Dear Doctor: I’m a healthy and active 42-year-old, but I’ve been noticing a change in my periods lately. They’re not as regular as before, and they’re a lot shorter. Could this be perimenopause? What’s going on, and what else is going to happen?
DEAR ABBY: I’m in my mid-40s, and a LOT of my female friends are involved in multilevel marketing companies. Whether it be for eyelashes, supplements, jewelry, antiaging products, candles, leggings, etc., I receive nonstop “invitations” to buy their products.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband thinks that he is invincible. He never gets sick — or so he says. He is not afraid of the new coronavirus. Meanwhile, my three kids and I suffer from asthma. Reports say that anybody with asthma should be extra careful right now. We have been staying at home and following the rules, but it’s hard to know if we will be safe when my husband goes out every day without a mask or gloves and seems oblivious to the health risks. Am I being overly paranoid? How can I get him to be more cautious — if not for himself, then for us? — Fair Warning
DEAR ABBY: I live in a densely populated luxury high-rise apartment building in a busy downtown neighborhood that has a diverse mix of residents. I have lived here for four years and have never really had many issues, until recently.
Dear Doctor: It seems like gut microbes are part of every kind of health issue now. I just read that having the wrong bacteria causes pulmonary hypertension, which is something our dad had before he died. Is that really true? How can it be fixed?
These are challenging times. Like everyone, you are concerned about keeping your family safe and healthy, and you're doing your part to help protect your community from the effects of the coronavirus. And if you're an investor, you must also address your financial situation. How should you respond to the current market volatility and recent declines in investment prices?
DEAR ABBY: I believe that love conquers all. The worldwide coronavirus is teaching us we are all one in body, but not yet in spirit. Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day. Don’t count the days – make the days count by throwing a kiss, sharing a smile with others, and waving a hand of greeting to them.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I live in New York City, and the disparity between the haves and have-nots is so real, it’s scary. We are an average family, but we see now that being middle class almost equals being poor these days. Many of my neighbors packed up and shipped out as soon as news of the pandemic hit our city, which has more cases than anywhere else. It was like a Friday evening in the summer, when everybody goes to the Hamptons or to wherever their country homes are. We don’t have a country home.
Jones, Helen: 89, died April 7. Services pending (Wilson, El Reno).
DEAR HARRIETTE: My parents used to talk about hiding money in their mattress. It was very old-school thinking, but now I understand the value of their thoughts. I am closer to retirement today than I was before the markets started crashing. My 401(k) has tanked in recent weeks.