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Wednesday, October 5, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Scofflaw sister soliciting slammer stay Dear Annie: I would like to know the proper way to dispose of pain medica- tions when a loved one passes away. Quite recently, my sis- ter's friend's husband died from cancer. Two days later, my sister and her friend were trying to sell his unused Oxycontin and mor- phine. I find this appalling. I have read that it is not wise to flush the meds down the toilet because it affects our drinking water. So, please tell us the proper way of disposal. — Con- fused in My State Dear Confused: How nice that your sister wants to be a drug push- er. Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar ground up or dissolved in a small amount of water or alcohol, and mixed with cof- fee grounds or kitty litter, and then put in a small seal- able plastic bag and hidden in the trash. Please help your sister get rid of these medications properly before she gets arrested. Dear Annie: I am a doc- tor working in a medium- sized medical practice. It was a great place to work Studies have found traces of painkillers, estrogen, antidepres- sants, blood-pressure medicines and other pharmaceuticals in water sam- ples. The medications you cite are classified as controlled substances and cannot be legally donated or dispensed. Unless the labeling specifically says to flush them, the DEA does not recommend sending any medications down the toilet. Instead, it encourages bringing unwanted medications to communi- ty take-back collections. Readers can check with their pharmacy for drug recycling or community take-back programs. If there are no such programs near you, contact your state and local waste management authorities. Unused medications can also be until we hired ''Dr. Judy,'' an aggressive physician who tried to get others fired. When her chances of becoming a partner disappeared, she abruptly left, taking a lot of staff with her. She set up shop a few miles away and is actively recruit- ing our clients. One of the other doctors on our staff went on disability and instead of returning to us, went to work for Dr. Judy, saying the hours were shorter and there would be less stress. This same doctor is getting married next month. The owner of our practice was extremely disap- pointed that she left us and decided not to attend the wedding. However, I have remained good friends with her. Should I attend her wedding, possibly offending my colleague whom I respect a great deal? Or should I politely decline and send a gift? — Not Sure What To Do Dear Not Sure: Your colleague has not given you any ultimatums and isn't likely to do anything to antagonize those physicians who are still loyal to the practice. You are entitled to have a life outside of the office. If you want to attend the wedding, by all means go. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ''Lonesome,'' the 65-year-old single woman who complained that she didn't have any friends to shop or have lunch with. I was doing OK with that letter until she said, ''Senior groups are 10 years too old for me.'' It's no wonder she has no friends. I'm 60. One of my best friends died last year at the age of 87. I knew her for four years and was lucky to know her. It did not matter how old she was. She had a great sense of humor and was full of life. Every precious minute I spent with her was a gift. Maybe ''Lonesome'' should rethink what it means to be a friend. — Honored To Have Known Her Dear Honored: We completely agree that age should not be a factor in choosing one's friends. Whether older or younger, one can find shared interests and true cama- raderie. 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. Tribute to Doris Day at State Theatre Vocalist Laura Didier and the Jim Martinez Trio will present A Jazz Tribute to Doris Day concert at 7 p.m. Friday at State The- ater, 333 Oak St., Red Bluff. A classically-trained pianist based in Sacramen- to, Martinez has per- formed or recorded with notables like Lionel Hampton, the Stan Kenton Band, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Christian McBride, Benny Golson, Roy Hargrove and Ed Thigpen, who was the first drummer with the Oscar Peterson Trio. Martinez has worked as pianist and musical direc- tor for Joan Rivers and Bob Newhart, and he was recently named to the International Artist Roster of Steinway & Sons. Didier, also from Sacra- mento, has been perform- ing steadily with the Mar- tinez Trio since early 2007. She has performed at major jazz festivals in Cal- ifornia, Idaho and Canada, including the famed Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Martinez and Didier have presented their show nationally from retirement communities to perform- ing art centers. The tribute is the only one endorsed by Ms. Day, who will not be present at the show. The event will include stories, highlights and col- orful images from Day's career and many of her popular hits spanning five decades, including Senti- The Bureau of Land Management's