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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
TO YOUR
GOOD HEALTH
Leg swelling
linked to
vascular
surgery
DEAR DR. ROACH: My hus-
band had his aorta replaced in 2012
and has trouble with sink-in marks
on his legs at the bottom. It doesn’t
matter how much I pay for a pair of
his socks, or how loose they fit, his
legs still get the marks. He is 79 and
has no other health problems.
Would you have any idea what
could be causing this? His heart
doctor thought it was his blood pres-
sure medicine, and at that time, he
was taking 10 mg of amlodipine in
the morning. He now takes lisinopril
for his blood pressure and levothy-
roxine for his thyroid. — R.M.M.
ANSWER: When you can see the
imprint of the socks, it means that
SALOME’S STARS
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This
could be the time to try soothing what-
ever bad feelings might be lingering
‘twixt and among colleagues, friends
or family members. But be sure you
do so without favoring any side.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) An
idea is only an idea until you put that
clever Bovine mind to work to devel-
op it from concept to substance. This
could lead to something rewarding,
both emotionally and monetarily.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) The
early part of the week could have
some disconcerting moments, but
approaching them with a calm, unruf-
fled attitude goes a long way toward
helping to get things nicely settled
down.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22)
there is some swelling (edema) in
the loose tissues of the legs.
Although leg edema can result from
serious problems with the heart, kid-
neys or liver, or even from blood
clots, it is far more likely that it is
not any of these serious conditions.
After a major vascular surgery, it is
common to have a bit of swelling in
the legs. In fact, most people near-
ing their 80s have some degree of
swelling, usually from imperfect
valves in the veins or lymphatic ves-
sels that don’t work as well as they
did 50 years earlier.
Amlodipine (Norvasc) and medi-
cines like it often cause a degree of
swelling that is not dangerous. A
careful physical exam and a few
blood and urine tests are all that’s
necessary to be sure that the leg
swelling isn’t being caused by a
potentially dangerous condition.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-
year-old male who, in mid-February,
was diagnosed with late-stage liver
cancer. I started chemo in early
March. The doctors advised limiting
sugar, so I started reading labels.
Sugar is in everything! It is almost
impossible to avoid it. It’s even in
the supplemental nutrition products
that I am encouraged to drink. My
question is whether there is a recom-
mended daily allowance of sugar for
cancer patients. — L.V.
ANSWER: I am sorry to hear
about your diagnosis. It is next to
impossible to avoid all sugar, but
you don’t need to avoid all sugar. In
fact, eating a little sugar may be
more important in people with liver
disease, since it is the normally
functioning liver that’s necessary to
make sugar when we need it.
I would recommend sticking
around
the
World
Health
Organization and American Heart
Association guidelines of 25-40
grams of sugar daily. That’s much
less than most people take in.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am in my
early 80s and have some chronic
kidney disease. I usually have one or
two beers a day and one or two
glasses of wine every two weeks or
so. Is this safe with my kidney dis-
ease? — K.D.
ANSWER: I would recommend
one rather than two beers on a daily
basis, and again no more than one
glass of wine. Moderation is the key.
Too much alcohol can raise your
blood pressure, may interfere with
medication and, in excess doses,
damage your kidneys.
Getting used to change continues to
mark much of the week. But accepting
what you have to do makes adapting
that much easier. A welcome visitor
could turn up sooner than expected.
LEO (July 23 to August 22)
Learning how to live with a decision is
a challenge, but one you Leos and
Leonas could really enjoy. You’ll also
be pleased to see your social life take
that upsurge you’ve been hoping for.
VIRGO (August 23 to September
22) Use your perceptive Virgo instinct
to help you see the positive aspects of
what, at first, appears to be a disap-
pointment. You could find that it
proves to be quite the contrary.
LIBRA (September 23 to October
22) Your ability to maintain a balance
between sense and sentiment once
again helps you sort through apparent-
ly conflicting choices and ultimately
arrive at the right decision.
SCORPIO (October 23 to
November 21) Before you seek the
advice of colleagues about a potential
career move, you might be better off
getting counsel from someone who
won’t be affected by the choices you
make.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to
December 21) It can be a challenging
week for some relationships if the nor-
mal give-and-take flow changes with
one side doing most of the giving and
the other the taking.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to
January 19) A new opportunity could
bring with it much anticipation along
with some anxiety. Take time to sort
out your options as well as your emo-
tional considerations.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to
February 18) Are you sure you have
all the facts you need to let that matter
move to another level? Don’t be
rushed into a decision unless and until
you feel it’s the right thing to do.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20)
Pace yourself as you prepare to take
on that more demanding project. Be
careful not to let your energy reserves
drain away. Take time to relax with
people close to you.
Siuslaw N ews
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