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2B Daily News – Thursday, December 19, 2013 FEATURES Hyperthyroidism treatment options But it is next to DEAR DOCimpossible to be TOR K: What are exact and to get it the treatment "just right." Docoptions for hypertors would rather thyroidism? Can err in the direction you discuss the of giving you a pros and cons of high-enough dose each one? to make sure an DEAR READoveractive thyroid ER: The thyroid Dr. K gland is fixed gland in your neck by Anthony L. makes thyroid hor- Komaroff, M.D. once and for all. As a result, unless mone. This chemical circulates in the blood a person is lucky, the dose and affects the functioning of the radioactive iodine of every cell in your body. will be slightly more than It is essential for life, but required — and your thyyou need to have just the roid will be underactive right amount circulating, from now on. That's an easy problem not too much and not too to deal with. You will take little. Normally, your thyroid thyroid hormone for the gland doles out just the rest of your life. A pill right amount of thyroid will give you the extra hormone to keep your thyroid hormone you body running smoothly. need, because your thyBut sometimes the thyroid roid gland is not making does not produce enough it. Side effects (from a hormone, slowing down proper dose) are minimal, all of your body's func- and the treatment leaves tions. This condition is you feeling well. — Anti-thyroid drugs called hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. Or block the thyroid gland's the thyroid can produce ability to make the hortoo much hormone, send- mone. The advantage of ing your systems into anti-thyroid drugs is that overdrive. This condition they do not leave your is known as hyperthy- thyroid permanently damroidism, or overactive thy- aged. The downside is that you can't predict how roid. A person with hyper- long you'll need to take thyroidism can experience them. And, although it a range of symptoms doesn't happen often, the including insomnia, drugs can produce serious excess sweating, racing side effects, including heartbeat, shortness of liver failure. — Surgery to remove all breath, exhaustion, nervousness, weight loss, a or part of the thyroid is safe voracious appetite and and highly effective. But if your entire thyroid gland is diarrhea. The goal of treatment is removed, your body will no to stop the thyroid gland longer produce thyroid horfrom making too much mone. As a result, you will thyroid hormone and to become hypothyroid and fight the effects of too need thyroid hormone much hormone. There are replacement for life. The final treatment three ways to do this: — Radioactive iodine decision rests on a number destroys part of your thy- of factors, including your roid in order to reduce age, the cause of your your body's production of condition and its severity. thyroid hormone. Your Make sure you understand doctor must estimate how the benefits and drawmuch radioactive iodine to backs of your options. give you to make your And don't hesitate to seek thyroid gland produce a second opinion from a normal levels of hormone. thyroid specialist. Don't fall for charity scams following disasters The IRS warns consumers not to fall for bogus charity scams. They often occur in the wake of major disasters like the recent tornadoes in the Midwest or the typhoon in the Philippines. Thieves play on the goodwill of people who want to help disaster victims. They pose as a real charity in order to steal money or get private information to commit identity theft. The scams use different tactics. Offering charity relief, criminals often: • Claim to be with real charities to gain public trust. • Use names similar to legitimate charities. • Use email to steer people to bogus websites that often look like real charity sites. • Contact people by phone or email to get them to 'donate' money or give their financial information. The IRS offers the following tips to help taxpayers who wish to donate to victims: • Donate to qualified charities. Use the Exempt Organizations Select Check tool at IRS.gov to find qualified charities. Only donations to qualified organizations are tax-deductible. You can also find legitimate charities at the Federal Emergency Management Agency website, fema.gov. For more information about the kinds of charities that can receive deductible contributions, see Publication 526, Charitable Contributions. • Don't give out information. Don't give your Social Security number, credit card and bank account numbers or passwords to anyone. Scam artists use this information to steal your identity and money. • Don't give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, don't give or send cash. Contribute by check, credit card or another way that provides documentation of the donation. • Report suspected fraud. If you suspect tax or charity-related fraud, visit IRS.gov and click on 'Reporting Phishing' at the bottom of the home page. Get more information about tax scams and schemes at IRS.gov. Click on 'Tax Fraud & Abuse' at the bottom of the home page. You can also get Publication 526 at IRS.gov or call 800-TAX-FORM (800-8293676). The Over 25 years of experience STOVE JUNCTION The North State's premier supplier of stoves Now Carrying! Green Mountain Grills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Reader is attracted to transexual Now I am having a hard Dear Annie: I have a time wanting to get together problem, and I'm not sure with my family. I have adult how my family will react. grandchildren, one of whom I'm attracted to transsexuis already married. I get no als — well, one in particuassistance from any of them. lar — but I'm not gay. It's just something they Some of the transsexuals expect me to do. No one I've spoken to don't look as helps with the cooking or if they are male at all. They easily could pass for Annie's cleaning up afterward. They all wait until the last minute female since birth. I don't to arrive and sit around want my family to think I'm gay, because I'm not. by Kathy Mitchell while I get everything on the How do I tell them? — and Marcy Sugar table. After the meal, they go downstairs to chat while I Pennsylvania Pete Dear Pete: A transsexual is am stuck with the kitchen cleanup. I am tired, and I feel used. How someone who has undergone the physical and emotional transforma- can these adults not see the need to tion from one gender to another. It respect and appreciate all the times is not a simple process. It requires I have done this? My younger surgery, hormones and counseling. grandchildren enjoy the family getA male who has become female is togethers and don't understand why now female. She isn't some guy I am not enthusiastic about them. temporarily masquerading as a How do I handle this? — Tired of woman. And she is entitled to have Doing All the Holiday Planning Dear Tired: You have to tell a romantic life, the same as any other woman. There is no reason for them. For years, you have done all you to broadcast her prior history to the work and asked for nothing. anyone. Of course, if the only rea- You've trained them to think this is son you are involved with her is OK. They