Ukiah Field Office has lifted fire restric- tions on public lands in Lake, Mendocino, Sono- ma, Napa, Yolo, Colusa, Glenn and Solano counties. Outdoor enthusiasts can once again use campfires outside of developed camp- sites. A California camp- Saturday, October 22, 2011 "Holiday Fantasy" Floral Design Program & Luncheon Red Bluff Garden Club Presents Carlino's, Rolling Hills Casino Featuring Kate Gliem House of Design Designs for the Holiday Season Vendors – Silent Auction Raffle – Live Auction Kathy, 527-9403 – Diane, 824-5661 House of Design, 527-8844 California Kitchen, 529-2482 Reserved Tickets $25.00 Purchase by October 12, 2011 Tickets: Counseling Center Battle to quit smoking is fought on many fronts DEAR DOCTOR K: At a recent med- ical visit for my heart condition, my doctor urged me again to quit smoking. At 70, I've quit repeated- ly without lasting success. I've tried the patch. I've tried medicine. Neither has worked. Support groups aren't for me. Being told over and over that I need to quit smok- ing just leaves me feeling depressed and weak. Can you offer me any hope? DEAR READER: Yes, absolutely! The fact that you've tried so hard to quit smoking is a good sign: Wanting to quit is the necessary first step. I know you feel discour- aged right now. I've had many patients in exactly your situation who have successfully become ex- smokers. That's why I'm going to encourage you to try again. Nicotine is highly addictive. Willpower alone isn't enough when you're trying to quit. For- tunately, there are lots of tools to help you fight this addiction. Quit-smoking aids include nicotine- replacement patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers, sprays and medications. Toll-free "quitlines" can connect you to the help you need (find the quitline in your state at www.smokefree.gov). None of these tools work miracles. Often they're more effective when combined. It's also true that one drug may work even if another one failed. So consider these options: I know you tried the nicotine patch. Talk to your doctor about cou- pling the patch with a short-acting nicotine- replacement product such as nicotine gum, lozenge or inhaler. These products can help you to rapidly ease sudden cravings. If the medicine pre- scribed for you didn't help, ask your doctor Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. about trying a different drug. There are several drugs, and one may work even if another has not worked. And ask your doc- tor about combin- ing medicine with a product that replaces nicotine. You mentioned that support groups aren't for you. Did you know you don't need to join a group to be supported? While sitting comfortably at home with your slippers on, you can simply dial the national quit line at 1- 800-QUIT-NOW. If you use the Internet, check the website at www.smoke- free.gov. Smartphone apps designed to support quitting exist, too. All of these options have worked for other people — including people like you who have tried unsuccess- fully in the past to quit. There also are plenty of new treatments under development. For exam- ple, scientists are trying to create vaccines that cause a person's immune system to attack nicotine and keep it from reaching the brain. In theory, at least, this would deny you plea- surable feelings from smoking, thus helping you break the habit. There may be more useful tools to quit smoking coming down the road. My advice? Please don't wait for exciting new treatments. Work with your doctor or a spe- cialist in smoking cessa- tion to tailor a plan that works for you. There are more ex-smokers in the U.S. today than smokers. And there are more effec- tive treatments than ever before. So, please, try again. Your heart, lungs, family and friends will all thank you. Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. Go to his website to send questions and get additional information: www.AskDoctorK.com. Retired teachers meeting set California Retired Teacher's Association, Mt. Lassen Division 9, general meeting will be Monday, Oct. 10. Registration begins at 10:30 with the meeting starting at 11 a.m. at the Willows Monday Afternoon Club. A salad lunch will be served at a cost of $10. For entertainment, there will be an art show exhibition of work by CRTA members and Willows High School students. A representative from Hi-Cap will talk about the changes in Health Care Insurance and Medicare. Contact Vic Kronberg for information about dis- playing your art and directions to the Willows Mon- day Afternoon Club, 934-4072. mental Journey, Secret Love and Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be). Tickets, $20 for general fire permit is required. Campfire permits are available at the BLM Ukiah Field Office, 2550 admission, are available by calling 527-0372. More information about the show can be found at www.DorisTribute.com. BLM Ukiah field office lifts fire restrictions North State St., Ukiah. For more information call the field office at (707) 468- 4000. 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 275 Solano Street #2