There is a gender stereotype we’re about to paint that relates to stud ies of life expectancy. As the stereotypical scene goes, a husband and wife wake up one morning feeling sick. The husband groans for half an hour before calling in sick and curling up under the covers in the fetal OPTICAL
COMPRESSIONSOCKWELLSOCKS
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LIFESTORY
WE HAVE A HUGE SELECTION!
This might sound hard to believe, but it is true: any random person could walk up to the windows of a nursery and gaze in at the newborns within and predict at a glance which ones will outlive the others — and do so fairly accurately. All the information that person would need could be provided by things like booties and little stocking caps. Babies wearing pink will in most cases live longer than babies wearing blue. All over the world, women live longer than men. There is no nation where men have a longer life expectancy, although there are wide varia tions in the female advantage, ranging from a few months to a full decade. Why does this gender disparity exist? There are answers, some of them reasonably well-established, others a little shaky, as well as plenty of unanswered questions and unexplored theories.
Some of the reasons can be chalked up to four words: boys will be boys. A comparative study published in the Journal of Human Stress a few years ago noted higher death rates for men directly linked to smoking-related lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and stroke, along with more deaths from accidents, suicide, and cirrhosis of the liver compared to women. They noted that working at hazardous jobs, engaging in adventurous and risky macho behaviors while acting un afraid, and drinking and smoking - even excessively - are accepted and even encouraged in our society among males. That means that some of the disparity is largely social rather than biological or medical, and is therefore fixable and avoidable.
On the other hand, there is evidence of biological differences that give women what our illustrated lady to the right suggests: a green light. The very hormones and chromosomes that make us male and female dictate matters as mundane as where the body stores fat. Women tend to have more fat directly under the skin (subcutaneous fat), while men have more fat surrounding organs (visceral fat), which, unfortunately for guys, tends to be a predictor of cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Proefrock is a retired local clinical and forensic child psychologist. HAVE TASTE ZONES
You’ve heard this one; we all have. A certain section of the tongue — and only that section — registers salty flavors. Another part of the tongue detects sour tastes, and another part of the tongue’s geography is for sweet things, and another for bitter, and so on. There was a nearly uni versally accepted “taste map” in many a biology textbook identifying which parts of the tongue corresponded to which tastes.Most of us have grown up knowing this is all a myth, but the amazing thing is that the fable was only debunked by some 1974 research after being accepted as scientific gospel for the better part of a century.
PARENTHOOD
You got a call from one of your 13 year-old daughter’s teachers telling you that she hasn’t turned in her homework for over a week. She’s usually a good student. She’s been telling you that she has been doing her homework at school so she doesn’t have to do it in the evening. What do you do?
by David W. Proefrock, PhD
Of course, the research was thorough and complex, but anyone with an 8th grade education could have staked his claim to the discovery by simply placing some salt on his tongue in a “non-salt” area of the map. He would have tasted salt no matter where it was, and the same goes for sweet, sour, bitter, and the fifth Beatle, umami. It’s never easy to define umami. It is sometimes described as the taste of glutamate (not helpful), and also as mono sodium glutamate or MSG (also not helpful). A better definition sometimes used is “savory,” and an even better one is “bacon.” Everyone can understand that. There are between 2,000 and 4,000 taste buds on each and every tongue, and they’re all pretty fresh: they have a lifespan of only a week or two, so they are being continually regenerated. Did you burn your arm taking a pizza out of the oven and then burn your tongue eating it? Your tongue will heal completely way be fore your arm will. Another myth about the tongue is that it’s the strongest muscle in the body. Not true (think of the heart and the powerful muscles of the legs), although there is the old story of the guy who told a friend that he hadn’t spoken to his wife in more than ten years. “Why not?” asked his friend. “I just hate to interrupt her,” he replied.
B. Put her on restriction until all of the work she missed is completed and allow her privileges only after she shows you her work is completed each day.
C. Talk with her about the situation. Tell her that you are disappointed that she hasn’t been doing her school work and that she lied to you about it. Make her promise that she will doD.better.Take away her phone until the end of the grading period and give it back only if her grades are good.
A. Set up a conference with her teachers to find out what is going on and work out a solution.
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It is important the consequences for behaviors actually fit the problem and that they teach the appropriate behavior rather then just punish. Her stopping doing her school work is serious and needs to be addressed. The consequence that makes the most sense is for her to do the work she missed.
D. There need to be consequences for not completing her homework, but this response misses the mark. The conse quence has to include completing the work she missed.
C. Of course you should talk with her. You need to impress upon her how important school is and you need to find out if there is a problem that should be addressed. However, talking is not enough. She should also complete all of the work she didn’t do.
If you answered: A. This may become necessary, but you should try to han dle it at home first. However, make sure the teacher knows that you appreciate her telling you about the problem.
B. This is the way to start. It lets her know how important school is, and that she has to finish the work even though it might not count. It also lets the teacher know that you sup port the school in her education.
WHO SHOULD GET A FLU SHOT?
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Not everybody. But almost. As the CDC breaks it down, “Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season with rare exceptions.”
Anyone with severe allergies to any ingredient in the vaccines should not get one. These might include allergies to gelatin and antibiotics. (People with egg allergies, even a history of severe allergic reactions, can safely get a flu vac cine, although it is recommended that for such people the flu vaccine be administered under the supervision of a healthcare provider who is capable of recognizing and managing severe allergic reactions.) Also, as simple logic would suggest, any one who has had a severe allergic reaction to a previous flu vaccine should not get a flu vaccine again. Aside from those small precautionary groups, we’re back to our original “everyone 6 months and older.” But who should be particularly sure to get their annual flu vaccine?
Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and/or their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., nor its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for general informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment, consult your doctor.
That list starts with adults 65 and older. Just by being longterm survivors, they are at higher risk of developing serious complications if they do get the flu, making avoidance more important for them. The second broad group who need to get their flu shot are adults with preexisting chronic health conditions. Leading the pack are asthma, heart disease, dia betes, and chronic kidney disease. Additional precautions are needed for people who live in nursing homes and other longterm care facilities, people who are obese (with a BMI of 40 or higher), and people with weakened immune systems from AIDS or HIV, cancer treatment, or any other cause.
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One key point to keep in mind for the huge group most of us are in (everyone 6 months and older): a recent CDC study found the rate of allergic reactions for all vaccine types is 1.31 per million vaccine doses given. That isn’t 1.31 percent. It’s the number one and change. The risk is practically microscopic.
