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OCTOBER 6, 2023
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GET WELL SOON There is often no “getting well” when you are chronically ill. I know you mean well when you say this and your intentions aren’t to make me feel bad… but it makes me feel sad. I wish I could get well, and I keep trying to figure out something that will magically cure me of this horrible monster that has overtaken my body, but nothing seems to work. I’ve seen every doctor, every specialist, taken every test, tried multiple medications and supplements, changed my diet… you name it! It’s very frustrating. One of my doctors recently looked me right in the eyes and said: “You need to stop trying to fix this. Instead, focus on managing it with the least toxic route.” Hearing this made my brain scream, “No! I will find a cure!” But after a while it really sunk in and actually gave me a little relief. I was focusing so much of my energy on trying to fix my illness and get back to where I was before all of this happened, when I was “well.” What I should have been doing was focusing my energy on self-care and relaxation. I was causing so much unneeded stress for myself. Since I’ve been able to take my focus off finding a cure and “getting well,” I have had so much more peace of mind. But when someone says to me, “Get well soon,” it just brings my mind back to the place it was in and stresses me out. There are other things you could say that aren’t as triggering and are more validating to someone who is chronically ill: • I know how hard this must be
you’re feeling your worst
• I’m here for you
• I know this sucks, but you totally got this
• Let me know what I can do • I can see you’re struggling, and I want to help • You must be strong to have battled this so long • You can count on me when
AUGUSTARX.COM
BLOOD-BORNE BODY PARTS: THE OCCASIONAL SERIES
There is no denying that blood is amazing stuff, the very stuff of life, in fact. It is so amazing that all 16 pages of this issue and a thousand or two added pages would be insufficient to document all of its remarkable characteristics. That being so, this brief article will attempt to present just one component of blood, and merely a snapshot at that. Speaking of snapshots, the image below depicts our subject: hemoglobin. The image is enlarged several times. How many times? Well, the hemoglobin molecule is that tangle in the middle of the red circle. The red circle is a single red blood cell. For perspective — and we’ll admit up front that this is going to be a worthless point of reference — there are as many as 6 million of these red blood cells in each microliter of blood (a microliter being 0.00003 of an ounce). If it helps, a different red blood cell measurement is 7 microns, and a micron is 1/1,000th of a microliter. In other words, 0.0000039 inches. As noted, these numbers are more or less beyond comprehension. If that illustrates how tiny red blood cells are, how small must a molecule of hemoglobin be? A lot smaller. Incompre-
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hensibly smaller. The depiction below shows a single hemoglobin molecule. As you may know, hemoglobin is the blood-borne element that actually ferries oxygen out to the body and then takes out the trash (carbon dioxide). That is no small task because we take about 25,000 breaths every day in an attempt to feed our roughly 37.2 trillion cells, each and every one of them clamoring for a nearly constant supply of oxygen. As illustrated, however, each hemoglobin molecule has but four receptors. A single molecule of oxygen can initially bind to each of the four receptors, although there is a trick that allows a few more oxygen molecules to attach themselves. Even so, that sounds like a recipe for oxygen deprivation, doesn’t it? How could only a handful of oxygen molecules per molecule of hemoglobin ever be enough to supply those 37 trillion cells? We forgot to mention that the average single red blood cell, beyond microscopic though it may be, contains Please see BLOOD page 4
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
OCTOBER 6, 2023
THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST
MEDICAL MYTHOLOGY
PARENTHOOD by David W. Proefrock, PhD
Your 8-year-old son’s teacher thinks that he may have attention deficit disorder, and suggested that you get him evaluated for medication. You are doubtful because he doesn’t seem to have any problem paying attention to television or video games. What do you do? A. You shouldn’t ignore the teacher. Have him evaluated and you will know whether the teacher is correct or not. B. Teachers think that all children should be medicated. It makes their job easier. If he can pay attention to video games, he can pay attention in school. Don’t do anything. C. He doesn’t need medication. He can pay attention when he wants to. Tell him that you will take away the video games if he doesn’t start paying better attention in class. D. Give him some herbal remedies that don’t have the same side effects as medication before you take him to be evaluated. If you answered: A. The teacher is in the best position to know about his behavior in school. She should not be ignored. However, there are many reasons that a child sometimes can’t pay attention. An evaluation is necessary before you plan treatment. B. Perhaps too many children are on medications, but it is not true that teachers think all children should be on meds. Teacher opinions should not be ignored outright. An evaluation will help identify the problem and plan an intervention. C. Attention deficit disorder is an inability to control concentration as needed. Sometimes children with ADD concentrate too much and other times they don’t concentrate enough. An evaluation will help identify the problem. D. Herbal remedies may be “natural,” but they still have side effects and they may not actually address the problem. An evaluation offers a better chance of helping. Attention deficits are frequently portrayed incorrectly in popular media. There is no doubt that medications are overused, but they are also portrayed incorrectly. The best way to deal with a possible attention deficit is planned and monitored treatment based on a professional evaluation. + Dr. Proefrock is a retired local clinical and forensic child psychologist.
FRIGIDAIRE FALLACIES This could be the most controversial installment of “Medical Mythology” ever. Why? Because what we would define as highly respected sources have refrigeration recommendations that go against what many people would probably view as the norm. For example, do not store tomatoes in the fridge. At least that’s what Southern Living and refrigerator maker Whirlpool have to say about it. They report that the cold, humid atmosphere inside the refrigerator can negatively affect the texture and acidity of tomatoes. They say tomatoes belong on the kitchen counter or pantry out of direct sunlight. Cherry tomatoes, says Southern Living, are the exception: they hold up well in the fridge. Ditto for other produce: the experts say we should keep apples, avocados, peaches, melons, bananas, berries,
cucumbers, onions, and whole watermelons on the counter, not in the fridge, as a way to preserve their best flavors. There are plenty of people who keep bread in their refrigerator. They (we, actually) believe that it keeps bread fresh longer and helps prevent bread from getting moldy. Au contraire, say our two cited sources. They content that your refrigerated rye is going to come out dry and stale because “the humidity of the fridge draws out the moisture from
the bread.” Both recommend bringing bread home from the store and throwing it in the freezer (unless you plan to use it with 24 hours of purchase), and then retrieving just the number of slices you plan to use for any one meal. Use a toaster to quickly thaw slices. We’ll take that under advisement. What about eggs? The world travelers among us point out that people don’t usually refrigerate their eggs in Europe. So why are we doing it over here? For starters, food safety regulations in the US mandate that commercially produced eggs must be kept at a constant temperature of 45°F. That’s a good idea because US eggs are processed differently than in Europe. The standard washing process here removes the very thin outermost layer of the eggshell called the cuticle, making our eggs slightly more susceptible to salmonella. Many countries in Europe address that issue by requiring that chickens be vaccinated against salmonella. With eggs it’s really all about the source and the processing. Nest-clean farm-fresh eggs with no cracks in their shells, such as those laid by your backyard brood, can safely be stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks. There is no harm done by refrigerating them, however. Any refrigerated eggs that have been at room temperature for two hours or longer should be discarded, however. +
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2:30 PM
* If you’re wondering where this affliction gets its name, it comes from the Latin word cingulus, meaning “girdle,” an apt descriptor of its tendency to wrap around the torso. Similarly, the Latin word zoster also means “girdle.”
