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2B – Daily News – Thursday, February 4, 2010 The Electric Man For all your electrical needs • New Outlets / 220 • Fans / Fixtures • Pools / Spas • Code Corrections • Troubleshooting • Panel Upgrade • Telephone Wiring 347-4441 $10.00 Customer Discount FREE Estimates License# 826543 Drop Off Sites in Downtown Businesses Thank you from D.R.B.B.A. Collecting until February 14th Food From the Heart Canned Food Drive ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ "Shower the people you love with love … Show them the way you feel …" N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY B. Boxers C. Cupid D. Hugs & Kisses A. Balloons F. Teddy Tehama County Valentine Love-Lines In the Classified pages of the Saturday, February 13 th only! Deadline: Wednesday, February 10 th @ 5 PM! Just 75 cents per word $4.50 min. charge. Add Valentine artwork of your choice for just $3.00 Will someone you love read the Valentine Love Lines In the Daily News on February 13 th , looking for a Valentine Greeting from you? Place yours today! 527-2151 Make yours sweet, romantic, cute, silly … We'll help you word your Love Lines! Send Love Lines to your sweetheart, parents, kids, etc. New this year – For your convenience! ♥ Reserve your Love-Lines by Phone/Credit Card: Just call Classified at 527-2151, and our Ad-Visors will walk you through the process, all the options, and take your Love-Line order payment by credit card. Or come by the office, of course. ♥ Place by Email: Send what you want to say in an email to advertise@redbluffdailynews.com. Be sure to include your phone/cell number so we can call you back and take your credit card information to reserve your Valentine Love-Lines. ♥ First time ever! Optional: Give us the email address of your Valentine. We will send your Valentine an email before publication day telling them that someone who loves them has placed a Love-Line in the Daily News on Saturday the 13th … and to be sure to look for their Valentine Greeting, in the paper … or online in our digital edition! E. Burning Heart $ Money $ 2 Lend Cash 4 Notes McKinley Mortgage Co. CA DRE # 01773837 Call 530-241-0977 800-909-1977 Smog Check starting at $ 29 95 (most cars and pick-ups) Pass or FREE retest COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR + cert. All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. Newspaper website visitors spend more time online than other internet users January 2010 Stats 370,761 Page Views 52,407 Unique Visitors RedBluffDailyNews.com is the most visited local site for local news & information Average online hours per week 9 hours General internet population 9 hours 19 hours Newspaper Visitors 19 hours ` Dear Annie: I have a daughter from a previous marriage, and my husband and I have a son together. The problem is, my husband ignores my daughter. He says he loves her, but it doesn't show. He is an alcoholic who refuses to help around the house or with the kids. He also won't brush his teeth or flush the toilet. Worse, his sister pushes him to drink at every family gathering, including the children's birthday parties. I told her he becomes verbally abusive to my daughter when he drinks, but she still supplies him with beer at every occasion. Meanwhile, she and her husband are outside smoking pot while the kids run wild. After I tear- fully confided in my mother-in-law, she told him, ''You deserve to have a beer whenever you like.'' It hurts to see my daughter's little face wanting positive attention and affection from her stepfather while he turns away from her. But, Annie, I still love him. He once stopped drinking for two months, and those were the happiest times we've had. He was energetic, paid attention to both kids, started brushing his teeth and even helped around the house. But it ended when his sister came over with a six-pack. I've suggested counseling, but he refuses to go, and his family backs him up. I can't go alone because I have no one to baby-sit. So tell me, how do I help my daughter cope? — Indiana Dear Indiana: It sounds as if your husband comes from a family of substance abusers who will continue to undermine any effort he makes to stay sober. First contact Al-Anon (al- anon.alateen.org) at 1-888-4- AL-ANON (1-888-425- 2666). Then ask your pedia- trician to refer you to a coun- selor who will talk to you by phone or e-mail if you cannot find a neighbor or friend to watch the children. Dear Annie: My husband and I have joint custody of his children. Lately, the ones who are old enough to drive have started dropping by when they are scheduled to be with their mother. While I dearly love my stepchildren, it alarms me when I occasionally find one of them at the top of the stairs while I am dripping wet from the shower. We don't want to send the mes- sage that they are unwelcome. What more can we do? — Loving Step- mom in Memphis Dear Memphis: We hope you recognize how lucky you are that your stepchildren feel so comfort- able around you, and you might want to put up with most of this. Still, you are entitled to some privacy. Approach them with humor. Explain why their unexpected presence could create embarrassment, and ask them to please ring either the phone or the doorbell before entering the house to make sure everyone is dressed and presentable. And keep a robe handy. Dear Annie: I read with interest the letter from ''Rather Embarrassed in Minnesota,'' the 24-year-old female virgin who is concerned about her inexperience. I am a 26-year-old male and a vir- gin. I am saving intercourse for mar- riage. I made this decision for sever- al reasons. I do not want to trivialize the strong emotional bond that sex can form with my partner; I do not want to risk contracting an STD; and I do not want to potentially start a family with a woman I'm not willing to marry. I'd like to encourage women with moral objections to premarital sex to remain true to their feelings for as long as they make sense. Our culture gives the impression that everyone sees sex as uncommitted recreation, and thus we are silly to deny our- selves its pleasures. I strongly dis- agree and am holding out until I find someone who holds the same respect for our procreative power. — Wait- ing in California Dear Waiting: It is not always easy to stick to your principles in this day and age. We admire your efforts to maintain your standards. 