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Saturday, December 4, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Child’s public vomiting worries parents MIL’s malodorous mothballs DEAR DR. GOTT: My healthy and smart 8-year-old daughter vom- its in restaurants. When she was 3, she had a spell of vomiting over the course of a couple of weeks that we could not explain. Her pediatrician suggested keeping track of what she ate to see if there was a pattern with certain foods, because there was no abdominal pain and it was not con- sistent with motion sickness. We dis- covered that the vomiting often occurred after she consumed dairy products, so after another doctor visit, we limited dairy and used Lactaid tablets. The vomiting did not occur as often; however, we noticed it was still a problem in restau- rants. Then our daughter revealed some- thing: She got nervous in restaurants. She was afraid she would vomit and be embar- rassed and got herself so worked up she got sick. Back to the doctor we went. The doc- tor said kids usually grow out of lactose intolerance as she probably had but “some kids just barf a lot.” He said she would grow out of that, too. She still has the problem. It does not hap- pen at home or school, or in the homes of others. We are at a loss. Eating out is not enjoyable because everyone is on edge won- dering if she will get sick. We have had her talk with our pastor. We have tried rewards, praying, breathing exercises and distrac- tions. Some things work for a little while, maybe even months, but then it will sudden- ly and unexpectedly happen again. Could a medical issue be the cause? Please, Dr. Gott, any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. My hus- band and I are desperate to help our daugh- ter get over this. Thank you! DEAR READER: You certainly appear to have covered many of the bases but still have not hit a home run in resolving the problem. I do not believe the stress and anx- iety your daughter undergoes is related to an underlying medical condition, nor do I feel she does it for attention, but I don’t know her. Speak with her physician to be assured of her medical well-being. Vomiting can be the result of fear or emotional stress but can also represent a viral infection, milk allergy, a blocked intestine, tumor, gastritis and the reaction to specific smells or odors. These potential conditions are relatively easy to rule out with the assistance of laboratory work and X-rays. Again, because she does- n’t complain of pain, fever, diarrhea, headache and other common symptoms, my guess is that her testing will be normal. However, her pediatrician would be remiss if he or she did not consider the big picture. If her tests fail to reveal anything and she is an otherwise normal, physically healthy ANNOUNCEMENT DONALD B. WEBSTER, Attorney at Law, after practicing law for 60 years in Red Bluff, announces his retirement from practice and closure of his office as of December 31, 2010. Clients of Donald B. Webster, both present and past, may pick up their office files, if desired, by contacting the law office at 530-527-0114 to make arrangements to do so. Return of files must be concluded no later than February 1, 2011 Dr. Peter Gott child, request a referral to a child therapist with whom she feels comfortable and can see regularly. While you might give the ther- apist a heads-up, she should be allowed to speak freely without a parent sitting nearby coaching her. Then back off as much as possible when an 8-year-old is involved. Allow your daughter to establish a relationship with the therapist, one she feels will help her now and in the future when other issues could come to light. Everything may be stress related, but it may be difficult to understand why she only reaches her limit when in a restaurant. This should be investigated and dealt with. You have indicated that you are on edge when dining out, expecting a repeat of her normal pattern. Whether you express it outwardly or not, I am sure she is perceptive enough to sense how you feel. And she picks up on that, no matter how well you think you are concealing your feelings. A step you may or may not have consid- ered is to stay away from restaurants. From my perspective, it doesn’t appear worth putting your daughter through the trauma of public embarrassment. If there are com- pelling reasons for eating out, perhaps you can pick a corner table away from the hub of activity. Consider allowing her to bring a friend along so they can talk and giggle to reduce the tension level. Select a “restau- rant” that has outdoor tables, and weather permitting, eat out of doors. Allow her and her friend to bring a hand-held game board to divert her attention away from her sur- roundings. Rule out potential medical conditions, assure her that she can speak frankly with a professional therapist and see what tran- spires. To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Eating Disorders.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Newsletter and mailed 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.AskDr- GottMD.com. 