Dear Doctors: My best friend has breast cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes, and she needs to have a double mastectomy. Can you please talk about how all of this can psychologically affect you? What can I do that will help her and not be a burden?
• If you dread ironing clothes, here’s a simple tip to speed up the process and help you save energy: Remove the fabric cover from your ironing board and cover it with a few sheets of aluminum foil. Then place the fabric cover on top of the foil. When you iron, the heat will be transferred to the aluminum foil and reflect to the surface, creating a dry, hot surface that doubles the efficiency and halves the ironing time. If you ever need to take the aluminum foil off, just toss it in the recycling bin.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently graduated and entered the workforce, and while I feel grateful to have landed a full-time position in marketing, I’m starting to feel a bit lost. The job itself is fine. I have a supportive team and decent pay, and I get to use some of the skills I learned in school; still, something feels off. I don’t feel fulfilled. I keep wondering if I chose this field just because it felt safe or convenient at the time, not because it’s what I truly want to do.
Dear Doctors: My sister-in-law is 82 years old and was recently diagnosed with melanoma. She has an appointment for treatment in a couple of weeks. I thought this was a serious and deadly disease. Can a patient wait long periods of time before treatment? I am surprised by the lack of alarm in this case.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I volunteer at my local humane society every weekend, and over the past several months, I’ve developed a real connection with one of the cats there. Her name is Marbles, and she’s been at the shelter for more than a year now. She’s had a rough past, and she can be a bit aggressive at times, especially around strangers or loud noises, but there’s a deep sadness in her eyes that breaks my heart. Despite her tough exterior, she’s really opened up to me, and I can tell she trusts me.
Dear Doctors: I started taking meds for depression. When I let my doctor know at my last visit, he told me about a study that says running also helps with depression symptoms. Do you know anything about that? Maybe if I try running, I can stop taking these meds.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I think I’m still in love with my ex. Is it possible it just wasn’t the right time for us?
• Whether you’re in a hotel, restaurant, office building or at the gym, if you see a water leak, you should say something. The managers of these commercial buildings often are completely unaware that they may be wasting water, and it helps when someone like you brings it to their attention. Even slow drips of water – which may not seem like a big deal – can waste up to a third of a gallon a day. Multiply that by the millions of potential leaks and it really adds up.
DEAR HARRIETTE: All of my friends are into running, and lately they’ve been talking about training for a marathon together. They keep encouraging me to join them, saying it would be an amazing challenge, a great bonding experience and something I’d feel proud of accomplishing. The problem is that I hate running. I’ve never enjoyed it, and I have zero passion for it. The idea of training for months and running 26.2 miles sounds miserable, not exciting. At the same time, I feel like I’m missing out by not participating. I don’t want to be the odd one out while they’re all supporting each other and celebrating this huge milestone together. I worry that if I don’t at least try, I’ll feel left out or regret not being a part of something so important to them. I don’t want to force myself into doing something I hate just for the sake of fitting in.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I think one of my friends might be working for a pyramid scheme. I can’t be sure, but he basically plays the role of a financial adviser and “helps” people invest their money. When they turn a profit, he gets a percentage. The more they invest, the more he gets paid.