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2B – Daily News – Saturday, July 3, 2010 FEATURES Nice neighbors nixed for nuptials Post-polio syndrome Dear Annie: For the past 20 years, I have been fortunate to have four neighbors who have become good friends. We socialize, take care of each others’ houses when one is out of town, and exchange birthday and Christmas gifts. We also have celebrated our children’s milestones. Last year, ‘‘Patty’s’’ son got married. For sev- eral months, she went on and on about the wed- ding plans, so we were all sur- prised when none of us was invit- ed to the wedding. She never said a word about our being excluded. We thought maybe the guest list was limited or the groom’s fami- ly was given a smaller number of invitations. But after the wed- ding, Patty rambled on and on about the festivities and showed us all the pictures. It was a huge wedding, and several of Patty’s other friends were in attendance. Now Patty’s daughter-in-law Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar mix Group A with Group B. But whatever the rea- son, it was terribly insen- sitive of Patty to prattle on about the wedding plans and show you the pictures. It is OK to take her aside and tell her how hurt all of you were by the exclusion and see if she says anything that will allow you to forgive her. Inviting you to the shower could simply be a grab for gifts, but it also could be her way of mak- ing up for the previous slight. How you choose to interpret it will determine the future of the relationship. is pregnant, and she is planning a baby shower. To this event, we are invited, along with her other friends, but we don’t want to go. Although we have known Patty’s son for years, we have never met the daughter-in-law. Are we wrong to have hurt feelings, or is Patty totally thoughtless? One of these women wants nothing more to do with her. I am sad to think we might lose our wonderful neigh- borhood feeling. Any sugges- tions? — Nevada Dear Nevada: Some people separate their friends and don’t Dear Annie: During the course of a conversation, my hus- band’s best friend called me ‘‘gargantuan.’’ I was shocked and insulted. I find the word to be an unflattering description of any- one. I argued the point, but he was adamant. This really hurt me, and worse, my husband did- n’t say anything in my defense. Then my in-laws came to visit. Feeling in need of some cheering up, I asked what they thought about the comment. They agreed with the description! Annie, I am a 42-year-old female, am nearly 5 feet 9 inches tall and weigh 150 pounds. I’d like to be a bit thinner, but I’m not that big. Now I feel like an ugly, fat freak with long legs. I don’t have anyone to talk to because I’m afraid they’ll see me the same way. What can I do? — Gargantuan Freak Dear G.F.: You don’t sound particularly gigantic to us — nei- ther overly tall, nor particularly overweight. We can only assume your husband’s family and friends must be quite short and rather delicate. You might tell them so. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Worried Mom,’’ whose older son is athletic and a schol- ar, but whose younger teen, ‘‘Logan,’’ is overweight and unmotivated. I suspect the main problem is that Logan is in the shadow of a superstar older brother. Logan sounds like a fairly normal teenage boy to me. My son was bright as the dickens and an underachiever until he joined (of his own initiative and against my wishes) his high school Junior ROTC program, in which he excelled. In addition to the way it changed his life, I gained an appreciation for this nation’s military. He is now in his late 20s and making six figures at a major corporation, while still working on an undergraduate degree. — L.A. Mom Dear L.A.: Many readers sug- gested that Mom was comparing her sons, and this is always a bad idea. Thanks for the words of encouragement. 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. Recreation sites open for holiday The Klamath National Forest welcomes visitors over the 4th of July holiday weekend. Campgrounds across the forest are open. Many sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reser- vations are accepted for Tree of Heaven Campground and most group campsites through the National Recre- ation Reservation Service by calling 877-444-6777 or visiting www.recreation.gov. While the most popular campgrounds may fill up, there are many camping opportunities throughout the Forest; contact your local Forest Service office for information. On the Salmon River/Scott River Ranger Districts all campgrounds are open. Due to late snowpack, high- er elevation sites such as Kangaroo Lake Campground and Hidden Horse Campground opened this week, just in time for the holiday. On the Goosenest Ranger District all campgrounds are open. Juanita Lake Campground has reopened this season, after having been closed last year for major repairs. Visitors to the site this year will find new toi- lets, expanded parking spurs and a new boat ramp. On the Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Ranger Dis- tricts most campgrounds are now open for the season with a few exceptions. O’Neil Creek Campground, Tehama County Gleaners will be distributing food at the following times and places: •July 12, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Recreation Hall in Rancho Tehama •July 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Masonic Hall in Los Molinos at 25020 Tehama-Vina Road near Hamburg, will not open this season pending major repairs to the water system. Visitors may choose to camp at nearby Sarah Totten Campground until the repairs are completed. Mt. Ashland Campground is expected to open with- in the next few weeks as soon as the remaining snow drifts melt. Norcross Campground will open in the fall due to on-going rehabilitation and repair efforts fol- lowing impacts from the Panther Fire. With recent warm temperatures, trails at higher ele- vations are opening quickly but visitors may encounter snow above 5,500 feet. Caution should be used when crossing streams without bridges -- water levels are high due to the late snow melt. The trail bridge at Rush Creek on the South Fork Trail (Forest Trail No. 5463), which provides access to the Trinity Alps Wilderness, was damaged over the winter. Hikers and stock users should be prepared to ford the creek until the bridge can be replaced