may even believe that because you find her background you prefer it this way. So speak up. exotic or you are turned on by the Let them know they are expected to fact that she used to be male, that is contribute by helping with the a different psychological issue and cooking, setting the table and one you might want to examine cleaning up afterward. They can chat while washing dishes. Assign more closely. Dear Annie: When my mother- specific duties to each person, and in-law was still living, I always include the younger grandchildren helped her organize the holiday so they learn that family meals are meals. After she died, I began doing a group responsibility. If your chilit myself. I always plan a nice din- dren and grandchildren refuse to pitch in, inform them that you will ner. Mailbox no longer host these gatherings because it is too much work for you. You deserve a rest. Dear Annie: I could relate to the letter from ''Mom from Montana,'' whose new daughter-in-law was angry about the dress she wore to the wedding. I agree with you that the bride is just looking for an excuse to cut off contact. Our daughter-in-law of 18 years acts the same way. It doesn't matter what we do to please her — it is never right. We've held our tongues and have continued to be gracious, hoping she will mature, but it hasn't happened. We were ignored at the children's baptisms and birthdays. Our son sees all of this, but he is caught in the middle, and we don't want to make it worse for him. We were tempted to cut off our daughter-in-law from birthday and Christmas gifts, but didn't want to stoop to her level. I would suggest that ''Montana'' continue to be kind to her son's wife, but start inviting him to ''stop by.'' When our son visits without his wife, we have a wonderful time. — Nebraska 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. Will I be taxed on my son's generosity? ident since 2005 (not counting out-of- attempt to resolve things with the other party first, before disputing state real estate) reaches the charge. $2 million. Minnesota Once you have disputed has a $1 million gift the charge, the credit-card tax exemption. issuer has to determine Dear Mary: I had whether you received the unsatisfactory work goods and or services you done by a painting contracted for and if you contractor so I disputed have made every attempt the credit-card payment. But to work this out with the the credit-card company concontractor. tinues to insist that I pay the From what you write, bill. Isn't this the same as this is not a billing error, stopping payment on a Mary but rather it is a matter of check? I paid with a credit quality and customer satcard so I would have this isfaction. Working directbackup in case something ly with the contractor is went wrong. -- Phil, Califorprobably the best way nia you can get this matter Dear Phil: Challenging a settled. If after every charge on a credit card is one attempt, you are unable to of the benefits you enjoy when you choose that form of pay- work out a favorable decision with ment. And by law, once you make a your credit-card issuer, find out what dispute, the credit card issuer is sup- help your state consumer protection posed to conduct an investigation and agency can provide. For contact withhold payment until the matter is information, go to consumeracresolved. So you are absolutely right tion.gov/state/shtml. And if all else fails, and you must on that. However, there is a bit more to it. The bill must exceed $50 and the make payment in order to protect your dispute must have occurred in your credit rating, you have the option of home state or within 100 miles of your suing in your county's small claims billing address. Lastly, you must court. Dear Mary: I am retired and my son wants to give me money to buy a house as a gift. Will I be taxed on the money? If so, are there ways to avoid or reduce the amount I will be taxed? Lucy, email Dear Lucy: How lovely is this? And I have good news for you: Gifts between individuals are taxfree to the recipient. Only the gift giver -- in this case, your generous son -- is responsible for taxes. How much? Well, that depends on the size of the gift. Your son will not likely have to pay taxes on his gift unless he has exhausted his lifetime gift-tax exemption. Under current law, each of us can give away or leave up to $5.25 million over our lifetimes without owing federal gift and estate tax. Your son will have to file a gift-tax return if the amount is more than the annual exemption limit ($14,000 in 2013). The amount of the gift that is over the limit will be deducted from his lifetime gift-tax exemption amount. Only two states, Connecticut and Minnesota, impose their own gift tax. Connecticut gift tax is owed when the value of all taxable gifts made by a res- Hunt Everyday Cheapskate Winter weather to allow for burning at Lassen MINERAL — Lassen Volcanic National Park is taking advantage of the favorable winter weather and snowy conditions to hand ignite burn piles along the Warner Valley road. Piles are generally constructed by hand into a teepee shape with finer fuels in the center and larger fuels towards the outside. This helps fire fighters ignite the piles even after some precipitation has fallen and contribute to better pile consumption. Piles intended for burn- ing are all associated with hazardous fuel reduction projects designed to protect park infrastructure and minimize intensity from unwanted wildfires. These piles have cured over the last several years making them ideal for burning and will contribute to almost complete consumption. For more information, and specific information regarding pile burn locations please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/lavo or contact the superintendent's office at (530) 595-6102 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Snow Goose Festival set for January Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 25-26, located at the Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Ave. in Chico. Bring the entire family and enjoy exhibits and a variety of free presentations and activities including All about Bats, Raptors and Rehab, Wetlands' Wildlife, the ever-popular Junior Naturalist Activity Center, and much, much more. Online registration is now open for all events including field trips, workshops and Saturday evening's Registration is now open for the 15th Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway. Experience the wonders of the Pacific Flyway at the festival Jan. 2226 in Chico. This five-day event celebrates the local and migratory waterfowl of the Northern Sacramento Valley and offers over 70 field trips, workshops and activities for birding and nature enthusiasts of all ages. Admission is free to the festival headquarters and various events on RUNNINGS ROOFING Sheet Metal Roofing Residential Commercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane "No Job Too Steep" " No Job Too Flat" Serving Tehama County No Money 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 CA. LIC#829089 Down! FREE ESTIMATES Owner is on site on every job Gathering of Wings Banquet & Silent Auction. 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