Medical Examiner 4-3-20

MEDICALEXAMINER

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DOGSSMELLGOOD APRIL 3, 2020

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

Of all the subjects we could have chosen for this issue, why did we choose this topic in the middle of a global pandemic?

Because it’s highly relevant.

Everyone has heard about the need to distance ourselves from others as a way to deter the spread of the virus sweeping the world.

There may be no better way to demonstrate the wisdom behind this advice than to examine a signature trait possessed by dogs.

Simply put, dogs smell good. Real good. Even stinky dogs. Depending on the breed, a dog’s sense of smell can be a million times more acute than a human’s.

Even breeds not particularly known for their sense of smell can detect odors 100,000 times better than we can. Bloodhounds’ sense of smell is 100 million times better than humans.

Dogs don’t accomplish this by some feat of magic. They have the tools. The average dog has something like 220 million smell receptor cells.

Bloodhounds have around 300 million. By comparison, humans have only about 5

million smell receptor cells.

Understanding ratios of 1 to a hundred million or even to a mere million is not easy.

Here’s a comparison that might be easier to grasp. To put it in visual terms, a dog that can smell just 10,000 times better than a human would be like us looking at something a

third of a mile away that a dog can see just as well more than 3,000 miles away.

As it turns out, there are plenty of things for dogs to

smell, and that provides a lesson for us all in the midst of the current situation.

Adults have, on average, some 1.6 trillion skin cells.

We shed these prolifically.

Walking through a room or across the yard we leave behind 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells every hour, some one million skin cells every day.

No wonder dogs can track people so easily.

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Could someone contract coronavirus from an infected person’s discarded skin cells?

No. But the clouds of microscopic skin cells trailing us like the petals a flower girl leaves behind walking down the aisle can open our eyes to the invisible world around us.

A single sneeze can unleash 100,000 germs into the immediate vicinity at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, and like skin cells, they’re largely invisible. That doesn’t make them any less dangerous. As noted

by Bill Bryson in The Body, “a single droplet of blood no bigger than this o may contain a hundred million Ebola particles, every one of them as lethal as a hand grenade.”

LiveScience says “the droplets in a single cough may contain as many as two hundred million individual virus particles.”

When it comes to potential threats to our health, size is irrelevant. Seeing the average pathogen would take a microscope, but you can’t fight what you can’t see does not currently apply. We have to take a stand against our invisible enemy. Two items in every well-stocked arsenal: soap and water. +

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

PART 10 OF A 10-PART SERIES BY JONATHAN MURDICK Editor’s note: Our correctional nurse isn’t quite as fetching as the nurse on the cover of the pulp novel shown. Ours isn’t even a female. But our nurse has at least one exceptional advantage over the nurse in the picture: he’s real.

THE PANDEMIC

PARENTHOOD

by David W. Proefrock, PhD

Your 13 year-old daughter has begun hoarding food in her room.

You have found canned goods under her bed and her closet is full of a variety of foods. There is plenty of food in the house and she has access to it. When confronted, she says she doesn’t know why she does it. When the food is returned to its proper place, she begins to sneak it into her room again. What should you do?

1. Have a talk with her about what may be bothering her and try to get her to understand that she can’t store food in her room.

2. This is a sign that there is an underlying problem. Take her to a mental health professional for an assessment.

3. Begin checking her room on a daily basis and take away privileges when you find food.

4. Make her take the food back to the kitchen when you find it, but don’t overreact. She’s probably just seeking attention.

If you answered: 1. You have confronted her about the food previously, so you have already tried this. Hoarding food is not normal and may be a sign of a serious psychological problem. Take her to a professional.

2. This is what needs to be done. Hoarding food, especially when there is plenty of food available to her, is a serious symptom.

3. Punishment is not the answer in this case. This is a symptom of a possible psychological problem. Take her to a professional for evaluation.

4. Hoarding food is not one of those “seeking attention” behaviors. It is a possible symptom of a psychological problem. She should be seen by a professional.

Some behaviors are serious enough that an evaluation by a mental health professional should be the first step. Hoarding food when there are not shortages is one of those. + Dr. Proefrock is a retired clinical and forensic child psychologist.

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APRIL 3, 2020

The last 18 months had flown by as I worked in this South Carolina prison.

No two days were ever the same, although the characters in this tragic comedy never seemed to change.

Each day we did our part to keep those inmates alive and healthy so they could serve their assigned sentences and “repay their debt to society.”

Some days were more exciting than others. Inmates in Max always knew how to spice up a boring day.

Some inmates — we called them cutters — ­ possessed an overwhelming urge to cut themselves. One particularly savage inmate actually opened his entire stomach cavity and his intestines fell out onto the floor of the cell.

Believe it or not he actually survived that incident and continued to cut for many more years.

Another inmate preferred to inject his leg with his own urine (not kidding). He managed to get his hands on an insulin syringe (he was a diabetic) and thought he would have an easier time if he had his leg amputated and could move to a prison for the disabled. That plan didn’t work out.

Another inmate unfolded a paperclip and then inserted it into his penis, thinking the extra support would increase “firmness.” Needless to say he ended up losing his “bait and tackle” to a severe infection. I also treated far too many stab wounds, beatings, random infections, and totally bizarre occurances to even count. Despite all of this, one incident remains in my mind

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50¢ as the most horrifying: Tuberculosis and the flu.

Inmates are screened upon entering the prison for TB and elevated temperature.

Several of our inmates had a previous history of tuberculosis and a few were actually still on medication from previous occurrences.

I always wondered how fast an epidemic would spread in prison, and I didn’t have to wait long to find out.

One Saturday morning I received a call that a TB-positive inmate was admitted into one of the dorms and they didn’t realize it until the day his TB test was supposed to be read. You see, to screen for TB you inject a tiny amount of serum under the skin of the forearm, and two days later you look to see if there was a reaction.

In this case, the inmate had one of the largest reactions I have ever seen, and had unfortunately spent the last two days mingling with the population.

We went into overdrive that weekend cleaning and locking everyone down. We

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started the process with the dorm where the inmate lived. Guards bleached cells, floors, bathrooms, and any solid surfaces in the dorm.

They then quarantined the inmates to their respective cells and we administered TB tests to the entire dorm.

At the same time we were notified that inmates in another dorm were exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

An officer assigned to the dorm had been forced to work because they were understaffed. He thought he just had a cold and came in under pressure from his supervisor. He brought the flu into the prison and from there it spread like wildfire. As we had done in the other dorm, a lockdown and thorough cleaning began and preventive lockdowns started in all the other dorms.

Within a week we had over 350 inmates infected with the flu, and more than a dozen showing positive tests for tuberculosis. The twin epidemics stressed staff and inmates to breaking points.

Everything is more challenging wearing protective equipment, and lockdown is miserable for everyone involved. Supplies that barely lasted during normal times were quickly exhausted and unavailable. Face masks, gowns, ibuprofen, tylenol, and cough medicine disappeared in less than two days.

Many of us came down with the flu despite the protective measures. We managed to survive the epidemic in the prison, but only because we could literally isolate every person and prevent all further transmission beyond the dorms.

Please see PRISON page 16

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APRIL 3, 2020

Let’s spend a few calm, quiet and rational minutes talking about everyone’s favorite subject, the coronavirus. (Part 2 of a feature of unknown duration.)

