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Helping senior cat with kidney disease

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

Dear Dr. John,My husband and I had four cats and lost one to pancreatitis. Now our 15-year-old cat has apparently developed chronic kidney disease. Our vet has placed him on a prescription diet called K/D. Our cat’s most recent blood numbers of significance are SDMA 17, BUN 42, and Creatinine 2.9 and were slightly increased since its previous blood draw.Our cat does not like the prescription food at all and will barely eat it. We have an appointment to learn how to give him fluids under the skin, but our other cat seemed to wince every time we did that, and we don’t want to cause our cat any pain. We have even thought of seeking the treatment by an acupuncturist. How should we proceed? D.S.Dear D.S.,Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that afflicts many older cats. The optimistic news is that these patients can be maintained for fairly long periods of time with good supportive care. I had one patient that lived for almost four years on special diets and subcutaneous fluids. ...

Cutting ex out of photos hurts kids

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

Q. My kids love to take pictures, and when their mom and I were together we had pictures they took of us on vacations, joking around, whatever, all over the house. We have been broken up about seven months, and my kids came home from their mother’s home (the home in which we used to live together) saying that their mom had torn me out of all the pictures around the house but continued to display them. What’s good ex-etiquette?A. I remember a client confiding that their ex had torn out his face in all of their pictures and replaced them with faces of celebrities. So, there was mom skiing with Brad Pitt, at a cocktail party with George Clooney. The kids at first thought it was funny, but as time went on, they took it personally. That was their dad who was torn out of the pictures. Mom always said she never badmouthed dad, yet, in my opinion, although it was amusing, this was much worse.There’s also another component to mom’s actions she may not have taken into consideration before she...

Puerto Rico makes for a great tropical family getaway

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

I lay on the sand of Luquillo Beach, warmed by the sun and lulled by the whoosh of incoming waves — just as I’d done here before, in my carefree, pre-parenthood days.Between the winter and spring breaks of last year, my kids, now 4 and 7, spent nearly as much time out of school as in it (COVID closure, various holidays). That made the work/child-care juggle especially stressful. I vowed that this winter would be different: We’d build in a break by taking our first real vacation as a family of four.A decade ago, when I lacked an entourage, I’d visited Puerto Rico with friends. Our activities — ocean swims, kayak paddles, rainforest hikes, ferry rides, food-stall meals — seemed more kid-friendly than big-city art museums and elegant bistros.Puerto Rico, the “Rich Port” of some 3 million inhabitants, sits a bit off American tourists’ radar. The U.S. territory feels international, with its colorful concrete buildings, free-roaming horses and primacy o...

New & stylish ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Boston

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

Here in Boston, we mark St. Patrick’s Day differently than they do in Ireland. There, it’s less about partying than it is about honoring history. In Boston the focus is on jubilant celebrating, and you don’t need to be of Irish descent to join in.That said, with all due respect for the city’s many fantastic pubs, what about ushering in the holiday differently this year? Boston is filled with endless love for the Emerald Isle, and it’s got plenty of creative and stylish ways to show it. Here are a few ideas for St. Patrick’s Day outings, settings, and events that are a fun departure from the usual festivities.Get Your Irish (Arts) UpStart out with a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, where you’ll find a collection of ancient Irish artifacts, like the Middle Bronze Age ribbon torc from Inishowen, County Donegal; Late Bronze Age armlets; and a Early Medieval shrine. mfa.orgFind a Pot of GoldFrom March 16 through March 19, Hotel AKA Back Bay (stayaka.com/hotel-aka-backbay) is offer...

Sweet & kind Yomiah loves music

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

Yomiah is a happy and inquisitive boy of Hispanic descent who is described by those who know him best as sweet and kind with a love of music. He sings a variety of songs, from B-I-N-G-O to Lady Gaga, and will often listen to musical toys by holding them up to his ears. Yomiah is an active child who likes to play independently, and will also engage with adults by reaching for their hands and sitting in their laps.Yomiah receives supportive services to assist him in all areas of development, and has a complex medical history. He communicates using a combination of words, signs and augmentative communication and is also working with tactile symbols and Braille. Yomiah benefits from individualized attention and support within a stable routine. He often sings specific songs to specific people, showing an awareness and familiarity with them.Legally freed for adoption, Yomiah will be best supported by a family who has a medical background or a willingness to learn and who is prepared to su...

