GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 30, 2018 23:11:02 GMT -5
very much so, today. that poor momma... I thought it was harder on her to be living in East Boston of all places, LOL!!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 30, 2018 23:09:30 GMT -5
Inspired by a 530 mile road trip today and the sighting of a rare license plate in these parts, let's start a virtual license plate game.
I'll post the plate I saw and someone posts any license plate they see on summer travels that begins with the last letter of the previous plate posted. If you live in a state that begins with that letter, you are benched until a new letter is posted.
Let's get started: today, I saw for the first time in my 58 years on this rock a license plate from Manitoba (even had to explain where and what Manitoba is to YDS, LOL).
So, if someone sees a license plate that begins with the letter A on their summer travels, post it!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 30, 2018 7:27:27 GMT -5
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 28, 2018 19:36:32 GMT -5
Thanks @nancyssummersip.
I've been working the past two days and just heard about it all. Heartbroken for everyone. I can imagine some won't rebuild a second time. It IS a cute little town. One of our "go to" food allergy friendly restaurants is in Ellicott City. So sad that government cannot address such issues in a more efficient manner.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 28, 2018 18:28:55 GMT -5
Check in all of you Terps. dannylion you're very close to the area -- you okay?
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 26, 2018 10:30:48 GMT -5
What is her Major going to be? If you tour Marquette, you might also be interested in University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering. Our friends that live in Chicago have/had their two sons at Bradley University in Peoria. The Chicago friend said lots of Illinois Parents send their children to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) B/C it has a really good reputation and tuition is much cheaper than in-state. U of I Champaign/Urbana is a tip rated college. We have a friend with 2 kids there. When are you visiting. Summerfest on Milwaukeeβs lakefront is June 27-July 1, July 3-8. It is billed as worldβs largest music festival. Lots of summer festivals in Chicagoβs Grant Park, too!!!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 26, 2018 2:54:05 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_cucumber
Big, fat, long slimy turd like animals whose sole claim to fame is that if you startle them, they puke out 1/3 of their intestinal track to try to gross you out so much you won't eat it.
I can't go into the ocean without thinking I might accidentally step on one.
I've been swimming in the ocean my whole life -- Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico -- and have never even seen a sea cucumber, never mind step on one or its vomit.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 26, 2018 2:48:23 GMT -5
DePaul, Loyola, University of Chicago, Marquette, Wisconsin, University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana, Notre Dame, Michigan...
What is she looking for in a school? Major, size, location, etc.
Does she have access to a college search engine such as Naviance? She can tweak many variables to find schools that fit.
For what it's worth, I went to grad school in Chicago, lived there almost 8 years, and LOVED the city. Evanston is a cool college town but the area is pricey.
Have fun! See the sights while you're there so the trip doesn't end up being a total loss if she doesn't like any of the schools.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 12, 2018 20:56:52 GMT -5
I have a couple of small wooden signs (one says "Grow Dammit" and is hung near the veggies, and the other is on the gate into my backyard and says "If no one is home, pick weeds"). I also have a giant metal spider, but that is on the side of the shed that no one sees. I have string lights along the back of the house and on the fence around our raised stone patio because the f'in contractors didn't finish replacing the outdoor light fixtures. What I REALLY want is a 3 foot (or taller) mooning gnome that I would place strategically in view of the neighbor who complained about us to the town. I can find small ones, but I actually think I want life-size.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 12, 2018 11:20:58 GMT -5
How is the body? How is the frame? Any rust?
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 11, 2018 21:50:47 GMT -5
π, Bonny. Iβm sure there was some subconscious gamesmanship at play there. π I jokingly texted my kids earlier this week to remind them that Motherβs Day is Sunday. I pointed out that they both know my address, and, now, thanks to living off-campus and having to pay rent every month, how to mail things. Well, I share credit cards with them because they were too young/had no credit when they went to college. I just reviewed the credit card accounts as I do periodically to watch for fraud, etc. and saw a charge on ODSβ for 1-800-Flowers. Oops. I donβt want to ruin his surprise. YDS simply said heβll be home on Sunday(which is true, we pick him up tomorrow to come home until his summer research job starts in June).
