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4B Daily News – Tuesday, September 25, 2012 FEATURES Bullying mother leaves woman fragile was little, my mother would insist, ''I'm not your moth- er.'' I'd be convinced and start to cry. Then she would say, ''I'm just kidding.'' As a 6-year-old, I was afraid of the vacuum. She unplugged it and told me it was OK to sit on it. When I did, she turned it on and scared me to death. When I was a teen, she said, ''No one will ever want you.'' When I reached my 20s, she told me I was an unwanted pregnancy. My entire life, I've been the butt Dear Annie: When I Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar son would play such sadistic practi- cal jokes on her child. It's possible this is the way your mother was raised or, just as likely, she suffers from some type of mental illness. Knowing this might help you respond to her sickness with a more distant compassion, instead of mak- ing it a reflection on you or your relationship. Please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness (nami.org) at 1-800-950-NAMI (1- 800-950-6264) for more informa- tion. of her ''jokes.'' Any kindness from her comes with the price tag of putting up with her nastiness. Hon- estly, I feel bullied. Nothing I say or do is good enough. The days of expecting her approval are long past, and I know she will never give me the positive acceptance I crave. But where do I go from here? — Grown Up Dear Grown Up: No stable per- Dear Annie: I have recently tacky to tell your guests what to give you. Of course, bridal reg- istries were created to make it easi- er for people to help the couple stock their new home. And since many couples live together these days, they do not need sheets, tow- els or dishes, hence the honeymoon websites. But a honeymoon used to be a personal, romantic gift from broken down into specific items ($20 for breakfast in bed, $80 for a couple's massage or $100 toward a down payment on a house). All I had to do was click ''donate here.'' Am I old-fashioned, or is it still considered tacky to tell your guests that you want money (and only money) and ask for it in advance? If I donate online, do I still give a card to the couple at the wedding? I've asked a few younger people about this, and it sounds as if such things are becoming more common- place. Please rush your answer so I can donate early. — Bring Back Wedding Etiquette Dear Etiquette: Yes, it's still 2011 Corporate Responsi- bility and Sustainability Report today, outlining its progress in safety, environ- mental performance, cus- tomer solutions and com- munity vitality, among other areas of sustainabili- ty. PG&E's renewed focus on the basics of its business – providing safe, reliable and affordable energy. "Sustainability is root- ed in PG&E's long-stand- ing commitment to the environment. However, it's also much more than that; it encompasses our relationships with our cus- tomers and employees, as The report also captures well as our ongoing com- mitment to the economic vitality of our business and the communities we serve," said Tony Earley, chairman, chief executive officer and president of PG&E Corporation. "Sus- tainability is crucial to PG&E's long-term suc- cess." been invited to a wedding where the only gifts request- ed were contributions to the honeymoon. Included in the wedding invitation was a card with directions for accessing the ''Honeymoon Fund'' website so I could make a donation. On the website were explicit instructions from the couple saying they'd like the dona- tion made prior to the wed- ding so they could plan ahead. The website fund is the bride and groom to each other. Aunt Mildred shouldn't be paying for it. We say get them whatever you want. ''Undecided Mom,'' who can't decide what mementos to give her children? Give the kids everything. Dear Annie. May I comment on I, too, saved our children's report cards, notes to the teacher when they played hooky, school photos, Boy Scout and 4-H awards, every- thing. When the last one graduated from college, I made a scrapbook for each child. I captioned the pho- tos and trimmed the newspaper clip- pings. Dates, occasions and names were handwritten below. The entire project took several months to com- plete, and it was a walk through memory lane and a labor of love. that year. The looks on their faces were priceless. These scrapbooks are now among their most prized possessions and are shared with their friends. They are still enjoying them 15 years later. Yes, there were a few embarrassing things included, but that was part of the fun. — Bur- well, Neb. It was their Christmas present Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Utility releases sustainability report PG&E released its public and employee safe- ty, gas and electric opera- tions, environmental per- formance, diversity and inclusion, customer ener- gy programs, financial results, and community vitality. PG&E's 2011 Corpo- rate