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. In-laws keep hubby from getting sober Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar FEATURES DEAR DR. GOTT: During the latter part of 2007, I was diagnosed with metastatic bladder cancer. My doctors r e c o m m e n d e d chemotherapy treat- ments from November 2007 to May 2008. I underwent surgery in June 2008 for removal of the bladder, prostate and two lymph nodes. In July, my kidneys failed, and that, too, was successfully treated. So far, so good. I'm doing fine and have regained my weight back to 216 pounds. Unfortunately, the surgery has left me with numb feet — no pain, just numb. After several doctor visits, including trips to a neurologist, podiatrist and neurosurgeon, I have been told that this is a side effect from the chemotherapy. I would like to know whether you or any readers could recommend some- thing that might help me. I read your articles every day and hope there is something someone can suggest to improve my condition. I do realize that I have been blessed to overcome this medical condition with only numbness in my feet as a residual. DEAR READER: Yes, you certainly have a lot for which to be grateful. To be a cancer survivor and to reverse or stabilize kidney failure is a testimony to your constitution and the superb care you received from your team of physicians. Chemotherapy can cause anemia, fatigue, kidney and bladder irritation, hair loss, infection, nerve and muscle difficulties, an elevated risk of bruising and bleeding, and a great deal more. Not everyone on chemotherapy will have side effects. Some people may have mild prob- lems, while others may develop complex, long-term consequences. Chemotherapy drugs are intended to kill fast-growing cancer cells; however, because the drugs travel through the body, they can attack healthy cells as well. Damage to healthy tissue is the cause of side effects experienced. It is also the reason chemothera- py can make people weak and sick — in many cases, more so than the cancer they were designed to treat. C e r t a i n c h e m o t h e r a p y drugs can cause peripheral neuropa- thy, an unpleasant condition that results in tingling, burning, numbness and weakness of the hands and/or feet. These side effects can be accompa- nied by jaw pain, difficulty ambulating, a loss of bal- ance, abdominal pain and visual changes. If detected and treated early, most cases of chemo-related peripheral neuropathy are temporary. Long-term peripheral neu- ropathy can worsen and lead to an exacerbation of pain. Because it has been more than a year since you fin- ished your chemotherapy, your numbness is probably permanent. I suggest you return to your physician to discuss possible treatment options that may be avail- able to you. You should also learn about techniques or medical devices to assist you in preventing falls or developing chronic, non- healing ulcers. Without proper feeling in your feet, everyday activi- ties such as driving can be dangerous. Climbing stairs or even walking, especially on uneven terrain, can result in falls. Falls can lead to injury, including cuts, scraps or even fractures. Ulcers may result when shoes are too tight or ill fit- ting, causing a sore to devel- op that goes unnoticed because of the lack of feel- ing. Without proper treat- ment, it may be infected and require months of special- ized bandages, cleaning and medication before improve- ment is seen. To provide related infor- mation, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Consumer Tips on Medi- cine." Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title. Numbing side effect of chemotherapy Dr. Peter Gott At redbluffdailynews.com, scroll to the end of any story, click the link and type away. CARE TO COMMENT? Intersections turn green The California Department of Transportation has modified traffic signals at two of Red Bluff's busiest intersections by adding right turn or left turn signal arrows. Right turn signals have been added at the inter- section of Antelope Boulevard and Main Street downtown. The right turn arrow means a driver can make a right turn when the arrow is green, while the through and left turning traffic is stopped. Right turn signal arrows are ideally located at intersections with heavy right turn traffic movements that can proceed at the same time as equally heavy left turn or through traffic from the adjacent street. This modification greatly improves the operation of the traffic signal, while reducing congestion, delays and pollution. Left turn signals have been added to the intersec- tion of Sale Lane and Antelope Boulevard. The left turn signal arrow below a green light allows the through and left turn traffic movements to proceed while the opposing direction of travel is stopped. This type of operation improves safety, as it eliminates the need for left turning traffic to yield to oncoming traffic. Cost for modifying the traffic signals, and anoth- er nine in Shasta and Siskiyou counties, was $100,000. For more information call the Caltrans Public Information Office at 225-3260.