August 2022

Dear Dr. Roach: My brother has low blood platelets and anemia. He will be 73 this year and has had three back surgeries. What causes low blood platelets? Can anything be done to raise platelet count? He drinks alcohol everyday -- not hard liquor, but canned alcoholic mixed drinks. He is in constant pain from his back. Also, he has osteoporosis. We have told him to stop drinking, but he won’t or can’t. What, if anything, can be done for him?

Dear Abby: I have been with my 45-year-old boyfriend, “Doug,” for six years. His mother, who was widowed five years ago, has moved here to Florida from New Jersey. Doug is very protective of her, which I kind of understand because she’s 63. The kicker is, she has started flashing her breasts at us. I’m pretty sure she does it to Doug when I’m not around as well. I have mentioned to him multiple times about how disturbing it is, but he brushes it off and refuses to confront her. We have adult children, and she recently went into the pool with all of them with nothing on. It is starting to worry me. I don’t want to be the one to confront her because it will get ugly.