I ended up trying the floor lamp idea. I bought two 5-light stands and bought 6 42w 6500k bulbs and 4 40w 2700k. It's a total of about 25,000 lumens. I spent $125 total on the lights and fixtures. I also put tin foil around the bulb shades to reflect more of the light. Like I had said, the containers are at different heights so I'm not sure how a light source at one height would have done. We'll see how this goes. It looks extremely bright in the small room but I realize visible light isn't everything.

DH and I have both had Advantage plans since we were eligible for Medicare. Here's how it works in our state: We still pay the Part B Medicare premium (about $100 per month) which is deducted from our SS checks. Then we each pay another $59 for Advantage, which is also deducted (we had a choice to pay it separately or have it deducted). We have co-pays for almost everything (except certain preventive procedures and a physical each year), with a cap of $3,400 each year. Some Advantage plans have dental and vision included. The benefits are often more than what is offered by Medicare Part B. A couple of years ago, we were thinking of moving 65 miles away and the very same Advantage plan would have cost us another $70 per month, each, just living in another county. Some years we have had a $0 co-pays. Then that company stopped offering Advantage plans. Our first year, we were in a plan with no cap and DH had unexpected surgeries, MRSA, and we had co-pays of well over $4,000. So, I learned to check out whether there was a cap and how high it was. We have always subscribed to plans where we could go to whatever doctor we chose (a very few refuse Medicare patients and one year, doctors refused the plan - that had $0 monthly premium and $0 co-pays - so I ended up enrolling, within 90 days of when the plan started, in a different plan that doctors would accept). It's very complicated as it takes several hours each year, online, of comparing plans for what we think will work best for us. Part D is even worse as DH takes over 10 meds. But, overall, it's much, much better than any health insurance we had before reaching age 65 (we had to enroll in private plans for about 6 years before being eligible for Medicare).

Iron. Here's something I've had experience with recently. There's so many things so many people do NOT know about iron. For instance: - Yes, cast iron pans give the food iron. But some things detract from the body absorbing the iron so it's equally important to not prevent the body from using what you're giving it, whether it's a supplement or from food or food preparation. - Eggs contain phosvitin and that inhibits the absorption of iron. So do other vitamins. So if you take iron supplements do not take them at the same time as other, such as a multi-vitamin. - Other items inhibit iron absorption: Calcium (so watch your milk, cheese and similar intake), tea, coffee, whole grains, excess fiber... and more. Your diet is important to the effectiveness of medications and supplements. - Vitamin C, however, HELPS the body absorb iron. So that's something that's good to take with the iron supplement. - Many iron supplements will cause your stool to turn black. Blood in the intestines can also, among other things. So know the difference. It can be quite a surprise if you're not aware of it. And when I first saw this after the blood-in-stool issues from before, it's a slap in the face waker-upper. (My GF and sister were about to call 911! LOL) - Medications can work with each other or against each other. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Doctors don't know everything, nor do they tell you everything.

Your plumber was likely referring to a 40-lb bag of "rust remover" or "iron fighter" softener salt. Super Iron Out generally comes in a plastic container, not a bag. Regardless, I seriously doubt the advice is good. You either need to use Iron Out in the correct manner, OR use all Iron fighter/rust remover salt. Do you know how much iron you have in your water and in what form (dissolved or particulate)?