Get in touch with a doctor as soon as you realize you are too sick to fly. With a note and proper documents, you may be able to get partial or full reimbursement for a missed trip. Even if you have travel insurance, you can be denied repayment if you don't see a doctor before cancelling. See your doctor, then cancel. The doctor's note should briefly explain your condition and state that you are not healthy enough to fly in a certain time period. The note should be on the doctor's official letterhead and signed. If you end up with the flu or a life- threatening condition and cannot make a scheduled flight, reach out to the airline. Ask them about their policy regarding sickness. Some airlines will require you to cancel 24 hours in advance of your flight and to sent them the signed doctor's note or a copy. Some airlines have set cancellation fees. You may be charged this fee when you cancel your flight and then refunded once you provide a doctor's note. Be ready to file a travel insurance claim. Travel insurance often covers cancellation because of illness. If you have a plan, submit the doctor's note as well as your unused tickets, receipts, and other proofs of payment. Some people rely on animals like dogs for daily help, to navigate or for other physical and emotional needs. If you use a support animal, you can qualify for special accommodations by getting a doctor's note. Landlords and airlines have to accommodate people with disabilities, for instance. By having a demonstrated need, you can bring your support animal with you on flights or into a normally pet-free building. The law interprets disabilities widely. Chronic depression or pain, AIDS, autism, cancer, or heart disease can all qualify as disabilities. Some people keep support dogs for serious depression, for instance. Talk to your doctor about a note. It needs to be on letterhead and signed, and she must verify that you have a medical disability and need a support animal. Whether you reveal your diagnosis is your choice. Again, this is confidential information.
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One-sentence summary -- Talk to your doctor before cancelling a flight. Reach out to the airline. Seek a doctor's note for support animals.

This is likely to be the doctor's first suggestion if your pain isn't too severe. Possible medications include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or naproxen (Aleve). Though non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be very helpful, they may not be right for you if you have high blood pressure, asthma, heart or kidney problems. Talk to your doctor about these medications before you start because they can interfere with other medications, including herbal remedies or dietary supplements. NSAIDS are especially known to cause gastric ulcers. Consult your doctor if over-the-counter medications do not help within 7 days. Depending upon your symptoms and medical history, your doctor may suggest: Nerve pain medications. These medications are increasing in their popularity because the side effects are often less severe than those produced by narcotics. Common ones include gabapentin (Neurotin, Gralise, Horizant), pregabalin (Lyrica), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and tramadol (Ultram). Narcotics. These medications are likely to be prescribed when over-the-counter medications weren't strong enough and nerve pain medications weren't helpful. They may cause side effects including sedation, nausea, confusion, and constipation. These medications often have codeine or a mixture of oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet, Oxycontin). Muscle relaxants. Some people get painful muscle spasms and these medications can help this. A common one is diazepam. Some muscle relaxants may cause sedation and dizziness, so they are best used at night, just before bed. Read the packaging to determine whether you should avoid driving or operating machinery while taking them. Cortisone can suppress inflammation and swelling. If need be, your doctor may offer to give you an injection directly into the area that is causing the pain. Your doctor may also use oral steroids when trying to decrease swelling. Corticosteroids are often used to delay or possibly eliminate the need for surgery. The hope is that once the inflammation goes down, the body will naturally heal over the long-term. When given at high doses over the long-term, cortisone can cause weight gain, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, increased bruising, acne, and a vulnerability to infections. Your doctor may recommend surgery if other options are not improving your symptoms, your nerves are badly compressed. There a few different types of surgery your doctor may suggest: Open discectomy. During this procedure the surgeon makes a cut into your spine and takes out the damaged part of the disk. If the damage is extensive, the surgeon may remove the whole disk. If the whole disk is removed, it may be necessary to fix the vertebrae around the missing disk to give you stability. This is called fusion. Prosthetic intervertebral disk replacement. During this procedure, after the surgeon removes the damaged disk, it is replaced with a prosthetic disk. Endoscopic laser discectomy. During this procedure the surgeon will make a small cut into your spine, then insert a thin tube that has a light and a camera on it (an endoscope). The damaged disc will then be removed using a laser. Surgery helps most people who get it, but it may take you several weeks to recover. You may be able to go back to work after two weeks to a month and a half after the surgery. If you notice signs of any complications arising from the surgery, contact your doctor immediately. Though rare, possible complications include infections, damage to the nerves, paralysis, hemorrhaging, or temporarily losing sensitivity to touch. Spinal surgery works for a while. But if the patient fuses two vertebrae, the load is often transferred to the next adjacent vertebrae, which may require additional surgery. An important question to ask the doctor is if you may require additional surgeries in the future.
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One-sentence summary -- Deal with moderate pain with over-the-counter painkillers. Combat severe pain with prescription medications. Get cortisone injections for the pain. Discuss surgery with your doctor. Follow your doctor's instructions when recovering from surgery.

Transfer the grilled steak to a carving board and let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes. By allowing the steak to rest, you give the juices a chance to redistribute themselves in the meat. You will end up with a more thoroughly juicy steak as a result. Hold the steak steady with a meat fork and use your other hand to slice the meat with a carving knife. Use a carving knife with a thin blade. Turn the steak so that the long end faces you. The muscle fibers, or "grain," should run horizontally. Hold the knife at a 45 degree angle and cut the steak across the grain. Do not cut the steak alongside the grain, since doing so will result in tough, chewy meat. Carne asada is best served hot.
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One-sentence summary --
Let the steak rest. Carve the steak into 1/4-inch (6-mm) thick slices. Serve immediately.