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Saturday, April 10, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES E-mail problems with daughter-in-love Dear Annie: My son’s wife sent me an e-mail say- ing if I step foot on their property, they will have me arrested for trespassing. It all began when I sud- denly had to constantly retype my e-mail address- es. At first, I thought I was entering something incor- rectly, as I’m not a genius with computers. But when I had to keep asking my daughter-in-law to send me my address book informa- tion, I realized someone was erasing things. The only person who knew my password was my son’s wife. To verify my suspicion, I sent an e-mail to a friend my daughter-in-law didn’t know and included a remark about her. Within hours, my daughter-in-law had my son call me about it. When I told him my suspicions that his wife was reading my mail and delet- ing things, he screamed in my ear that my sister had sent the e-mail to her, which is Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar impossible. I changed my password, but she got that one, too. So I ended up using that e- mail address solely for junk mail. Now I can’t see my two grandsons, whom I love with all my heart. My son talks to his brother and always asks him how his dad and I are doing, but he won’t call us. His father and I have both been in the hospital since this happened, and we didn’t hear a word. I’ve always been close to my sons. My daughter-in-law, however, disowned her only brother, whom she raised and now refuses to speak to, so I’m sure our estrange- ment is permanent for her. Our whole fami- ly is upset. Please help me find a way to get my son to talk to me. — Miss Those Kids Dear Miss: There is a possibility that your daughter-in-law was not responsible for your e-mail problems. Deleted addresses can be the result of computer viruses. Even if you are right, accusing her could not pos- sibly have brought you anything but trouble. What did you think would happen? She may not deserve it, but if you apologize profuse- ly and beg her forgiveness, things might improve. Please try, for the sake of those grandchildren. Dear Annie: I’m not an alcoholic. My wife is. We’ve been married more than 12 years. She started drinking in Year Nine — a couple of glasses of wine. It got worse the following year. She lost her job, got depressed and drank more. We argued a lot, and neighbors called the police. I filed a restraining order. The last time, she was arrested for criminal contempt and did three months in jail. When she got out, she went to rehab. I filed for divorce. She tried to stay sober, but relapsed. Then I heard she had joined A.A. and was speak- ing at a local church, so I showed up. When she started telling her story, I realized I was- n’t perfect, either. After the meeting, we talked. The next morning, I canceled the divorce. I now attend meetings with her to be supportive and a better person. She just cel- ebrated two years of sobriety, and we are happy together. Thanks, A.A. You people saved our marriage. — Grateful Dear Grateful: What a wonderful testi- monial to a terrific organization. Thanks — and congratulations. Dear Annie: ‘‘Wish I’d Known’’ recent- ly found out he has ADD, at the age of 70. I am 83, and that letter hit home. I was married to an intelligent man who undoubtedly had a profound and untreated case of ADD. While in the navy, he could never maintain order or communicate effec- tively. In civilian life, he was once so offen- sive to his co-workers that they threatened to quit. He could not talk to his children except to degrade them. Nothing appeared to inter- est him. We divorced, but it still had a terri- ble effect on our daughter, now in her 60s and also diagnosed with ADD. With help, she is doing fine. A lot depends on the understanding of others. — An Old Lady 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. Granddaughter diagnosed with syringomyelia DEAR DR. GOTT: My 16-year-old granddaughter has recently been diag- nosed with stage 1 syringomyelia. From what I have read, the prognosis is not good. What can you tell me about this disorder? My grand- daughter is a high- school junior. She is very intelligent, works hard, and is even taking college-prep classes. DEAR READER: Syringomyelia is a dis- order in which a cyst, known as syrinx, forms within the spinal cord. Over time, the cyst enlarges and elongates, destroying the center of the spinal cord in the area where it forms. In many cases, syringomyelia is also associated with a con- genital abnormality known as Chiari I mal- formation, a condition in which the part of the brain called the cerebel- lum protrudes into the neck portion of the spinal canal. Trauma, meningitis, tumor, arachnoiditis or hemor- rhage may result in the development of a syrinx. In rare instances, the condition is inherited. Symptoms typically present between the ages of 25 and 40, mak- ing the fact that your daughter was diagnosed at only 16 worrisome. Symptoms can include pain, weakness and Barber Shop $ Cheers 600 Senior Cuts Open 6 days 9-6 570-2304 259 S. Main St. Tractor Supply Center Tues-Sat 9:30-5:30 A Unique Children’s Boutique Closed 905 Walnut St., Red Bluff twopeasinapod@aol.com Bring in this ad for 10% off 528-1698 Sun.-Mon Dr. Peter Gott stiffness of the back, shoulders, arms or legs and a loss of the ability to feel extremes of cold or hot, especially in the hands and headaches. These tend to develop slowly but may occur suddenly because of coughing or straining. If no symptoms are present, treatment is unnecessary, but the sit- uation should be moni- tored closely so that should they appear, early treatment can be given. Some patients may need to have the cysts drained using catheters, drainage tubes and valves. Surgery is typically the recommended course of action, but, unfortunately, it is not a sure cure. Cysts may recur, necessitating repeat procedures. Over the long term, multiple corrections may not be entirely successful. They are, however, the best option for reducing the risk of permanent spinal damage and for stabilizing symptoms. As for a prognosis, this depends on the severity of the symp- toms, the size of the cyst and the particular patient. People general- ly have worsening symptoms when strain- ing or performing activ- ities that cause cere- brospinal fluid pressure to fluctuate; therefore, it is important to avoid such activities. Some patients may experience long periods of stability in which symptoms are minimal or absent. Research is ongoing. You can learn more about what is being done by visiting the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s (NINDS) syringomeylia informa- tion page at www.ninds.nih.gov/dis- orders/syringomyelia. To provide related information, I am send- ing you a copy of my recently updated Health Report “Managing Chronic Pain.” 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, Wick- liffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.co m. DEAR DR. GOTT: In a recent column, a woman asked about her loss of taste and smell, which seemed to occur after a concussion. You thought it was unlikely that it was caused by the concussion and gave some scenarios that can affect taste and smell. A few years ago, dur- ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ing a visit to my ear- nose-and-throat doctor to clean my ears, I experienced excruciat- ing pain in my ear when he inserted an instru- ment to remove the wax from my eardrum. The pain subsided after a while, but when I ate dinner, I discovered I had lost my entire sense of taste. I called my ENT and was told that it could not possibly have been from the ear clean- ing. I then called my son, who is a board-certified neuropsychologist. He had to look into it but got back to me within an hour telling me that my chorda-tympani nerve was probably damaged. He told me that this nerve serves the taste buds in the front of the tongue and runs through the middle ear where it carries taste messages to the brain. My loss of taste last- ed several months with a one-day loss of smell. Gradually, my sense of taste returned. My expe- rience made me wonder if this woman may have hit the side of her face as well, damaging this nerve. There still isn’t much she can do, but at least she would have an explanation. DEAR READER: Let me first clarify that I did not say the concus- sion was an unlikely cause of her loss of taste and smell. In fact, head trauma is a well- known cause. There are several other possibili- ties that should have been explored before deciding the facial injuries were the cause. I was simply providing the writer with more information regarding the condition. Now, as to your situ- ation, I have not heard of this occurring, but I agree that it is a possi- bility, at least for part of the loss of taste. Because the nerve sup- plies only the front por- tion of the tongue and taste buds, it would cause only partial taste loss. Thank you for writing. 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.” Come see us at the Children’s Fair on April 24th Recently expanded and moved near Bidwell Elementary License # 525405817 My qualifications include: B.A. in Elementary Education and experience teaching grades K-8. Accepting state pay programs & cash pay, etc. (530) 209-8743 !