Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/16643
4C – Daily News – Wednesday, September 22, 2010 FEATURES Fraternizing flusters friend’s father Dear Annie: I met ‘‘Tom’’ a few months ago at church. We are both retired and have a lot in common. He is close to my age and attends services with his 84-year-old father, who has limited mobility. Tom is his care- giver. It turns out Tom is gay, so romance is out of the question, but I’d still like a friendship, and he feels the same. I love his father like a second dad. However, since Sec- ond Dad found out I went to a club to listen to my favorite rock band, he told Tom not to have anything more to do with me. Annie, I behaved myself at the club. I stayed until 2 a.m. with two other women, drank only ice water and left by myself. The father has said he is so dis- appointed that I hang around with ‘‘undesirable’’ people in such places that he won’t sit with me in church. Tom says his father used to drink a lot but then ‘‘got reli- gion’’ and is very judgmental of others. Tom also says his dad loves to create drama. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Tom as a friend. He does not need his father’s approval to continue see- ing you outside of the house. While it’s too bad Dad is so judgmental and overbearing, that is Tom’s problem and you should allow him to deal with it as he sees fit. We hope, in time, his father will come around. Dear Annie: I have a wonderfully bright son who seems to be on a I am no longer welcome in their home, although Tom still wants to be friends, which will cause a lot of problems with his father. I am so devastated by this, I was crying in church last Sunday. I hate los- ing Tom as a friend when I don’t believe I did anything wrong. What do you advise? — Don’t Deserve a Scarlet Letter Dear Scarlet: You haven’t lost downward spiral. ‘‘Emmett’’ graduated third in his class and earned two college scholarships. Unfortunately, his father died unexpectedly a month into his second semester of college, and nothing has been the same since. I have tried to be supportive, understanding and patient. I made an appointment with a grief coun- selor, but Emmett refused to go. The only thing that interests him now is hanging with his friends. They are reasonably good kids, but Emmett has lost his focus and is exhibiting some risky behavior. I am afraid his next bad decision could be costly. How can I make my adult, but still maturing, child seek the help he needs before it’s too late? It would be terrible if his grief became self-destructive and he threw away all his potential. I can’t sit by and watch it happen. What can I do? — Worried Mom Dear Mom: If Emmett is still enrolled in college, call the coun- seling department and alert them to his problem. You also can enlist one of Emmett’s friends (or any person he respects) to talk to him and perhaps give him the number of that grief counselor — or find another through your local hospi- tals and doctors’ offices. In the meantime, don’t nag him about it. Instead, tell him every day how much you love him and that if he needs you, you are always avail- able. Dear Annie: This is in response to ‘‘Father of Freddie the Freeloader.’’ During their senior year of high school, my husband informed each of our children that upon graduation, they would be paying $100 a month in rent for groceries and utilities. Every three months, he increased it by $25 to a maximum of $300. They were angry at having to pay rent, and each moved out within a year. Although it was painful to see them go, he remind- ed me that this is what adult chil- dren are supposed to do — fly away from the ‘‘nest.’’ Now, those same children realize what a ter- rific bargain they had. — No Free- loading Here 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. Come support your local grapplers I've been working with the PAL kids for just a few months, but I have seen some terrific progress. I see a lot of future fighters in the making, and I am proud. These kids show up and give it their all. I cannot stress enough how great this pro- gram is for the kids. It gives them a great workout, teach- es them martial arts skills, builds their confidence and helps prepare them for life (hey, training is tough- so is life). The bonus for me is that now I have some new training part- ners. I asked these kids if they were ready to try their hands at a grap- pling tournament. I con- sider grappling right in Avery Vilche Fitness Buff between mixed martial arts (cage fighting) and wrestling. You can use any take down tech- niques, sweeps, throws..., you can do full head locks (you don't have to have an arm in there like you do in wrestling), you can do any joint locks (arm-bars, knee-bars...), but you can't do any form of striking- no punches or kicks. It's the next best thing to a cage fight, but it's much safer. Several PAL students jumped at the chance to compete. As luck would have it, The North Val- ley Grappling Champi- onships will be taking place at the Orland Recreation Center on Oct. 9 starting at 10 a.m. Feel free to contact Coach John Orsua at 693-8495 or e-mail him at teamorsua@yahoo.com if you have any ques- tions or want to take a stab at this yourself. The competitor entry fee is $35 in case any- one wants to sponsor an aspiring fighter. As many of you know, I wrestled for Chico State (many, many years ago). I had to compete mostly against men. It was one of the hardest sports I've ever competed in. I have at least 2 girls from our club that plan on com- peting. They are in dif- ferent weight cate- gories. Here's the kick- er- they will most likely have to compete against males. Boy this takes me back. I can't wait to see my girls go all out. One is Jessica Richards- she's been training with me for years and did an awesome job in an exhi- bition boxing match a few years back. With all her heart, I expect her to do very well. This will be a fun even to come watch as well. With grapplers coming from Urijah Fabor's camp and with Team Quest showing up, you can expect some fantastic matches. It's a bargain at only $7 for adults, $5 for 17 and younger and free for 6 and younger. So please come and enjoy an entertaining day of grappling and show some love for your local fight team. Avery Vilche has her B.A. in physical education and a certificate in exercise physiology. She has been a fitness instructor in Red Bluff for more than 17 years. Her background is in boxing, kick boxing and wrestling. She can be reached at vilcheavery@yahoo.com. Medical jargon baffles patient DEAR DR. GOTT: The results of my thyroid ultra- sound reveal abnor- mal echogenicity of the right lobe with- out a discrete lesion identified within the thyroid gland. I have been taking 25 micrograms of