DEAR ABBY: My name is Petunia, and I am the pot-bellied pig who was featured in your Oct. 14 column in the letter from my neighbor who signed herself "Peeved at Petunia in Elgin, Okla." I would like to tell my side of the story.

I have lived with my owner since I was 1 month old. I am now a year and a half. I consider myself to be a neighborhood pig. I live on a dead-end road out in the country, and my owner would let me out every morning and I would go visiting. I have eight neighbors, plus four horses and various cows, and I would call upon them during the day and meet my owner at home at 4:30 every afternoon when she returned from work.

People would tell her about feeding me and how much they enjoyed me, especially the families with kids. I did venture across the highway into town once, but that ended very badly. I spent the night in an outdoor dog pound with big, scary, barking dogs all around. That certainly won't happen again.

As to the charges that I chewed the roots of my neighbors' melon vines and strawberry plants -- I was framed. One neighbor who thought I had been tearing up her yard and flowerbed told my owner a few weeks ago that she had caught an armadillo in her front yard, rooting it up. She said there had been two of them staying under an empty trailer across the road.

In my defense, I think the armadillos were partly to blame for the destruction of the strawberry plants. Yes, I love berries and melon, but I don't destroy plants and roots. It is a sad day in a pig's life when we have to stoop to eating roots. That armadillo visited during the night and destroyed the plants, and when I made my usual early morning rounds, I was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My owner is a conscientious pet owner and tries to be a good neighbor. If anyone had complained about me, she would have kept me in the house, but no one did. When "Peeved" (who usually fed me biscuits) called my owner one night and said I had destroyed her melons and berries, that was the end of my freedom. I was under house arrest. I was introduced to my first leash and harness, and my owner called the fence company the next day. We were put off by three fence companies for a month, and finally, the third fence guy came out and fenced the back yard. I have not been out on my own since the complaint, with the exception of one time when I created an escape route -- which my owners promptly plugged.

I apologize for the problems I caused, but with my fence and leash, it won't happen again. (And someone needs to pull that armadillo in for questioning.) -- INCARCERATED IN ELGIN, OKLA. (A.K.A. PETUNIA)

DEAR INCARCERATED (A.K.A. PETUNIA): Your apology is accepted, and now that you have your own turf, everyone hopes your wandering days are over. Don't think of it as false imprisonment; think of it as a permanent alibi.

DEAR ABBY: Add this to your collection of random acts of kindness:

A boy in our town had three kidney transplants; two failed, the third was successful. When he was at his sickest, the local florist decorated his hospital room.

One might have expected flowers, balloons or a fruit basket, but the florist contacted some of the boy's favorite sports teams who sent him autographed pictures and posters. He probably still doesn't know who was responsible.

This happened several years ago, and the young man is doing very well and is a blessing to all who know him. -- PROUD IN PENNSYLVANIA

To receive a collection of Abby's most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $3.95 ($4.50 in Canada) to: Dear Abby's "Keepers," P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, Ill. 61054-0447. (Postage is included.)

DEAR ABBY: I thought you might enjoy a story that restores my faith in today's youth. When you read about all the children in gangs who rob, kill, and destroy property as well as their lives, I'm happy you won't read about my children.

I have five. They are 11 to 14 -- four girls (one set of twins) and a boy. I have kept them involved in all kinds of activities -- choir, band, sports, chores at home. They attend church with my father every Sunday. I have always hoped this could keep them out of trouble and on the right path. Their grades are good and they have aspirations of attending universities. That will be tough for a single parent like me to afford, but we'll manage. We always do.

Last spring, my 75-year-old father had two femoral bypass surgeries. One became severely infected, and he was hospitalized for a week not too long after the kids got out of school for the summer. When Dad was released from the hospital, the doctors wanted to put him in a nursing home because of the care he would require. His leg had to be flushed every four hours and his IV changed every eight hours. It meant around-the-clock nursing.

I work 10 to 14 hours a day, as does my roommate (a nurse). But I just couldn't put Dad in a home, and my kids wouldn't hear of it either. Here's what they did:

My 14-year-old, Elizabeth, packed up and moved into Dad's house. The nursing service and my roommate taught her how to take care of him. Kit, Kate and Ashley rode their bikes over there every day to wash, cook, clean, shop or whatever else was necessary. My 11-year-old son, Michael, would go over and mow the lawn, wash the car, etc. All of the younger children took turns watching TV or visiting with Dad so their big sister could get some much-needed sleep.

