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Tuesday, November 16, 2010 – Daily News – 3B FEATURES Friends find flirtatious fling Gaucher disease Dear Annie: ‘‘Roy’’ and I have been married for 43 years. We have two married children and several grand- children. We’ve had our share of prob- lems, but I have always trusted him — until now. Roy retired three years ago. Recently, close friends of ours informed me that they saw him at a diner on the outskirts of town, having lunch with a female in a ‘‘cozy’’ booth. Roy didn’t see my friends because he was apparently engrossed in conversation, laughing and smiling. My friends said at one point their hands touched across the table, and the husband said he saw them hug and briefly kiss at the woman’s car. I checked my husband’s calendar for that day, and it said he’d had a den- tist’s appointment. I remember Roy telling me it took a long time because there was a wait and then he went to the hardware store, where he ‘‘browsed.’’ I called our dentist and discovered he had no appointment that day. Annie, he lied to me about that entire day. I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. When Roy was still working, I heard rumors that he flirted with a woman in the office who had a thing for him, but I’m the type who disre- gards gossip. I had no reason to think Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Roy was being unfaithful, but now I have doubts. I’ve been told perhaps it’s an emotional affair, not sexual, but I don’t even know what that means. My question is, do I tell Roy what I know? My friend’s husband believes it is an innocent flirtation and thinks I should leave it alone. What do I do? — Very Unsure Dear Unsure: It could very well be an innocent flirtation, but the premedi- tated lying is disturbing. Without nam- ing your friends, tell Roy that he was spotted having a chummy lunch with some woman on the day he supposed- ly had a dentist’s appointment, and ask him what’s up. He needs to know that his tryst hurt you deeply. Dear Annie: Last night, I went out to dinner with my fiance, ‘‘Randy,’’ my father and my future mother-in-law. We were in the middle of making last- minute plans for the wedding when my father dropped the bombshell that he and Randy’s mother have been secretly seeing each other and are now engaged. Annie, what do I do? Is it OK for me to marry Randy if my father is married to his mother? I love Randy and cannot stand the thought of breaking off my engagement. I need help. — Freaking Out in Florida Dear Florida: Calm down. If your father marries Randy’s mother, it does not make Randy your brother. He becomes your stepbrother, which is not a blood relation. You can still marry him. Your father’s timing is rather questionable, so ask him to wait until you and Randy are wed before he makes any sudden moves. But every- thing else is OK. Dear Annie: ‘‘Mourning in Massa- chusetts’’ mentioned that she had ‘‘fol- lowed Al-Anon’s advice’’ in suspend- ing a relationship with her sister. It is not the practice of Al-Anon to give anyone advice on the choices they are faced with. Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help the families of alcoholics. The lit- erature says we do this by ‘‘practicing The Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alco- holics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.’’ It is not my goal to bring those who strug- gle with alcoholism to their recovery, but to work on returning my life to a useful and meaningful one, relieved of the frustration and pain of loving some- one who struggles with addiction. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify this point. — Anonymous Member of the Al-Anon Family Groups Dear Anonymous: Several readers pointed out that Al-Anon does not advise cutting off contact with alco- holics. Thanks for clearing that up. 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, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611. Christmas tree permits available Beginning Monday, November 15, Christmas tree permits will be avail- able from the Mendocino National Forest for the 2010 holiday season. Permits are available for purchase from area ven- dors, as well as either in person or by mail from Mendocino National Forest offices. Vendors are listed below with contact infor- mation for the Forest Ser- vice. Permits are $10 per tree and will be sold through Friday, Dec. 17. The per- mits are good through Dec. 24 and trees may be cut and removed any day of the week in any authorized area of the Mendocino National Forest. There is a limit of one permit per household. Up to four additional permits An exciting new project to increase student involvement in the public sphere, Economic Chal- lenges Series: State and National, is premiering on Nov. 17 and 18. First- and second-year economics students will make presen- tations on the ways recent economic crises affect U.S. and California economies. The student presentations will be fol- may be purchased for addi- tional households using separate names and addresses. Individuals must be 18 or older to purchase a permit. The Mendocino National Forest only accepts cash or check as payment for Christmas tree permits and sales are final, with no refunds. Permittees will receive a tree tag and map of the Forest. To purchase a permit by mail, send a printed name and mailing address, a printed name and address for each permit purchased, a daytime telephone num- ber, and a check or money order made out to "USDA Forest Service" for $10 for each permit to either the Willows, Upper Lake or Covelo offices with "Christ- mas Tree Permit" written on the outside of the enve- lowed by small group dis- cussions focused on pro- posed solutions. The Economic Chal- lenges Series will be held in the Bell Memorial Union, room 210, 6–8 p.m. next Wednesday and Thursday. Dessert and refreshments will be avail- able. The events are free and open to the public. The Principles of Macroanaly- sis class, taught by Profes- lope. Mail-in requests received after December 13 will not be filled. A form can be found online at www.fs.usda.gov/mendoci- no, under "Passes & Per- mits" and the subcategory "Forest Products Permits." If you are planning on cutting a Christmas tree for someone else who isn’t pre- sent, a Third Party Autho- rization must be