thy- roid medication since May. The goi- ter on the right side of my neck is noticeable. On May 21, my TSH was 4.53. In July, it was 3.5. Can you please explain the ultra- sound results in English? Should I ask my doctor for an increase in my Synthroid dosage or wait for the next lab work in October? DEAR READER: The thyroid gland is situated in the lower neck — below the larynx and above the collarbone. This gland uses iodine to make hormones essential for the proper function of every cell in the body. The pituitary gland and hypothalamus at the base of the brain regulate the rate at which the hor- mones are produced and released. The TSH to which you refer stimulates hor- mone production. The nor- mal range for lab work at my local hospital is any- thing between 0.34 and 5.60. Thus, by these stan- dards, both your readings were normal. The most common caus- es of a goiter are from the over- or underproduction of thyroid hormones, nodules that develop within the gland or a lack of iodine in the diet, which, in the Unit- ed States, is uncommon. A goiter doesn’t necessarily indicate that the thyroid gland is malfunctioning. Even when visibly enlarged, the thyroid may produce sufficient hor- mones or too much or too little thyroxine (T4) and T3 (which is the most active form of thyroid hormone). Your ultrasound revealed an abnormality of the right lower lobe without directing the abnormality to a specific lesion within the gland. Your physician has you on Synthroid because you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Your gland does not produce suf- ficient amounts, and your body requires supplemental medication. My guess is that you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (an underactive thyroid), which can be successful- ly treated with medication. Dr. Peter Gott If questions remain, I suggest you speak with your physician or request a referral to an endocrinolo- gist to obtain addi- tional information on your condition. In the interim, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Thyroid Disor- ders.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order payable to Newslet- ter. Mail it 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: A dear friend of mine had a large black mole on his face. He asked his doctor and a surgeon to remove it by freezing it. One month later, he felt sick and had a liter and a half of fluid taken out of the sack around his heart. There was blood in the fluid, and can- cer was diagnosed. Could this have been caused by not biopsying and having surgical removal of what turned out to be a melanoma? He died in one month. DEAR READER: My guess is the “mole” was far more advanced than any- one anticipated. The fluid (pericardial effusion) could have resulted from the accumulation of blood after a surgical procedure or from an injury. The addi- tional pressure on the heart results in poor function and can cause failure or even death. I cannot comment on whether the skin cancer was related to the cardiac cancer. It is possible, but I don’t know whether it is likely. 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 Good egg news from the CSU Chico University Farm With lots of attention on eggs because of the unprecedented recall of large scale, commercially produced eggs nationwide, the Pastured Poultry Project at the University Farm, California State University, Chico offers con- sumers interested in free-range hens and their eggs some good news. The Pastured Poultry Project began in March with Australorp baby chicks (also known as the Black Star Chicken). The project will gather information about rais- ing free-range chickens and their impact on reducing fly larvae and to provide experience for agricul- tural students in the practical and business aspects of a laying hen project. Students Breanna Roque and Kelsey Maben manage the pro- ject, which includes watering and feeding chickens, washing eggs and keeping track of the business side of the project. Other agriculture majors can receive units for helping with the project. “The Australorp chickens that we have are not only good for lay- Ethics forum tonight The Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (CAPE) is presenting its first fall forum at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Michael Perelman, professor of economics at Califor- nia State University, Chico, will speak on “Economics, Ethics and the Good Society” in PAC 134. Perelman is the recipient of the 2010 award for Out- standing Achievement in Political Economy of the 21st Century from the World Association of Political Econo- my. In this talk, Perelman will explore economic theory’s curious relationship with society and ethics. Perelman has authored 19 books, including “The Confiscation of American Prosperity,” “The Perverse Economy,” and his new book, “The Invisible Handcuffs: How Market Tyranny Stifles the Economy by Stunting Labor.” Perelman received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1971. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Paris and at Stanford Uni- versity. His work has been translated into Spanish, Chi- nese, Korean, Serbian and Japanese. The talk is free and open to the public. For more infor- mation visit http://www.csuchico.edu/cape/announce- ments/economics_ethics_good_society.shtml. ing, but they are also well known in the Hmong community as meat birds,” said Roque. “They have black feathers, which naturally means they lay brown eggs. The color of an egg depends on the color of the chicken.” The chickens currently reside with the beef cattle and rotate pas- tures with the beef cows to keep the chickens safe from predators. Roque said that they saw a coyote nearby during the summer. “We chose to conduct a free range poultry unit for multiple rea- sons,” said Roque. “Chickens pro- vide natural pest control, especial- ly for fly larvae. Also, being kept on pastured land means they eat more grass and intake more nutri- ents such as Omega-3 that are healthy for their digestive system as well as their eggs.” The project managers recently petitioned to purchase an egg washer to cut costs and increase efficiency and sustainability with- in the project. “Our farm-fresh eggs will bring in customers as well as increase public interest in the Chico State farm,” said Roque. “Many people like buying locally grown and harvested products. In addition to eggs, the farm offers different foods such as meats and fresh produce.” The 100 hens have begun to lay between three and four dozen eggs a day, and the number will increase with the maturity of the hens. The eggs are sold at the Uni- versity Farm office and the Meats Lab. For more information about the eggs or the project, call the Uni- versity Farm office at (530) 898- 6343.