you’re going to give them your card later.

UNDER YOUR NAME – WRITE WHAT YOU DO.

Don’t put your company name, which may not be descriptive, but a few words that describe what you do in the way that your clients generally refer to you. “Computer Guru” is better than “Systems Engineer.” “Stockbroker” is more descriptive than “Financial Planner.” “Loan Goddess” is more memorable than “Mortgage Broker.”  How about

Business is a name game. Make yours easy to remember.

Make Money by Phone

My Grandma Lillian was an entrepreneur. When her children were in high school, she raised and sold violets. When they went to college, she got in the guppy business. Still later, she taught china painting.
One summer I spent with her, she was starting a new business teaching other women that their dream of financial independence could be realized. At the same time, she was teaching me about the importance of business routines. Every weekday morning, Grandma Lillian did the same thing. From 9:30 to noon, she made prospecting phone calls. After that, the day was ours, until evening when she went out to conduct her classes.
Your sales force may not have been fortunate enough to learn these lessons so early, but you can pass on these four tips for phone prospecting:
WORK WITH A CLEAN DESK.
Even if it means sweeping files into a shopping bag until your telephone time is finished, don’t have anything on your desk except your calendar and your favorite pen. You’ll get two benefits from this routine. Distractions will be limited, and the person you’re speaking with will feel they have your full attention.
HAVE A MIRROR IN FRONT OF YOU.
If you doubt that a smile carries through your voice, try this exercise. Record your side of a prospecting telephone conversation. Play it back while you watch your face in the mirror. Surprise! Your face will match the feelings you had while you were on the phone. You’ll actually see the fear or anxiety or need that you felt. Your tone affects your listener that way, too. A mirror on the wall in front of you increases your telephone prospecting profitability in two ways:
First, you can see what your listener is hearing. The added awareness of your own body language makes your verbal language more effective.
Second, because you keep your chin up to look at the mirror on the wall, your voice will automatically have more enthusiasm and energy.
Try this experiment with your tape recorder. Role play a prospecting telephone call with your head down, chin to chest, doodling on an order form. Now raise your chin, look in the mirror, and repeat the same sentences. Because you sound more successful you will be more successful – people like to do business with a winner.
USE SCRIPTS.
Good phone scripts will generate predictably profitable results. A script is effective because your listener will know when it is their turn to talk, and they’ll know what you want them to say. If a prospect asks how much your product costs and you use the script, “Well, that depends on how much money you have in the bank!” you’ll receive a predictably different result than if you use the script, “Forty-five dollars a month, less than most people spend on coffee and cokes."
Listen carefully to these two scripts. “That depends on how much money you have” tells your prospect to respond just as glibly with “Oh, about 25 cents.” A specific amount, followed by an example, gives your listener the opportunity to say “Great, that works for me.”
Prepare scripts for the nine questions you are asked most frequently. They’re probably about product cost, delivery time, references, options, and guarantees.
KEEP YOUR BEST RESULTS IN MIND.
When Grandma Lillian was making prospecting calls, she wanted to get an appointment. “You can’t get a haircut over the phone,” she told me. “What I want is an appointment in their home.”
She had a second acceptable outcome, though, the prospect’s permission to call again. “Shall I call you in about a month?” I heard her say sweetly, several times each hour. She’d put the prospect’s name and phone number into her calendar for the agreed upon date.
When you’re prospecting by phone, be sure to have clear goals in mind so you can steer the conversation purposefully.

Phone Service $19.95 per year - yes, it is true !/ Clark Howard

I had heard about Magic Jack internet phone service and consumer guru Clark Howard  www.clarkhoward.com has given it rave reviews.

He has used it for years and loves the $19.95 per YEAR price for unlimited local and long distance calls.

Clark does not accept payment for his endorsements. So, if he says that it’s great, it’s because he believes it.

I have purchased it and have been using it for 6 months  and I love it !!  It’s great for me since I needed an additional line.  And it might be great if you do not have a landline and would like the security of having one in case you misplace your cell phone, don’t want to pay for unlimited cell minutes, or have other issues.  It’s also portable – take it with you .  Read the details on their website www.magicjack.com

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/february/shopping/infomercial-products/magic-jack/infomercial-products-magic-jack.htm
The claim

Magic Jack, a VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) phone device and service, "makes your monthly phone bill disappear," an online ad says. "Save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars" and get "no more poor reception." You plug Magic Jack into a computer's USB port, plug the line cord of your own phone into the other end of the USB adapter, and Magic Jack uses the Internet to make and receive calls. You need broadband Internet access, and the computer has to be on for you to make or receive a call. If it's off, messages go to voice mail. The charge: $39.95 for the device includes one year of local and long distance calling; then $19.95 per year. Details are at  www.magicjack.com .

The check

One of our electronics experts made dozens of calls over several days, sometimes while downloading files or playing online computer games.
Bottom line

Shazam! Calls connected, and voice quality was clear, though not as clear as on a good corded phone on a regular line. When our tester downloaded a big file while playing an online game and making a call, there was some interference. But if you can live with a few limitations, it's a great deal. Vonage VoIP service can cost $216 a year; Skype, $95, and you must buy a Skype phone.

Read more:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-9818928-58.html#ixzz1ABK46pzC

Need a second phone line? How about a dedicated business line for your home-based enterprise? A cheap way to make calls while traveling the world? Look no further than the MagicJack, quite possibly the coolest gizmo of 2007.

All you do is plug the little guy into a USB port. It automatically installs its own software: a nifty little dialer/address-book app. (During the initial setup, you get to choose your own local number for inbound calls.) Now just plug any corded or cordless handset into the MagicJack's standard RJ-11 jack and presto, you've got a dial tone. And voice mail. And three-way calling, caller ID, etc. You can also use a headset if you're traveling and don't want to schlep that bulky old Princess phone.

The MagicJack costs $40, which includes a year's worth of unlimited local and long-distance calls. (Free international calls to other MagicJack users, too.) After that, you'll pay just $20 per year. I've tried this thing, and let me tell you: It rocks. It's way easier to use than Skype, way cheaper than Vonage, and way cool to boot.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/MagicJack-USB-Voice-over-IP-Yearly-Telephone-Service-for-19.95/11962556

Cheap Inkjet Printer Ink

I have recently realized that many people are still paying top dollar for their inkjet cartridges.

I have purchased remanufactured/compatible cartridges for years and have had no problem with them. I certainly can’t guarantee them, but am just passing along this information.

Not only are the cartridges a bargain, they have FREE shipping. With the last 30% off sale, I bought 10 cartridges for my Brother printer for $13.37 (total). One Brother brand cartridge is $24.99. So, if something terrible happened after using these 10 cartridges, I would have saved $236.00 and could buy a new printer. If I never have to buy a new printer, I am saving $236.00 every time I order 10 cartridges ! I’ve already saved more than $1,000 by purchasing my cartridges from www.abcink.com. Go to the site, search for the brand and model of your printer and check the prices. There are other companies who sell these remanufactured and compatible cartridges.

I am looking forward to sharing great information with you.  As I gather resources for myself and my friends, I want you to know about these, too.  Use what you will and pass along anything that you think others might appreciate.  You'll find ways to save $$$, time, and energy.  I collect information from people and websites that I trust, but I cannot guarantee anything -- so buyer beware.  Check in from time to time, or subscribe for an e-mail notification of updates or subscribe to our RSS feed.
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