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Last week I went into the doctor’s to get a chest x-ray. I was having trouble breathing and they thought it might be a clot. No clot, but they found a mass on my left lobe. They did a biopsy and a week later and discovered I have lung cancer. I’m terrified, of course, but the doctors are all very reassuring that they got it early enough. I’m scheduled to go into surgery next week to have it removed and then I’ll probably need some chemo for added measure. Thankfully, I avoided needing radiation to shrink it. My question is: would it be wrong if I didn’t tell my family? The past…

I am in my late twenties have been in a relationship with a man of similar age for almost four years. I have a daughter from a previous relationship, who has never met her biological father. This man I am/was with has raised her as his own since she was 4. I was a very independent woman, and never felt like I needed anyone other than my daughter. I have done quite well for myself since she was born and thankfully never needed help from anyone, something I truly pride myself on. When this love came along, we had been friends since childhood and grew up together, but I was hesitant to…

It’s time again for Shortcuts. For every question, I’ll give my advice in three sentences or less, because sometimes the answer to a person’s question is so obvious and the need to hear it so great, being as clear and frank as possible is simply the best way to go. Today we discuss … well, basically three situations in which da ladies need to MOA!

A few months ago, I met a man online who lives in another city. We emailed back and forth for a few months. We seemed to have a lot in common, including some personal issues we’ve both dealt with. We recently started communicating via phone several times a week. He is a really nice guy and I like having him as a friend, but he’s a little boring, and I don’t feel a romantic connection. Unfortunately, some of the things he’s said have indicated that he may be developing feelings for me. For example, he said that he looks at my picture every day and it gives him pleasant thoughts throughout his…

Five months ago, I was introduced to this guy at a bar through a mutual friend. Two weeks later we ran into each other again. One thing led to another and we ended up at my place. I had assumed this was just a one-night-stand, but he contacted me a few days later and we began to communicate. Eventually, it grew into a regular thing. At the beginning, we discussed that it was simply a friends with benefits type arrangement. I was on the rebound from a breakup and he said there wasn’t that ‘spark’ between us. At some point in time, we stopped seeing other people, but still confirmed that we…

It’s time again for Shortcuts. For every question, I’ll give my advice in three sentences or less, because sometimes the answer to a person’s question is so obvious and the need to hear it so great, being as clear and frank as possible is simply the best way to go. Today we discuss contacting old loves on Facebook, asking a significant other not to be friends with someone, and whether 22 is too young to know it’s real love.