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This is QA and that is not a question! However, we’ll address it anyway since it is indeed a strange malady. For one thing, how weird is it to be the carrier of a disease that lies dormant within you for decades before it randomly decides to punish you with weeks of misery? As we probably all know from the inundations of TV drug commercials, anyone who has had chickenpox is carrying the virus. When will it attack? Or will you dodge that bullet? No one knows from one person to the next. Doctors aren’t completely sure what wakes up the dormant herpes zoster* virus from its decades of slumber, but the main suspicions surround a weakening of the immune system. Cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy, immunotherapy treatments in patients who have had organ transplants, and HIV are all on the short list of suspects, but so is chronic stress. In its defense, however, stress would like to point out that it’s innocent until proven guilty, and in fact, a number of studies have suggested a connection between stress and shingles and a number of studies have found no link. The jury is still out. Once shingles wakes up and launches its attack, another bizarre thing about shingles is how its symptoms are displayed: the large, painful, itchy blisters and rash shingles causes usually appears on only one side of the body. It rarely crosses the body’s center line to go from right to left or vice versa. As odd as that might sound, it makes sense when you discover shingles’ modus operandi: the virus that causes it travels along nerve pathways that don’t cross the body’s center line. The odds of getting shingles is pretty low in the first place, so the chances of two nerve branches on opposite sides of the spinal column being affected at the same time is almost non-existent. There is no cure for shingles, but due to potential complications it’s a good idea to see a doctor if you have it (or suspect you do). The shingles vaccine is a prudent preventive step. Shingles itself isn’t contagious, but a person who has it can give someone else chickenpox if they haven’t already had it. +
(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: Dan@AugustaRX.com www.Facebook.com/AugustaRX 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. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2023 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.
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#198 IN A SERIES
Who is this?
T
his man, Ralph Steinman, was not only a true genius, but holds a place in the long history of medicine unlike anyone else. Born in Montreal in 1943, he went on to attend McGill University before enrolling at Harvard Medical School. After his 1968 graduation and a two-year residency at Mass General Hospital, he became a postdoctoral research fellow at New York’s Rockefeller University, where he stayed for the remainder of his career. Shortly after his arrival at Rockefeller he made a discovery that would eventually earn him a Nobel Prize in a way that was (and still is) unprecedented. Studying the spleens of mice (because what else would someone study?), Dr. Steinman discovered an unusual kind of cell. He named these unfamiliar cells dendrite cells after their branching, treelike structure. Further research by him and colleague Zanvil A Cohn revealed that these cells process antigens (a toxin or other foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body) and essentially present them to the body’s immune system, activating its attack on the invader. Pre-Steinman it was believed that white blood cells, macrophages, and B cells were the most important components of the body’s defense system. Steinman’s research demonstrated that dendritic cells were at least 100 times more powerful activators of our immune response. Significantly, dendrites were subsequently discovered to be especially abundant in the skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract, sites where antigens are most likely to be found. The research avenues opened up by Steinman’s discoveries include ways to generate large numbers of dendritic cells that could be injected at therapeutically strategic sites or used in the development of new vaccines and immunotherapies. These approaches have been particularly interesting to cancer researchers. One direct example based on Steinman’s research is sipuleucel-T, used in the treatment of prostate cancer, the first dendritic cell vaccine and first cancer vaccine to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Built with ingredients that include protein found on prostate cancer cells, the preparation activates an immune response that specifically targets prostate cancer cells. Another cancer-related avenue of research was much more personal to Ralph Steinman: in March of 2007 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and used that as motivation to design “dendritic cell-based immunotherapies” that he hoped would provide help him and countless others. For the next four and a half years he remained quite healthy and continued to pursue his research as before. Alas, exactly 12 years ago (as this article is being written) Dr. Steinman succumbed to cancer on Sept. 30, 2011. That was a Friday. Three days later, on Monday, October 3, 2011, the Nobel Committee, unaware of Dr. Steinman’s death, announced that he was one of the recipients of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Plot twist: the Nobel Prize is never awarded posthumously. Except in this case it was, as the Nobel Committee made the unprecedented decision to let the award stand. His widow and their children donated to entire proceeds of Dr. Steinman’s Nobel Prize to charity. +
OCTOBER 6, 2023
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
BLOOD… from page 1
from 250 to 270 million hemoglobin molecules. These are mind-boggling numbers! As red blood cells course through the thousands of miles of our circulatory system, they deliver their oxygen payload everywhere, precisely as needed. It isn’t like areas close to the lungs are over-oxygenated, while our extremities are blue from oxygen starvation. In otherwise healthy people that simply does not happen. Another aspect of hemoglobin’s job: imagine that you hate to cook, or all your major appliances are broken, so you call DoorDash or Grubhub or Uber Eats for every meal every day. Snacks too. You call, they immediately deliver. But get this: they also take away your dirty dishes, and bring them back squeaky clean on their next trip back. That’s not going to happen. Hemoglobin, however, does exactly that. It delivers oxygen and is part of the blood-borne system that
carries away the body’s waste gas, carbon dioxide, so we can exhale it before we start the process all over again by inhaling. With its prodigious workload, an individual red blood cell and its 250 million hemoglobin passengers has a relatively short life expectancy, only 4 months or so. There needs to be a very robust system for replacing red blood cells. After all, if there are some 6 million of them in a microliter (way, way, way less than an ounce), how many of them are there in a quart? An average adult has 5 quarts of blood, so the number of red blood cells is literally astronomical (and whatever number that is, multiply it
times 250 million or so for the hemoglobin population). Obviously, even a microscopic red blood cell death rate would amount to another unfathomable number of cells needing replacement. Well, you will be pleased to know that a blood manufacturing factory is quietly working 24/7/365 — 3 shifts no less — inside our bones. The output of replacement red blood cells rolling off the assembly line numbers around 2 million per second, night and day. That adds up in a hurry. Oh, and don’t worry about waste: the liver breaks down the agedout cells and even recycles the iron in the hemoglobin molecules. October seems to be a big month for blood, and let’s be honest, seeing the stuff can be scary sometimes. But even this brief snapshot of blood and one of its components and what they accomplish is a lot more astonishing and awe-inspiring than scary. +
