Dear HorroR Stories, I hate my HR Department, they are so strict and I don’t understand why. I never got a dental insurance card and when I went to them to ask about it, they said I never signed up for dental insurance. And then they said I couldn’t just add it on, but I had to wait until the end of the year. Why? I think they are just being bitches. –Crooked teeth Dear Crooked, My first reaction to reading your question was: “Huh, that HR Department doesn’t communicate very well with its employees.” I mean, if you are going to prevent someone from enrolling in the dental plan, you should at least explain why. But then I thought about it for a minute, I looked back on the past 15 years of my professional life and changed my mind. Nope, I’ve got your HR Department’s back on this one. So, just for fun, open up Outlook the next time you are at work and click on “All Mail Items” and then in the search box type: “Open Enrollment.” Depending on how long you’ve been at the company, and how much storage space they allow you to keep in Outlook, you should see at least one email per year pop up. Nothing shuts off employees’ ears like the words “Open Enrollment.” It never ceases to amaze me, I mean we are talking about benefits, which by definition, are good things. Why don’t you care? For those of you who automatically delete any email you get from HR, I guess I should explain what Open Enrollment is before I go any further. Your company has a benefit year, usually it’s the same as the calendar year, but sometimes it isn’t. Toward the end of...

*names, dates, and locations have been changed to protect the guilty The field trip starts at 9:15 Monday morning. That’s 45 minutes later than I usually drop off my son, which means I have 45 minutes to fill. The hard thing to do is a high yield activity (Doctor’s words) like going to the park, reading, or playing with blocks, trains, trucks, etc. The easy thing to do is to put on Thomas and Friends and relax on the couch until it’s time to go. I chose the easy thing to do, lost track of time, and the next thing I know it’s nine a.m. and I still need to shower and pack lunches.  I quickly do both, which leaves me with wet hair and lunches that consist of plain turkey and cheese sandwiches, crackers, and a small bowl of blueberries. The lunches are supposed to be in paper bags and we’re not supposed to bring any Tupperware. I lock the door and carry my son to the car because we are running late. Still carrying my son I hurry into the school as parents, teachers, and kids head out. Several parents volunteered to drive one or more kids to Descanso Gardens. I am one of those parents and I have no idea who my assigned kid is. Turns out his name is Oliver (wink*). He’s taller than my son, but slimmer and not white. I don’t know why that pops in my head considering that most of the kids in my son’s preschool aren’t white, but it does and I wonder what challenges our cultural differences will present. Probably none since I assume all I have to do is drive him there. The scene is controlled chaos. It appears that everyone is moving in random directions, but I sense that many, if...

Dear Dr. Miro, My doctor told me I should get a hysterectomy as a preventative measure because the meds I took to fight breast cancer may cause uterine issues. She claims that since I’m 41 years old and don’t plan on having any children that this is what I should do and that it won’t effect me in any way. This doesn’t sound right but it’s what my insurance company agrees with. Won’t this screw with my orgasms somehow? I’m totally freaked out because everyone’s telling me something that doesn’t feel right. I don’t want to say good-bye to my uterus but I certainly don’t want to create more medical problems. Sincerely, Scared and Mistrustful Dear S&M, Of course you are freaked out. One of your defining organs, as a female, is in jeopardy. Removal of an organ is a last resort – NOT a “preventative measure.” This seems like a lazy and careless manner of treatment. Not only does your experience sound incredibly dismissed but also, it truly feels like an inhumane quick fix. Keep in mind, there are many instances in which removal of one’s uterus is a necessary procedure and has created a better quality of life, but it does not sound like you are in one of those situations. There is much research clearly showing how hysterectomies negatively impact women. Quite a few women have uterine orgasms, so that would be the end of that. Also, from studies conducted over the past half century, it has been found that hysterectomies can result in diminished sex drive, insomnia, short term memory loss, decrease in stamina, increased irritability and anxiety, just to name a few. I highly recommend you check out Hers Foundation http://www.hersfoundation.com/ for specific percentages and more data. You are...