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4B – Daily News – Saturday, July 17, 2010 FEATURES Prisoner pop presents puzzling proposal Dear Annie: I am 16 years old. Right now, I am living with my aunt (my father’s sister). My moth- er and father have never really been in my life, although I did live briefly with my mom. My father is in jail for manslaughter and will be out in two years. He and my mother have been writing each other and have developed a close relationship. Recently, my father proposed, and Mom accepted. She asked me how I felt about it, and I didn’t say any- thing. favorite teacher, friend, adult neighbor or cler- gyperson. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Annie: My hus- band and I recently had to move in with my mother, and I discovered she does something really disturb- ing. Mom does not think it is necessary to wash her hands after using the bath- room. She will go right into the kitchen and start cooking. Occasionally, she will rinse them at the kitchen sink, using only cold water. She told me that cold water kills germs. Am I being overly concerned? Annie, I don’t know how I feel about it. I’m angry with my par- ents for not being in my life when I needed them, and now they decide to get married when it no longer matters to my welfare. Please tell me what to do and say to my mother. How can I get rid of the resentment so I can be happy for them? — Left Out Daughter Dear Left Out: You sound wise beyond your years. You understand the importance of putting aside your anger and resentment, not only for your par- ents’ sake, but for your own. Try to forgive them for not being the parents you deserved and should have grown up with. If you can accept them as they are, warts and all, it will help you feel less cheated. After all, you seem to have turned out OK in spite of their shortcomings. It might help to talk about this with an unbiased third party — a school or camp counselor, I am always the one who catches every virus and infection that comes to town. How can I con- vince her that this is not healthy? She likes your column, so maybe reading this will help. — Cring- ing Violet Dear Violet: We hope so. Your mother is misinformed. Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to prevent infection and illness. Rinsing her hands under cold water does nothing. Here are some guidelines from the Mayo Clinic: Always wash your hands after using the toilet, changing a dia- per, preparing food (especially raw meat or poultry), touching an animal, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, treating wounds, touching a sick or injured person, or handling garbage or anything that could be contaminated. You also should be sure to wash your hands before prepar- ing food, eating, treating wounds or giving medicine, touching a sick or injured person, and insert- ing or removing contact lenses. If Mom doesn’t like to use soap, perhaps she would be willing to try an alcohol-based hand sanitiz- er that doesn’t require water. (Please, Mom, do this to keep your family healthy.) Dear Annie: Like ‘‘Help,’’ I, too, have a husband who refuses to close things. He leaves the house and car doors wide open, and often, I find the refrigerator and freezer doors left ajar. Any bottle or package sits without the top on. Bagged lettuce spills all over the fridge, pills scatter all over the vanity, and more shampoo has fallen down the drain than you can imagine. He also refuses to hang up his clothes. Instead, his shirts are stuffed on shelves, and his pants hang on decorative hooks. It doesn’t matter if it costs him money, injures him or forces him to clean up spills. My pleas fall on deaf ears, and if I say too much, he accuses me of being overly critical. I am open to all suggestions. — The Closer Dear Closer: Leaving the car and house doors open is an extreme version of this problem. Suggest that your husband see his doctor. 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. Tips to help stay cool, save energy With high tempera- tures expected to con- tinue in the coming days, PG&E offers these tips to help stay cool and save energy during summer heat. 1. No cost actions Turn off equipment when not in use, like appliances, lights, tele- visions, computer moni- tors and printers. Set air conditioner thermostats at 78 degrees or higher, health permitting. When away from home, raise your thermostat to 85 degrees. Clean or replace air conditioner filters monthly during the cooling season. Keep the sun and heat out of your house by closing drapes or blinds on south and west fac- ing windows. Activate power-sav- ing features on your computers and office equipment when not in use. Do full loads when using your clothes washer and dryer and dishwasher. Unplug and recycle your second refrigera- tor. 2. Low-cost actions Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy- efficient compact fluo- rescent lamps (CFLs). Replace hazardous halogen torchiere lamps with Energy Star fluo- rescent torchieres. Consider purchasing a whole house fan to cool your house, or use a portable evaporative cooler in a hot, dry cli- mate. Use dimmers, timers and motion sensors on indoor and outdoor lighting. Install an Energy Star programmable thermo- stat to prevent unneces- sary heating or cooling. Investments you can make to save energy Pacific Gas and Elec- tric Company can help you save energy with rebates and other ener- gy-efficiency programs. • Appliances When purchasing a new refrigerator, dish- washer, or clothes wash- er, look for the Energy Star label. Appliances that carry the Energy Star label use less