The Amazing Bandage: Band-Aid Activ Flex

Every now and then a product comes along that, although it fills just a small niche in the grand scheme of things, works so much better than anything else that it has a greatness of its own.

Band-Aid Activ Flex bandages fit into that category.

Simply put, while they're a little bit pricey, they're well worth it because they don't just work better than regular bandages, they do things those bandages can't. They're waterproof and germ-proof, they speed and enhance healing, and they stay on for days.


Like A Second Skin
I keep a few Activ Flex bandages in my sports bag, and while playing outdoor volleyball over Memorial Day weekend, one of the other players, Ian, cut open the sole of his foot on top of a blister he'd gotten the day before.

We used a little water to wash it clean and then some antiseptic wash, and then he applied the Activ Flex bandage. Shortly afterwards he had re-entered the game.

These bandages are both waterproof and seal to your body like a second skin. While they can't take unlimited abuse, they stay on for days under ordinary circumstances and so are particularly good for areas like your hands which are constantly being washed.


Ian's bandage came off partly because of the blister and partly because of the wear and tear from running and jumping on it, but I gave him a couple more and he was sold on them, planning to go out and buy some himself.

Advanced Healing and Less Pain
These bandages were actually first developed for hospitals by Compeed, and Johnson & Johnson brought them out about 10 years ago under the trademark "Advanced Healing." (Competitors have since come out with similar products, but I think these work better.) I suspect their hefty price (about $5 for a pack of 10) discouraged people from trying them.

So a couple of years ago J&J rebranded them as "Activ Flex" with the implication that they would work better for active people. That's true, but they also make wounds heal much faster and with less scarring. Also, the Activ Flex bandages dramatically reduce the pain from the wound.

To me the price is justified because they both work better and stay on for days, so you don't need to replace them anywhere near as often.

Other Products: Blisters and Liquid Bandages
The same flexible, stretching colloidal material has been adapted for other purposes, too. For a while they had a similar scar treatment which I used to fade the scar where a mole had been removed, and they still sell a blister healing product. (I've also used these bandages to prevent blisters from forming, such as when I'm breaking in new boots.)


A different product, but one that also has its roots in the hospital products division, is J&J's Band-Aid Liquid Bandage.

They've revamped this product to make it a simple one-step process with a Q-tip style applicator, as opposed to the former method which required you to squeeze a liquid onto an activator. I'm not sure it works as well for larger cuts, but it seals small cuts very well, and again that's most useful on your hands which flex and get washed constantly.

The other advantage of the Band-Aid Liquid Bandage is that it doesn't sting when you apply it, unlike competing liquid and spray bandages.
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Money In Your Pocket: FSAs

I talked two people into opening up Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) this week, which as far as I'm concerned are money in your pocket. Normally our Open Season (when you can start or change contributions to an FSA) ends in early December, but for some reason they've extended the deadline to the end of this month.

FSAs were established in a federal law that allows your employer the option of setting up a tax-privileged account for you, which you fund with pre-tax payroll deductions for health and dependent-care expenses.

How FSAs Work
Because the money is pre-tax, you don't pay federal (and usually state) income taxes on it, which means most people save between 20% and 40% depending on their tax bracket.

The catch is that you have to fund it with regular contributions from your paycheck and it's use-it-or-lose-it for each year -- anything you don't spend in a given year is forfeited (I'm guessing to pay administrative costs). So if you miscalculate and put in too much, as I did this year, you can end up with a big balance at the end of the year.
For example, let's say you put in the maximum of $5000 (not unreasonable for a family with kids) and spend it all. If you're in the 30% tax bracket you would save around $1500 on your taxes (which is not chump change).

The health care plans can be used to pay for anything not covered by your medical insurance, ranging from co-pays to elective surgery, and even including over-the-counter medicines such as vitamins. If your insurance has a cooperative arrangement with your FSA, you may not even have to file the claim (it might get handled automatically for you).

The dependent care plan is even better, as it's usually a lot easier to predict the cost of daycare or geriatric care.

There are other variations known as Health Savings Accounts; Health Reimbursement Accounts; and Medical Savings Accounts.

Spending It Down
As happened to me 2 years ago, I got busy and didn't schedule a couple of dental and doctor's appointments, so I didn't spend much of my account this year.

Rather than simply forfeit the money, I got an eye exam and then got some new prescription glasses (though I still have enough left that I might get a spare pair). I have a grace period through early March to tap last year's account.

As an aside, I had LASIK laser eye surgery over 10 years ago from TLC's Dr. Mark Whitten, who subsequently became best known for performing the surgery on Tiger Woods and some prominent Washington-area athletes including then-Redskins QB Gus Frerotte and former Georgetown Hoya Patrick Ewing.


Unfortunately my guarantee lapsed because I missed a yearly check-up in the fourth year and I'm becoming slightly near-sighted again. But it's still the best thing I've ever done and had my FSA existed then, it would have saved me large amounts of money.

