Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/13379
Thursday, July 15, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Octogenarian would like to dance again DEAR DR. GOTT: I am an active 80- year-old female in good health. I’m writ- ing about an injury to my left knee that occurred in December 2007 while dancing. In the same month, I fell down while bowl- ing, injuring both my knee and back. The doctors diagnosed me with spinal stenosis and damaged cartilage of the knee. I’ve since had chiro- practic treatments and massage therapy but am unable to continue due to financial difficulties. I saw an orthopedic surgeon but to my dismay, he didn’t refer me for any treat- ment. Instead, he adminis- tered a cortisone shot and asked that I return for a follow-up visit in three months. Follow-up visits were disappointing as he did not even try to refer me for therapy or anything beneficial to my injury. I took it upon myself to work my knee muscles and provided self-therapy. I’m finally walking a little better, but I still cannot fully bend it. Without hav- ing to undergo surgery, is there a sports kinesiolo- gist similar to those who care for professional ath- letes you can refer me to? Would that be outside my insurance benefits? DEAR READER: I recommend that you see your primary-care physi- cian and orthopedic spe- cialist to obtain some answers. In a sense of the word, you must know the rules of the game before you can start to play. Per- haps they will both indi- cate that you have improved as much as you can, that you have arthri- tis, disc degeneration or other condition(s) that affect many people as they age. If that is the case, there are self-help steps you can take. If not, con- sider physical therapy, hydrotherapy, yoga, weight loss, pain medica- tion and/or ice/heat for relief. You don’t indicate if you have taken any medication other than the cortisone injections that were somewhat ineffec- tive. Is a trial medication an appropriate first step? Once you receive answers and know your limita- tions, ask for an appropri- ate referral, perhaps to a sports-medicine specialist who would be covered under your insurance. On the home front, Dr. Peter Gott your local hos- pital or health center should have a physi- cal-therapy department with qualified individuals to work with you. A local com- munity center might have yoga instruc- tion and a swimming pool with trained personnel in hydrotherapy. Even if the services are not covered by Medicare or other insurance, these programs should be affordable for seniors. To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Managing Chron- ic Pain.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092- 0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com . DEAR DR. GOTT: I am sure my question has been asked many times but somehow I missed it, even though I read your column each day. How does one multivit- amin/mineral tablet taken daily with more than 30 supplements get into one tablet, especially with dif- ferent ingredients? DEAR READER: Great question and obser- vation. Vitamins and min- erals are essential for good health, yet the body requires only small amounts of most of them. A healthful diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can provide most of our collective needs. Supplements contain intense concentrations of each in varying degrees that are compressed into small tablets or gel cap- sules. Beyond that, I guess maybe the process is one of the mysteries of all time. 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 Sacramento River paddle tour July 31 Bring your canoe or kayak or join us for a walk at the take-out. Join River Partners and explore the Sacramento River as it meanders south of Butte County. You're likely to see ospreys, river otters and a variety of songbirds. Ecologists will talk about the natural history of the Sacramento River and guide us to a new River Partners' site. It supports a mature cottonwood forest and an expansive beach where there will be lunch and a tour. Guests can opt to join the group at the beach for lunch and the tour at the end. This is a free community event and reservations are required. Skill level is for paddlers who have the endurance for a 2.5-hour paddle to cover 5.5 river miles. The trip begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 31, with check-in at the launch and ends at 12:45 p.m. There will be lunch at 11:30 a.m. at Willow Bend beach and nature tour. Put in is near the Drumheller Unit of the Sacra- mento River NWR, where Road 67 meets east bank of Sacramento River, just south of Butte City and across the river from Princeton. Bring our own canoe or kayak, life jackets and paddling equipment, sunscreen, water, bag lunch, river shoes and beach towel. If your group brings two cars, participants may self-shuttle. River Partners will offer shuttling for a $10 cost- share donation. Please call to reserve shuttle seat. Please provide names of all participants, e-mail and cell number for last minute alerts, number of boats and whether you'll use the shuttle. For reservations or more information call 894- 5401, Ext. 222, e-mail jpokrandt@riverpartners.org or visit www.River- Reader’s daughter has no respect Dear Annie:My 34-year-old daugh- ter, ‘‘Mary,’’ has two children I love dear- ly and often take care of. Though she says she loves me, Mary has told me in anger that she does- n’t respect me. I don’t know where I went wrong or whether it is some- thing in her. We’ve always had a com- Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar plicated relationship. I’m well aware of my failings as a mother, but I never was deliberately unkind to her. In fact, my other child views me in the opposite way. To her, I can do no wrong. Mary, however, thinks I can do nothing right. In order to keep the peace, I sit quietly and take her tongue-lashings even though they embarrass and humiliate me. Mary also treats her husband with- out respect, and he has witnessed her being intentionally rude to me. I cannot understand why she says things she knows will hurt me, especially since she didn’t grow up in this type of atmosphere. Please give me some guid- ance. — A Sad Mother in a Southern State Dear Sad: It’s easier for Mary to blame others than to examine her own behavior. Unfortunately, she is not like- ly to see it