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For those still reading, let’s clarify two things: who are the “rare exceptions” singled out by the CDC who should not get a flu shot?; and second, who should especially make sure they do get a flu shot? It’s flu shot season right now, so let’s dish.
So all you newborns out there and readers less than six months old don’t even have to read the rest of this article. Go on break or skip to another page.
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Born in 1879, Chagas died in Rio de Janeiro from a heart attack in 1934 at age 55. +
Children need adults around them who are safe havens from whatever life throws their way that frightens them. More important than being saved from vacuum cleaners is learning that there are people who can be trusted, who will be safe and not only not hurt them, but also help them to sort out the world and what is good and bad in it. Teaching children that some folks can be trusted is not the way some families used to operate, and some still do. Those families feel that it is better to teach their children to be tough and resilient and not need anyone but themselves to fight life’s battles. I have a problem with that. While strength and resilience are good qualities, when they are a person’s only abilities, they leave a vacuum in which trusting others doesn’t exist. The assumption can be that either that all people are good or all people are bad, with little ability to discriminate between the two.
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER SEPTEMBER 2, 20224+ Y #172 IN A SERIES
Carlos Chagas’ description of this new disease is to this day considered a medical classic, and made him a well-known, respected and decorated expert in research, epidemiology, and public health. But maybe not as decorated and respected as he could or should have been. His discovery was hailed as one of the most important advancements in medical history and specifically in parasitology. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize as a result, not once but twice (in 1913 and 1921), but each time by a single nominator. By comparison, in 1921 the top four nominees for the award received 11, nine, seven, and seven nominations, respectively. A number of medical historians have concluded that Chagas’ absence on the list of Nobel Prize winners was due to the mainly European and North American composition of the Nobel Committee and the international scientific community.
ON THE ROADON THE ROAD
A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE
My father used to tell a story which illustrates that way of teaching youngsters not to trust anyone. In it, a father tells a child to jump from a height, promising to catch the child. The child is afraid of falling and it takes a great deal of persuasion for the child to eventually jump. But the father does not catch the child as promised, and it falls and is injured. See, the father says, do not trust anyone, not even your own father. When I heard him tell that story, I was horrified. Much better, I thought, would be to teach the child ways to figure out who would and wouldn’t really be there for them.
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Chagas disease typically has two chapters, an acute phase and a chronic phase. Initially, people will have no symptoms or very mild ones, like fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting. Understandably, people can mistake the symptoms for the flu, and they will usually go away, just like the flu. The problem there is that without proper diagnosis and treatment with antiparasitic medication the infection will remain, leading inevitably to the chronic phase. In its chronic manifestation, Chagas disease can last at least decades, if not for an entire lifetime, creating a whole constellation of cardiac complications (enlarged heart, heart failure, arrhythmias, and cardiac arrest) as well as gastrointestinal issues.
In my life since then, I have had to learn through instances of making the wrong choice of who is trustworthy. Silas and Junior already are developing an internal sense of who is and is not trustworthy. I hope it will save them from some of the lessons I had to learn the hard way.
ou have probably heard of this man, or at least the disease he discovered and which is named after him. What most of us might find surprising is that the disease isn’t one exclusive to faraway tropical lands. It afflicts hundreds of thousands of people in the United States. For a fact, millions of people have Chagas disease, mostly in Mexico and Central and South America. It was discovered in 1909 by Carlos Chagas (shown above on a 10,000 cruzado note, about 75¢ in U.S.D.) Dr. Chagas’ employer, the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro, had sent him into the wilderness of the Amazon basin in 1906 to combat a malaria outbreak on a railroad construction project. Chagas stayed there for two years, in the process discovering an infestation of large insects in the area that would emerge at night and bite people while they slept. He named this hematophagous (blood-eating) insect Trypanosoma cruzi in honor of Oswaldo Cruz. More familiarly, these bugs are known as kissing bugs, because they often bite their victims on the face. But they have another name that is unfortunately more accurate: assassin bugs. They not only bite victims and suck their blood, they also defecate on the wound they’ve created, unleashing a parasite that can inflict damage on their hosts for decades. In fact, people often scratch or rub the bites, inadvertently working the feces into the wound more effectively.
I am also getting threatening messages from Word that I will now start having to pay to use what I purchased many years ago. Damn, another way they are inventing to wring money from the stone I am becoming! It seems that I find another scam by previously well thought of and reliable companies about once a week. Each time I fight it, and each time I win! But at 79 I shouldn’t need to fight. Fighting is both time-consuming and irritating. But enough unpleasantness! Yesterday Vicki brought the twins over to play with me. While we were playing, she decided to run the vacuum cleaner. Junior liked it and wanted to be the one vacuuming, learning quickly to run it back and forth. But Silas was not a fan even when it was silent. And when it was Vicki’s turn to shove it around, Silas ran to me in terror to be picked up and saved from the monster making that loud noise. Such sweetness it is to be a port in Silas’s storm! He clung to me for the warmth and safety of my arms. Even sweeter is the realization that both he and Junior trust me.
Who is this?
TO BETTER HEALTH
Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com + by Marcia Ribble
Looks like it’s time for a new computer. This one is slowing to a crawl. It just took me over an hour to order groceries. I must admit that I am old and slower than I used to be, but not that slow. Even in the old days, it didn’t take an hour to boot up and get to work. So, what to replace old Matilda with? My hands don’t work well with laptops. The arthritis has gotten worse over the years and my reaction times are slower. If I had won the lottery and money was no object I would buy myself a computer with voice recognition that would allow me to just say what words I want. But even with new technologies, I am doubtful that it would work well.
