Medical Examiner 6-21-24

EVERYTHING IS

It’s sometimes hard to know what to believe when it comes to health and wellness. A health product claims to provide a list of benefits: anti-aging properties, improvements in joint health, enhanced immune response, and much more.

The label clarifies that none of the health claims the prod-

uct says it offers have been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.

That minor detail does not matter even slightly to the people who use the product. They don’t need FDA approval to experience the product’s benefits. They’re sold.

Part of the reason for their zeal is the fact that they’ve

read plenty about this product and its many proven benefits from various sources online, including the product’s own website. Even better, they’re experiencing firsthand the benefits they’ve read about.

Meanwhile, millions of other people avoid the very same product due to the absence of the FDA’s stamp of approval. Before they shell out good money, they want to know that the medical community and independent clinical research has proven that actual benefits result from using the product. And that those benefits are not accompanied by unpleasant or dangerous side effects.

They’re experiencing the benefits of these research findings firsthand by avoiding the product.

The first group feels like it has the freedom to take advantage of the best nature has to offer without the need for government permission.

The second group feels like it’s taking advantage of the best science has to offer without the risk of using an untested, unproven product.

The first group uses Product A and avoids Product B; the second group avoids Product A and uses Product B

Both groups are happy with their choice. But which group is right? How can anyone make sure they’re making the best choices?

See page 11 for more.

WE HATE ABOUT HOSPITALS

1. There is nothing worse than being near a hospital when a helicopter lands, especially at a children’s hospital. Perhaps even atheists feel compelled to say a prayer at such a moment.

2. It is a sad sight indeed to see a blue gown-clad patient outside a hospital puffing on a cigarette as they amble down the sidewalk, dragging the pole holding their IV.

3. It’s even more lamentable to see doctors, nurses, or any scrubs-wearing healthcare personnel taking cigarette breaks outside medical offices. Seriously?

4. Yellow Jell-O.

5. When you share an elevator with family members bringing bags of greasy fried fast food up to their recuperating relatives in the hospital, do you ever think, this can’t be right?

6. Have you ever had the same thought when, as a hospital patient, a nurse comes in to check your vitals at 3 o’clock in the morning?

7. Following the slowest driver in the world up and around eight levels of a parking deck, knowing that if there is a single empty parking space left in the entire deck, they will take it.

8. Finding out that the parking deck you chose is the one farthest away from where you need to go.

9. Discovering that your post-op appointment is not at this office; it’s at the downtown or Evans or Aiken office.

10. Also, it was yesterday.

PARENTHOOD

by Dr. Warren Umansky, PhD

School will be starting again before you know it and you’re conflicted. On the one hand, getting your kids to bed on time and dragging them out of bed in the morning, preparing lunches, listening to their complaints about homework can make each day a nightmare. On the other hand, the kids will be out of the house and busy for at least seven hours each day so you can have quiet time. How can you resolve your conflicting emotions?

A. You’re struggling with your job as a parent. Don’t worry. The kids will be grown and out of the house soon.

B. Ask your sister if the school bus can drop the kids off at her house after school. Maybe she can do homework with the kids and feed them on as many days as possible.

C. Warn the children that things are going to be different once school starts, although you really don’t have a plan for what and how things will change.

D. Begin now to set expectations, structure and a schedule, even if school is still a few weeks away.

If you answered:

A. It is unfortunate that you don’t enjoy being a parent or appreciate your role guiding your children toward a successful future. But they are your children and your esponsibility. Ask your pediatrician for suggestions to build your parenting skills. Having more control will provide great satisfaction for you and greater success for the children.

B. Your sister may be willing to help out, but it’s not her job. Begin to think about how to organize time before and after school. Eliminating electronics during the school week is a good start, or using limited electronics as a privilege that is earned for meeting your high daily expectations of behavior and school performance. More about this below.

C. If the children are not doing well now, there’s no need to wait until school begins. There are resources in the community, on-line, and through the school to help you be a more successful parent. More below.

D. Yes, now is the time to implement the strategies that will make home life more pleasant and successful.

Consider some basic strategies to help prepare your children for school and to make them more responsible. Start the day with each child making his or her own bed (with some help from you if needed). It’s nice to begin the day with an accomplishment. Electronics should only be used as a privilege earned by good behavior, for completing chores without fussing, and for good school performance. Children should never take electronics to bed, and especially for most teens, should never be alone in their room with electronics. Teach your children to use respectful language with you and with each other. Be a good role model in that regard. There should be reading and writing time each day during the summer before they earn the privilege of going outdoors to play or getting 30 minutes of screen time. (Children will be more likely to want to go outdoors when they don’t have an option of screen time during the day!) Have a schedule during the day and an early bedtime that can be staggered (youngest goes to bed first, etc.). This is a good start and you should see success quickly if you are consistent and calm.

Dr. Umansky has a child behavioral health practice in Augusta.

MEDICAL MYTHOLOGY

FOOD MISCONCEPTIONS

Prepare to have many of your most cherished beliefs about healthy eating dashed to the ground.

Just so you know we’re serious and can back up our opening sentence with facts, consider this statement:

A plant-based diet is not necessarily a healthy diet

True.

Many of the most unhealthy foods around are plant-based. Did you read this column in our May 17 issue? It was all about cereals, which are often nothing more than creative ways to make sugar crunchy.

French fries are absolutely plant-based. Ditto for white rice and white bread and chocolate chip cookies. None of these would make anyone’s list of healthful foods, yet they are 100% plant-based.

It’s a myth that lean meats are a healthy choice

Also true.

