Thanks for bringing this thread back up to the front page, and for your sympathy and kind words. It's been over a month and I still miss her terribly. Her picture is still on my desktop on my computer and when I see it half of me wants to smile, the other half cry. :-) I've had alot of furkids/fursisters in my lifetime so I can only hope they're all keeping each other company now! Samkaren, I got your email but I've been so sick for the last 3 days this is the first I've really gotten on my computer. Thank you so much for sending me the note and for your nice thoughts.

"These layers hide and reveal the narrow garden in front of the wall, making it feel more spacious than it actually is." Outside the Not So Big House Julie Moir Messervy and Sarah Susanka

I think it would be an exercise in futility, Jodi. You'll have to give at least "some" history yourself to your new healthcare provider. I guess you could lie (by omission) & not mention some past issues, but that might not be safe (nor fair) to your new provider. And, really, I believe that if you have much of any chronic health issue that you are currently being treated for, the insurance company won't have to dig deeply into your past records to find a reason to deny or charge you exorbitant rates. Speculating here, but if you have say ^cholesterol level, .... BAM! they'll use that as a reason. There's also the issue of if some medical problem from the past resurfaces, it will be noted in your current record & then they could cancel your coverage due to your failure to be forthright about your past history on your application. It's the dilemma that "mostly healthy" 50 & 60 year olds face. As I understand it the Affordable Care Act goes a long way to correct the injustice. Hopefully, the ACA doesn't get trash canned! I hope you can find another job that you love that is less stressful, has health insurance, & you can more fully enjoy these "golden" years.

Thykras, I spent my entire life being told I was weird and believing it. I have been aware of autism in its most severe forms for years, but never thought that diagnosis might apply to me. I began to think I might have AS from off topic discussions by members of another list for people who have prosopagnosia (lay person's term: faceblindness). I very definitely am face blind and began to wonder about AS because a number of members of the face blind list talked freely about their autism or AS problems. There is no scientific proof, but it does appear that there may be a correlation between prosopagnosia and AS. I became interested about my "weirdness" and began to research AS. An online test I took indicated I am slightly positive on the AS spectrum. I have not paid for a professional diagnosis but there is no doubt in my mind that the online test is accurate. Jodi Picoult's character is far more colorful and more severely affected than I and makes for an interesting and suspenseful plot. Because I have some knowledge of AS I do appreciate the thoroughness and completeness of her research. A mental health professional may be able to identify mistakes made by Picoult, but I can't. I am still learning about AS and how it affects me. I have finally found some comfort in understanding why I am so different form âÂÂnormalâ people.