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Saturday, December 10, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Drunken daughter debases dos Dear Annie: I have three daughters, the youngest of whom is 45. ''Susan'' has not been in a relationship for five years, and she has a severe drink- ing problem. She has had two DWI convictions and lost her license for a year. She received the usual counseling, did public ser- vice, paid a hefty fine and felt the embarrassment of seeing her name published in the local newspaper. Susan doesn't seem to under- stand the problems she has created within the family. When she drinks, she becomes a different person, and I almost don't recognize her. She ruined my grandson's college grad- uation party, and my daughter-in- law still holds a grudge. Recently, her older sister had a 50th birthday celebration. Susan arrived sober, but drank a bottle of wine and then searched the cup- boards for more when she thought no one was watching. After we left, I was told that she was loud and bel- ligerent and kept drinking long after everyone else had gone to bed. Peo- ple searched for her car keys, but she left them in the glove box and ended up driving herself home at 3 a.m. No one wanted to call the police for fear that Susan would lose her license, her job and her apartment, but they were worried sick. Susan has been to AA, Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar but doesn't stick with it. She thinks her friends find her amusing, but she's lost a lot of friends. I've been to Al- Anon and know the rest is up to her. My question is: Do we continue to invite her to family functions? I hate to see her destroying her health and reputation. — MADD and Sad Mother Dear Mother: Like many alcoholics, Susan needs to hit rock bottom before she will admit she needs help. And even then, we suspect an underlying depression is interfering with her sobriety. Susan may be more willing to address that aspect of her illness, so please urge her to talk to her doctor and get a referral to a therapist. Whether to invite her to family functions is up to you, but we recommend she turn over her car keys as soon as she arrives. Other- wise, call the police if she drives drunk. Better she loses her job than her life — or causes someone else to lose theirs. Dear Annie: I've been with my boyfriend for three years. When we first met, he was working on his GED. That was fine because I knew he had a learning disability. But he is now 23 and making little progress toward his GED. I don't want to push him because that only frustrates him, and besides, anything I say goes in one ear and out the other. He has a jani- torial job two nights a week, and with his GED, he could do so much better. I want him to get this done so we can properly start our lives together. How do I convince him? — Califor- nia Girl Dear California: Your boyfriend has to want this for him- self and be prepared to do the nec- essary hard work. Right now, he isn't willing. The best you can do is ask about his feelings on the subject and see where he stands. Being a janitor is a perfectly respectable job, although he should aim for full- time employment. Decide whether this is good enough for you, because it may be what you get. Dear Annie: We rarely get a response from grandchildren to whom we send carefully selected gifts. I have concluded that it is mostly due to a pathetic lack of manners. Children need to be trained to express appreciation for what is given to them, and the irony is that emailing is so quick and easy. The pervasive disappearance of even the most basic manners and considera- tion for others is cheapening our quality of life and sadly breeding some low-class citizens. Good man- ners are nothing more than the oil that lubricates human interaction. — Disgusted in Florida Vibration therapy to strengthen bones? Q: I've heard about something called vibration therapy, which is sup- posed to strength- en bones. As a woman in her 60s with borderline osteoporosis, I worry about weak bones and frac- tures. Can the vibration therapy improve my bone density and pro- tect me from fractures? A: There's a reason athletes. Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. you're starting to hear about low-intensity vibra- tion therapy for strength- ening bones and reducing the risk of fractures. That's because two low- intensity oscillating devices designed for home use are coming onto the market soon. These low-intensity vibration devices gently stimulate muscle and bone when you stand on them. They are not to be confused with high-inten- sity, whole-body vibration machines or plates. These are used mainly for exer- cise training but are some- times promoted for bone building. Low-intensity devices provide a tiny fraction of the vibration exposure you would get from the high-intensity machines used by some Our bones are in constant flux, as old bone is resorbed (broken down) and new bone is created. If breakdown out- paces creation, you may develop low bone density and eventually osteoporosis (see illustration). Many medica- tions can be used to pre- vent or treat osteoporosis, but only one — teri- paratide (Forteo) — stim- ulates bone growth. Instead of taking this drug to boost new bone forma- tion, most women are advised to stimulate