-
Savvy Senior: How to Choose a Medicare Advantage Plan
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
I will be 65 and eligible for Medicare in a few months and am interested in getting a Medicare Advantage plan to cover my health care and medications. What tips can you provide to help me pick a plan?
Ready to Retire
Dear Ready,
Medicare Advantage plans have become very popular among retirees over the past 15 years, as nearly half of all new Medicare enrollees are signing up for Advantage plans, which accounts for about 42 percent of the entire Medicare market. Here are some tips and tools to help you pick a plan that fits your needs.
-
Being Well: Let’s Talk About Diverticulitis
Being Well is a regular feature at LGBTSr highlighting health and wellness.
It started with sharp recurring pain in my abdomen and ended with a three-hour visit to the emergency room at 2:00 a.m. I waited four days for it to go away, thinking it was related to the acid reflux (GERD) I’ve been treating with medication the past three years. I’d had a virtual visit with my gastroenterologist on Monday to set up my next colonoscopy. He asked how my acid problem was doing and I said fine, because I hadn’t yet experienced any problems. Then, because life works this way, it hit me on Tuesday. Bloating, pain, and the bowel problems usually associated with those symptoms. Was it food poisoning? I wondered. I kept thinking back on what I’d eaten the past couple days. And then it went away … only to return every few hours.
Finally, on Saturday morning just after midnight, I woke up in excruciating pain. Was my esophagus rupturing? Was I having a heart attack? I called the 24-hour nurse line provided by my insurance company, spoke to a very helpful nurse, and it was decided I should go to the emergency room.
Three hours after arriving, and an hour after a CT scan, I was diagnosed with acute diverticulitis. Course of treatment: antibiotics, clear liquids only for two days, and a list of mitigating measures provided in the paperwork they gave me when I left. As it turned out, the doctor was the daughter of our forester, who takes care of our annual filing to keep our property designated as a tree farm. It’s a small world.
-
The Twist Podcast #190: Emergency Room Bloopers, Asian Movie Musts, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as catch up on the latest diverticulitis surprise, offer up our Twist Top recommendations, and scan the week in headlines.
-
The Twist Podcast #190: Emergency Room Bloopers, Asian Movie Musts, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as catch up on the latest diverticulitis surprise, offer up our Twist Top recommendations, and scan the week in headlines.
-
Groomed
-
Being Well: Let’s Talk About Diverticulitis
Being Well is a regular feature at LGBTSr highlighting health and wellness.
It started with sharp recurring pain in my abdomen and ended with a three-hour visit to the emergency room at 2:00 a.m. I waited four days for it to go away, thinking it was related to the acid reflux (GERD) I’ve been treating with medication the past three years. I’d had a virtual visit with my gastroenterologist on Monday to set up my next colonoscopy. He asked how my acid problem was doing and I said fine, because I hadn’t yet experienced any problems. Then, because life works this way, it hit me on Tuesday. Bloating, pain, and the bowel problems usually associated with those symptoms. Was it food poisoning? I wondered. I kept thinking back on what I’d eaten the past couple days. And then it went away … only to return every few hours.
Finally, on Saturday morning just after midnight, I woke up in excruciating pain. Was my esophagus rupturing? Was I having a heart attack? I called the 24-hour nurse line provided by my insurance company, spoke to a very helpful nurse, and it was decided I should go to the emergency room.
Three hours after arriving, and an hour after a CT scan, I was diagnosed with acute diverticulitis. Course of treatment: antibiotics, clear liquids only for two days, and a list of mitigating measures provided in the paperwork they gave me when I left. As it turned out, the doctor was the daughter of our forester, who takes care of our annual filing to keep our property designated as a tree farm. It’s a small world.
-
Savvy Senior: How to Choose a Medicare Advantage Plan
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
I will be 65 and eligible for Medicare in a few months and am interested in getting a Medicare Advantage plan to cover my health care and medications. What tips can you provide to help me pick a plan?
Ready to Retire
Dear Ready,
Medicare Advantage plans have become very popular among retirees over the past 15 years, as nearly half of all new Medicare enrollees are signing up for Advantage plans, which accounts for about 42 percent of the entire Medicare market. Here are some tips and tools to help you pick a plan that fits your needs.                                          Â
-
The Twist Podcast #189: Disney Smells a Rat, Ethnic Foods Near You, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we applaud Disney’s opposition to the Don’t Say Gay hate-steria sweeping MAGA land, recommend taste testing new foods near you, comment on recent awards shows, and scan the week in headlines. Twist Tops and listicles, too!
-
The Twist Podcast #189: Disney Smells a Rat, Ethnic Foods Near You, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we applaud Disney’s opposition to the Don’t Say Gay hate-steria sweeping MAGA land, recommend taste testing new foods near you, comment on recent awards shows, and scan the week in headlines. Twist Tops and listicles, too!
-
Listen Up! My Interview on the Queer Writers of Crime Podcast with Host Brad Shreve
Hear ye, hear ye! Podcaster and mystery author Brad Shreve released our interview this morning. It was a pleasure talking with him about my books, characters, writing, and a bit of life in general. Fasten your headphones!
-
Listen Up! My Interview on the Queer Writers of Crime Podcast with Host Brad Shreve
Hear ye, hear ye! Podcaster and mystery author Brad Shreve released our interview this morning. It was a pleasure talking with him about my books, characters, writing, and a bit of life in general. Fasten your headphones!
-
Savvy Senior: How to Get Help as an Elder Orphan
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
I need to find someone honest and reliable to look after my estate, health and long-term care when I’m no longer able to do it myself. I’m a 67-year-old recent widow with no children and one sibling I rarely talk to. Any suggestions?
Solo Ager
Dear Solo,
This is big concern for millions of older Americans who don’t have a spouse, children or other family they can depend on to watch out for their well-being. While there’s no one solution to this issue, here are some tips and resources that can help you plan ahead.
-
Featured Book: Unexpected Bravery: Women and Children of the Civil War, by A.J. Schenkman
Shared from LGBTSr.com.
This week’s Featured Book is a fascinating look into lives most of us don’t know anything about: women and children who enlisted to fight in the Civil War. Among them was Albert Cashier, a man we would now call transgender. Born female, Albert spent almost his entire life as a man, beginning in boyhood. His military bravery was so highly thought of that the people around him protected his secret even after many of them knew about it. And this is just one of over a dozen stories told through archival material, letters, and first-hand accounts, of people who may otherwise be forgotten. A completely satisfying read. You can listen to my recent One Thing or Another podcast with the author HERE.
About Women and Children of the Civil War
The American Civil War divided the United States from 1861-1865. During those years, over two million soldiers served in both the Union and Confederate Armies. What is little known is that not only the numerous children, some as young 12, enlisted on both sides, but also women who disguised themselves as men in an attempt to make a difference in the epic struggle to determine the future of the United States of America.