Anyone who has been carefully following coronavirus news — and admittedly, it’s a challenge not to tune out from sheer overload — has observed that public health officials have for the most part been getting it right. Predictions and forecasts that seemed sensational a few weeks ago have proved to be accurate. Some of them that may have been sounded like calamity-howling at the time have even turned out to be on the conservative side.

Having said that, it is still vitally important for our mental health to keep the big picture in focus. There is all the dire and ominous news anyone might want to (or not want to) hear, but there is plenty of news that is reassuring too.

For example, with all the exploding numbers of new cases and deaths dominating the news, it’s easy to forget that public health officials have been telling us that around 80 percent of all cases will experience mild symptoms if any - and then they will recover.

Many of us have seen interviews on the news with people who have tested positive for coronavirus, people who say they have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. It isn’t all doom and gloom.

This pandemic has generated inevitable comparisons with past disease outbreaks, from the Spanish flu a century ago to more recent epidemics like SARS, MERS, Ebola, 2009’s H1N1 Swine

flu, and others. No doubt the granddaddy of them all is the Spanish flu pandemic of 19181919 which infected somewhere between one-fifth and one-third of the world’s population and killed some 50 million people, including 675,000 in the U.S. The possibility of 200,000 U.S. deaths from coronavirus has been discussed. That sounds like — and is — a horrific number (if the forecast comes true). For a bit of perspective, though, it’s worth remembering that ordinary garden-variety seasonal flu has killed more than 200,000 Americans just since 2014 without garnering a lot of attention.

While COVID-19 numbers change every day — sometimes by the hour — most of us do not personally know anyone who has been diagnosed. In Georgia the virus has infected 0.026% of the population; in South Carolina the percentage is even lower at 0.018. That isn’t a lot, but right now there are no numbers connected with this outbreak that are going down. That means each of us has an obligation to contribute to the efforts to slow the spread of this virus. +

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DEARREADERS

This, our 331st issue, was almost our first digital-only edition. Although the paper version survived this time, no one knows what the future holds from one day to the next. Many of our regular distribution spots, like all CSRA locations of the Y for instance, are closed and have uncertain reopening dates. Others are not allowing entrance to outside visitors (human or paper) unless they are patients. If the spot where you normally get your Medical Examiner isn’t open or doesn’t have any, check our major newsstands, or you can always read the online edition. Just visit AugustaRx.com or go to issuu.com/medicalexaminer. As the virus situation worsens or gets better, we’ll adjust our distribution accordingly. We highly recommend your “Like” of the Examiner’s Facebook page (facebook.com/AugustaRX). The page is a good spot for regular posts that will educate, inform and entertain in matters of health and wellness, but at times like this it’s also the best place to learn about any breaking news affecting Medical Examiner availability.

Another vital topic to discuss here: the awesome advertisers who make this publication possible. Even in these highly uncertain times, just one single advertiser cancelled their ad (hopefully they’ll be back when life returns to some semblance of normalcy). Everyone who enjoys this newspaper is indebted to our sponsors. Please look for opportunities to express your thanks to them, or even better, to take your busines to our sponsors whenever you can. They love knowing that you’re out there seeing their messages. Like all of us, they’re trying to survive these challenging times, and they look forward to seeing you soon.

Thanks to all of you who are loyal readers and supporters of Aiken-Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper. +

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MEDICALEXAMINER

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www.AugustaRx.com The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of salubrious news within every part of the Augusta medical community.

Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397

(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net 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. © 2020 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

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APRIL 3, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#112 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE 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

W

hen this feature made its debut in the Examiner 111 issues ago, its subtitle was something like “Important People You’ve Never Heard Of.” That was soon jettisoned because we frequently told tales of people with at least some degree of fame.

This man fits the mold of our original concept. He is one of the most distinguished medical researchers we have ever profiled, yet he is all but invisible on the pages of medical history. Do you remember a few installments back when this space profiled a Nobel Prize recipient who never should have won such an honor? Look up “People who deserve the Nobel in Medicine but have so far been overlooked” and this man will be at the top of the list.

We’re not going to spoil any surprise by telling you his name: Jacques Francis Albert Pierre Miller. As his name suggests, he was born in France (in Nice, 89 years ago this week, on April 2, 1931). He grew up in France, China and Switzerland before ending up (at age 10) in Sydney, Australia, where he eventually studied medicine at the University of Sydney. There he was exposed to laboratory research for the first time under a professor studying virus infection.

At age 27, Miller traveled to London courtesy of a research fellowship awarded by the University of Queensland. As a PhD student at the University of London and a guest fellow at the Chester Beatty Cancer Research Institute, Miller chose to study lymphocytic leukemia in mice (who wouldn’t?). His research established that mice without a thymus at birth were incapable of resisting infection and rejecting foreign tissue. In other words, Miller discovered that the thymus was an essential component of the immune system.

That is significant because before Jacques Miller came along, the thymus, a tiny structure located beneath the breastbone, was thought to be a useless, vestigial organ, “the place where cells went to die.” As The Lancet noted, his discovery made Miller “the last person to identify the function of a human organ.” He has also been called “the world’s only living person who can claim to have been the first to describe the functions of a human organ.”

But it isn’t just the thymus (which gets its name from its resemblance to leaves of thyme - the thyme that goes with parsley, sage and rosemary) that secures Miller’s deservedly lofty place in medical history. His thymus research led to further immensely important discoveries: T cells (the T stands for thymus) and B cells, elite members of the body’s defense system and key elements in effectively fighting cancer, AIDS, transplant rejection, and autoimmune disorders, to name a few.

Oh, and that former “fact” that the thymus is where cells go to die? It’s true. As Miller discovered, the thymus isn’t just the body’s nursery for T cells; it is also where T cells who attack too aggressively, or not aggressively enough, are taken out of circulation.

Miller turns 89 this week. It’s time for his Nobel. +

by Marcia Ribble Thank goodness for delivery services! If you and your families are staying at home, very few things mean as much as being able to order groceries or restaurant meals and have them delivered to your door. I’m pretty sure that I have previously covered this topic, but in times like these it’s always helpful to remind folks that these services are now widely available.

For groceries you simply fill out your credit card information and your bill is paid automatically after that. Places which deliver groceries include Walmart, Sprouts, Kroger, and Publix. There may be others I’m not aware of, so call your favorite store if it isn’t on this short list. The ordering process is a bit complicated at first, but you will get used to it rapidly. After you select what you want, you’ll need to fill out a short,, uncomplicated, form indicating where and when you want your groceries delivered, your payment information if the store doesn’t already have it, and then all you need to do is confirm you want to purchase your order. At first you will need a password, but soon all you’ll need to do is sign in.

Ordering food from restaurants is a little more complicated, but not much. There are two basic ways to order. The first, and usually the cheapest, is to order directly from the restaurant just like you would from your favorite pizza place or Chinese takeout.

These days more and more restaurants are providing their own drivers and not using delivery services. This is slightly less expensive, and another benefit is that you can place your order directly, allowing you to be more specific about what you want and don’t

want. This is often not possible with food delivery services like DoorDash, Uber Eats or Augusta To Go. I’ve used DoorDash and their delivery has always been fast, but I’ve had numerous instances where I got the wrong thing or there were items missing from my order that I had paid for. When this happens there is no real way to obtain redress. I have called the restaurant and the most I’ve gotten is that they are sorry, that there was a lot of demand and too few people packing the orders, etc.