A beautiful subtropical island off the coast of South Carolina covered with palms and live oaks. A pristine beach. Great restaurants and eclectic little shops both on the island and even more so in nearby Charleston. What could go wrong if I vacationed there for a few days in August? Well, let me tell you. Have we met? If we have, or even if you haven’t, but you have been following along by reading my column, then you know that I haven’t exactly had the best year, health-wise, but I’m still kicking. By the way, studies have shown that reading my column can make you healthier, smarter, sexier, and more popular. Follow the science! Read my column regularly and be happier! It started well. We drove down to Edisto Island on Wednesday, August 10th and set up camp in Edisto Beach State Park, in the Live Oaks section about a mile from the beachfront section of the campground. I had to work on Thursday (remotely), but it wasn’t so bad since I was working from a beau tiful location. I wrapped work up by 3 pm and about then the rest of our group came back to the campers for a late lunch. Our group, at that point, was me, my lovely wife, Lorie, my son, John, and our dear friends, Chuck and Vicki. After everyone ate lunch, my wife and I drove over to the beach section by ourselves. Chuck had set up a nice canopy at the beach that morning and left it there for us, along with some chairs, other luxuries, and our beach wag on. Lorie and I brought a freshly refilled cooler with us, expecting to spend the rest of the day there. I think we arrived some time before 4 pm. Out on the horizon on the ocean, the sky looked dark and ominous, but we assumed it wasn’t heading our direction. We were very wrong. Chuck and Vicki showed up at about 5 pm and joined us. I wasn’t under the canopy, but I was still in the shade with the long shadows being thrown at that hour. My location proved to be fortuitous because, less than ten min utes after Chuck and Vicki joined us, a gust of wind signaled that the squall we saw out at sea earlier had decided to invade our peaceful little group. How rude! The first gust lifted the canopy, and by sitting right next to one of the four posts I was able to quickly grab it to arrest its flight. Of course, I didn’t exactly arrest it as much as I slowed it down a little bit. It picked me up out of my chair. Fortunately, the other three people with me quickly jumped up and grabbed corners so that I didn’t follow in the footsteps of Dorothy and Toto and end up some where over the rainbow. We struggled mightily with it as we tried to remove the fabric portion to make it less like a giant sail to carry us away, and we finally man aged to do it as we screamed above the sound of the wind and suffered the sting of the sand that was hitting our exposed legs and other body parts like a sand blaster. The combination of all that made it difficult for us to coordinate folding the canopy up. In the delay, it collapsed on one side and bent the frame. Once we got it folded up though, we began throwing every thing into our beach wagon willy-nilly, and a nearby good Samaritan who, unlike us, didn’t have the full Zsa Zsa Gabor luggage collection spread out on the beach, ran over to help us grab some of the items for us to escape into the breezeway just off the beach where the park’s convenience store is located. I wish I had gotten his name. He was a lifesaver. It proved to be a perfect shelter from the now combined wind, sand, and rainstorm pummeling the area; it was at the perfect angle to the wind to shelter us completely. We paused for a mo ment in the calm and surveyed each other. We all looked like we were made of sand. Our bodies were coated head to toe with it. But we still needed to load up and go back to make sure our campsite didn’t get blown away, especially the awnings we had left out. Our only hope was that the storm hadn’t hit there yet, or that the thick forest around that camping area shielded it from the brunt of the storm. We dashed out, loaded up our trucks, and drove straight back to the campground. As we were getting out of the truck, the storm hit there. The trees did make a big difference though, and we managed to get our awning in, and our chairs up under the camper and out of the wind. We finally could laugh about it after getting into our campers. We showered but I was still finding grit from the sand in my mouth, my eyes, and other parts for another day or so. That night, I got a tickle in my throat and assumed it was from the sand I had inhaled during the sandstorm. The next morning it was a lot worse, but I stuck with my earlier diag nosis, so we all piled into my truck and my daughter’s SUV (she had arrived late Thursday night) and headed to Charleston for the day. All six of us were greatly looking forward to eating some delicious seafood and taking in some of the other delights of Charleston. It was a nice day, except for the fact that I progressively felt worse all day, but I still managed to drive back to the campground that evening. The traffic was awful, so it took about twice as long as the trip into Charleston. Once I got back in the camper, I put on my pajamas and sat in my recliner, where I also ate supper. After that, I had a fever, so I told Chuck and Vicki they should go back to their camper in case I was contagious. That night, I had our daughter sleep with Lorie in the bedroom to at least try to lessen the chances of them getting it, but we had spent so much time together earlier, it was really futile. My son had some work obligations, so he had already driv en back home when we left Charleston. That night was horrific. I ran such a fever that I hallucinated all kinds of crazy things and my mouth continuously stayed parched no matter how much I drink, and it seemed like I peed twice as much fluid as I took in. Every single time I drank anything, I would be in the
• A nurse accuses you (or your loved one) of badgering them when asking questions and discussing what’s occur ring. Ask for a different nurse and report it. Nurses are there to help you and should be open to answering questions from patients and those accompanying them. Discouraging com munication means the patient may not understand what’s going on. Patients or loved ones must be informed in order to be able to give consent.
by Samantha Bowick, MPH, Board Certified Patient Advocate
• Medical professionals should practice within the scope of their knowledge and training. This means an EMT should not be giving medical advice that a doctor should be giving to someone who called an ambulance. When an ambulance is called and a patient is willing to go, they need to go to the emergency room, simple as that. An EMT doesn’t know the patient’s medical history, and their medical training is not the same as a doctor’s, yet sometimes they will try to discourage a patient from ambulance transport. If you run into this, take the ambulance anyway and go to the emergency room. Try to stay as calm as possible because stress can impact symp toms. This is an extremely frustrating position to be in. You know your body best. If you’re advocating for a loved one, believe your loved one and demand that they still go. Report the EMT so maybe they won’t do this to another patient.
WRONG TRIP ROAD TRIP PATIENT HERO ASK ADVOCATETHE
PROBLEMATIC MEDICAL STAFF
There are many great doctors, nurses, and medical staff who compassionately and attentively listen to their patients and provide the best possible care. However, there are also doctors, nurses, and medical staff who have terrible bedside manner. They minimize or dismiss the patient’s symptoms - and the patient. They may see a certain oxygen saturation level as normal, but for someone who has COPD, a low “normal” could still cause breathing issues. What’s normal for one patient isn’t normal for another. It’s important to have ways of dealing with these medical professionals while seeking care for yourself or a loved one. The following relate to scenarios I ran into within the last month.
Middle Age ADVENTURES INBY J.B. COLLUM { {
• You (or a loved one) have been admitted and in the hospital for two days but still haven’t seen the specialist that you need to see. The specialist hasn’t been consulted at all because it’s Saturday, and they tell you that you’ll have to wait until Monday, two days away. Ask if you can be moved to ICU or PCU and if that would allow you to be able to see the specialist. Ask if you can be transferred to a different hos pital. Sometimes that will encourage them to expedite your treatment at the hospital where you already are.
