Apr19 19 by Daniel Pearson

MEDICALEXAMINER

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APRIL 19, 2019

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

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THE GOLDEN AGE In this era of advanced scientific knowledge, with more information at our fingertips than any generation in human history, we’re living in a unique moment in time. But if this is a golden age, of what is it the golden age? Its best and most accurate description might be the Golden Age of Denial. Consider the many areas of scientific and historical “fact” that large numbers of people reject in whole or in part: • Many people believe moon landings never happened, and that today’s International Space Station (ISS) is a hoax; it does not exist. • The mass murder of millions of Jews during the Nazi regime (1941-1945) is a fabrication, say many. • Belief in a flat Earth is growing. • AIDS denialism has been called one of the most vocal of all denial movements. Its proponents believe AIDS to be the result of malnutrition, recreational drug use, poor sanitation and other factors, not HIV. • The belief that vaccines cause autism surely has to

rank above AIDS denialism on any list of highly vocal and visible groups of people who deny overwhelming evidence to the contrary. • Climate change, greenhouse gases and global warming are consensus beliefs in the scientific community but the subject of much doubt and skepticism among the general populace. • “Sept. 11 was an inside job” is one slogan used by the “9/11 Truth Movement.” Among its beliefs: the U.S., not Al-Qaeda terrorists,

orchestrated the attack to provide the U.S. with a pretext for invading Iraq and Afghanistan; the collapse of the buildings was not caused by the planes, but showed evidence of “controlled demolition.” • The massacre of twenty 6- and 7-year old children at Sandy Hook Elementary never happened, allege many, and they claim other mass shootings are fabrications staged to give the government a pretext to control and confiscate guns.

• Despite hundreds of studies establishing their safety, many people view genetically modified (GM or GMO) foods as dangerous and unhealthy. The list could go on. Our March 22 issue mentioned a researcher who believes that measles is 100 percent psychosomatic. But before this article goes on, it should be noted that using the words “denier” or “denialist” is viewed by some as prejudicial, as though a given topic is not open to

debate and only a fool would deny the given set of facts. The word carries an implied insult and bias. If a person said, “Joe denies that the square root of 323 is 15.72,” you might be inclined (because of the way the statement is worded) to wonder, “What in the world is wrong with Joe?” In this case, what’s wrong is 15.72. The square root of 323 is 17.97. So let’s stipulate here and now that “denier” carries some baggage; it may come across as prejudicial. But that didn’t originate here at the world headquarters of the Medical Examiner in Augusta, Georgia. In the psychology of human behavior, denier and denialist are defined with a fair amount of prejudicial language: “Denialism is an essentially irrational action that withholds the validation of...an empirically verifiable reality.” The clinical definition goes on to define denialism as “the rejection of basic facts and concepts that are undisputed; rejecting overwhelming evidence.” You might have noticed,

Please see GOLDEN AGE page 2

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

PARENTHOOD by David W. Proefrock, PhD

Your 4 year-old son has started calling people names. In fact, he’s just as likely to say, “Hey Stupid,” to you as to say, “Hey Mom” or “Hey Dad.” It’s getting worse. You have not been able to figure out where he got this from. You don’t call names in your home. What do you do? A. This is just a phase that children go through. If the words he uses are really bad, you might want to take some action, but it will probably go away just as quickly if you just ignore it. B. Each time you hear him calling a name, stop and tell him firmly that name calling is not tolerated. Have him apologize to the person and address them correctly. C. Call him names back when he calls a name. If he says, “Hey Stupid,” answer with, “What Dummy?” It will teach him what it’s like to be called names. D. When he calls names, wash his mouth out with soap. The old-fashioned ways often work the best.

