By Steven W., our newest guest blogger and busy father of two

DTAp, MMR, Heb, Hib…

An endless alphabetical parade of immunizations awaits your new baby, for many years to come. Here are some tips for making the first 18 months of shots easier, a time when many new parents may not know what to expect.

1) Make the appointment for a Tuesday, if possible.

Often times a baby will have a normal reaction to immunizations. Rashes, slight fevers, and mild swelling 2 or 3 days after the immunization are all common reactions. However, the new parent may become overly worried by these reactions and want to talk to or see the pediatrician. If the baby gets the shot late in the week, the reactions may not appear until the weekend, and then seeing a doctor can be difficult. It’s best to get the immunizations early in the week, avoiding Mondays which are usually the busiest day at the doctor’s office.

2) Do your homework

Read up on common reactions to the specific immunizations beforehand, and discuss them with your pediatrician at the time of the shots. You will be better prepared to know which reactions are normal, and which are cause for concern.

3) Discuss OTC medications with your pediatrician

Children’s Tylenol or other medication can be useful for controlling mild fever and mild aches/pains after immunizations. Discuss what type of over-the-counter medication you can give your baby, and what dosage, with your pediatrician at the time of the shots.

4) Take it easy before and after the shots

Don’t plan a busy playdate the day before immunizations or a trip out of town the weekend after. Your baby may be extra tired and fussy after getting the shots.

5) Keep track of the immunizations

Don’t give all of the responsibility to the busy doctor’s office. Know what immunizations your child should be getting and when. Your doctor may follow a slightly different schedule, tailored for your child. Recommended immunizations evolve over the years too. Make sure you discuss all immunizations with your pediatrician, and that your child doesn’t miss any.

Thanks Steven for such great tips! Have questions or topic ideas for Steven? Post them in the Comments section below!

You might have read about this in the news but the American Heart Association is saying that you can skip the mouth-to-mouth step when administering CPR: hands-only CPR — rapid, deep presses on the victim’s chest until help arrives — works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults.

Another technique used after heart attacks is something known as an automatic external defibrillators or AEDs. You might have seen them in the hallway of office or medical buildings (usually with a heart symbol). But, according to a recent study, AEDs are often going unused because people don’t know how to use them.

You never know when skills like CPR may come in handy but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Your local Red Cross probably offers classes in CPR, AED use as well as disaster preparedness and emergency first aid.

Want to learn more? Listen to our podcast with Courtney Johnson from the Minneapolis Red Cross about AEDs and first aid/preparedness classes.

By our guest blogger, Dr. Lou Dunn Diekemper, senior living expert and author of Let Us Share: A Conversation of Growing Older

Doctor visits are rarely an enjoyable experience and frequently the information we receive will not satisfy us unless we are prepared to ask the right questions. It has taken me years to learn effective ways to prepare for an appointment, and I think it is very important for all of us to learn how to be proactive with our physicians.

1. Choosing a Physician

First of all, choose a physician who shows interest in you. It is certainly all right for you to keep searching for a physician until you know you can relate to this very important partner in a constructive way. You need to feel confident about discussing your problem and treatment with someone who will look you in the eye and work with you in developing trust.

2. Bring a List of Medications and Questions

In my book, Let Us Share: A Conversation on Growing Older, I suggest that you go to each appointment with a list of current medications and supplements for the physician, as well as current results of any tests or readings you conduct at home. Also, I suggest you write down any questions you have for the doctor. Do this well in advance of your appointment and add to it as new questions appear in your mind. I sometimes present a copy to the doctor, so we can find answers together.

I have actually had physicians thank me for being organized. Coming prepared with written information helps the doctor know, at a glance, the purpose of your visit. Have a pen and paper handy to jot down information as your questions are discussed. It is quite helpful to have this information as a reference point for later.

3. Bring a Friend or A Loved One

You may wish to take someone with you to help you remember a diagnosis or help interpret avenues for treatment. I sometimes think I will remember everything and then realize later that some points have slipped my mind. Bringing a tape recorder can also be helpful. You can be concentrating so hard on what is being said you may overlook salient issues. Having the interview recorded will help you gain a better perspective after you’ve left the doctor’s office.