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 11, 2018 16:14:54 GMT -5
My check engine light is always on. I've had it checked and reset SO many times and it's always the oxygen sensor. My last mechanic told me "If it bothers you, put a piece of black duct tape over it."
How do you pass inspection? My 2007 Acura RDX with almost 194K miles has the check engine light come on often. It just failed inspection because the check engine light is on. A couple of other emission codes were found too. The independent mechanic we always go to was telling us the price of the repairs is more than the price of the car
I just need this car for 3 more months until DS2 goes to college.
My 12 year old van with 170,000 miles failed inspection last week for the same reason. We already know the idiot light is on because I need a new gas cap. Should have bought one before the inspection, but I didn't think it was such a big deal. I've now got 60 days to get the new gas cap and get re-inspected.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 10, 2018 14:18:05 GMT -5
Is a rear view camera on a Civic all that big of a deal?Β The car is tiny and easy to maneuver.Β Β Β If you want a new car and can afford it, then that's fine, but I think you should own that it's a WANT and drop trying to justify it.Β If we're talking about something like a car pre-ABS that's different, but there haven't really been any major safety innovations to cars in the past 10 years. And, I wish you lived closer because I would totally snatch up an 08' with 41K miles for DS.Β DH has a 2010 Accord. The driver's seat is low and the rear window "shelf" is high in some of the later models so that short people like me can't see squat outside the rear window. I try to give myself plenty of distance to "start" backing up so that I can see as much as possible as I approach. I HATE his car for that reason. A rear camera would absolutely help.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 10, 2018 11:20:25 GMT -5
Well, the morning glories are staying outside because of the damn cat. I have a bedframe that I am going to convert into a raised bed but that has to wait until the shed is moved because all kinds of crap is on it. I have big plans for the yard. I would love a moat. That would be cool. Goodbye dear sweet,TENDER, DELICATE, Morning Glories. RIP. π
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 8, 2018 21:12:52 GMT -5
] GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl-do you know if the frost season is over for good? I haven't been paying attention and I want to put out my sunflower seeds and plant my morning glory sprouts. I had to put those outside because one of my asshole cats keeps jumping up onto the sink and eating them! [/quote][ Nope. We're in New England. Anything can still happen. Including that word that rhymes with "NO!!!". π I've seen Morning Glory seedlings still in the warm greenhouses at local nurseries. As for sunflowers, I've given up trying to start them from seed outside. All I do is feed the freaking squirrels a nice sunflower seed snack. π
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 8, 2018 13:54:04 GMT -5
So, YDS has decided to skip the Pre-Exposure Rabies Vaccine out of concern about his recent bout with Mono and Anaplasmosis. There is nothing definitive out there which indicates a contraindication, but since this particular vaccine doesn't immunize one against rabies anyway, why tempt fate? He will not be able to handle the martens, therefore, but can do all of the telemetry and bait and check the cages. Next summer he should be good to go for the vaccine. Thanks everyone for your input. It's really awesome to have such a diverse, knowledgeable, group to turn to for all kinds of questions. β€οΈ
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 7, 2018 15:56:20 GMT -5
And here in New England we favor the trailing vinca as an accent piece in potted geraniums and don't see much of the flowering vinca.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 7, 2018 12:06:13 GMT -5
The people who lived across from us years ago had a long line of day lilies all along their side yard. Just beautiful in the summer, when they bloomed.
They sold their house and the new neighbors apparently thought the lilies were some kind of weeds, so they weed whacked the leaves and stalks as soon as they appeared, and kept weed whacking them all summer. Not a single flower made it, just a long row of crew cut foliage that was butt ugly.
I wanted to go tell the neighbors if they left the poor lilies along, they'd get a beautiful display, but DH told me if the neighbors wanted to butcher their flower beds, it's their right - and he was right.
That's sad. White Flower Farms in one of their bulb catalogs had suggestions on how to interplant daffodils with day lilies for a longer season of color. It requires a big enough flower bed, but it sounded fairly genius because the larger lily foliage covers up the dying daffodil foliage one needs to leave so the bulbs grow strong.
I would have told the new neighbors, just in case they were unaware. It would have been faster to dig up than weed whack if that was their intention.
