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4B Daily News – Thursday, August 15, 2013 FEATURES Low-dose vaginal Grandpa playing favorites with children should speak to his father Dear Annie: My husand explain how hurt the band has a 12-year-old other grandchildren are that daughter from a previous he doesn't spend any time marriage. We don't get to with them. You both should see ''Emma'' too often. She encourage Grandpa to come lives with her mother in over more often. More another state, and Mom importantly, if your husband keeps her summers so doesn't get to see Emma packed that she cannot Annie's because Mom is deliberately visit. preventing it, he should The problem is that this speak to his lawyer about year Emma visited my father-in-law for an entire by Kathy Mitchell amending the visitation week, and he didn't once let and Marcy Sugar arrangements. Dear Annie: I am an her do anything with us. It was very upsetting. My husband older single guy and have a quesand I have three young children tion. The women I've dated repeattogether, and Grandpa spends no edly say, ''I can't make a decision, time with them at all. Yet he man- because I don't know where I will aged a week with Emma and didn't be in five years.'' Now, we're not talking about include us. Our 5-year-old was hurt that Grandpa spends time with his marriage proposals, but about other older sister but never does anything decisions that often come up. I've never heard a guy say something with him. Can I do anything about Grandpa like that. No one knows where they playing favorites? It kills me to see will be in five years, and the decimy children hurt because of it. I sions one makes today often affect also want my children to have a that. Is this some form of decision good relationship with their halfsister. I've talked to my husband, avoidance? — Just Curious Dear Curious: What type of but he doesn't know what to do, either, and it's causing a great deal questions are you asking that proof stress in our home. — Upset voke them to contemplate their lives five years down the road? Either Daughter-in-Law Dear Upset: You surely realize they believe your questions require that Grandpa ''hoards'' Emma in an some type of commitment they effort to make up for the divorce aren't willing to give, or they are and also to be sure that his ex- trying to tell you that a commitment daughter-in-law will continue to from you is exactly what they are allow the girl to visit. Your husband looking for. Mailbox Dear Annie: I'm writing in reply to ''KC,'' who was horrified to discover that her ancestors owned slaves and didn't know how to explain it to her mixed-race nieces. I believe that KC is very much afraid that somehow, after many, many generations, her family history will taint her as a racist. My family, too, fought and died in the Civil War on both sides. Some were slave owners. The youngest died from neglect and disease at age 17 in a Union POW camp. There has been a member of my family in every war since the American Revolution. My son is the seventh generation serving in the military, and I'm proud of my family history. Just because some owned slaves does not make me a racist. I know right from wrong. I live in a culturally diverse neighborhood and have close friends of many races. People should not erase the bad parts of their family history. They are just facts, not a reflection of who they are now. Thanks for letting me have a voice. — K. Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Back-to-school tax tips Going to college can be a stressful time for students and parents. The IRS offers these tips about education tax benefits that can help offset some college costs and maybe relieve some of that stress. • American Opportunity Tax Credit. This credit can be up to $2,500 per eligible student. The AOTC is available for the first four years of post secondary education. Forty percent of the credit is refundable. That means that you may be able to receive up to $1,000 of the credit as a refund, even if you don't owe any taxes. Qualified expenses include tuition and fees, course related books, supplies and equipment. A recent law extended the AOTC through the end of Dec. 2017. • Lifetime Learning Credit. With the LLC, you may be able to claim up to $2,000 for qualified education expenses on your federal tax return. There is no limit on the number of years you can claim this credit for an eligible student. You can claim only one type of education credit per student on your federal tax return each year. If you pay college expenses for more than one student in the same year, you can claim credits on a per-student, per-year basis. For example, you can claim the AOTC for one student and the LLC for the other student. You can use the IRS's Interactive Tax Assistant tool to help determine if you're eligible for these credits. The tool is available at IRS.gov. • Student loan interest deduction. Other than home mortgage interest, you generally can't deduct the interest you pay. However, you may be able to deduct interest you pay on a qualified student loan. The deduction can reduce your taxable income by up to $2,500. You don't need to itemize deductions to claim it. These education benefits are subject to income limitations and may be reduced or eliminated depending on your income. For more information, visit the Tax Benefits for Education Information Center at IRS.gov. Also, check Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education. The booklet's also available at IRS.gov or by calling 800TAX-FORM (800-8293676). estrogen carries little risk are inserted in the DEAR DOCvagina. And a TOR K: I use a flexible vaginal vaginal estrogen ring, called cream for vaginal Estring, is worn dryness. Does it continuously and have the same replaced every risks as hormones few months. taken orally or by The Vagifem skin patch? tablet contains the DEAR READDr. K lowest amount of ER: Hormone by Anthony L. therapy (HT) is Komaroff, M.D. estrogen. Estring delivers just a bit estrogen taken alone or with other female more. Vaginal estrogen hormones to treat the creams are more concensymptoms of menopause. trated; the amount of "Systemic" HT involves estrogen that a woman hormones that enter the absorbs varies. Vaginal application blood and travel throughout the body. It is the most releases little estrogen effective treatment for into the bloodstream. As a postmenopausal hot flash- result, it has less risk of es and vaginal symptoms, side effects than systemic including vaginal dryness. estrogen. So far, no wellSystemic HT is medi- designed clinical trials cine taken by mouth or have evaluated systemic through the skin by a skin risks, such as breast canpatch or gel. From those cer or blood clots, of lowlocations, it enters into the dose vaginal estrogen. But blood. But systemic HT it's likely that if there are carries with it a small risk such risks, they are much of several serious condi- smaller than the risks tions: heart attacks, related to systemic estrostroke, blood clots and gen. One complication of some cancers. To find out if there are menopause that women similar risks associated don't often think of is with vaginal estrogen, I recurrent urinary tract checked in with my col- infections (UTIs). Vaginal league Dr. Celeste Robb- dryness not only causes Nicholson, editor-in-chief vaginal symptoms such as of the Harvard Women's discomfort during sex, but also encourages the Health Watch. She pointed out that growth of certain bacteria vaginal estrogen acts most- around the urethra — the ly in the vagina. It relieves tube that carries urine vaginal symptoms, includ- from the bladder to the ing vaginal dryness, burn- vagina. If those bacteria ing, and pain with sexual get into the urethra, and intercourse. It does not then into the bladder, a relieve hot flashes. (One UTI can start. Apart from the highexception is a vaginal ring, called Femring. It delivers dose Femring, vaginal so much estrogen in the estrogen is probably safe vagina that some of it is even over the long term. absorbed into the blood And if your main and therefore has effects menopausal symptoms are vaginal symptoms, vagithroughout the body.) Low-dose vaginal nal estrogen is just as estrogen is available in effective as systemic HT several forms: creams, and less risky. But talk to tablets and other kinds of your doctor about the vaginal rings. Vaginal risks and benefits before creams are applied to the you start — particularly if vulva or in the vagina. you have a history of Vaginal tablets (Vagifem) breast cancer. HELP WANTED AUTO ROUTES DRIVERS WANTED RED BLUFF & CORNING AREAS Must be 21 or older & bondable. Call or apply in person Circulation Dept. Red Bluff Daily News (530) 527-2151 ext 128 DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF The redesigned www.redbluffdailynews.com is now available. Easier navigation. More photos. Faster load time. Better Sharing. More Vibrant. DAILY NEWS www.redbluffdailynews.com RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY redbluffdailynews.com TEHAMA COUNTY