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.

---

Hey, Aimee, if you can get your hands on it, you should *totally* watch today's Ellen Degeneres show. It will crack you up and bring you great joy.

---

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.

Does the doctor you saw today know about the myopathy you had to deal with?

---

Does the doctor you saw today know about the myopathy you had to deal with?

Yes. We talked about it during my last appointment.

---

vw, it sounds to me like this doctor has his own agenda for your treatment - one which does not seem to include you being in a position to successfully continue your education and avoid the highly unpleasant adverse reactions you have to the medications necessary to beat back asthma flare-ups. I'm not saying he is evil or bad - this may simply reflect a philosophical preference for meds he considers tried and true (and there is something to be said for not letting drug companies experiment on one's patients) or something similar. It may well be that he is too much of a detail person to see YOUR big picture. I hope that between you and your PCP, you can convey to him the facts or ideas he needs to truly grok what you need.

ETA: Also, it is possible that facts like the myopathy escaped his memory in the intervening time.

---

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.

go cash, choose cash. Or maybe an Amazon.com gift cert.

---

I gave my niece a big Starbucks gift card, which she LOVED.

---