If you answered: A. It may start out as a phase, but your response determines whether it goes away or stays. It should be addressed. B. This is the best response. Let him know that name calling is not accepted, make him apologize, and make him address people properly. C. This is not a good response. What you’re teaching him is that it’s okay to call names. D. Another bad response. Some of the old ways do work, but this is not one of them. It might make him stop, but it won’t teach him the most important reason he shouldn’t call names. The important thing in this situation is to remember that one of your primary jobs as a parent is to teach your children how to interact with the world around them. Calling names, for the most part, doesn’t work. Being polite and respectful, for the most part, does work. Your response should be the one which best teaches that. + Dr. Proefrock is a local clinical and forensic psychologist

APRIL 19, 2019

GOLDEN AGE… from page 1

however, that the word “fact” was put within quotation marks near the beginning of this article. It seems that to an increasingly great degree, we live in a time when opinions are as important as facts, and often more so. Facts seem to be increasingly irrelevant. “Truthiness,” the 2006 Merriam-Webster Word of the Year, “is the belief or assertion that a particular statement is true based on the intuition or perceptions of some individual or individuals, without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.” (Italics ours) More than ever, it seems that in the perception versus reality battle, perception isn’t just leading; it’s pulling away. Have you ever had a discussion with someone about a controversial topic that included (or perhaps was ended with), “Well, everyone’s opinions deserve to be respected”? or perhaps, “I am entitled to my opinion”? The Queen of Denial Philosophically speaking, those statements are weak at best, if not completely false. They are often used to shelter erroneous ideas rather than examine new evidence or admit defeat when backed into a corner. To illustrate, if someone’s opinion is that all black people should be shipped back to Africa, the sooner the better, does that opinion deserve respect? Is someone “entitled” to that opinion in the same way someone else is entitled to think vanilla ice cream is better than chocolate? Some people evidently think so, and the result is a growing and highly visible trend: people with zero qualifications in a given field engaging in public debate (often one-sided and carried on in social media) with someone who is a recognized world expert with dozens of years of experience in a complex topic. Sometimes the debate is against an entire organization, or with hundreds of experts in dozens of independent scientific bodies around the world. These debates can range from a stay-at-home mom in Peoria who wants to do battle with the CDC and the World Health Organization to a politician with a background in banking who wants to debate expert climatologists and their years of carefully collected data. Assorted fact-checking organizations, presumably impartially, often note variations between verifiable facts and what the president says. Simply branding facts as “fake news” makes them disappear — poof! — in the minds of many. Of course, facts don’t vanish simply because someone or some group denies them. They’re still there, and they still matter. On the other hand, no one should forget that today’s facts will not necessarily be tomorrow’s facts. A story on page 4 of this issue centers around the 17th and 18th century “fact” that blowing tobacco smoke into someone’s rectum was viewed as life-saving medical treatment. Blood-letting was once a fact of standard care for almost every illness that could befall a person. So the point in this Golden Age of Denial isn’t that facts are sacred artifacts that must be blindly accepted, hook, line and sinker, and never questioned. That approach would bring progress in most fields of endeavor to a screeching halt. The issue instead is who has the right based on their qualifications to question “established” facts. Does a 20-something TV weatherman who has lived his whole life in Iowa have the right to deny that the Holocaust happened? Is a gun control advocate qualified to use Facebook to call into question the safety of GMO foods? Is a Pinterest-posting housewife with no medical background the person to trust in a family’s consideration of the vaccine debate? If you were an experienced cardiologist and gave your considered opinion on a course of treatment to a patient, how would you feel if his response was, “Let me get a second opinion from my grandson. He’s a chef”? The irrational Golden Age of Denial will hopefully come to its end soon. What this era really boils down to is a curious misplacement of trust and mistrust. Especially in medical matters, distrusting experts without any basis for doing so can result in the resurgence of long-vanquished diseases, the transformation of minor medical issues into major ones. The consequences of denial can quickly change from a philosophical exchange to a life-and-death situation. +

