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Saturday, June 19, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES FMD may have caused stroke DEAR DR. GOTT: I am an active 58-year-old female, 5 feet 6 inches and 119 pounds. I had Grave’s disease, for which medica- tion was ineffec- tive, so I was given radioactive iodine, which eliminated my thyroid. I now take Levoxyl as well as full-strength aspirin and a daily multivitamin. My father died at age 57 of a stroke. He also had asth- ma and high blood pres- sure. My mother passed away from cancer and had adult-onset diabetes. Out of the blue, while one narrowed ves- sel and while there is no cure, there are effective treatments. Symptoms Dr. Peter Gott vary depending on which arteries are affected. If the abdominal arter- ies are involved, you may experi- ence unintended driving with my husband to our daughter’s house three hours away, I sud- denly had split vision. A horizontal black line appeared in the middle of my vision with a picture on top and one on the bot- tom. It was very discon- certing, and I knew some- thing very bad had hap- pened, although the inci- dence only lasted about two minutes. I called my physician in my hometown who thought everything was OK since my “numbers” (cholesterol, blood pres- sure, etc.) had always been very good, but he told me to come in and see him the following week when I returned home. He ordered an MRI and an MRA, which showed that I had suffered a stroke and also have fibromuscu- lar dysplasia in my neck. Because he was unfamil- iar with the dysplasia, he sent me to a neurologist, who doubted the diagno- sis because fibromuscular dysplasia typically occurs in younger people. To confirm the diagnosis, he sent me for a CT angiog- raphy, which showed I did indeed have it in the right internal carotid artery. I was told there was no definitive treatment and that it may progress rapid- ly or slowly, although he thought in my case it would be slow. I was also told that my particular case wasn’t considered severe because there was no bulging and there was otherwise good flow through the arteries. The neurologist passed his rec- ommendations on to my regular physician for peri- odic follow-up to include Doppler studies and ultra- sounds. Can you tell me more about fibromuscular dys- plasia? Could my Grave’s, the radioactive iodine or the Levoxyl have con- tributed to this? Thank you. DEAR READER: Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a condition in which one or more arter- ies develop an abnormal cluster of cells within the artery wall. The cell clus- ter causes narrowing, which reduces blood flow and may lead to organ damage. It most common- ly affects premenopausal women between the ages 14 and 50 but may also be found in young adult men and older women. FMD typically affects the renal arteries that sup- ply the kidneys but may also be found in arteries that lead to the arms, legs, abdomen or brain. About 25 percent of those with FMD will have more than Pick a Rib with Us Daily Specials Jack the Ribber COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer All you can eat ribs $ Friday Night Rib Dinners 1400 1150 Monroe St. 527-6108 recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2995 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. weight loss or pain after eating. If the renal arteries are affected, you may experience neck pain, blurred vision or tempo- rary loss of vision, dizzi- ness, high blood pressure, chronic headaches, tinni- tus, chronic kidney failure or ischemic renal atrophy (tissue death). If the peripheral arteries (arms and legs) are affected, you may experience weakness, numbness, cold limbs, discomfort when moving the limbs or changes in skin color or appearance. There is no known cause, but it is believed that several factors may play a role, including hor- mones, abnormally formed arteries and genet- ics. Treatment depends on the severity and location of the FMD as well as a person’s overall health. Medication is typically recommended and include ace inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and beta blockers, which are all medications prescribed for high blood pressure. Many people who are otherwise healthy often undergo surgical repair of the affected artery or arteries and are often advised to take medica- tion following surgery as a precaution. The most fre- quently recommended procedure is percutaneous transluminal renal angio- plasty (PTRA), which essentially uses a balloon catheter to expand the nar- rowed section(s) of artery. Stents are not typically required to keep the vessel open. The last option is surgical revascularization. This procedure is used when PTRA is not an option, such as when the arteries are severely nar- rowed. There are several variations of this surgery depending on the location of the affected artery and the amount of damage present. Return to your general physician, and request a referral to a cardiovascu- lar surgeon or specialist who is familiar with the treatment of FMD. Clear- ly, your neurologist was not familiar enough with the condition to offer you advice regarding treat- ment. You can also learn more about it by visiting the Fibromuscular Dys- plasia Society of America (FMDSA) website at www.FMDSA.org or by writing FMDSA, 20325 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 620, Rocky River, OH 44116. The phone number is (888) 709-7089. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com Wants wife to cut ties with abusive mom Dear Annie: My moth- er-in-law always has to be the center of attention. She insists on buying expensive things and believes she’s always right even when you have proof that she isn’t. If you don’t agree with her, she gets nasty. My wife is the polar oppo- site — she doesn’t care about material things and spends her free time volun- teering at the soup kitchen. The problem is, my wife Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar is terrified of making her mom angry. The whole family walks on eggshells around Mom and meekly takes whatever garbage she shells out. I’ve watched this in silence for five years. We moved 800 miles away, but yesterday, my wife called and made a joke about Mom turning 60. The next day, her sister called to say Mom was angry. Then she got sim- ilar calls from her brother and an aunt. Later, I got an e-mail from Mom telling me my wife was sick and needed to be placed in a mental hospital. She even e-mailed my wife’s best friend. When my wife called her mother to ask what this was all about, she got the standard, ‘‘You know what you did!’’ By the end of the call, my wife was in tears. My father-in-law told me it was best not to upset Mom because she’s had two heart attacks and stress could kill her. Each of her three children is in therapy because of the damage she inflicted on them as children. When we have kids, I don’t want her near them. I think it’s time for my wife to sever all ties. I’m sick of the way she is treat- ed, but my wife feels too guilty to do it. Am I right to insist she drop the toxic Mama for her own sake? — Philly Dear Philly: Mama may be toxic (she sounds like an abusive bully), but you should not be pressuring your wife to sever ties. That is up to her. And it could involve ties with the entire family, not just Mom. Your job is to be supportive of her decision, what- ever it is, and to help her deal with the fallout. Your wife needs to find better ways to handle her mother, or learn how to live with an estrangement without letting it tear her to pieces. Since she is already in therapy, suggest she ask her counselor to work on this particular issue. Dear Annie: Yesterday, a friend visited our house after a round of golf. He went to my kitchen and started to wash his hands in my kitchen sink. I was like, ‘‘Dude, really?’’ I was grossed out. He seemed upset by my reaction and left. My girlfriend says I embar- rassed him. But I would never go into someone’s house and proceed to wash my hands in their kitchen sink. Isn’t that what bathrooms are for? What is the correct protocol? — Dirty Dishes Not Dirty Hands Dear Dirty Dishes: When com- ing from another area of the house or outdoors, it is best to wash one’s hands in a sink that is not also used for food preparation. You are cor- rect that after golf, he should have washed up in the bathroom. How- ever, etiquette works both ways. It would have been kinder to steer him to the bathroom by pointing out that it is better equipped for his needs. Dear Annie: ‘‘Now or Later’’ asked if it is better to visit relatives now or wait until the funeral. I have a sister who had not been to see my mom in 19 years. I have no idea why. But she showed up at Mom’s funeral when it was too late and there was nothing she could do. Mom would have loved to see her when she was still alive and could enjoy the visit before Alzheimer’s took her memory. I say, always go see the person while the person is still living. You are doing no good at all once the person has passed on. — Florida Dear Florida: Amen to that. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. DFG says leave young wildlife alone The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) urges people who are out enjoying the out- doors not to handle young wild animals they may encounter. People often spot young wild animals they think are orphaned or need help. In most cases they are neither, and should be left alone. In 2008, more than 500 fawns were turned into California rehabili- tation facilities by well- meaning members of the public. Many of these fawns were healthy and did not need to be dis- turbed. Once a fawn is removed from its moth- er, it can lose its ability to survive in the wild. The same danger applies to most animals, includ- ing raccoons, bears, coyotes and most birds. Disease is another reason that wild animals should not be handled. Wild animals can trans- mit diseases that can be contracted by humans, including rabies and tularemia, and also carry ticks, fleas and lice. People improperly handling young wildlife is a problem across the nation, most commonly in the spring, when many species are caring for their young off- spring. US Fish and Wildlife Service photo “People frequently pick up young wild ani- mals because they believe they have been orphaned or abandoned and need to be saved,” said Nicole Carion, DFG’s statewide coordi- nator for wildlife reha- bilitation and restricted species. “However, in the vast majority of cases the parents are still caring for their off- spring and the attempt to ’rescue‘ the young ani- mal all too frequently results in harm. Even though California has Climbing safety on Mt Shasta The Climbing Rangers from the Mount Shasta Wilder- ness Area want to remind everyone that Mount Shasta is a World-Class climbing challenge. Mountaineering has inherent risks. Climbing condi- tions and climber inexperience have contributed to multi- ple accidents and injuries over the past several weeks. Take steps to minimize accidents and injuries by know- ing your route, its condition and the latest weather fore- cast. Have the proper gear, including an ice axe, crampons and a climbing helmet. More importantly, have the appro- priate expertise to use this equipment. An essential skill for climbing Mount Shasta is the abil- ity to stop a fall immeadiately with your ice axe on steep, icy slopes. Practice with your gear in a less challenging environment or take a class from a qualified instructor. All climbers need to recognize that they are visiting a wilderness area. There are no roads or trails. Helps is like- ly hours away if you are in trouble. For more information contact the Mount Shasta Ranger Station at 926-4511. 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For more informa- tion, visit DFG’s wildlife rehabilitation website at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/ wildlife/rehab/facili- ties.html Remember: Wildlife belongs in the wild. If you care, leave them there. Don’t Kid Dad on Father’s Day! Just Give Him A Good Ribbing! Beef ribs, of course. Meaty. mouth-watering beef ribs. Cooked exactly as Dad likes ‘em -- smoked over charcoal and brushed with a tangy barbecue sauce. Who could ask for anything more? Beef For Father’s Day... It’s the Perfect Gift. Tehama County Cattlewomen & Nu Way Market - Los Molinos Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.