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNERSEPTEMBER 2, 2022 5 + + Please see MIDDLE AGE page 9
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peace … or worse still, shoot you through the door for at tempted home invasion. Scenarios like these herald ed new forms of medicine. Concierge medicine is one. You and your doctor have a special arrangement that bypasses the standard maze disease,care.YouHegrams,withpushers,causetion.withoutdoctor.on-oneObamacare.Hospital-ER-Insurance-Medicare-ofYouhaveaone-relationshipwithyourYoupayhimdirectlythethirdpartintervenHisoverheadislowerbehedoesnotneedpaperhighdollarcomputerssuperexpensiveproandbillingspecialists.spendsmoretimewithyou.getpersonalizedmedicalYouareapatientwithanotadiseasewitha
THE THINGS WE USED TO CALL UNETHICAL
My first practice was in a small town without a hospital. I was the third (and by far the youngest) doctor. We had a budding nursing home that grew to 100+ beds and was a showplace of efficiency and quality healthcare. Funeral homes provided rarely need ed ambulance service at no charge.Regular office hours were five days a week, plus walk-ins on Saturday 9-12 and Sunday morning 9-10. We saw every one who could find the front door. Payment was never men tioned prior to service.
Doctors made house calls in the evening for those too sick to come to the office, but not sick enough to go 27 miles to the nearest ER and hospital. About 90% of my patients were treated in the office, about 5% in the patient’s home, and about 5% in an examining room at my home at night and during weekends. Less than 1% went to the hos pital or an ER. Most cars contained a gun and consequently drive-by shootings, carjackings, road rage, and parking lot fights were unheard of. We did not have a shooting in the three years I was there. Fast forward to 2022. How things have changed. Now you may wait weeks or months to see a doctor. The ER has more cars around it than a Holiness revival. The ER is full of colds, tension headaches, flu, and chronic disorders because patients couldn’t get into a doctor’s office during the day Sometimes they wait hours even though advertisements tout “15 minute ER waiting time.” A friend took his wife with a migraine and hyperemesis to the ER. She vomited three more times in a trashcan in the waiting room while waiting four hours to see a doctor. Actually, it was a PA. A shot of Phener gan stopped the vomiting in 15 minutes. Cost: $600 Today if you found your doctor’s home at midnight and beat on his door saying your wife is vomiting in your car, the doctor’s wife might have you arrested for disturbing the
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (most of the time)
You must chose: Spend a few hours and several hundred dollars in the ER to see a doc tor? You will be up all night and miss work the next day. Or take aspirin, cuddle the feverish loved one all night, hoping for the best until morn ing when you desperately seek a doctor with an afternoon appointment opening? You will be up all night and miss work the next day. Or call a House Call Physi cian who will promptly make a house call for less than half what the ER costs? House Call Physicians are quicker and more economical. It is less tiring on you, and your loved one gets immediate care. And you won’t miss work the next day.This is what good medi cal care used to be: you and your doctor … with no one in between.Interesting how we have advanced. In the 2010s, the newest thing was how I prac ticed 40 years ago. But then COVID hit. And, shazam. Medical professionals not only did not want to touch you, they did not want to be in the same room with you.
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WINDOW
Telemedicine leapt forth. You communicate electronically and a “health care profession al” sends an RX to your phar macy. Just a decade or so ago, that was considered unethical at best and fraud at worst. “No ethical doctor treats with out touching flesh,” medical schools taught. Now, 3rd party payers have pay codes for telemedicine. Medical schools have a Telemedicine Depart ment. This is now not only ethical, it is promoted. My, my. How medicine has changed. Next thing you know, you will fill out a ques tionnaire online and a com puter will send a note to your pharmacy who will deliver your medicines by drone. I wonder what’s next? Maybe mental telepathy medicine. You just think about what is wrong and a drone will drop some pills in your yard?
patient. All that is good. But there is an even newer endeavor: House Call Physi cians. They make house calls to your home and to hotels for travelers and vacationers. They are developing in cities like Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Augusta too. Let’s say you come home from a hard day of work. About midnight, your child or spouse develops chills, a worsening cough, and a fever 102.5. It may be flu and will subside in about 5 days. Or it may be bacterial bronchitis and prompt antibiotic inter vention is necessary.
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A series by Bad Billy Laveau
CLEANING • PRESSURE WASHING
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNERSEPTEMBER 2, 2022 7 + TRYTHISDISH + These are delicious, healthy and great doubled and frozen for a quick meal any time. Ingredients • Vegetable oil cooking spray • 2 large garlic cloves • 1 medium onion • ½ cup bread crumbs • ¼ cup grated parmesan • 1 egg • 2 Tbs. milk • ½ tsp. salt • ¼ tsp. pepper • ½ cup parsley • 1 pound ground turkey breast Instructions Preheat oven to 400 de grees.Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray and set aside. Place garlic cloves in a food processor and process, stop ping to scrap down the sides until small pieces are formed. Add onion and process again until finely chopped, stop ping to scrap down the sides as necessary. Add the next 7 ingredients (bread crumbs through parsley) and pulse until the mixture is com bined.Place turkey breast in a large bowl, add the onion mixture and gently mix until thoroughly combined. Form mixture into 24 1½ inch meatballs (I find a scoop works well to help make the meatballs uniform). Bake for 20 minutes. Yield: 6 Servings (serving size: 4 meatballs). Nutrition Breakdown: Calo ries: 140, Fat 2g (0g saturated fat), Cholesterol 30mg, Sodi um 350mg, Carbohydrate 10g, Fiber 1g, Protein 22g Percent Daily Value: 6% Vitamin A, 10% Vitamin C, 10% Iron, 6% Calcium Carbohydrate Choice: 1 Car bohydrate Diabetes Exchanges: 3 Lean Meats by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author Follow Kim on Facebook: facebook.com/eatingwellwithkimb TURKEY MEATBALLS LOCALLY OWNED • VETERAN OWNED 15,000+ products ready to ship to your door! gbhillmedical.comWOUNDCARE•DIABETES•INCONTINENCEPERSONALHYGIENE•NUTRITION•ANDMORE706-955-5909 3835 WASHINGTON RD • COMPUTEREXCHANGE.COM • 706-651-1900 WE RECYCLE IT’S SAFE, SECURE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND SALES • INSTALLATION • SERVICE We service all PCs and laptops. Including Apple. COMPUSERVE ISN’T COMING BACK. But is your CompuServe-era computer * still in your garage or attic? * plus other gaming and electronics gear IT WAS FUN FOR A WHILE Ready to get your life back? Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd. Augusta GA 30909 706-733-1935 TMTHEMEDICALEXAMINER NOW 96.5% MORE EFFECTIVE! IF YOU CAN READ THIS thank MEDICALEXAMiNER advertisers + PLEASE SUPPORT THEM. THEY MAKE THIS NEWSPAPER POSSIBLE. nioJehtsnetfoseinapmocohwydaerlatroppusL!suess than a million people can’t be wrong. Advertise hereAdvertise here 706-860-5455 • AUGUSTARX.COM
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Some of my dearest friends and relatives are either over weight, obese or superobese. Do I love and cherish these people? Absolutely. Are they worthwhile, contributing human beings with many wonderful attributes? Abso lutely. Do I worry, as a health scientist, about their futures with all their chronic disease health risks? Once again, absolutely. For example, my dear Aunt Alice who used to make fabulous marshmallow crème birthday cakes and give the greatest birthday hugs. She was superobese. To watch her age and see all the problems she had mov ing around with her ankle, hip and knee joint issues and her diabetes was very painful and distressing to me. She died too young, such a valuable and loving human being.The idea of “fit and fat” is mostly a marketing and urban myth. Can you be fitter and fat? Yes. Can you be fit and fat? No. You can be an overweight person who is inactive, smokes and who takes no personal initiative to control blood pressure, cardiovascular risk and blood glucose. Or…you can be an overweight person who moves, who is on blood pres sure and cholesterol medica tion and who monitors her or his blood glucose to prevent those spikes. Is that second overweight person “fitter?”
