Dear Sun Spots: We are planning a Family Fun Day at the Mexico Gazebo on Saturday, May 26. Event activities and outdoor market will begin at 9 a.m., and include craft and flea market, children’s games, food, raffles and music throughout the day. A chicken barbecue will be held at 4 p.m. and a street dance will follow.

We are looking for any crafters and flea marketers who would like to sell their wares during the day. Spaces are $20, and we ask that all crafters and marketers submit one small item to be included in the raffle. Any nonprofit organizations and clubs, such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scout troops, who would like to reserve a space for the outdoor market, may do so free of charge. This event is a great opportunity for area groups to raise money.

For more information on this event, please contact Deb Grant at 514-7639 or by e-mail at debskitchen@adelphia.net. – Deb Grant, Rumford.

Dear Sun Spots: What is the difference between an MRI and a CAT scan? Thanks. – P.L.B., No Town.

Answer: According to several Web sites, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or an MRI scan, is used in detecting structural abnormalities of the body.

It is described as a noninvasive procedure that produces a two-dimensional view of an internal organ or structure, especially the brain and spinal cord. It’s a non-X-ray diagnostic technique based on the magnetic fields of hydrogen atoms in the body. MRI provides computer-generated images of the body’s internal tissues and organs. It uses a magnetic field to provide three-dimensional images of internal body structures.

A CAT scan, or computed tomography (CT) is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the body. You lie on a scanner. The machine’s X-ray beam rotates around you. Small detectors inside the scanner measure the amount of X-rays that make it through the part of the body being studied. A computer takes this information and uses it to create several individual images, called slices. These images can be stored, viewed on a monitor, or printed on film. Three-dimensional models of organs can be created by stacking the individual slices together. Generally, complete scans take only a few minutes. The newest multidetector scanners can image your entire body, head to toe, in less than 30 seconds.

Sun Spots would urge you to talk with your physician about these and any other medical related questions.

Dear Sun Spots: Thank you for this service.

In the April 3 edition of the Sun Journal, a reader wrote with a complaint of urine stench in a mattress. You suggested products from www.iloveproklean.com as well as any readers’ suggestions that may come in. My question, as I have not visited the aforementioned Web site, did you receive any viable solutions? My problem is not cat urine; rather, a male child who wets the bed. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Not having tried out these herself, Sun Spots does not know how each works. These were particular products to assist with removing odor.

According to www.mrscleannw.com, the first step is to blot up as much of the wetness as possible with a dry towel. Try having the heaviest person in your house stand on the towel on the mattress to get as much urine as possible from as deep in the mattress as possible. Next, spray (don’t pour) on a enzymatic cleaner designed especially for urine – these can be found at just about any grocery or home care store. Repeat the blotting process over the enzymatic cleaner until the towels comes up dry and white (this may take several repetitions).

Finally, sprinkle baking soda over the entire area. The baking soda will help to eliminate any lingering orders and absorb remaining moisture. Leave the baking soda at least overnight, sometimes longer if the stain is larger. Then vacuum the baking soda from the mattress and use as normal.

Sun Spots wonders if you might have checked into a waterproof mattress pad? They are available and do help. Another option is Good Nites? They are disposable, padded, pull-up pants your child may be able to wear in bed at night to help him and until he grows out of this stage. They are very discreet and are made for older children and might benefit your child. You might also limit his fluid intake close to bedtime.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be posted at www.sunjournal.com

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