Dear Abby: My wife of 41 years passed away four years ago. I’m in my mid-60s. I have sought grief counseling to fully process her loss. The counselor has encouraged me to maintain and expand my peer relationships. The counselor has also encouraged dating, which I have tried, but no romances have resulted.
Dear Dr. Roach: For several months I was having constipation, diarrhea, stomach cramps, dizziness and a general feeling of unwellness. It got so bad that my gastroenterologist sent me for a CT scan and colonoscopy, which both turned out negative. Finally, my daughter said, “Mom, I’m sure it is gluten intolerance.” Sure enough, in just a few days of staying away from gluten, I was feeling so much better. Now I don’t eat anything with gluten in it and I am fine. Why don’t doctors suggest this to their patients?
Instant Pot Mexican rice with black beans is an amazing one-pot meal that’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo festivities or any occasion. The Mexican rice with black beans is meal in itself and is quite versatile. • For example, you can dress it up with some shredded chicken, include it in a burrito, add it to a quesadilla or lay enchiladas on top before they’re baked. • The Instant Pot Mexican rice with black beans is also a perfect side dish to serve with your favorite Cinco de Mayo entree. It can be made ahead of time and leftovers are just as good the next day. • This Instant Pot Mexican rice with black beans is my go-to recipe when I’m craving a delicious Mexican style rice. It’s likely to become your go-to recipe as well.
I grew up in a land called “fried.” We fried everything. We fried okra, pork chops, shrimp, green tomatoes, hushpuppies, chicken, eggplant, pickles, potatoes, fish, doughnuts, corndogs, zucchini – the list is practically endless. Even things that weren’t technically fried were still called “fried” – like corn and eggs.
Dear Abby: My husband and I are expecting our second child. Our first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, so we were overjoyed to find out I was pregnant again, this time with a little girl. We’ve already given her the name “Mandy.”
Dear Dr. Roach: After not having a mammogram for about 10 years, I developed soreness in one breast. I was recently examined by my doctor, and a lump was detected in my breast at “10 o’clock,” about 7 centimeters from the nipple. I had a standard mammogram that showed a 2.5 cm mass, and I was recalled for follow-up for a spot compression mammogram and ultrasound of the breast. The radiologist’s report called the mass “BI-RADS 4.”
Cristina Fontana once thought donating a kidney was the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. Then she tackled Mount Kilimanjaro.
Dear Abby: Because of frustration with our state’s substantial COVID restrictions and our teen son’s struggles with remote learning, we moved to another state. At the time, our son was excited to move. However, we are now nearly through the school year and he still hasn’t made new friends. He’s depressed and wants to move back.