Breaking News

Life

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Benefits of COVID vaccines outweigh any risks

Lifestyles

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 78-year old man who was diagnosed with asthma about 10 years ago, after a severe coughing attack left me unable to breathe. Since then, everything has been pretty much under control with Symbicort or Singulair. While I assumed that it’d be a good idea to get a COVID vaccination each year due to my asthma, both my general physician and pharmacist have recommended against it. Along with the reasoning that COVID isn’t as deadly as it was a few years ago, they’ve pointed out that the medications to treat it are highly effective if I do happen to catch it. Even ...

DEAR ANNIE: Wife wonders if enough neglect is enough

Lifestyles

DEAR ANNIE: I have been married to a dear man for more than 40 years, but for much of that time, I have felt as though we are not really a team. My husband can be very kind in practical ways. He will happily run errands, fix things around the house and do small tasks for me. But when I truly need his support, especially during stressful or important situations, he often disappears emotionally. He does not defend me when it matters, and if I ask him to help with something difficult, even something he is experienced and qualified to handle, he may simply say, “I want nothing to do with ...

Mammogram didn’t see her cancer

Lifestyles

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of stories about breast cancer survivors that will run throughout October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. When Karla Dillon noticed a lump in her breast in January, she had reason to believe it was a cyst. She had experienced ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Dry-clean blue jeans so they’ll stay bright

Lifestyles

DEAR HELOISE: For folks who want to keep their jeans bright, stop washing them. I’ve had my jeans dry-cleaned for years, and their colors stay as bright as they did when they were new. — R.J.B., via email R.J.B., yes, you’re right that it does help. However, for many of my readers, it’s very expensive to constantly dry-clean their jeans when they have working washing machines that can do the job. It also means wearing the same pair of jeans longer than they’d normally be worn. In addition, it’s one more thing on your to-do list. For busy people, such as a mother who ...

DEAR ANNIE: She’s more his roommate than his wife

Lifestyles

DEAR READERS: After my column in response to “Worried Daughter,” who was concerned that her widowed mother was becoming increasingly isolated and dependent two years after her husband’s death, readers wrote with thoughtful suggestions. Thank you to all, but especially to two readers for sharing your personal and professional experiences with the same situation. DEAR ANNIE: As a retired LCSW who spent the last 30 years of my practice focusing on grief and loss, I’d like to offer another perspective. This mother may need her daughter’s support in finding a grief counselor. ...