Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/14398
Friday, August 6, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Parent panicky in pedophile’s proximity Is dyslexia to blame? Dear Annie: A year ago, my uncle was released from prison after serving time for sexually abusing a little boy and girl. I have two young children. Anytime my uncle is around and I see him pick up my kids and give them kisses, I freak out and yell, ‘‘Don’t touch my kids.’’ My mother and grand- mother think I am being overprotective. They insist he would never hurt my children because they are family and are younger than his usual victims. I was sexually abused when I was younger and am very sensitive to protecting my children from what I went through. With my children being so young and only one of them just now learning to speak, I am worried that if something hap- pens, I won’t know about it. Am I wrong for being so careful even though my uncle is a close family member? — Protective Mother Dear Protective: No. The major- ity of victims know their abusers, and many are family members. Being related does not protect them. Your children are at risk, especially as they get a little older and move into your uncle’s favorite age group. While you don’t have to yell every time he greets them, you should keep your eyes open and not let him be alone with any of your children at any time. If the rest of your family thinks you are overreacting, too bad. Dear Annie: I have a rare condi- tion called Dercum’s disease (adipo- Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar sis dolorosa). It is character- ized by painful lumps, lipo- mas or tumors all over the body, weight gain for no rea- son, overwhelming fatigue, and weakness. It can cause severe pain and, as it pro- gresses, disability. It is diffi- cult to lose weight, and strenuous exercise can aggravate the condition. We go against medical logic. Imagine how hard it is to see a doctor who takes one look and says, ‘‘Your health would improve if you’d just lose weight and exercise.’’ Many of us go from doctor to doctor being insulted, but not diagnosed. Dercum’s was identified more than 120 years ago, but there is still no known cause or cure. It is very rare — perhaps 500 people in the entire U.S. have it. There may be hundreds more who have not been properly diagnosed, because most medical professionals have never heard of it. I am a group leader for a Der- cum’s disease support group (mdjunction.com/dercums-disease) at 1105 Holly Dr., Lafayette, IN 47909. Please check us out if you have questions. Thank you, Annie, for the opportunity to spread the word. — Diane in Lafayette, Ind. Dear Diane: We appreciate the useful information for our readers and hope any who are concerned about this disease will check out your group. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Married and Alone.’’ In your response, you suggested she have her hubby’s testosterone checked. My man got his testosterone checked, and it was very low. There were also outbursts of anger if he was asked about it. We got expen- sive counseling for anger. It didn’t help the testosterone problem and didn’t do much for the anger prob- lem. The counselor gave no sugges- tion as to what to do about the low testosterone and, in fact, refused to talk about it, so my man feels he needn’t follow up. Like a lot of men, he doesn’t want to discuss such inti- mate problems. I’m ready to go it alone because I’m tired of him picking fights in order to keep me at arm’s length in the bedroom. What’s the solution? — Not Coping Dear Not: The solution is to see an internist who can test and pre- scribe medication for low testos- terone, something a counselor can- not do. Tell your man you are walk- ing out the door if he doesn’t see a medical doctor. Call in advance, and alert the doctor to the problem in case your guy refuses to discuss it. Assure him he’ll feel so much better if this is taken care of. 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. Special branding workshop set for Thursday Roger Brooks of Destination Development Interna- tional will provide a three-hour workshop Thursday, Aug. 12 at Rolling Hills Casino, sharing his findings after assessing first impressions, lasting impressions, business mix, signage, local attitude, beautification, ease of getting around, things to see and do, local branding, how the area stacks up against the competi- tion and offer suggestions, tips and tricks that can help bring spending to the area. Brooks has worked with nearly 1,000 communities, successfully guiding them in their community brand- ing, revitalization and marketing efforts. He is well known for energizing communities into action, provid- ing ideas they can implement today to make a differ- ence tomorrow. "We have solid reasons for visitors to travel to the north state and stay," said Kathy Schmitz, Job Training Center and Tehama EDC. "But we must become more The Department of Motor Vehicles reminds customers that all public offices will be closed on Fridays Aug. 13, 20 and 27 in keeping with Execu- tive Order S-12-10. The Department is