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Saturday, March 6, 2010 – Daily News – 5A ADVANCED HYDROPONICS Indoor Lighting 1417 SOLANO ST., CORNING 824-1100 & Gardening 10-25% OFF MSRP NOW OPEN SUNDAYS B.B.Q. Bud's 22825 Antelope Blvd. 528-0799 Best BBQ Around Cooked Fresh Daily FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE 2 Weekdays 'till 6pm Saturday 'till 3pm OPEN: 7 days a week 5:30am - 9pm 259 S.Main St., Red Bluff Not valid with other discounts. 2 EGGS 2 SLICES BACON 2 PANCAKES Offer Good Everyday 5:30-8AM ONLY $ 1 99 Dine in only, No substitutions Coffee 59¢ N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 PHONE: (530) 527-2151 FAX: (530) 527-5774 545 Diamond Avenue • P.O. Box 220 • Red Bluff, CA 96080 Support our classrooms, keep kids reading. DONATE YOUR VACATION newspaper dollars to the Newspaper In Education Program HELP OUR CHILDREN For more details call Circulation Department (530) 527-2151 Largest Selection In Tri-County • Herbal Medicines • Edibles (Foods) • Clones 1317 Solano St. (530) 824-4811 www.tehamaherbalcollective.vpweb.com Corning Calif. Dear Annie: My mother-in-law has a heart of gold and always tries to help out — even when it is not welcome. My husband is in the military, and I'm a stay- at-home mom. When he leaves on deployment, his mother takes charge of his bills and decides how much of an allowance I get for gro- ceries, gas, etc. I have told my hus- band that I would like him to give me control of my own house. I know he tells his mother this, but she either won't listen or doesn't understand. I have no idea how to talk to her about this, and his next deployment is in a couple of months. Any suggestions? — Over- whelmed Daughter-in- Law Dear Overwhelmed: How does his mother get access to his bills? Are his paychecks coming to her? Since talking to Mom doesn't help, your husband must set things up so that his income and household bills come directly to you. If you are living with Mom, he can open a post office box or have you pay some of the bills online. He must be willing to do this, or the situation will not change. Unless, of course, the money for these bills is coming out of Mom's pocket. In that case, she has every right to manage the household and give you an allowance. Dear Annie: My dad is in his 70s and is way past obese. He is so big, he becomes breathless walking from one room to another. Even when he is sitting, you can hear him fighting to breathe nor- mally. There are many siblings in our family. When we have holiday get-togethers, we see what is hap- pening and grow i n c r e a s i n g l y upset about Dad's overall health. Mom says she tries to control his food intake during the year, but he continues to get bigger and bigger. Since he refuses to talk about the issue, my brother wrote him a long letter telling him all of our concerns. Dad thanked him for the letter and then never spoke about it again. My problem is, I can barely speak to him, let alone look at him. I think he is being very selfish by doing nothing to help himself. One of these days, he will leave our mother alone, and in the meantime, we have to watch him slowly kill himself. Both of my parents read your column daily, so your perspective would be appreciated. — Son of a Portly Pop Dear Son: Please try to forgive your father for finding his weight too overwhelming and depressing to fix. It is so difficult for him to move that exercise seems out of the question, and he has become fatalistic about his chances for sur- vival, so why bother to eat properly? Part of his breathing dif- ficulties may also be due to other medical or psy- chological caus- es, although his size undoubtedly exacerbates what- ever else is going on. Dad should first see his doc- tor. Perhaps Mom would be willing to talk to a nutritionist about healthy meals that will fill him up without filling him out. You also can suggest that she (or one of you) ask Dad to come on a slow, short walk after dinner to encourage him to move a little bit more. But if none of this works, it serves no pur- pose to be angry, because stress will only make it worse. Right now, this is the best he can do. Dear Annie: This is in response to ''Going Gray and Loving It.'' I do not color my hair. Instead, I wear a sweat- shirt that reads, ''Gray is the new Blonde.'' Every- one who sees it loves it. — Also Loving My Gray 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.n et, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Mother-in-law takes over home Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar FEATURES DEAR DR. GOTT: My husband had laparoscopic surgery in August 2008 to have one kidney removed because it had a large cancerous tumor on it. In October 2008, a blood clot was found between his knee and ankle on the back of one of his legs. He is currently taking Coumadin to keep the blood flowing and reduce the possibility of further clotting. In November 2008, he was found to have an incisional hernia in his abdominal area, which was the result of the August surgery. No one would operate on it until six months had passed from the discovery of the blood clot because of the risk. Every physician we spoke to said something about this being "generally accepted medical theory" regarding blood clots and surgery, etc. In April 2009, the surgery for the hernia occurred. During the time that elapsed, it had become huge. It