But there was no one to bring me what I had paid for. I’m not sure if the other delivery services have this problem, but I suspect that they do because it is the restaurant which packs your delivery, not the person who delivers it.

In the past year, the number of restaurants which deliver has increased enormously and that number has skyrocketed recently with many more restaurants now delivering in order to retain staff and keep their business afloat. Another new development is that a more pharmacies are now delivering also.

This is an extraordinary assistance to those who must get medicines and other necessities but who can’t travel to the pharmacy to pick them up.

In addition, if there are things you need but can’t travel to get them, Amazon and several other similar businesses deliver many things not available in grocery stores. There are also groups of volunteers who deliver for free.

Check to see if nearby churches have this service.

All things considered, we are going to weather this challenge and will be OK in the end, even though sheltering in place isn’t always easy. +

The Medical Examiner is what is known as a

GOLDILOCKS PUBLICATION At 16 pages every issue, we’re just right.

APRIL 3, 2020

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

MEDICALEXAMINER

ADVENTURES IN

Middle Age

APRIL 3, 2020

Have I got a tale for you! It was the greatest anywhere else where deadly and venomous adventure of my life and I’ve been wanting creatures congregate — although I usually to share it for a long time, but I only recently leave it in the car when I go into Walmart. mustered up the courage to relive my har Fortunately, the day before this trip I had rowing experience through the written word. watched an episode of MacGyver. Just before I was deep in the swamps of South Georgia I lost consciousness I remembered that he when made a concoction using 2 blueberries and a HeyI! witnessed This is JB Collum Jr, and I’m taking over this stor y today. Dad left his laptop unattended and I Hey! decided to put in my thoughts this wee k. Don’t worr y about his adventure, I alrea dy read it over and This is JBC Jr, and I’m taking over this story it had no medical information. If you’re really interested, the long and the shor t of it is, don’t trust a today.

Dad left his laptop unattended and I dekayak tour guide who looks like an allig ator in stripped over alls.

I was of all cided to put in my week. Don’t hed as related in previous stories in this col Wha t I wan t to thoughts talk about this are the constant dangers of “Dr. Google” and how Adventu worry about adventure, I already read it umn.

While we can never say res with absolute my human dignity Age can in Mid dle be his far mor e comfortable when you do what your doctor what tells you to do.

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Brace yourself pills at the same time.

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Mak cision.

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Don’t do what I did!

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sam e way mig time .

One ht be to frame it as them helping you to stay on ...I traclater k. Thislearned way youthat can itsetwasn’t was don’t even take Lipitor, even kayak at up a rout what saying, ine,asee they are “I takin g, and helpneed themtoif they “forget” something. all! And thus concludes the greatest adventure it isn’t really helping me anyway.” Mother

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of my life. Until next time, my friends!

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This newspaper is delivered to more than

BY J.B. COLLUM

brought up some he dismissed -JBC Jr out.

Back toconcerns, Dad’s storbut y now. them with his “well founded” had been underwater for maybe two minutes.

I thought my lungs were about to explode, but the gator still had me in its jaws. Correction: two gators. But at that point, who’s counting?

I managed to reach the machete I always have with me whenever I’m deep in the swamps or

948 HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS

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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

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APRIL 3, 2020

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Read it for life.

APRIL 3, 2020

The

Advice Doctor ©

Will he ever get one right?

Probably not.

Never reads the Examiner

Reads the Examiner occasionally

Always reads the Examiner

ON PAPER. ONLINE.

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Questions.

And answers.

On page 13.

IT’SYOURTURN! Your turn for what? To tell the tale of your medical experiences for Medicine in the First Person. With your help, we’d like to make this a feature in every issue of the Medical Examiner. After all, everybody has a story of something health- or medicine-related, and lots of people have many stories. Send your interesting (or even semi-interesting) stories to the Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903 or e-mail to Dan@AugustaRx.com. See our “No Rules Rules” below. Thanks!

“My leg was broken in three places.”

“This was on my third day in Afghanistan.” “I lost 23 pounds.”

“We had triplets.” “He was just two when he died.”

“The smoke detector woke me up.” “It took “She saved 48 stitches.” my life.”

“I sure learned my lesson.”

“The cause was a mystery for a long time.”

“The nearest hospital “They took me to the hospital by helicopter.”

“I retired from medicine was 30 miles away.”

“I thought, ‘Well, this is it’.” seven years ago.”

“Now THAT hurt!”

“OUCH!”

“Turned out it was only indigestion.”

“He doesn’t remember a thing.” “I’m not supposed to be alive.” “It was a terrible tragedy.”

“And that’s when I fell.” NOTHING SEEMED “The ambulance crashed.” “It was my first year “At first I thought it was something I ate.” TO HELP, UNTIL... “It seemed like a miracle.” of medical school.”

Everybody has a story. Tell us yours.

Here’s our “No Rules Rules.” We’ll publish your name and city, or keep you anonymous. Your choice. Length? Up to you. Subject? It can be a monumental medical event or just a stubbed toe. It can make us laugh or make us cry. One thing we’re not interested in, however: please, no tirades against a certain doctor or hospital. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

APRIL 3, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

7 +

GARDENVARIETY

Mexican Rice Salad is the perfect budget-friendly salad bursting with flavor and is a hearty dish that is made with black beans, whole grain brown rice, and fresh, colorful veggies all tossed in a zesty cilantro-lime dressing.

This salad is simple to make and perfect to serve cold as a side dish salad or warm as a vegan main course. The whole grain fiber-packed brown rice makes it very filling and nutritious. A quick tip: I like to use Success Boil in Bag Rice for this recipe.

The rice turns out perfect each time I cook it, and it’s quick and easy to make. I always keep several boxes on hand. Brown rice, unlike white rice, has the hull (a hard protective covering) removed, leaving the nutrient-packed bran and germ. This results in the brown rice retaining its nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The tomatoes are packed with lycopene, an antioxidant that helps prevent cancer cells from developing and spreading.

Be sure and use a colorful variety of bell peppers to make this salad festive. I like to use red, green, yellow, and orange. One medium red bell pepper has 169% of our daily vitamin C needs and is packed with B6, K1 folate, and potassium.

This is a salad your entire family will enjoy, and you can feel good about serving a healthy meal. Be sure and make a lot so you can have leftovers, it keeps several days in the refrigerator.

Mexican Rice Salad Dressing Ingredients • 3 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil • 2 tablespoons lime juice • 1/2 teaspoon lime zest • 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

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Mexican Rice Salad • 1 teaspoon cumin • 1-1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic Salad Ingredients • 2 1/2 cups cool cooked brown rice • 1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed • 1 cup chopped variety of red, orange, yellow and green bell pepper • 1/2 cup of Roma tomato cut into small cubes • 1/4 cup tomatillos cut into small cubes • 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped, seeds removed • 1 cup shoepeg frozen corn that has been blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds then drained with cold water.

• 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion Instructions Prepare dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk

GROVETOWN

together olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, cumin, and garlic. Allow to sit while preparing the rest of the salad so the flavors can infuse.

Mix main ingredients: In a medium-size bowl, add cool brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, jalapeños, corn, and onion.

