babydoll

Today marks two weeks since all the paperwork for my evolv funding pre-authorization request was submitted to Medicaid from Chesapeake Rehab. So I called Medicaid to check the status and they said that a decision was entered today but they cannot explain the decision to me. I didn't understand most of what they said so I called Chesapeake Rehab.

Dawn at Chesapeake who I'm sure is tired of getting calls from me says that they can't do anything or explain anything until they receive a letter from Medicaid stating what was authorized and what was denied.

The woman at Medicaid says that since the decision was made today the letter will go in the mail tomorrow, so shouldn't that mean that someone should be able to tell me something by the end of next week??? ....

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What is a functional ovarian cyst?

An ovarian cyst is a round, thin-walled, clear fluid-filled sac that develops in the ovary as part of normal egg development. When on the ovary's surface, an ovarian cyst looks something like a skin blister. A normal ovarian cyst can grow as large as 1.5 in.(3.8 cm) as it prepares to release an egg into the abdomen (ovulation).

When an ovarian cyst does not release its egg, it continues to grow, becoming larger than normal (functional ovarian cyst). A functional ovarian cyst may also form after an egg is released. In this case, the ovarian cyst reseals itself and swells with fluid. This is called a luteal cyst. Functional ovarian cysts are the most common type of ovarian growth in women of childbearing age.¹

Like most types of ovarian cysts, functional cysts usually don't cause symptoms and are first noticed during a general pelvic exam. However, a larger ovarian cyst can twist, rupture, or bleed and be very painful. If your health professional has found that you have a functional ovarian cyst, you have no reason to worry about cancer—functional cysts do not lead to cancer. Most functional ovarian cysts go away on their own within a few months and are harmless.

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The nonprofit patient organization says that for asthma sufferers, Atlanta is the worst U.S. city to live in.

Seattle ranks best -- or, in this case, least bad -- on the group's list of the 100 "most challenging places to live with asthma."

The 10 worst asthma cities, according to the AAFA, are:

1. Atlanta (last year: 4th)
2. Philadelphia (last year: 3rd)
3. Raleigh, N.C.
4. Knoxville, Tenn.
5. Harrisburg, Pa.
6. Grand Rapids, Mich.
7. Milwaukee, Wis. (last year: 5th)
8. Greensboro, N.C. (last year: 7th)
9. Scranton, Pa. (last year: 1st)
10. Little Rock, Ark.

Atlanta earns its "worst" score from the city's high asthma death rate, high pollen levels, and severe air pollution.

The AAFA also cites Atlanta's "worse-than-average" public smoking laws, although the city does ban smoking in 80% of hotel rooms and in bars and restaurants that allow access to minors (except in private, separately ventilated rooms).

The idea behind the ranking is to warn Americans that across the nation, asthma rates continue to climb.

Growing Problem

In the last 20 years, asthma prevalence has doubled, says Derek Johnson, MD, director of pediatric allergy at Temple University, in a news release.

"People can't just move away from their asthma since every city in America has a variety of risk factors," Johnson says.

Indeed, even Seattle flunks some AAFA tests. The city gets "worse than average" scores in asthma prevalence and only "average" ratings for air quality, uninsured rates, school inhaler-access laws, and number of asthma specialists.

"People should work with an asthma specialist to have a good asthma management plan no matter where they live," Johnson says.

100 Worst Cities

Here's the complete 2007 AAFA list of the 100 most challenging places to live with asthmaasthma:

