DEAR ABBY: When I was an unmarried 18-year-old, I had a child out of wedlock. Unsure that I could provide for him, I chose to place him for adoption so he would have a chance for a better life. This year, we connected through DNA. The reunion has been great, even though I choose to […]
Matthew Daigle
Matthew Daigle is a court reporter at the Norway bureau of the Sun Journal and has worked for the company for more than six years. He covers the courts, Oxford County government, and the towns of Norway, Paris and Otisfield. He lives in Greene with his fiance, his two Siamese cats and his 13-year old chihuahua. In his spare time, he likes to read, watch movies and listen to podcasts about the television show “Survivor.” He is a graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington and earned a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing.
Posted inDr. Roach
Can GERD be traced back to estrogen use?
DEAR DR. ROACH: As I seem to be highly prone to urinary tract infections, I’ve been using vaginal Estrace for decades. I’m 82 years old. I’ve developed serious gastroesophageal reflux disease, and note that there’s a connection with female hormones. Two of my health care providers disagree on whether vaginal Estrace is or is not […]
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Posted inDear Abby
Lonely divorcee discouraged by a return to ‘normalcy’
DEAR ABBY: After my divorce 15 years ago, I moved 800 miles away to be near my only family — my older sister — at her request. We are close and talk on the phone every day, but do nothing together because she’s always busy and active with her partner of 50 years and their […]
Posted inDear Abby
Childhood memories lead to conflict
DEAR ABBY: My sister, who had epilepsy as a small child in the 1970s, now uses her disease as a weapon against the rest of the family. I am at my wits’ end about what to do about the way she mistreats our 83-year-old mother. She no longer is treated for epilepsy, and her childhood […]
Posted inDear Abby
Former drug user looks for a way out of toxic relationship
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 39-year-old woman in a toxic relationship with my boyfriend of almost seven years. We had a child together but lost custody due to drug use during my pregnancy. Even though we don’t have our son, and he treats me badly, I feel I have to stay with him because we have […]
Posted inDr. Roach
Arthritis in reader’s shoulder is a complication of polio
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old polio survivor with severe osteoarthritis in my left shoulder, which is the side also affected by polio. I experience pain in varying degrees throughout the day, but at night the pain often wakes me up. I recently had my shoulder X-rayed. My orthopedic doctor said it was “bone […]
Posted inDear Abby
Couple needn’t agree on after-death wishes
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I disagree about our arrangements after we pass away. I would like to be cremated and scattered at a location with wonderful memories, like where we honeymooned. He wants a full funeral and to be buried in our hometown, 2 1/2 hours away from where we have been living for […]
Posted inDr. Roach
Don’t put off potentially lifesaving colonoscopy
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am responding to a recent letter from a reader anxious about undergoing a colonoscopy. One of her concerns was a possible perforation requiring additional surgery and a temporary colostomy. You reassured her that the probability of such an occurrence was very low. I have seen this fear often. No doubt, it […]
Posted inDear Abby
Beau’s female friends send a ‘hands-off’ signal to his paramour
DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing a wonderful man for seven months and spend every weekend with him. We live 45 miles apart, but it works for us. He has a group of friends, five ladies, that he spends a lot of time with. He dated one of them for a year before he broke […]
Posted inDr. Roach
What’s the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?
DEAR DR. ROACH: Please explain the difference between probiotics and prebiotics? I know they are both helpful for the digestive system, but I’m not sure why. — A.B. ANSWER: Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients, such as fiber, that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. Probiotics are the healthy organisms themselves, such as […]