Messy friend really stinks

Dear Dr. Gott: Recently, I was asked to take care of a friend’s cats while he was out of town. When I went to his apartment, the place reeked!

The trash/garbage was stacked everywhere – 5 feet high! The sink had a 3-foot stack of dirty, rotten dishes.

The counters were piled with junk mail and rotten fruit, old lunches, etc.

I opened the refrigerator once – never again. The smell just about knocked me over, although it was working.

It was jam-packed with unidentified “stuff” (not in its original form).

The toilet was stopped up and badly needed flushing and then blown up with dynamite.

This man is in a manager’s position. He looks clean and dresses well, drives a nice, clean car and makes good wages.

Do you think he is just lazy? Or is there a screw loose?

He acts like there is nothing wrong, but I can’t stand to be around him now.

What do you think?

Dear Reader: Living in filth does not necessarily mean that your friend is emotionally upset. By the same token, he is an adult, and little you say by way of complaints will make him clean up his act.

Although you might choose to point out his obnoxious living standards, I suspect that your best bet is simply to refuse to care for his cats.

And if he asks why, tell him.

Dear Dr. Gott: My brother was recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and is on medication. He is very short of breath and would like to know more about the disease.

Will he improve? Will he be able to do light yard work? Can you help us cope?

Dear Reader: Atrial fibrillation is a cardiac disorder marked by an irregular pulse, sometimes at a rapid rate.

Because atrial fib is often associated with weak heartbeats, it can lead to heart failure and an accumulation of fluid in the lungs or legs that causes shortness of breath and ankle swelling. Also, the condition sometimes causes blood clots that form in the heart, break apart and then circulate to the brain, leading to stroke.

Atrial fib is treated with medicine to slow the heart rate and make the cardiac contractions more forceful. In addition, anticoagulant medicine, such as Coumadin, should be given to prevent strokes.

With proper therapy, most patients are able to engage in light exercise, such as gardening, walking and so forth.

Your brother probably needs medicine to stimulate the kidneys to excrete the extra fluid in his body. Once that has been accomplished, he will feel better and his situation should stabilize. Ask his doctor about this.

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