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F2 Sunday, November 30, 2008

The News-Herald

Parathyroid gland controls blood calcium

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 60-year-old male, and I have a yearly physical exam. This year’s blood tests showed I have a high calcium level. My doctor thinks my parathyroid glands are responsible and has me scheduled to see an endocrinologist. I haven’t seen him yet. I am healthy, have no symptoms and play on a senior hockey team. My doctor tells me this is going to involve an operation. Will you discuss this situation? — L.F. When you wrap your hands around your lower neck, you’re wrapping Dr. them around your thyDonohue roid gland. Behind the thyroid gland are four small glands, the parathyroid glands. Their job is to keep blood calcium in the normal range. When one of these four glands pours out too much parathyroid hormone, blood calcium rises, and the consequences can be many. The specialist will undoubtedly recheck your calcium. If it’s high again, then he will want to have your blood parathyroid hormone level measured. A high reading for that pretty well clinches the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism — an overproducing parathyroid gland.

What comes next depends on a person’s age, symptoms and how greatly elevated the calcium reading is. About half the patients with hyperparathyroidism have no symptoms. If they are older and their blood calcium isn’t too high, many of these people can be monitored by periodic checks of their calcium. Symptoms of an overactive gland include bone breaks because of osteoporosis, kidney stones and stomach pain — bones, stones and groans. Some patients lose their appetite, suffer from constipation, are constantly thirsty and, because of that, are constantly drinking water, so they urinate frequently. Only if you have some signs that your body is suffering from the too-high blood calcium would surgery be done soon. If, as you say, you are healthy, your bones are not affected and you have no other symptoms, then the doctor might decide to put off surgical treatment. If you have osteoporosis, he will probably prescribe one of the common osteoporosis medicines like Fosamax or Actonel. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: For two years or more, my son (44) has had this redness of his nose and on his cheeks. What can he do to get rid of it? An M.D. did no good at all. I say a dermatologist is the doctor to see. — Anon. Going on your description, I’d say your

son has rosacea (rose-AY-she-uh). It starts with redness of the nose, most often its tip, and the cheeks. In time, small pimples break out on the involved skin. Spiderlike tangles of blood vessels also can appear on the red skin patches. Without treatment, the condition gets worse, and the nose can become quite deformed, the kind of nose W.C. Fields had. One popular treatment is metronidazole cream or gel. It and the other rosacea treatments are prescription items. Your advice to see a dermatologist is good advice. Your son can help himself until he sees the doctor by staying out of sunlight and forgoing alcohol and spicy foods. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: When I was 28, I had a brain aneurysm clipped. I am now 58 and have had no trouble. Back then, the doctor put me on Dilantin, and I have been on it since. Can I stop it? — P.R. Dilantin is an anti-seizure medicine. Seizures happen with aneurysms and can happen following brain surgery. Who is writing this prescription for you? Is it your family doctor or a neurologist? Talk to the doctor and see if a trial of going without the medicine is safe for you. A neurologist might want to take an EEG before discontinuing the medicine, but that’s not a bothersome test. — North America Syndicate

Expectant couple dupes family with fake wedding

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I just found out that his daughter and her boyfriend duped everyone — including us — with a formal, traditional wedding ceremony, but the “marriage” is not legal. They had no intention of being legally wed, but felt that because they are having a baby, they were entitled to a formal wedding. We paid a large amount of money to attend this wedding, Abby, including gifts and a bridal shower. When confronted, they showed no remorse for their deception. In fact, they are extremely arrogant about it. They say it’s their personal business and consider themselves “married in the eyes of God.” I am furious over this scam, which affects more than 100 family members and friends. Please advise. — DECEIVED IN ARIZONA DEAR DECEIVED: Usually when couples are married in a “formal, traditional” wedding ceremony, the clergyperson or other officiant asks the couple — and their witnesses — to sign a marriage certificate. How could this not have happened? “Marriages in the eyes of God” usually involve special

■ Auburn Career Center has recognized the following individuals from Cardinal High School as students of the month for November: Marcus Carney, CAD Engineering Technology I; Josh Egri, Electrical Trades II; Aric Anderson, English III; Corey Jackson, English III. According to a news release, these students reflect Auburn’s Core Values, which are the following: People are personally responsible for their choices and actions; Treating people with dignity and respect will enhance learning; Attitude and goals drive achievement; All people can learn; All people can make positive contributions; And change is exciting and essential for growth. ■ Newbury Junior/Senior High School named the followings individuals students of the month for October: Sydney Otto, seventh grade Molly Chapman, eighth grade Maggie Acker, ninth grade Lindsey Knight, 10th grade Matt Dolence, 11th grade Samantha Pierce, 12th grade ■ Some of the 300 students from schools in Northeast Ohio who participated in the recent Young Astronaut Day at NASA’s Glenn Research Center might one day travel to Mars. This is the 16th year that NASA Glenn hosted members of the Young Astronaut Club, other school science clubs and scouting troops for a day of activities and a visit with a NASA astronaut. Groups from the area participating included Brownie Troop 1401 from Chagrin Falls, Shore Middle School-Shore Explorers from Mentor and Girl Scout Troop 794 from South Euclid-Lyndhurst.