4. Be Patient

Next, cultivate a sense of humor. It often takes a lot of self-talk to make an appointment in the first place. Secretaries or receptionists are not always the most sympathetic people in scheduling a visit. Indeed, I have sometimes felt as if they totally control who gets to see the physician and who doesn’t. They seem to think they have done us a favor by letting us in. Try to consider that it may be a bad hair day for her or that he has had to deal with some unpleasant patients. Just make an effort to be pleasant and courteous.

Understanding and acceptance are good coping mechanisms when a lengthy wait ensues before you get to see the doctor. In fairness, we have to realize that earlier patients may take more time than expected and that emergencies do occur. By all means, carry your own reading material for the waiting and examining rooms. Reading materials offered in the world of health care are notoriously out of date and limited in scope. You will be a much calmer patient if you read something you find interesting to pass the time, instead of fretting about the wait.

5. At the Visit

Try to develop a rapport with your physician. You have already noticed the waiting room, now notice the office or examining room. See if the environment holds any personal items — such as photos, paintings and even degree certifications — you might bring up as a brief conversation item. If you are aware of any hobbies or interest he or she might have, you could mention them, too. It is really very important to do your part in creating a bonding spirit between you and your doctor, particularly if this is to be a long-term partnership of healing.

6. Listen to Yourself

Also, remember to listen to the healer within. I think we all need to realize we have a personal responsibility to maintain or seek the best possible health we can achieve. We need to become our own personal physicians by listening to our bodies and following what they tell us.

This process requires self-discipline and a real sense of commitment. It is also very encouraging to the physician to know a patient is serious about following a health program and willing to subscribe to his or her suggestions.

7. Rate Your Appointments

Now, consider your appointments with physicians and care providers in the past. Note those that were helpful and those that left you feeling confused or frustrated. Try to analyze how you might have had more successful appointments by being a genuine participant in the process.

In the future, may you look forward to each doctor’s appointment ungrudgingly, as a time of discovery on your individual journey to health.

Thanks to Dr. Diekemper for her words of advice. Have a doctor visit tip or question? Post it in the Comments section below!

When was the last time you took note of your family’s medications, recent test results, and your family’s overall medical history?

Knowledge is power, especially in the world of medicine. Knowing about a genetic heart disease, for instance, can provide insight into possible treatments and perhaps even suggest some prevention measures.

The last moment you want to be pulling together all of this information is in an emergency situation or right before your next doctor’s appointment. So don’t delay it any longer! Here are few helpful tips and articles to get you started!

• Creating a Family Medical History - tips from doctors and experts
• Medical History and Vaccinations Sheet
• Prescriptions and Nonprescription Drugs - how keep track

By Lauren W., our College blogger

It is the time of year when the common cold and the flu run rampant. Students flock back to school after the holiday festivities. Students catch up on every crazy little even that happened over break, but they also catch up on each other’s germs. Campus is infested with the sounds of coughing, sniffling, and sometimes even vomiting.

Without the comfort of home and parents to take care of students, there is only one place to turn, which is the on-campus health facility. On-campus health facilities are known by students to have a tendency of being uncomfortable and unhelpful, but there are ways to make the experience beneficial.

Be Honest

On campus health facilities have a reputation for being unhelpful and asking all sorts of obnoxious questions, so beat them in their own game and tell them exactly how you are feeling before they can start asking questions that can sometimes get too personal.

However, if personal questions do make it into the visit, answer them. Do not be worried about being judged, the employees are prepared to hear anything that may be confessed to them.

Be Careful

I was recently told a horror story of a male student going to the on campus health facility after feeling flu like symptoms. The health center claimed he was fine, and only had a cold. Two days later this boy was rushed to the ER and diagnosed with mono.

If you get an answer that does not satisfy you, it is completely okay to check in with an actual doctor. It is better to be safe than sorry!

Take Care of Yourself

With on campus health care facilities having such a negative reputation, avoiding them as much as possibly by taking care of your self. Get enough sleep, try to eat healthy, and exercise whenever possible.

If people are sick on your floor or in your class, no matter how great of friends you are with them, stay away! Getting sick will not only mean an possibly unpleasant trip to the health center, but it will also lead to missing class.

Thanks to Lauren for these great tips! Living in a dorm? Share your stories below!!

