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Grasping friend’s Zenker’s diverticulum diagnosis

DEAR DR. ROACH: What’s a Zenker’s diverticulum? My 74-year-old friend was diagnosed with it, along with “cricopharyngeal achalasia.” I’ve never noticed any swallowing difficulties before. — S.W. ANSWER: A Zenker’s diverticulum is an outpouching of the esophagus that extends posteriorly toward the spine, at about the level of the thyroid. The muscles there are relatively weak, and a swallowing abnormality can lead the inside of the esophagus to go through the muscular layer around the esophagus, leading to a blind pouch. The cricopharyngeus muscle is the primary ...

Tub lift solves bathing dilemma

DEAR HELOISE: Recently, you published a comment and question about someone who needed help getting into and out of a bathtub. But after they checked the prices for tubs that you can walk into, they decided not to consider this and figure out a different way to bathe. My mother has always been someone one takes a bath and dislikes showers. She started to have difficulty getting in and out of the tub, until a sibling suggested a tub lift. It’s a chair that goes inside the tub with flaps that slide easily over the side of the tub. It has a simple remote that allows one to lower and ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

There are many slam-oriented conventions, but one of the most valuable is the so-called Grand Slam Force. The GSF is not a new convention, but it has not been generally accepted as a working tool by the average bridge player. This is rather strange, since the GSF is easy to use and hard to abuse. Furthermore, there are many more points than usual at stake when the occasion for its use arises. Let’s see how the convention works on this deal after North’s jump-raise to four diamonds. At this point, South should feel certain of a small slam and should seriously consider the possibility ...

Endometriosis can elude diagnosis

When Zoe Armstrong got an ultrasound report showing signs of endometriosis, she called her mom and cried. After years of suffering and seeking help from doctors, she finally had an answer. “To see it on paper, I was like, ‘I’m not crazy,’” the 31-year-old recalled. “I very much ...

Stopping duloxetine for fibromyalgia was disastrous

Q. I have taken duloxetine for three years for severe fibromyalgia. I am a nurse, so I was reluctant to start it, but my physician said that “It is the best medication we have on the market for your pain.” I looked it up and didn’t find any information about withdrawal concerns, or I would have declined. This drug hasn’t helped my pain, but I started to have random foot and hand movements. Coming off the med is hell. I take Dramamine twice a day to help with the nausea and dizziness. I also have brain fog so bad, I can’t find the words I want to say. People talking to me ...

DEAR ANNIE: Family summer vacation turned stressful

DEAR ANNIE: This past July, my husband and I rented a house near us so our two daughters, their husbands and our grandchildren could all spend time together. Since everyone lives several states apart, we thought it would be a wonderful chance to reconnect and hopefully start a yearly family tradition. We live only about 15 minutes from the rental, so during the day we planned activities in the mountains, and in the evenings everyone would come back to our house for dinner and time together. For most of the trip, things went well. But during the last couple of days, it became obvious ...