Their entire summer was devoted to taking care of the only man in their life. They skipped going to the movies, swimming with their friends at the city pool, visiting the mall, attending slumber parties and birthday parties, and everything else kids do in the summer. I was so proud of my children.

I'm happy to tell you that my father attended the twins' football game yesterday, beaming with pride for all five of his grandchildren.

I know this is a long letter, and I certainly don't expect you to print it. I just wanted to share it with you, to let you know that there are still some good kids out there. -- JANE RIGGS, PHOENIX

DEAR JANE: Thank you for your heartwarming letter. Your children are to be commended for their maturity and generosity, as well as their ability to shoulder responsibility -- traits they obviously learned from you.

DEAR ABBY: I am writing to thank you for publishing the letter from John A. Hardaway from Leavenworth, Kan. He wrote about the signs of cardiovascular disease. I want to thank him also.

For years, I had a burning sensation in my throat when I walked up inclines. I dismissed it because it went away after I reached the top and rested. (Ann Arbor has a lot of inclines and I do a lot of walking.)

After I read Mr. Hardaway's letter, I immediately called my doctor for an appointment. He gave me a stress test and the catheterization that proved I had three blocked arteries!

I am having surgery in 10 days. That letter was a lifesaver. -- MARION ANHERT, ANN ARBOR, MICH.

DEAR MARION: I'm sure that John Hardaway will be as heartened as I was to learn that his letter has saved yet another life.

Good luck with your surgery, Marion. I wish you many more healthy, happy years.

Everybody has a problem. What's yours? Get it off your chest by writing to Dear Abby, P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, Calif. 90069. For a personal reply, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

DEAR ABBY: Please share something with medical professionals that will be of immense help to their patients:

When telling patients to perform an action -- "Stand on tiptoe, squat, turn this way or that, cough," etc. -- and it is essential for your diagnosis that they tell you whether it hurts or not -- ASK THEM!

I have more than once been cut off from essential medical treatment because I did not realize that the doctor, dentist, physical therapist, etc. had assumed that an action was pain-free because I didn't say "OUCH!" (I didn't say it because I didn't know I was expected to, and having a fairly stoic personality, I don't complain about every pain I experience.)

A similar lack of communication has been mentioned by several friends who have been asked, "Have you ever had such and such medication before?" They have simply replied, "Yes," without realizing that the care provider assumes that they will mention any bad reaction they had to the medication. Since doctors can't read minds, patients may wind up being re-dosed with something they are allergic to.

Remember, most of your patients have never been to medical or nursing school, so they don't know the reason for your questions unless you tell them. -- ROSEMARIE ESKES, ROCHESTER, N.Y.

DEAR MRS. ESKES: On behalf of all medical professionals and their patients, I thank you. But I would like to add another thought: If a patient has a bad reaction to a prescribed medication, it is the patient's responsibility to notify the doctor immediately so that information can become a part of his or her medical file.

Also, when patients are being treated for a chronic problem, it is a good idea for them to keep a daily diary for the doctor, because often when patients get to the doctor's office, they become nervous or distracted and forget to tell the doctor about symptoms that might be important.

DEAR ABBY: We have a wonderful nanny who looks after our two preschool children 35 hours a week. It took us three months, 24 candidates and $1,200 to get her.

Another preschool mom and I share driving responsibilities. (I'll call her "Mrs. Jones.") Well, when Mrs. Jones picked up our daughter one morning, she asked our nanny if she would be interested in working part-time for a friend of hers. Abby, I am very offended by this. I feel it would have been a common courtesy to ask us before mentioning this to our nanny.

Our nanny is not simply an employee; she is a member of our extended family. We went through a lot of time and expense to find her, and we do not appreciate Mrs. Jones assuming that she is available for a part-time job.

Please tell me what you think of this. -- LONGTIME READER, BLOOMINGTON, MINN.

DEAR LONGTIME READER: I think Mrs. Jones was out of line to have approached your nanny about part-time employment without discussing it with you first.

Abby shares more of her favorite, easy-to-prepare recipes. To order, send a business-size, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $3.95 ($4.50 in Canada) to: Dear Abby, More Favorite Recipes, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, Ill. 61054-0447. (Postage is included.)