Productivity and frugality blog, WiseBread, has a great post about the top 6 professionals that you should have in your phone’s contact list…just in case. I’ve narrowed their list down to three and added in one extra professional I think you really should have in case of emergencies:

Attorney: Whether it’s a car accident, medical lawsuit or helping you draw up a will or other important document, everyone will probably need or meet with a lawyer at least once in their lifetime. Before something major happens, do the scouting now:

• Nolo.com (this is a commercial site but they have good, basic information on how to find a lawyer and understanding fees)

Doctor: Even if it’s just a cold, having a doctor that you can trust can make the world of difference. Build that relationship now before you feel under the weather:

• Choosing a Primary Care Doctor
• Choosing a Pharmacy and Pharmacist
• Finding the Right Hospital

Insurance Agent: Auto, car, life, medical, home owner’s and rental insurance…doesn’t matter what coverage you’ve got, you’ll need a great agent to get the coverage you need and help you get the most out of your claims.

• Auto Insurance Coverage: What to Ask Your Agent
• Home Owner’s Insurance: What to Ask About Your Coverage
• Purchasing Flood Insurance
• Working With a Claims Adjuster

Mechanic: Let’s face it. Someday (could be tomorrow, could be next year), something in your car will break. You’ll need a great mechanic you can trust to get your car back on the road - and fast. Otherwise, you’ll be back in the shop before you know it.

• Choosing a Mechanic

What professional couldn’t you live without? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below! (Thanks, WiseBread!)

An FDA panel has voted to ban over-the-counter cough medicines intended for children under the age of 6, stating that they don’t work any better than placebos. This decision comes after manufacturers agreed to pull the medicines of the shelves due to consumer complaints (NYT).

It’s important to remember that even if items are sold over-the-counter, they are still medications and can present side effects. Also, you should mention these products to your doctor - things such as aspirin or cough meds could potentially interact with prescribed meds.

Need to keep track of your meds? Here’s an easy article and checklist:

• Prescriptions and Nonprescription Drugs

**We’re also working on a story on what to do if a product is recalled (i.e. spinach, beef, medications, tires, toys). Have a story to share? Post it below or email me! 

Here at WhatHappensNow.com, we’ll tell you - and tell you more than once - that one of the best things you can do for yourself, and your family, is to keep a written record of your past medical appointments and your own medical history. I didn’t really appreciate (or perhaps listen to) our own words of wisdom as much as I have recently.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time visiting different doctors and at different locations. Just trying to coordinate the communication between all of my doctors, schedule appointments, fill prescriptions and remind them of my medical history is like another job! It takes up A LOT of time.

That’s why many hospitals, clinics and practices are now going paperless - while it doesn’t really help with communicating to different agencies yet, it does keep things better organized and stored in one key location - the computer.

We’re working on a story on “paperless” hospitals and advanced information technologies in health care. If you’ve come across new technologies at your most recent medical appointment, we’d love to hear what you thought of them! Feel free to post your comments below or email me.

So to keep track of your records while you wait for hospitals to catch up with technology, here’s a quick link to easy forms for you to print out and keep for your own use. It’ll save you a lot of time and make things simpler when you need to run down a list of symptoms, allergies or past surgeries.

Look for our story within the week!

Gerri Willis is the author of a Top Tips column at CNNMoney.com and her information is well-researched and generally helpful. This week, she’s highlighted a problem I’m sure many you may have encountered: dealing with your health insurance company.

I’ve published my favorite tip here below - click here to read the full article:

Call the customer service number to find out why your claim was rejected. Sometimes a denied claim is nothing but an administrative error. Out of the 39,000 cases that the Patient Advocate Foundation has worked on this year, about half were errors due to coding and billing errors.

You have the right to request a formal review by the insurer. Send a letter by certified mail. Make sure you do it quickly. Some plans only give you 30-60 days to file an appeal. Make sure you include the description of the service, why the service should be covered and any recommendations and referrals from your doctor that explain why treatment should be covered.

It could take anywhere from 60 days to six months to get your appeal finally resolved, according to Darnell. To look at examples of appeals letters, go to patientadvocate.org.

Additional Resources:

• Links - Choosing Health Insurance
• Be Prepared - Hospital Stay
• Be Prepared - Doctor Visit

Ever wish you could learn more about what causes your migraines? Your family’s history of breast cancer? Or just more about health care in general.
Today’s neat site, Healthfinder.gov, offers a huge health library, information about health care and links to health organizations. The site is run by the National Health Information Center of The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

I especially like the consumer guides section - it’s easy to navigate and provides a lot of information on many different topics. Check out for yourself:

• Healthfinder.gov

Have a medical site to recommend? Post it in the Comments!!