FAMILY CIRCUS DENNIS THE MENACE ning to feel tremendously
guilty for standing by and
letting it happen, watching
Steve’s behavior get worse
and worse over the years.
COMICS
When I suggested coun-
seling, even just for the
B5
THE HAYS DAILY NEWS
Annie’s Mailbox
kids and me, he said we
couldn’t risk having people MONDAY, JAN. 24, 2011
in our small town find out.
KATHY MITCHELL ⁄ MARCY SUGAR Sometimes I wonder if he
WATCH FOR BREAKING NEWS AT
is simply manipulative and
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Dear Annie: I believe cruel. I don’t know how
my husband of 19 years is much more of this I can
suffering from some form take. Please help. — Emo- band’s calendar indicated
of mental illness. I need to tionally Drained he had a dentist appoint-
know where to go for help Dear Drained: Even ment.
— not for “Steve,” because if Steve is mentally ill, his You said it could be “an
he doesn’t think he has a refusal to seek help makes innocent flirtation.” Since
problem — but for our him abusive to you and your when is it innocent for a
teenage children and me. children. You can be sympa- married man to meet an-
It breaks my heart that thetic without putting your- other woman for a private
our kids despise their father. self in harm’s way. Contact lunch where he holds her
I’m not sure they will ever the National Alliance on hand, kisses her goodbye
BEETLE BAILEY forgive him for the damag-
ing things he has said and
Mental Illness (nami.org)
at 1-800-950-NAMI (1-
and lies about it? It is cheat-
ing. — Call a Spade a
done since they were little. 800-950-6264) and ask for Spade
The worst was the time help. We also recommend Dear Spade: By “in-
Steve threatened to kill you contact the National nocent,” we mean he is not
himself. When I picked up Domestic Violence Hotline necessarily having an affair,
the phone to dial 911, he at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800- and the cozy meeting could
told me he’d take all of us 799-7233) and consider have been all there was to it.
with him if I didn’t hang safely removing yourself But the lying is disturbing,
up. They will never forget and your children from the and it’s time for “Unsure”
that night, yet he says stuff home environment. to have a long discussion
like this is part of life and to Dear Annie: I read your with her wayward husband.
“get over it.” response to “Very Unsure,”
I have explained to the the woman whose husband — Write to: Annie’s Mailbox, P.O.
children that their father is was seen having lunch with Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611;
sick and can’t help the way a female in a cozy booth on or e-mail questions to
GARFIELD he treats us. But I am begin- the edge of town. The hus- anniesmailbox@comcast.net
BIZARRO CLOSE TO HOME
CRANKSHAFT
BABY BLUES
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boxes.
BLONDIE
TODAY’S ANSWER
Dr. Paul
Donohue
HEALTH
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please ex-
plain what a leaky heart valve is. — M.S.
ZITS ANSWER: Each of the four heart
chambers comes equipped with a valve.
When blood passes through a chamber, its
valve closes so that blood doesn’t leak back
into it. The valves keep blood moving in
the right direction through and out of
the heart. When a valve develops a leak,
some blood flows back into the chamber
it just left. Less blood is pumped, there-
fore, with each heartbeat. Symptoms arise
depending on the amount of blood that
flows backward. If the leak is slight, no
symptoms develop and nothing is done. If
it’s large, people become breathless when
they are active. Medicines can restore a
better output of blood pumped from of
the heart. The ultimate solution is replace-
MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM ment of the leaking valve.
The booklet on heart-valve problems
discusses this topic, its treatments and
its causes. Readers can obtain a copy by
writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 105, Box
536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. En-
close a check or money order (no cash) for
$4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s
printed name and address. Please allow
four weeks for delivery.
Write to Paul Donohue, M.D.,
P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL
32853-6475.