Doctors and nutritionists are gradually coming to the realization that lower fat and

cholesterol content is not the complete picture. Those nutritional elements are less important than some others, like sodium and preservatives. Sodium, for example, raises blood pressure and stroke risk, while the body converts nitrites to cancer-causing nitrosamines. Cold cuts, bacon, sausage, salami and other processed meats are not healthy whether they are lean or not.

Red meat is all-American red-blooded healthful Beef. It’s what’s for dinner, right? A Tufts University cardiologist and nutritionist noted that no major studies show that eating red meat provides any health benefits, calling a modest intake of red meat “relatively neutral” for health.

In other words, an occasional serving of steak or pork won’t worsen someone’s health, but it won’t improve it either. A regular diet too high in red meat, on the other hand, can elevate the risk of type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.

At least go with grass-fed beef If you’re going to eat beef, at least go with the best, right? That being grass-fed beef. There’s just one problem. Try to find a clinical study proving that grass-fed beef is a healthier option than conventional beef. There aren’t any, and basic nutritional analyses suggest the possibility of only the most modest differences between the two. In the absence of research, we are left only with advertising claims. There is no agency that regulates the use of terms like “grass-fed,” “free range,” or “pasture-raised.”

The best bet: go meatless Not necessarily. Here is a quote from the aforementioned cardiologist and nutritionist from Tufts University: “Most diet-related diseases are caused by too few health-promoting foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, whole grains, plant oils, seafood and yogurt. Additional health problems come from too much soda and ultra-processed foods high in salt, refined starch or added sugar. Compared to these major factors, avoiding or occasionally eating unprocessed red meat, by itself, has modest health implications.” Meat all by itself is not the smoking gun of unhealthfulness. +

Who is this?

This medical scientist, Akira Endo, is the poster child for thorough, patient, painstaking research. Or he was. Sadly, he died on June 5 at age 90. His career was marked by one of the most important and revolutionary discoveries in medical history, and some view his lack of a Nobel Prize as a major oversight.

After all, he radically transformed the field of heart disease and stroke prevention, in the process prolonging and saving the lives of millions of people, including in all likelihood, many readers of the Medical Examiner

How did he accomplish this amazing feat? He discovered statins, the family of drugs doctors often prescribe to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Research shows statins help reduce heart attacks, strokes, and death by about 25%.

The very fact that such drugs exist — and in fact, may be in your medicine cabinet — is an amazing testament to Dr. Endo’s patience and tenacity.

Inspired by Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in 1928, Endo decided to pursue additional research into the possible benefits of various types of mold and fungus. Fleming famously and accidentally discovered that staph in a culture left out over the weekend had been killed by a fungus outgrowth from the genus Penicillium

Endo would have no such serendipitous accident. Over a period of two years he tested some 6,000 different concoctions isolated from rice and other grains he obtained over time from a shop near his lab in Kyoto. It’s amazing that he and his assistants had the will to carry on. In hindsight the benefits of persistence are always easy to see, but how many researchers would carry on after a thousand tests came up empty? After two thousand? After five thousand, and still nothing?

Endo’s research was actually centered around how fungi ward off parasitic organisms, which they accomplish by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis. The blue-green mold he finally isolated from rice was said to look much like the mold that grows on old oranges and grapefruit. It showed a powerful ability to lower cholesterol in lab rats. Ah ha!

That 1973 discovery led to the cholesterol-lowering application we all know today, although the finding wasn’t published in a medical journal until 1980. The first statin approved for clinical use, lovastatin, appeared in 1987.

A few ironies accompanied Dr. Endo’s ground-breaking discovery. One is that despite the billions of dollars in annual pharmaceutical sales generated by statins all over the world, Endo never received any personal financial benefit other than the salary he earned from his job. Nor, as mentioned above, did he win the Nobel Prize despite the millions of lives saved by statins.

In 2000, Dr. Endo was diagnosed with high cholesterol. Not knowing Endo’s background, his doctor told him not to worry: “We have very good drugs to treat that.” +

WHAT BOB DYLAN SAID

He said a lot of things, some of which I believe. The others, I’m just waiting for them to come true. Seems like the right thing to do.

“If you live outside of the law, you must be honest.” You must be honest with yourself if you venture outside what everyone thinks you are supposed to do or say. Just think where we would be if Edison or Einstein had not moved outside the “law” of the day. No light bulbs. No space travel. No cell phones.

“All I can do is be me, whatever that is.” Being you is forever changing. You must decide what you let slip into your mind. Be sure it is something worthwhile.

“Take care of all your memories.” Inside your mind resides imprints of your past. Take care to keep them real and don’t let what happened get distorted into what you wish you had done. That is how you learn and progress.

“Democracy don’t rule the world. You’d better get that in your head This world is ruled by violence. But I guess that’s better left unsaid.” It is a sad truth that boundaries, societies, countries, economies and much else pivots on a tapestry of violence. Victors write the history, whatever that is today. Tomorrow it might be different. Racoon hunting might be fun, depending whether you’re in the tree looking down or on the ground looking up.

“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

(most of the time) A series by Bad Billy Laveau

wants to do.” Do what you truly love. You will never have a job. You will have a vocation, a purpose in life. And happy shall you be.

“No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.” Physical limitations are upon our bodies. But not upon our minds. If you live outside your head, you are bound by all things physical. If you live inside your head, you are never bound.

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” What happens to you is not important. What you think about what happens to you is very important. Dylan, Freud, and hordes of intellectuals since understand that.

“People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent.” Politicians and preachers rely heavily on such mechanics. They implore their audiences to follow and accept their repentance.

“Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain.” Few things, if anything, are more beautiful than your firstborn. But labor pains are real, judging from the gut-wrenching wails of labor and delivery.

