Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/32062
Friday, May 20, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Perplexed pupil potential piker Dear Annie: I am a col- lege student. I graduated from community college with an associate’s degree in December and am finish- ing my first semester at the university. No matter how hard I try (tutoring, study- ing more and for longer hours), I am not doing well. I don’t think college is for me, and I want to drop out. The problem is, I don’t Annie’s Mailbox know how to tell my par- ents about my decision. They have always said that school is the most important thing. They would be terribly hurt and disap- pointed if one of their children quit. I have told them what a hard time I’m having, and they say as long as I’m trying my best, there is nothing to be ashamed of and I should sim- ply study more. But I am frustrated. I can’t put more into it than I already do. by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar cess. And perhaps you might consider returning to school after taking a year off to travel or work. Explore all your options. If you can present your par- ents with some concrete plans for your future, they will be more open to your ideas. Dear Annie: I have wit- nessed my neighbors abus- ing their children. The preschoolers lived in so much fear of their father My parents don’t understand what I’m going through. How do I discuss it with them? — Sick of Being a Failure Dear Sick: Your parents want you to have the education that will best prepare you for a well-rounded life and a good job. First, see if you can lighten your course load, taking fewer classes or ones that are not so demanding. Discuss your problems with an adviser. Also take some time to consider your future plans. Think of the type of career you would be interested in and what is required to achieve it. A four-year degree is not the only path to suc- that they would hide behind my house. They showed me their bruis- es and told me about the horrific beatings. I immediately contacted Child Protective Services, but a week later, the abuse was still con- tinuing. I contacted CPS again and was told there was an ‘‘appoint- ment’’ scheduled with the parents the following week. I said those kids could be dead in a week. I then called the police, who responded immediately. My other neighbors had also contacted CPS without success. We agreed to call 911 any time we saw or heard abuse. The police responded imme- diately, every time. Child Protective Services inves- tigates reports of abuse, but it takes time. If you believe a child is in danger, call 911. It could save a life. — Stop Child Abuse Dear Stop: Thank you for reminding our readers that in cases requiring an immediate response, the police are the appro- priate authority to call because they are trained for such emergen- cies. Cases of child abuse would then be reported to Child Protec- tive Services, which would inves- tigate and determine whether the child should be removed from the home. Dear Annie: This is in response to ‘‘Quiet and Scared,’’ the high school senior who is afraid of pub- lic speaking. In the small town where my kids went to school, if one wasn’t involved in sports, one was ‘‘a nobody.’’ My son had a few friends, but for years was picked on and teased. In high school, he joined the speech team. Within three weeks, his self-confidence skyrocketed. He spoke in front of others, and the atmosphere was relaxed. The mate- rial is often a poem or short story, so one isn’t judged on the content. My son met many people with sim- ilar interests who were supportive. He made lifelong friends and went on to become active in college pol- itics and other organizations that involved public speaking. If speech team is offered in school, all parents should encour- age their kids to sign up. — Proud Mom on the Northern Plains 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. Watershed Run results The Sacramento River Discovery Center held its Ninth Annual Watershed Run Saturday at the Mendo- cino National Forest’s Red Bluff Recreation Area. The races included a 5K Walk or Run and a 10K Run. This year a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk was added. Here are the race results. Money raised from the event will help provide supplies for the summer camps program for 6- to 12-year-olds that run June 20 through July 29. For more information about the SRDC call 527- 1196 or send an e-mail to ccramer@tehama.k12.ca.us . For camp info contact director Zach Whitten at zwhitten@rbuhsd.k12.ca.us or visit the center, 1000 Sale Lane, 11 a.m. to 4 pm. Tuesday through Saturday. 