Lifestyle

Dear Readers, This week I had the pleasure of seeing the Hays High School production of Seussical (the musical) by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Aherns. Actually, that’s not true. I had the pleasure of seeing it twice. And though I do not profess to be a drama critic, I am phenomenally qualified as a patron of theatre. I have seen many youth productions in Philadelphia, New York, Kansas City, Wichita and countless other towns across America and believe me when I say the kids in Hays stack up to the best of them.

October started a new year of enrollment for 4-H members in our eight community clubs and their involvement in 40 project areas! Each community club elects representatives to serve on the 4-H Council, much like Student Council. This is an additional layer of leadership and communication learning as the youth and parent representatives share information to and from their clubs. Additionally, they serve on committees to plan county-wide events such as our Achievement Celebration and 4-H Club Day.

The better man is upstaged by the best man Dear Amy: I’m a 28-yearold man. My best friend from childhood, “Kenneth,” recently got engaged.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 77 and have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I am taking Fosamax and taking all the steps recommended for strengthening bones. But I have two questions: First, is it possible to avoid a fracture without taking medication. Second, is it necessary to avoid coffee completely? I am confused about both questions, having read a lot of conflicting information online. I recently finished reading a book that strongly condemned osteoporosis medication, and have also read that coffee is OK, even good for bones; though, other sources say it leeches calcium from bones. I would appreciate some clarity on these issues. -- J.M.

Dear Readers, It’s been months since a “soaker” has parked over the Flint Hills, so I didn’t quite trust my brain this morning when it insisted it was interpreting signals that rain had arrived. Funny how our senses work. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes to make sure I was hearing right. Yes the vibrations reaching my ear and then travelling as electrical impulses along my eighth cranial nerve (the auditory nerve) were indeed droplets drumming on the roof like a tympany solo quietly opening an orchestral performance. As the storm intensified, other sound waves rushed in as wind drove water against the windows and down along the gutters. Mother Nature’s water music became so loud, I double-checked faucets inside the house to make sure they weren’t running, too.

Dear Amy: I have been married to the same man for 52 years. Thirty-six years ago, I had a child, who is a product of an affair.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have several family members with autoimmune diseases. I read about a study from Germany where people with lupus were treated with CAR T cells, which proved effective. Will this treatment be available for other autoimmune diseases? -- R.C.