circumstances such as seniors who are in danger of losing pension benefits if they marry in a civil ceremony. I Dear don’t blame Abby you for being furious at the deception, which was nothing more than a gift grab. And, embarrassing as it may be, you should inform the others who were also “taken” — better they hear it from you than think you were part of the deception. DEAR ABBY: My wife and I share a joint checking account with both checks and debit cards. When she makes purchases or writes checks, she doesn’t record her purchases in the check ledger that we keep at the home computer. I am the one who does the family finances, and if I don’t check the activity online daily, it comes as a big surprise to me when her checks are cashed by the payee, sometimes weeks later. When I confront her about

recording her purchases, she turns it around and gets mad at me. It’s extremely frustrating. I’m trying hard to avoid bounced checks and insufficient funds fees, but I can’t do it alone. I need her help, and she won’t listen. How can I get her to cooperate? — FRUSTRATED IN PENNSYLVANIA DEAR FRUSTRATED: Your wife’s behavior is childish and irresponsible. If she can’t remember to enter her checks into her check register or your ledger, then she should save her receipts and give them to you on a regular basis. It is well-known that arguments about money and finances frequently cause marriages to fail. If your wife won’t listen to you, perhaps she will listen to a marriage counselor and/or financial adviser. And if that doesn’t do the trick, close the joint account and have her open one of her own so she can experience firsthand the pain of paying penalty fees. DEAR ABBY: My husband has a very special skill that is creating a problem with our friends. He can repair almost

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“Then go north on Route 608 to Burton Windsor Road, turn right and go to Clay Street, then turn left. “We’re less than a mile north of Route 322 at 12020 Clay St. It’s a very beautiful, scenic ride.” Motorists should watch for horse drawn buggies and, if it’s a very snowy day, keep an eye out for Amish families in their sleighs. The Rhodes Sisters farm has about 10 acres of trees for cutting and another lot with just-cut trees. Families choosing to cut their own are given a saw to do the job. “Many people bring a plastic sled to haul their tree back to us,” Kothura said. “We shake the tree out, bale it with twine and help them secure it to their car.”

Cut-your-own From Page F1 Rhodes Sisters 12020 Clay St. Huntsburg Township (440) 636-5498 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 7 days a week Refreshments available on the weekends. Handmade wreaths, roping, boughs, swags, maple syrup and candy. Free bailing and shaking of trees. Live burlap ball, pre-cut and cut your own trees available. Sarna’s Tree Farm 1137 E. Jefferson St. Jefferson (440) 576-3450 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, other hours available by appointment Soubusta Farms 11380 Thwing Road Chardon Township (440) 357-8568 or (440) 2561768 after 1 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. until dark Saturdays and Sundays

Sugar Pines Farm 9500 Mulberry Road Chester Township (440) 729-1019 noon to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28 and weekends. Colorado Blue Spruce, Canaan Fir, Fraiser Fir, White Pine, Douglas Fir and Norway Spruce Wagon rides and refreshments are offered. Balled trees, bailing, and carts are available. Cut-your-own closes at 4:30 p.m. Tower-n-Pines Farm 8719 Mulberry Road Chester Township (440) 729-1454 2 to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends Whispering Pines Tree Farm 5138 Clark Road Farmington Township (440) 693-4354

LIGHT UP THE HOLIDAYS!

Join your friends and neighbors in the 28th Annual News-Herald and Hospice of the Western Reserve

Holiday Greeting Card Exchange What is the Greeting Card Exchange? It is a meaningful way for you to send Season’s Greetings to your loved ones while helping provide comfort, care, peace and dignity to people who are seriously ill in our communities. Simply return the coupon below with a donation to Hospice of the Western Reserve by Dec. 17. Your name will appear in a special Holiday Greeting Card that appears in the December 25 issue of the News-Herald.

Why participate? You add meaning to your Holiday Greetings by helping hospice patients and families. You also save on the expense of buying and mailing greeting cards. Last year, 327 generous News-Herald readers contributed $10,913 … and since 1981, more than $299,500 has been donated. Consider donating the amount you would spend on greeting cards and postage … any donation is welcome, and gratefully appreciated. Whatever you contribute is tax deductible.

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Those who need to warm up can get hot chocolate at the farm’s refreshment stand and sip it next to a fire in the office, where they pay for their tree. Tree types offered at the farm include Colorado blue, Norway spruce, white pine, Scotch pine, Canaan fir and Frasier firs. For those without a voucher from Punderson, trees cost $25 and up. Punderson Manor State Park Resort’s Christmas Tree Adventure costs $135 for a one-night weekday stay in a standard double room and $5 more for the same room on the weekend. Upgrades, including those to a two-bedroom cabin in the woods, are available for an additional cost. Mention the promotional code TREE when calling for a reservation at (440) 564-9144 or (800) 282-7275 or visiting www. pundersonmanorresort.com. The resort is at 11755 Kinsman Road (Route 87).

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any electronic device and has done so for our friends on numerous occasions. However, it has reached the point that now they expect him to fix their devices and offer no thanks — monetary or otherwise. How can we get the point across that his time is valuable and should be respected as such? — HANDYMAN’S WIFE, NEWPORT, ORE. DEAR HANDYMAN’S WIFE: Your husband should tell these people — with a smile — that he does not have the time to fix the item and that it should be taken to a professional repair shop or to the store from which it was purchased.

Tree

Questions? Call (216) 383-3713 We thank you for including Hospice of the Western Reserve in your holiday tradition of giving. Hospice of the Western Reserve is a community-based, non-profit agency providing comfort, care and emotional support to patients and their families, regardless of age, disease, or ability to pay. Care is provided wherever the patient lives—in the home, hospital, assisted living/long-term care facility, or at Hospice House, our 42-bed residential facility overlooking Lake Erie.

Please respond. This ad will appear periodically from November 27 through December 14. In order to have your name appear in the Holiday Greeting Card, we must receive this coupon with your contribution no later than December 17.

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2008 Holiday Greeting Card Exchange

For more information on how you can be part of this promotion...

Call The News-Herald at 954-7153

Please print name as you would like it to appear in the Holiday Greeting Card Name:

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Due to space limitations, we can only list donors’ names. Send to: Greeting Card Exchange c/o Hospice of the Western Reserve 5786 Heisley Road • Mentor, OH 44060-1830