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
ADVENTURES IN
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lately and I didn’t want to aggravate it. She graciously took them on and let me rest. That lasted about five minutes: the five-year-old almost got away from her out into deep water before she finally caught her. Lorie lost her flip flops along the way and was breathing heavily when I went over to check on things. That is when “she who must be obeyed” emerged and told me in no uncertain terms that I was to get my swimsuit on and go out there with her to help with the kids. I started to object, but the expression on her face brooked no arguments and I feared her wrath more than my ailing foot, so I obeyed and joined her out there just a few minutes later, though I wasn’t happy about it. I almost immediately stepped on a rock and made my plantar fasciitis hurt worse, but since Lorie still looked like she could cut a diamond with her face, I decided not to say anything lest she think I was trying to beg off, which might find me becoming fish food. So I soldiered on, and by soldiered I actually mean I moaned and complained under my breath just low enough that she could pretend she didn’t hear it and I could pretend like I didn’t want her to hear it, when in reality I was begging for some sympathy. It’s a game that long-time married couples play. Or at least husbands play while wives studiously ignore it. After less than half an hour, the kids were hungry, so we took them to the picnic table by our camper and fed them while we rested. Here is where I got my third injury of the day. As I sat at the picnic table with the kids, I slid in too fast without looking, and slammed my knee into and along a sharp piece of concrete where a shard had broken off and nobody had smoothed it out to make it safe. It’s time for a box score, I think. I had two bleeding wounds; one on my head, and one on my knee, and my left foot was hurting pretty badly from my walking in the rocky lake. I was not in a great mood. However, I bandaged it up and was planning on going back out to help my angrier half — I mean better half — until the next accident happened. I went into the camper to use the bathroom and as I stepped out the door of the camper to go down the steps, I slipped and fell toward the ground outside. I managed to arrest my fall by getting my left leg back under me and planting it firmly onto — what else? — a pointy piece of gravel just under the rug we put under the awning, and by rug I mean a super thin weave of nylon that’s there just to keep the dust down. It has no padding whatsoever. If my mother-in-law had not been sitting right there, and if my grandchildren had not been within earshot, I can assure you that the air around the camper would have turned
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I guess you could call it a bad day. Or maybe, with apologies to Lemony Snickett, more like a day with a series of unfortunate events. The trip sounded like a great idea in theory, but with the adventures of middle age factored in, even great ideas don’t always turn out good. It all started when we decided to make a trip up to the beautiful Elijah Clark State Park near Lincolnton, Georgia a couple of weeks ago. We would have five days just with another couple in our separate campers, side-by-side on a picturesque spot on a peninsula right on the water. Originally, that was all it would be. Just five days, the four of us, basically doing nothing except sitting by a campfire or under an awning, talking, drinking adult beverages, eating good food from the grill, and even watching some football. Then it slowly morphed. My sister-in-law decided to rent a cabin there and she invited her brother and parents and had her grandson tag along too. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy seeing them and spending some time with them, but it wasn’t exactly what we had planned, but I truly didn’t mind. When the decision was made (not by me) to have our daughter bring the kids up for Saturday, I still didn’t mind. In theory. You see, Saturday was the quintessential day of our trip, or at least it was supposed to be. Since we had internet at the campground, I had worked on some of the weekdays there, but Saturday was to be a day off, with a decent slate of college football games lined up. We had the awning out to block the sun, two TVs under it, the outdoor kitchen open and fully stocked and finally, the grill going with some aromatic food we looked forward to eating. There was a light breeze. It wasn’t as hot as it had been, and we even had some fans out there to make it even nicer. In short, it was perfect. The trouble started when more people showed up. At first it was fine. I went inside to put away my electronics and stuff I didn’t want to leave out with the kids there, but as I was leaning over to place my laptop bag behind the recliners, I gouged my head on the corner of a low hanging cabinet. And I do mean gouged. I left a chunk of skin on the cabinet, and I needed several paper towels and an ice pack to get the gash to stop bleeding, Head wounds can be like that. the newly arrived kids wanted to get in the water. Two of them anyway. The teenager wanted to go inside the camper and do what teenagers do: brood and watch YouTube videos. My lovely and patient wife took the two little swimmers out by herself while I sat in my chair watching football and chatting with my buddy. Of course, I felt guilty, but I had told her I had no plans to get in the water or walk much since my plantar fasciitis had been bad
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
OCTOBER 6, 2023
BISCUITS OVER CAKE FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE Times are uncertain, literally and figuratively. Inflation worldwide is rattling individual security. Excluding immigrants (whose numbers are growing by a few thousand per day), the US population is aging because seniors are living longer. It has been the case for a few decades. But contrary to expectations, for the first time in a century projected life expectancy in the US has dropped — by about 4 years over just the past decade. Have we topped out on life expectancy? I can almost hear our heads bumping the ceiling. Why has this happened? The answer is not simple. It is not because we lack medical knowledge. Or medical facilities. Or trained personnel. Or ethical therapeutic drug availability. We have the best in the world in all of these. One of the complications we suffer from is the availability of savory foods that may not be the most appropriate foods to consume for longevity. Most of us, me included, prefer foods that
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (most of the time) A series by Bad Billy Laveau
“taste good.” I prefer cake over biscuits. Fruits are good for us. So is milk. And grains and nuts. But somehow, I prefer the addition of sugar and cream converting it to strawberry short cake. That is good to me, for not good for me. Long ago, the Earl of Sandwich over in England was so addicted to gambling that he refused to leave the gambling tables. They brought him food ensconced between two pieces of bread. He ate without his hands transferring grease to gambling chips. Problem solved. Thus, the invention of the “sandwich.” Sandwiches became a standard in the New World. We make sandwiches of everything: meats, fruits, veg-
