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Dear Annie: Drowning in junk

Dear Annie: A close friend, “Jenna,” has a mental illness: She hoards. Her house would be condemned if the health administration were to go there. I can start tracing this behavior back to when she first became a mother and discovered that raising children requires more than just buying them new clothes and getting pictures taken. She worked and had trouble juggling everything. Fortunately, her mother lived next door and helped out a lot — did her laundry and fixed meals for the kids. But then her mother died, and Jenna’s personality began to change even more. She could not ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: Please explain why there are standard tests that we all know we should do as we age, such as a colonoscopy, a mammogram, a skin check, eye exams, etc. But nobody ever says that you should do at least one CT scan or MRI for the deadliest of them all — pancreatic cancer! It’s rarely diagnosed until stage 4! My husband had really bad stomach pain that radiated to his back. Although it only happened twice, we proactively got a blood test and an ultrasound, which were fine. Our gastroenterologist recommended a CT scan, which looked OK, but we weren’t completely ...

Big money vs. the people

America makes its choice two weeks from tomorrow. It’s not really a choice between two parties. After all, a record 45% of American voters now call themselves “independent” and don’t align with either party. And most of us who still describe ourselves as Republicans or Democrats don’t have much love for whichever party we’re registered with. Nor will it be a choice between the “left” and the “right,” as those terms have been used for the last half-century — representing preferences by the left for more and bigger social safety nets and by the right for lower ...

Dear Annie: Fidelity lacking

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been together for 20 years and married for four. We have three kids. In the beginning of our relationship, it was bad — and the bad all came from me. I cheated on her and hurt her. She stayed by my side, and that’s when I realized that I have a wonderful woman. I got my act together and ended up marrying her. This year, I have caught her cheating on me twice. All she does is say that I have done it to her in the past. I’m stuck, because I don’t want to leave but I also can’t accept the cheating. What do I do? — Heartbroken Hubby Dear ...

There’s a definite connection between PCOS and MASLD

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently read an article about a woman who had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and died from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The article seemed to infer a connection between the two conditions. I have PCOS. Should I be concerned that my doctor isn’t keeping an eye on my liver via a liver scan? How do I know if I’m at risk? — A.A. ANSWER: PCOS is an endocrine system disease that causes symptoms due to high amounts of androgen hormones, irregular menstruation, and a resistance to insulin. PCOS is common, with 10% to 13% of reproductive-aged women meeting the ...

What happened to initiative?

Two years after voters tossed Democrats from power in Washington, polls show they are ready to switch sides again. Does it make sense to welcome back a party and its ideas that were so recently rejected? The reason so many voters are frustrated by both parties is that they have been putting too much faith in government and too little faith in themselves. It’s called initiative and the lack of it has contributed not only to dysfunctional government but also to a loss of the things that built and sustained America through challenges greater than high gas prices and “unaffordable” ...