By Dr Daliah
GCN Live.com

Tax time is here, and even though we have an extra three days to file this year (April 15th falls on a Sunday, and Emancipation Day is observed April 16th and 17th in Washington), April 18th isn’t too far away.

Many of us file our tax returns without realizing there are many medical expenses we can deduct. With the 7.5 percent rule, we can deduct medical expenses that surpass 7.5 percent of our Adjusted Gross Income. So here is a list of items you may be able to include:

Co-pays
Co-Insurance
Deductibles
Prescriptions
Dental Exams
Therapy sessions
Chiropractic Care
Acupuncture
Psychotherapy
Fertility
Vasectomy
Vasectomy reversal
Tubal ligation (tying tubes)
Vision correction surgery such as Lasik
Over the counter medications “prescribed” by a medical provider
Insurance Premiums (if you are self-employed)
Travel to and from your medical facility, therapy session at x cents per mile each way
Some hotel costs if travel needed for medical care
Supplies such as blood glucose monitor, crutches, wheelchairs
Home improvements (for a medical condition)
Car improvements (for a medical condition)
Eye glasses and contact lenses
Guide animal and maintenance
Weight loss programs
Prostheses
Oxygen

And that’s just the beginning…

I recommend visiting the IRS website, which can delineate this more.

Of course many items are not tax deductible such as maternity clothes, personal use items, hair transplants, controlled substances, etc, but the IRS website above stipulates those as well.

The key is to keep all receipts and document mileage used for medical travel. If you haven’t documented your mileage, one option is to obtain from your doctor a list of visits during 2011 and calculate the mileage using one of the many mapping websites or of course, presently take a drive to the clinic and obtain a reading from your odometer.

These days the dollar doesn’t stretch to far. You might as well save where you can, and tax deductions come in very handy.

Good luck!!!

Daliah Wachs, MD

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Dr. Daliah is the host of The Dr. Daliah Show, which airs on GCN Monday through Friday 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Central Time. Listen to the show On Demand.

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Mike Barrett
Info Wars

For many years government and health officials have been trying to push vaccination on the people. While childhood vaccine exemption rates have been increasing, we have been seeing an overall increase in the amount of people receiving the flu shot each year.

There have even been numerous occasions where legislators and others have called for mandatory vaccinations that could affect health care workers in particular. In fact, many pediatricians are so angry with their patients who refuse vaccination that they are ‘firing’ patients and their families, refusing to play their role as doctor.

Pediatricians “Firing” Parents and Families for Refusing Vaccines for Children.

That’s right, pediatricians are refusing to help parents — and their families — if they aren’t ‘responsible’ enough to vaccinate their children. One study of Connecticut pediatricians found that some 30 percent of 133 doctors said they they refused to help a family due to vaccine refusal. Another survey of 909 Midwestern pediatricians found that 21 percent dismissed a family due to vaccine refusal.

While doctors are trained and told to ‘sell’ these vaccines, many people are becoming aware of vaccine dangers and risks. One study found that more than 1 in 10 parents are straying away from the traditional vaccine schedule, with the number to increase exponentially over the next few years. For doctors to refuse care for those making a decision for their own health is irresponsible to say the least.

Perhaps doctors should consider these truths about vaccines and the flu shot before ‘firing’ patients who refuse to be pricked:

- Flu vaccines have been shown to be quite ineffective. They simply aren’t nearly as helpful as health officials make them out to be.

- Vaccines suppress the immune system which could actually increase your risk for contracting the flu for weeks or months.

- The flu shot “protects” against the influenza virus, but only about 20 percent of flu sicknesses are caused by influenza type A or B. The 80 percent remaining are caused by over 200 other bugs which make you feel like you have the flu.

- Flu shots have been linked to killer nerve disease.

- Vaccines contain chemicals called adjuvants, which are causing numerous health complications.

- Your immune system is the absolute best defense for any sickness.

- Vitamin D is over 800 percent more effective at preventing and reversing flu, with no side effects.

After reviewing this information, it is no wonder why so many parents are refusing vaccines for their child. If your doctor is refusing to help you due to vaccine refusal, be sure to thank him later for making you find a different doctor.

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Doc Love
GCN Live.com

Doc Love answers a letter from a guy that is having a hard time handling the ups and downs of his relationship.

Hey Doc,

I’ve been following your articles for a few years now, read “The System” about nine months ago and have tried to apply it in my dating life, but have come across an issue I’m not sure how to handle. I’ve tried to put the book and your articles together and come up with a solution, but I seem to be falling short.

I’ve known Debbi for four years (we work together), but she was married and I was too. Two years ago we began talking on the phone frequently and flirting. The flirting became more serious and led to a romantic relationship. During this time, she was still married and I had been separated from my wife for a couple of years. In hindsight, it might not have been the moral thing to do, but everything seemed right at the time. At this time, Debbi lived in a different city. When we talked, she explained that she wasn’t happy in her marriage and was looking to get out of it. Time passed and she did get out of her marriage and moved closer to where I live. Her Interest Level in me was in the 90s, and I was trying to control myself and keep mine down in the 70s.

