Kibibitz

As far as money goes, the chronic diseases are the most costly. This is the heart disease, chronic pain, etc. If we wanted to make the biggest impact it should be on these conditions. Heart disease in particular can be helped greatly with some lifestyle changes, but it wouldn't be easy. I know that if I were president, I would have a lot of my policies focus on preventative health care and programs/resources to help everyone make better decisions or have access to better decisions.

My grandparents were farmers in a small town in Missouri. They had soybeans and corn, but also some cattle. Going there as a child was a great experience. My cousin and I would walk the acres to the different ponds and fields, sometimes going fishing or messing with the cows. One of the barns was full of hay bales and we would spend hours climbing them like a playground.

My grandfather is a very stoic person. Few words, and pragmatic. He never talks much, but he works hard. My grandmother is the type that is always cooking, and especially would bake all sorts of things when my family would visit.

The farm has since been sold, and my grandparents live in an assisted living center. They aren't doing as well, these days. There are times when I wish I could go back to the farm with them like it was when I was younger, but they can barely move around. I guess this isn't really a question, but please try to take your kids or grandkids to the farm as often as you can. I really appreciate all the experiences now and how much my grandparents worked and did for us.

What are your experiences with chiropractic care and migraines or other headaches?

I'm a chiropractor. There are people recommending MRI which can be expensive, but it is the only way to know if a nerve is truly compressed.

A compromise could be just getting an X-ray. It is cheaper, and you can infer a lot of information about the nerves and discs. Combine that with a physical exam and I bet you will be set. Low back pain is a chiropractor's bread and butter.

When it comes to applying for student loan forgiveness (the after 20 years of payments kind), is the process fairly simple? For example, is someone supposed to work with their lender and FSA to just file the paperwork clean and simple, or is there an audit and investigation process the applicant must undergo?