Yes.The data is increasingly conclusive on the relation ship of obesity to health risks. I am referring to obesity as an independent risk factor; in other words, as separate from all the various effects being overweight and obese have on your body. So while it is true, for example, that obese people have more sleep apnea issues, and sleep apnea is associated with its own health risks, obesi ty all by itself has its own health risks in addition to the health risks from sleep apnea. Other health risks as sociated with obesity include high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, joint problems, dementia, macular degener ation, mental illness, gout, osteoporosis, and breast and prostate cancer occurrence and recurrence. While all these are associated with health risks, obesity alone counts as an independent risk.What is the “No-Nonsense Nutrition” advice for today? Do not expect your physician to be a social scientist, a psychiatrist a fashionista or a social commentator. When your physician or other health professional talks to you about your weight and the associated health risks, pay close attention and take the advice very seriously. It is being offered from an objective, caring perspec tive. It is not a critique on your worth as an individual. Take heed and take steps to address the concern. If you need help, your physician can refer you other health professionals, such as a registered dietitian nutrition ist, a physical therapist or a behaviorist. Obesity is too much of a health risk to stay silent about and do nothing. Your job, most of all, is to evolve in your understanding of the difference between health advice and fat-sham ing. Don’t be a fat-shamer, but don’t be a fat-denier, either.
Dr. Karp Have a question about food, diet or nutrition? Post or private message your question on Facebook (www. Facebook.com/AskDrKarp) or email your question to askdrkarp@gmail.com If your question is chosen for a column, your name will be changed to ensure your privacy. Warren B. Karp, Ph.D., D.M.D., is Professor Emeritus at Augusta University. He has served as Director of the Nutrition Consult Service at the Dental College of Georgia and is past Vice Chair of the Columbia County Board of Health. You can find out more about Dr. Karp and the download site for the public domain eBook, Nutrition for Smarties, at www.wbkarp.com Dr. Karp obtains no funding for writing his columns, articles, or books, and has no financial or other interests in any food, book, nutrition product or company. His interest is only in providing freely available, evidencedbased, scientific nutrition knowledge and education. The information is for educational use only; it is not meant to be used to diagnose, manage or treat any patient or client. Although Dr. Karp is a Professor Emeritus at Augusta University, the views and opinions expressed here are his and his alone and do not reflect the views and opinions of Augusta University or anyone else. gainedmy“DuringSavannahfromwrites:myphysicaldoctortoldmeI’vetoomuchweightandIneedtogetintoahealthierweightrange.Ifeltfat-shamedandwalkedout.Wasshefat-shamingme?”
NUTRITIONASKDR.KARP NO NONSENSE Donna, a Facebook friend
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Donna, thanks for asking this question. “Fat-shaming” is an expression you hear quite a bit these days. I am glad we have a chance to discuss it in this column, especially when it comes to interacting with your health professionals.Iamascientist and health professional, as is your physi cian. So in our approach to lifestyle health risk factors such as weight, hyperten sion, diabetes and cardiovas cular disease risk, we try to be as objective as we can. However, since we are hu man beings living in society, societal taboos and prejudic es do creep into our words and body language despite our best efforts. We strive to learn, do better and rise above these prejudices. We want our advice to be objec tive and based on the most current evidenced-based medical science health risk data. Our goal is not to make personalized comments about being overweight or obese as a social issue, a selfworth issue, a psychological issue or as a cosmetic issue.
J.B. Collum is a local novelist, humorist and columnist who wants to be Mark Twain when he grows up. He may be reached at johnbcollum@gmail.com
MIDDLE AGE from page 5 bathroom within 30 minutes. I was able to go back out on to the beach for a little while on Saturday, but the night was bad again, though not as bad as Friday night. The drive back on Sunday wasn’t pleasant since I had to drive despite being sick. Nobody else wants to drive my truck when we’re pulling the camper. The whole rig is a little over 55 feet long in total, so pulling through a Wendy’s parking lot is not much fun, though I managed it on the way home. On top of that, everyone else was now sick too, even my son, who had gone home on Friday. So we were all miserable together. As you may have guessed by now, we all had COVID-19. I found out for sure once we got home and I took a home test. We have been quarantined ever since then since we still keep showing as positive. I thought we had been very careful, but I will redouble my efforts now to avoid this again. Stay safe out there, my readers, both from rogue sandstorms and Covid-19. It still has a nasty bite.