etables, jellies. As kids, my brother and I ate syrup and rice sandwiches. Empires are based upon sandwiches. McDonald’s. Sonic. Burger King. No dishwasher needed. Instead, single-use paper plates and cups, plastic spoons and forks. Even “sporks.” We seem to be committing sandwich suicide. World War II addicted soldiers, and later their families, to beef as a major dietary component. That was good and bad. Good source of protein. Good taste. Easily preserved. Fits in thousands of recipes. Longevity increased. Our government was force to respond. Moved Medicare retirement age from 65 to 66.5. But cholesterol levels gradually elevated in our population. So did heart attacks. And strokes. All at a later age. We seem to have hit the top of longevity. Quality of life is a factor. Good medical care can keep you breathing longer, even past the point of active life. But no one in their right mind wants to die. No
one wants their elder to die. We want to hold on as long as possible. Certainly, I do. As our population increases (naturally and from immigration), there is a great demand for additional food. Food supply chain is a problem. We need more chicken houses. One family I know has been in the chicken business for 70 years and has 9 chicken houses. Each one holds 20,000 chickens, resulting in more than 1.5 million pounds of chicken every 8 weeks. Present day regulations have pushed the cost of a new chicken house to over $250,000. Per house. Millions of chickens create an expensive waste management problem. The same is true with the beef industry. Australia is implementing a “cow burp tax” (a euphemistic term for sure) due to the amount of methane gas produced by cows. Governments tax everything as if that is a solution. I wonder if we will soon have a “Chicken Litter tax.” Another euphemistic term. One solution is for our population to eat less food. And healthier foods. When I grew up, we had dessert just once a week — after dinner
(that is, lunch) on Sunday. One pie or one cake for two adults and two growing boys … for the whole week! It does not cost more money to eat less. It costs less. The intake of purified sugar will go down. Food budgets will decrease. Waistlines will decrease. Obesity will decrease. Premature deaths will decrease. Quality of life will increase. No one in his right mind is against any of that. Recently I saw a photo of about 50 people (of all ages, from no teeth to not teeth, made in the 50s) on the boardwalk in New Jersey. Something was really strange. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then it hit me: there was not a single overweight person in the photo. Not one. Back in the 60s, the hippies had one thing right: Think Globally. Act Locally. It still makes sense. We must act locally. We must act to improve personally. We must eat properly. Eat less. Save your money. Improve your health. Enhance the quality of your life. Diminish your perils. Drive less. Walk more. Biscuits over cakes, for Heaven’s sake. +
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TRYTHISDISH OCTOBER 6, 2023
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
DETACHED RETINA: BAD
by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author Follow Kim on Facebook: facebook.com/eatingwellwithkimb
ROAST BEEF & PICKLE SLAW TORTILLA Lately I have had a craving for fried pickles (not the healthiest way to eat pickles). In order to get my pickle fix while still making a healthy meal I created this recipe using pickle juice to flavor slaw. Both slaw and pickles seem to be trending right now and for good reason: they are delicious. Ingredients • ¼ cup canola mayonnaise • 3 tablespoons pickle juice • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar • 1/8 teaspoon pepper • 3 cups slaw mix • 1 cup chopped kale • ½ cup chopped dill pickles • 8 ounces roast beef • 4 Whole wheat tortillas Directions In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle juice, vinegar, and pepper. Add the slaw mix and kale and toss well to combine. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. To assemble place 1/3 cup slaw mix down the middle of the tortilla. Next layer 2 slices
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of roast beef. Carefully roll up the tortilla pressing one end in “burrito style” to help hold in the juices and roll up. This may be a little juicy, so eat carefully. Yield: 4 Servings Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 260, Fat 8g (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 820mg, Carbohydrate 29g,
Fiber 4g, 16Protein g. Percent Daily Value: 2% Vitamin A, 6% Calcium, 15% Iron, 70% Vitamin C Carbohydrate choices: 2 Carbohydrate Diabetes Exchang-+ es: 1 Vegetable, 2 Starches, 2 Lean Meats • Sodium Alert: This is a high sodium meal. To reduce the sodium by 100-200 mg, replace the tortilla with a whole wheat pita round.
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ASK DR. KARP
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NUTRITION Anne, a teenager from a local Augusta high school, asks: “Dr. Karp, is what I eat as a teenager really all that important? I mean really? I know I eat too much junk food and fast food, but it’s cheap and quick. What’s the big deal? I have my whole life to work it off.”
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER Hi, Anne. Thanks for the interesting question. I feel encouraged that you have even thought to address ths subject. The simple answer to your question is, “Absolutely, yes, the food you put into your body as a teen does matter, and it matters a lot, both now and for the future.” Why? For one thing, the habits and food culture you are creating (and reinforcing) right now will follow you into adulthood. You are not only living in the present, but you are also creating your future. Have you ever realized that both your present and future body, biology, and mind are being formed right now, even as you are reading this? The future you is being made from the atoms and molecules that the present you eat! Kinda weird to think about, but true. Be pro-active. Create the best future you possible. Let’s not only concern ourselves with the future. Eating poor quality foods has major impacts on you right now. Data shows that teens who are overweight and underactive have higher blood pressures, higher blood fat and cholesterol and higher blood sugar (pre-diabetes) than their healthier teenage peers. In fact, the situation only goes downhill from here. Unhealthy teens grow up to be unhealthy adults. The heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and lifestyle diabetes you hear about in your family are being “cultivated” by you right now. These diseases begin in childhood, progress during the teen years and are “harvested” in adulthood. It’s a “harvest” that you want to — and can — avoid. I need to mention the effect of poor nutrition on pregnant teens. Yes, teenagers get pregnant, a fact we cannot ignore. The teen years are a time of high growth and
Sparkle
development for teenagers. Times of high growth and development are also times of high nutrition demand on the body. Superimpose the high nutrition demands of a growing teen on the high nutrition demands of a growing unborn baby and you have a “perfect storm” for health issues for both mom and her developing baby. Pregnant teenagers are at increased risk of premature births, low birth weight infants and pregnancy-related high blood pressure. The most important nutritional factor related to the outcome of a pregnancy is the nutrition reserves the mom has in her body before becoming pregnant. It’s noteworthy that 15% of teenage births in the US are second births, which puts even more nutritional stress on a teen body. Are you a teen involved in sports and athletics? Poorly nourished teens have thinner bones. When they engage in sports, they are at increased risk of bone fractures and breaks. Stay away from soft drinks, power drinks, health drinks, slurpies and shakes. Instead, drink skim or low-fat milk, or drink equivalent sources of calcium and Vitamin D, such as calcium and Vitamin D-enriched soy milk.
