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HINTS FROM HELOISE: Use spoon for testing temp of oil

DEAR HELOISE: I love your column, Heloise. I read it every day! It’s sometimes hard to get an accurate temperature of oil when using a thermometer, especially if there’s only a 1/2 inch of oil in a saute pan. My hint is to dip the end of a wooden spoon into the hot oil. When you see the oil sizzling around the end of the spoon, you’ve reached the desired temperature for frying. When frying multiple items, just retest in between each addition to maintain the temperature. I’ve been doing this for years, and it never fails. I rarely have to use a thermometer unless I’m deep fat ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Causes sought for heaviness in the legs

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m an 83-year-old female who’s in good health. I don’t take any prescriptions, and I’m not overweight. I donate blood regularly, work out at a gym and hike. I started taking 50 mg of trazodone in January 2019 for its side effect of helping with sleep. It helped somewhat, so my doctor increased the dose. One evening, I rose from my chair to take my first dose of two 50-mg tablets. I sat down for about 15 minutes, then got up to go to bed. On standing, I immediately had a sensation of heaviness in my lower legs, as if there were bricks in my calves. I felt ...

Dear Annie: Husband married to tube, not his wife

DEAR ANNIE: My husband is one of those people who always needs the TV on. Eating dinner? TV on. Getting dressed? TV on. Even working, he’ll have it on — muted if necessary, but on. I’m not anti-TV, but I do feel it steals from the quality time we could be sharing. When we eat, he looks at the screen instead of at me. Beyond that, I worry about why he’s so uncomfortable with silence. I meditate almost daily and find stillness important. His constant need for distraction looks like running from his own thoughts. How do I bring this up without sounding like a nagging wife? — ...

Hints from Heloise: Fun way of making magnets

DEAR HELOISE: I receive magnetic calendars from charities. After the year has ended, I carefully remove the front picture, leaving the paper backing. I then glue on school pictures of my grandchildren. After the glue dries, I cut out each picture and have fridge magnets of their smiling faces. I read your column in the Union Leader. — Frances R., in Manchester New Hampshire DEAR HELOISE: When I travel in the United States, I often use shipping boxes in the opposite direction. For example, if I’m going from colder weather to warmer weather, I’ll box up my heavy jacket, plus ...

To Your Good Health: Restarting treatment important after ONJ recovery

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m currently in the final stages of recovering from osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). Getting a diagnosis took two months, all of which I spent in excruciating pain. I finally found someone that has knowledge of ONJ. Can this condition recur if I continue taking Prolia? — N.L. ANSWER: ONJ is a rare side effect of denosumab (Prolia), with one large trial finding the equivalent of about 5 cases per 1,000 people after 10 years. Another trial found that it may be as high as 28 cases. There’s a very low risk of recurrence of ONJ if you were to restart Prolia. In ...