Responsibility and Sustainability Report is available at www.pgecorp.com/sus- tainability, where visitors can access videos, stories and other content that bring PG&E's sustainabil- ity efforts to life. The report covers PG&E's progress in areas such as every day to drive sustain- ability across the business, at all levels, and this effort is inspired by the dedica- tion and leadership of our employees," said Ezra Garrett, vice president of community relations and chief sustainability officer of PG&E. "We are also focused on engaging with and invigorating the neigh- borhoods where our cus- tomers and employees live "PG&E is working and work." Prostatitis is a common condition TOR K: I have chronic prostati- tis. Antibiotics haven't helped. What other treat- ment options are there? DEAR DOC- DEAR READ- ER: Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate. This walnut-sized gland secretes fluid into semen. Prostatitis is widespread and affects men of all ages. Accord- ing to a study published in the World Journal of Urology, about two out of every 100 men world- wide suffer from chronic prostatitis. The report follows the recent announcement of PG&E's inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the fifth consecutive year, recognizing PG&E's ongoing commitment across the economic, envi- ronmental and social dimensions of sustainabili- ty. you have — chronic pro- statitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) — is the most common type. Yet we don't know what causes it. Doctors have suspect- ed that a bacterial infec- tion causes the condition, but so far, no clear evi- dence of a bacterial cause has been found. Other types of infections, such as with viruses, have not been studied very often. White blood cells, a sign of infection, are usu- ally found in urine and prostate secretions. How- ever, no bacteria are evi- dent. Still, doctors often prescribe antibiotics in case there's an undetect- ed bacterial infection. But as in your case, such treatment is generally ineffective. The type of prostatitis Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — may help. So may hot baths. Your doctor may pre- scribe one or more drugs. Anticholinergic drugs reduce urinary symptoms by decreasing bladder contractions. Alpha blockers relax the mus- cles at the neck of the bladder, easing the flow of urine. Pregabalin (Lyrica), a drug used to treat fibromyalgia, may reduce pain. (I've placed a list of such treatments on my website.) Myofascial trigger release, a form of mas- sage, and biofeedback have been found in small studies to reduce pain and other symptoms. They might be worth a try. — Burning or painful urination and ejaculation. T reatment aims to reduce discomfort. Pain medications that reduce inflamma- tion — such as aspirin, ibuprofen or other nons- teroidal anti- hold it in); derived substances may help: cernilton, quercetin and saw palmetto berry extract. Studies have been small, but findings have been generally posi- tive. Finally, three plant- PG&E was named to the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index for the fourth year in a row for the quality of the company's reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and the business risks and oppor- tunities from climate change. CP/CPPS may result from a cascade of events. The initial event may be an undetected infection (from some sort of microbe that we haven't discovered yet), or a physical trauma that causes inflammation. Over time, the inflamma- tion leads to heightened pain sensitivity. The con- dition may extend beyond the prostate. The chronic inflammation may affect the nerves near the prostate gland. This, in turn, could affect bowel, bladder and sexu- al function. These are all reasonable theories, but they are unproven. Symptoms of CP/CPPS include: — Pain in the lower back and genital area; — Having to urinate frequently and urgently (feeling like you can't We have more infor- mation on prostatitis in our 2012 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases. (Learn more about this report at AskDoctorK.com, or call 877-649-9457 toll-free to order it.) Permit me to get on my soapbox for a minute. Why is it that we don't know the cause or cure for such a common con- dition? The fraction of total government expen- ditures spent on research is going down, yet the tools to solve these rid- dles are in hand. We just need to find the money, as a society, to use those tools. Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. To send questions, go to AskDoctorK.com, or write: Ask Doctor K, 10 Shattuck St., Second Floor, Boston, MA 02115. DONATE YOUR VACATION newspaper dollars to the Newspaper In Education Program Support our classrooms, keep kids reading. HELP OUR CHILDREN DAILYNEWS For more details call Circulation Department (530) 527-2151 RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY 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