Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/41676
Friday, September 9, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Coquette's calls create concern, contempt Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for 20 years. I was laid off recently for the second time. While reviewing our finances, I noticed that our cellphone usage had sub- stantially increased. I asked my wife about it, and she explained that she was catching up with friends. I normally do not look at her phone, but I decided to see who she was yakking with. It turns out she was calling and texting a former male co-worker. I then found a naked photo of the man on her phone. She tried to pass it off as a joke and then said he'd been drinking when he sent it. Additional investigation led me to discover there were plenty of late-night texts and calls, and that she was also sending intimate pho- tos of herself to him. I feel betrayed and cheated on. We have talked and are working through this situation. I want to ask my cellphone provider for tran- scripts of their texts just to see if there is more to the situation than she is admitting. Do you think this is a wise choice? — Feeling Cheat- ed On Dear Cheated On: No. If you find nothing, you still have to deal with the problem at hand. And if you discover more pictures or evi- dence of an affair, you will feel Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar worse, and those words and images will stick in your head for a long time. Your wife has betrayed your trust, whether or not she slept with the guy. Please get counseling. A third party can help you find the best way to get past this. Dear Annie: I once invit- ed my 60-year-old next- door neighbor to swim in our pool. She then informed me that she would come over daily after dinner and didn't plan to phone first. As she put it, ''It's not convenient to call every day.'' I tried to tell her politely that the pool is visible from our living room and it is not appropriate for her to use it without our knowledge. We are concerned with our privacy and her safety, not to mention our lia- bility should anything happen to her. She was furious and stopped speaking to me. I thought it was common sense and established social decorum that one should not swim in a neigh- bor's pool without an invitation. Am I correct? How do I mend our relationship? — Confused Pool Owner Dear Confused: You are cor- rect. Your neighbor doesn't under- stand boundaries and has limited social acumen. She also has a short fuse. We don't know why you want to mend fences with someone who apparently only values you for your swim facilities. If you apologize for upsetting her, she will expect to have complete access to the pool again. The best you can do is smile and say hello when you see her, and hope for the best. Dear Annie: I am writing in response to the letters about school lunches. I have been in the student nutrition profession for more than 20 years. Our school offers a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegeta- bles every day, along with salads and meatless options. All of our pasta, rice, bread and pizza crusts are whole grain. We no longer have fries every day, and nothing is deep-fried. We even offer a grilled chicken sandwich. People don't realize all the regu- lations we must follow to comply with the National School Lunch Program. Many districts don't have the money for fresh produce. We encourage the students to eat more fruits and vegetables, but if they don't have them at home, it is a struggle. We need the help of par- ents. The public rarely hears the positive side. Please help us out. — Proud ''Lunch Lady'' from Min- nesota Dear Minnesota: Consider it done. It's good to know that some schools are doing their best to provide healthy choices for our kids. Welcome to Medicare workshop Passages Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) is offering a Welcome to Medicare workshop for those anticipating turning 65 this year and wanting to learn more about Medicare. The workshop will be 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St., Red Bluff. Registration is required by calling 898-6716. If you are new to Medicare or about to become eligible then this workshop is for you. Family members or caregivers are also welcome to attend. People who are new to Medicare may be deluged with information from different insurance companies marketing their products. Remember, HICAP does not sell or endorse any insurance product. Enrolling into Medicare, understanding the deadlines, or even how your new Medicare benefits work is confusion. Impor- tant questions will be answered without undue pressure to purchase additional coverage. For those that are new, bring your questions and let HICAP answer them. For more information about Medicare call HICAP at Passages at 1-800-434-0222. If your group or agency would like a workshop, contact Natasha Coulter- LaTorre, Community Outreach Specialist at 530-898- 6715. Passages helps older adults and family caregivers with important services to empower them to remain confident in their ability to sustain and enjoy indepen- dent lives. For more information about Passages ser- vices go to www.passagescenter.org Changes coming to Sacramento Wildlife Refuge Many changes to the visitor facili- ties are taking place this fall at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, including a new viewing platform will be built with anticipa- tion of the arrival of the waterfowl this fall. Over the summer, Refuge staff assessed the conditions of the plat- form and noticed it did not meet cur- rent safety standards. Staff took swift action to begin the process of remov- ing and building a new platform. "We realize the importance of the viewing platform to the visitors and the