that way. You might, how- ever, mention that she seems unhappy and that, because you love her, you’d like to help. Maybe she needs a break from the kids. Perhaps she would be amenable to counseling. Simply talk- ing to an uninterested third party about what bothers you can be tremendously helpful. Cast yourself as her ally instead of her put-upon mother, and it’s possible you could change the way she responds to you. Dear Annie: Someone in my office keeps stealing lunches, including mine, from the workroom fridge. I don’t want to sink to their level and do something bad to the food. What should I do? — Hungry in Grand Island Dear Hungry: We assume your lunches are well marked with your name so co-workers are not under the impression that it is communal food, and that warning signs are posted not to take your things. If you know who the culprits are, politely remind them that the food is someone’s property and ask that they not take what doesn’t belong to them. You also can report this to a supervisor. If this doesn’t solve the problem, we recommend you buy a reusable insulated bag and ice packs, and keep your lunch near your desk. Or perhaps the victims of the Food Thief would be interested in contributing to the acquisition of a small refrigerator with a lock. Dear Annie: I read another response to ‘‘Exhausted Wife,’’ whose husband expects her to pay for her share of their vacations, even though she can’t afford it. Another writer said he struggled to supply 50 percent of the household expenses when his wife had ‘‘Harry Potter,’’ ‘‘The Green Hornet,’’ and Brangelina? This year’s Comic-Con has some- thing for everyone, and might even be graced by Hollywood’s first couple. No longer strictly the domain of nerds and fanboys, San Diego’s four- day pop-culture festival promises film and TV fodder for fans of all kinds, plus video games, toys, collectibles and costumes galore when it kicks off next week. ‘‘I can’t wait,’’ says filmmaker Kevin Smith, an annual regular consid- ered royalty at the convention. ‘‘Comic-Con for me is — Muslims like to go to kneel, what is it, three times a day toward Mecca and what- not. I do the same thing for San Diego and that massive building... It’s a real good source of kind of State of the Union for me, because I dwell in the world of pop culture.’’ What began 40 years ago as a hum- ble comic-book fair has grown into a barometer of cool powered by the ardent enthusiasm of more than 100,000 fans — and the Hollywood studios who want a piece of the action. Among the hot properties this year: ‘‘TRON: Legacy,’’ Disney’s modern revamp of the ’80s hit; a first look at ‘‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hal- lows’’; Seth Rogen’s superhero turn in ‘‘The Green Hornet’’ and yes, a possi- ble Brangelina appearance. The couple isn’t officially on the guest list, and studio reps are staying mum about whether they’ll attend, but A-list surprises often happen at Comic- Con, where Johnny Depp and Hugh Jackman previously showed up unan- nounced. 10 times his income. Since when did marriage become a ‘‘yours and mine’’ union? I have been married to a terrific guy for 33 years, and we have raised two wonderful boys. We were a two-income family until four years ago, when I left my job. At no time has our income been any- thing but ‘‘ours,’’ even now. We have always had joint banking accounts, along with joint bills, which were always paid with ‘‘our’’ money. The subject of who is responsible for what portion of the bills or who will pay what percentage toward a vacation never entered our minds. I am appalled that someone has so little regard for his marriage that his wife must forgo a vacation because she can’t afford it. Marriage brings a lot of changes, including the joining of income and financial responsibility. It is a selfish spouse who does not realize it should be a 50-50 partnership in all aspects. — Happily Sharing for 33 Years Dear Sharing: In some marriages, both husband and wife prefer to have separate income and expenses, but regardless of the arrangements, no spouse should be punished for earning less money than the other. 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. Comic-Con: ‘Potter,’ ‘Green Hornet,’ Brangelina? LOS ANGELES (AP) — ‘‘Tron,’’ starring Michael Cera. ‘‘Comic-Con is all about these Brad Pitt voices one of the lead characters in the animated ‘‘Mega- mind,’’ and his co-stars Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill are expected at the Dreamworks Animation panel next Thursday to introduce the film. Angelina Jolie stars in ‘‘Salt,’’ which will be featured at Sony’s panel on the same day. Other movies looking to build fan buzz at Comic-Con include ‘‘The Expendables,’’ featuring Sylvester Stallone and a cast of tough guys that includes Dolph Lundgren and Steve Austin; ‘‘Drive Angry 3D’’ with Nico- las Cage; ‘‘RED,’’ featuring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Free- man and John Malkovich as retired CIA agents; ‘‘Battle Los Angeles,’’ with Aaron Eckhart saving the city from a vicious attack; the superhero tale ‘‘Green Lantern,’’ starring Ryan Reynolds; and ‘‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,’’ based on a graphic novel and shows connecting with the kids who are going to go back home and tell everyone — get on the computer, send e-mails, put on their Facebook account, tweet about it and build a buzz,’’ says Todd Gold of the website Fancast.com. TV shows have a big presence at the Con, too. Stars from popular programs including ‘‘Dexter,’’ ‘‘True Blood,’’ ‘‘The Big Bang Theory,’’ ‘‘The Vam- pire Diaries,’’ ‘‘Family Guy,’’ ‘‘Com- munity,’’ ‘‘Fringe’’ and ‘‘The Simp- sons’’ will answer fan questions during panel presentations. ‘‘Comic-Con used to be offbeat, nerdy,’’ says Jeanne Wolf of Parade magazine. ‘‘Well, now we’ve found out that the Comic-Con buzz gets straight to the audience that watches TV shows. And also we’ve found out that with this computerized age, most of us are geeks and nerds.’’ Reaching a passionate audience that will not only talk up their favorite flicks to friends but also buy tickets on open- ing night is too important an opportu- nity for studios to miss, says box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Holly- wood.com. Comic-Con begins next Wednes- day, July 21, at the San Diego Conven- tion Center.