“Don’t criticize what you can’t understand.” Activists, pessimists, firebrands,

detractors, street thugs who burn other people’s property in the name of social justice, and other malcontents should abide herein, but they never do. They just destroy and never accomplish anything positive.

“He not busy being born is busy dying.” Nothing in the universe is stationary, certainly not even you. Life is an asymmetrical, bellshaped curve with a tiny top. You are either on your way up or on your way down. You have the choice to extend the up slope with hard work. The down slope will take care of itself. Mortality is like that.

“Gonna change my way of thinking, make myself a different set of rules. Gonna put my good foot forward and stop being influenced by fools.” Break out of the mundane clutter and do something worthwhile for your fellow man if not for yourself. To do less is utter failure even if everyone thinks you are good just like you are.

“I got a head full of ideas. They’re driving me insane.” Your brain has about 100 billion neurons that, among other things, store ideas. Maybe your brain gets full and there is no more room for new ideas; then your old ideas may drive you crazy. Deal with each idea. The good ones, act upon. The bad ones, ditch them like a rotten egg. Crazy is not a good choice.

Maybe Bob Dylan is a motivationalist and psychiatrist masquerading as a Nobel Prize-winning Literaturist.

Middle Age

BY J.B. COLLUM

I have always been a joker and it is now coming back to bite me in, ahem, well, let’s just say I am regretting it somewhat. (My publisher got nervous reading that part) For all of my life, I have liked to kid around. I got this from my father. He would tease or pull pranks, or pretend like he didn’t understand something just to get a laugh. Most of the time it worked out well, but sometimes it got him in trouble with mother. And by sometimes, I mean every time she was the target of the joke.

I recall an occasion when I was in my early teens and we were driving through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We stopped at an overlook where there was an expansive view of a beautiful valley far below and tree-covered mountains across the way shrouded in the haze that gives the park its name. This particular overlook had a very steep, nearly vertical drop-off just past a stone wall. When Dad parked the car, we were aimed squarely at that short stone wall and the beautiful view beyond. Remember that part, because it comes into play in Dad’s prank. Mom opted to stay in the car with our baby sister, but my brother and I got out with dad to take in the scene and stretch our legs a bit.

Yes, I know what you are thinking. This was a cruel joke to play, and if Dad had given it another couple of seconds thought, he would have come to that conclusion too. But he didn’t and now I have this memory and Mom got a few extra gray hairs that day while dad probably lost some hearing in the ensuing onslaught from Mom.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

LIVE BY THE LAUGH, DIE BY THE LAUGH

We waited just a few seconds squatted down in that little landing area, all staring at each other with big pie-eating grins on our faces as we reveled in our shared conspiracy with Dad. On a cue from Dad, we then jumped back up onto the wall, laughing hysterically. In our minds, we had executed it perfectly, waiting just long enough to sell it, but not so long as to be overly cruel. By that time, Mom was out of the car, screaming, and we then knew that our goose was cooked. Fortunately for us, Dad was the only target of her ire as she zeroed in on him like a Kamikaze pilot. Her eyes were wider than we’d ever seen them and a look of rage distorted her beautiful face into the likes of a nightmarish ghoul from the depths of hell.

WHAT IS FLiRT?

This QA question came up from news coverage about “FLiRT,” the latest variations from the original COVID-19 virus we all knew and loved in 2020. Since then, a seemingly endless stream of new variants has come down the pike — literally thousands of them — all descendants of Omicron. The FLiRT label describes a whole family of subvariants with names like KP.2, KP.1.1, XBB.1.5 and JN.1.11.1. Omicron, if you’d like to get technical about it, is actually COVID virus B.1.1.529. Related viruses are identifiable through these technical names. BA.2.75, for instance, is a direct descendant of BA.2.

Virus nicknames like delta and omicron are much easier to use and recall than the strings of alpha-numeric labels.

The experts say these newest versions like FLiRT are more transmissible and better at evading prior patient immunities than previous variants.

Anything connected with forecasting disease outbreaks months ahead of time is an exercise in uncertainty. Some public health officials say that as time goes by our collective immunity gets stronger and stronger through exposure to COVID, as well as herd immunity provided by more and more vaccinated people. As above, other experts warn about the COVID virus’ ability to progressively circumvent the safeguards we erect individually and as a society.

We took in deep breaths of the clean mountain air and Dad talked to us about the Creator of this view and of all things. He often did this with us and our appreciation for God and his creation has stuck with us. He taught us that worship isn’t limited to a building or to reading words in an ancient book, but can and should happen in the midst of the beauty of creation.

That lesson lasted for a few minutes until Dad thought of a “great” prank he could pull on Mom. He stood up on the wall, and so did we, his boys and ardent admirers. We knew this would immediately put mom on high alert and we probably only had a few minutes before she cranked the window down to tell us in no uncertain terms that we were to get down off that blessed wall before she found a switch and got us off it.

Before that could happen, Dad then clued us boys in on his prank. After getting onto the wall, we had noticed that before the precipitous drop off there was actually a substantial area beyond it just a few feet below the wall that was large enough for us to safely jump down without any fear of then plummeting down the face of the mountain. It wasn’t even slanted, but a nice level area. You just couldn’t tell that from the car.

I think you can see where this is going. Dad told us he would pretend like he lost his balance and we would reach for him but he would fall and we’d fall with him. Of course, we would just land below and duck down where Mom couldn’t see us.

My brother and I quickly abandoned our father to the monster he had created and made our cowardly way back to the inside of the station wagon to avoid being collateral damage, and so we wouldn’t hear the battle that we knew from past experience was about to ensue.

