FAMILY CIRCUS DENNIS THE MENACE Recently, I came across
information that explained
a lot. A year before the
divorce, my mother had
an affair with my father’s
COMICS
younger brother. Now I
have a lot of pent-up anger
B7
THE HAYS DAILY NEWS
Annie’s Mailbox
toward my mother. Her
selfish actions hurt a lot of FRIDAY, FEB. 19, 2010
people. But I feel I need to
KATHY MITCHELL ⁄ MARCY SUGAR apologize to my aunts and
WATCH FOR BREAKING NEWS AT
uncles for the terrible things
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Dear Annie: I’m 49. My I said to them so long ago.
parents divorced when I was I realize I’m never going
a teenager. My mother’s to have the kind of relation- driving sounds exactly like
family was not supportive ship I want with them, even an adult driver affected by
and for several years had no if I do apologize. How can I ADD.
contact with her. I wrote let- atone and get past the hurt After 42 years of living
ters to my aunts and uncles, and anger? — Florida with an undiagnosed At-
saying how petty and vile Dear Florida: You tention Deficit Disorder,
they were to ostracize their are being awfully hard my husband began taking
own sister in her time of on yourself. You were a prescribed medication. To
need. My father engaged teenager and protective of our amazement, the most
in nasty actions of his own your mother. It’s likely your obvious difference was his
BEETLE BAILEY to hurt us. He also became
estranged from his younger
relatives assumed you didn’t
want a relationship. They
astonishingly improved
driving. Perhaps ADD may
brother, and as a result, could be quite willing to be the cause of this man’s
I lost contact with those start over. But first you must reckless and distracted driv-
cousins. forgive everyone involved, ing. — Enjoying the Ride
Over time, my mother including both of your Now
gained back the support of parents, as well as yourself. Dear Enjoying: Maybe,
her family, but I knew my If you continue to hold although it doesn’t explain
relationship with them had on to your anger, you will his extremely inconsider-
been irreparably harmed. keep looking for someone ate reaction to his wife’s
My relationship with my to blame. Counseling can distress. But we hope she’ll
father took more than two help nudge you in the right look into it.
decades to heal. All this direction if you are unable
drama taught me that I to get there on your own. — Write to: Annie’s Mailbox, P.O.
couldn’t count on my family Dear Annie: The way Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611;
to offer support when it was “Nervous in Virginia” or e-mail questions to
GARFIELD needed. described her husband’s anniesmailbox@comcast.net
BIZARRO CLOSE TO HOME
CRANKSHAFT
BABY BLUES
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BLONDIE
TODAY’S ANSWER
Dr. Paul
Donohue
HEALTH
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Is there
anything that can be done for cramps that
ZITS come with the menstrual cycle, especially
for younger females? My 14-year-old
daughter spends at least one day a month
throwing up and having severe stomach
cramps. — L.A.
ANSWER: Crampy pain, backache,
nausea, vomiting and headache torment
many women at the onset of monthly pe-
riods, especially younger women who have
just started having periods. The shedding
of the uterine lining triggers a release of
prostaglandins, hormonelike substances
that can produce violent cramps of the
uterine muscles and a constriction of
arteries serving the uterus. Both can bring
on nausea, vomiting and pain.
If your daughter can anticipate when
MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM her next menstrual period will occur, she
should start taking a nonsteroidal anti-
inflammatory drug the day before the
period starts. She should continue taking
them for the next few days. If she cannot
predict when her period will begin, she
should take this medicine at the first sign
of a menstrual period. Anti-inflammatory
medicines neutralize prostaglandins.
If those medicines don’t work, birth-
control pills usually do.
Write to Paul Donohue, M.D.,
P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL
32853-6475.