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Babysitting 10 grandchildren and playing jokes

Supper is over and everyone is retiring for the night. I fried chicken and made mac and cheese to go with it. Now it’s time to call it a day. I washed laundry this morning, and it’s all folded and put away. Daughters Verena, Loretta and Lovina came this afternoon for a while. We had snacks, visited and, of course, enjoyed the sweet little ones. Brooklyn fell asleep on me while we were talking and had a short nap. Denzel, 3, and Byron, 2, were everywhere and always so full of energy. Kylie, 1, is the little tag along and tries to keep up with her older brothers. Tomorrow morning ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: He’s still constipated months past operation

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 66-year-old male in good health. I’ve always had very regular bowel movements, usually spending less than 5 minutes in the bathroom daily. About six months ago, I had a colonoscopy. Since then, I’ve been constipated with very hard stools. My doctor recommended fiber supplements three times a day and Colace. I’ve been doing this for four months without relief. My diet hasn’t changed in the past year. I drink more than the recommended amount of water and exercise daily. What can I do to get back to normal? — B.L. ANSWER: Constipation for a few days ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Use #0000 steel wool for glass

DEAR HELOISE: #0000 steel wool won’t scratch glass. It’s also the best thing for cleaning up chrome that is rusty and pitted. It can make things look almost like new. I’m a 70-year-old man who read your mother’s column many decades ago. I’m happy that my local paper recently picked up your column. — Chris T., via email Chris, for double-paned windows, the stains and spots are possibly on the inside between the sheets of glass. If this is the case, then you’ll have to replace the sheet of glass or possibly the entire window. — Heloise DEAR HELOISE: In reference ...

Most new moms get the baby blues

Moments after Jenna Carberg gave birth to her daughter, doctors put the baby on her chest. “I felt a disconnect right away,” she recalled. At home, the Orlando, Florida, mom was exhausted and anxious and cried every day. She was eventually diagnosed with postpartum depression — a ...

ADHD med made 3-year-old psychotic

Q. When working in pediatric medicine several years ago, I remember a 3-year-old child who became psychotic because a child psychiatrist gave him methylphenidate (Ritalin). The child did not sleep for three days, and when he was brought into our clinic, he was screaming that snakes were all over his body. Needless to say, the psychiatrist was reprimanded by the state health department. First and foremost, no physician should ever give a 3-year-old ADHD medication. If a child hasn’t slept for three days, we should expect them to have serious symptoms. A. The Food and Drug ...