The car windows weren’t enough to shield us though. We heard our mother use words we didn’t know she knew. My brother’s vocabulary grew in a not so good way that day and we saw our big strong father reduced to a small boy as she lit into him. He went from a smiling, fully erect man to a frowning, stooped little boy with his head hanging down in no time flat. I think he shrank at least a foot at that moment; he looked even shorter than Mom by the end of the storm she was lashing him with.

Fortunately, once she had finished unleashing the kraken, she calmed down and we finished our journey through the park to our campground without a word being spoken and in complete silence, except for the peaceful sounds of a John Denver 8-track tape my dad put in the car stereo.

I couldn’t know then, but looking back now it all had a very David Lynch air to it as the tension simmered barely below the surface and we weren’t sure where this was going. At least we knew that with our baby sister in the car, Mom and Dad would be civil.

It did blow over finally and we enjoyed the rest of our vacation, but I told you this tale for a reason: to help you see the magnitude of

In short, it’s not hard to find reputable medical sources urging vaccinations as the key strategy in protection from the latest COVID variants, especially in preparation for fall and winter (although talk of a “summer surge” is common too). However, anyone who has recently (within the past three to four months) gotten vaccinated or had COVID should have the antibodies to avoid getting sick from COVID again soon. More than six months ago might mean reduced protection.

And what about our original question, the origin of the name FLiRT, the variant responsible for about 30% off all current COVID cases? You may be sorry you asked.

The nickname was coined by Canadian biology professor T. Ryan Gregory. We ran across this explanation from him: “Each amino acid has its own letter abbreviation. FLiRT is F456L + R346T, or phenylalanine (F) to leucine (L) at position 456, and arginine (R) to threonine (T) at position 346.”

Happy now?

Money Doctor THE

Roth IRAs — The Front & Back Door

The Roth IRA was established by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and is named for its chief legislative sponsor, Senator William Roth of Delaware. Since 1997, the popularity of Roth accounts has exploded because of the tax advantages. The Roth IRA does not give you a tax deduction when you put contributions into the account, however the account allows your money to grow tax-free for life. That is very powerful, but putting money into a Roth IRA can be tricky depending on your income situation.

In 2024, the Roth IRA contribution limit is $7,000 per person or $8,000 if you are over 50 years of age. A Roth IRA does have income limits which is where the front and back door come into play. If you make under the modified AGI limit of $230,000 for joint filers or $146,000 for single filers in 2024, you can use the front door. Just put the money directly into your Roth IRA each year. You have until April 15, 2025 to make your 2024 contributions.

If you make over the income limits, you can still put money into your Roth IRAs, but you will have to use the backdoor. The backdoor lets you put money into a Roth IRA with an extra administrative step. Below are the steps;

1. Put money in a traditional IRA account. Since you are over the income limits the contribution will be considered non-deductible for taxes.

2. Convert the account to a Roth IRA. This will move the money from your traditional IRA to your Roth IRA.

3. Make sure your tax preparer reports the transactions properly on your tax return. It is best if you work with a CPA when doing this.

There are a few rules Roth IRAs must follow. The most important rule to understand for this strategy is the IRS pro-rata rule. To avoid complications, make sure you do not have any other traditional, SIMPLE, or SEP IRAs accounts with balances. If you do, the IRS will make you pay taxes on the percentage of pre-tax money you have in the other open accounts when you do the Roth conversion in step number two.

The pro-rata rule is one of the reasons we recommend you discuss this with a financial planner before doing it. If you do have other IRA accounts with balances, there are strategies you can consider that will consolidate the accounts and allow you to use the backdoor Roth IRA option. However, for some people the extra complexity may not make sense.

We help our clients navigate the backdoor Roth strategy every year. It is amazing to watch couples use this strategy.

Please see MONEY DOCTOR page 7

TRYTHISDISH

by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author Follow Kim on Facebook: facebook.com/eatingwellwithkimb

Summer herbs and summer berries! I can’t think of a better reason to eat healthy!

Salad Base

• 1 scant cup mixed herbs; coarsely chopped (parsley, oregano, rosemary, mint, basil)

• 5 cups mixed greens

• 1 small cucumber, cut into bite size pieces

Vinaigrette

• 2 sprigs rosemary, stems removed

• 1 clove garlic, peeled

• ¼ teaspoon kosher or coarse salt of choice

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoonS honey

• Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Toppings

1 cup blueberries

½ cup toasted almonds

Directions

Gently toss herbs and mixed greens together in a

bowl. Add the cucumbers. To make the vinaigrette, add garlic, rosemary and sea salt to the bowl of the mortar. Use the pestle to mash ingredients into a paste (this will take about 10-20 seconds of mashing and muddling). Add the lemon juice, stirring and mashing during the addition. Add the honey and oil, and continue to mash/mix as you add. Finally add the pepper to taste and toss with the mixed greens. Divide equally into 4 portions and top with berries

and almonds.

Yield: 4 Servings

Nutrition Breakdown:

Calories 190, Fat 14g (1.5g saturated, 9.5g monounsaturated), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 150mg, Carbohydrate 16g, Fiber 6g, Protein 5g.

Percent Daily Value: 45% Vitamin C, 60% Vitamin A, 8% Calcium, 10% Iron.

Carbohydrate Choices: 1 Carbohydrate

Diabetes Exchange Values: ½ fruit, 1 vegetable, ½ high fat meat, 2 fats

YOU NAILED IT!

by Ken Wilson Steppingstones to Recovery

The story is told of a lady who hired a skilled carpenter to come to her home and stop her wood floor from squeaking in a certain area. After thumping and measuring, the carpenter sank a small spiral nail into the floor which solved the problem. He charged her $25 for the service. The customer protested, saying, “You were only here 5 minutes – that’s too much!” He replied, “Lady, my charge to sink that nail was only $1. The other $24 was for my knowing where to put it!” Skill and experience is priceless! Recently I was with a group of seasoned, experienced, and professional addiction counselors at a conference. The group facilitator asked each participant to jot down just one thing that they felt was of utmost importance when setting out to get clean and sober.

