Red Bluff Daily News

September 14, 2011

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Father fears Facebook facilitating freeloader DSAP difficult to treat Dear Annie: A while back, I signed up for Face- book in order to stay in touch with friends and renew old acquaintances. Several weeks ago, my husband's 35-year-old daughter, ''Sheila,'' sent me a friend request. She has not been in touch with us since she turned 18, when my husband no longer had to pay child support. Obvi- ously, they were never close. The only time we heard from her was when she want- ed money. Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar I told my husband about the request, and he said to ignore it. But Sheila is now married with a child, and I'd like to think she has since matured and wants to reconnect with her father. Of course, his impression is that she wants some- thing from us. Out of respect for my husband's wishes, I did not respond to Sheila's request. Even though I have no desire to be Facebook friends with my hus- band's daughter, I feel stuck in the middle. I think he should get to know her again and meet his grand- child. I do not want to go behind his back to establish contact. What should I do? — Stuck in the Middle in Kansas Dear Stuck: We hope your hus- band realizes that an 18-year-old girl is apt to behave much different- ly than a 35-year-old married moth- er. As the adult during the divorce, it was your husband's responsibility Is Pursuing Wildlife for a Photo a Form of Take? Question: California Fish and Game defines "take" as to "hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill" or attempt to do so. Much dis- cussion and conjecture has been generated amongst wildlife photographers regarding use of the term "pursue" in this definition and how it may apply to them. Some photography and wildlife watching groups have recently gone so far as to recommend their members obtain sporting licenses due uncertainty surrounding interpretation of the word "pursue." How- ever, this is of little use if a picture is taken of some- thing that can not be "taken" under the authority of a sporting license. For exam- ple, if a photographer informs a warden they are searching for the endan- gered Southern Mountain Yellow Legged Frog to cap- ture on film with their tele- photo lens, could this per- son be cited for "take" by "attempting to pursue?" For the sake of discus- sion, please assume photog- raphy is for recreation, habi- tat is not altered and that wildlife is never touched, possessed or otherwise under the control of the individual behind the lens. The wildlife watching and photography communi- ty would greatly appreciate clarification on this point. (Mason Y.) Answer: Although the most literal interpretation of "take" could apply to a wildlife photographer look- ing for and pursuing wildlife during photograph- ic opportunities, the pursuit as listed within the "take" definition includes only pur- suits that result in take or to maintain a relationship with his child and not allow her adolescent anger to get in the way. We think Sheila deserves another chance, and so does your husband. Encourage him to make con- tact. He has a grandchild to think of. And if she's only after money, he'll find out soon enough. (And he can always say ''no.'') Dear Annie: I am a sin- gle mom in my 40s. I've been divorced for two years and am dating again for the first time in more than 20. I recently met a great guy. I was very upfront and let him know early on that I was looking for a long-term relation- ship. I am very traditional when it comes to dating and marriage. In turn, he made it clear that he was not sure what he wanted. We go out to dinner and dancing, and I've met several of his friends. This seems like a relationship to me, but I don't want to make assumptions. It's only been six weeks, but I need to know: Should I just be patient and let it play out? Or do I talk to him again and tell him how I feel at this point? My heart and my head are telling me two different things. — Hopeless Romantic Dear Hopeless: You are in too big of a hurry to make this perma- nent. Yes, it's a ''relationship,'' but that means nothing when it comes to the long haul. This guy has told you that he isn't ready to commit. You haven't been dating all that long, and if you demand to know his future intentions now, you will push him away. You can enjoy what you have and hope there is more down the road. But if you are in a rush to get married, look elsewhere. Dear Annie: I sympathize with ''Tired of Wet Beds,'' whose 14- year-old stepson has enuresis. I went through the same thing with my daughter, who wet the bed until she was 11. I discovered that an allergy to the lactose in milk can cause bedwet- ting. After my daughter was off whole milk for three days, she stopped wetting the bed completely. If the stepson has any sensitivity to dairy products or if he was allergic to milk as a baby, this could be the root cause. There are milk products available with pre-digested lactose already in them that might help. Taking him off dairy for a few days will not hurt him and may prove an easy and inexpensive solution to the problem. — Been There, Done That Dear Been There: Dozens of readers suggested that lactose intol- erance could be a factor in bedwet- ting. We hope ''Tired'' will check it out. 