Dear Doctor: I play in a weekend softball league, 111 and my shoulder aches for a couple of days after the game. Aspirin hurts my stomach, so I wonder whether using a pain medication in a cream or an ointment might help?
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have a friend, “George,” who rents our upstairs. Our home is large, and the second floor has all the amenities of a 2,500-square-foot house. He has his separate entrance and never has to come through our living space. In the beginning, I agreed to the arrangement because he was going through a divorce and needed a place to live. Now, for the past several months, his ex has been spending nights upstairs. We just celebrated the holidays, and his family was here together.
Dear Doctor: I’ve read about a recent study that found that elderly patients with female doctors fared better than those who were treated by men. I wonder – what does Dr. Glazier think about these results?
Dear Doctor: I was a runner in college, but I stopped running after marriage and kids and work. I’m 62 now, and everyone says that if I resume running I’ll get hurt because I’m too old. What do you think?
DEAR ABBY: I have been communicating with this woman that I work with. She is currently seeing a guy she’s been with for about four years. We have a clear connection and primal attraction, and have both discussed our feelings with each other. We communicate by texting. There is no communication through phone calls, for obvious reasons. Her man works for the same company but in a different building than we do. It’s clear to me that he isn’t good enough for her and doesn’t know how to elevate himself to her level.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter had a horrible time this year going through midterms. She bit all of her fingernails down to nubs. She didn’t sleep well for a whole week. She was irritable every single day. And nothing I did helped her. In fact, my very presence seemed to annoy her. I know it’s because the pressure is intense at her school, and she feels that she has to do well or she won’t get in to college.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have two adult is already indepen- children — one who dent, and another who is struggling. I’m really worried about him. He seems to have a lack of my husband and I have confidence, even though provided him with everything so that he could succeed. He got a great education and did fairly well in school. But his motivation is limited. He has a job, but not in his area of interest, and he seems to be floundering. He doesn’t make enough money to be on his own fully, so my husband and I supplement his income. He still lives at home. I’m ing. Do you think that he not sure if this is help- would get his act together if he were more motivated? What can we do to help him grow up and accept responsibility for his life? — Leaving the Nest
DEAR ABBY: I have been friends with “Caroline” for more than 20 years. Her husband is present when they visit us because they live out of state, and when I visit her, he is there. I have been married for 28 years, and my husband doesn’t join me when I visit Caroline.
Dear Doctor: I work in an open-plan office, and people aren’t good about staying home when they’re sick. Would wearing a surgical mask help keep me from catching someone’s cold or flu?
If you’ve ever gone to great lengths to sooth a fussy baby, you may feel like you’ve tried every trick in the book. As most new parents learn quickly, this can be one of the most challenging aspects of caring for a little one.