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Dear Annie: Running out of reassurance

Dear Annie: I am an adult now with grown siblings, but it seems my mother’s anxiety is growing right along with us. My mother is an incredibly anxious person. I try to be empathetic, but she hasn’t seen a therapist in years, and she completely dismisses any logical or positive reassurances meant to comfort her. At this point, I am at a loss for what to do. Currently, her anxiety is hyperfocused on our upcoming summer family vacation. She is worried about everything: flying, hiking, driving, wildlife and fires. It feels like she actively seeks out things to worry about, operating ...

Low ferritin level might be the cause of fatigue and dizziness

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 62-year-old woman in fairly good health. I’m currently on Wellbutrin, carvedilol, Farxiga, Entresto and spironolactone, and my blood pressure is very well-controlled. I also recently started Zoloft. About eight months ago, I started feeling bad and spoke to my doctor about it. She wasn’t concerned at the time and said that it might be due to my recent weight loss. I’ve lost about 25 pounds. I went to my cardiologist and had an echocardiogram and stress test done, and both were normal. Recently, I read about ferritin levels and the symptoms of a low ...

And now a word from the other side

President Trump and Vice President Vance spent most of last week trying to convince Americans the “Memo of Understanding” (MOU) with Iran is a good deal for the United States and world peace. That’s not what Iran believes. Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has hailed the MOU as a major “victory” for Tehran. The “greater jihad” would now begin, he promised, according to a speech aired by Iranian state media last week. You read that correctly. The greater Jihad. To some this might sound like the same ...

Trump’s three retreats

President Trump has been musing about whether he’s the most powerful man in world history, and judging by the results lately, the answer is definitely “no.” It’s certainly true that Trump has technical tools at his disposal that would have astounded famous pre-20th century contenders for the title of most powerful man, whether Caesar, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne or Napoleon. Trump’s power, though, isn’t defined by, say, the precision and explosive punch of the Tomahawk missile. As the leader of a constitutional republic that disperses power and depends ultimately on ...

Dear Annie: The marriage ledger

Dear Annie: I am middle-aged and lost my job during the pandemic when the company I had been with for years eliminated my position. Despite my experience and education, I have not been able to find anything permanent or full-time since. I feel like I am too old to be hired and too young to retire. My husband and I live in an economically repressed region with a limited job market, and he refuses to leave his job and relocate, despite offers and interest from other companies in more lucrative areas and my pleas over the years to leave this one-horse town. He is also not interested in ...

Woman’s dementia worsens after a bad case of delirium

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 83-year-old sister underwent the simple procedure of replacing her pacemaker battery. She’s also been diagnosed with early signs of dementia. They gave her propofol, and when she woke up, she had extreme vertigo. Since it was an outpatient facility, they dumped her in the emergency room. She spent four days in the ER because there weren’t any beds in the hospital. On the second day, she developed a bad case of delirium. After four days, she had to be transferred to a nursing home, where she spent 17 days trying to recover. She still isn’t 100% as this delirium ...