TODAY'S HISTORY:
Dear Doctors: I'm a 30-year-old man, and I play weekend volleyball. Last month, I jumped to spike the ball and heard a 'pop.' There was a lot of pain; it felt like getting kicked in the calf.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a number of health challenges that I have been dealing with for a few years. Nobody in my life really knows about them. I take my medication. I stay in touch with my doctors, but in the past year I haven't been exercising or doing the physical maintenance work that I promised to do. I'm doing OK, but I know I could be doing better. I'm about to have a physical, and I'm worried that my doctor is going to be disappointed in me. I feel like I should cancel my appointment. I can't take the stress of letting anybody else down. I am the one who is called upon in my family to hold everything together. It is hard for me, and I'm not doing so well right now. I'm thinking if I start my exercise program now and then postpone my appointment for six months, I will have better results when I go in. Does that sound crazy? — Too Much Pressure DEAR TOO MUCH PRESSURE: Please do not cancel your doctor's appointment. Consider your doctor an ally. Be honest at your appointment. Explain that you haven't done all that you were asked to do or promised to do. State where you are physically and emotionally. Be as forthcoming as possible. This will help your doctor be able to evaluate the status of your health and make informed recommendations. If you don't tell the truth, you may end up with advice or even medication that doesn't suit your needs right now.
TODAY'S HISTORY
In his 1933 novel “The Oppermanns,” Lion Feuchtwanger did what all great writers do: He captured the specific to reveal the universal.
The proliferation of microplastics found in our water can be partially traced back to our washing machines. Certain types of clothing shed fibers that end up in our oceans and waterways, and even in our drinking water. To lessen your contribution of these plastics, opt for clothing not made from nylon, acetate, polyester, acrylic, polypropylene, Spandex, rayon or Lyocell. If you do have these items, hand wash them or use a gentle cycle to avoid agitation.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently won a large sum of money in a lawsuit. I told only the two people closest to me: my mother and my best friend. I expressed to both of them that I wanted to keep this news a secret to protect my safety and my money.
The election is now over, the country is in a funk, talk about the decline of democracy is in the air. If nothing else, the toxic mixture of this nasty midterm election campaign, the hearings into the Jan. 6, 2021, rampage on Capitol Hill, and the general unease about election validity have underlined some of the shortcomings of an American political system that, only a quartercentury ago, seemed robust – and an American nation that seemed stable.
Dear Doctors: What does it mean when something is a 'complete protein'? A friend said that when I count beans or grains as a protein, it's not the same nutritional value as meat or cheese. Are there really different kinds of protein? Is he right that it matters which kind of protein you eat?
DEAR HARRIETTE: I went to homecoming at my alma mater last weekend, and it was fantastic. There were so many people there. People of all ages and backgrounds had gathered to have a good time at the school they love so much.