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Ask Dr. Gott 6/13
'Three times a day' means morning, noon and night
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    DEAR DR. GOTT: I have two questions that many of your readers might like to have answered.
    First, my wife was given a prescription that instructed her to take one pill three times a day. She is of the opinion that she is to take the pill morning, noon and evening in the same time frame as breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I saw the instructions, take one pill three times a day, my thoughts were that my wife is to take one pill every eight hours.
    Second, my wife is 78 and I am 86. We spend more time than I like in our doctor's waiting room. As soon as we check in to wait for our appointment, my wife reads magazines that sick people have handled while waiting for their appointments. I think my wife's habit is not the best thing for her to do.
    DEAR READER: Generally speaking, a medication prescribed three times a day signifies morning, noon and night. People are not expected to set an alarm clock to awaken in the middle of the night to take medication.
    I agree with your wife's approach. She might stretch the program by taking the first pill in the morning, the second around 3 p.m. and the third at bedtime. The difficulty here is that it's too easy to forget. If pills are taken with meals, a person is much more inclined to take them.
    People in a doctor's office are there for a variety of reasons. They read magazines, lick their fingers to turn pages, cough and do all sorts of unpleasant things. Common cold viruses can live from a few seconds to 48 hours depending on the strain, environment and object.
    Let's take this to another level. Did you close your front door when you last headed out or kiss your wife? Did you touch the door handle of your car, take public transportation and touch the rails on either side of the door as you entered the bus? Did you go to the grocery store and put your hands on the bar of a shopping cart? Handle money? Did you open the doctor's office door or use the bathroom once you arrived? If so, did you flush the toilet, wash your hands at the sink and turn the faucets on and off? Well, you subjected yourself to more germs than you want to know about. So reading a magazine in a doctor's office is just another step in the exposure game.
    I recommend you keep antibacterial, waterless hand gel available in the glove box of your car, in your wife's handbag or in other appropriate areas. Then, if you believe you have been exposed to germs, you can use the gel to reduce your risk of contamination.
    To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Consumer Tips on Medicine."
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Astrograph 11/7
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    Organization and proper planning will greatly strengthen your possibilities for success in the year ahead, and they will be the major reasons for you making such leaps and bounds in both your personal and work-related life.
    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Make plans to engage in a recreational activity with friends or family. Getting your mind off all the serious things in life will do wonders for your outlook.
    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) This is an excellent day to gather the information you need on a matter of importance, whether it is work-related, personal or homework. You'll have an easier time doing so than usual.
    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Quality, not flamboyance, is what you should be looking for in companions. A comfortable, compatible friendship will be more enjoyable and fulfilling than spending time with garish, flashy people.
    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) If you have to make a choice between profit and pride of accomplishment, choose the latter. Acquiring self-esteem will be more valuable and long lasting than procuring material wealth.
    PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) One of your better assets is your ability to communicate effectively. You're not only good at gathering facts but also at disseminating them to those who will put them to fruitful uses.
    ARIES (March 21-April 19) By remaining optimistic and keeping your expectations within realistic bounds, you will gradually gain ground on your goals. Because you don't expect more than you should, you won't give up.
    TAURUS (April 20-May 20) One of your best assets is being a good listener, and this will prove to be an advantageous trait. You will learn about something that you'll put to good use at this time.
    GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Keep your goals and desires in proportion to your abilities, and you will have more possibilities for success than most people do, regardless of your field of endeavor.
    CANCER (June 21-July 22) You have what it takes to accomplish your goals. You'll not only be an efficient worker; you'll also know how to interact with others to make them effective as well.
    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Handling small details could be more significant than usual, particularly in domestic matters. Paying attention to even meaningless family activities will greatly please your loved ones.
    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Associates, friends and family will be more willing to listen to what you have to say if you keep your conversations brief. The absence of boring small talk will make what you say far more interesting.
    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Even a small, minor development can turn out to be profitable if done in conjunction with what is already on the table. You will have many good things going for you at this time.
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