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Also, remember that for most athletes, the best liquid to make sure you are adequately hydrated is plain water. There are many false and misleading nutrition, diet and food claims in both formal and social media. Most people are unaware that these claims are not being fact-checked, especially when it comes to making false advertising claims about the benefits of specific foods and supplements. As a teen, you need to gain the education, understanding and critical thinking skills that will allow you to distinguish between evidenced-based, data-driven nutrition and the misleading information that’s out there. For example, do you understand what the term “healthy” means? It means
whatever food companies and advertisers want it to mean, and they throw it around quite a bit to promote their products. Remember, these are biased sources of information. Stick to science and data. Never use the people selling you a product as a source of accurate nutrition information. They have an agenda. What are some things you can do as a teen to improve your nutrition? For one thing, you need to be within your reasonable BMI range. Search for “BMI Calculator” in your web search engine and calculate your own BMI. Also, how about preparing at least one family dinner a month? Make it simple and nutritious. It’s easy to do. Help change the food culture in your family. By doing this, you are also creating the food culture for your future life. Chronic diseases that run in families are often voluntary diseases, not inherited ones. What is inherited is the family eating culture. So do your part to help change that. What’s the “No-Nonsense Nutrition” advice today? What you eat and the food and lifestyle habits you develop as a teenager follow you into adulthood. Most importantly, your health right now is related to your food and lifestyle choices right now. +
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 insure 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. Dr. Karp 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, evidenced-based, 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.
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FOODISMEDICINE Tasty tips from registered dietitians with the Augusta Dietetic District Association
VITAMIN D AND OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM by Maranda Gadbois, RDN, LD Fall is in full swing: cooler temperatures, leaves changing, pumpkin spice lattes, holiday seasons approaching. Although our weather continues to be fairly sunny and welcoming, there are some things to take into consideration as fall continues and cold and flu season begins. There are many foods that we can eat that will help prevent us from getting sick by boosting our immune system. Vitamin C can potentially help fight off or shorten the duration of a cold, but did you know that vitamin D can reduce inflammation, boost your mood, and prevent illness? Vitamin D, best known for keeping bones and teeth strong, is a key nutrient that plays a major role in our immune system function. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is becoming more common as many of us lead sedentary lifestyles, consume fiber deficient diets, and do not get enough daily sunlight. More research is being done on vitamin D and how it is required for many of our immune cells that prevent us from getting chronic inflammation and developing autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and more.1,2 So how do we get vitamin D? First and foremost, vitamin D is synthesized in our body from sunlight exposure. The body can produce vitamin D just by spending 1530 minutes outside, with uncovered skin, between the hours of 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.1 For example, going for a walk wearing a tank top would be sufficient enough to produce enough vitamin D that our body needs to keep our immune system strong. Ensuring that your gut health is in order is essential as the gut microbiome is responsible for turning on and off our immune system.3 If your gut is not balanced properly, your body may not be able to utilize the nutrition you are putting into it. A diet that consists of at least 25 gram for women and 35 gram for men of fiber daily is essential for overall optimal health and disease prevention. Remember to eat plenty of fiber: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans,
legumes and nuts. This will maximize your gut’s ability to function accordingly and, with adequate vitamin D status, you should be able to stay healthy! There are other ways to get vitamin D through foods and supplementation. Vitamin D-rich foods include fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines. Foods that have been fortified with vitamin D include milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, orange juice, breads, and breakfast cereals.1 If you suspect that you may have a vitamin D deficiency, check with your provider about getting your vitamin D levels checked. Research shows that taking a maintenance level of vitamin D daily, 2,000-4,000 IU, will not lead to toxicity; even when spending time outside regularly. Keep in mind that with the change of seasons can come a change in our mood. Low vitamin D status can exacerbate signs of depression, anxiety, and other mental health symptoms.4 If you are feeling like you are effected by seasonal affective disorder or experience changes in mood during the holidays, consider speaking to your provider about getting your vitamin D levels checked. Maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D will allow your immune system to function properly, thus helping you fight against the cold and flu season. +
MIDDLE AGE… from page 5 bluer than a bar full of sailors on a Saturday night at closing time. I did scream though. A manly scream, of course. At least that is how I want to imagine it. I don’t really remember because the pain almost made me pass out. I had landed with the point of the rock right at the spot where the plantar tendon connects to the heel. The exact spot that had been hurting so bad for weeks at that point. The pain was incredible, and I had to sit down as soon as possible, which I did. Even sitting down, with the foot elevated, it throbbed with such intensity that I felt every heartbeat that coursed blood through the foot, and even that hurt. I took some acetaminophen and chased it with a lot of Cuba Libre, better known as Rum and Coke, or Rum and Coke Zero for this diabetic (I call it a skinny pirate) and it was heavy on the rum and light on the cola. After a couple of those, I was able to cope with it. The only good thing about it was that at least it got me out of going back to the water to help watch the kids. My daughter and sister-in-law helped out in that regard and for that I am grateful. After that and a good lunch of hamburgers, we then watched the game I had been waiting for the most, my Georgia Bulldogs against South Carolina. What happened in that game, with Georgia trailing at the half, nearly brought on a fifth unfortunate event, as several of us were close to having heart attacks over the way the game was trending. I am convinced that one of us would surely have suffered one if they hadn’t come back and won it in the second half like they did. So my perfect Saturday wasn’t so perfect, but I am pretty well healed up now, and I will probably have a cool new scar on my head to make up outrageous stories about. The kids enjoyed themselves, and we all got a great meal in a beautiful environment and enjoyed the company of family and friends, so it wasn’t all that bad. I don’t really know if my clumsiness is attributable to aging, but that is my best guess. I used to have such great balance, but not so much anymore. Before middle age, I wouldn’t miss a chance to go in the water, especially with kids since they are more fun than adults. I can throw them around and hear them laugh with joy. I think I’ll stick with pools and the ocean for that from now on, or at least any place without rocks. I get tired a lot quicker too, but I think that has improved some with me going to the gym three times a week now. I’ll try to enjoy the outdoors and my grandkids for as long as I can, and I hope you will too. I just hope that neither you nor I have another day like the one I had. Stay active, but safe, my friends. + 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.co
References: 1. Gropper, S., Smith, J., Carr, T. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7th Cengage; 2018. 2. Ao T, Kikuta J, Ishii M. The Effects of Vitamin D on Immune System and Inflammatory Diseases. Biomolecules. 2021;11(11):1624. Published 2021 Nov 3. doi:10.3390/biom11111624 3. Yamamoto EA, Jørgensen TN. Relationships Between Vitamin D, Gut Microbiome, and Systemic Autoimmunity. Front Immunol. 2020;10:3141. Published 2020 Jan 21. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.03141 4. Geng C, Shaikh AS, Han W, Chen D, Guo Y, Jiang P. Vitamin D and depression: mechanisms, determination and application. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2019;28(4):689-694. doi:10.6133/apjcn.201912_28(4).0003
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More Americans have died on US roads since 2006 than in World Wars I & II combined
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startled and hit the brakes. Option #4: violent road rage, as in using a vehicle or a weapon (or both) to punctuate either driver’s annoyance and frustration. This can happen all by itself, or to put a cherry on any or all of the previous displays of poor driving skills. And most (or all) of this happens while barreling down the road at 70 mph or more. We have all seen these kinds of ridiculous roadway rodeos multiple times, which is especially ridiculous since the solution is quick and simple: use that pedal on the right. Do your business and then get out of the way. It’s the law anyway: staying in the left lane when another car is right behind you (even if you’re going 90 mph at the time) is illegal. Move over. The right lane is the right lane.
