Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/38080
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 – Daily News 3B Worn womanizer worries woman Non-surgical options for back pain Dear Annie: A year ago, my 73-year-old sister, ‘‘Jenny,’’ married a man she barely knew. He had been married three times before, and she was aware that he had problems. Being a nurturing person, she thought she could help him. They live off of his Social Security and my sister’s pension checks. They are now buying a house, and her husband has some medical expens- es, so things are tight. In addition, Jenny cannot sleep with him because he has apnea and won’t do anything about it. He also has an anger problem and has yelled at Jenny a cou- ple of times. He has a sex- ual addiction and has made passes at three peo- ple I know of, including Jenny’s granddaughter. We haven’t told Jenny about that, but her chil- dren are encouraging their mother to leave this man. Jenny is diabetic and has some short-term mem- ory loss. We are con- cerned about her future. Her husband shows signs of wanting to isolate her from her family and friends. She told me she would like to get out of this marriage, but he has attempted suicide in the past, and she feels respon- sible for his safety. Should we tell Jenny about his infidelities? We don’t really see much hope in his chang- ing. — Worried Sister in Memphis Dear Mem- Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar phis: We doubt Jenny will believe your accusations or do anything about them. Instead, help her understand that she is not responsi- ble for another per- son’s mental health, only her own. However, she may be unwilling to leave him, regardless of his faults, because she doesn’t want to be alone. Right now, the situation seems unpleas- ant, but not threatening. Jenny needs her family close by to keep an eye on things and intercede if the relationship deteriorates. Dear Annie: I am a 16- year-old girl and a junior in high school. I get great grades and am athletic and friendly. I have a lot of guy friends. They are funny and relaxed and don’t gossip as much as the girls. The problem is, I am large-breasted, and a lot of the guys think that when I’m being nice, I’m some- how flirting. I don’t want to say, ‘‘I’m not interested in you,’’ because it sounds offensive. But I hate feel- ing I have to hang out with guys when I know their intentions, and I end up miserable waiting for them to make a move, knowing I’ll have to shut them down. Lately, when a guy asks me to hang out with him, I claim to be busy. How do I make it obvious that I’m not interested? I don’t flirt. I don’t wear low-cut shirts or draw attention to myself that way. What do I do? — Lost for Words in Kentucky FEATURES DEAR DR. GOTT: My 79- Dear Kentucky: High school is a testing ground for relationships, so con- sider this good practice. When guys are attracted to you, it helps to decide which ones are worth your time and how to graceful- ly extricate yourself from the others. It is generally safer to hang out in groups of both males and females. If you don’t wish to spend time with a particular guy, it’s OK to say you are busy or, ‘‘Thanks, but no.’’ And it is not offensive to tell a persistent suitor that you just want to be friends — please don’t be afraid to say so. Dear Annie: I’d like to respond to ‘‘Alice’s Friend,’’ who said there are a lot of complainers in Alice’s senior residential community. I live in a very nice home for independent and assisted living. I have been here eight years, and I have year-old mother has lumbar spinal stenosis that leads to hip pain. She has seen ads and articles about minimally invasive procedures to relieve this problem. In a recent column, you stated that laser spine surgery “has not undergone con- trolled clinical trials.” What does this mean? Hasn’t it been tested for safety or effectiveness? Also, are you familiar with MILD (minimally invasive lumbar decompression), which is an image-guid- ed procedure to remove bits of bone and tissue that impact the spinal cord? My mother has had a couple of steroid shots and has seen a chiropractor for this and other concerns. She is wondering about these minimally invasive proce- dures in the future rather than the major open surgery. DEAR READER: Spinal stenosis is a common condition that results in the nar- rowing of the opening in one or more of the vertebrae (typically in the neck or lower back) through which the spinal cord runs or where a portion of the nerve exits the vertebrae. This puts pressure on the nerves. Mild degrees of stenosis are often found during X-rays for unrelated causes, and the patient may not have any symptoms. ‘‘friends’’ who have been here even longer. Two of them I avoid eating with because one complains and the other is so hard of hearing that conversation is tire- some. If Alice sits at the same table every meal, she should ask to be moved. Better yet, she should ask management if she can sit anywhere she wants, which is the way it is here now. — Happy Senior In the cervical spine (neck), this can lead to numbness, weakness or tingling of one or both arms, legs, hands or feet. It can also cause neck or shoulder pain. In severe cases, urinary and/or fecal inconti- nence may occur. In the lumbar spine (lower back), this can lead to numbness, weakness or tin- gling of one or both legs or feet. As with cervical stenosis, in severe cases urinary and/or fecal incontinence may occur. Cramping or pain of the legs after long periods of standing or walking may also result. This can usually be eased or relieved by sitting down or bending for- ward. The most common causes of spinal stenosis are arthritis and degenerative changes due to the aging process. Paget’s disease of the bone and spinal injuries or tumors may also be to blame; however, they are uncommon. Surgery, even minimally Dr. Peter Gott invasive techniques, should be considered only as a last resort in most cases. I urge your moth- er (and you) to sit down with an orthopedist or neurosurgeon to review her situation and discuss what treatment options are available to her. These can include non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), narcotic/opioid pain relievers, anti-depressants, anti-seizure drugs or steroid injections. Physical therapy may also be beneficial. If she is overweight, a weight reduc- tion plan can help, as will a cane or walk- er. Now on to your questions. First, “has not undergone controlled clinical trials” means that the techniques and procedures have not been thoroughly tested for effec- tiveness and safety. Controlled clinical trials compare the results of one tech- nique, procedure, therapy or medication to others, as well as to a control group to determine what the risks, side effects and efficacy are from one to the other and which is most likely to be successful for the majority of patients needing that par- ticular treatment. As to MILD, I am unfamiliar with it. I did find an article printed in January 2010. The authors reviewed surveys com- pleted by the treating physician of 90 patients who underwent the MILD proce- dure. No adverse events or complications were noticed; however, efficacy parame- ters were not collected. Essentially the authors were given information by the physicians and attempted to put together an overall view of the how the procedure went. This is a fairly new procedure, and at this point appears to be safe; however, more reviews and studies are needed (some are currently being conducted) before any final conclusions can be made. In summary, your mother needs to talk to her physician about her options. Even if she is a candidate for surgery, this shouldn’t be considered until she has exhausted other, more conservative approaches first. Help Our Friends & Place Your business Info in the Daily News for only $25 “Paws & Claws” Adopt A Pet Page runs the last Saturday of every month. To be a Pet Sponsor call Suzy at the Red Bluff Daily (530) 527-2151 ext. 103 Let’s all help the Tehama County & Corning Animal Shelters find homes for these pets. Tehama County Department of Animal Services, Red Bluff This pet sponsored by THE AQUARIUM & PETS 345 So. Main St. Red Bluff 527-4588 Jasper Border Collie [Mix] Male Corning Animal Shelter This pet sponsored by CABERNET APARTMENTS & DUPLEXES 15 Cabernet Ct. Red Bluff 529-0879 Mamma Mia Labrador Retriever Female Corning Animal Shelter This pet sponsored by SUNSHINE CLEANERS 238 S. Main St., Red Bluff 527-0363 Jack Russell Terrier [Mix] Male Nascar