Stomach Pains

Women are more sensitive to pain than men but are better able to cope with it, new research suggests. Men are more likely to let the discomfort sour their mood and, in the long run, suffer more. Women take measures to relieve the discomfort; men tend to wait, get ambushed by pain, then cope with it poorly. Their pain is our gain. Two Times columnists square off on the topic. And they pull no punches. Ouch.

Cleveland Indian Manager Charlie Manuel went to a hospital Saturday after complaining of stomach pain when he arrived at Safeco Field for a game against the Seattle Mariners. The 57-year-old Manuel had "a minor abdominal problem" and probably will be hospitalized one or two days at Swedish Hospital, Dr. Dan Frank said. Manuel has a history of stomach problems, including an infected colon during spring training in 2000.

Tall, hardy licorice-flavored fennel is a member of the carrot family of plants and is a common seasoning in many Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. Rich in vitamins and minerals, the herb also has been used in a variety of medicinal traditions over the centuries. In Chinese herbal medicine, it's used to treat stomachaches and vision loss, among other things. In India, the seeds are sometimes chewed after meals to freshen breath and promote healthy digestion.

Fortified by a new attitude she adopted three days earlier, Melissa Astete became Birmingham High's first girls' league cross-country champion since 1993 on Thursday. Astete, a junior, completed the hilly three-mile Pierce College course in 19:20 to win the West Valley League title, 28 seconds ahead of senior Isaura Rodriguez of Taft. Astete took the lead in the second mile and held on to avenge a loss to Rodriguez in a meet last week.

Mats Wilander, the world's top-ranked player, withdrew from the the Paris Open 45 minutes before his first-round match because of the flu, and three seeded players were defeated Wednesday in the $1.1-million event. Wilander, top seeded, said he was unable to play Amos Mansdorf of Israel because of fever and stomach problems that have bothered him periodically since Friday. Wearing heavy clothing and sweating during a 10-minute news conference, Wilander said: "I feel like I look. I feel terrible."

Jackie Rosenblum always had stomach problems. On the worst days, a rumbling, burning, stabbing sensation in her abdomen could fold her over in pain. For years, the Bell Canyon resident had written it off as simply nerves or cramps. But during her second pregnancy a little more than seven years ago, the now 36-year-old developed another symptom, a scorching rash over much of her body, including her eyelids.

Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich has been diagnosed with gallstone pancreatitis and said Monday he will probably have an operation to remove his gallbladder. Trutanich was admitted to Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in San Pedro on Nov. 28 after what he described as "excruciating" stomach pains that began the Friday night after Thanksgiving. During his six-day hospital stay, doctors ran a battery of tests, including an ultrasound and two CT scans. But they were unable to immediately diagnose the cause of his pain, which he said was unnerving.

Eleven third-graders celebrating Valentine's Day at an El Rio elementary school became sick and were taken to hospitals Friday, possibly suffering from food poisoning. About 90 minutes after the 1 p.m. party at Rio Real Elementary School, 14 of the 29 children in Theresa Stewart's class began complaining of stomach pains, the teacher said. Eleven vomited. "At first, I thought maybe some of the kids had overeaten because there were 29 kids and 29 kids brought something [to eat]," she said.

This six-game trip has suddenly become a race of attrition for the Clippers, who began Friday with 10 players in uniform and then dropped to single digits before the night was over. With one roster spot open, and presumably awaiting the arrival of Danny Young, and Charles Smith sidelined again because of shoulder problems, the Clippers were not simply allowed to slip out of the Spectrum with a 102-90 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. That would have been too humane. They left for Washington, D.C.

Drama continued unfolding around Tiger Woods Tuesday, when his mother-in-law was rushed from his Florida home to a hospital with stomach pain and Gatorade announced it has discontinued its Tiger Focus sports drink. Amid focus on whether Woods will lose lucrative endorsement deals as a result of "transgressions" he admitted to in the days after he crashed his Cadillac Escalade outside his home and reports emerged of the golfer's extra-marital affairs, the Gatorade cancellation was in no way connected to the negative publicity, according to a company statement.