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8A Daily News – Friday, August 26, 2011 FEATURES Savage sister slams siblings Is Candida Albicans Diet healthful Dear Annie: How do we deal with our sister ''Michelle'' who says and e-mails hurtful things to each of us at the most inopportune times? I have three other sisters. ''Debbie'' called me this evening in tears. She recently spent a week in the hospital after surgery on her leg. She's now in a rehabilitation facility and still has a long recovery ahead of her. Since we live many hours away, she has been keeping us updated via e-mail. Today, Debbie received a terse note from Michelle, saying she did not want to receive any more of these group e-mails. There was no acknowledgement of the tough time Debbie has been going through. I was not surprised. Michelle did a similar thing to me when I underwent cancer treatment several years ago. It seems she likes to kick us when we are down. We find Michelle's Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar this is not possible. On the rare occa- sions when we see her, she is aloof, won't make eye contact and barely participates in con- versations. Is she mentally ill? No healthy person could do such cruel things. — Heartbroken Sister Dear Heart- broken: Michelle behavior heartbreaking and difficult to accept. Why does she push us away? Every time we reach out or try to include her in a dis- cussion or even voice an opinion, we get slammed or completely ignored. She cannot sympathize and is becoming more and more distant as time goes on. We would like a relation- ship with her, but it seems seems incapable of partici- pating in the sisterly give- and-take that the rest of you expect and enjoy. She finds it overly attached rather than comforting, helpful or sup- portive. She could be jeal- ous, short-tempered, inse- cure, unkind or completely self-involved, but none of those things necessarily makes her mentally ill. We suggest you back off and try to accept Michelle as she is and, unless she exhibits clear signs of deterioration, ignore the rest. Dear Annie: I used to be friends with a girl who lived across the hall from me in college. ''Toni'' was a nice person, but had little com- mand of written English and often came to my roommate and me to proofread and correct her papers. Toni has now become a Facebook friend, and I recently learned she is a spe- cial education teacher in a public elementary school. It is obvious her writing skills have not improved at all. She admitted to me that she got her job because she knew the principal, but I have no idea how she has kept her position. I'm tempted to call the Board of Education, but don't want to rat her out. Yet, if it were my kids learn- ing words like ''alot'' and ''lastnight,'' I would only hope someone would inter- vene. What should I do? — Spell Check Is Your Friend. Dear Spell Check: It's possible that Toni checks her spelling more carefully in the classroom than she does on Facebook. It is also likely that poor spelling would have been noticed by some of the parents, as well as school officials (who are also known to check Face- book pages). Instead of assuming she is incompe- tent, send her a lighthearted note, saying you notice her current spelling isn't much improved from her college days, and that you trust she is more conscientious in the classroom. Dear Annie: I am writ- ing in response to ''Midge,'' who complained that a young woman who was recently awarded a scholar- ship hasn't written a thank- you note. I, too, was a recipient of a similar scholarship. When I applied for this money, one of the requirements was to write a note to the main benefactor to thank her and let her know how I was doing. I honestly had no idea that I needed to do this until it was listed as a requirement. — Grateful The California Department of Fish and Games (DFG) Advanced Hunter Edu- cation Program is offer- ing a waterfowl hunting clinic on Oct. 29 in Northern California. The clinic, which is for hunters of all skill levels, will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Complex. Two experienced instructors, DFG Assis- tant Chief Mike Carion and DFG Warden Aaron Freitas, will host this exciting clinic.Topics include gun safety, DEAR DR. GOTT: My 30-year- old son is a hypochondriac — healthy and strong, but always tak- ing a special supplement or treat- ment for something. He recently went on a candida diet just when there was a series of family events and a lot of meals out of the home. He just wanted his candida foods. It was so uncomfortable for the host- esses and restaurants we visited. Is this something to be concerned about? Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READER: Candida diets are designed to focus on healing yeast infec- tions from the inside out, strengthen the immune system and eliminate Candida albicans overgrowth from one's system. This diet recognizes that some symptoms of yeast infection can be cleared rather quick- ly, while the process of eliminating all Can- dida albicans cells from the body can take months and may be followed by a lifetime of following this diet. There are hundreds of versions of this new diet available on the Internet, some reported as not being worth the time even to consider. Users are cautioned about being wary of plans that offer a miracle and are too good to be true because they really are. There are six- and seven-step programs, some for women and others for men. Some come with lifetime updates; others are reported to contain faulty information. I recommend that your son eat healthful, balanced meals, exercise, get adequate rest, and forget this so-called cure. If he truly is a hypochondriac, he may benefit from counseling. DEAR DR. GOTT: Could you please write about normal pressure hydro- cephalus? I heard from a colleague that his mother, diagnosed with dementia, inconti- nence and weak knees, was instead diag- nosed with this. She went to the Mayo Clin- ic and had a shunt put in her head to relieve the pressure on her brain. Subsequently, all the negative symptoms were alleviated, and she could resume fairly normal independent living. The Internet says this condi- tion is often misidentified as dementia. What say you? DEAR READER: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is defined as an abnormal increase in cerebrospinal fluid in the cavi- ties of the brain. The condition occurs because the brain does not reabsorb the fluid, which normal- ly circulates around the brain and spinal cord. This causes local pressure and gradual enlargement of the ventricles of the brain. It is a subtle pressure and slow to develop, so the pres- sure down in the spinal cord, where it is measured during a lumbar puncture/spinal tap, is normal, hence the words "normal pressure." Causes for this to occur include head trauma, infection, a subarachnoid hemor- rhage, tumor, or as a result of surgery. NPH can also occur without any of these factors being the cause. CT, spinal tap, intracranial pressure monitoring and neuropsychological testing will also rule out other conditions and assist a physician in making a proper diagnosis. Treatment at this stage, as you discov- ered, involves the placement of a shunt in the brain to drain excess fluid into the abdomen, where it is absorbed. Symptoms of NPH commonly worsen over time without treatment. Early diagno- sis with the placement of a shunt will allow an individual to lead a relatively normal life. The symptoms can be difficult for a doc- tor to sort through, as some mimic demen- tia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases. Because of this, NPH was often misdiagnosed and could have remained untreated; however, in Sep- tember 2005 an international team of scien- tists developed guidelines that have helped physicians rule out other disorders with similar symptoms and properly diagnose NPH. Ongoing research focuses on improving diagnostic techniques, discovering improved treatments and prevention. DFG offers one-day waterfowl hunting clinic in Northern California decoy placement, blind design, ballistics, call- ing, duck identification, dog considerations, equipment, game care and cooking tips. The information offered in this compre- hensive clinic should be useful for anyone who wants to successfully hunt waterfowl in the Klamath Basin. The clinic typically attracts both first-time water- fowlers and experienced hunters. The cost of the clinic is $45 for adults. Youths 16 years and younger are free, but must be accompanied by adult. Space is limited and participants must regis- ter in advance at www.dfg.ca.gov/hunter ed/advanced. After registering, participants will receive an e-mail with a map to the facility and a list of items to bring. Klamath Basin National Wildlife Com- plex is located about 18 miles west of Tulelake. Oh Snap! The DailyNews wants your photos You might just see it in the Daily News Send pictures to editor@redbluffdai- lynews.com or drop off at 545 Diamond Ave. in Red Bluff. Include a caption. • MEN • WOMEN • CHILDREN AFFORDABLE • CONVENIENT $1000 $1000 With coupon, Regularly $12 (Expires 9/15/11) FREE HELIUM BALLOONS 530-529-5766 855 So. Main St. (Walmart Shopping Center)