Lifestyle

I have heard it said that, whatever you think you want, name it and claim it. When I tried that, and it did not work, I was told I needed to exercise more faith. I met a devout Christian man who told me that years ago he and his wife were so sick they could not leave their home. In quarantine, they had little help from anyone other than each other. During that time they learned to listen to each other, to encourage each other, to meet each other’s needs. I met his wife several months later, and received confirmation that their marriage had grown stronger as a result of this shared experience.

DEAR ABBY: Throughout my childhood, my mother was controlling in many ways. One of them was my clothes. She dressed me in ridiculous outfits that I found humiliating. If I expressed an opinion about anything, I was treated as being “bad.” It affected my mental health, which resulted in me hating the way I look.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old female who has had four benign breast biopsies/lumpectomies in the last 25 years. I’ve also been dealing with extreme itching on one side of my breast. I recently had my annual 3D mammogram as well as an ultrasound, which didn’t show anything amiss. Could scar tissue from lumpectomies be a cause behind this? Or should I encourage my gynecologist to order an MRI? I have small, dense breasts, and I’m concerned about an inflammatory type of breast cancer.

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Like any beautifully composed work of art, the success of eye-catching plant combinations relies on following a few basic rules. Think about the following suggestions as you plan your plantings for summer.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there a possibility of having some type of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), even though it doesn’t show up clearly in the blood work? (My CRP level was 0.3, rheumatoid factor was 10, anti-CCP result was 15 u/ mL, and ANA test came out negative.) I have symptoms that I feel I am not getting treated for because of this. I have other autoimmune symptoms such as Raynaud’s and extreme foot inflammation that makes it difficult to walk, along with joint pain and stiffness pretty much all over.

DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend, “Jana,” and I have been together for 18 years. We live in a small community.

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DEAR DR. ROACH: I have seen news reports of many positive results from people using INNOVO, the FDA-approved shorts that provide electrical pelvic muscle stimulation, to possibly eliminate incontinence entirely. I also have heard that insurance companies may help pay the cost of these shorts. Since this may help many of your readers, can you comment on this product, which I’ve heard described as a “life-changer” from many of its users? -- Anon.