DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my friends and I grew up in similar situations, with one of our parents being alcoholics. We shared our experiences with each other, and we each expressed that our biggest fear is to turn into our parents.
• Witch hazel is a natural astringent distilled from the flowers of a shrub native to North America. It’s often used to soothe acne-prone or inflamed skin because of its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, witch hazel has natural antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal qualities. Pour it into a small spray bottle and you’ve got an easy, one-ingredient shoe deodorizer – just mist the inside of your shoes to help disinfect and neutralize odors naturally.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been dating my boyfriend for six years now, and I have developed a close relationship with his family. We got along immediately, and they welcomed me in. His mom and I speak regularly for long periods, and my boyfriend feels like it’s excessive. He doesn’t have the best relationship with his mom, and he feels like she isn’t interested in getting to know him as a person. He says that after he became self-sufficient, their relationship became distant and surface level.
Dear Doctors: My husband’s endoscopy showed a small pinkish area at the base of the esophagus. He has no GERD symptoms, but his doctor has prescribed a big dose of a heartburn medication for life. Is that appropriate for just a small pinkish area? What questions should we ask?
• A lot of people like to add white vinegar to the automatic dishwasher to help boost its cleaning power and leave dishes and cups sparkling clean. The only issue with using vinegar is this: It’s a strong acid that can degrade the rubber gaskets inside your dishwasher over time. Instead of adding vinegar to the dispenser, consider spraying white vinegar over your dishes, plates and flatware with a spray bottle. Let the mild acid do its trick for a few minutes before hitting the ON button. This will give you all the benefits without any of the acidic damage.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I stole my neighbor’s dog. He’s asking for the dog back, but I told him no. To add context to the situation, my neighbor has been mistreating this dog since he first got him over a year ago. The dog is too thin, his fur is unkempt and to top it all off, his owner leaves him outside all year round. We live in Michigan, and the weather can be freezing cold; even though he has a heated doghouse, it has been so sad to watch. One night a week ago, I sneaked into his yard and took the dog. I tried to hide him from my neighbor, but I wasn’t successful because I live across the street from him.
DEAR HARRIETTE: For the past few months, I’ve been seeing this guy, going on a few dates and hanging out with him in social settings. Lately, there have been a lot of things going on in my personal life with my family, and I don’t think I’m in the right headspace to be there for him. We were never technically a couple, but we were working toward getting there.
Dear Doctors: Turkey tail mushrooms seemed to help my dad through Stage 4 lung cancer, so I am wondering about their use in laryngeal cancer. Could it be a supportive therapy when paired with conventional therapies? I can’t find much information on them for that specific cancer.
Dear Doctors: Can you please address chronic venous insufficiency? My doctor has advised me to use compression socks and elevate the legs. I find the socks hard to put on, and elevating my legs above my heart is another challenge. Help!
DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister lost her job six months ago and hasn’t been able to find a new one. She worked in tech for 10 years at some great companies, but she hasn’t found any success. She recently asked if she could move into the spare bedroom in my family’s house because she has blown through all of her savings. I told her that I’ll have to check in with my husband, and she got extremely upset that I wouldn’t immediately welcome her with open arms. She started saying that if the situation were reversed, she wouldn’t hesitate to take me in, and that she couldn’t believe I needed to “ask permission” to help my own sister.