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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Enlarged spleen may be sign of leukemia

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 80. Over the past 26 years, I’ve had low blood platelet counts. (In 1998, one reading was 168,000, and in 2026, the reading was 117,000.) I have an enlarged spleen (16.1 centimeters), and I understand that this could account for my low platelet count. I do have tiny red dots on my chest. However, my doctor thinks that I have leukemia and is preparing me for a spinal tap. My doctor seems to be ignoring the spleen issue. My brother had a spleen removed (at age 5) because it was destroying his blood count. My mother did die from leukemia. My question is, would my ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

There’s surely something paradoxical about the statement that bridge is a relaxing game, when the fact is that you can’t ever afford to relax — if you want to do well. Take this hand, for example, where West leads a heart against three notrump. Declarer plays low from dummy and wins ...

The myth of the woolly bear caterpillar’s winter forecast

Each fall, as temperatures begin to cool and leaves begin to cover the ground, another familiar sign of the season appears across Ohio: woolly bear caterpillars. These fuzzy insects often spark conversations about an enduring piece of folklore that claims they can predict the severity of the ...

Dead trees an important part of nature

What do you see when you look at a dead tree or dead sections in live trees? If you were a chickadee or a carpenter bee, you would see a potential home. If you were a woodpecker, you might see dinner. Most of us value live trees, but not everyone sees the value of a dead tree, and some see them as eyesores. Dead wood, whether snags (standing dead trees), logs (fallen dead trees) or dead parts of living trees are a very important wildlife habitat. Tree cavities in live or dead trees are used by more than 50 species of birds and mammals. Snags provide food for insects and other ...

Valley Grows Calendar

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Extension Office. For more information and a complete list, contact: • OSU Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. 330-533-5538. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. • OSU Trumbull County Extension Office, 520 W. Main St. Suite 1, Cortland. 330-638-6783. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Plant and Pest Clinic You can submit your questions by calling the Mahoning County office at 330-533-5538 or emailing us at ...