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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Rectal cancer treatment works well

DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter, who’s 44 years old, was recently diagnosed with rectal cancer. It’s stage III and contained. She has no cancer in her liver, lymph nodes, rectum or colon. Her doctor is going to start her on a more aggressive chemo than he first thought of, then radiation. Since the cancer’s contained, once it’s removed, would her survival rate be better than someone whose cancer had spread to other organs? Would there be recurrences? — N.F.B. ANSWER: I’m sorry to hear of your daughter being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at such a young age. Normally, ...

That’s going to be ITCHY

WASHINGTON — You’ve likely heard it since childhood: Don’t scratch that bug bite or rash, you’ll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad? A lot of things can cause itchiness, sometimes serious diseases. Whatever the cause, doctors have long warned that ...

A soothing cup of herbal tea can begin in your garden

Drink a fragrant cup of herbal tea, and the intoxicating scent of steeped herbs might calm your mind before you even take a sip. Even better is when they come from your own backyard herb garden. Mine includes several ingredients for my daily cup, and they’re all easy to grow and prepare. Herbal teas are distinct from true teas — such as black or green — which come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. (You can grow that in your garden, too.) Brew herbal teas with either freshly harvested or dried herbs. Either way, settling in with a cup of homegrown herbal tea — ...

Health notes

To include or update items in the weekly Health News list, email information to tmunnell@tribtoday.com or dbigelow@tribtoday.com. The deadline for inclusion for next week’s list is noon Sunday. St. Joe’s at the Mall Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Eastwood Mall. • EXERCISE CLASSES AVAILABLE — Call 330-652-7542 to inquire and register. • FREE BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS: 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays, and 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays and Thursdays. • DIETITIAN AVAILABLE: by appointment every first and third Friday; no cost — call ...

DEAR ANNIE: Missing the magic of family Christmases

DEAR ANNIE: My husband and I are in our 70s, and although our adult children live nearby, they rarely visit us. It is always considered “more convenient” for us to go to them. For years, I decorated our home from top to bottom for Christmas. I loved the tree, the lights and the feeling that I was creating something special for our family. But now I find myself wondering why I bother. On Christmas Eve, we may see one of our children’s families for three hours. Half the time, the adults fall asleep on the couch. Then they are well rested and ready to celebrate with the other ...