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TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU Part 2
3. It’s the pedal on the right (See the Sept. 15 Medical Examiner for numbers 1 and 2) Have you ever seen someone, usually on the interstate, pull into the left lane to pass a semi or some other slower vehicle, and take ten miles to complete the pass? Sometimes this side-by-side rolling roadblock stacks up 10 or 20 other cars behind the passer, a fact to which they seem oblivious. Our theory is that 1.) they simply don’t care; or 2.) they are completely unaware of the traffic slow-down they are single-handedly creating. A third possibility presents itself. These obstructionists might reason, “The speed limit is 70 and I’m already going 75, so these people behind me have nothing to complain about.” That’s all well and good until some impatient hot-head who has been tailgating this person for 5 miles decides he’s had enough. The possible outcomes are numerous and often life-threatening (if not life-ending). Option #1: the very millisecond that Driver 1 is far enough ahead of the semi for Driver 2 to squeeze over in front of the semi, Driver 2 will do exactly that. Usually they make it; once in a thousand times they perform a pit maneuver on themselves with the assistance of the semi’s front left bumper. Mayhem ensues. Option #2: the above, followed by whipping around Driver 1 and back into the fast lane right in front of Driver 1 “to teach them a lesson.” Usually they make it; once in a thousand times they perform a pit maneuver on themselves with the assistance of Driver 1’s front right bumper. Mayhem ensues. Option #3: sometimes Driver 2 rear-ends Driver 1. This might be blamed on Driver 2 by default for tailgating. But it can also be caused deliberately when Driver 1 brake-checks Driver 2. Sometimes, as noted above, Driver 1 types are blissfully unaware of the traffic stacked up behind them; when they do notice, they are
4. Are you even awake? Have you ever pulled up at a red light behind another car in the right turn lane? Of course. We all have. Usually the driver in front of us is looking left, waiting for an opportunity to make a safe right turn on red. And if that opportunity never presents itself, eventually the crossing traffic will get a red light and you’ll both be on your merry way. But there is another scenario many drivers have seen and found to be rather annoying. And as we all know, annoyed drivers often turn into stupid drivers. In this second scenario the front driver is looking, looking, looking for a safe opportunity to make his or her turn. (Ok, our roving investigators say we’re talking women drivers far more often than men.) Driver 2 thinks a number of perfectly safe opportunities to turn have come and gone, but what really gets his goat (yes, it’s usually a he this time) is when the cross traffic gets their red and all traffic stops. Miracle of miracles, no one even ran the red; no car is moving in any direction. Our two drivers are in that several-second interval between the red for that road and the green for this road. Even so, the lead car does not turn. Its driver keeps looking, for what we’re not really sure, but in the process yet another opportunity to turn slips away: the left turn arrow is on now and more waiting ensues. Memo to impatient Driver 2: this whole episode might steal a full minute from your life. Get over it. Calm down. Life goes on. But Driver 1, wake up! You (along with every other driver) need to make your personal contribution to the smooth safe flow of traffic. + In part 3: More sources of highway hatred.
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erhaps you missed the first installment of this series. If so, the general premise is that bad driving annoys other drivers, and annoyed drivers become bad drivers. We are not here to excuse the reactionary drivers and lay all of the blame on the triggering drivers. No, they are both to blame, the first for their initial offense and the second for being too immature to just be an adult and drive on. Even so, the fact remains that doing something that makes other drivers’ blood boil (rightly or wrongly) has to count for something bad. Those actions should be avoided. Here’s an example:
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the blog spot — posted by Laura de la Torre, MD on Sept. 26, 2023
THE EROSION OF PATIENT CARE The Black Eyed Peas asked, “Where is the love?” and that’s what I wonder, too. As medicine – oops, I’m supposed to say “health care” – has become more and more corporate, what has been slipping away is the love. What do I mean by that? There were specific ways we old docs were trained to care for patients. Let’s start with bedside manner. We were trained to sit with the patient, look toward their face (looking directly in the eye is not culturally universal), listen with intention, smile, nod, and communicate without jargon. Providers do not have time to do that if they are also expected to type on a computer at the same time. Our eyes are focused on a screen more than they are focused on the patient. We were trained to do thorough physical examinations. One of the most common patient complaints I hear about other providers is, “S/he never touched me.” If something hurts, it’s our responsibility to examine the part that hurts. Sometimes, that requires the patient to remove clothing – egad! — that takes up more minutes of the appointment time! Even if there isn’t a physical complaint, it takes only a few minutes to do a HEENT (head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat), neck, cardiac, and pulmonary examination, and to look at the ankles for edema. Unfortunately, the time available for a clinic visit can be so limited that taking a few minutes to examine the patient will put us behind schedule. Our hands are on a keyboard more than they are on a patient’s body. We were encouraged to explain things to patients. The patient doesn’t always understand why we want them to take a medication or go for an imaging test. It is not the patient’s duty to do what we say because we say so. They deserve to know why we’re making a recommendation, referring to a specialist, changing a medication, or asking for yet another blood test. A patient recently said to me, “Nobody has ever explained these things to us the way you do. NOBODY.” However, we barely have time to enter the orders, much less talk to the patient about it. Our attention is more focused on the chart than the patient. Without a scribe and with cumbersome EMR, it can take an additional fifteen minutes per patient to fill out templates, pick the right codes, put in the orders, electronically send every medication to their new pharmacy, use a smartphone to authenticate prescriptions for controlled substances, attach diagnoses, put in referrals, and do all the administrative tasks we are required to do. There simply isn’t time when a patient is scheduled every 20 minutes. Something’s gotta give. To get it all done during the scheduled visit time and avoid spending nights and weekends charting, the time and attention given directly to the patient when they are in our presence goes by the wayside. There is not enough time to do all the documentation, orders, billing, and coding AND sit with the patient, listen intently, examine their body, and explain why we’re making recommendations to improve their health. They don’t let us doctor the patient. There’s no room for the love. +
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Did you book our cruise?
by Dan Pearson
,
Ok. I ll call the travel Oh, I wish it was agent and see if we , We re sailing 2 months from going to be twice can leave in that long! I cannot wait! today on a 5-day cruise! 4 months.
