More specifically, I am 65 and probably an alcoholic — the result of a lifetime of bad choices and a couple of bad marriages. I live (by choice) in a fairly remote part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where medical advice is hard to come by. I also have a history of oral cancer, despite not having smoked for more than 20 years. The only ENT doc available to me has decided that the “cut it out and biopsy it” approach every three months or so is the proper one.

While I quite understand that his approach is the most conservative one, I am barely healed up by the time I need to go see him again. A second opinion is not available to me up here, and I am truly miserable for the time it takes for my mouth to heal. Do you have any suggestions on an alternative approach?

DEAR READER: I was immediately struck by your straightforward, no-nonsense summation. It is both healthful and refreshing.

Let’s take things a step at a time. My approach to weight loss expects that you might falter. That’s the beauty of it. If you choose to go out for a great pasta dinner, do it. There shouldn’t be any guilt involved, but simply a wish to diversify briefly. You can get back on track and take up where your diet left off. Unfortunately, pounds have a way of creeping back on rather quickly, so it’s important you don’t splurge too often.

If you think you “may be” an alcoholic, you probably are. People often feel they are stuck in a rut. It becomes quite easy to pick up a drink in an attempt to pass the day rather than think of taking a walk, sketching in a book, going bowling or playing a game of solitaire. However, even in remote areas of the country, there are AA meetings and support groups available if you are truly motivated.

Oral cancer can form in any part of the mouth. The risk of acquiring it increases with tobacco use, the consumption of alcohol, in males over the age of 40, for those with a family history; for those with HIV and those exposed to radiation.

A dentist may choose to perform a painless oral brush biopsy that involves taking a sample of tissue for analysis. If the tissue remains suspicious, a scalpel biopsy may be performed under local anesthesia that can be performed by a dentist or specialist. A surgeon may believe the best method of control is through surgery, such as you have had, perhaps followed by radiation, chemotherapy or a combination thereof.

Present these options to your surgeon or dentist for his or her review. If you disagree with what you are told, locate the nearest teaching hospital, make an appointment, get a second opinion and carry on from there. You’ve made it clear this will be an imposition because of your location, but you owe it to yourself.

DEAR READER:
The symptoms of low blood sugar are anxiety, agitation, a feeling of hunger, dizziness, palpitations, and more. Some individuals with the condition become glassy-eyed and stare off into space without realizing what they are doing. Low blood sugar tends to cause some other individuals to become fatigued. As you have discovered, that fatigue causes some individuals to yawn, even at inappropriate times.

I can give you some guidelines, but recommend you meet with your physician to be assured my suggestions are appropriate for you.

First, eliminate sugar, white flour, alcohol, and caffeine from your diet. Substitute more healthful foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits. Remember that the riper fruit becomes, the higher the sugar content. Plan to eat six small meals a day. Never skip breakfast. Keep appropriate snacks available in a desk drawer, pocketbook or the glove box of your car. Indulge in a snack prior to meetings, or when you sense fatigue. With a little training, you can overcome yawning at embarrassing times.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Hypoglycemia”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped, number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

DEAR READER:
Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low sugar level in the blood. The foods we eat, stress and tobacco play a role in the condition. Recommendations for control include eliminating sugar, white flour, caffeine and excessive alcohol from the diet. Plan to eat six small, healthful meals daily, and consume appropriate snacks between meals. This does not translate to over-eating, but to a normal diet consumed in smaller amounts throughout the day. Begin the day with a high protein breakfast, as protein is broken down more slowly than sugar is. Include nuts and sunflower and pumpkin seeds in your diet.

Supplements include calcium, vitamin B complex, garlic, Hawthorne, horseradish and juniper berries, alfalfa, cayenne, dandelion, and 200 mg chromium picolinate daily.

Be sure to inform your physician before starting any treatment regimen because hypoglycemia can be dangerous if the blood sugar drops too low. Readers, if you have a tried and true means of controlling hypoglycemia, please write in to let me know your remedy. I will pass the information on.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Hypoglycemia”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped, number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P. O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.