in posses- sion of the cutter. This form is also available on the For- est Web site. Permit holders should be aware that federal and state quarantines to prevent the spread of sudden oak death (SOD) are in effect for Lake and Mendocino Counties. Any Douglas fir Christmas tree cut in these counties can only be transported into other SOD quarantine counties, including Alame- sor Ruben Sargsyan, has been preparing for this event all semester. At the first forum, students will make presentations on state issues, including the economic impact of illegal immigrants, job cuts and their effects on the state’s economy, and the effects of budget cuts on the unemployment rate and the CSU system. At the second forum, students da, Contra Costa, Hum- boldt, Marin, San Francis- co, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma. All Mendocino Nation- al Forest offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 25 in observance of Thanksgiv- ing. Christmas tree permits can be purchased from the following offices and ven- dors: • Flournoy Country Store, 16140 Paskenta Road, Flournoy, CA 96029, (530) 833-5305 Hours: Monday-Thurs- day 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday- Saturday 6 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 6 a.m.-7 p.m. • Sacramento River Dis- covery Center, 1000 Sale Lane, Red Bluff, CA 96080, (530) 527-1196, Hours: Tuesday-Satur- day 11 a.m.-4 p.m. New series explores state and national economic challenges will make presentations on national topics: the future of social security, the national debt and its effect on college students, the unemployment rate and the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The presenters would like you to RSVP for one or both of the events by calling the FYE Office at 530-898-3705 or e-mail- ing fye@csuchico.edu. DEAR DR. GOTT: My granddaughter has been diagnosed with Gaucher’s dis- ease. She is a 20- year-old college stu- dent and has been able to keep up with work and travel opportunities so far. Has anything new been discovered about this illness? What treatment is avail- able? Both her father and mother are carriers, and I found that I am, too. On my side, I realized that my grandfather must have been a carrier, since both his sisters died as young women. My own doctor knows very little about this illness. I know it is rare. Please let me know if, and where, it is being studied. Thank you. DEAR READER: Gaucher’s (pronounced go-shayz) disease is genetic, meaning it is caused by an inherited malformation. This caus- es a deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosi- dase, which is responsi- ble for metabolizing the fatty substance gluco- cerebroside. It most com- monly occurs in those of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish descent. There are 34 known mutations than can cause the disorder. Of these, four account for 95 per- cent of all cases that affect those of Askenazi descent and 50 percent of all cases within the gen- eral population. There are three types of Gaucher. Type 1 is the most common, account- ing for 90 percent of all cases. It can occur at any age but is most common in adults, with the aver- age age of 30 at the time of diagnosis. It doesn’t typically damage the brain but can cause skele- tal abnormalities, nose- bleeds, an enlarged spleen and/or liver, yel- low spots in the eyes, delayed puberty, exces- sive fatigue, anemia and susceptibility to bruising. Type 2 is rare and the most severe form. It develops during a baby’s first year and progresses rapidly. Symptoms include those of type 1 and also rigidity, cogni- tive deterioration (includ- ing mental retardation and dementia) and seizures. Type 3 is also rare and typically begins in child- hood or adolescence. It progresses more slowly than type 2 and tends to be chronic. The brain is affected, but this is usual- ly milder than type 2. Dr. Peter Gott Symptoms may include any of those in the first two types but may occur more fre- quently . Abnormal eye movements and loss of muscle coor- dination may also be seen. Diagnosis can be con- firmed by evaluating lev- els of the deficient enzyme and/or through genetic testing. Type 1 may not require treatment if symptoms are mild. Both type 1 and type 3 can also be treated with enzyme- replacement therapy, bone marrow transplant and medication. There is no specific treatment for type 2. Those with mild forms of Gaucher’s, especially those who develop it in adulthood, can expect close to normal life expectancies. Children with type 2 do not often live past age 2. Those with type 3 who survive into their teens generally live for many more years. Gaucher’s disease can be difficult to deal with for both the sufferer and his or her family. Based on your letter, I suspect your granddaughter may have a mild form, and, if this is the case, she may not need treatment at all. You do not say whether she is receiving treatment and, if so, what kind; therefore, I cannot offer you any other advice. I do recommend that she be under the care of a physician familiar with this disorder. She may also benefit from a sup- port group, likely online due to the rare nature of her illness. You and she may also wish to check out the National Gaucher Foundation website (www.GaucherDisease.o rg) to keep up to date with research, clinical trials (of which there are several currently recruit- ing), treatment and more. You can also phone 800- 504-3189 or write for further information to the National Gaucher Foun- dation, 2227 Idlewood Road, Suite 6, Tucker, GA 30084. 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. Tehama County’s Personal/Professional Service Directory Bankruptcy Attorney Local Bankruptcy Attorney Jocelyn C. Olander 530-824-0288 Free Consultation Payment Plans Available Web: www.jcoattyatlaw.com email: mail@jcoatty atlaw.com A federally qualified Debt Relief Agency under 11 U.S.C. 101(12(A)) Clock Repair 530-736-7079 Grandpa’s Clocks Jim Paul 20910 Pebblestone Dr. Red Bluff Shelf & 31 Day Clocks Repaired Call for appt. Member NAWCC Cuckoo Clocks, Anniversary, Wall, Clock Repair AT YOUR SERVICE! $ 9900 3 month Advertisement If this was your Service Directory ad customers would be reading it right now!! Call us at 527-2151 For more information James W. 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