I sure did!
© 2023 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.
EXAMINER CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
1
2
3
4
5
13
14
17
18
6
7
8
9 15
10
11
12
16 19
20 21 22 23 ACROSS 1. Plant used for food flavor 24 25 5. Pace 26 27 28 29 30 31 9. Enterprise _____ 32 33 34 35 13. Continent 14. Downtown Augusta 36 37 38 39 building 40 41 42 43 16. Capital of Western Samoa 44 45 46 47 17. Engrossed 18. Pendant hanging from the 48 49 50 roof of the mouth 51 52 53 54 55 56 19. Dank; humid 20. Morris follower 57 58 59 60 61 22. Sex drive 62 63 64 24. Viper 65 66 67 25. Rule of _____ (in burns) 26. Cyanotic by Daniel R. Pearson © 2023 All rights reserved. 28. Abbrev. in gynecology 29. Sinoatrial _____ 65. Nasal doc 30. Watch faces 32. Med intro 66. One way to play it 31. Heron 33. RMH opponent in 1968 67. They come in groups of 18 32. Gladys Knight backup 34. Kind; not harmful 33. 2001 computer 36. Electrically charged atom DOWN 34. Casey’s brother 37. A small amount 1. Do no... 35. Natal start 38. New York athlete 2. Jacob’s twin 37. Like very bad friends 39. Where the Wild Things ___ 3. Tears 38. Jelly container 40. What police do 4. Boat in Paris 41. Late Meet the Press 42. Pale 5. Decline; downswing moderator Tim (d. 2008) 43. Mr. DiCaprio 6. Nickname for Octavio? 42. Synonym for 8-D 44. Very sweet (in champagne) 7. Large flightless bird 45. Type of justice 45. It’s followed by 3, 4, or 5 8. Pale; ashen 46. I.M. _______ 46. Facebook update 9. Where Oliver Hardy grew up 47. Hidden, medically 48. Graceland singer 10. Apple product 49. Need to 50. Dawg’s conf. 11. Prom ride 50. Expand 51. Save 12. One circuit 51. Type of cake or paper 53. Sunroom furniture? 15. Ophelia brought it 52. Flair, style 57. Liver fluid 21. Exploit 54. Word with high or cap 58. Declare 23. Graduate of Summerville 55. Brink 61. Computer command Academy (and Pulitzer winner) 56. “Dress for Less” chain 62. Damage 25. Bethesda health inst. 57. Breast self-screen (abbrev.) 63. Like some pools 26. Main Street Augusta 59. Fuss 64. People stretch them 27. Slow (in music) 60. The ___ of Steve (2000 film) 28. Non-med doctor’s degree Solution p. 14
BY
THE MYSTERY WORD The Mystery Word for this issue: EOTNURITUQ
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
Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, OCT. 15, 2023
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5 7 3 E S 8 X 7 4 8 5 U A 2 4 1 6 D M3 7 5 I 9 1 7 2 O 6 4 3 1 N K 9 E 1 8 5 U R by Daniel R. Pearson © 2023 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.
QUOTATIONPUZZLE P T O D L E O O O R I
R K T C O R V S H C N S O A I I E D O O S E W E T T C N N D
1 2 6 8 7 9 2 4 H 3M6 9 5 E 8 E7 O 5 N1 4 3
— Merry Browne
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2023 All rights reserved
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.
1
2
1
2
3 1
O A 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 F 1 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1.DLOTIIBAA 2.TINSAHIN 3.DTESLF 4.IAYE 5.TB 6.IU 7.DL 8.IE 9.T 10.Y
SAMPLE:
1. ILB 2. SLO 3. VI 4. NE 5. D =
5 3 4 7 8 1 9 6 2
L 1
O 2
V 3
E 4
I 1
S 2
B 1
L 2
I 3
N 4
D 5
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2023 All rights reserved
WORDS NUMBER
OCTOBER 6, 2023
7 9 8 5 2 4 6 3 1
4 1 6 8 7 3 5 2 9
3 2 5 9 1 6 4 7 8
OCTOBER 6, 2023
13 +
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...
A
dad told his teenaged son that he would buy him a car on his 16th birthday — if he (the son) got a job, made all As in school, started going to church every week and cut his hair. The son agreed to do all four things. The day before his son’s birthday the dad told his son, “Son, you got a job, you are going to church every Sunday and are making all As in school. But you also agreed to cut your hair, which you have not done. So I’m sorry, but I will not buy you a car.” The son said, “Dad, just like you said, I’ve been going to church every week and I’ve been looking at all the pictures of Jesus and he had long hair. So why can’t I?” “You’re right,” said the dad. “He did have long hair. But he also walked everywhere.” Bob has just gotten a new job, and was invited to a party by his new boss. He and his wife, who was a notorious practical joker, walked in to the party together. The boss walked up to greet them. He shook Bob’s hand and said, “I’m looking forward to meeting your wife.” Bob’s wife turned to him acting startled
The
Advice Doctor
and said, “You’re married?”
©
Moe: How’s your new gym membership working out? Joe: Great. The trainer’s advice is very practical. Moe: How so? Joe: I asked him which machine would make me most attractive to the ladies. Moe: And? Joe: He showed me the ATM. Moe: What has no pants on and sounds like a charging elephant? Joe: I give. What? Moe: A charging elephant. Moe: Did you hear about the latest prison escape? Joe: Good grief. I can’t keep up with them they’re happening so often. What’s the story this time? Moe: The prisoner put a paper towel over his face and simply walked out the door. Joe: Are you saying there was a Bounty on his head? Moe: I just made some synonym rolls. Joe: That old joke? Moe: Yup. Just like grammar used to make. Moe: My wife is constantly complaining about my snoring. And I don’t even snore! I’m 99.999% sure of it. Joe: What makes you so sure? Moe: Nobody at work has mentioned it. +
Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? Staring at my phone all day has certainly had no Effect on ME!
Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day.
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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!
