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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 2015)
FEATURES 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 Get screened for heart disease Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. Dear Annie: I have a family his- tory of cardiovascular disease and lost my mom to a heart attack when she was only 32. To be preventive about my own health, I had something called a vas- cular wellness screening: a check of my arteries for atherosclerosis, the plaque that builds up in our arteries as we age. The tests were easy, pain- less and held at a local church. I had some mild blockage in the arteries of my neck, but nothing serious at the time. Two years later, my doctor rec- ommended that I repeat the tests. This time, my left neck artery was VLJQL¿FDQWO\ EORFNHG 7KLV VLJQDOHG to my doctor that my heart arter- ies could be blocked, too, and tests showed that to be true. With my fam- ily history, there was no doubt that I was at high risk for heart attack and stroke, but I wouldn’t have known without the screening. I encourage people to get their arteries screened. Most people don’t think about the health of their arteries or know the word “atherosclerosis,” but getting these tests could help you know what is going on inside your body before something serious hap- pens. Work with your doctor, and share your test results so that he or she can use them to help you stay She strongly recommended that we take her to a certain restaurant that serves great food. We took her three times, at her request, and guess Creators who paid the bill. My wife prepared Syndicate Inc. all the other meals, and our guest never once offered to take us out. In Kathy Mitchell addition, she didn’t even bring us a and small hostess gift, which, although Marcy Sugar we didn’t need one, would have been thoughtful and appreciated. well for as long as possible. — Joan During her entire stay, this wom- P. in New Jersey an bragged nonstop about everything Dear Joan P.: Thank you for she has done and will do. She used this timely information. February my computer several times and had is American Heart Month. Car- me print out one article after anoth- diovascular disease is the lead- er for her personal use. I tried to be ing cause of death in this country. QLFHEXWE\WKH¿IWKGD\,ORVWLWHV- Those who have a family history of pecially when she asked my wife to heart disease or stroke and feel that wash her dirty clothes. a screening would be beneficial Before leaving, this inconsiderate should contact their doctor or any guest expressed the wish to return local hospital or university health next year. My wife puts up with her center to set up an appointment. eccentricities, but I can’t. What do For more information on American you suggest? — Frustrated Husband Heart Month and how to maintain Dear Frustrated: Unless your a healthy heart, check the Centers wife is willing to ask her friend to for Disease Control and Prevention stay at a hotel for at least part of the website at cdc.gov/Features/Heart- visit, nothing will change. There’s Month or the American Heart As- no reason you both have to put up sociation (heart.org). with this guest. Let your wife enjoy Dear Annie: My wife’s college a few days with her ex-roommate URRPPDWH YLVLWHG XV IRU ¿YH GD\V while you visit family or friends She turned out to be the Visitor from elsewhere, either for part or all of the Hell. Here’s what happened: time she’s there. Annie’s Mailbox FRANK AND ERNEST BLONDIE THATABABY SALLY FORTH STONE SOUP B.C. LOLA DILBERT SIX CHIX BIZARRO MUTTS NON SEQUITUR BABY BLUES WIZARD OF ID ZITS ROSE IS ROSE ARIES (March 21-April 19). There’s power in saying less. The more you know the less you need to show. And if you don’t know, it’s perfectly acceptable to admit that, step back and learn. Your wisdom will prevail. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You want to take the happy-go-lucky approach, but something is stopping you from the experi- ence — a feeling or perhaps a memory that warns you not to let go completely. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You desire to use your idle time more productively. This will take planning. Perhaps a thick novel or an online course will change your life during what might otherwise have been televi- sion-watching hours. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Negative self-talk is nothing but a bad habit that you can change. The first thing to do is to stop identifying that voice as the real you. It’s just an opinion of the moment, and you can choose a different one any time you’d like to. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). A professional development opens up a financial opportu- nity. Dive in and do the hard work. As you focus on your career, you give a relationship the breathing room it needs to grow. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You will be a serendipitous mentor for someone, deliver- ing just the right message to lift that person to a new level of understanding. Even so, don’t try too hard. Just say what you see as the truth, and you’ll cause change. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The daily task of growing your virtues and minimizing your vices does get old. Perhaps even goodness should be pursued in moderation. If you don’t indulge your shadow side, at least have one dance with it. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The way to be noticed by that person you admire is to attach yourself to his or her top priorities and help make this accomplishment happen. Your admired someone will notice your val- ue and in turn want to help you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The more connections you have the more lever- age you have. It’s a day for growing your network (either face-to-face or virtually) by doing more of what you’re good at and tell- ing people about it. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). As you focus on one line of action, another that’s occurring simultaneously is building. There will be a point in the near future when these stories converge to fantastic effect. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The idea that will help you make a leap in lifestyle is not a big one. Rather, it’s a small change of attitude that will ripple out to create many changes at once. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You don’t have to spend many hours with people to cast your spell. Often, just a few minutes is enough to gain a fan. Many will be drawn to your self-confidence, social style and spe- cial energy. THURSDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 5). Cel- ebrate big this year — you changed his- tory just by being born. Sentence yourself to several hours (if not days) of “you time” this month — a smart way to replenish your mojo. There’s a lucky break the sec- ond week of March. Impatience sets in in April, and you’ll play the squeaky wheel that gets greased. Capricorn and Pisces people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 44, 28, 11 and 5.