Toss with dressing: Pour dressing over the rice and vegetables, toss well to evenly coat.Add salt and pepper to taste. +

by Gina Dickson, an Augusta mom to six and Gigi to ten. Her website, intentionalhospitality. com, celebrates gathering with friends, cooking great healthy meals and sharing life around the table. Also on Instagram @ intentionalhospitality

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

ASK DR. KARP

NO NONSENSE

NUTRITION Dionda from Dothan, Alabama, asks: “I am worried about the coronavirus, so I’m storing food for my husband, our two young children and myself in case we have to self-quarantine.

Do you have suggestions about which foods I should buy, especially ones that have a longer storage life?”

Thanks for the question, Dionda. Many people have increased feelings of food insecurity these days. And there are foods that are more stable over long periods of time and

are more suitable for storing.

Let me give you some examples. I guess you might call this column “Coronavirus Nutrition 101.”

I do want to mention that one important consideration when you are storing foods is to make sure that you include foods from all food groups.

Coronavirus or not, the fact is that you and your family still need to meet all your daily nutrition requirements.

This means that you need to collect foods from 1) the grains/cereal/bread group, 2) the fruit/vegetable group, 3) the protein/meat group and 4) the dairy group. Today, of course, we are not living in covered wagons on the prairie. With modern refrigeration and freezing, storing food for longer periods of time becomes a pretty easy thing to do.

First, let’s consider the grains/cereals/breads food group. Softer grains, like barley, quinoa and rye can last up to 8 years in sealed packages.

Harder grains, like buckwheat, can last 10–12 years. White rice, properly stored, can last up to 20 years. Although brown rice is healthier, it lasts only a few months because of its slightly increased fat content, which can go rancid.

Dry cereals can last for quite a while. For example, boxed dry oatmeal can last up to 2 years. When you buy breads, keep them either refrigerated or frozen. So with regards to

the grains/cereals/bread group, there’s flexibility when considering which ones to buy for long-term use. The best grains, cereals and breads are whole grain and whole wheat. By the way, dry, boxed pasta from the supermarket can last up to 2 years past the “best by” date on the package.

Frozen or canned fruits and veggies can last for a very long term. If you buy canned fruits and veggies, get the ones that are lower in salt and sugar.

Another alternative is to pour the contents of the cans into a strainer and rinse with water for a few seconds prior to use.

As with any canned foods, be on the lookout for signs of botulism. Do not use canned food if the can is leaking or bulging or if it looks damaged or abnormal. If in doubt, throw it out. Canned food can last for 1–3 years.

You do not have to limit yourself to frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, however.

Some fresh produce can keep for longer periods of time, including apples, oranges, cabbage, pomegranates, broccoli,

APRIL 3, 2020

cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, winter squash and green peppers. Store them at proper temperatures and under proper conditions.

What about the protein group? There are lots of choices here, too. Fish and red meat keep very well in the freezer. In addition, canned fish and meats, like tuna, salmon and chicken have very long shelf lives. Legumes are great sources of protein. Dried beans and lentils, properly stored, can last up to 5 years. You can also buy canned beans like red beans, black beans and white beans. Eggs are another nutritious source of protein.

The protein is in the egg white, not the yolk. Liquid eggs, egg whites or egg substitutes can be frozen.

What about milk? Powdered milk can last up to 25 years as long as it is sealed and dry.

Yes, I know you just made a face, but it is a great source of calcium, especially if you are limited in your food sources.

Let me give you a hint to make powdered milk taste better. If you make it up glass-by-glass,

it tastes awful. Instead, make it up in a quart pitcher and put the pitcher in the refrigerator to get it nice and cold. Although it won’t taste like fresh milk, I assure you, it will taste better.

Fresh milk can be frozen for up to 3 months or longer.

Freeze the milk in smaller quantities so that it freezes faster and better preserves the nutrients in the milk. Although the appearance, taste, or smell of the milk might be altered by freezing and defrosting, be assured that the nutritional content is stable. Buying low fat or skim milk is not only healthier, but it is better for freezing, since fat does not separate from the milk during the freezing process. Beware of canned, evaporated milk. It can be very high fat and high saturated fat. At home, when a recipe calls for evaporated milk, we always buy the low fat or skim evaporated milk.

What is the “No-Nonsense” coronavirus nutrition advice for today? Simply this: when you are squirreling food away, don’t forget to make sure you store foods from ALL the food groups. The fact is that, virus or not, your nutrition needs and those of your family, still must be met and this is insured by eating the proper variety of food. This principle applies when collecting food during any emergency. +

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. 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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APRIL 3, 2020

Ask a Dietitian

9 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

WHEN CARS DREAM

WHY ARE GROCERY STORE SHELVES EMPTY? An opportunity for sharing, not hoarding

by Tracey Neely, MS, RDN, LD

As a child one of our earliest lessons was how to share with others. Sharing cookies or toys was a gift, an investment in others and yourself.

A good deed to be returned in kind. For our community to thrive during this health crisis, we can’t take more resources than we need and limit access to others. We have to share, not hoard or stockpile food.

For healthcare workers on the frontlines of this crisis, getting to a grocery store is a luxury. They are spending their days taking care of the sick in hospitals and managing disease in health clinics across the CSRA to prevent this situation from spreading more. Many of the healthcare workers are your neighbors, friends and they may be taking care of you soon.

Keeping a 1-2 week supply of food on hand is reasonable, but hoarding is not.

Hoarding food means that people are buying more than they need for the next week or two. They are not sharing the food supply. In the past week, I’ve interviewed local grocery stores who confirm that we have plenty of food and supplies coming into grocery stores regularly. This is our opportunity to set the right example for our kids and our community…..let’s share.

Tips for grocery shopping responsibly First, buy only what you need for the week.

Make a list of items to purchase, but be prepared if you can’t find every item.

You CAN substitute ingredients. Be creative with the foods and resources that you already have in your home.

Limit yourself. Don’t buy more than 1 or 2 of each item. Leave some for your neighbor; that’s sharing.

Make an extra plate. We all know someone who lives alone or works in healthcare.

When you are cooking or preparing a meal for yourself or your family, make an extra plate and take it to them.

Call ahead and leave it at their door with a kind note.

Grocery shop for a group.

Be a good neighbor and friend. When you plan to make your once a week trip to the grocery store, call your neighbors, friends, healthcare workers. Ask them what you can pick up for them. One trip to the store can serve many people.

Before you go shopping, check out this YouTube video: https://www. youtube.com/embed/ avxj2pKzBE4?rel=0&showinfo=0&modestbranding=0&wmode=transparent Keep in mind, we’re in a healthcare crisis, not a FOOD crisis. However, people who hoard and stockpile food

are creating a situation that limits access to food and household supplies. Show our community you care….

SHARE don’t hoard.

Instead of Hoarding, we should eat food in SEASON. That’s when it’s most abundant. Vidalia onion season officially starts April 16, 2020. Due to their limited growing season, they will only be available for a few months. Enjoy them while they are in season. Many farmers are accepting pre-orders and will deliver FARMTO-DOOR. Below is a list of farmers that I recommend.

• Herndon Farms - www. vidaliasfinest.com • M & T Farms - www.vidaliaonions.com • Pittman’s Family Farms https://pittmansfamilyfarmandcountrymarket.com/ • McClain Farms - www.facebook.com/mcclainfarms With fresh Georgia-Grown Vidalias, you can make these quick and simple recipes (See p. 16) that require very few ingredients. I’ve provided ingredient substitutions if needed. I hope you’ll enjoy these recipes, but more importantly, I hope you will share them with a neighbor, friend or healthcare worker.