1M 1 P.J. Sarmanto, 00:08:37 9, 2 Jordan Vazquez, 8, 00:08:48 3 Dylan Tumidanski, 7, 00:12:02 4 Trinity Tumidanski, 9, 00:12:56 5 Aubree Bachmeyer, 6, 00:12:56 6 Jackson Bachmeyer, 4, 00:13:47 7 Kathy Bachmeyer, 54, 00:13:48 8 Mateo Vazquez, 6, 00:26:10 5K 1 Tige Obar, 18, 00:20:01 2 Troy Lalaguna, 28, 00:20:08 3 Tim Frantz, 47, 00:20:42 4 Greg Duarte, 41, 00:20:49 5 Phil Dynan, 62, 00:21:11 6 Tyler Cummins, 27, 00:21:25 7 Esgar Madrigal, 26, 00:21:30 8 Kevin Paulich, 35, 00:21:53 9 Zacharie Dittner, 16, 00:22:03 10 Jesus Madrigal, 21, 00:22:14 11 Grace Sawyer, 27, 00:23:53 12 Jennifer Hoberg, 29, 00:23:54 13 Chris Dittner, 44, 00:24:20 14 Alexandra Sarmanto, 34, 00:25:53 15 Jennifer Lozo, 43, 00:27:26 16 Fred Lozo, 48, 00:28:04 17 Sofia Frantz, 13, 00:28:25 18 Summer Frantz, 13, 00:29:02 19 Liz Frantz, 13, 00:29:03 20 Mike Tumidanshi, 34, 00:29:32 21 Jennifer Rawlings, 20, 00:30:11 22 Kelly Walen, 48, 00:30:59 23 Ashley Walen, 22, 00:32:06 24 Jake Beyer, 30, 00:32:29 25 Christina Coates, 30, 00:32:49 26 Scott Malan, 64, 00:32:58 27 Alyssa Coates, 12, 00:34:02 28 Elaine Bettiga, 50, 00:34:37 29 Kim Beyer, 22, 00:34:38 30 Tom Frantz, 73, 00:36:28 31 Carol Lozo, 72, 00:36:33 32 Susan Malan, 61, 00:36:38 33 Kaitlyn Bachmeyer, 10, 00:36:40 34 Margo Frantz, 67, 00:36:42 35 Lerin Staton, 29, 00:36:54 36 Ernie Mazet, 74, 00:36:59 37 Kelly Staton, 52, 00:37:03 38 Nancy Hughart, 59, 00:37:16 39 Stacy Tumidanshi, 34, 00:37:34 40 Darlene Wilkins, 53, 00:47:38 41 Reba Barnwell, 19, 00:47:39 42 Debi Barnwell, 57, 01:06:14 43 Sandra Palmer, 49, 01:06:15 10K 1 Pete Davies, 46, 00:38:12 2 Pablo Vazquez, 21, 00:42:42 3 Chuck Walen, 48, 00:42:46 4 Bonnie Havens, 44, 00:44:31 5 Pete Sarmanto, 40, 00:44:44 6 Travis Petersen, 22, 00:48:32 7 Chase Dietz, 21, 00:48:34 8 Bonnie Cox, 42, 00:49:56 9 Paul Flanagan, 79, 00:51:48 10 Aileen Rickert, 30, 01:02:58 11 James Rickert, 31, 01:02:58 12 Gabe Sartori, 14, 01:06:45 13 Vicki Collins, 40, 01:07:13 Advances support staying the course DR. GOTT: My 73-year-old father seems rather for- getful these days. When I took him to his doctor, he was diagnosed with pre- Alzheimer’s dis- ease. I’ve heard of Alzheimer’s, but what exactly is pre-Alzheimer’s? Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READER: It is estimated that more than 5 million Americans suffer from a form of Alzheimer’s, the leading cause of dementia in the Western world. There are new guidelines available for diagnosing early-stage Alzheimer’s (pre- Alzheimer’s), indicating that a state of mental decline can begin years prior to the occurrence of other, more classic symp- toms. According to the new strategy, there are three phases, identified as early brain changes, mild cog- nitive impairment and full-blown Alzheimer’s. Oddly enough, while the phases have been identi- fied clearly, doctors are advised to evaluate and treat patients with symp- toms in the same manner as they did previously. Laboratory or brain images will provide use- ful information for proper diagnosis. Your father may have a thyroid disor- der, vitamin B12 deficien- cy or some other unrelat- ed condition that is easily treatable. One problem with current biomarker testing through blood and spinal fluid is that there is no standardization between labs, nor are there set levels for how much of a substance indi- cates impairment or Alzheimer’s. This implies that if I am in one section of the country, I could test positive, while testing negative in another locale. And there is insufficient research to validate that a particular substance or biomarker can predict progression of the dis- ease. It is important to note that the only way to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is at autopsy. Current treat- ment can ease symptoms, but it doesn’t alter the course or progres- sion of the dis- ease. However, on the flip side of the coin, if you know your father is exhibiting early signs, you can take appropriate steps for him and those around him to learn to cope with potential future changes. Medication, treatment plans and sup- port are available. DEAR DR. GOTT: I am allergic to most per- fumes. They send me into a coughing and gagging fit that takes at least five minutes outside in fresh air to calm down from. My throat is sore for an entire day, not to mention the labored breathing. How do I get people to understand without caus- ing them to become upset with me? Yes, they get upset because they are gagging me! I try to avoid perfume when I smell it, before I start having a problem, but this is not always possible. Any advice you can give me would be appreciated. DEAR READER: You have friends and co-work- ers who should under- stand completely and strangers you encounter that you don’t have an ounce of control over. It’s impossible and inappro- priate to approach strangers to advise them your respiratory system is negatively affected. That part of life is off-limits. Therefore, let your friends and co-workers know if they haven’t already been informed, and stay away from the offenders. 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 www.rollinghillscasino.com