Is it possible to reopen a closed piercing?

I have two piercings in each earlobe; however I have not worn earrings in the second set of holes for several years. Recently I tried to insert earrings into the seldom-used pierce holes. One earring went in with no problem, but the second did not go through after several attempts (I actually gave up because my last attempt bent the earring post). I have tried inserting other earrings but they also will not go all the way through. Is this something I can fix myself? Do I have to get the same hole professionally re-pierced? Will there be problems with scar tissue at the site?


Why are my wounds healing more slowly?

I have noticed lately that wounds such as cuts are healing much more slowly than before. I have also noticed that I am scarring more. For example, a tiny hole in my hand has developed a scar that is four times the size of the actual injury, and it is slightly raised. Am I missing something in my diet that is causing this? Or could it be an effect from on-going stress and anxiety? I am a vegetarian with some vegan tendencies, and I take a multi-vitamin every day or so.


Is the bump on the side of my anus hemorrhoids or something else?

1) This is sort of an embarrassing question...Recently I found out that there is something unusual just outside of my anus. It has grown like a pea. When I touch it, it is sort of hard but smooth, and it hurts a bit. What should I do? Is this like some kind of cancer?

2) I have this problem and I am too embarrassed to ask a doctor about it. I am a nineteen-year-old male and have this growth in my anus. It popped up about one week ago. It is about the size of a pea. Could it be hemorrhoids? If not, what can it be? Should I be worried, and what should I do about it?


Why do I faint and have a low pain tolerance?

If I get hurt really sharply or suddenly, I end up passing out. This has happened once when I slammed my finger in a doorway, once when I bashed my elbow on the shower wall, once when my finger was held in an awkward, painful position, and once when I got a flu shot. Why do I pass out like this, and why do I have such low pain tolerance?


How can I keep dating my boyfriend when he's a different person on his medication?

I am a 32-year-old woman dating a very nice man my age. My boyfriend and I have been dating for just about a year and we are serious about each other. He has severe asthma and has to be on high doses of steroids during and for a long time after a flare-up. The problem is these steroids have a terrible effect on him: he breaks out in acne; he is irritable and loses control of his temper; his appetite is voracious; he puffs out in his stomach and face.

The problem with his temper and irritability is what most bothers me, it is as if he has a completely different personality and sometimes it is frightening. We have talked to his doctor who says that these steroids are the drug of choice and if he does not take them as an outpatient, he would have to be hospitalized and put on the same medications.

As I said, his personality can be frightening on the steroids, but I have seen my boyfriend in an asthma attack which is even more frightening. I once talked to a therapist about this problem. Maybe I should have been more careful in choosing a therapist, but this woman came from a feminist perspective and in a sense told me that I should break up with this man. I don't think that this is the solution since I love him very much and I know that off steroids he is the man I love.


Do mumps and swollen testes affect fertility?

I have a question about mumps: I had mumps while I was thirteen-years-old. I remembered that because of embarrassment. I was afraid to tell my parents about the inflammation (swelling of the testicles) at the same time I had mumps. I did not have treatment for the swelling of my testicles due to mumps. Later, the swelling went away about the same time as my mumps. Although I still can produce semen, I am deeply disturbed whether that swelling could have hindered my fertility (i.e., no production of sperm due to the blockage of the sperm channels).