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

CRASH

COURSE

More Americans have died on US roads since 2000 than in World Wars I & II combined

Suddenly and unexpectedly we are living in the golden age of pedestrians. It may not last too long, but right now, seven days a week, neighborhood streets are seeing more kids, parents and grandparents taking walks than any time in recent memory. We need something to fill our time and avoid sitting on the couch the entire day, right?

At the same time, vehicular traffic is at an all-time low. Every day is like Sunday morning.

Combine the two and it seems like the perfect recipe for greatly improved road safety. Then again, sometimes looks can be deceiving. We’re a lot more vigilant when traffic is heavy, but we might let our guard down when traffic is as light as it has been lately.

Back in pre-pandemic days, a disturbing trend was steadily building: pedestrian deaths were increasing nationally year after year.

More pedestrians and cyclists were killed in 2018 than in any year since 1990. Deaths of pedestrians have jumped by 42% in the last decade even as the combined number of all other traffic deaths has fallen by 8%.

Locally, pedestrian fatalities in Georgia have increased every year except one (2014) since 2011. In the 8-year period between 2011 and 2018, pedestrian deaths have more than doubled, from 130 in 2011 to 261 in 2018.

In South Carolina, an SC DOT annual report in 2018 showed a 60 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities between 2013 and 2017, jumping from 100 deaths to 160 during that 5-year span.

Most agencies studying this trend have identified distracted driving as the #1 culprit. Translation: using cell phones while driving. Fortunately, Georgia law prohibits even touching a device while driving. Unfortunately, many drivers seem to completely and openly ignore the law.

In South Carolina, it is illegal to text while driving, but talking on a cell phone, hands-free or otherwise, is not prohibited.

While there are a number of circumstances where the law gives pedestrians the right of way, as a general rule it’s of little benefit to be 100 percent in the right but 100 percent dead.

Because of that, pedestrians need to take responsibility for their own safety. Unlike drivers, people on foot are not protected by a seatbelt and airbags and surrounded by a steel cage.

How can pedestrians protect themselves?

For starters, see and be seen. How many times have you been sitting at a red light and watched a pedestrian cross in front of your stopped car while they’re texting or otherwise staring at a screen? That is not seeing. It’s essentially walking blind. Being engaged enough to make eye contact with motorists is a great idea while driving, and it’s an even better idea when walking. See with your own two eyes that they’ve seen you.

Another way to make sure you see is to walk against traffic.

Even on quiet neighborhood streets, you don’t want to turn your back to oncoming cars. Facing traffic is much safer.

(Obviously the best option is to walk on sidewalks, but most neighborhoods don’t have them.)

To be seen might seem like a given, particularly if you’re walking in broad daylight. But law or no law, plenty of drivers are not giving their full attention to the task at hand. They might be taking a selfie for all you know. In fact, some drivers who would never post to Facebook or Instagram while speeding down I-20 at 70 mph might think nothing of it on the quite streets of their subdivision, the very place where you and your family are walking. So never assume you’ve been seen. Be alert. Wear bright clothes. If you’re walking at night or in the evening or any other time when there is poor visibility, carry a flashlight and use it to alert drivers to your presence.

This is a great time of year to get out and walk, and it will be an even greater thing if we collectively carry over the habit into the post-pandemic period when it comes.

Let’s just do it safely. +

OUR NEXT ISSUE DATE: APRIL 17

APRIL 3, 2020

HUMAN BEHAVIOR ARE YOUR KIDS GOING STIR-CRAZY?

You’ve done the worksheets and homework with your kid, watched the teacher videos, spent time playing outdoors but six feet away from other people, watched the latest movies on

by Jeremy Hertza, Psy.D. Disney Plus—lots and lots of movies.

But have you talked to your child about what he or she is most worried about?

Now that we’re into week 3, it’s clear this may be our new normal for longer than we may have expected. So how do we continue to talk to our kids about what’s going on—and how can we help keep our families thriving?

• Stop the information overload. When something lifechanging happens, it’s just human nature for us to want to learn as much as we can and keep ourselves updated.

That’s how many of us process what’s going on and how we try to control what’s happening. But at some point, having the news on repeat for hours a day isn’t healthy for anyone.

It’s also not healthy for your kids to be exposed to information they may not be able to understand. Your child will feed off of things they’re exposed to—and will also feed off your anxiety. And don’t assume because children are busy playing that they’re not listening.

• Don’t assume what your kids know or don’t know. Maybe your child already knows about coronavirus and you’ve all talked about what’s going on. But do you know what your child thinks about all this? Kids don’t always volunteer information unless they’re asked, and it’s easy to assume you know what your child is thinking. If you haven’t already, it may be time to ask questions like, “What have you heard about what’s going on?” and “What do you think about what’s happening?” or “What would you like to know about what’s going on?”

• Be honest—but don’t overexplain. You want to encourage your child by asking what they want to know, but when they do ask, just answer the question. Say your child asks if grandma or grandpa will be OK. You can explain that yes, that’s why they’re staying safe in their house. Then, you can say, “Is there anything else you want to know?”

• Maintain your usual schedule. As best you can, keep routines normal. That could mean schoolwork during the day, lunch and snacks at the usual times, naps, and playtime just before dinner and bed. While it’s OK to enjoy some vacation time when kids are out of school, routines do provide comfort and stability, and the more you can help them feel normal right now, the better.

• Give them a stress outlet. We’re all living under more stress than we’re used to. And worse, our stress outlets are limited because we can’t hit the gym, spend all afternoon at the mall, or go to Chuck E. Cheese or that jumping place.

Instead, figure out fun ways for them to work off energy, whether that’s running around the backyard, helping to put together a new “study” room in the house, or staying connected with friends through texting, walkie talkie, or limited social contact.

• Finally, if your child is frustrated by all these new rules and the lack of activity—face it, we already felt it just a few days in—make sure you have a plan in place to handle that.

Expect the tantrums and the pushback, and figure out together what we can do to safely redirect, whether that’s planning a biking get-together with a friend, online shopping together, or just having a family movie night. Even though many of us are apart, we all need to keep in mind that there’s still a lot we can do together. + Jeremy Hertza, Psy.D., is a neuropsychologist and the executive director of NeuroBehavioral Associates, LLC, in Augusta. Contact him at 706-823-5250 or info@ nbageorgia.com.

APRIL 3, 2020

11 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Rada Jones, MD on March 24, 2020 (edited for space)

THE QUESTION THAT KEEPS ME AWAKE I roll in my bed, unable to sleep. I listen to BBC talk about the craziness that’s taken over the world, and I’m preoccupied with one question.

What question?

It’s not: “Why, Corona?” For that, I already have more answers than I want.

It isn’t: “What’s going to happen?” Better minds than mine have tackled that issue.

It’s nothing to do with the markets.

They’ll take years to recover. Recover they will, eventually The question that keeps me up at night is: Why toilet paper of all things?

You may think that’s funny, and maybe it is. But I’m serious.

This is happening everywhere in the world. People clean out store shelves like the apocalypse is coming for a disease with no digestive manifestations. As in, you won’t over-poop.

Why? Because people are stupid? I don’t think so. Some experts say that people need to feel in control. That makes sense. But then, why TP? Why not toothpaste? Chocolate?

Pizza? Ice-cream? Wine? Heating fuel? Gasoline? Canned goods?

