Family CirCus Dennis The menaCe courtesy and respect. I have
tried engaging her parents
and sister in dialogue, but
no one will say a peep. I am
convinced her parents are
ComiCs
purposely stressing my wife
in the hope that our mar-
B5
The hays Daily News
Annie’s Mailbox
riage will fail.
I could deal with all of this ThursDay, Feb. 25, 2010
if I felt my wife stood up for, Watch for breaking neWs at
Kathy Mitchell ⁄ Marcy Sugar supported and properly pri-
oritized our family. I feel she HDNews.Net
Dear Annie: My wife should not attend functions
and I are both 54-year-old if we all are not invited. I
professionals. We grew up am hurt and humiliated item and the regular receipt,
in the same small town, when she goes without us — which is needed to cash in
but didn’t begin a romance effectively saying it’s OK for the rebate.
until our 30th high-school her family to treat us poorly. My question is, who
reunion. We were in a long- Is it too much to expect should benefit from the
distance relationship for my wife to stand up for rebate? Should it be shared
four years and then married her family? — Ignored with my aunt and uncle?
two years ago. Her children Husband Returned? Kept? — Be-
are grown. My 14-year-old Dear Ignored: Of yond my Reasoning in
son lives with us. course not. Your wife’s fam- the Midwest
BeeTle Bailey The problem is her par-
ents. For some reason, they
ily continues to treat you
with disrespect because your
Dear Midwest: If the
original receipt and rebate
have decided they do not wife permits it. She should offer were included in the
like me. I am not welcome have the decency to tell card from the givers, it
in their home, nor will they them you are a package deal means they intended for you
come to our house. My wife and insist on your inclusion. to send in the paperwork
is invited to every one of They will never willingly ad- and keep the proceeds. (If
their family events, but my just to your marriage if your they had wanted the rebate,
son and I are not. Her three wife doesn’t demand they they would have sent in the
siblings treat me the same make the effort. receipt themselves.) Con-
way, as does her 28-year-old Dear Annie: I have a sider it part of the gift.
daughter. We all live in the simple question. Our family
same town, but I have no received an unusual gift last
contact with any of them. Christmas from an aunt and — Write to: Annie’s Mailbox, P.O.
I have never treated any uncle. Included in the card Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611;
of my in-laws with any- was a gift receipt, along or e-mail questions to
GarFielD thing other than the utmost with a rebate offer for the anniesmailbox@comcast.net
BiZarro Close To home
CrankshaFT
BaBy Blues
Daily Sudoku
Pajama Diaries
To solve a sudoku puzzle, the numbers 1 through
9 must fill each row, column and box. Each num-
ber can appear only once in each row, column
and box. Use the numeric clues provided in the
boxes.
BlonDie
ToDay’s answer
Dr. Paul
Donohue
healTh
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have
peripheral neuropathy, and it’s not from
ZiTs diabetes. Currently I am using capsaicin
gel. It helps some, but often I am wakened
with a lot of pain in my feet. My doctor
prescribed Lyrica and Neurontin. I do not
do well on painkillers.
The next day I am groggy and have
an uneasy feeling, so I do not take these
drugs. I wonder if there are other prepa-
rations that might help my neuropathy.
— H.D.
ANSWER: We have two kinds of
nerves: motor nerves that bring instruc-
tions to muscles on how to move, and
sensory nerves that bring sensations to the
brain, telling it how we feel. Neuropathy
indicates nerve damage. You have a sen-
sory neuropathy, which causes you pain.
moTher Goose & Grimm Both Lyrica and Neurontin come in
many different strengths. Perhaps a lower
dose would control your pain without
making you groggy.
Antidepressants control pain. Amitrip-
tyline, Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Effexor
(venlafaxine) have deadened pain for
many people with peripheral neuropathy.
Lidocaine, a numbing agent, is available
in patches and gels, and is applied to the
skin. It doesn’t make people groggy.
Write to Paul Donohue, M.D.,
P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL
32853-6475.