Dear Advice Doctor, My wife is between jobs, as they say, and has made a valiant but so far fruitless effort to find a new job. It’s starting to have an affect on her mental health. She started by applying to what she thought of as “dream jobs,” and has gradually lowered her goals as one opportunity after another failed to materialize. She ended up applying for (and not getting) a couple of minimum-wage fast food jobs before she completely gave up. Doctor, we don’t have a one-income budget! Help! How can I motivate her? — One paycheck away from...? Dear One Paycheck, Thank you for seeking my assistance, and I believe I can offer you some valuable and practical advice. You sorely need it in a number of ways. There are several serious issues at play here, but the one which concerns me most is your description of her life and/ or diet as “fruitless.” I cannot emphasize the risks this poses strongly enough. Do you know what the leading cause of death is around the world and right here at home? It’s heart disease. And there is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits (and vegetables) causes a huge reduction in a person’s risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Compared to people who had one lone serving of fruits and vegetables per day, those who average 8 or more servings a day over breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks were 30% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke. The risk dropped 4% for each additional daily serving. This is data from the largest and longest study ever, Harvard-based research involving hundreds of thousands of participants for well over a decade. And eating vegetables and fruits does far more than just improve heart health. They can lower blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, have a positive effect upon blood sugar levels, improve skin health and appearance, and even promote weight loss. Step one in improving her fruitless diet is obvious: buy the stuff! But don’t just throw them in the fridge or pantry, out of sight. Put fruit in a bowl right on the counter or table to tempt her. Include fruits, vegetables, and salads in meals every day! Thanks again for writing. I hope I answered 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.
Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #8
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THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: FITNESS
...cleverly hidden on the lady’s finger in the p. 16 ad for AUGUASTA VASCULAR CENTER
THE WINNER: SEMONE WILLIAMS! If that’s your name, congratulations! Send us your mailing address using the email address in the box on page 3. The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!
OCTOBER 6, 2023
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER THE PUZZLE SOLVED H E R B S T E P M I L L A S I A L A M A R A P I A R A P T U V U L A D A M P M U S E U M L I B I D O A S P N I N E S B L U E P I D N O D E P R E H H H B E N I G N I O N T A D J E T A R E P A T R O L W A N L E O D O U X P A R P O S T S I M O N S E C R E S C U E W I C K E R B I L E S T A T E U N D O S C A R T I D A L L E G S E E N T C O O L T E E S
SEE PAGE 12
The Celebrated TheSUDOKUsolution MYSTERY WORD CONTEST 1 2 5 7 4 3 6 8 9
...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package! SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher. 8. Deadline to enter is shown on page 12.
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QuotatioN QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom. — Merry Browne
WORDS BY NUMBER The only disability in life is a bad attitude. — Author unknown
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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +
ACUPUNCTURE
DERMATOLOGY
EMF PROTECTION
Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road 706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com
Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 706-733-3373 SKIN CANCER CENTER www.GaDerm.com
EMF Safe Homes Sheila Reavill Certified Building Biology Specialist 209-625-8382 (landline) SURVEY•ASSESSMENT•REMEDIATION
WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax)
IN-HOME CARE
PHARMACY
CHIROPRACTIC Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William M. Rice 108 SRP Drive, Suite A 706-860-4001 www.evanschiro.net
COUNSELING Resolution Counseling Professionals 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com
DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS Karen L. Carter, MD 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com
DRUG REHAB Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd. Augusta 30909 706-733-1935
DENTISTRY
YOUR LISTING
Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048
Augusta Area Healthcare Provider 4321 CSRA Boulevard Augusta 30901 706-555-1234
Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!
Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445
CALL 706.860.5455 TODAY!
Everyday Elder Care LLC Certified Home Health/Caregiver 706-231-7001 everydayeldercare.com Zena Home Care Personal Care|Skilled Nursing|Companion 706-426-5967 www.zenahomecare.com
YOUR LISTING HERE Your Practice And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo. Keep your contact information in this convenient place seen by thousands of patients every month. Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details!
LONG TERM CARE
Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS N. Augusta 29841 HARMACY 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com
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SLEEP MEDICINE Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555
WEIGHT LOSS/DETOX 3K BODY CONTOUR (NON-SURGICAL) BYE BYE BELLY • Detox Juice/Tea 233 Davis Road Suite H Augusta GA 30907 706-403-7536
CALL THE MEDICAL EXAMINER (706-860-5455) TO BE LISTED HERE
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
OCTOBER 6, 2023
JEWELRY SURGEON
the
ROLLED SANDWICHES • SOUPS • SALADS
ROLY POLY
WE REFURBISH AND REPAIR ROLEX WATCHBANDS AND LOUIS VUITTON PURSES & HANDBAGS
CLOCK REPAIR WHEN SECONDS COUNT
October 14th 2023
where good food never gets a
First Baptist Church of Augusta Event begins at 9 AM, Walk at 10
POPWalk.org
BAD WRAP That’s our promise
IN THE UPTOWN VA BY THE RETAIL STORE
CALL AHEAD: (706) 284-0190 To view my work visit scscja.org. Click on resources, then merchandise. Click on the ring photo, then the PDF link.
EYEGLASSES REPAIRED Welcome COSTCO and EyeGlass World customers, and former Murphy & Robinson customers!
3626 Walton Way Extension (Walton’s Corner) Phone: 706.736.1099 Fax: 706.736.4401
OrderRolyPoly.com
Supporting:
parkinsoncsra.org — 706.364.1662
LOCAL ANSWERS FOR ALL YOUR MEDICARE QUESTIONS
RENEA SOOS Renea Soos • Medicare Independent Broker
706•399•1989
Serving Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Michigan • Email: renea@soosbenefits.com
soosbenefitsgroup.com
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
OCTOBER 6, 2023
AIYAN DIABETES CENTER Comprehensive Multi-Specialty Care ENDOCRINOLOGY DIABETES CLINIC
DIABETES WOUND CARE CLINIC
Kaushal J. Shah, MD
Alain Domkam, MD Janaki Nadarajah, DPM
David LaChance, DO
DIABETES NEUROPATHY CLINIC
Ihab Azar, MD
DeAnn Henderson, MD
Risha Malik, MD
CALL NOW FOR SAME-DAY APPOINTMENTS*
ARTHRITIS CENTER KNEE PAIN CLINIC
Sergei Sobolevsky, MD
Paul Butros, MD Salman Mufti, MD
Why travel to many different doctors when all your diabetes symptoms can be treated at one office? AIYAN DIABETES CENTER 462 FURYS FERRY RD • AUGUSTA 30907 (706) 868-0319 • AIYANDIABETES.COM FAX: (706) 868-3719
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