A quick update: The post that I get the most questions about is “How to get a CT Calcium Score.” The most frequent question is: “Where can I get one?” and “How much does it cost?” The cost question was a surprisingly hard question to answer. Year Of The Opposite - Travis Stoliker's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The costs generally range between $100 and $250. I but I didn’t know much precise cost until this week. It came in at $156 and as I pointed out in the previous post, my insurance was likely to not cover the expense. I accepted that expense and felt it was still worth it for me and my family. As you may recall, it was actually fairly difficult for me to get the test because my primary care doctor wasn’t willing to recommend it. I had to enlist a friend to connect me directly with a cardiologist. (Thanks Jeffs!) The price didn’t surprise me, since I knew it was coming. But what was a bit humorous to me was the response from my insurance company. As you will recall, the test revealed that my heart was blocked more than 90% of people my age and it also identified that I have Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH or hardening of the heart tissue). So you would think that my insurance company would be thankful that I identified these conditions so that I can now take proactive steps to reduce the risk that I will have a heart attack. And since the cost was so low at $156, maybe they would now cover the expense. Nope! The insurance company denied the claim saying that I didn’t qualify to get this test even though 2 years ago I had all of the clinical indications that I could be at risk. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides for about 10 years. But since I wasn’t 45, I didn’t qualify to have this covered by my insurance. It’s pretty wild. Especially considering the fact that about 50% of Americans that experience heart attacks have no prior indication that they might have a heart issue! I’m not mad at my insurance company for not covering it. I knew that this was a possibility. But I would suggest that this might be a broken system if saving lives is the goal of the health care system. What do you think? We are drawn to friends that excite us. But that excitement comes in different forms. Some friends make us feel happiness, love, energy, positivity, and they fill us with optimism. But some friends excite us because they fill us with rage, fear, hate, or pessimism. These are very different feelings of excitement. Sure, it is true that some people are able to use that fear or rage and convert it into fuel to slay dragons and storm the castle, fighting towards a righteous cause to rescue the princess and save the day. But I find my life to be much more joyful when I’m surrounded by friends who see every challenge as an opportunity. When those friends are filled with hope, positivity, and optimism—it’s a feeling that easily transforms into love. Don’t define yourself by what you oppose; define yourself by what you stand for. Don’t debate a rock. Before engaging in a debate, I like to ask, 'What's a significant belief or opinion you've changed in the past year or two?' If they haven't or offer something trivial, I simply smile and nod. There's little value in debating with someone who never changes their mind. If you get ANY value out of this, could you consider sharing it with 2 friends? Get full access to Year Of The Opposite - Travis Stoliker's Substack at www.yearoftheopposite.com/subscribe