Bipolar disorder connected to gut-brain axis

Dear Doctors: My 22-year-old son is severely bipolar, which impacts his life terribly. I have kept up with the studies that have shown success in treating bipolar with a fecal transplant. Do you know of any open studies right now that might take my son? We would travel anywhere to get it done.

Daughter mad she can’t attend concert

DEAR HARRIETTE: My teenage daughter is upset with me because I told her she couldn’t go to a concert with her friends.

Appendicitis may not require surgery

ASK THE DOCTORSDear Doctors: I had a pain on the right side of my abdomen. A CT scan found a perforated appendix with an abscess. I was treated with IV antibiotics, and now I am feeling fine. Do I need to have my appendix taken out?

Mamdani would be new dimension

Next year will bring the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and with it an irresistible angle for journalists and commentators: New York’s first Muslim mayor marks anniversary of devastating radical Islamic attack on the city.

Pastors satisfied with most of their lives

Every decade or so, perhaps during a global pandemic, it’s common to see news reports about pastors leaving pulpits in search of less stressful work.

DO JUST ONE THING

• If you see a houseplant with yellowing leaves, one of the most important things you should do is trim them off. Yellowing, almostdead leaves won’t revive and turn green again, so it’s better to help the plant by removing them so it can dedicate all of its energy to generating new leaves.

Couple goes over options for growing family

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a difficult first pregnancy that took a serious toll on my physical and mental health. From severe morning sickness to complications that required hospitalization, the experience left me exhausted and anxious about the possibility of going through it again.

Making decisions, not speeches

Joe Manchin often lamented, “my worst day as governor was better than my best day as a senator.”The West Virginia Democrat spent a combined total of 20 years in those two jobs, so he knows what he’s talking about.

Reader finds it difficult to date after breakup

DEAR HARRIETTE: Six months ago, my boyfriend broke up with me, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I still can’t seem to get over him. The truth is that he wasn’t even that great of a boyfriend.

Mother’s cat isn’t fat, just has a saggy belly

My mother told me she was worried that her cat, Katy, needed to lose weight.Privately, I agreed.My sister and I spent the weekend with my parents up at their cabin in the woods. Their cat, Katy, is now middle-aged and not as active as she used to be.