The Oscars, March Madness & more make for great TV week

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

Get comfortable – this week has a plethora of prime choices for great TV.Sunday“The 95th Academy Awards” (ABC, 8 p.m.): The mind-bending 2022 multiverse fable “Everything Everywhere All at Once” leads the field with 11 nominations at this year’s ceremony. Jimmy Kimmel hosts.“The Last of Us” (HBO, 9 p.m.): You haven’t seen the last of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as this post-apocalyptic drama ends its first season already renewed for a second.“A Spy Among Friends” (MGM+, 10 p.m.): Guy Pearce portrays MI6 officer/Soviet double agent Kim Philby and Damian Lewis plays his bereft BFF in this new fact-based drama.Monday“Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax” (Fox Nation): This new special explores the case of the former “Empire” star who falsely claimed to have been the victim of a hate crime in 2019.“Great Performances” (PBS, 9 p.m.): David Strathairn portrays Jan Karski, a Polish resistance fighter who bore witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, in the fact-based solo drama “Reme...

‘A Spy Among Friends’ brings Cold War to new generation

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

“A Spy Among Friends,” streaming Sunday on MGM+, reflects on a key chapter in post-WWII espionage history when the Cambridge Five,  a quintet of Cambridge University graduates, were exposed as Russian spies.The most notorious and most damaging, guilty of a thousand deaths, was British MI6 officer Kim Philby, a double agent for the Soviets.  He served in postwar Washington, DC and cleverly escaped exposure in the early 1950s when two of his fellow Cambridge spies defected to Moscow.Stationed in Beirut in the ‘60s, he was confronted by his friend Nicholas Elliott and confessed.  But before he would sign a confession he escaped to follow his fellow traitors to Red Square.“Spy” stars Guy Pearce (“Mare of Easttown”) as Philby and Damian Lewis (“Billions”), also served an executive producer, is Elliott.A saga that spans 30 years, “Spy” offers a new perspective by examining the rupture between these two heterosexual best buddies.“It was certainly a big challenge for the makeup girls and bo...

Kim: FCC Media Bureau kills diverse media ownership

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

I believe in the power of local news. Strengthening American democracy depends on more engaged and informed citizens at the local level. But in today’s fractured media environment, there are fewer credible options for consumers to turn to for their news. Local broadcast news can help fill this void.My company, Standard General, is acquiring local broadcaster TEGNA because I want to build a new company that will be a leader in preserving and enhancing community news, investing in newsrooms and programming targeted to local audiences and adapting in a rapidly changing technical and competitive environment.We’re ready to invest, but regulators in Washington, D.C. continue to hold us back.The Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau recently announced it would refer the proposed transaction between Standard General and TEGNA for review by an administrative law judge.This seemingly mundane regulatory action is an unprecedented overreach of authority that, if allowed to stand unch...

Winning ex’s trust – and time with son – once sober

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

Q. I messed up a year ago and passed out drunk while my wife was out and I was taking care of our 2-year-old.  He was fine but she lost all trust in me.  I spent the last year getting sober.  I’ve held a job, stayed sober and went by to spend time with her and our son whenever she allowed.  Despite my efforts she told me last week that she is not interested in taking me back.I understand but I don’t want to lose our son in this process.  She has refused to let me spend any time alone with him since that night.  She works for the court and keeps telling me that no judge is going to let me spend time with our son until he is 12 unless she is present so I shouldn’t even bother fighting her on this.  Is she right?  Is there anything I can do now that I’m not already doing to win back some trust?A. First of all, she is not right.  The fact that you are now sober and doing the hard work to improve your life and your health is important and won’t go unnoticed.  That being said, it is hard ...

Dear Abby: Silence replaces a 40-year friendship

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:28 GMT

Dear Abby: I have been friends with a woman I’ll call “Blanche” for 40 years. We used to work together, and we supported each other during our divorces and other life problems. We lost touch for a time, then reconnected. I kept in touch with her for years through email at her work. We both are on Facebook, and she knows how to contact me.Since she retired six months ago, I haven’t heard from her. She comments online and “likes” things I post, but that’s it. I have now blocked her and moved on, which may seem harsh, but the story is too long to explain. I was depressed early on, but I’m over it now. I had to accept that she no longer wanted to continue our friendship. And yes, we have discussed this before. Am I wrong to let it go and move on? — Over It in North CarolinaDear Over It: Sometimes in life we must make a conscious decision to do what’s right for ourselves. In a case like the one you have described, it is not only...