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Monday, March 28, 2011 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Hexagenarian hops harrowing hurdle Dear Annie: I am a 65- year-old male who has been involved in an exclusive relationship for the past four years. ‘‘Betty’’ is 56, and we get along great, travel frequently and have an active sex life. Several months ago, I began to notice that Betty was becoming quite distant, emotionally and physically. I was frustrated, but didn’t make a big deal out of it. However, quite by accident, I discovered that she was active on a dating website. Upon further snoop- ing, I discovered four months of e- mail exchanges with another man. Some of the e-mails were quite inti- mate, and a few had sexual refer- ences. I was devastated, to say the least. I confronted Betty, and she ini- tially denied it. But when presented with the evidence, she confessed. She said she met the guy twice but nothing sexual happened. I believe her. She said the relationship died out on its own, and the e-mails seem to confirm this. She says she loves me and wants to work it out. I will forgive her, but I’m having a hard time with it. I simply can’t get her betrayal off my mind and worry that I will never be able to trust her. How does one forget? How does one repair what has been lost? — Lost that Trusting Feeling Dear Lost: It takes time, but it can be done. You must make a con- scious effort to push this betrayal The next General Meeting of California Retired Teachers Asso- ciation, Mt. Lassen Division 9, will be in Corning at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 11. The meeting will be at Round Table Pizza which is in the Safeway Shopping Center just south of Corning Ford. Lunch will be all you can eat pizza, salad bar, Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar out of your mind, and Betty needs to be completely transparent and honest in all her dealings. Her behavior must be beyond reproach since she has to earn your trust again. If you cannot get there on your own, please talk to a counselor, prefer- ably with Betty, and work on this together. Dear Annie: I am a high school senior and am really quiet and shy. I want to be more outgoing, but the problem is public speaking. I freak out when I have to speak in front of people. We have a project coming up that requires talking in front of the class. I want to be more confident, but I get scared and whis- per. Since I’m going away to col- lege soon, I thought I should try to overcome this. Can you help? — Quiet and Scared Dear Quiet: First of all, you are not alone. Thousands of people suf- fer from some form of speech anxi- ety. A lot of this is from the mistak- en notion that the speech must be perfect, and a great deal of anxiety can be overcome with relaxation techniques. You can find some good suggestions and tips through Toast- masters International (toastmas- ters.org). Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Not in the Cards,’’ whose husband was seriously ill. She wanted his family to be updated about his medical condition, but they gave her a hard time about it. and dessert twists. As you enter Round Table, identify yourself as a CalRTA member and pay for you lunch. You will receive a free drink coupon. The total price for each individual buffet meal will be $7.57. The business portion of the meeting will include the election of officers, discussion of I want to let your readers know about Caring Bridge (caring- bridge.org). It is a free website, sup- ported solely by donations, that allows caregivers or family mem- bers to keep friends and family updated on the medical progress of someone with a critical health issue. My daughter has been using the Caring Bridge website to keep us updated on the progress of our ‘‘tiny angel’’ (our granddaughter), who was born after 24 weeks gestation, weighing only one pound. Our granddaughter is doing amazingly well, and we are all thankful that Caring Bridge has allowed family and friends all over the country to see pictures and read the journal of her progress. There were days when our granddaughter’s progress was hard to talk about. The website has been a godsend and has saved my daughter from the stress of many phone calls and e-mails during this difficult time. — Grateful Nana Dear Nana: Thank you so much for letting our readers know about this useful and compassionate web- site. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family. 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. Retired teachers to meet in Corning plans for Division 9’s sixtieth anniversary cel- ebration, committee reports, and the award- ing of door prizes. After the business meeting and lunch, we will take field trip to Lucero Olive Oil for a presentation about the growth of this local company, a tour of the manufacturing and ship- ping facility, and olive oil tasting. Donations are still being accepted for the local CalRTA scholar- ship fund. Division 9’s goal is to award a $1000 scholarship to a student teaching candidate dur- ing the 2011-12 school year. For directions or more information, call Jerry Dunham at 899- 8393. Museum Without Walls lecture series kicks off Gateway Science Museum and the College of Natural Sciences at Califor- nia State University, Chico will begin its spring Museum Without Walls Lec- ture Series Wednesday, April 6 at the Chico Area Recreation District Center. The four-part series, Microbes on Extreme Missions, highlights how we benefit from microbes in our everyday lives and explores the role of microbes in extreme environments such as Lassen’s Boiling Springs Lake and the frozen waters of the Antarctic. The lecture series opens with Larry Hanne, professor, Department of Bio- logical Sciences at CSU, Chico, who conducts research on bacteria and teaches medical bacteriology and gen- eral virology. Hanne’s lecture, “Small Things Considered, Microbes: The Good Without the Bad and Ugly,” focuses on how microbes positively affect our daily lives, and how they can be harnessed for the benefit of society. Program highlights include how bacte- ria are used in environmental clean-up efforts and methods for using bacteria to make a biodegradable plastic from agricultural waste. Each MWOW lecture is on a Wednesday night and begins at 7:30 p.m. at the CARD Center, 545 Val- lombrosa Ave., Chico. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. A question-and- answer period will follow each pro- gram. Additional lectures in the MWOW spring series include “Mud, Germs, and Steam: the Microbes of Boiling Springs Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park,” by Gordon Wolfe, pro- fessor, Department of Biological Sci- ences, April 13; “From Microbes to Penguins, Seals and Whales – Antarctica, the White Continent,” by Patricia Edel- mann, professor emerita, Department of Biological Sciences, April 20; “Microbes and The Wastewater Treat- ment Plant: An Unusual Partnership?” by Marc Sulik and Debbie Stolp, city know, Japan suffered a devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11. More than 24,000 peo- ple passed away and are missing as of March 22. In conjunction with the 3rd annual Far East Fusion cultural event on Saturday, April 9 at Chico State’s Creekside Plaza and Sylvester's Café, a fund- raising art auction will help raise funds for the devastated Japanese peo- ple. Donations of any art items would really appre- ciated. Artworks can be Degenerative disorder CMT hereditary DEAR DR. GOTT: My hus- band was diag- nosed with CMT (Charcot-Marie- Tooth). We have been told that there is no cure and that it is a genetic dis- order. Do you know anything about recent stud- ies to stop the pro- gression of this disease or any research that has been done to restore the myelin sheath surrounding his nerves? Dr. Peter Gott py may be more beneficial for those who also have hand and arm in v olvement. Occupational ther- apy differs from physical therapy in that it is specifical- ly designed to make normal daily activities easier. For those with severe foot deformities, corrective surgery may be helpful. In addition, the braces on his legs are cumber- some and they hurt him. Do you have any sugges- tions for a different type of treatment that he might try? Thank you so much. DEAR READER: Charcot-Marie-Tooth dis- ease is a group of heredi- tary disorders that affect the nerves in the arms and legs. It is caused by a genetic mutation. It can result in damage directly to the nerves that serve the extremities, or it can dam- age the myelin sheath of these nerves. Myelin is a fatty substance that covers all nerves as a form of pro- tection. Whether the nerve or the myelin is affected, the end result is the same: weaker, or sometimes absent, signals from the arms, hand, feet and legs to the brain and vice versa. Symptoms typically of Chico Wastewater Treatment Plant, April 27. The spring MWOW is an extension of the Gateway Science Museum’s current exhibit, “Microbes: Invisible Invaders…Amazing Allies,” which runs through May 30. The interactive exhibit reveals what microbes are (bacteria, viruses, fungi and proto- zoa—“germs” to most people), explores a history of infectious dis- eases and shows how researchers and individuals fight infection worldwide. The exhibit is sponsored by Pfizer Inc. and produced by Evergreen Exhibi- tions in collaboration with the Nation- al Institutes of Health. Gateway Science Museum is open Wednesday – Friday, noon-5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The museum is located at 625 Esplanade. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children and free for museum members. For more information, please visit www.gatewayscience.org. Japan art auction fundraiser set in Chico As many people already delivered to the Art Department office between Monday April 4 and Fri- day April 8. For questionsor more information contact Masa- mi by e-mail mtoku@csuchico.edu or call the CSU Chico Art Department at 898-5331. first appear in the feet and lower legs during adoles- cence or early adulthood. As the disease progresses, symptoms may involve the thighs, arms and hands as well. Severity ranges wide- ly, even among family members also affected. Common symptoms include hammertoes, high foot arches, loss of muscle bulk in legs and feet, foot- drop, frequent tripping or falling, numbness or decreased sensation in the feet and legs, awkward or higher-than-normal gait, decreased ability to run, and weakness of the feet, ankles and legs. There is no cure for CMT; however, there are some treatments. Medica- tion to control pain (an uncommon symptom) may be used. More commonly, physical and/or occupa- tional therapy is advised. These may also be used in conjunction with orthope- dic devices, such as leg and ankle braces or splints. Physical therapy involves muscle stretching and strengthening and low- impact exercises. If started early and done regularly, therapy can effectively delay some nerve deterio- ration. Occupational thera- Self-help options include daily stretching and exercising, wearing properly fitting, protective shoes, soaking and mois- turizing the feet, keeping nails trimmed, and inspect- ing the feet daily for wounds (to prevent infec- tion). You may wish to visit the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association’s website, www.cmtausa.org. There, you can find further infor- mation regarding the disor- der and treatment, physi- cians familiar with the condition, support groups and more. DEAR DR. GOTT: I have two friends who have lost 40 and 50 pounds very quickly on the hCG diet. They swear that it was fair- ly easy to do. Is it safe? I have heard that it can cause cancer. Please give me the true facts. Thanks. DEAR READER: I pre- viously wrote about the hCG diet in September 2010. You can find my article on my website (www.AskDrGottMD.com /newest-diet-fad-should- be-avoided). HCG is human chori- onic gonadotropin, a hor- mone found in pregnant women. It is currently pre- scribed by physicians as a fertility treatment. I believe this diet has gained popularity because it appeals to the American mentality of getting what you want without putting in the necessary effort. I also believe that this is not a wholly safe diet; there- fore, I cannot condone it. There is the saying “any- thing worth doing is worth doing right.” That means taking responsibility and making positive changes in eating and exercise habits. 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. NEED PAINT? Tehama County has a FREE paint swap for County residents! You can donate leftover latex paint to the paint swap at the Tehama County/Red Bluff Landfill, or you can take home paint that someone else has donated. It’s a great way to reuse leftover paint, and a great bargain, too! Donate Paint • Latex only • Paint can must have a label • Paint can must be rust and dent-free and have a tight fitting lid Pick up Paint The Voice of Tehama County Since 1885 • Tehama County residents 18 years or older • Free! Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm, Saturdays & Sundays 8am-2:30pm Location: Tehama County/Red Bluff Landfill, 19995 Plymire Road, Red Bluff Donation Limit: Join the conversation.... www.redbluffdailynews.com Maximum of 15 gallons per customer, per day, space permitting. Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). For more information, call 528-1103