When Debbi first moved, things were great. There was affection, intimacy, and everything was incoming. Then, all of the sudden, Debbi started distancing herself and said she was going through emotional turmoil because she moved, started a new job and left her husband. She said she didn’t have proper closure. I tried to use your principles the best that I could, but we broke up, as I didn’t want to play second fiddle in Debbi’s life. The breakup was messy. We both got involved with other people for a very short time. Debbi eventually explained that her biggest mistake was that her separation and move were too much for her to handle and that she wasn’t thinking straight. She wanted to start again, with a clean slate on both our sides.

So now we’re back together, but Debbi’s past is creeping back into her life and affecting how we interact. She has become inconsistent, and not as attentive. She says she’s dealing with feelings of regret over her failed marriage, but doesn’t want to be with her ex. Doc, my question is this: how do I know where this girl’s heart is? Is it legitimate that she is going through emotional distress because of her split with her ex-husband and moving cities and I should cut her some slack? Or is her confusion just low Interest Level? Should I take her inconsistency as a warning sign and run? I’m at a loss for what to do. I like Debbi, but at the same time I don’t want to get deeply into something that I know will probably fail. Do I have a chance here? How do I drive Debbi’s interest up and keep it up?

Gallo – who is losing his grip

 

Hi Gallo,

What do you mean you read “The System” nine months ago? You have to read it every week for 15 weeks. Then YOU HAVE TO READ SEVEN PAGES OF IT EVERY NIGHT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. You can’t read my book just one time – you won’t get it.

You shouldn’t have been flirting with Debbi for one simple reason: SHE’S NOT AVAILABLE. To you Psych majors, you don’t flirt with married women. That was your first MAJOR MISTAKE.

Now let me get this straight. Debbi was married and you were separated from your wife. What that means was that we had two people committing adultery. What a great start for a long and fantastically happy relationship!

Getting together with Debbi when you were both hitched certainly wasn’t the moral thing to do and it wasn’t the right thing to do. So you missed on both counts, dude. Of course it “felt right” at the time because you were both high on high Interest Level. But you were both married, which means that what you did was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

Debbi had lots of excuses – a new job, moving, breaking up with her husband, etc. – for why things started going south between the two of you. Her excuses are either true, or you weren’t going by “The System,” it’s that simple. But the problem is this: either way, the relationship is no good. That’s all that matters now.

You didn’t want to play second fiddle in Debbi’s life? Gallo, you’ve been playing second fiddle from the day you started flirting with her at work! Then you had a messy breakup and got involved with other people. Hey, I can understand that. You wouldn’t want to go it alone and clear your heads! Better to go straight out and get mixed up with some other person! Makes sense to me!

When you tell me that Debbi has become inconsistent and inattentive, I say unequivocally that it is because she has low Interest Level. You might want to believe that she’s confused and that this is a case of rebound, but it’s not — it’s low Interest Level. Like my cousin Sal “The Fish” Love says, “When Liz Taylor dumped Eddie Fisher for Richard Burton, she didn’t have any feelings of confusion or regret whatsoever.”

Where is this girl’s heart? Sadly, it’s not with you, my friend. Should you cut her some slack? She got rid of you, Gallo. You don’t cut slack for someone who got rid of you. You’re OUT with Debbi. You had two tries with her and neither one worked out because you’re not going by “The System.” And again, it’s not her emotional confusion here that’s the issue; it’s her low Interest Level.

Nah, you shouldn’t run from Debbi. Like my cousin Fast Eddie Love from East L.A. says, “You should get on the first plane and leave the country.” You might not want to get into something with her now, but you should have thought of that when you started flirting with her at work. This thing was doomed right then and there, from the beginning. Do you have a chance with her? Yeah – one in a trillion. You can’t drive Debbi’s Interest up now because it’s below 50%. And that means it’s too late.

Remember, guys: until she’s divorced, she’s not available.

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Doc Love is the host of The Doc Love Show, which airs on GCN Saturdays 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Central Time. Listen to the show On Demand. For more information on Doc Love and his relationship services, visit DocLove.com

 

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Doc Love
GCN Live.com

Doc Love answers a letter from a guy that feels left high-and-dry by his former girlfriend.

Hey Doc,

I’m having a confusing and frustrating week due to my breakup with Scarlett. I’m 27 and she’s 21, and we’ve known each other for five years, but we’ve only been dating for two months. I admire your coaching, and I intend to buy your book.

Before dating me, Scarlett had a four-year relationship that she broke off because she felt that it wasn’t going anywhere. We clicked completely and found that we shared lots of interests, had great chemistry, cared for one another and pretty much were compatible in every way. The problems began when I was invited to her aunt’s house for dinner. Scarlett showed up late and acted extremely cold to me. This was a side of her I never saw before. I kept to myself most of the night because I felt stranded in an awkward position. Finally she sat me down in a secluded room and told me that she was breaking up with me because she couldn’t see a future for us. She threw in that I don’t motivate her enough and she felt that we were going to end up being lazy, fat people on the couch. (By the way, neither of us is overweight, and I go to the gym faithfully.) She then commented that we are not compatible and that nothing can fix it. I told her I wasn’t accepting that answer because she wasn’t making sense. She then commented that I was the greatest but she’s not, and that I should find someone else. My heart was broken.