I’m tapping out their answers here to give you an idea of what to consider when thinking about entering treatment to get well. They aren’t meant to be comprehensive but are full of wisdom anyway:

• Like weight management, personal recovery is a forever program. Getting the weight off is one thing –keeping it off is quite another. The mind wants to say “now I can eat that 300-calorie donut and it won’t hurt me!” Not.

• If you don’t like a program’s suggestions, do them anyway. Your way didn’t work, so now give someone else’s way a fighting chance. You get shots from a doctor don’t you? I don’t know anybody who signs up for the pain of a needle.

• A drug is a drug is a drug. It is not uncommon for a new enrollee to want freedom alcohol but wants to continue using THC. Regrettably brain chemistry is affected by all chemicals in a similar way, by reducing inhibitions and then the original drug of choice returns. Every. Time.

• A treatment program is a poor place to find a

my father’s willingness to carry out a prank or joke.

He wasn’t a highly educated man, but he was exceedingly clever and he could fix most anything with whatever he had on hand. This was by necessity. But his cleverness also ended up hurting him, since he used his cleverness to hide his dementia. We were so used to him pretending he didn’t understand, just for a laugh, that when he was doing it for real and we showed concern, he would laugh and say he knew what we meant and that he was just kidding. We would then laugh in relief and move on and forget about it.

When his doctors observed this, they told us that this was why his Alzheimer’s wasn’t detected earlier, when we could have started treatments and perhaps extended his time with clearer mental faculties.

There is nothing to be done about that now as he has been gone now for nearly three years. But I’m still here, and I am my Dad in many ways, including being a joker. Sometimes, armed with the knowledge of what my dad did, my adult kids and my wife treat me like I am being serious when I feign not understanding them, or when I say something nonsensical as a joke or play on words. They get a concerned look on their face and start talking to me like I’m five, until I get aggravated, give up on the joke and tell them I’m kidding. They often don’t look convinced.

significant other. Sure, “Mr. Right understands me like nobody else does!” Until Mr. Right has 1 – 2 years of continuous sobriety he could turn into Mr. Wrong in a heartbeat. Go listen to the next 10 stories at a 12step meeting if you doubt this. The only difference between them and you is a social security number when it comes to chemistry.

• Do financial planning for a treatment program up front. Many discontinue treatment when insurance refuses to pay for further help, or when home duties eclipse medical necessity.

• Treatment isn’t treatment isn’t treatment. Meaning, there are SO many programs and varieties that you can’t just say “I’m going to rehab” and end up in a recovery residence somewhere that has no qualified counselors on site, or just do a 3-4 day detox program only, or attend once-weekly religious meetings when

standard admission criteria points to your need for a higher level of care. It’s like taking weak antibiotics when a strong dose is indicated.

• 12-step support groups are all different. There are at least 5 different kinds of AA meetings, for instance. And 200+ in the CSRA alone each week! If you don’t like the first one you attended, don’t quit – find another one that might speak to you differently.

• It takes 3 things to get well: desire, support, and accountability. Many die with only the desire to get well. Throw in accountability (yep, alcohol/drug screens do count!) and support and you’ve got a winning trio.

For starters, if you follow these suggestions, you’ll nail it.

My oldest daughter especially will take this seriously and sometimes not want me to do some task she fears I might get hurt doing, when I am totally capable of carrying it out. It is a little maddening at times, but I know she means well.

I’d stop kidding around if I could, but it just isn’t in my DNA. And, who knows, if I end up with dementia for real, maybe I too will be clever and try to fool my loved ones into thinking I’m joking. Live by the laugh, die by the laugh, I suppose, but without laughter, life isn’t worth living much anyway.

If you suspect that your beloved family member might be suffering the early stages of dementia, don’t feel like you are doing them a favor by overlooking the signs. Don’t play along with their clever ruse. Get them to a doctor, even over their strenuous objections. It could mean extending their time of clarity or even their life. New treatments are in the works too, so maybe it could even spare them the cruel joke of serious dementia that could rob them of their memories, their relationships, and years of life.

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

FOODISMEDICINE

Tasty tips from registered dietitians with the Augusta Dietetic District Association

GROCERY SHOPPING ON A BUDGET

by Ari Redcross, MS, RDN Registered Dietitian

Specialty Care & Spinal Cord Outpatient

Charlie Norwood VA, Downtown Division

Inconsistent food prices can make shopping on a budget feel overwhelming. While looking for cheap alternatives may seem better on the wallet, there can be consequences to overall health with a poor diet. Today, I would like to provide some tips on how to make a meal plan that helps your wallet and health too!

When thinking about budgeting the first thing to keep in mind is the different food groups. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has created a template called MyPlate with the goal of making ½ your plate fruits and vegetables, ¼ of the plate protein (including mainly lean meats like turkey, fish and chicken and plant-proteins like beans, nuts, and seeds), with the last ¼ of your plate whole grains (like whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and popcorn).

MyPlate also lists dairy, including choices like cows’ milk (or lactose-free milk) and non-dairy alternatives like soy or almond milk. These milk choices can provide vitamin D and calcium, important nutrients for bone

health. Water can also be a good option at a meal to help stay hydrated. If water feels too plain, try adding some lemon or an herb like fresh mint.

Incorporating multiple food groups at meals can be a way to increase fiber, vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, and overall nutrient intake.