For full disclosure, let me tell you: I’m an expert in stockpiling. I’ve lived in Communist Romania. Our phone would ring at 6 a.m.: “They’re bringing toilet paper this afternoon. The corner of Republicii with Armata Rosie. I’ll hold you a place. Half an hour, no more.”

Other times it was sugar; lemons; laundry detergent. If you think you’re an expert in stockpiling, I can out-expert you most days of the week. I take Mondays off.

Back to my point: why toilet paper? Here’s what I came up with. Feel free to add.

1. It serves a basic need. People poop and pee. In our society, keeping clean is a must. Chinese started using paper for this purpose in the 6th century. The west took its time: Joseph Gayetty invented toilet paper in 1857, but splinter-free toilet paper didn’t come until 1935.

2. People need to feel in control. Buying TP checks one thing off a long, scary list.

3. Toilet paper takes up a lot of room. You feel like you got a lot for your money. One pack will fill a cart, and make a dent on that shelf. Things like tuna or coffee won’t look like much.

4. It’s affordable. A family can stock up on six months of toilet paper for $40. Think about what it costs to stock up on six months of wine, ice-cream, steaks, or gas.

5. It doesn’t need refrigeration. That’s good, since the fridge is already full.

6. It has so many uses. Cleaning your privates sure, but also blowing your nose, cleaning after the dog, cleaning the kid’s paintbrushes, or using it as a napkin like Thai people do.

7. It doesn’t go bad. If this pandemic ever goes away, you can still use it next year.

8. If you have to be stuck inside for months, you’d rather be stuck with companions sporting clean assets.

9. You can trade it. A roll of TP may be worth a case of beer or a gallon of ice-cream these days.

10. It’s almost gone since everybody has stocked up on it.

You don’t want to be the only one using newspaper. Let alone having your kids share that detail with their friends. So you buy that last pack.

11. We’re social creatures. We’re inclined to do the same thing others do. What if they know something you don’t? To be on the safe side you yield to the wisdom of the crowd.

So there are many good reasons for intelligent, decent people to fight for toilet paper. Most of them would give you some if you really need it. If you have more than you need, give away a roll or two to somebody in need. It’ll feel good.

Plus, you never know when they’ll come back and return the favor with something you really, really need. Like bone marrow or Netflix. +

Of all things, why toilet paper?

Rada Jones is an emergency physician

The Sick Rose has been described as a coffee table book you wouldn’t want to leave lying around in plain sight — on your coffee table, for instance.

Various descriptions of this book include words and phrases like “squirminducing,” “grotesquely alluring,” “fascinating yet gruesome,” “appalling yet brilliant,” “morbidly beautiful,” and “not for squeamish readers.”

Without reading another word, you already know one of two things about this book: it’s either, “I must have it” or “This is not my cup of tea.”

“Coffee table book,” by the way, doesn’t mean that it’s oversized (it’s 7 inches by 10 inches), but that it is lavishly illustrated, replete with 354 illustrations, 345 of them in all their sometimes gory fullcolor glory.

We have to remember that not every medical practitioner down through the ages has had the good fortune to live in an age of high-resolution color photography, let alone 3-D MRI, CT and other forms of

digital imaging.

Not that long ago, medical illustrations were the only game in town, and they were an indispensable tool in teaching medicine and helping to make diagnoses as accurate as possible. Medical illustration continues to be an incredibly useful tool to this day.

But this volume, a combination medical/art/ history book, is about what was perhaps the golden age of medical illustration. It’s not just that the illustrations are all pre-photography; it’s also that they were borne of the golden age of disease, too. Medical illustrators of the nineteenth century were

kept busy by poor hygiene in burgeoning slums driven by growing industrialization, with a side of epidemics like tuberculosis, syphilis, cholera and diphtheria thrown in for good measure.

At the same time, medical knowledge was expanding too, and the field of public health was born during the nineteenth century. It all added up to a perfect storm for medical illustrators, and massive amounts of their efforts have been preserved.

The illustrations in this book are just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, Britain’s Wellcome Library and Wellcome Images has such a vast catalog of images that The Sick Rose is envisioned as just the first of an entire series of lavishly illustrated books chronicling the medical illustrator’s art.

In other words, there will be more of these books to collect — or more of them to avoid. + The Sick Rose, or Disease and the Art of Medical Illustration

by Richard Barnett, 256 pages, published in May 2014 by D.A.P./ Distributed Art Publishers

Research News Nothing to do? Better change that!

Have you ever noticed that some people who seem perfectly healthy and active go into a tailspin shortly after they retire? Sometimes they’re dead within a year even though they seemed just fine before retirement.

The American Psychological Association (APA) published new research in mid-March pointing to accelerated cognitive decline among people after retirement when they have not found new goals and interests to pursue. The study has added relevance right now, with countless millions of people forcibly and indefinitely separated from their normal routines. Many people are working from home and continue to be actively occupied. Nothing much has changed except the location of their work. Others may be in chaotic circumstances because their home is fully occupied 24/7. Still others, however, are

facing suddenly empty days (and weeks) with no job, no outside interests, no hobbies, no social interactions, all with no end in sight.

Getting back to the APA study, their research found that retired women who had a tendency to disengage from challenging tasks and goals, especially after encountering obstacles or experiencing setbacks, were most likely to experience cognitive decline.

Curiously, no post-retirement cognitive differences in men were noted, even if they were prone to disengage from challenging tasks.

Study authors noted that not everyone who retires is at risk for cognitive decline, but that nearly everyone has access to mentally stimulating activities in retirement. But those activities need to be “selfinitiated and autonomously maintained.”

That’s research-speak for “We’ve got to do this ourselves.”

Century-old lessons A professor at Loyola University Chicago who has extensively reviewed published data about the 19181919 Spanish flu pandemic says U.S. cities that adopted early and broad isolation and prevention measures such as closing schools and churches, mandatory mask wearing, and banning mass gatherings experienced 30 to 50 percent lower disease and death rates compared to cities that enacted fewer and later restrictions.

As is true today, not everyone during the Spanish flu pandemic believed that strict measures were appropriate, effective, or necessary.

An estimated 675,000 people died in the U.S. from the Spanish flu, but the cities which took the threat most seriously, which included San Francisco, St. Louis, Kansas City and Milwaukee, saved countless lives. +

+ 12

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners

APRIL 3, 2020

THE MYSTERY WORD

+

What’s that look on your face for?

You know that sexy nurse outfit you have?

by Dan Pearson

From last Halloween?

What about it?

Are we feeling a little No, we need bread and toilet paper. They’ll sell it frisky today? to you if you’re a nurse.

Put it on for me.

The Mystery Word for this issue: HMTBU

© 2020 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

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

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

1

2

3

4

13

5 14

17

6

7

16

18

19 23

24

27

10

11

12

E X A M I 8 N E 9 R

25 28

32 36

37

38

39

42 47

48

51 55 59 66

60

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

61

67

70

2 5

9 2 7 9 7 3 6

1 5 4 1

4

S U D O K U

3 8

4

8 7 6 4 3 1

6

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 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.

73

QUOTATIONPUZZLE

32. Medicinal quantity 34. _____ lab 35. Exclamation of surprise 37. Suffering sound 38. Doing nothing 39. Street in 5-D 44. Ernie of the PGA 45. The Secret of _____ (1982 film) 47. Grand hotel of yore in Augusta 48. Ambulance worker 50. Looped 51. One bone of many like it 52. Jacket color?

