Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/34477
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 – Daily News 3B FEATURES Recalcitrant relatives rebuke relationship Dear Annie: I have been in a relationship with ‘‘Derek’’ for two years. I love him dearly and know we will marry someday. The problem is, my sister and her husband will not accept Derek because we started dating when he was still going through a divorce. Annie, I know we should Annie’s Mailbox have waited until the divorce was final, but my sister can’t seem to move past it. She refuses to meet Derek and has told me that neither she nor her husband will come to our wed- ding. by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar My sister has made mistakes in her marriage, and I was always very accepting and forgiving. Leaving Derek is not an option, but I hate that I don’t see my nieces anymore because of this tiff. How can I convince her Derek is a good guy if she won’t make an effort to meet him? — Miss My Sis Dear Miss: All choices have consequences, and it helps to be prepared to deal with them. Yes, your sister seems unforgiving and harsh, but you cannot fix that. She also may believe that her intransigent position will force you to give Derek up. If you plan to stay with this man, you should conduct your lives with dignity and integrity and hope that your sister will some- day accept the two of you as a cou- ple. Dear Annie: I have a friend who The southern portion of the main road through Lassen Volcanic National Park opened to the Bumpass Hell parking area Saturday. “The park road crew has been diligently working the past several weeks to clear snow up to depths of 25 feet along this eight-mile section of the road,” said Park Superintendent, Darlene M. Koontz. As the summer season begins and the road opens to this location each year, many visitors are very inter- ested in hiking to the top of Lassen Peak. The later heavy snow storms this past spring have left the peak trail snow-cov- ered and will require any- one wishing to summit Lassen Peak to be prepared for traveling over the snow with equipment such as skis, snowshoes, ice axe and crampons. This is a popular time for spring ski- ing and the clear skies com- bined with warmer weather make for exceptional ski- ing. The peak will remain open to over-the-snow trav- el only until trail crews are able to begin work for this season which will be the second year of the Reach the Peak trail rehabilitation project. Once trail work has resumed, over-the-snow travel on the peak and the trail beyond the first 1.3 miles from the parking area will be closed to all travel. The California Department of Social Services Adoptions Service Bureau will be holding an adoption information meeting from 7-9 p.m. Access to the upper por- tion of the trail and summit will only be available on the following dates this sum- mer: July 1 to July 4; Aug. 13-14; and Sept. 2-5. These closures are necessary for the safety of both trail work- ers and visitors. To enjoy a safe and memorable hike on Lassen Peak and in other park areas, visitors are reminded to be prepared: protect your- self from the sun, take time to adjust to the elevation, carry at least one liter of water per person, and bring clothing and equipment appropriate for the current trail conditions. For more information call the park at (530) 595- 4480, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/lavo. Adoption meeting scheduled in Chico June 27 on Monday, June 27. The meeting, which will be at 520 Cohasset Road, Suite 100, in Chico is for individuals and couples inter- 6143. ested in providing foster children a permanent home through adoptions. For more information call 895- has the ‘‘call waiting’’ fea- ture on his phone. If I am talking to him and a second call comes in, he will say, ‘‘Oh, I have another call,’’ and either hang up on me, or leave me waiting inter- minably while he chats with the second caller. Once he kept me holding so long, I finally hung up. However, if I am the sec- ond caller, he will say, ‘‘I’m on the other line. Can I call you back?’’ This seems to indicate that other callers are always more important to him than I am. Unless it is a dire emergency, I feel the first call should take prior- ity. I also think his treatment of me is disrespectful. My friend also has ‘‘Caller ID,’’ so he knows who the second call is from and doesn’t need to answer it unless he believes it’s urgent. Is there an etiquette rule for this? Am I wrong to feel rudely treated? — Unimportant Caller Dear Caller: Etiquette says the person with whom you are already on the phone takes precedence over an incoming call. Your friend should put you on hold just long enough to inform the second caller that he will call back. However, if your conversation has already gone on for quite a while, it makes sense for you to say, ‘‘Go ahead and get that. I’ll talk to you later.’’ Courtesy works both ways. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Scared Sister,’’ who is wor- ried about her younger sister’s night vision and her ability to drive. The sister, ‘‘Louise,’’ is a full-time oper- ating-room nurse who is required to rotate being on call at night. You recommended she speak to her supervisor along with several other alternatives. Here’s one more: Louise may be able to apply for a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She should speak to her HR department or contact the Ameri- cans with Disabilities website to start the process. This is federal law, and if Louise has a legitimate disability, her employer needs to make a reason- able accommodation for her. If they simply took her off the night shift, the employer would not have to bear any financial burden. — Ron in Connecticut Dear Ron: Several readers sug- gested that Louise find out if she is eligible for accommodation through the Americans with Dis- abilities Act. For more information, readers can contact the ADA infor- mation line at 1-800-514-0301 or check their website at www.ada.gov. Our thanks to all who wrote. 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. Lassen park road opens to Bumpass Hell Ten Drugs are simply too many DEAR DR. GOTT: My 79- year-old mother is taking gabapentin, Lortab, a muscle relaxer, Paxil, Klonopin, met- formin, Synthroid, Lasix, Singulair and Celebrex. She has bone-on-bone in her knees, dia- betes and COPD. She weighs 220 pounds and is 5 feet 2 inches tall. Her general health is poor. I’m afraid she is going include lighthead- edness and dizzi- ness. Dr. Peter Gott to fall with all this medica- tion because she is groggy all the time now. Do you think some of these med- ications are duplicates? DEAR READER: Ini- tially, I would like to know if one physician ordered all 10 medications or if she is seeing one or more spe- cialists in addition to her primary care physician. If she has only one provider, he or she is obviously aware of the list of drugs, but if several doctors are involved, they may not all be up to speed. Gabapentin is an anti- convulsant sometimes used to treat nerve pain associated with shingles or postherpetic neuralgia. Its side effects include back pain, dizziness, drowsi- ness, nausea and weight gain. Lortab, a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, is a narcotic pain reliever. Its side effects include drowsiness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting and blurred vision. Paxil is an antidepres- sant used to treat anxiety, obsessive-compulsive dis- order and stress. Side effects include drowsiness, gas, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia and stomach upset. Klonopin is a benzodi- azepine that can be pre- scribed for seizures and panic disorders, among other things. Side effects include lightheadedness, fatigue, dizziness, headache and loss of coor- dination. Metformin was pre- scribed to treat her dia- betes. The side effects can include minimal weight gain, stomach upset, diar- rhea, headache and nausea. The Synthroid is a hor- mone replacement for hypothyroidism to help regulate the body’s energy and metabolism. Severe allergic reactions include chest pain, excessive sweating, irregular heart- beats, joint pain and short- ness of breath. Lasix fights fluid reten- tion in individuals with COPD. Its side effects can Singulair treats asthma and has side effects of cough, dizziness, insomnia, abdomi- nal upset or pain, and headache. And, at long last, Celebrex is a non-steroidal anti- inflammatory used to treat pain and inflammation in such conditions as arthritis. The side effects for this drug include headache, dizziness, heartburn and nausea. While your mother may not suffer any side effects at all, as you can readily see, many of these medica- tions have similar possibil- ities, such as lightheaded- ness, fatigue and headache. It’s no wonder you worry about her taking a spill. Keep in mind that were she taking only two medica- tions, one could still react adversely against the other. This is relatively common. I understand that her general health is poor, but I frankly feel she is grossly overmedicated. My recom- mendation is that you or another family member accompany her to her doc- tor(s) and request a review of everything she is taking. With the diagnoses you provided, it is obvious some are vital; however, you might request that oth- ers be removed one at a time — even if only on a temporary basis. I will stick my neck out here and agree that her grogginess is directly relat- ed to the drugs she is on and the list can be trimmed, but only under the direction of her doc- tor(s). Readers who would like additional information can order my Health Report “Consumer Tips on Medi- cine” by sending a self- addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order payable to Dr. Peter Gott and forwarded to P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039- 0433. Be sure to mention the title when writing, or print an order form from my website’s direct link, www.AskDrGottMD.com/ order_form.pdf. 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.AskDr- GottMD.com. Tehama County’s Personal/Professional Service Directory AT YOUR SERVICE! $ 9900 3 month commitment Artificial Flowers Beautiful Artificial Flowers By Charlie Artificial flowers for rent specializing in Wedding and other occasions Call for appt. 528-0109 Runs every Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday Feet Health Attorney Local Bankruptcy Attorney Jocelyn C. 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