in the process of rescheduling customers who previous- strategic and aligned in how we package and attract them and maintain their interest. This assessment is meant as a first step toward achieving that goal." Hoteliers, merchants, restaurant owners, chambers of commerce, city staff and elected officials, economic development, service clubs and recreation facilities staff are encouraged to attend. The event is sponsored by the Tehama County Branding Project and is funded by Rolling Hills Casi- no, Job Training Center, Tehama EDC, Red Bluff- Tehama County Chamber of Commerce, the Daily News, the Downtown Red Bluff Business Association and the Tehama County Farm Bureau. The workshop will take place 8:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Thursday at Rolling Hills. Cost is $10 per person and includes a full breakfast. To register call Amanda Wigno at 529-7000 or visit www.jobtrainingcenter.org. DMV offices to be closed remaining Fridays this month ly made advance appointments that fall on an August furlough day. Cus- tomers can change their appointments online or by calling 800 777-0133. Customers who have a registration renewal date that falls on Aug. 13, 20 or 27, will have late penalties waived until the next business day. The Department offers a number of online services through www.dmv.ca.gov, including payments via secure credit transactions, filing a notice of release of liability, change of address and scheduling appointments. DEAR DR. GOTT: This letter is a lifetime overdue. Six years ago, I turned 69. During that year, I had numerous medical problems that have nothing to do with this let- ter. However, I spent a lot of time in the hospital, which I used for thinking and read- ing. I realized I had been suffering from dyslexia all my life and didn’t know it. I just thought I was dumb. I have had a terrible time all my life with read- ing, spelling, studying and writing. I still must work very hard to remember something, only to forget it. I have notes to myself all over the house, in my car, purse and everywhere else. I could never figure out how actresses could remember all those words and still include facial expressions while per- forming. I still don’t. At this age, I can work my life around being dyslexic, but the other day our son asked my husband and me, “Where do I get my bad memory from? I can’t remember anything and I forget almost every- thing I should remember.” I felt so bad. I do remem- ber what a hard time he had studying, reading, spelling and writing. He has the same problem I have. I just don’t know how he made it through college. He’s 41, but I would really like to help him. Is the disorder inher- ited? I know my son and I are not alone. I could not get through this letter if it weren’t for spellcheck and the dictionary. Please, please dedicate a column to all the people out there who are going through this. DEAR READER: Dyslexia is an impairment of the brain’s ability to translate written images received from the eyes into understandable lan- guage. It is thought to be the most common learn- ing disability in children and ordinarily presents in youngsters with normal intelligence and vision. Symptoms may be dif- Barber Shop $ Cheers 600 Open 6 days 570-2304 259 S. Main St. Tractor Supply Center Senior Cuts Mon.-Fri. 10:30 to 5:30 Sat. 11-3 40 Crafters in 1 Shop! 650 Main St., Red Bluff 530 528-2723 Come & Shop Crafter’s Boutique Or Rent a Space to Sell Your Crafts Gifts for family & friends Plenty of parking on Pine Street Dr. Peter Gott ficult to interpret before a child enters school. Prior to kindergarten, children may have dif f iculties rhyming words, and they may be late talkers. Once in a school atmos- phere, they may have difficulties understanding what is being said, remembering sequential com- mands, may read at a level below what is expected for their age, and may see words or letters backward. For example, a “b” may look like a “d.” This can be common for children without the diag- nosis. The difference is that once the child is in the second or third grade, this situation will not correct itself. Diagnosis may be made through psychologi- cal assessment, evaluation of educational skills, and visual and neurological testing. There is no cure for dyslexia, and the only treatment is remedial edu- cation. The earlier this begins, the better a child can cope and function with the disorder. Often, psychological testing is used to develop a custom teaching program that involves a multisensory approach. This includes using hearing, vision and touch to improve reading rather than simply using books and text. That said, your inabili- ty to remember things and your constant need to write notes to yourself is not a symptom of dyslex- ia, and I can’t be sure that you even have the disor- der. I urge both you and your son to undergo psy- chological and neurologi- cal testing to determine the cause of forgetfulness and learning difficulties. While dyslexia may be a part of your and your son’s difficulty, I am not convinced it is the entire problem. 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,