particularly since it's so rare that doctors don't recognize it.

Sadly / fortunately, this is no longer true. Outbreaks in California have made peds very familiar with pertussis symptoms. (Many hospitals will administer the adult booster to post-partum women before they leave the maternity ward.)

I had my Dtap (or is it Tdap) done fall 2010.

I also have to have a TB test every 4 years. But if I do get TB it's from my students. It's all confusing.

(Also, I feel it's only fair to point out that pertussis outbreaks are primarily due to adults who haven't gotten their booster shots, and not antivax activism. There are FAR more adults whose immunity has worn off than there are antivaxxers with newborn babies. And it's only recently that doctors have been made aware that adult pertussis boosters were needed in the first place.)

Dtap (or is it Tdap)

DTaP = kids; Tdap = adults

you probably should start testing yourself, but it is expensive. I would go to the doctor and get a test and then see if your insurance will pay for supplies. Mine does. Those test strips are no joke in terms of cost.

I actually have a set of supplies. The problem is that I seriously cannot figure out the finger pricker thing. I am thinking of just using a needle. I think I ruined 2 cartridges of needles trying to use it.

try the side of your finger near the nail, and choose the baby finger.

if you have a strength dial, turn it all the way up. I have mine on 7.

Those test strips are no joke in terms of cost.

Damned right. The meter is free, the strips cost you your first-born.

turn it all the way up. I have mine on 7.

Gleep. Mine's on 2.

I couldn't tell if those were supposed to be in ascending order. Like, is Rio really more dangerous than Mogadishu?

I had the same question, esp. since my beloved Cape Town came in at #1! Hard to believe Cape Town is really more dangerous than, say, Baghdad. I'm not saying it's not dangerous, but unless it's changed a lot in 10 years (always possible, I suppose), it can't be nearly as bad as Mogadishu!

Interesting fact - Juarez is supposed to be the murder capital of Mexico and was on the list towards the top. But our government sends 97% of Mexicans looking to live here in the US to Juarez for their immigration processing. Yeah, it's close to the border, but several Mexicans - who were in Juarez only to get their visas to come here - have been killed.

Oh yikes, that's just awful.

The doctor told me I didn't need to do the testing thing or take any medication - at least until we determine whether the diet/exercise thing is going to help. My A1C was 7 - when I told the opthamologist, he pooh-poohed it, saying it wasn't at a level it would affect my eyes' healing. And someone in the educational session was talking about their A1C running 9 to 12, so I figure I've caught it before it got to that level. (Also? I'd been pretty much living on ice cream and pizza for the previous few months, which probably had an effect.)