Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/29370
4B – Daily News – Friday, April 15, 2011 Slacker sire sapping savings Osteoarthritis surgery alternatives Dear Annie: I am 21 and have a baby with my bo yfriend, ‘‘Emmett,’’ who is 19. I love him dearly, but I don’t know what to do with him. He is unemployed and goes out all the time. I am stuck with Annie’s Mailbox two young chil- dren at home while Emmett does nothing but sleep and party. I continue to support him, but he hardly helps with the kids or around the house. There are several minimum wage positions available to him, but he’s stubborn and wants something better. He says he wants to sup- port the family on his own. As much as I would love that, it’s just not possible at this time. by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar and father. He wants to have fun with his friends. He resents having to work for a liv- ing and support a family. You cannot force him to grow up. Frankly, you’d be better off finan- cially if you asked him to leave and sued for child sup- port. Dear Annie: I Also, Emmett is mean, saying I complain too much about what he needs to do, that it will happen in time. I’ve suggested coun- seling because we fight so much, but he refuses. Meanwhile, he is draining my finances with his con- stant speeding tickets and, most recently, a broken car window that I cannot afford to fix. How do I convince him to settle for a minimum wage job and work on our relationship before it’s too late? — Love Struck for a Mule Dear Love Struck: You sound like a sensible woman, but Emmett is 19 and not mature enough to be a responsible partner work for a small company, and like many others, we’ve had cutbacks, lay- offs and reduced benefits. One co-worker uses her time to manage her per- sonal life. She does very little work. She is con- stantly texting, writing e- mails to friends and updat- ing her blog, and she bla- tantly lies about the length of time she takes for a lunch break. The company is paying her to do nothing, while others have lost their jobs. I brought this situation to the attention of the man- agers last year, and her behavior has only wors- ened. I feel it is immoral for her to be paid a full salary for not working, while others are being cut back. How far up the corpo- rate chain should I take this without risking my own job? — Frustrated Worker Dear Frustrated: If your company has an HR department, you can regis- ter a complaint there. It’s possible this woman has some kind of ‘‘protected’’ status. While it isn’t fair, you cannot force manage- ment to get rid of her. The best you can do is focus on your own job and try to ignore her. FEATURES DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 75- Dear Annie: I’d like to share my solution for teaching children manners. When my kids were 9, 8 and 7, we started a tradi- tion of formal Thursday night dinners. I would shop in the morning and cook all afternoon, and then we would eat in the dining room with the good china, silver and crystal. The children had a choice: If they wished to build mashed potato forts and shoot each other with pea cannonballs, that was fine. But it meant they would have their supper in the kitchen. On the other hand, if they wished to eat with us in the dining room, they had to use their very best grownup manners. That included eating with the proper forks from a choice of at least three, as well as two knives. They always chose the dining room, and their manners were impeccable. I’m proud of them. — No Pea Shooters in My Home Dear No: Very impres- sive. You made eating in the dining room a way to feel grown up and accom- plished. It undoubtedly was a source of pride for them, as well. Annie’s Snippet for Income Tax Day (author unknown): Did you ever notice that when you put the words ‘‘The’’ and ‘‘IRS’’ together, it spells ‘‘THEIRS’’? year-old with severe osteoarthritis in both knees. I have done well without knee-replacement surgery, owing to a knowledgeable physi- cal therapist. The therapy goal of nearly a year ago was to walk a new puppy a short distance. Early last year, a torn cartilage was surgically repaired, but the post-op pain continued. Cortisone injections offered no relief. A wheelchair was necessary to get any distance. Otherwise, a cane was nec- essary for support. Periodically, a lido- caine patch was applied with limited pain relief. Dr. Peter Gott writing. Six months post-therapy, I wear braces for support on both legs while walking my now year-old dog two miles — with- out pain. I also exercise and participate in yoga at a local health center comfortably and without the braces. The purpose of my letter is to share my story to encourage other patients to consider alternative treatments before rushing to a surgical option. DEAR READER: And encourage them you will. Osteoarthritis is a com- mon disorder that can be extremely debil- itating. It is more common in older peo- ple than it is in those younger, and women are affected twice as often as men. Treatment is directed toward control- ling the pain while maintaining regular movement and preventing joint deformi- ty. Over-the-counter acetaminophen such as Tylenol is often the first step, because it has fewer side effects than some other choices. Other OTCs include topical skin creams such as Castiva, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or a glucosamine/chondroitin combination. Corticosteroids injected directly into the painful joint might fall into the line of progression; however, more than two or three a year could be harmful in the long run, and relief is limited in terms of time. On the home front and only with the permission of a personal physician, read- ers might ask an opinion regarding apply- ing heat/ice to affected knees, weight loss Readers who would like additional information can order my Health Report “Understanding Osteoarthritis” by send- ing 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 web- site’s direct link at www.AskDr- GottMD.com/order_form.pdf. DEAR DR. GOTT: In a recent article on constipation, you listed bran as one ingredient in your remedy. I know what bran is, but where can I buy it? I have been unable to find it in any store, nor have any clerks heard of such a product. DEAR READER: To the best of my knowledge, products such as Kellogg’s All-Bran, Quaker Oat Bran and many others are available in the cereal aisle of most grocery stores. Bran by itself may be beneficial, so if you buy muffins, waf- fles and other products, be sure to read labels because many commercial oat- and wheat-bran products contain a minimal amount of bran but lots of sodium and fat. Furthermore, oat-bran fiber can lower the absorption of statin medications pre- scribed for lowering cholesterol. 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. Avoid common mistakes when filing your tax return Here are some ways to avoid common tax return errors. File electronically. Filing elec- tronically, whether through e-file or IRS Free File, vastly reduces the errors in a tax return, as the tax software does the calculations, flags common errors and prompts the taxpayers for missing informa- tion. Remember Making Work Pay. The Making Work Pay tax credit –– available in 2009 and 2010 –– is worth up to $400 for individuals and $800 for married couples. Most people got it as a reduction to their paycheck with- holding. Form 1040 filers must complete Schedule M, attach it to their returns, and claim the credit to benefit from it. (Tax software handles these calculations auto- matically for e-filers.) Mail a paper return to the right address. Paper filers should check the appropriate address where to file in IRS.gov or their form instructions to avoid delays in processing. Fill in all requested information clearly, including Social Security numbers. Check only one filing status. Also, check the appropriate exemption boxes. When you enter Social Security numbers, make sure they are correct. Double check all figures. While software catches and pre- vents many errors on e-file returns, math errors remain com- mon on paper returns. Get the right routing and account numbers. Requesting a federal refund directly deposited into one, two or even three accounts is convenient and allows the taxpayer access to his or her money faster. Sign and date the return. If you are filing a joint return, both you and your spouse must sign and date the return. E-filers can sign using a self-selected personal identification number (PIN). Attach forms to the front of the return. Paper filers need to attach W-2s and other forms that reflect tax withholding, as well as other necessary forms and sched- ules, to the front of their returns. Request a Filing Extension. If you cannot meet the April 18 deadline, requesting a filing exten- sion for your return is easy and will prevent late filing penalties. Do you owe tax? If so, a num- ber of e-payment options are available. Or send a check or money order payable to the "Unit- ed States Treasury." 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Perhaps they could also benefit from physical therapy, acupuncture or yoga. As you pointed out, a cane, brace or wheelchair might be of assistance. Following all this, surgery might be necessary. I certainly take your position that numerous steps can be included into each day before this impor- tant step is taken. Thank you for C n A A S o l l D i t e A D c n N u s Y A t s C S r ' ✄ ✄ G C N A I N P N A