their bones by exercising, par- ticularly with weight- bearing and resistance exercises. Running, jumping and weight lifting puts stress on the bones. As a result of this stress, bone cells called osteocytes send signals that activate two other types of bone cells. Osteoclasts remove dam- aged areas. And osteoblasts form new bone that eventually makes the bones denser and stronger. But for some people, exercise and medication are not enough. As we Christmas Craft Faire Friday December 9th 10am-2pm Brentwood Homemade Gift items & Baked goods 1795 Walnut St. • 527-2046 Shop Local This Christmas age, health problems such as joint pain and heart failure may limit our abil- ity to get bone-enhancing exercise. And many peo- ple can't tolerate or prefer not to take osteoporosis medications. The findings on vibration therapy may be particularly important in these cases. In low-intensity vibra- tion therapy, you stand on a platform that resembles a bathroom scale while it oscillates up and down a barely noticeable amount. Both the size and speed of the vibration, about 30 cycles per second, are set to match the natural stim- ulation that occurs as your muscles imperceptibly relax and contract to maintain your posture. How vibration therapy promotes bone density isn't well understood, but researchers have proposed several possible explana- tions. Vibration increases the flow of blood to mus- cles and bones. This boosts the supply of nutri- ents to these tissues. Vibration may also protect against an age- related change in bone marrow. Marrow contains certain stem cells that may be converted into bone-building cells (osteoblasts), fat cells or other cell types, depend- ing on the signals they receive. Laboratory experiments at the Uni- versity of North Carolina have shown that these stem cells are more likely to become osteoblasts (and less likely to turn into fat cells) when exposed to low-intensity vibration. Exposure to low-inten- sity vibration has been used as a way to prevent bone loss in people who cannot perform any weight-bearing exercise whatsoever. Some exam- ples are patients with spinal cord injuries and children with neurological conditions that impair muscle use. And researchers are looking into it as a way to prevent bone loss in astronauts in zero gravity. But does low-intensity vibration work for age- related osteoporosis? It's Please don't forget to help your Red Bluff neighbors in need this Holiday season. Without you there will be no Christmas for them. Donate to The Salvation Army and make a difference to local families in need. Hundreds of children are helped each year by The Salvation Army in Red Bluff. 1-800-SAL-Army SalArmyRedBluff.org Counseling Center Giving Families Hope! Did you think we were just for children? • Individual & Family Counseling • Couple/Relationship Issues Show someone you really care by giving them Better Health and Happiness This Christmas! With a gift certificate from Premier Fitness Facility Tehama County's • Anger • Depression • Anxiety • Emotional Trauma • Family Relationships • Parenting Call our office for more info. 529-9454 Red Bluff Tehama Family Fitness Center 2498 South Main St • Red Bluff 528-8656 www.tehamafamilyfitness.com 590 Antelope Blvd. Suite B-30 Corning Counseling Center 275 Solano Street #2 Shadow Boxes • Custom Frames Barn Wood • Ready Made Frames Poster Frames & More There is still time to frame before Christmas Stop by and see our selection of original work by internationally acclaimed artist, Josifa Casey. 857 Washington St., red bluff 527-3369 All of us at Retirement Community would like to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Tehama Estates the key to your question, but scientists don't yet know the answer. Research results have been varied and, unfortu- nately, the evidence is still not substantive enough to draw a firm conclusion about whether low-inten- sity vibration is good for bone or not. Most vibration plates currently on the market are promoted as exercise equipment rather than medical devices. That means they are not subject to FDA review. Many devices produce vibration levels well above the rec- ommended limits. They can also cause dizziness, headache and loss of bal- ance. Most research using these devices for bone health has excluded peo- ple who have serious health problems, can't stand securely, take bis- phosphonates or other bone drugs, or have previ- ous fractures. So the safety of these devices has not been con- firmed for people like you who have the most to gain (and lose) — in particular, older people with osteo- porosis who are at risk of falling. Until researchers learn more about vibration plates, you should focus on the tried and true: Do the exercises that are right for you and get the vita- min D (typically 800- 1000 IU a day) and calci- um (1200 mg a day for women over 51) you need for strong bones. Ask your doctor if a prescrip- tion medication for osteo- porosis may be helpful. And keep abreast of new research developments that may (or may not) shake up traditional advice about bone health. Child care meeting set The Tehama County Local Child Care Planning Council will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Tehama County Department of Educa- tion, 1135 Lincoln St., Red Bluff. For more information call 528-7325.