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HPV test causes woman to panic

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 61-year-old retired African-American woman. This past week, I just had a Pap smear (I hadn’t had one since 2021) and was told that it was positive for human papillomavirus (HPV). I’m upset because I was celibate from 2021-2024, and then in January 2024, I got married to my current husband, who lives in Africa. I was there for a week, and we honeymooned and consummated our marriage. I came back home and have since been monogamous. This week, I found out that I have HPV. What can I do? Will the vaccine help? I’ll be going back to Africa later this year to be ...

Psilocybin mushrooms helped fight depression

Q. Two of my family members have long histories of depression. Under a therapist’s supervision, each took psilocybin mushroom. We live in a state where that’s been decriminalized. That experience made a huge difference. The effects have been long-lasting for one, and the other repeated the treatment once to remarkable effect. The therapist had seen in practice how the psychedelics address the root cause of depression. They seem more effective, safe, non-addicting and less costly than years of SSRIs for many people. Also, the integration sessions afterward were very helpful to sort ...

DEAR ANNIE: Daughter feels hurt by betrayal of dad, sister

DEAR ANNIE: My sister moved in with our parents in the family home. After my mother sadly passed away, my father and sister continued living there together. Over time, my sister seemed to take over the running of the household. She even had the telephone disconnected, and there were other decisions made that left me feeling increasingly shut out. My sister and I have never been close. Her life was often a burden on my mother, but my mother always stayed loyal to her and protected her. Later, when my father moved into a nursing home, he allowed my sister to sell the family home for her ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

Some of the most sophisticated plays in bridge are forced upon declarer by the set of circumstances he encounters. Here is a case where South had to resort to special measures to overcome a seemingly certain trump loser. South opened the bidding with three spades, to which North responded five notrump. This was the Grand Slam Force, directing South to bid seven spades if he held two of the three top spade honors. South had no choice but to obey and so bid the grand slam. Ordinarily, South would have made 13 tricks easily. But after he took the ace of hearts and ace of spades, ruffed ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Use wipes to ease pain on dog paw

DEAR HELOISE: I noticed that my dog was constantly licking his feet; I’m not certain, but it could be due to allergies, irritation or contact with something from outdoors. It took a lot of trial and error to find relief. I tried several products for my 95-pound chocolate Lab, and then I found itch wipes online. The licking stopped almost immediately, and I’ve used them successfully for years now. It’s a convenient and gentle paw treatment for dogs with irritated or itchy paws. You should wipe your dog’s paws after walks, especially during allergy season or after they’ve been ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: HPV test causes woman to panic

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 61-year-old retired African-American woman. This past week, I just had a Pap smear (I hadn’t had one since 2021) and was told that it was positive for human papillomavirus (HPV). I’m upset because I was celibate from 2021-2024, and then in January 2024, I got married to my current husband, who lives in Africa. I was there for a week, and we honeymooned and consummated our marriage. I came back home and have since been monogamous. This week, I found out that I have HPV. What can I do? Will the vaccine help? I’ll be going back to Africa later this year to be ...