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNERSEPTEMBER 2, 2022 9 + LIFE IS COMPLICATED Death doesn’t have to be. We know how to help. Caskets & More 1944 WALTON WAY • AUGUSTA • (706) 738-2999 • CANDMAUGUSTA.COM DANIEL GREGORY LEOPARD PC ATTORNEY CRIMINAL DEFENSE • FAMILY LAW • PERSONAL INJURY 461 Greene Street at 5th • www.gregleopardlaw.com • 706-724-7511 “I perform in court, not in TV commercials.” Augusta Office: 2283 Wrightsboro Rd Augusta, 2110Aiken706.733.3373GAOffice:WoodsideExecutive Ct Aiken,803.644.8900SC GADERM.COM + T HANKS FOR READING!SEPTEMBER 16 ISSUEOUR2022NEXTDATE
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Yet another clinically-established life expectancy advantage women have is the very essence of womanhood: menstruation and estrogen. As the European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecol ogy and Reproductive Biology notes, “Cardiac output increases around 20% during the second half of the menstrual cycle and in pregnancy. This continuous biological challenge during the reproductive years creates optimal cardiovascular compliance comparable to the effects of exercise. The ‘jogging female heart’ may explain the lower incidence of cardiovascular disease before menopause and the equalization after the menopause.” Estrogen, meanwhile, is a natural antioxidant, mopping up chemicals that cause cellular stress. In animal studies, females lacking estrogen have shorter lifespans and cells that don’t repair molecular damage as well as their estrogenated counterparts.Fortheother half of the human race, testosterone isn’t quite as benevolent. Other than contributing to some of the less than salubrious behaviors of your typical cowboy as mentioned on page 1, evidence (some of it from a most unlikely source) seems to suggest testosterone is not effective as a life extender. In one study of detailed imperial court records from Korea in the 19th Century, eunuchs commonly lived to age 70 at a time when 50 years was considered a milestone of longevity. Overall, found the study, eunuchs were 130 times more likely to reach age 100 than their countrymen of that era. Even the kings, the most pampered and well-tended of all citizens, didn’t come close to the life expectancy of eunuchs. Who knew testicles could be so detrimental to long life? One of the factors that suggested this article was the recent precipitous drop in U.S. life expectancy. In 2019, life expectan cy at birth for males was 76.3 years, but the same projection for 2020 was 75.1 years, a fall of 1.2 years. The same stats for females showed a drop from 81.4 years in 2019 to 80.5 years in 2020. 1.2 years might not see that significant, but if all 162.4 million men in the U.S. (2020 census) died 1.2 years early, that would represent a combined 194,880,000 years of lost life.
“Oh no you don’t buster! This is my lane! I was hereWe’vefirst!”been taught since kindergarten that it’s rude to cut in line. It’s hard to unlearn that, even if only in selected situations. But haven’t we also been taught to practice good manners since kindergarten? Isn’t there a command ment that goes something like “let thy neighbor merge?”Trying to be a one-man or -woman zipper merge evangelist can get you everything from honks to dented bumpers and more. But where would we be without pioneers in various fields? Sooner or later, zipper merging is coming to the traffic laws of a state near you. And when it does, even the most die-hard lane protectionist will admit, this idea was long overdue. In the meantime, to you who already zipper, do so as politely as possible. And you who ar en’t zippering yet, it won’t cost you a penny to just take a deep breath and let that person in. + US
All of that relates to a paradox in studies of the life expectancy gender gap. It isn’t that women are necessarily healthier than men. In fact, women have higher rates of physical illness, more disability days, more doctor visits, and more hospital stays than men do throughout life (not just maternity-related). As one anal ysis of longevity data put it, [women] live longer than men... because they are more robust when they get sick at any age. This is an interesting point that still needs more research.”
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Numbers like that underscore the potential value and benefit from anything we can do to live a more salubrious life. Even small steps like modest amounts of exercise or small reductions in weight can have significant benefits. Granted, some lifespan factors are an inescapable component of our gender and there’s only so much anyone can do to mitigate those factors. But every doctor or medical professional on the planet can rattle off a basic list of dos and don’ts that are major contributors to not just lon ger life, but better quality of life for the years lived.
So boys and girls, there may be differences between the two major genders that affect our life expectancies, but everyone can and should strive for their best and most healthful life. Our com bined efforts could go a long way toward stopping life’s sexual prejudices. It’s 2022. Those biases are no longer acceptable +
More Americans have died on US roads since 2006 than in World Wars I & II combined e have in the past devoted space in this column to various road design elements intended to improve traffic safety. Roundabouts, for example, eliminate both left-turn crashes and high speed t-bone collisions caused by red light runners, and they do so while keeping traffic moving. There is another traffic flow improvement that is gradual ly growing in acceptance and popularity, even though most of us have thought only rude and self-important jerks do this on the road. What are we talking about? Picture this sce nario.You’re on a two lane road that for some rea son is merging down to a single lane, whether that’s due to construction, an accident, or just the way the road is built. Drivers automatically form a single lane as soon as they see the coming squeeze — except for the inevitable jerks who speed forward ahead of everyone else and then cut in at the last second. You don’t know whether you should be more angry at the jerk or at the clue less drivers up ahead who enable these hotdogs by letting them in. Sadly, we all need to accept the fact that, in this case, the jerks have it right, and have had it right all along. Oh, they’re still probably rude and self-im portant all right, but without even realizing it they are demonstrating a significant means of improving traffic flow and minimizing delays in mergeConsidersituations.howwasteful it is to have one lane of traffic backed up for a mile while the other lane sits virtually empty (except for the “cheaters”).Nowonder the American Automobile As sociation and a growing number of states are actively promoting the so-called “zipper merge,” which is exactly what it sounds like: both lanes with a roughly equal number of teeth (aka cars), and those cars come together smoothly at more or less the last possible moment, at the pinch point where the lane ends. This has been studied extensively, and it works — when people let it work (translation: in states where it has been enacted into law). Traffic engineers in Michi gan tracked the situation with and without zippering at one long-standing construction merge zone.After posting zipper merge signage (both a zipper graphic and signs reading “Use both lanes to merge point,” and then later, “Take turns merge here”) the congestion zone was cut in half, from a 6-mile backup to only 3 miles. More significantly, drivers made it through the spot up to 25 minutes faster using zipper merge compared to the old way. As effective as zipper merging is, it works best when it’s the law, and even then it takes a complete reboot of normal driver mentality, which is often a bit territorial and competitive.