made his abdomen look as if he were nine-months pregnant, and he had significant discomfort. As part of the hernia surgery, they made a big incision to try to reposition everything as it should be and added the mesh. After the surgery, the hernia was contained and everything looked terrific, but within a day or two, it was obvious that it had failed. The surgeon finally admitted this in June 2009. At that point, the surgeon told my hus- band that he needed to lose weight before surgical repair could be considered again. We were told that this is necessary because his first hernia repair had failed because his stomach muscles were too weak to hold due to the fat in his abdominal area. I told the doctor that the reason my husband's stom- ach muscles had become weakened was caused by the six-month delay in doing the surgery in the first place. If it had been done sooner, the muscles would not have become weakened to this degree. The surgeon then told me that he had no input into that deci- sion or in advising us in that regard. My husband is now trying to lose weight, but he can only walk because other exercis- es put too much strain on the hernia. He cur- rently weighs 300 pounds. If he is to lose a significant amount of weight, it will take a huge amount of time, and the hernia will continue to go unresolved. Is there anything that can be done in the interim to try to contain the hernia? DEAR READER: Blood clots can develop for a number of reasons, including clotting disorders, being over 60 years of age, obesity, pregnancy, prior surgery, can- cer and more. Because your husband had major surgery to remove a cancer- ous tumor, he was at an even greater risk of developing a blood clot. Incisional hernias are also a pos- sibility following surgery. They are typically associated with traditional surgeries that involve larger inci- sions. Because I am not a surgeon, I do not know what standard guidelines are followed in treating a patient with a blood clot for an unrelated condition. Those with blood clots or other clotting disorders that require the use of anticoagulant therapy, such as the Coumadin your husband is taking, who require any type of surgery, are usually told to discontinue the medication a week or two prior to prevent hemorrhage or excessive blood loss. However, this recommendation is likely for those who are well established on the anticoagulant and have been stable for an extended period. As to your husband's worsening hernia and why his surgeon waited for the six- month mark, I am not only surprised but dis- appointed. He should have been informed of other options in the interim. Even though it's not a cure, your husband probably would have benefited from the use of a girdle or elastic support garment that would have put pressure on the area of the hernia, helping it to stay in place. It is also important to avoid activities such as bending or heavy lifting that place excessive strain on the abdomen. Obesity can worsen hernias. I am shocked that your husband's current surgeon blamed his hernia on abdominal fat and weakened muscles. Clearly, he had just undergone major surgery to remove a dis- eased organ and was probably still recover- ing from that when the blood clot and hernia developed. After such an ordeal, one can hardly be blamed for not being as active and fit as before, especially immediately follow- ing the situation. While I believe your husband would be better off losing some of his excess weight, I do not think that postponing the hernia repair is in his best interests. I suggest he begin his weight loss by following a simple diet plan, such as my no-flour, no-sugar diet, exercising as much as possible without overdoing it, and seeking a second opinion. 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 independent bookstores, and the recently published "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook." Hernia needs second opinion Dr. Peter Gott Everyday Cheapskate Monday-Thursday in your Daily News AARP driver safety class in Red Bluff Two AARP Driver Safety Program classes are scheduled in April. One class, for new and return- ing students, is scheduled for Thursday, April 1 and Friday, April 2. The sessions begin each day at 8:30 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. at the First Southern Baptist Church, 585 Kimball Road in Red Bluff. Students in this class must attend both days to obtain a Certificate of Completion. Another class, for returning students only, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21. This session begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 3p.m. at the Sycamore Center, 220 Sycamore St. in Red Bluff. The class is designed for those who have already taken the class at least once before and simply need to obtain a current Certificate. The AARP Driver Safe- ty Program is designed for drivers 50 and over. In an informal, easy-going atmosphere, learn about new laws, how to avoid driving hazards, tips for freeway driving, and more. Upon completion of the course, you may qualify for an auto insurance dis- count. Check with your insurer to see if you quali- fy and the amount of the discount. The cost of the AARP Driver Safety program is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. Class size is limited. To register for the April 1- 2 class, call 529-0858. To enroll in the April 21 class, call 528-1728.