1. Atlanta
2. Philadelphia
3. Raleigh, N.C.
4. Knoxville, Tenn.
5. Harrisburg, Pa.
6. Grand Rapids, Mich.
7. Milwaukee, Wis.
8. Greensboro, N.C.
9. Scranton, Pa.
10. Little Rock, Ark.
11. San Antonio
12. Los Angeles
13. Chicago
14. Charlotte, N.C.
15. Fresno, Calif.
16. Allentown, Pa.
17. Birmingham, Ala.
18. Baltimore
19. Mobile, Ala.
20. Detroit
21. Lancaster, Pa.
22. Johnson City, Tenn.
23. Pittsburgh
24. Oklahoma City
25. Tulsa, Okla.
26. Chattanooga, Tenn.
27. McAllen, Texas
28. St. Louis
29. Hartford, Conn.
30. Memphis, Tenn.
31. Fort Wayne, Ind.
32. Bakersfield, Calif.
33. Salt Lake City
34. Greenville, S.C.
35. Kalamazoo, Mich.
36. Dallas-Ft. Worth
37. Boston
38. Houston
39. Modesto, Calif.
40. Richmond, Va.
41. Augusta, Ga.
42. El Paso, Texas
43. Indianapolis
44. Phoenix-Mesa
45. Wichita, Kan.
46. Louisville, Ky.
47. Austin, Texas
48. Columbia, S.C.
49. Las Vegas
50. Lansing, Mich.
51. Stockton, Calif.
52. Washington, D.C.
53. Norfolk, Va.
54. Toledo, Ohio
55. Springfield, Mass.
56. Kansas City, Mo.
57. Albuquerque, N.M.
58. Columbus, Ohio
59. Nashville, Tenn.
60. New York
61. Providence, R.I.
62. Youngstown, Ohio
63. San Diego
64. Sacramento, Calif.
65. Buffalo, N.Y.
66. Cleveland
67. Charleston, S.C.
68. Syracuse, N.Y.
69. Cincinnati
70. Dayton, Ohio
71. Albany, N.Y.
72. Des Moines, Iowa
73. Rochester, N.Y.
74. Lexington, Ky.
75. Portland, Ore.
76. Pensacola, Fla.
77. Jackson, Miss.
78. Denver
79. Canton, Ohio
80. Tampa, Fla.
81. Tucson, Ariz.
82. Omaha, Neb.
83. Madison, Wis.
84. New Orleans
85. Jacksonville, Fla.
86. Orlando, Fla.
87. Baton Rouge, La.
88. Boise City, Idaho
89. Spokane, Wash.
90. Lakeland, Fla.
91. San Francisco
92. Daytona Beach, Fla.
93. Fort Myers, Fla.
94. Sarasota, Fla.
95. Colorado Springs, Colo.
96. Melbourne, Fla.
97. West Palm Beach, Fla.
98. Miami
99. Minneapolis
100. Seattle

SOURCES: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: "2007 Asthma Capitals -- The Most Challenging Places to Live with Asthma," AAFA web site. American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation web site. News release, AAFA.

The Truth About Where Donated Clothes End Up
Think Charity Means Giving Someone Less Fortunate Your Old Shirt for  
Christmas? Think Again
By MIKE LEE, ABCNews.com


ACCRA, GHANA (Dec. 21) -- Christmas is one of those times of the year  
when many Americans clean out our closets and donate some of our used  
clothing to a charity. Perhaps we hope that Santa Clause will replace  
them with shiny new shirts, jeans, blouses and shoes. Or maybe we  
just want to do some good.


In New York City, AnnMarie Resnick told ABC News why her family  
donates clothing at Christmas time. "By the time my kids grow out of  
it," she said, "it is generally in good condition, and I want someone  
else to get good use out of it." And who does she think is  
benefiting? "We hope, and we think we know, it is people in our  
neighborhood who just aren't as fortunate as us. And who need it."

And the same sentiment from Marc Kaplowictz, who told ABC News: "I am  
assuming that is helping people who need it more than we do."

But do most Americans really know what they're doing when they donate  
clothing? For instance, do you think you are giving your beloved but  
worn jeans to someone with no money to buy their own? Perhaps some  
poor person in your hometown, or even far away in Africa?

Wake up and smell the money. Your used clothes are usually sold, not  
given away.

According to various estimates, here's what happens to your clothing  
giveaways. In most cases, a small amount of the items, the best  
quality castoffs — less than 10 percent of donations -- are kept by  
the charitable institutions and sold in their thrift shops to other  
Americans looking for a bargain. These buyers could be people who are  
hard up, or they could be folks who like the idea of a good deal on a  
stylish old item that no longer can be found in regular stores.

The remaining 90 percent or more of what you give away is sold by the  
charitable institution to textile recycling firms. Bernard Brill, of  
the Secondary Recycled Textiles Association, told ABC News: "Our  
industry buys from charitable institutions, hundred of millions of  
dollars worth of clothing every year."

So, at this point, the charity you have donated clothes to has earned  
money off of them in two ways — in their shops and by selling to  
recyclers. Then the recycler kicks into high gear. Most of the  
clothes are recycled into cleaning cloths and other industrial items,  
for which the recyclers say they make a modest profit.

Nov. 2, 2006

Copyright 2007 ABCNEWS.com

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