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER SEPTEMBER 2, 202210+ MEN & WOMEN… from page 1 CRASH COURSE
PROFESSIONALSPRESSURE position. Meanwhile, the wife gets up, gets three kids dressed and ready for school, makes three breakfasts, packs three lunches, and drops the kids off at three different schools before going on to work. One other minor detail in our hypothetical (but not really) illustration: they both felt equally sick that morning.
ON FACEBOOK!
Unfortunately, the last two years have put a serious dent in both the trust and the satisfaction. No one ever takes all the advice their physician gives them, at least in my experience. Until recently, however, I had not met such doubt and skepticism toward my medical knowledge and advice.
Many of these people have trusted me with their chil dren, spouses, and parents for years. Now, what they hear or read on the news or social media is more impactful and apparently more trustworthy than their own doctor.
If you’re a couch potato, we can save you a few minutes right here and now: there’s no need to read further. But if you like to hike in the woods or walk around the block; ride the bike around the neighborhood or down wilderness trails; if you like to go camping or dirt biking; if you like to fish, go boating, canoeing or kayaking; if you like to go to the beach; if you like to work in the garden; if you like to go on picnics; if you like to run or jog — or if you have kids, grandkids, or immediate family members who like to do stuff in the great outdoors even though you don’t — have we got the book(s) for you. Not that you have to be a modern day John Muir to qualify. As the partial list of activities above suggests, just being outdoors is all it takes to potentially need the world-class reference books written by Paul S. Auerbach, M.D. It has been said of Dr. Auerbach, “[he] is to wilderness medicine what Bill Gates is to computers.”Wedon’ttake issue with that description, but you don’t have to be in the wilderness to get car sick (or seasick), sprain an ankle, get a fish hook stuck in your finger or foot, step on a nail, get stung by a wasp or fire ants, choke on an apple, get diarrhea or poison ivy, need to remove the mother of all splinters, be bit by a dog (or a snake or a tick or a spider or chiggers), get overheated, have a stroke or a nosebleed, get sunburned or struck by lightning, go into labor, or any of hundreds of other mishaps. The beauty of this guide, simple enough for laymen, comprehensive and informative enough for doctors, is that it assumes you can’t get help: it assumes that you’re 20 miles from the nearest town; it assumes you’re in a place where you can’t even get a signal, let alone call 9-1-1. You’re it. What do you do? Hopefully an Auerbach book is in your car, your backpack or on your bookshelf. But take a look at the italicized information at the end of this article and you’ll see these are not pocket guides. They’re probably too heavy for doorstops too: Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine is a 2-volume set that weighs in on the far side of 13 pounds. But even that massive tome is a bargain if it saves a life. It would pay for itself with one saved doctor or ER visit, although Auerbach emphasizes its goal is not to transform a layperson into a physician, but to provide a guide for first aid treatment until professionals can take over (where necessary). It also stresses the #1 treatment for any and all illnesses and injuries, indoors and out: prevention.
Medicine for the Outdoors, 560 pages; Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine, 1,024 pages; Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine, 2,848 pages; by Paul S. Auerbach, M.D. published by Elsevier +
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNERSEPTEMBER 2, 2022 11 + posted by Anonymous, on August 22, 2022
VISIT AREWHEREISSUU.COM/MEDICALEXAMINER,MORETHAN10YEARSOFEXAMINERSARCHIVEDFORYOURREADINGPLEASURE.M.
PATIENTS WHO ARE OPENLY SKEPTICAL OF THEIR DOCTOR’S SCIENCE-BACKED ADVICE
I spent about a year hitting my head against the wall with many of them. Our blood pressures would rise in tandem, and I could often feel the relationship start to fray even further. Occasionally, I would even get blunt and ask why they were still coming to me and paying their co-pay when they felt so doubtful about my advice. What to do? It’s easy to find a family medicine job; maybe I should practice somewhere with different news and social media viewing habits. Even completing the thought breaks my heart. These are my people. I grew up in a very similar town. Until recently, I felt completely comfortable with the thought of a 30-year career in the same old building. Now? I’m Exhaustionblue.and cynicism, and even depression battle for headspace. Some days it feels like a battle with myself just to show up and be “on” and present. Where does it go from here? I really don’t know. Fifteen more years like this seems incredibly daunting. Watching my new partner helps, honestly. Fresh from training and knowing no other world, Dr. S is an inspiration to the mid-career muddle I’m in. Maybe this is as good as it gets anymore, I don’t know. Maybe avoiding politically hot topics and coaching a new grad into maturity will be enough to sustain me. I guess we’ll see. The author is an anonymous physician.
I’ve just passed the 15-year milestone of practicing family medicine in a small farm town in the Midwest. Knowing my patients and their multi-generational families deeply and enjoying their trust is a major part of my job satisfac tion.
the blog spot fromdoesWhereitgohere? From the Bookshelf + MEDICALEXAMINER
Sure, there were scattered instances of vaccine, statin, or SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) resistance. Sometimes the person would stick with me, and we would have serial conversations on the topic. Other times they would wander off and seek care elsewhere. No hard feel ings.Now it’s different. Before 2020 it was maybe one in 100; now those who are openly skeptical of my science-backed advice are one in three.
BINGEREAD O. E!