The rolling blooms throughout the season approach is good not onlyfor bulbs but for ALL blooming plants.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 6, 2018 14:55:19 GMT -5
An EBV titer of 30 is positive for Mono. YDS tested at 104. I don't know if that is extremely high or not but it sounds like it and his doc was like " yup, no doubt now, he has Mono".
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 5, 2018 18:32:34 GMT -5
what is currently in the garden? do you know that it is not well-planted? Just got back from her house. So far, just some hostas. We cleaned up the flower beds, and so far planted the yellow day lilies, and some lilies of the valley. We planted annuals in big giant pots she had. We bought geraniums, petunias, and vinca (?). It's in the impatient family, but this one takes full sun. We bought impatients for the back, around the tree, but didn't get to plant them yet. And we also started a fairy garden there. It's my new obsession, but can get expensive! [ New Guinea Impatiens?
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 5, 2018 17:50:15 GMT -5
So the goal of the study is to determine the health and viability of the marten population (remember, they live high in trees) in connection with current U.S. timber-cutting practices. In other words, how does clear cutting impact the marten? Yes, the anesthetizing is not ideal, but necessary in order to make recommendations for the long term success of the Martens. There is no other way that is safe -- for researcher and marten -- to take all of the measurements and samples necessary without anesthetization. Martens are highly susceptible to rabies. If the research and field teams didn't take such precautions, we would wipe out the wildlife biology graduate student population in mere months. YDS worked on a related study of spruce grouse last summer (they nest in the under brush so clear cutting removes their habitat as well). Spruce grouse are easy to capture and hold in one's hands (or in a cloth bag) in order to take the measurements and samples. They don't bite. They don't carry rabies. Not so for martens. Ummm...not well? Actually β the spruce grouse study, which is years long β says they are doing just fine. Of course, it remains to be seen for the martens, but if clear cutting is negatively impacting them, then wildlife ecologists need the data to push for changes in forestry practices.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 5, 2018 16:41:44 GMT -5
Maybe, but marten are relatively small so could be a narrow chute-type trap so once in to grab the bait there's no room to turn around. They have been a fur source forever and an important part of the food chain in their world. I assume the pre-molar extraction is for DNA research to determine family groupings, inbreeding, range, etc. This could definitely tie into research on if/how changing weather patterns affect them and more. Can they not do that through scat? That's also a rich source of DNA. Is it really necessary to traumatize the animal? So the goal of the study is to determine the health and viability of the marten population (remember, they live high in trees) in connection with current U.S. timber-cutting practices. In other words, how does clear cutting impact the marten? Yes, the anesthetizing is not ideal, but necessary in order to make recommendations for the long term success of the Martens. There is no other way that is safe -- for researcher and marten -- to take all of the measurements and samples necessary without anesthetization. Martens are highly susceptible to rabies. If the research and field teams didn't take such precautions, we would wipe out the wildlife biology graduate student population in mere months. YDS worked on a related study of spruce grouse last summer (they nest in the under brush so clear cutting removes their habitat as well). Spruce grouse are easy to capture and hold in one's hands (or in a cloth bag) in order to take the measurements and samples. They don't bite. They don't carry rabies. Not so for martens.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 5, 2018 10:21:44 GMT -5
I vote for taking it slow and spending this year taking stock of what is already in the yard and how the light moves through the season. Eight years ago, we saw our house in February and closed at the beginning of May. The former owners were avid gardeners; my own gardening knowledge was very limited at the time but has grown immensely, since. I am still learning about my yard and the wisdom of many of their gardening choices that, at first, didn't match my uneducated preferences but now are treasured, valued, plants. Have your daughter take pictures once per week from various angles in her yard to create a season-long map of what is already there and build or re-build from that over the next few years.
As far as planting in general, trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs are the most bang for your time, money, and effort, but annuals can be gloriously colorful accents. Check out gardening magazines (Garden Design is one) and books (Kerry Ann Mendez', a highly-regarded Master Gardener, most recent book focuses on gardening on a budget). Also try PBS for their archived gardening shows. Tour local botanical gardens and go on local garden club tours. All will help your daughter develop a feel for what types and varieties of plants she likes, match those to her climate, and work from there. She doesn't want to rush and spend a bunch of money only to find out in a few months or a year that she really wants something different or the plants she bought don't work in that space.