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. Unique Holiday Gifts Nature Photography by Cuco Oropeza Prints 11x14 - $20 16x20 - $30 Gold Exchange 530 528-8000 423 Walnut St. Red Bluff SOFA & LOVESEAT SETS FROM Run for the 3RD ANNUAL $699 Dear Annie: My mother-in-law is coming to stay with us for a week- long visit. We get along OK for the most part. The problem is that she packs all of her belongings in mothballs — every last item. She keeps mothballs in her closets, her dresser drawers, her bath- rooms and bed- rooms. She even keeps a big box of them in the hall- way of her home. clothing and is unhealthy not only for your children, but for her. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Annie: My brother and his two sons live 100 miles away. When visiting me, they will knock on the door while they are actually entering the house. Some- times I’m not appropriately dressed, or I’m eat- ing or on the phone. My nephews are adults, When Mom comes to visit, the stench of the mothballs gives me such a bad headache that I often have to make excuses to leave the house. The moth- balls also have caused my daughters to have bad aller- gic reactions when their grandmother is around. The last time she was here, my baby got an eye infection from rubbing her eyes so much while Grandma was carrying her. After her last visit, the linens, the bed and my sofa reeked for months, even after being cleaned. My husband will not say any- thing to her about this for fear of insulting her. His answer is to book her a room at a nearby hotel and ignore the issue. The smell doesn’t bother him as much because he grew up with it. But I worry about my chil- dren’s health. What should I do? — Daughter-in-Law in Hawaii Dear Hawaii: No one should be overly exposed to the chemicals in mothballs, including Mom. Because she uses them so much, she has probably desensitized herself to the smell. It would be best to explain, lovingly and diplomatical- ly, that a strong scent of mothballs clings to her and they don’t visit often, but I’d like to know the correct etiquette. Should they knock and wait until told to come in? Should I tell my brother and his sons how I feel about their man- ners? I think they are being disrespectful, but I’m sure it is not intentional. I want to be able to tell them to stop without hurting their feelings. They are from a small town and may not know any better. — Raised Differently Christmas Sale Dear Raised: Yes, any- one who visits should knock or ring the bell and wait for the door to be opened. But this is why people have locks on their doors. That, of course, would be the simplest solu- tion to your problem. How- ever, if you insist on leav- ing your door open and pre- fer to say something to your nephews, try this: ‘‘I am so happy that you are visiting, but I would truly appreciate it if you could wait until I open the door. Sometimes I’m not dressed.’’ Dear Annie: I don’t agree with your advice to ‘‘California,’’ whose grown son acquired a car from his grandfather and didn’t tell Mom. You said he doesn’t need to tell her these things. COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. No matter if the son is in his 20s or 30s or more, he certainly should have shared his joy with his mother at receiving a vehi- cle (big-ticket item) from his grandfather — or at the very least mentioned the gift. She said they are in constant contact, and after all, the person who gave him the car is her father. I think the son’s oversight was extremely thoughtless. Of course her feelings were hurt. A close relation- ship means respect and courtesy, and it should go both ways. The son should understand that his lack of communication was rude. — Mother of Two Grown Sons Dear Mom: Respect is indeed a two-way street. Sonny Boy is an indepen- dent adult who is not obligated to tell his moth- er everything. He did not intend to hurt her feel- ings, nor was he rude. He was exercising his right to privacy. Our advice stands. 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. Needy 10K - 5K - 1 Mile Fun Walk/Run All profits from this event will be used to help needy individuals and families in Tehama County. When: Saturday, December 11, 2010 Where: Sacramento River Diversion Dam Red Bluff Pre-registration is recommended!! Please pre-register by Wednesday, December 8 Registration also available on event day. Download brochure and registration form at: www.sweatrc.com/sounds/run4needy.pdf Or pick up hard copy of brochure at: Tehama Family Fitness Center, 2498 S. Main, RB The Daily News, 545 Diamond Ave., RB The Salvation Army, 940 Walnut, RB Questions? Call Tom Moisey at 527-6138 Published through an event co-sponsorship with D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 STURDY RUSTIC BUNKBED $ 299 NORTH VALLEY MATTRESS 632 Main St., Red Bluff 527-5837 MON.-FRI. 9:00-5:30 • SAT. 9:00 -5:00 • CLOSED SUNDAYS RECLINERS $ 199 MATTRESS SETS YOUR CHOICE OF FIRMNESS $399 SPRING AIR QUEEN