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. California Outdoors Q&As locations found on any map for your planned hunt area. Please just provide distance and direction to the nearest mountain, creek, river, city, town, campground or other landmark. Extra fish head - What do I do with it? Question: I have a salmon head from a hatch- ery fish that I'd like to bring in. Where am I supposed to bring it? Last time I brought one to the local fish hatch- ery but they didn't really know what to do with it and so froze it until they could find out. (Kristina Alley) Answer: Since the head attempted take of the ani- mal. According to Depart- ment of Fish and Game (DFG) Lt. Todd Tognazzini, a hunting of fishing license is not required for a wildlife photographer. What are the land- marks required for har- vest tags? Question: I will be hunt- ing for deer and bear this year. I noticed that the tags ask for the distance and direction from the nearest landmark. I'm unsure as to what the nearest landmark is, and just what kind of landmark they are asking for. Can you please clarify? (Dan B.) Answer: Harvest data, including the location where an animal is taken, is an important component of wildlife management. The geographic location helps Counseling Center Giving Families Hope! Did you think we were just for children? • Individual & Family Counseling • Couple/Relationship Issues • Anger • Depression • Anxiety • Emotional Trauma • Family Relationships • Parenting Call our office for more info. 529-9454 Red Bluff 590 Antelope Blvd. Suite B-30 Corning Counseling Center 275 Solano Street #2 biologists obtain specific location information so the more accurate you can be with distinguishing land- marks, the more helpful it is to managing our wildlife. There are many acceptable of your fish was not taken by one of our biologists at the launch ramp the day you caught it, it is outside of our sample and not needed by DFG for salmon manage- ment. If you would like information on where your fish came from, you can drop it off at our Eureka, Santa Rosa, Belmont or Monterey office. Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the Department of Fish and Game. She may be contacted at CalOut- doors@dfg.ca.gov. Win WinWin Win You could $100* Just for sharing your local shopping and media preferences! Take the Pulse Research survey online only at: www.pulseresearch.com/redbluffdailynews Do it today – Survey will end when enough surveys are completed. *$100 gift certificates will be awarded to four individuals selected at random from among those completing the survey. Those selected may choose any store or business in Tehama County at which to redeem their gift certificate. Individual survey responses will not be shared with any third party. D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a healthy 52-year-old female who has suffered from DSAP (dis- seminated superfi- cial actinic poroker- atosis) most of my adult life. I have hundreds of bright red spots on each arm and leg. Many people steer clear of me, thinking it's some type of conta- gious disease, and many will say, "Oh, you've been in poison oak," or something similar. I have to wear long pants in the summer, even at the beach. There appears to be very little information about DSAP, and my dermatolo- gist says that my case is one of the worst she's ever seen. No treatment seems to help. I've used Retin-A, Efudex, and every other prescription cream and ointment that my dermatologist knows of. We even tried freezing them with liquid nitrogen. I have actually had as many as 25 done on each arm and leg at one office visit, but they inevitably come back. My spots are generally bright red and itch, and seem to be inflamed after exercise. Any type of lotion makes them even redder. I am very cautious when going outside, use a sun- screen religiously, and visit my dermatologist every three months to check on the spots. Is there anything you can suggest? Perhaps others may have some home reme- dies that have been success- ful. DEAR READER: Unfortunately, there is little I can tell you that you don't already know. Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP) is an uncommon skin condition that is caused by abnormal sun sensitivity. This leads to pre-cancerous skin cells developing wher- ever sun damage has occurred. It primarily appears on the arms and legs, as these are the most sun-exposed areas of the body. It is most often diag- nosed in fair-skinned indi- viduals, middle-aged and older. The lesions develop only after the damage has occurred and appear as red- dish-brown, scaly spots. Once formed, the spots then spread and form a ring or circle. Following sun expo- sure, the affected areas may itch or appear to grow. While it is uncommon for these pre-cancerous lesions to develop into true skin can- cer, it is important to have regular Dr. Peter Gott exams by a derma- tologist. Any lesion that becomes red, crusty or scaly needs a prompt exam and possible biopsy to determine if the change is due to cancer. There is little in the way of treatment, no long-lasting results and no cure. Current recommendations are that sufferers avoid further sun damage by wearing long sleeves and pants and using high SPF sunscreen. The prescriptions Retin-A, Tazorac, Efudex and Aldara may offer some help, albeit slight and typically short- lived. Cryosurgery (freezing) may be an option, but it can cause hypopigmentation (loss of skin color). It is usu- ally reserved for the largest lesions. Photodynamic ther- apy — a photosensitizing drug applied to the skin, fol- lowed by exposure to a cer- tain type of light — creates activated oxygen molecules that destroy nearby cells; however, it has been used with mixed results. DSAP isn't contagious. In fact, most cases are inher- ited, while others appear to be caused by an immune system that isn't working as well as normal. I am not aware of any home remedies. You appear to have run the gamut of available treatments. My recommendation is to stick with your current regimen and follow your dermatolo- gist's advice. Readers who are interest- ed in learning more about skin disorders can order my Health Report "Dermatitis, Eczema and Psoriasis" 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 mention the title(s), or print an order form from my website's direct link: www.AskDr- GottMD.com/order_form.p df.

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