I also want to recommend that you shop at, and get to know the staff, at a local independent nursery rather than a box store. Their selections (appropriate for your area) and knowledge and advice are well worth a few extra dollars. In addition, their products (plants, supples, tools, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) are usually far superior in quality to those carried at box stores. For example, bagged mulches don't come naturally in an array of colors; colored mulches are dyed and that dye washes into your soil over the course of the season. Independents will carry undyed, clean (ever had scary-looking growths or plastic or metal chunks rise out of your cheap box store mulch?) BARK mulch. Many independents garden centers also offer free or very low cost classes and workshops designed to share their expert knowledge with the newer gardener.
Have fun!!!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 5, 2018 9:58:25 GMT -5
Peonies are heavy feeders, spectacular in the spring. Need good sun and support when they grow up each year, or the heavy flowers will droop to the ground. Check the planting zone before choosing plants as well as the siting (full/partial sun, wet/dry, sandy/clay). Mountain laurel is a beautiful hardy evergreen shrub. I took this picture of some growing wild here in metro DC area: We had a mountain laurel in my childhood yard. It got so large, we used it as a fort, LOL. We used to spend hours popping the little buds with our fingers. We also used to pop the blue buds on the row of hostas as leading to the door. Ahhhh, memories. We were brats. π
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 4, 2018 15:58:55 GMT -5
So glad you both finally have someone on your side. {{{hugs}}}
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 3, 2018 22:19:08 GMT -5
And, yes, the vaccine IS expensive: $1,400 for the 3 shot series, so not a financial or medical decision we want to make lightly.
I am aware of the connection between Epstein-Barr Virus and Guillain-BarrΓ© Syndrome as it relates to the flu vaccine, so I was wondering if any vaccine has the ability to trigger GBS after Mono (and, of course, the Pre-Exposure Rabies Vaccine in particular). I have also heard of a new presentation of Epstein-Barr that is chronic in nature causing Mono-like flare-ups when someone who has seemingly recovered from Mono gets stressed or sick with another virus. As you all know, my kids do all of their medical issues in complicated ways, so with our crappy luck, YDS will have some rare side effect from the vaccine if he gets it now. π
But, then again, RABIES, you know? Ugh. Learn from my mistakes. Don't teach your kids about nature and ecology and the environment. Teach them safe things like Engineering and other indoor activities. π
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 3, 2018 21:26:55 GMT -5
πππππ. You guys are hilarious. I LOVE this board.
Martens live high up in trees. They are speedy, reclusive, little weasels. So difficult to find that YDS' team won't have to eyeball them to track them -- just use a couple of GPS coordinates to locate them. I'll ask YDS how they plan to catch and anesthetize them. I don't think blow darts are involved but...MAYBE?? π
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 3, 2018 15:36:14 GMT -5
The primary benefit is that it gives you more time to get the actual vaccine which is important when you are working deep in the wilderness hours from paved roads and even further from medical care. Is he going to be doing something where he's actually at risk of getting bit by something?Β I mean, just being out in the wilderness wouldn't worry me, but if he's trapping and tagging or something... He will be anesthetizing, trapping, tagging, weighing, and removing a pre-molar from Martens -- a cranky type of weasel. So, absolutely coming in contact with Marten saliva. π± He doesn't like my suggestions of Accounting as a career...π
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 3, 2018 13:43:44 GMT -5
I don't understand the question: if it does not immunize why would you get a pre-exposure vaccine?
After (potential) exposure β yes, I understan that. DS got nipped by a stray dog in Bangkok and his skin got broken. Rabies was (is?) rampant in Thailand so he got a series of 6 shots. I wasn't taking any chances. But before (potential) exposure The primary benefit is that it gives you more time to get the actual vaccine which is important when you are working deep in the wilderness hours from paved roads and even further from medical care.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 3, 2018 13:23:44 GMT -5
Anyone gotten the series? I know it doesn't immunize one against rabies so I'm more interested in any side effects. Anyone know if it is safe to get if one is recovering from a recent bout of Mono AND Anaplasmosis or do you think the viral load would be too much for one's immune system? (getting mixed opinions from a couple of doctors)
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