Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/35906
2B Daily News – Thursday, July 7, 2011 FEATURES In-laws’ infidelity initiates ire Dear Annie: I work in a family business along with my parents, my brother and my sister. Two years ago, my brother’s wife and my sister’s hus- band also worked there, but they had an affair and moved away together. Three months later, they both returned to their spouses. Their marriages are reconciled, but they are not allowed back in the family business. I refuse to attend any event that includes the two of them. I am so upset about what they did to my family that I will not speak to either of them. The problem is, my sister is constantly telling me that I have to accept her husband and stop being so stubborn. I keep telling her what they did is not acceptable and I do not have to be around either one of them. What do you suggest? Am I wrong to feel this way? — Con- fused behavior will make your disapproval abundantly clear. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Confused: You are not wrong. Their behavior was repre- hensible. However, avoiding fami- ly events where these in-laws will be present mostly hurts your sister and brother. They are having a hard enough time with their mar- riages. It surely is additional pun- ishment to know the affair has also caused an estrangement with their sibling. Etiquette quite help- fully provides a solution. It’s called ‘‘snubbing.’’ Attend these family events, and be loving toward your sister and brother and aloof toward the miscreants. Your Dear Annie: You advo- cate meeting people through volunteer organi- zations, local theater pro- ductions, choirs, political groups, book clubs, etc. Doing that can certainly keep a person busy, but it doesn’t always lead to meeting a potential roman- tic interest. I was widowed 20 years ago at the age of 49. I continue to be active in various civic organi- zations, political groups (I even ran for local office a couple of times.), my church, a weekly exer- cise group and the local senior center. Have I met anyone? No, and I’ve just about given up and decided to adopt a cat to keep me company. — S. Dear S.: While joining organi- zations can lead to romance, that should not be your main focus. The point is to be involved in activities that you enjoy and where you can meet others who share your interests. It’s a way to make friends and lead a full life. Romance would be a bonus. We don’t know why you haven’t been able to find what you are search- ing for, but if you have been help- ing your community and staying active, you haven’t been wasting your time. Dear Annie: I’m writing in response to the letter from ‘‘Try- ing To Keep the Peace,’’ who was criticized for posting information about her grandfather’s death on Facebook. She doesn’t mention how long she waited before putting that online. We recently had a similar situa- tion. A relative passed away late in the evening, and due to the hour, the decision was made to wait until morning to notify fami- ly members. But one relative post- ed the information on their Face- book page that same evening, and several close family members were upset when they saw the posting before we had a chance to call. ‘‘Trying’’ defends the posting by saying that obituaries are pub- lished in the local newspaper, but this is done after those closest to the deceased have already been notified. Perhaps a good policy would be to delay posting a death notice on any website for, say, 12 to 24 hours out of respect for the family, allowing them to come to grips with their loss and gently inform their loved ones personal- ly. It was heartbreaking enough to deal with our loss without also having to deal with the fallout from family members finding out about it online. — Also Trying To Keep the Peace 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 Volcanic National Park getaway MINERAL – Gray and buff-colored mountain- sides slope downward, occasionally interrupted by milky patches of snow and often scored by coni- cal evergreens. In quasi- infernal realms, steam rises from rock-strewn ground, and pools of bub- bling mud hiss and belch. In still other regions, lush fields and clear waters spread forth, accented by yellow and purple wildflowers. The panorama encom- passing these varied land- scapes could be the set- ting of an epic or, alterna- tively, your next vacation. The heterogeneous terrain presents challenges as well as beauty. While park visitors will never be called upon to perform Homeric or Virgilian feats of daring, you’re sure to have an agreeable adventure – perhaps just the visual adventure of seeing mountains, meadows, and hydrothermal features – at Lassen Volcanic National Park, the destination high- lighted this week in the National Park Getaway series of travel articles. Check out this week’s Lab abnormalities frighten patient DEAR DR. GOTT: My most recent lab work, from October of last year, indicat- ed a sudden increase in my platelet count to 446 as compared to 369 in Decem- ber of 2009. My monoc ytes increased from 7 to 10 during that same 10-month period. The doctor said not to be con- cerned, but after reading your article “Low Platelet Count Concerns Reader,” I am concerned! I’m a 55-year-old African-American female. I have been a diabetic since 1998. Should I seek further testing? Dr. Peter Gott completely understand that slight abnormali- ties may result from totally benign situations. I am not at all implying you shouldn’t receive a copy, nor am I indicating you shouldn’t ques- tion modifica- tions. I am simply stating that levels can change without the occurrence of a medical condition. Bring your questions to your doctor’s attention and demand answers that meet your expectations. Request that your counts be monitored. If they continue to rise, further investigation is neces- sary. DEAR READER: A platelet count measures how many platelets you have in your blood. Their purpose is to help blood to clot. The normal range is between 150 and 450 per microliter of blood and can vary slightly between different labora- tories. An abnormally low count can be an indica- tion of hemolytic ane- mia, leukemia, and some forms of cancer, inflam- mation and infections. The count can also be low because of receiving a large blood transfusion or because of specific medications. High counts might be a normal lab variant or be an indi- cation of polycythemia vera, anemia and several other causes. Your count is not out of the normal range, so if your physician has indi- cated there is no concern and he or she knows your medical history, I would put my trust in that fact and proceed accordingly. Monocytes are white blood cells with a single nucleus; they help keep the immune system intact. They make up 1 to 3 percent of the total white blood cells in the body. Modifications can be an indication of changes in a person’s health. Generally speak- ing, a low count is a good sign, while a high count could indicate a potential problem. The normal range of installment at www.nps.gov/getaways to learn about activities to try and sights not to miss as you make your own odyssey through the park. Look to the upper right of the same page to access an archive of the more than 100 previous articles in the Getaway series. Each Getaway spot can factor into a quest to dis- cover the natural, histori- cal, and cultural riches of the United States. This pursuit in turn could carry you to all 394 national parks, none of which, we assure you, harbors cannibals, sirens or Cyclopes. For more information visit www.nps.gov. monocytes is between 0 and 10 percent. Without knowing your total white blood count, referred to as WBCs, I can only sur- mise this count is within a normal range. A difficult experience for a physician is when results are shared with a patient who may not Readers who would like related information can order my Health Report “Blood Dona- tions and Disorders” by sending a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039- 0433. Be sure to mention the title when writing, or print out an order form from my website: www.AskDrGottMD.co m/order_form.pdf. DEAR DR. GOTT: You had an article in my local newspaper in March regarding making an informed decision about cataracts. Can you help me find that article? DEAR READER: My answers to readers’ ques- tions can be found on my website: www.AskDr- GottMD.com. Simply click on the “Search” button and type in “cataracts.” You will find several articles on this subject. Information cov- ering other topics can be located by clicking on “Browse by Topic” at the top of the page. This A-Z guide is user-friendly. Good luck. 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. 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