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DEAR DR. ROACH: I have several family members with autoimmune diseases. I read about a study from Germany where people with lupus were treated with CAR T cells, which proved effective. Will this treatment be available for other autoimmune diseases? -- R.C.

Getting professional help for dealing with your persistent fears and anxieties is the single most important step in your recovery. Many people are reluctant to get the assistance they need for various reasons.

I’m hoping you can shed some light on this subject. Is there any justification or logical reasoning behind some of these new parenting trends, specifically one that grants basically full autonomy to a toddler to make his or her own decisions? One that is particularly irksome is letting said toddler choose whether or not they want to hug an immediate family member.

Q: I’ve lost 25 pounds by changing my eating habits, but I still have a pouch of belly fat that won’t go away. How can I get a flatter torso? -- Greg F., Fort Collins, Colorado A: When you are overweight or obese, there’s a good chance that you have added what’s called visceral fat around your internal organs. This is different from the so-called subcutaneous fat that’s right below your skin’s surface. Visceral fat doesn’t just sit there. It impacts how your organs function and is linked to heart disease, diabetes, dementia, high blood pressure and premature death. And it doesn’t like to be shown the door.

Q: I’ve begun to worry about losing my mental edge -- and I’m only 48. Any dietary suggestions you can make that might help me stay sharp? -- Delores D., Westfield, New Jersey A: There are many dietary steps to take to make sure your blood flow to the brain doesn’t get obstructed by plaque-lined vessels and reduce your cognitive powers. You know my recommendations: No red or processed meats, no highly processed foods, no added sugars. Instead, focus on plant-based foods and healthy fats like olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids like ALA in walnuts and DHA and EPA that are found in fatty fish like salmon, herrings, anchovies and sardines.

Dear Amy: I think I was scammed! As a divorced 62-year-old woman on a fixed income, I recently hired someone to fix plumbing damage to my house that insurance wouldn’t cover. His bid was substantially lower, and he could start the next day. He asked for half down so I sent him 50 percent ($300) through an online payment system.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, and along with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, I have been taking 1 mg of anastrozole daily. The bone mineral density of my left hip has not changed significantly. The bone density of my lumbar spine has decreased 6.3% compared to 2020. Several of the doctors I’ve worked with are open to using natural hormone blockers, such as diindolylmethane, instead of the anastrazole. What would you recommend? -- B.C.N.

Dear Readers, It’s funny now—that joke Mother Nature pulled on me last week—but I wasn’t laughing when, only a day after I’d packed all my summer clothes away, the mercury topped out above ninety degrees. And the winds that followed, as they abruptly changed the landscape out my window, didn’t do much to restore my sense of humor either. I’ve no idea where the leaves went because none are piled against the house and our patio is clean as a whistle. As I write, a breeze is still moving through the Flint Hills, rippling the pond water from east to west and making waves among the trees by lifting bare brown and grey branches up and down. The natural world’s undulations brought me to my senses. How could I forget the cardinal rules of dealing with the weather (Kansas weather) and life in general?

Acclaimed vocalist Vanessa Thomas, known for her seamless span of five octaves, will perform at McPherson College as part of the Fern Lingenfelter Artists Series on November 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Mingenback Theatre. Admission is free.