The next step of a good

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS:

• The Veggie Park Farmers Market (631 Chaffee Ave Augusta, GA) on Thursdays 4 PM to 7 PM

• South Augusta Farmers Market (4104 Windsor Spring Road Augusta, GA) on Saturdays, dates TBD

• The Augusta Market (8th Street and Reynolds Augusta, GA) on Saturdays 8 AM to 2 PM

Check out visitaugusta.com to learn of other local markets in the area.

budget is to shop at home first. Check your refrigerator, freezer, and food pantry, and incorporate any staples you have on hand into your meal planning. Think about how many meals per day you need and write it down, including snacks between meals.

For example, if you have a can of low sodium beans, brown rice, and frozen broccoli that is the start to a balanced meal! You can even enjoy some fruit for dessert. Before you leave for the grocery store, eat a snack. Going to the store hungry may cause you to spend more on things you don’t need. Also, once you know what you would like to purchase for the week it can be good to review sales. Each grocery store has flyers, both online and on paper showing current deals. Many stores also have digital coupon programs that allow you to clip coupons to your phone number or membership card and use in store.

When shopping, choose food items that fit your nutritional goals and needs. Look for items marked “low sodium” to reduce your sodium

intake. Choose canned goods in their own juices or water to reduce added sugars. Look for frozen veggies in steamable bags to make preparationtime quick. Another way to cut back is to shop at farmers markets and local food stands in your community. This helps you to eat seasonally too. Stick to your shopping list, and look for generic food products. When looking at prices, evaluate the item based on its

is how much the item costs per unit. The larger container costs less per ounce than the smaller container. Thus, purchasing the bigger package will give you more for your money.

In the end, grocery shopping on a budget requires planning to find the best deals and make healthy decisions. While eating out or purchasing what seems cheapest may be a way to help your wallet in the short run, a poor diet can lead to health consequences in the future.

GREG LEOPARD PC

ATTORNEY AT LAW

CRASH COURSE

Well...maybe you aren’t most of the time. But anyone who speeds — which is most of us — could correctly be defined as an aggressive driver. Yes, speeding is part of the definition of aggressive driving behavior. If it seems that there are more cases of rude and outrageous behavior on the road now than in the past, the observation is correct if for no other reason than there are more drivers driving more miles on the same roads than ever before. Several factors have contributed to an overall rise in aggressive driving:

Traffic

Traffic congestion is one of the most frequently mentioned contributing factors to aggressive driving, such as speeding. Drivers may respond by using aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, changing lanes frequently, or becoming angry at anyone who they believe impedes their progress.

Running Late

Some people drive aggressively because they have too much to do and are running late for work, school, their next meeting, lesson, soccer game, or other appointment.

Anonymity

A vehicle insulates the driver from the world. Shielded from the outside environment, a driver can develop a sense of detachment, as if they are an observer of their surroundings rather than a participant. This feeling that they cannot be seen by others, or the sense that it is unlikely that they will ever again see those who witness their behavior makes some drivers less constrained in their behavior.

Disregard for Others and For the Law

Most motorists rarely drive aggressively, and some never do. For others, episodes of aggressive driving are frequent, and for a

small proportion of motorists it is their normal, everyday driving behavior. Occasional episodes of aggressive driving, such as speeding and changing lanes abruptly, might occur in response to specific situations, like when the driver is late for an important appointment, but is not the driver’s normal behavior.

Traffic engineers say virtually all drivers tend to think and act in selfish terms. In heavy traffic, we are inconvenienced by all those other drivers congesting the roads who are in our way. But to those in other cars, we make up the congestion that is in their way.

Does that mean the solution to traffic jams and aggressive driving is for everyone to adopt patience and good manners while driving?

If so, the problem will never be solved. But consider this: just as ten thousand cars and their occupants can be affected by one crash caused by a single driver, so can small numbers of drivers, even just one, prevent crashes, traffic jams and aggressive driving with small individual improvements.

And those small steps can beneficially affect many: other drivers, of course, but also pedestrians and bicyclists.

Here are some tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration when encountering speeders on the road:

• If you are in the left lane and someone wants to pass, move over and let them by.

• Speeding drivers can lose control of their vehicle more easily, so give them plenty of space.

• Adjust your driving accordingly. Speeding is tied to aggressive driving. If a speeding driver is tailgating you or trying to engage you in risky driving, use judgment to safely steer your vehicle out of the way.

• Call the police if you believe a driver is following you or harassing you.

THE

IS GONE

FRONT DESK FOLLIES +

share amusing medical mis-speakings and misspellings we have overheard, or that have been shared with us.

I spoke to a wife to arrange a home health visit for her and her husband. She told me that one of the problems she wanted me to evaluate was her husband’s hearing loss, which he was in complete denial about. It was the source of many disagreements between them.

When I arrived at their home for the visit, one of the questions I asked the husband was, “How’s your hearing?”

“My urine’s fine,” he replied. We publish every 1st and 3rd Friday*

* Except when we don’t. The 4th of July will interfere with 1st Friday next month, so we’ll temporarily switch to 2nd and 4th Fridays in July and August. We’ll be back on schedule in September.

READERS: What have you heard? Please share! EMAIL: Dan@AugustaRx.com or MAIL: PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903

The blog spot

— posted by

Sophia Zilber

on August 7, 2019 (edited for space)

WHEN DOCTORS ARE RIGHT

Not long ago I noticed an article with the title, “When Doctors are Wrong.” It showed a picture of a newborn baby in the NICU with a breathing tube. I immediately opened the article and started reading it with interest because my baby also looked this way, so tiny, in the NICU, with lots of tubes covering her little body.

As I started reading, the story started so similarly to my story: a newborn baby had low body temperature, was not waking up to eat, was not nursing.

When this mother brought her baby to her pediatrician’s office the doctor called 911, and the baby went to the hospital by ambulance. The baby was found to have extensive damage to his heart and brain. The family was told the baby likely wouldn’t be coming back home.

