Mom wants to help daughter with autism

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am the mother of a wonderful, bright and kindhearted 10-year-old daughter who is autistic.She is creative and has a deep passion for animals and art, but she struggles with social interactions.

Research continues on long COVID treatment

Dear Doctors: Has there been any progress in figuring out how to treat long COVID? I have been dealing with the symptoms for two years, and my doctor seems to have given up. Is anyone even doing research anymore? I feel as though we are being forgotten.

Sibling worried sister has wrong priorities

DEAR HARRIETTE: My youngest sister is in the process of applying and being accepted to colleges – for the second time.

Physical activity slows Alzheimer’s disease

Dear Doctors: What do you know about a study that says aerobics might be good for slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease? I’ve read that being active helps your memory, but how would it affect an actual disease?

Fermented foods better for gut microbiome

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the monthly letters column. We are well into the third month of the new year, and for some of us – the data say it’s probably most of us – the resolutions we made on Jan. 1 have already fallen by the wayside.

Man realizes fear of deep water on vacation

DEAR HARRIETTE: I love beaches and sandy vacations, but somehow I also have a wild fear of deep waters. I don’t think I had ever come to that realization before – probably because I’m never too far from shore and I’m tall – which also makes me feel embarrassed about the whole thing.

3D mammograms offer different angles

ASK THE DOCTORSDear Doctors: I am a 65-year-old woman in remission from breast cancer. I had a single mastectomy and now have an annual mammogram on my remaining breast. I recently learned about 3D mammograms. Is there any advantage of this type over the standard kind?

Friend loses touch while consumed by grief

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my good friends has retreated completely.Last year her best friend passed away, and I think that loss is taking a major toll on her. At first, she was holding up all right, but now she doesn’t really respond to me or any other friends.

DO JUST ONE THING

• When you’re shopping for flowers to make an arrangement, it’s always best to buy locally grown. But if you live in an area where there aren’t abundant flower farms, do the next best thing: Choose California-grown. Eighty percent of the flowers grown in the U.S.

City dweller exposed to drug usage

DEAR HARRIETTE: Today I saw and smelled someone smoking crack on a subway platform near to where I was standing. I was stunned. I know it happens all around my city – in theory – but I’ve never truly witnessed it in real time, only the aftereffects of it.