in the fall. Contact your local ranger district for the most cur- rent trail conditions. Please remember that due to the risk of wildfires, fireworks are not permitted on National Forest lands. Campfire permits may be obtained at any Forest Ser- vice office. Gleaners announce food distribution days for July •July 14, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Food Bank in Red Bluff at 20699 Wal- nut St. •July 14, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Senior Center in Corning All income must be report- ed. Income is gross monthly, not net. One card only will be issued per household. All other sites in the county will be at the usual times and places. Applications for food bank cards will be accepted on the day of giveaway. Bring large paper or plastic bags if possible. More information is available by calling 529-2264 or 527- 1795. DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m having a running feud with members of my family that I need cleared up. In 1955, at the age of 2, I contracted polio. I was immediately put in isolation in a chil- dren’s hospital, where I remained for several weeks in casts and braces. My left leg was drastically crooked and atro- phied in a short amount of time. I have since overcome most of the setbacks, but in 1985, I was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome. It was like a recrip- pling and decay of all my ener- gy. Since then, I have gotten progressively worse. I have edu- cated myself by reading much material, visiting polio clinics and attending support groups, so I feel quite knowledgeable on the subject. My mother and sister now claim they too suffered from polio and have PPS. They were never hospitalized, never had any visible signs, and had no lin- gering fevers from initial expo- sure. They have gone for almost 50 years not claiming this. Now, as they age, they want sympathy for their “supposed” polio dev- astation, and I am furious. They’re claiming I’m not com- passionate and think I want the “glory” all to myself. My dad and older sister never claimed the illness, so how could anyone even want to make such an unsubstantiated claim? Is the theory possible, even without visible signs? My goodness, I would never wish this crooked body and pain- filled life on anyone. It doesn’t make sense to me. I know the entire family did have a fever in 1955, but the germ passed through everyone as diarrhea. My mother now has arthritis, and my sister has bad feet. Do they really have a claim? DEAR READER: The polio virus can be transmitted through contaminated food or water, or through direct contact with a person infected with the virus. So anyone in close proximity to you at the time you contracted it could have also become infect- ed. And large majorities of peo- ple are never aware they’ve become infected, because some people develop a nonparalytic form of the disease. They might experience initial symptoms of fatigue, muscle spasms, menin- gitis, fever, sore throat and more that can last up to 10 days. As you are aware, PPS can develop decades after the diag- nosis has been made. It can be characterized by a weakening of muscles previously affected and in muscles that were not previ- ously affected. Some patients may develop mild symptoms; others may suffer from joint degeneration, scoliosis and more. A diagnosis of PPS is made only if certain criteria are met. This includes documented evi- dence of a positive diagnosis of paralytic polio followed by an Dr. Peter Gott extended period (typi- cally 15 years or more) of improvement or sta- bility. Symptoms must begin gradually but be progressive and persis- tent, lasting for at least one year. Other possible causes need to be ruled out before a diagnosis of PPS can be given. There are several risk factors for develop- ing PPS. These include experi- encing severe symptoms fol- lowing the initial infection; if the initial infection were acquired as an adolescent or adult; achieving drastic recovery (especially following severe symptoms); and performing physical activities to the point of exhaustion or fatigue. Once diagnosed with post- polio syndrome, people should be monitored for complications. Severe muscle weakness may result in increased falls. Pro- longed inactivity and immobili- ty also increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. Com- bined with the risk of falling, broken bones may become a major concern. People with weakness of the muscles involved in chewing, swallow- ing and breathing also need to be especially watchful for signs and symptoms of malnutrition, dehydration, pneumonia and acute respiratory failure. People who experienced weakness of these muscles during the initial infection are more likely to experience these symptoms than those who developed weakness of the arms and/or legs. You appear to be in a no-win situation. Your mother and sis- ter are convinced they suffer from PPS, and unless they are willing to undergo confirmato- ry testing, you will likely never convince them otherwise. I don’t know their medical histo- ries, but based on your infor- mation, it does not seem likely that they had polio. Even if they did, it was likely so mild that it caused few or no symptoms. This drastically decreases their risks of developing PPS. I don’t understand their comments that you are seeking all the “glory” in regards to your polio status. There is nothing glorious about living with deformity and pain. Both arthritis and foot pain have other, more common causes. I believe your efforts will be better spent continuing with the positive attitude you are exhibit- ing, staying abreast of new treat- ments, attending support groups, and visiting clinics where you can help victims of the disease learn to cope. 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. Tehama County’s Personal/Professional Service Directory Bankruptcy Attorney Local Bankruptcy Attorney Jocelyn C. Olander 530-824-0288 Free Consultation Payment Plans Available Web: www.jcoattyatlaw.com email: mail@jcoatty atlaw.com A federally qualified Debt Relief Agency under 11 U.S.C. 101(12(A)) Embroidery AT YOUR SERVICE! $ 9900 3 month Clock Repair 530-736-7079 Grandpa’s Clocks Jim Paul 20910 Pebblestone Dr. Red Bluff Shelf & 31 Day Clocks Repaired Call for appt. Member NAWCC Cuckoo Clocks, Anniversary, Wall, Clock Repair James W. 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