Here’s where the story takes a drastically different turn from my story and is similar to many stories we heard during our month in the hospital with our daughter.

The doctors were wrong.

The baby not only survived, but everything that was thought to be brain damage miraculously disappeared. The baby went back home and is fine.

And so the mom is writing her story to inspire others — about courage, about faith. She even took it a step further and said that while she realizes many people in her situation have different endings for their story, she believes that God gives everyone the ending that’s best for them.

This is a story that we’ve heard and read too many times. It always goes along the same lines. Something was very wrong with a pregnancy or baby. Doctors gave a very grim prognosis. Yet everything turns out fine. Doctors were wrong. The outcome is not up to doctors; it is up to God.

In some ways, I can understand and relate to such comments. I have learned from my experience that medical knowledge is indeed limited, and doctors make mistakes just like anyone else. I have to think for myself and not fully rely on any doctor, no matter how experienced. In fact, I can say that I started to pray and rely on God more. I pray for my kids, and I pray that my family never knows another tragedy, and for this I can only turn to God for help.

I also understand anyone’s desire to be grateful and share their miracle story. The problem is that the story usually ends with a lesson: everything happens for a reason; everyone gets what’s best for them regardless of the outcome.

Interestingly, these are usually written by someone who had a miraculous outcome, not those who had a devastating tragedy.

After my daughter died, I too tried to have faith and believe that there’s a reason why I’m on this journey.

I try to have faith that my family’s story is much bigger than our devastating loss. I try to live by this belief every day. Still, it takes a different level of courage and faith to keep going when my story did not end in a miracle, but in a tragedy. And while I’m sincerely happy for the author of the article I read and for all others who told us their own miracle story, I believe it’s a little presumptuous of them to use their experience — while still having their baby in their arms — as a lesson in faith for others, like me, who only have a heartbreaking box of memories to show for their baby

Sometimes when giving a devastating prognosis — many times, most of the time — doctors are right. This might be difficult to accept and even more difficult to turn into a nicely packaged inspirational story with a sweet beginning, a dramatic plot line, and an odds-defying ending, but it is still important to share, and I hope can still be inspiring.

Sophia Zilber is a patient advocate.

GETTING THE FACTS

Although we live in an increasingly fact-free society, there are still people who care about truth, and consider “the truth” to be an absolute concept. In the words of one writer, “truth, by definition, is something that conforms to reality, fact, or actuality. It’s an absolute, indisputable, unwavering fact. It’s not affected by perception, societal consensus, or personal feelings. Truth, in its essence, simply is.”

But do you remember the hotly trending word of a few years ago, truthiness? Its definition: “a truthful or seemingly truthful quality that is claimed for something, not because of supporting facts or evidence, but because of a feeling that it is true or a desire for it to be true.”

The temperature at which water boils, for example, is not truthiness; it’s just plain old truth. That temperature is 212°F (100°C). It is not subject to discussion or opinion.

But many other topics are subjects for raging debate, including matters relating to health and wellness.

For example, there are people who religiously use and advocate various health supplements for specific applications. Others reject or even ridicule the use of those

very products, citing the lack of evidence that they do what they claim to do.

To cut through all of the controversy, here is the plain and unadulterated truth: every product can (and usually does) offer proof that it works.

How can a person evaluate health claims to determine their accuracy and safety?

One strategy is known as the S.I.F.T. approach, an acronym represented by the four symbols shown here. Here’s what they represent:

STOP Do you know the source of the information? Is it neutral, or do they have, for instance, a sales-related motive?

INVESTIGATE Check the expertise of the source and evaluate their agenda. Carefully fact-check the claims made.

FIND ADDITIONAL COVERAGE By checking multiple sources it’s possible to determine the consensus of opinion: does most “proof” about a given product come from websites selling it, or is it from independent, neutral sources like the National Institutes of Health, the Food & Drug Administration, or university research studies?

TRACE the information as far back as possible to determine the original source. Was the original source credible? Has the reporting been embellished over time, or has the information been relayed accurately as it has spread abroad?

The unfortunate fact is that it’s not difficult to find endorsements for virtually every concoction known to man, legitimate or otherwise. The S.I.F.T. approach might be a bit labor-intensive, but anything regarding our precious health is well worth the trouble.

And there’s always the tried and true “pubmed” approach. Google any health or medical topic, followed by “pubmed.” Try it! “bananas pubmed,” “measles pubmed,” “crime pubmed,” “jelly beans pubmed.” Anything.

Do that and your search results will be limited to actual factual research information, with nary a celebrity endorsement or a People magazine article in sight. Facts still matter. +

by Dan Pearson

What about, if you don’t mind me asking. Which are...? That I don’t ever listen and something else... Why the long face?

My wife and I had a big argument this morning.

ACROSS

1. A famous Hillary

5. Smack

9. Big tree in Canada

14. Capital of Norway

15. It can follow Capitol

16. Many-_____ (like a ranch)

17. Never used by a poet

18. Notion

19. Fragrant resin

20. Miscellaneous items

23. Humble dwelling

24. Like half of all Braves games

25. Not these

27. “Delta Dawn” singer

30. System of aircraft navigation

32. Made a mistake

33. Lateral curvature of the spine

36. It can appear between “whiskey” and “go”

37. Like dry flaky skin

38. Muckraker Tarbell

39. The R of MRSA

42. Rattling breath sound

44. The white of the eye

45. Beat grain with a flail

46. Unincorporated community in Richmond County

48. Reproductive part of a plant

49. Paddle

50. Heinz 57 and others

56. Belief involving sorcery

58. Abbrev. for #1 status

59. Solemn promise

60. Military blockade

61. Poker stake

62. Forearm bone

63. Finished

Same as always. My two bad habits.