Apparently
energy. Anything interesting in this issue? by Daniel R. Pearson © 2022 All rights reserved 8 9 3 1 2 7 1 6 7 3 8 5 1 7 4 3 8 4 3 9 9 8 7 5 2 1 9 7 3 5 2 6 4 1 7 9 3 1 5 6 4 8 7 2 3 9 8 6 1 8 6 5 2 4 4 5 9 7 3 1 5 4 2 8 1 3 6 3 1 2 9 7 9 7 8 4 6 5 1. BBPCCMNH 2. AAAEOOUU 3. TVPINNNY 4. PEETT 5. HIRY 6. NET 7. RYE 8. S 9. S A — Leo Rosten O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ’ 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 B V 1 2 31 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 HKSB ELI DRGO ANE AUSO RYTS MYYNNIARRHOTEMTNH FTE OTIONEE DTPE — Cicero DOWN1.Rotate a lens 2. Dental org. 3. Broad Street coffeehouse 4. Taxi 5. Having wings 6. Avian influenza, in brief 7. Notion 8. Silent signal 10. Budget rival 11. Deep sleep ltrs. 12. R of 11-D 19. DDE nickname 21. Paris street 23. Fauci prefix? 24. Downtown Augusta watering hole 25. Capitol of the last of the original 13 colonies 26. Georgia county named for U.S. president #4. 29. HPV is one 30. Exclamation of surprise 31. Gave food to 33. Wily 34. Fuss 36. Partridge ____ 37. Obamacare acronym 38. Type of code 43. Augusta’s ___________ Mall 46. Sickness adjective 48. Globe 49. Walker’s start 50. Word before fall or front 52. Study, generally speaking 53. Local Bridge? 54. Curved 55. Metal fastener 57. Eggs 58. Augusta has two 59. Grant’s opposite 61. Soccer’s Hamm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 ACROSS 1. Bowie hit 4. Mamie Eisenhower had one of these 9. US Attorney General under two presidents 13. Lyric poem 14. Holy place, as a church or sanctuary 15. Meadow 16. ______ lab 17. Uncovered 18. Gordon, originally 20. Dietary abbreviation 22. Long-gone Walton Way bakery 25. Road connecting Walton Way with Boy Scout Road 27. New prefix 28. Sweet _____ 29. Category of drinks 32. Customary 35. The voice of Fiona 39. Summerville synonym 40. Mona Lisa artist 41. Extinct flightless bird 42. Mr. Nelson 44. Crack 45. Ft. Gordon agcy. 47. Also 49. Litigator 51. Benedict last name 54. Big ____ 56. Short letter 58. Susceptible to bribery 60. unconsciousnessProlonged 62. All About_____ 63. Found attractive 64. Cotton separator 65. Type of sale? 66. Technique 67. Young hawk
another
DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once. Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line. Solution on page 14. Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle above. All the listed letters following #1 are the first letters of the various words; the letters following #2 are the second letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14. go with yet health scandal. they only have 4½ hours of
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2022 All rights reserved. Solution p. 14
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2022 All rights reserved.
DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.
E X A M I N E R S U D O K U QUOTATIONPUZZLE
The Examiners The Mystery Word for this issue: AICTPLO Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER SEPTEMBER 2, 202212 THE MYSTERY WORD We’ll announce the winner in our next issue! Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, SEPT. 11, 2022 + + by Dan Pearson reservedrightsAll2022©PearsonR.DanielbyWORDS NUMBER BY SAMPLE: 1 2 3 4 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 LOVE BLINDIS1. ILB 2. SLO 3. VI 4. NE 5. D = This story here about 5-Hour Energy drinks. What now? reserved.rightsAllPearsonDaniel2022©
PUZZLE EXAMINER CROSSWORD Which article?Here we
A guy goes into a library and asks the per son at the desk, “Can you tell me where the self-help books are?” “No,” says the librarian. Bubba died in his sleep, so his wife of 40 years called their small town newspaper to place an obituary notice. She had been rattling on for some time with all the details when the man at the paper interrupted her and said, “Mabel, it’s 25 cents a word. Do you still want to say all that?”
Applicant: I would say my biggest weak ness is probably listening.
T
wo hunters chartered a plane to take them up into the Yukon to hunt moose. The pilot dropped them off at a remote land ing strip in the wilderness with a promise to return the next day. The two hunters bagged six moose, and the next day the pilot taxied in right on time. As they started loading the plane for the return trip home, the pilot stopped them and said the plane can take only three moose. The two hunters complained loudly. “Last year we shot six moose and that pilot let us put them all on board, and he was flying the same kind of plane as this one.”
Moe: Last night I dreamed I ate a 5-pound marshmallow. Joe: And let me guess. When you woke up your pillow was gone. Moe: No! My 5-pound marshmallow was!
Staring at my phone all day has certainly had no Effect on ME! +
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNERSEPTEMBER 2, 2022 ha... ha...
Job interviewer: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Reluctantly, the pilot gave in and all six moose were loaded up. Unfortunately, even on full power the plane couldn’t handle the load. The pilot struggled to get the plane airborne, but within several minutes after take-off it went down.
There was a long silence and finally Mabel said, just say “Bubba is dead.” Feeling sorry for her, the man kindly said, “Tell you what, go ahead and pick three more words and I’ll throw them in for free.” “That is very kind of you,” said Mabel. After thinking about it for a moment she said, “Bubba is dead. Truck for sale.”
Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day. Why subscribe to the MEDICALEXAMINER?
— Ask Me If I Care + Dear Ask Me, First, while I can’t condone crude language, let me applaud you for your frank and open honesty in bringing this subject to light. Not everyone has the courage to admit they suffer from constipation, but rest assured, it’s extremely common and nothing to be embarrassed about. As common as it might be, it’s not necessarily easy to define. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says the “normal” frequency of bowel movements in adults is somewhere between three times per day and three times per week. That covers a lot of territory. It’s almost better to define constipation, not by the numbers, but by whether the bathroom is becoming a disruptive element in a person’s life. Usually that happens over time. A one-day bathroom episode of some kind is usually not going to raise any red flags, but it’s not uncommon for months to go by before people realize that constipation has become an on-going problem in their life. That doesn’t automatically mean a doctor visit is indicated, but it does strongly suggest the possibility. As an oversimplified general rule in medicine, anything chronic should be investigated by your doctor for a definitive diagnosis.
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Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #381 Dear Advice Doctor, My kids are in a play group here in the neighborhood, which is fine. What drives me up the wall are the mothers. They are so full of themselves and their petty little first world problems! Pardon my French, but I don’t give a #@%* if one of them breaks a nail or her expensive night cream is on back order. It’s an ordeal for me to sit through these play sessions, but the kids are oblivious to the grown-ups and have a great time. What should I do?
By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers. If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area, or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house!
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The good news is that many people get relief from simple steps: a change in diet or increasing their level of exercise. Or perhaps medcine can provide the improvement a patent is looking for. There’s no need to delay getting help out of fear or Oneembarrassment.factortoconsider in favor of a doctor visit is to remember that constipation is not a disease; it’s a symptom. That being the case, finding out the cause is the key to effective treatment and relief.
I hope this answers your question. Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.
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Moe: Know how to make a whale float? Joe: If I recall, it’s two scoops of ice cream, some root beer, and a whale.
Climbing out of the wreckage, one hunter asked the other, “Any idea where we are?” His friend looked around in a daze and said, “Looks to me like we’re pretty close to where we crashed last year.”
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