After about a week I sent her an e-mail asking her to clarify the reason she suddenly broke up with me. I told her that I was willing to work on any issues we might have if she’s willing to, and that I felt that we really had something awesome going. I asked her to think about it and to get back to me. Through mutual friends I know she didn’t go back to her ex.

A few days later Scarlett replied that she just felt we weren’t compatible, but gave no reason why. She added that maybe we could be friends again or possibly go back to what we had.

Doc, I’m totally lost. Our relationship was great. I kept Scarlett interested, I wasn’t needy and I didn’t see any compatibility issues. I really like Scarlett and would love to continue dating her, but I just don’t understand her point of view. Is she still hung up on her ex? Why did she suddenly turn cold on me? Is she confused about what she really wants in a relationship? Am I the problem? Why couldn’t she have talked to me about these issues before breaking my heart?

Gibby – who feels like crying

 

Hi Gibby,

The first problem you’ve got is that you’re involved with 21-year-old girl. And if you knew my book – which you don’t – you’d understand that between the ages of 18 to 22, girls fall in and out of love every five minutes. You should be dating a 24 to 27 year old.

When Scarlett froze you out at her aunt’s house, you should have just walked out. You should have thanked the lady for her hospitality and hit the bricks. Like my cousin Fast Eddie Love from East L.A. says, “Once I’m dissed, I walk.”

When Scarlett announced that she saw no future for the two of you, you should have said, “You know, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” and added, “We had a great run.” Then you should have got up and walked straight out and never talked to her again. Then, most importantly, you should have immediately gotten my book — which you don’t have, and which you just “might” buy — and figured out why Scarlett dumped you.

Scarlett is afraid that you and she will end up being lazy, fat people on the couch? And I thought I’d heard them all! But neither of you are out of shape, so if what you’re saying is true, what Scarlett claims has absolutely nothing to do with the breakup. What she’s not telling you is that you lowered her Interest Level because you didn’t use the principles in my book — that’s what she’s really saying to you in Womanese. You lowered Scarlett’s Interest Level gradually over time and then she had to come up with an excuse to get rid of you because women don’t come right out and tell you that you lowered their interest slowly. They have to come up with something that doesn’t make any sense, like “We’re going to be lazy and fat in our old age.” Again, you would have figured this out if you had “The System.”

And so your heart was broken – but even then you didn’t buy my book. What does Scarlett have to do, drive a bulldozer through your house before you realize what’s going on, before you catch on that she doesn’t dig you?

Now let me get this straight. You sent this girl an email asking for clarification why she deep-sixed you? That’s begging, Gibby! Why are you on your knees? Don’t you get it – you’re OUT. Scarlett’s in the arms of a new guy and you’re begging by email? You might think that you had something awesome, but the truth is that you turned this girl off over a period of time. This is what you’re not getting. Like my cousin General Love says, “Disasters don’t just happen overnight.”

And why are you blabbing to mutual friends? They’re going to cover for Scarlett, pal, I got news for you. How do you know that these mutual friends are telling you the truth about what’s really going on? To boot, they can’t wait to tell Scarlett that you’re begging on the side! (By the way, Gibby, don’t rush out and get my book. You wouldn’t want to do that. It’s better for you to remain in pain and misery than realize all the mistakes you made to turn this girl off!)

Scarlett told you there was a chance you two could go back to what you had? Like my Uncle Jethro Love says, “The chance that she’ll take you back is about as good as you gettin’ hit by lightnin’!”

My friend, you might not have seen any problems whatsoever with Scarlett, but you didn’t have my book. And because of that you were not reading all the signals and you couldn’t keep her interested in you. In your mind she was interested in you, but you didn’t use the techniques in “The System” — which you might just get around to buying in a couple of years.

It doesn’t really matter what Scarlett says about what happened between the two of you. THE ONLY IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT SHE DOESN’T WANT TO BE WITH YOU. You’re out, guy. And none of this has anything to do with her ex. It only has to do with YOU. She didn’t turn “suddenly” cold on you. She’s been thinking about getting rid of you for a while. She’s not confused at all about what she wants in a relationship. You’re the one who’s confused. Scarlett knows for sure that she wants to get rid of you and you’re confused about what you did to lose her and how to get her back.

So yes, Gibby, you are the one who’s the problem. You are the ONLY problem. It’s all your fault. What happened has nothing to do with Scarlett or her ex or your mutual friends. Know why she couldn’t talk to you before breaking up? Because women don’t do that. They just say au revoir. That’s also explained in my book, which you’re thinking about buying sometime in the future.

Remember, guys: you might think you just got dumped today, but you were on your way out before you realized it.

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Doc Love is the host of The Doc Love Show, which airs on GCN Saturdays 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Central Time. Listen to the show On Demand. For more information on Doc Love and his relationship services, visit DocLove.com

 

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