The Mystery Word for this issue: TRNLIOS

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

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

64. Feat

65. Shut with force

1. “First, __ __ harm”

2. Secondhand

3. Ran away

4. Abandon

5. Land where the tower of Babel was built

6. Watergate figure

7. On the sheltered side

8. Scheme

9. Symphony conductors

10. Knee injury ltrs.

11. Adapted for grasping, as a tail

12. Arboreal primate found only in Madagascar

13. Prepares for publication

21. Impressed

22. Dawgs coach (1964-1988)

26. Ni ___ (Chinese greeting)

27. Duct intro

28. Exhort

29. Hybridize

30. SC util.

31. ___, Rinehart and Winston school textbook publisher

33. Injury reminder

34. Ancient Roman days

35. Loop of cloth worn over one shoulder

37. Surgical _____

40. It can precede 57-D

41. Cut

42. Ostrichlike bird

43. Laborious

45. Tried out

46. Bullwinkle, for one

47. Mamie’s _________

48. Glide along smoothly

51. Mild oath

52. Example of 50-A

53. Cry out

54. Sicilian volcano

55. Fraud

57. It can follow 40-D

I N E R

DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.

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.

—H. L. Mencken

— Writer Hilaire Belloc

TTHEBESTMEDICINE

wo guys were chatting over a few beers one evening when one said, “I’d better call it a night. Work comes around early.”

“Not for me,” said the other guy. “I walked off my job today for the last time.”

“What? Why?”

“I could never work for my boss again after what he said to me today.”

“What did he say?”

“He said ‘You’re fired.’”

Lawyer: Honor, moron your a you are complete.

Judge: You’re out of order!

Moe: I’m so upset with the police right now.

Joe: Why, what’s wrong?

Moe: You know my friend Bo?

Joe: The comedian?

Moe: That’s the one.

Joe: Sure, I know Bo Moe. Funny guy.

Moe: Well, he’s been missing for a week and the police won’t even start searching for him.

Joe: Why not?

Moe: They told me they only investigate serious crimes.

Moe: Have you heard about that beer theft from the convenience store?

Joe: I have not.

Moe: It’s a cold case.

Moe: Do you like math puns?

Joe: Only if I’m desperate.

Moe: Desperate for a math pun?

Joe: I mean, I’ll make one if I halve two.

Moe: What did the sleep specialist’s grandchildren call him?

Joe: C-Pappy.

Moe: You know what really makes me smile?

Joe: Sure. Facial muscles.

Moe: What do you call a joke where the punchline comes first?

Joe: What is a Jeopardy joke?

Moe: What do you call a spider with 20 eyes?

Joe: Scary?

Moe: No, silly. Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiider.

The oldest woman in America was being interviewed on the occasion of her 114th birthday.

“What is the secret to your longevity?” she was asked.

“I go for a walk every night at midnight,” she replied.

“Aren’t you worried about nighttime crime and muggings?” the interviewer asked.

“Oh no,” she said. “I plan to continue mugging people as long as my health holds out.”

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

By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our

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 $24 or one year for $42 . Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903- 0397

Dear Advice Doctor,

The Advice Doctor

About a month ago I was driving down Wrightsboro Road when a car came flying across the road from a side street and T-boned me, totaling my car and sending it off into a ditch. My collarbone was broken, but otherwise I’m okay except for still being without a car. That is a huge inconvenience. While I’m waiting for my settlement, would you suggest renting a car or using ride share services?

— Not Into Walking

Dear Not,

Listen, I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, and I realize I’m swimming against the tide by what I’m about to tell you, but you and your T-bones are not exactly earth-friendly. In fact, they’re downright earth-unfriendly.

According to a 2013 report by the United Nations, livestock production creates about 15% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, with nearly half coming from beef alone.

The environmental impact of any product is measured by land use, water use, and water and air pollution, including greenhouse gases. By those measures, cows cause about five times more environmental impact than fish, dairy, or poultry production. One study found that the environmental impact of beef production is about 20 times higher than that of eggs, nuts or legumes, and 45 to 75 times higher than the impact of fruits, vegetables or whole grains.

As mentioned in the article on page 3, a meatless diet isn’t necessarily a healthy diet, and the same holds true for a plantbased diet. It might be great, it might be terrible. It all depends on what the plant-based foods are, and what has replaced meat in a meatless diet.

There are plant-based “meats” available, brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger. Some people think they taste just fine, and they are definitely better for the environment: they use half the energy, one-tenth of the land and water, and 90% less greenhouse gas compared to conventional beef. But they fall into the “ultra-processed food” category, and the jury is still out on their overall healthiness.

T he best rule for healthful eating may well be the tried and true “all things in moderation.” So enjoy a T-bone — occasionally 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.

THE MYSTERY SOLVED

...cleverly hidden in the kid’s hair in the p. 6 ad for MEDICAL ASSOCIATES PLUS THE WINNER: DALTON TANKERSLEY! 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!

The Celebrated 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.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC

Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road

706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com

Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William

Wheeler Rd, Suite 365

Karen L. Carter, MD 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com

David LaChance, DO

Guillermo Gallardo, MD Ophthalmologist and Retina Specialist

Paul Butros, MD

Salman Mufti, MD

Thomas Wehmann, DO Vascular Surgeon

Alain Domkam, MD Vascular Surgeon

Harold Coleman, DPM Podiatrist, Foot & Ankle, Heel Pain

Chanelle Duchaussee, DPM

Janaki Nadarajah, DPM Wound Care Specialist Leg Pain, P.A.D.

Risha Malik, MD

Komal Quershi, MD