but wanted a second opinion

Owning more than five lawn gnomes is odd.

I have a difficult time communicating with this doctor, and I just didn't feel up to fighting or trying to explain my reasoning why I thought we should go ahead with fighting for the treatment.

vw, what *are* your reasons? Since your breathing test was better, and you sounded good, why would you need to switch to a different drug?

I'm NOT saying you shouldn't pursue the Xolair, but you don't sound like you need a new drug. Or did I miss something?

Owning more than five lawn gnomes is odd

But owning five lawn gnomes is just right.

Can you write or e-mail the doctor? You can just say, "The more I think about the last year, the more I think that trying Xolair would be a good option...."

I need an entirely different kind of advice. A friend's daughter is graduating and I'd like to get her something. I know that cash is always welcome, but I'm hoping to think of something else. She's going to a small college about two hours away. She loves The Lord of the Rings. Also, I need to be clever before Friday, when I go to her graduation party.

Owning more than five lawn gnomes is odd.

I have to agree 100% on this.

(My mom owns, at last count, 6 or so. Not counting the small one she has on her desk at work. As well as this t-shirt. Which I bought for her for Xmas.)

vw, contacting your PCP seems like a good idea to me. Also, {{{{{{{{{{{Windsparrow}}}}}}}}}}}}}} and punctuation to everyone else who needs it that I missed.

ImememeN: It's seems like there was a rash of sleeplessness for Bitches last night. Unfortunately, I was among your number. And I hadn't slept well for a few nights previously, so I'm completed zonked and premigrainal today. And I think I have a late night again today. And I missed the House finale.

On the bright side, there is absolutely no way I'm cleaning up at supper tonight. I'll help set up, but I am resolute not to clean. This may make no sense without the backstory, but you should all admire my fortitude and encourage my follow through, because I am sometimes a wuss when people ask me to do stuff.

A useful piece of luggage for trips back home while at college?

LOTR grad gift?

I always coveted some version of :
this.

It can be pretty spendy, but this is an inexpensive version.

vw, what *are* your reasons? Since your breathing test was better, and you sounded good, why would you need to switch to a different drug?

I'm NOT saying you shouldn't pursue the Xolair, but you don't sound like you need a new drug. Or did I miss something?

I've been on these medications for six to eight months now, and have continued to have asthma flare-ups during that time. I think we need to be more proactive so I don't continue to have these bad flare-ups where I need to go on huge doses of steroids for long periods of time and get serious side effects from the steroids. That's my main reason.

I tried paging my PCP. She's out of the hospital till tomorrow, so I'll try her again then. She seemed excited about the possibility of Xolair when I saw her last week, so we'll see what she says tomorrow.

Some days, I love the people I work with. My boss' boss' boss just called me a "bleeding heart liberal". I called him an "uptight conservative". He shrugged and nodded and walked away.