The Bottom Line
Since everyone has at least some predictable expenses such as dental appointments, an FSA is a terrific benefit for virtually anyone because unlike taking a deduction it doesn't have to cross the threshold of 7.5% of your income. If you qualify, the benefit is immediate.

(My plan even allows me to claim expenses that exceed my plan balance early in the year, if my annual allocation via payroll deduction will eventually cover it.)

Further, in a year where you know you'll have large expenses not covered by a plan, such as braces (or Invisalign) the savings are very clear-cut.

The flip side is it may push you to pay for services you might not have gotten otherwise if you badly misjudge the amount you need, but as long as I'm at least breaking even, I figure it's worth it. The services are usually ones I need anyway.
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Lyme Disease in Maryland

10 years ago I'd never heard of Lyme Disease. But in the past couple of years, at least 10 people I know have been diagnosed with the potentially life-threatening illness.

Marylanders are particularly susceptible to Lyme Disease because as the disease has spread down the Northeast Corridor, deer ticks that are the primary carrier have found a ready host in the exploding deer population in the state, which lives in close proximity to people here.


Lyme Disease, originally associated with the area around Lyme, CT, is frequently misdiagnosed because the symptoms are often similar to many other illnesses, and if left untreated it can cause serious and chronic conditions to include cognitive issues.

Maryland and Lyme Disease
One of the things I like about Maryland is that although it's densely populated and has been settled for almost 400 years, it still has large heavily-wooded areas. I live in Howard County, which is the start of the piedmont region (the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains), and it's common here to have suburban subdivisions tucked into expanses of trees.

Without natural predators, the deer population surged out of control in Maryland after hunting protections were established. According to the state of Maryland:

White-tailed deer are more numerous today than prior to European settlement of North America. In pre-colonial times, they were prey for wolves and mountain lions. Native Americans hunted white-tailed deer all year round. Today, man is the only predator of white-tailed deer in Maryland.

Hunted nearly to extinction around 1900, by the early 1990's the Maryland deer population was estimated to be around 160,000 animals increasing to 269,000 in 2005-2006 despite a harvest of about 90,000 deer.

The number of deer now exceeds 25 animals per square mile in rural areas and 15 deer per square mile in suburban areas.


It's not uncommon to see deer in backyards or neighborhoods, and a couple of people I know have hit deer on the road. (Not a simple matter, as the large animals are severely injured and cause a lot of damage to the cars.)

Deer SWAT Teams
The consequences of a large human population and an overpopulation of deer has led to problems ranging from nuisances (gardens and shrubbery being consumed by deer) to troublesome (the growth of the deer is stunted by overgrazing), with Lyme Disease probably the most serious issue.

Maryland periodically tries to cull the herd, to include bow hunting seasons, but a recent incident where a hunter accidentally shot out the window of a daycare center in Columbia, MD highlights the difficulty of controlling deer in a densely-populated state. Howard and other jurisdictions even have sharpshooters whose job is to eliminate deer who have become chronic pests in neighborhoods.

The Problem With Lyme Disease
Part of the difficulty with Lyme Disease is that the most obvious symptom, a characteristic "bullseye" rash around a tick bite, often goes unnoticed or never occurs in the first place.

Here's a picture from Wikipedia since I (fortunately) have never seen it in person:


One family of four whose backyard deck sits next to woods has all been diagnosed with Lyme, but only one ever saw the rash. (Or more precisely, since it was on the elder daughter's head, her mother saw it.) The rest of the family was tested after encountering mysterious symptoms ranging from unusual tiredness to aches and pains and even dizziness. They're currently undergoing treatment.

Another couple diagnosed with Lyme Disease is a pair of professional salsa instructors, and the illness made dancing tough because of fatigue and pain in their joints. They seem to have recovered now.

The problem with Lyme disease is that most doctors aren't trained to look for it and the symptoms often resemble something else. It can attack the nervous system with severe and permanent effects if it isn't caught early enough, and sometimes the antibiotics don't work.

Some of the complications from late treatment seem to arise when the bacteria cross the blood-brain barrier, making it hard to treat. The worst cases lead to chronic fatigue and joint pain, attack the heart and nervous system, and even affect a person's ability to think coherently.

Since most people don't remember being bitten, I could easily see myself missing the signs till it's too late, especially since I'm accustomed to ignoring small aches and pains when I get busy.

Lyme Disease Symptoms
It might be worth testing for Lyme Disease if you have unexplained symptoms that persist, even if you haven't seen a rash, to include:

• Red skin rash
• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle Pain
• Stiff Neck
• Swelling of knees and other large joints
• Fatigue
• Poor appetite
• Sore throat
• Swollen glands
• Ringing in the ears

As you can see, many of the symptoms aren't that unusual by themselves, hence the difficulty in recognizing Lyme Disease.

Some web sites with useful information:

• National Institute of Health (NIH)
• University of Maryland Medical Center (also has a chronic Lyme Disease article)
• Lyme Disease Association
• Wikipedia Lyme Disease Article

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