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Caregiving for mom without giving up my life

Dear Annie: My father passed away earlier this year, and afterward my mother and sister moved to be closer to me. Since then, I have tried to help my mother as much as I can. I take her to doctors' appointments, help with everyday needs and do my best to make sure she is cared for. Recently, ...

Asking for an employee’s name

Dear Heloise: Just read an avid reader's suggestion about employees/staff wearing name tags so that people can know their names. Why not just ask them? It is more personal and shows that you really care. I read your column in the San Antonio Express-News. -- Al S., via email SEND A GREAT HINT ...

My sudden boyfriend isn’t the right match

Dear Annie: I'm 22, working full time in the city, and recently started dating a guy I met through a mutual friend. We've only been seeing each other for about a month, and he really is a sweetheart. The problem is, the more I get to know him, the more I wonder whether we are simply in very ...

Love is in the little moments

Dear Annie: In response to all the working mothers who are weighed down by guilt, I'd like to share my experience. I am 75 years old, and when I was growing up, my mother worked from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. I usually came home from school around 3:30 or 4, and my memories of that time are nothing ...

Frequent MRIs and cancer surveillance cause patient anxiety

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m writing to seek your perspective on a diagnosis that has caused me significant anxiety. A recent incidental finding on an MRI, followed by an endoscopic ultrasound, revealed a cluster of several small cysts (3-7 mm) in my pancreas. They’re sus- pected to be branch-duct ...

When removing linoleum

Dear Heloise: You needed to provide an alert about toxicity in the letter regarding linoleum, as the writer indicated that the linoleum was "old" and ugly. Unfortunately, older forms of linoleum from the 20th century contain asbestos. It should be left intact or removed by a professional that ...