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Join Me For a ‘Cold One’?

As we turn the calendar page on the last month of 2020, the New Year can’t arrive too soon. Although life appears to pass at “warp speed” and most recognize there aren’t enough minutes left in our short stay on earth, I believe all would agree 2020 deserves to be seen in the rear view mirror. In the past 10 months all of our lives have been turned upside down by a pesky RNA genome, a coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 causing a disease COVID-19 that none of us is likely to forget. Counting our blessings on Thanksgiving is an American tradition, yet other counts were and continue to reach ...

It’s Best to Have Shingrix Vaccine And Flu Shot on Different Days

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is it advisable to get the Shingrix vaccine at the same time as the annual influenza vaccine? — T.H. ANSWER: It can be done, but whenever possible, you should get the new Shingrix vaccine by itself. The side effects of this vaccine are more pronounced than with most approved vaccines, and more people may not feel well and will have low grade fever, muscle aches and fatigue that can last a day or two. Anecdotally, it seems that getting multiple vaccines the same day may worsen that reaction. I advise patients to get the Shingrix vaccine on a day where they have nothing ...

Boyfriend Shows True Colors After Lung Cancer Diagnosis

DEAR ABBY: I need your opinion. I have been with the same guy for 27 years. We never married because we were both married before, and I wasn’t into doing it again. I have stuck by him through sickness, hard times and whatever else. Four months ago I was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. I stopped by his house this week to pick up a rug scrubber and walked in on him having sex with some woman. I feel hurt, angry, mad, sad. It’s like, WHY? Do you think he has been doing this and he just got caught or what? I didn’t say anything. I just left. He called me later and said it ...

Safety Refresher

Dear Readers: Time for a refresher on MASKS and CLOTH FACE COVERINGS, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.CDC.gov). Here we go! First off, infants and people with breathing difficulties should NOT wear face coverings to fight COVID. People with breathing problems need to socially distance themselves and wash their hands frequently. Everyone must isolate if they feel sick. A mask or cloth face covering should cover the nose AND mouth, feel snug but not uncomfortable, lay up against the side of the face, secure to the face with ties or ear loops, allow for ...

Sitter’s Pushy Granddaughter Is a Concern For Working Mom

DEAR ABBY: Because my husband and I work, I take our 6-month-old to a sitter several times a week. I understand little ones tend to be mean sometimes — hitting, biting and pushing — but in this case, it’s a little different. My sitter cares for her 3-year-old granddaughter as well as her clients’ children, and her granddaughter pushes the littler ones. I have seen her push a 1-year-old down. I have never observed any of the other children do it, only the granddaughter. I wouldn’t be so worried if my daughter were 2 and could defend herself, but she’s only 6 months old. ...

Never Stop Learning

Today’s Sound On is about going back to school: Dear Heloise: Did you know that there are colleges that offer free classes to seniors, with credits, depending on available space and a few other requirements? There are night classes in most communities as well, for people of any age to attend, usually for a small fee. I always wanted to study pottery, and night classes offered me a chance to learn. My wife decided to try a foreign language, and we both decided to take American Sign Language. Now that we have to wear a mask to class, learning sign language seemed like a good idea. ...