53. Bay 54. Legendary NFL quarterback 55. Old name for white poplar 56. Medical prefix 59. Sörenstam org.

60. College department head 61. Cheerful tune 63. Reagan-era defense 65. Scull power 67. Gull or cat cry

W U A M N Y N U T S R I O E O E E ’ I E B D A R N S L T R O O N E O D T I H V D E

O G U P N N D

5 4 1 6 E 2 C 8 3T 9 7

8 9 3 7 5 1 4 2 6

6 2 7 4 3 9 1 8 5

— Amelia Earhart

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 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.

Solution p. 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

3

4

5

G 6 7

R 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

U 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11

1

1 2 3 4

2

’

L 1 2 3 4 M 1 2 3 4

3

1 2 3 1 2

1

2

3

P 1 2

1.CUTTTTRINGIL 2.NEETHHUIPIOO 3.SKEMAARTTS 4.TEEELOH 5.MISI 6.ZNN 7.GIA 8.AT 9.I 10.O 11.N

SAMPLE:

1. ILB 2. SLO 3. VI 4. NE 5. D =

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 © 2020 All rights reserved

BY

9

15

20 21 22 ACROSS 1. South American Indian 26 5. Sounds of contentment 29 30 31 9. Word with stone or football 33 34 35 13. Friday intro sometimes 15. Curtain material?

40 41 16. Sexual assault crime 43 44 45 46 17. Finely ground grain 18. Late Laker 49 50 19. Harbinger 52 53 54 20. Coniferous evergreen 56 57 58 21. “I hear they are an ____” 23. A matter of fact lead-in 62 63 64 65 25. Last word in a Sendak title 68 69 26. _____-Bifida 27. He served before Tillerson 71 72 29. George of Augusta’s WJBF

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved.

32. Technical name for two 33. Loud unpleasant sound 71. Sun god of 1-A 34. Dove call 72. Mariel’s daughter 36. Dwight’s wife 73. Desire 40. Failure 41. School at AU (abbrev) DOWN 42. Room within a harem 1. Uncertain 43. Merlin, NFL Hall of Famer 2. World’s longest river 46. Lower digit 3. Type of bar?

47. Jennifer of “Flashdance” 4. Acronym before AU 49. An undead creature 5. County next to Richmond 51. Trump’s least favorite 6. Fragrance Republican?

7. ____-nob 52. Gadget (var.)

8. Furtive 54. Swoon 9. To follower?

56. As needed, medically 10. ______ Building (downtown) 57. Hello there 11. Mimicry 58. Swedish pop group 12. Type of pool?

59. It’s bad (abbrev.)

14. Off the wall hit?

62. Long fish 22. Stroke abbreviation 64. His Sea Island house just 24. Clothing joint burned 26. Distress signal 66. Louvre pyramid architect 28. Dietary abbreviation 68. Walter, Army surgeon 29. Medical prefix 69. Tiger’s dad 30. Name of a downtown Bar 70. ________ Cinemas 31. Patients at CHOG

WORDS NUMBER

8

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, APR. 13, 2020

3 8 9 1 6 5 2 7 4

2 5 4 3 8 7 9 6 1

7 1 6 9 4 2 8 5 3

APRIL 3, 2020

13 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...

D

ue to the coronavirus and subsequent orders to stay at home, this installment of The Best Medicine will include only inside jokes.

Moe: What’s E.T. short for?

Joe: Because he’s got stubby little legs.

Moe: Here we are, weeks into self-isolation and it breaks my heart to see my wife stand at the living room window gazing aimlessly into space with tears running down her cheeks.

Joe: Yeah, it’s tough on some people.

Moe: Don’t get me wrong, I empathize with her. I’ve considered letting her in many times.

Joe: But rules are rules, right?

Two Jewish guys are walking past a Catholic church when they see a sign in front that says, “Convert to Christianity and we’ll give you $100!”

The first guy asks, “Should we do it?” The other says, “Are you crazy? No!” But the first guy says, “Hey, a hundred bucks is a hundred bucks. I’m gonna do it.” So he walks into the church and little while later comes back out. “Well,” the friend asks, “did you get the money?” The first guy says, “That’s all you people think about, isn’t it?”

The

Advice Doctor

Moe: I came home from work and the cake in my refrigerator was gone. Stolen!

Joe: This wouldn’t happen if you were working from home.

Moe: Whatever! And where the cake had been was a note that said, “I broke into your house and saw the cake in your fridge and couldn’t resist. I didn’t steal anything else, just the cake. Sorry.”

Joe: What kind of a burglar steals a cake?

Moe: I know, right? I’ve had thieves steal my car and take my bike. I’ve had thieves swipe packages off my porch. They’ve cleaned out my mailbox. They’ve stolen my lawn mower.

But this one. This one takes the cake.

Moe: Before you criticize a person, walk a mile in their shoes.

Joe: I’ve heard that a million times and I still don’t understood it.

Moe: It’s simple. If you follow that advice, when you do criticize them you’re a mile away and have their shoes.

Moe: Normally I hate negativity.

Joe: But not now?

Moe: Believe me, Joe, this is no time to be around positive people.

Moe: How is Romeo and Juliet like this current pandemic?

Joe: I give. How? Moe: One’s a coronavirus the other is a Verona crisis.

Moe: Why is there no coronavirus in Antarctica?

Joe: Because they’re ice-olated. +

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?

Staring at my phone all day has had no Effect on ME!

Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day.

©

Dear Advice Doctor, I understand that everyone is being affected by this virus, and a lot of people are being forced to make difficult decisions. Where I work (I’m on the wait staff at a popular restaurant), about 75% of the staff has been laid off, including me. What has me seeing red is that I’ve been there 5 years, and two of the people still working have only been there a couple months.

Is that even legal?

— I used to wait; now I’m waiting to wait Dear Waiting, I wish I could help you. Situations like yours are so frustrating, especially now with all these layoffs and social distancing. Had anyone on the planet had ever even heard of the term social distancing six weeks ago?

When you get right down to it, coronavirus is really not the issue here, but without examining you I don’t know exactly what is. I’ve seen red in plenty of eyes this time of year caused by pollen. Allergies and hay fever are alsol common causes. Then there are scratches (corneal abrasions, technically speaking), foreign objects in the eye that cause irritation, and various diseases and disorders of the eye too.

One of the most common reasons for seeing red when it comes to the eyes is the old subconjunctival hemorrhage, aka a broken blood vessel in the eye.

Usually this is a completely benign condition, and it’s also painless. You might not even know you have one until someone makes a comment about it, or you look in the mirror and see that the white of your eye (the sclera) is sporting a bright red splotch.

It can look pretty fearsome, but usually it doesn’t even affect vision.

How does something this happen? The cause can be trauma, like a car accident or getting hit in the eye by a ball (in which case you would probably want to have a doctor take a look to make sure there are no complications or other injuries). More often it’s triggered by violent coughing or sneezing, vomiting or straining, or even simply rubbing your eye too roughly.

Diabetics, people with high blood pressure, and those taking blood-thinning medication can be at greater risk for having a subconjunctival hemorrhage.

I hope this answers your question. Thanks for writing! + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about health, 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.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICALEXAMINER +

+

Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #138

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!

NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP Choose six months for $20____ or one year for $36 ____. Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903-0397

BEFORE READING

AFTER READING

+ 14

THE MYSTERY SOLVED

THE PUZZLE SOLVED

— Amelia Earhart

...cleverly hidden on the hammer in the p. 9 ad for MELCHER & CO. MAINTENANCE

WORDS

BY NUMBER “Nothing cures insomnia like the SEE PAGE 12

The Celebrated TheSUDOKUsolution MYSTERY WORD CONTEST

...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.

Love to stare at your phone?

Visit issuu.com/ medicalexaminer and stare away.

QuotatioN QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION “Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done.”

The Mystery Word in our last issue was: URGENT

THE WINNER: DEXTER BEATON! Want to find your name here next time? If it is, we’ll send you some cool swag from our goodie bag. The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!

APRIL 3, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

realization that it’s time to get up.”

— Author unknown

+

READ EVERY ISSUE ONLINE WWW.ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER

APRIL 3, 2020

IT’S A QUESTION OF CARE How do I relieve stress when caring for my aging parents?

by Amy Hane, a licensed Master Social Worker in South Carolina and Georgia, an Advanced Professional Aging Life Care Manager and a Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager.

15 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Caring for aging parents can present a myriad of situations in which you are faced with decisions that you have never contemplated before. It can be draining on you emotionally and physically. Therefore, you must work to balance caring for them with your own needs.

• Hire respite care. Options would be hiring in-home care, assisted living placement for either a temporary period of time, such as for a vacation, or perhaps long term with the understanding that you will visit as often as possible. You may also have to consider a nursing home if you loved one’s needs are very extensive and medically based.

• Attend a caregivers’ support group. These come in many shapes and sizes and often are specific to the medical condition that your loved one has, but sometimes they’re just general caregiver support groups. You can typically find listings for these in the local Medical publications, through the Agency on Aging and also in your church bulletin.

• Consider hiring an Aging Lifecare Manager if you feel like you need a higher level of expertise to help you navigate caring for an elderly parent.

The Aging Lifecare Manager’s role is to help guide, educate, counsel and support you through the decision-making process and implementation of care for your loved one. Essentially, they do for you what you do not have the time and expertise to do, all the while partnering with you in areas in which you feel comfortable.

• Don’t forget the family and friends who have in the past offered to help (if they have actually offered). Make a list of these people and call on them intermittently. Be careful not to overuse their assistance, but know they are available to help you when needed. +

To WILD WING CAFE & SCRUBS OF EVANS They’re the prize sponsors of our Mystery Word Contest.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +

ACUPUNCTURE

Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road 706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com

ALLERGY Tesneem K. Chaudhary, MD Allergy & Asthma Center 3685 Wheeler Road, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555

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

DENTISTRY

Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048

IN-HOME CARE

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445

DERMATOLOGY

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

LONG TERM CARE

Georgia Dermatology & WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! Augusta 30904 (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax) 706-733-3373 SKIN CANCER CENTER www.GaDerm.com

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS

PHARMACY

SLEEP MEDICINE

Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555

TRANSPORTATION AMBULANCE • STRETCHER • WHEELCHAIR

706-863-9800

VEIN CARE Vein Specialists of Augusta G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 706-854-8340 www.VeinsAugusta.com

Karen L. Carter, MD Medical Center West Pharmacy 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 465 North Belair Road Augusta 30901 Evans 30809 706-396-0600 Your Practice 706-854-2424 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo.

Parks Pharmacy Keep your contact information in this 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS convenient place seen by thousands of HARMACY N. Augusta 29841 patients every month.

Steppingstones to Recovery 803-279-7450 Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details!

2610 Commons Blvd. www.parkspharmacy.com Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

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+ 16

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

VIDALIAS… from page 9 VIDALIA ONION SOUP Servings 4 - 6 Ingredients 3 pounds (about 5 medium) Vidalia Onions, peeled and sliced thinly ¼ cup olive oil ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced 6 cups of beef broth ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves 2 cups shredded Swiss Gruyère cheese French multigrain baguette, sliced Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and saute’ stirring often until the onions are soft and darken in color, about 40 minutes.

Add beef stock slowly while scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add thyme and return to simmer. Simmer soup for 15-20 minutes. While soup is simmering, prepare the bread.

Preheat the oven to broil.

Slice the baguette diagonally into 1 inch slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 1-2 minutes on the first side.

Remove from the oven. Flip over the baguette slices and top with cheese. Put slices back in the oven until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stay close to the oven and watch the bread so you don’t burn it. Remove cheese bread from the oven.

Serve onion soup in bowls.

Top with toasted cheese baguette or place baguette alongside the soup for dipping. Enjoy!

Substitutions: Chicken or vegetable broth can be used instead of beef broth. Butter or other vegetable oil can be used instead of olive oil.

Oregano or Italian seasoning can be used instead of thyme. Use any melting cheese or bread you have on hand. Be creative. Use what you already have.

ART & FRAME

Custom Framing Custom Mirrors

APRIL 3, 2020

VIDALIA ONION CASSEROLE Servings 4-6 Ingredients 4 pounds (about 4-5 large) Vidalia Onions, peeled and sliced thinly 4 tablespoons butter 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano or italian seasoning Ritz Crackers - 30 individual crackers or 1 sleeve, crushed 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add sliced onions to the pan.

Sauté for 20-25 minutes until onions are soft, stirring often.

When onions have cooked. Add dried oregano. Stir. Remove from heat.

Spray 9 x 9 square casserole dish with non-stick spray. Layer in order: ½ onion mixture, ½ crackers, ½ cheese. Then layer the remaining ingredients in the same order.

Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve warm as a side dish to meat, fish or with eggs for brunch. This dish can be assembled in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to bake. + Tracey Neely is a registered dietitian, licensed in both Georgia and South Carolina. Tracey was raised in Toombs County, home of the Vidalia Onion, and is a proud supporter of this family farming community.

PRISON… from page 2

The moral of this story is that physical distancing and isolation really do work!

Although none of us are in prison, we can lock ourselves down and do our part to slow the transmission. If you are sick, STAY HOME! Don’t listen to peer pressure or feel like you are letting others down.

The worst thing you can do is contract something and then spread it to your friends, family, or the people you serve.

Also, wear a mask in public. It may not

keep you from contracting the virus but it may help keep your germs to yourself, protecting those around you. None of us know if we have the virus until testing is improved. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Thanks for listening to my ten tales of prison life. Keep an eye out for more possible episodes down the road. + — Jonathan

Proudly affiliated with Dr. John Cook of Southern Dermatology in Aiken

Art Installation Reframing

Gallery Moments Printing Services 526 Georgia Avenue • North Augusta • 803.441.0144

WIN A MUG! The world’s most salubrious mugs, crafted by artists at Augusta’s Tire City Potters, are part of the haul if you win the Mystery Word Contest! Plus gift certificates from Scrubs of Evans and Wild Wing Cafe!

LOOK FOR THE MYSTERY WORD HIDDEN IN EVERY ISSUE!

M.D. John Cook,

Pictured above (from left to right), John Cook, MD; Lauren Ploch, MD; Jason Arnold, MD; Caroline Wells, PA-C; Chris Thompson, PA-C

2110 Woodside Executive Court Aiken, South Carolina • 803-644-8900

SKIN CANCER CENTER

2283 Wrightsboro Road Augusta, Georgia • 706-733-3373

Skin Cancer Removal • Mohs Surgery • Routine Skin Exams • Mole Removal • Botox • Dermal Fillers

GENERAL, SURGICAL & COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY