Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-02
Stop Killing
Yourself
By PETER J. STENCRoHN

Please! Please! Help me. I
am so years Of age and do
not sleep well. I have lost
interest in everything and I
feel a stranger to myself. I
can't remember or concen-
trate any more. I am fright
ened to be by myself, and
also when I am with people.
I feel alone in a crowd.
AS a cure, you may advise
me to help others, which I
have tried to do. I have
helped in my church and told
my clergyman that I have
lost faith in myself. He told
me it is a cross God gave
me to bear. What can I do?
I am a picture of health so
it seems silly for me to go to
a doctor. I am so tired all the
time I feel like a mummy. I
start one thing and never
finish it. I force myself to
do my housework, ironing,
shopping.
My husband also says it's
silly to go to a doctor when
I have no physical COM
plants. He says time will
cure all. What do you think?
I will be grateful for any
SuggeStionS.-Mrs. v.
I WOULD HAVE to be a
medical genius (and there
aren't any, to tell you what's
wrong, and exactly what to
do to help you out of your
difficulty. I can give you
only generalized advice be-
cause I don't know the source
Of your troubles. Many people
like yourself-and your hus-
band-feel silly going to q
doctor because the COM
plants are evidently emo
tional rather than physical.
They say they don't want to
bother him. Such thinking
makes for thousands of un-
happy people who might be
helped If they went for med
ical advice.
If I know you were going
through the menopause, I
might make some SUCCESS
tons; II I knew you were
suffering from chronic anx-
iety, I'd probably tell you
to try something else: If the
cause turned out to be a sec
ondary anemia or a lazy thy
roid. there would be other
avenues Of attack.
I hope you can see how
important it is to get medi-
cal attention rather than to
guess and Just hope that
time will take care Of It,"
You have tried, your clergy
man has tried, your husband
has tried, perhaps friends
also have taken advice: At
long last better give your doc
tor q chance.
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: In
the year 1922 a doctor made
a diagnosis Of appendicitis
and advised operation. I re-
fused at the time as he said
1t wasn't an acute appendix,
but q chronic inflammation.
Now I am So and not feeling
well. I have many head
aches, and can't take milk,
fruits, and sauces. II I drink
q small amount of grape
juice I am sure to get a bad
headache. Gould my appen-
dix be the cauSe?-I have
no pain on the right side but
do have gas and cramps
often.-Mr. K.
YEARS AGO doctors ad-
vised dectomy for
chronic appendicitis. Often
they made this diagnosis if
a large, long appendix was
visualized by X-ray. Many
Of us now believe that chronic
appendicitis is a rare bird
either the appendix is acutely
inflamed, and should be taken
out Immediately to prevent
peritonitiS. or should be left
alone.
In your case, almost 40
years without any subsequent
acute inflammation, indi-
Gates that your appendix has
been innocent. Chances are
1t Is now, too. Unless it be-
comes inflamed, I think you
can forget about the need
for operation. AS for your
present symptoms, I doubt
that there is any connection
with your appendix. Rather
than guess, why not check
with your doctor, who may
find some other remedial
cause for your headache and
food sensitivity.
For Mrs. j.: For the bene-
fit Of yourself and others,
the Pap test is painless test.
Principally, it is used to rule
out early cancer of the uterus.
(Bell Syndicate Feature)
DR.. Steincrohn's lentlet,
"HotD to Manage Arthritis,"
tDiH be mailed to you on re-
ceipt of a stamped, selt-ad-
dressed envelope and 10 cents
in coin for handling. Address
DR.. Steincrohn in care of The
Evening Star.