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Standing up to family dysfunction

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for nearly half our lives, and we’ve always had a strong relationship. The problem we’re facing now is her family — specifically her younger brother and his household. Her brother has never been particularly motivated, and although we’ve always been cordial, we’ve never seen eye to eye. Early in my relationship with my wife, he spread hurtful rumors about my family and even referred to me as a “dirtbag construction worker.” Despite this, my wife has always felt sorry for him, so I’ve tolerated him for her sake. About six ...

Calcium buildup can’t be reversed by quitting supplements

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have calcium buildup throughout my vascular system. My legs were operated on, and the surgeon had to drill through the calcium to open up the blood flow. I am now told that there is calcium buildup on my aortic valve, which I had replaced four years ago. I also have prostate cancer and have been prescribed Orgovyx, along with 1,000 mg of calcium due to Orgovyx weakening the bones. What is your opinion? Does the calcium supplement add to the calcium buildup more than it benefits my bones? Would my vascular system stop building up calcium if I stopped taking the calcium ...

Yippee, it’s snowing!

It’s Sunday, Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m., and my husband and I just returned from a short walk. It’s been snowing all day; over 10,000 flights have been canceled; about 20 states have declared emergencies; and millions of Americans are without electricity. I’ve always been grateful for the area we live in. While the U.S. is known for its extreme weather events, we fortunately have never experienced them. Whether it’s hurricanes, tornados, floods or masses of snow, here we don’t have to worry about them. We’ve also been fortunate every Christmas break when flying abroad. It’s only ...

Older, but not weaker

Dear Annie: I’m a 75-year-old widow who has lived in the same little Cape for 43 years. I still do my own shopping, I drive myself to church, and I host Sunday supper when my joints cooperate. I’m not fragile, but I am ... older. And lately, I feel like everyone is determined to treat me like a porcelain figurine. It started after I slipped on my back steps last winter. I was bruised and embarrassed, but I healed. My daughter came over with a bag of salt and a look of panic, and since then she has never quite stopped hovering. Now she calls twice a day “just to check,” insists ...

Debunking the myth that money is blocking a cancer cure

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column about using the immune system to prevent cancer, but I think that there will never be a “vaccine” to prevent anyone from getting cancer in the first place! There is too much money involved. — D.K. ANSWER: I hear this occasionally, and I don’t believe it for two reasons. The first is that I have faith in the researchers across the globe who are working to improve our knowledge of cancer biology. They have incrementally improved our ability to treat and, in many cases, cure cancer. As of 2026, 70% of people with newly diagnosed cancer ...

‘Once upon a time’ is a place we can find again

“Where is the good news?” my son asked the other day, the kind of simple question that can only come from a child. Obvious, sensical, trusting. He still believes in our essential goodness and still wants to know about humanity’s small kindnesses and large achievements. We had been talking about doomscrolling on the way to school, our very modern addiction to pain and suffering. “People want to know what’s happening in the world — sometimes,” I had explained, unable to stop myself from adding the caveat, admitting my repulsion at current events. My children wanted ...