Woman ghosts friend who helped her in need

Woman ghosts friend who helped her in need

Jan 20, 2026

DEAR HARRIETTE: Last year, I helped my close friend through a tough time when she was struggling financially and feeling lonely, but now that she’s in a better situation, she has completely stopped talking to me. I was not only a friend who was there for her emotionally, I also supported her financially. She had recently gotten divorced and lost her job, so I sent her money to help pay her rent, with no expectation that she would pay me back. I also spent a lot of time helping her look for jobs. She landed a well-paying job through a connection of mine, and she is now also dating again. As a result of her newfound success, she doesn’t care to talk to me anymore. It feels like she used me when she needed help, and now that her life has improved, she has forgotten about me. I’m hurt and confused, and I don’t know if I should confront her, let her go or try to be understanding. Was I ignorant to be so generous, or is this just part of friendship sometimes? How do I move forward without feeling bitter? – Forgotten DEAR FORGOTTEN: Try to separate your feelings of abandonment from this friend and what you did for her. Since you wanted to support her financially and also help her get a job, allow those things to sit without judgment around them. You helped her to the best of your ability during a tough time.

Elizabeth Ko, M.D.

Adoption of some AI systems can improve care

Jan 17, 2026

Dear Doctors: If it’s true that, according to a 2024 study, there are some 200,000 deaths (amazingly!) each year from medical errors in the United States, might AI be used to reduce them? I’ve read it can help with ventilator mishandling, patient instruction omissions and detecting diagnostic oversights.

Adult son becomes dismissive to family

Adult son becomes dismissive to family

Jan 17, 2026

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently welcomed my adult son into my home. I didn’t know him as he was growing up; I learned about him when he was already 18, and since then we’ve stayed in touch through visits, calls and texts. When his mother passed away, he asked to move in with me. My wife and daughters supported the decision, and he’s been living with us for about a year now. He’s 25, has a steady job and is even considering school, which I’m proud of.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Jan 17, 2026

In 1773, Captain James Cook and his crew became the first to sail south of the Antarctic Circle. In 1893, the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown by a group of U.S.backed businessmen.

Yancey is depending on the grace of God

Yancey is depending on the grace of God

Jan 16, 2026

Asked to judge a woman “caught in the act of adultery,” the Gospel of John says Jesus stooped, wrote something in the dust, then told her accusers: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Mom wants to protect daughter with vitiligo

Mom wants to protect daughter with vitiligo

Jan 16, 2026

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter has vitiligo and is adjusting to the changes in her skin and hair. She’s only 7 years old, and as most of us know, kids can be insensitive. Some of her classmates can be judgmental, so it’s been an uphill battle reminding her how beautiful she is, and that the differences in her appearance don’t make her any different than everyone else.

Elizabeth Ko, M.D.

The difference between a cold and the flu

Jan 16, 2026

Dear Doctors: My wife started getting sick a few days before Halloween. We were worried that it was going to turn into a bad respiratory illness, but it stayed in her nose and throat. That’s a common cold, right? Why is having a cold so different from when you get the flu?

Venezuela episode mirrors disregard

Venezuela episode mirrors disregard

Jan 14, 2026

Has Donald Trump just ripped the mattress tag from international relations? The legend on mattress tags warns that the labels should not be removed “under penalty of law.” That warning has an exception: the consumer. The United Nations Charter affirms the sovereignty of countries around the globe. That stipulation has exceptions, too: humanitarian and human-rights violations.

Husband makes life decisions without wife

Husband makes life decisions without wife

Jan 14, 2026

DEAR HARRIETTE: When my husband and I first got married, we started off in Georgia. He wanted to go to medical school and was accepted to a school in Virginia. At this point, we already had our first child, but I wanted him to have the opportunity to achieve his dream, so I stayed in Georgia, and he went to Virginia. Along his med school journey, we got pregnant twice more. Managing a long-distance relationship and three children was hard on me, both mentally and financially.

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