Dear Annie: My sister-in-law has disliked me for as long as I can remember. I've never fully understood why, but over the years she's made her feelings clear in a hundred small ways — cold shoulders at family gatherings, pointed comments and a general effort to keep me at arm's length. I've ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: What can you tell me about the cause and treatment of immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP)? I am a 71-year-old male, and after lab results showed a low blood platelet count, I underwent a spleen and liver scan as well as a bone marrow biopsy. They all showed normal function, ...

Dear Readers: Wishing you and all a very happy holiday season. Please enjoy the following poem. "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore. "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read with interest the letter from the reader who had shoulder pain and was identified with Parsonage-Turner syndrome. I had never heard of it before. I am a 64-year-old woman with severe shoulder pain. It has persisted for more than five years. In addition to the ball of ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have suffered from high blood pressure since I was a young man in my early 20s. I recently turned 70 years old. My blood pressure has been controlled by various medications. Most recently, I have been taking 20 mg of lisinopril once each day. I also take ...

Dear Annie: I am the default holiday host for my extended family. My parents are divorced and both come, my sister arrives late and stressed with her kids, my brother shows up with whatever new girlfriend he is serious about, and my mother uses the whole day to quietly criticize everyone's life ...