ener- gy than standard models so they cost less to run. • Cooling Look for rebates on cooling equipment that meet your needs. Rebates are available for room air condition- ers, portable evaporative coolers, central air con- ditioners, heat pumps, high-efficiency air con- ditioners and Geoex- change heat pumps. For more informa- tion, call 1-800- 933- 9555. Medication may trade osteorporosis for diabetes DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m an 83-year -old female. I take a weekly 70 mil- ligrams alen- dronate sodium tablet for osteo- porosis, 50 mil- ligrams of blood- pressure medi- cine and 20 mil- ligrams of a cho- lesterol medication. My doctor also has me on 600 milligrams calcium plus vitamin D two times a day to help build strong bones. My blood sugar since before I started taking alendronate was 108. Now it has jumped to 115. Do you think the medicine is the cause? I’m not too fond of that 70 milligrams sodium, and I don’t want to take it anymore. I figure it’s my body, and I say no. I will see my doctor in August. She will not be happy, but I really do not care. DEAR READER: The medication you have been prescribed (Fosamax) and the calci- um with D supplement are both in the proper dosage to combat osteo- porosis. I am sure your pre- scribing physician indi- cated that you should take the alendronate with a full glass of water a half-hour prior to your first food of the day. It should not be taken at bedtime with food, mineral water, coffee, tea or juice, as these beverages will reduce the absorption of the medication. One inactive ingredi- ent in the product is lac- tose, a sugar commonly found in milk that is used as a diuretic in some medications. I am uncertain exact- ly how much lactose is in alendronate but herein could be your problem. I read about one individ- ual who was part of a 2009 study involving almost 50,000 men and women who indicated his or her sugar level rose 10 points and con- tinued to rise while on alendronate. There was no further documentation or com- ment so I can only pass the information on to you. Beyond that obser- vation, I have been unable to find any docu- mented test studies that confirm elevated sugar levels in people who have been prescribed the medication. I assume you have bone-density testing (DEXAs) on a timely basis and suggest you have another at the appropriate time. Determine any progress since being on the medication and then have a frank discussion with your primary-care physician about your concerns. If there is no improvement in your osteoporosis, perhaps she will be responsive to your discontinuance of the medication, even if it is only for a short trial period. In the interim, I can- not see that the calcium with vitamin D will do any harm and in fact, it might be just what the doctor ordered, if you will excuse the pun. You have a right to make decisions regard- ing your health. Your doctor should either present an oppos- ing view as to why the alendronate sodium should be continued, make a substitute to something you both agree upon, or she should go along with your decision. Perhaps an appoint- ment with a nutritionist might even be appropriate. Dr. Peter Gott If there is no other basis for your elevated sugar counts, express your concerns. I can under- stand and sup- port a physician taking aggressive steps to prevent fractures in a woman your age. Yet, if there is a direct connection to it causing the elevation, the last thing you need is to replace one medical problem with another. In the interim, exer- cise as much as possible and eat a healthful diet rich in fruits and vegeta- bles. If questions still remain in your mind, request a referral for a second opinion. To provide related information, I am send- ing you copies of my Health Reports “Osteo- porosis” and “Diabetes Mellitus.” Other readers who would like copies should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order for each report to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title(s) or print an order form off my web- site at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. DEAR DR. GOTT: I was delighted to see you mention the National Alliance on Mental Ill- ness (NAMI) in a recent column. Along that line, please tell your readers about the Child & Ado- lescent Bipolar Founda- tion, www.bpkids.org. This is a national nonprofit organization that offers a wealth of information and support for families who have children diagnosed with bipolar disorder or who suspect a child has the disorder though not diagnosed. DEAR READER: Consider it done. The Child & Adoles- cent Bipolar Foundation is, in its words, “a national, parent-led, web-based, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit member- ship organization incor- porated in 1999.” The nonprofit also states that its mission is to improve the lives of families raising children and teens living with bipolar disorder and related condition. Most people don’t realize that mental ill- ness can strike children and teens just as it can adults. As difficult as it may be for an adult to under- stand and cope with the situation, it may be dou- bly hard for a child who also has the daily stress- es of social, school and family pressures, not to mention the simple act of growing up, which causes immense changes in mood, hormones and more. Thank you for writing to bring this organiza- tion to my attention. Mental illness needs to be brought out of the dark ages and into the light. Sufferers need com- passion and understand- ing just as those with physical illnesses do. 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