community," said Refuge Manag- er Steve Emmons. "When families and groups visit the Refuge, one of the major attractions is the viewing platform with its panoramic view of the valley and thousands of water- fowl. We want to make sure this • Everyday Cheapskate • Food on the Table • Gleaners The Daily News - At your side when times are tough opportunity is able to continue this winter with minimal impact to the visitors and the wildlife." The old platform was removed in June. Construction of the new plat- form should begin in late September and be completed by mid-October. During the construction, a portion of the viewing platform parking area will be closed. The new platform will be similar shape and size having the three different viewing levels and will meet the current safety and accessi- bility standards. Other visitor facility enhance- ments include resurfacing of the entrance road and parking areas and resealing a portion of the accessible Wetlands Walk trail to prevent weed growth. The two-mile, self-guided trail near the visitor center offers interpretive information about wildlife and wetlands. Another improvement is the replacement of Photography Blind #1 with a more spacious design. The two photogra- phy blinds, on the Refuge, are very popular with nature photographers who often capture close-ups of ducks, geese, and raptors. Steve Emmons, Refuge Manager, volunteered hun- dreds of hours designing and con- structing the blinds. Currently, the Refuge is flooding up for the winter and migrating birds are beginning to arrive. Northern pin- tails, white-fronted geese, and a wide variety of shorebirds are being seen along the auto tour. Later this fall, the Refuge will announce its winter visi- tor programs. For more information, visit the Refuge's website at http://www.fws.gov/sacramentoval- leyrefuges/ or call (530) 934-2801. Harvest Dinner set Oct. 1 in Chico Northern California Regional Land Trust is holding Harvest Dinner Under the Stars, a rancho tour, dinner and wine tast- ing event, at the historic Llano Seco Rancho in Chico. The Oct. 1 event starts with a tour by RSVP at 4 p.m. with everything else kicking off at 5 p.m. Tick- ets are $60. For reservations or sponsorship information contact Angie at (530) 894- Heart condition likely trivial DEAR DR. GOTT: When I was in my teens, I played a lot of sports, and my father (who was rather overpro- tective) was wor- ried about heart murmurs. I got my heart tested and was diag- nosed with pul- monary regurgitation. Can you tell me any- thing about this? All I remember is my doctor telling me that there is nothing to worry about. DEAR READER: Pulmonary regurgitation is a condition in which the valve that separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery (which leads to the lungs for re-oxygenation) mal- functions, allowing some blood to flow back into the heart. This can occur because of a mal- formation of the valve or because it simply does- n't close all the way. It is also known as pul- monary insufficiency and can be trivial, mild, moderate or severe. Infants and children do not typically experi- ence symptoms, but as they age, fatigue, a heart murmur, arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm), fainting during exercise or other activity may occur. Trivial and mild cases often do not necessitate treatment but may require regular monitor- ing and checkups. Triv- ial pulmonary regurgita- tion is common, and if the valve is otherwise normal, it may not need regular monitoring. Moderate to severe cases require follow-up and may benefit from medication to help the heart pump more effi- ciently. Severe cases may call for valve repair or replacement. My guess is that since you have gone for some time without monitoring or apparent symptoms, there is nothing to worry about. You may simply have a trivial case of regurgitation. That being said, I still suggest you check with your current physician and request a referral to a cardiologist. This specialist can 7738 or visit www.land- conservation.org. then examine you, order testing and discuss the results to give you better information about what exactly is going on and whether you need regu- Dr. Peter Gott with it. Readers who are interested in learning more about heart prob- lems can order my Health Report "Coro- nary Artery Disease" by sending a self- addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order for each report to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to men- tion the title(s), or print an order form from my website's direct link: www.AskDrGottMD.co m/order_form.pdf. DEAR DR. GOTT: I have constant pain in the base of my thumb near the wrist. In the last 10 months it has been swelling more, and I am unable to open jars or wring anything out. An X-ray showed a cyst in the joint. There is no infection. Is there any- thing other than surgery that will stop the pain? Ibuprofen is not work- ing. DEAR READER: If you haven't already, request a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. He or she may be able to aspirate the cyst (drain with a needle and syringe). You will likely receive a local anesthet- ic beforehand and the procedure can be done in the office. The cyst may return, during which time you can have it aspirated again or opt for surgical removal. You may also benefit from using a different pain reliever such as ov er -the-counter naproxen, or prescrip- tion non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 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 lar monitoring or treatment. It is always better to be proactive and fully aware of what is going on in your body so that if something does arise in the future, you will be better pre- pared to deal "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God" 1 Corinthians 1:18