Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6606
Friday, February 5, 2010 – Daily News – 5A Red Bluff Garden Center 766 Antelope Blvd. (next to the fairgrounds) 527-0886 Star Thistle Star Thistle Killer Killer Call or come in to learn more Best time to apply in California is January to March New Product Arrival Dear Annie: My father has hurt our family with drug use, alcoholism and lies, and we haven't spo- ken in more than a year. Recently, he has been attempting to contact me. He's sent voicemails, let- ters and a few e-mails. We e-mailed a little bit in the past week, but I told him I wasn't ready to talk. I'm not sure what to do. At some level, I realize the only reason I'm in touch is to express how much anger I have toward him. After seriously thinking it over, I've decided I don't really want a relationship. It's not fair to me to go through this pattern one more time, and I can't take being hurt again. But I feel guilty. Maybe this time he's genuine about wanting to change and it's wrong of me not to give him another chance. But every time this has happened in the past, I only end up getting hurt. Please help. — Still Hurting Dear Still: It's understandable that you keep hoping your father will straighten out and be the per- son you want him to be. You don't have to keep in touch if you don't want to, but if you decide not to give up on him, you will need to protect yourself emotionally. Accept the fact that he may never change and you might be able to continue an e-mail correspondence. It will allow you to stay in touch, keep track of whatever progress he might make and let him feel part of your life, while maintaining enough emotional distance that you won't be kicking yourself later. Keep your expectations low, and do not allow him to make addition- al inroads unless you are prepared for any negative consequences. Dear Annie: I have two sons, ages 2 and 4. They get invited to many birthday parties together. I under- stand the cost is greater for the host to have both of my boys, and at this age, par- ents are typically invited to stay, as well. I will either give the birthday child one $20 gift from both or two $10 presents. However, when my boys have birthday parties, regardless of how far in advance I send out invita- tions, family members seem to be the only ones who attend. The few times friends have shown up, sib- lings have only given one gift, even from multiple children, and it is something extremely inexpensive. I don't really care what kind of gifts my children receive, but I am wondering whether I'm overdoing it. Could this be why friends don't come to my children's parties? Do they think I expect them to spend as much as I do? — Unopened Good- ie Bags Dear Goodie: Maybe. You are not doing anything wrong, but that doesn't mean other parents aren't intimidated. It's also possible they have other objections. If you are particularly close with one of the parents, it wouldn't hurt to inquire. But some of this will resolve itself as your children get older and they and their friends are invited indi- vidually, without parents, to one another's parties. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ''Worried in Pennsylvania,'' whose fiance's disrespectful 17- year-old daughter gets suspended from school and wrecks cars. We had a teenager like that. Through the advice of friends, we had him checked by a psychiatrist, who wound up treating him for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD was fairly new then, and a lot of people still have mixed feelings about it, but after being put on medication, the posi- tive changes in our son's behavior were almost immediate. ''Worried'' should do whatever she can to get this girl to a psychia- trist or neurologist who is experi- enced in dealing with ADHD to see whether that's the cause of her behavior. — Former Pennsylvanian in California Dear Former: Thank you for pointing out that there can be many reasons for reckless behavior in teens and it is always a good idea to see whether there are medical caus- es behind it. 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. Afraid to give Dad yet another chance Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar FEATURES DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been on Armour Thyroid for many years, but all of a sudden, I cannot get it. Of course, I have Synthroid as an alternative. Well, I have tried it and just can't handle it. Why, all of a sudden, is Armour Thyroid on back order no matter where I check? Are the drug companies not making enough money on it? It's a low-cost drug. No one I have talked to seems to know the answer. I was hoping you might be able to answer this because I would imagine a lot of patients use it. DEAR READER: According to Forest Laboratories, the manu- facturer of Armour Thy- roid, there is a critical back-order situation. The company is unaware, at the time of this writing, of when the product will be avail- able. And, as would be expected, it recommends that patients contact their physician for sub- stitute treatment until restocking occurs. You can check on the status of the drug by calling (866) 927-3260. Armour Thyroid is a natural porcine-derived preparation for thyroid hormone replacement that does not contain gluten or lactose. It con- tains two thyroid hor- mones, T3 and T4. Syn- throid is a synthetic T4 hormone reported to be identical to that pro- duced in the human thy- roid gland. Many people are able to take the prod- uct without experiencing negative side effects. As with any drug, pre- cautions must be taken, and adverse reactions are possible. With hormone supplements, the most common side effects are those related to taking too much. Common reactions include ner- vousness, anxiety, insomnia, muscle weak- ness, diarrhea, abdomi- nal cramping, insomnia, irritability and a great deal more. There is the potential for interaction with other drugs taken, food con- sumed and specific med- ical conditions a person might have. This, as well as all medication, should be monitored carefully by a physician. Perhaps your physi- cian can alter the Syn- throid dosage to find a level that you can toler- ate until your Armour product becomes avail- able. To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Thyroid Disor- ders." Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newslet- ter, P.O. Box 167, Wick- liffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title. DEAR DR. GOTT: I have just become aware of your newspaper col- umn, where reference was made to restless legs syndrome. I have suf- fered for several years with this frustrating con- dition and have tried numerous remedies, including prescription drugs. Because of side effects, I cannot use the prescriptions and have not had success with the other remedies. Unfortunately, I did not see your original article recommending the use of hawthorn berries. I have read the testimonials of those who were helped by the product and am interest- ed in trying it. Could you please reprint the arti- cle? I have also been tak- ing 250 milligrams of magnesium at bedtime. DEAR READER: Because I have received so many letters regard- ing this topic, I have decided to share the information again. In the original col- umn, the writer described his success using three daily cap- sules of hawthorn berry to resolve his severe restless legs syndrome. This person also had moderate success using 200 milligrams of calci- um and magnesium daily. To provide related information, I am send- ing you copies of my Health Reports "Dr. Gott's Compelling Home Remedies" and "More Compelling Home Remedies." Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order per report to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title(s). Dr. Peter Gott is a retired physician and the author of the book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet," available at most chain and i n d e p e n d e n t bookstores, and the recently published "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook." Medication back order leads to difficulty Dr. Peter Gott Fish and Game conducts online poll Throughout February, California's Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will solicit public opinion online prior to review of state and national pintail harvest management goals. In January, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) present- ed state wildlife agencies with a wide range of regula- tory options on pintails. In March, DFG and other state wildlife agencies will meet with the USFWS to discuss these options. The poll will solicit pub- lic opinion that will be con- sidered during this decision- making process. The 12 questions prompt hunters to provide their opinions on the trade-offs between daily bag limits, length of the pin- tail season and stability of hunting regulations associ- ated with the options pre- sented by the USFWS. The survey should take most hunters fewer than 10 min- utes to complete. The online poll can be found on the DFG Web site: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wild life/waterfowl/docs/Pintail- SurveyQuestions.pdf The USFWS report detailing the pintail regula- tory options can also be found on DFGs Web site: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wild life/waterfowl/docs/NOPIP r o p o s e d H a r ve s t S t r a t e - gy2009.pdf Because all the options analyzed by the USFWS were designed to ensure the conservation of northern pintails, the primary issues at stake center on the per- ceptions and preferences of hunters, said DFG Wildlife Biologist Shaun Oldenburg- er. Hunters in California are encouraged to lend their voices and perspective to this process. All states will have an equal voice in this, so its important to ensure that Californias needs are represented. The poll is scheduled to close at the end of February, giving DFG time to orga- nize its findings and present the information to the USFWS and other states at the Pacific Flyway meetings in March. DFG will also post the results of the survey on its Web site.