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APRIL 19, 2019

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The

Money Doctor WHY YOUR SAVINGS RATE MATTERS In previous articles, we have discussed the importance of understanding different metrics (net worth, savings rate, withdrawal rate, tax rate, etc.) given your financial situation. Let’s take a deeper dive to help you understand the importance of your savings rate. Your savings rate is the percentage of personal income saved based on your total gross personal income received during a period of time. A negative rate means you spend more than you receive. If you receive $5,000 this month and save $1,000, your personal savings rate equals 20 percent. For those in the accumulation phase, we like to see a 15-20 percent savings rate toward retirement. Your overall savings rate may be more than 20 percent when you include all other savings goals and debt payoff. Why is the 15-20 percent savings rate considered optimal? The math behind reaching financial independence is fairly simple. By making a few basic assumptions, in this case a 5 percent real investment return and 4 percent real withdrawal rate, you come up with the following chart. Using the chart you can see how it works. The figures are based on an income of $100,000 per year. A savings rate of 50 percent between direct savings and income from investments which totals $50,000 per year enables financial independence after about 16 years. Saving 10 percent requires investments to provide $90,000 of income, which would require 50 years of savings. For a person

WHY DO WOMEN LIVE LONGER THAN MEN?

who starts working around the age of 18 to 22, saving 15-20 percent each year will help you reach financial independence in 36 to 42 years, or between 55 and 65 years old. When you are young, starting the saving habit from Day One, doing it consistently each year, and not touching the money are all crucial. As Please see SAVINGS page 10

Proudly announcing our affiliation with Dr. John Cook of Southern Dermatology in Aiken

Pop quiz: What could shorten your life by nearly four and a half years? Being born a man. That’s what new data gathered from around the world by the World Health Organization shows. More than 140 million babies will be born before this year ends, and the baby boys can look forward to 69.8 years of life, the baby girls 74.2 years. With minor variations, the disparity holds true in countries and cultures all over the world. The reasons may be fairly straightforward, but altering, eliminating or controlling them is what presents the real challenge for individuals, physicians, public health experts and policy makers. There are only four causes of death which adversely affect women more than men: breast cancer, “maternal conditions,” cervical and uterine cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Everything else among the factors that contribute most to the differences in life expectancy between men and women goes south for the male gender. The top five on the disparity list begins with coronary artery disease, which takes the better part of a year off the life expectancy of half the world’s population. Next comes traffic accidents. Men drive more in general, and globally represent the majority of the heavy trucking industry and its preponderance of miles driven. Respiratory issues come next, with cancers of the lungs ranked third, followed by COPD in fourth. At #5 are the deadly and debilitating effects of stroke. Many of the greatest gender disparities are eminently preventable. Aside from lifestyle changes that could have significant beneficial effects on factors like heart disease and lung cancer, other male-dominated life expectancy reducers include cirrhosis of the liver, interpersonal violence and deliberate self-harm. Ladies and gentlemen, each of us can learn from the example, whether good or bad, set by the opposite gender. The potential payoff is huge: years of added life. +

MEDICALEXAMINER

M.D. John Cook,

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER

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

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APRIL 19, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#89 IN A SERIES

Who is this? ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE

ur focus for this installment is the unfortunate — or maybe not so unfortunate — lady hanging from the gallows in the illustration above. The story dates back to 1650, and the central character was Anne Greene, a 22-year-old mother sentenced to death for the alleged murder of her stillborn child. The sentence was carried out on a cold December day in Oxford, England. After dangling from the rope for half an hour, the body was taken down and, as suggested by words in the woodcut above, Anne Greene was discovered to still be alive. As amazing as that development might seem, the story is about to get even more interesting from a medical standpoint. A team of no less than four doctors — William Petty (162387), Thomas Willis (1621-75), Ralph Bathurst (1620-74) and Henry Clerke (1622-87) — ministered to her for the next several days and guided her to a complete recovery. How they did it stands as a testament to the progress of medicine and raises questions about today’s gold standards of medical treatment. When the initial signs of life were detected by the doctors who were on the scene to claim the body for anatomical dissection, they began the protocol for cases of apparent death: warmth and stimulation. They revived her by pouring a hot cordial down her throat, vigorously rubbing her arms and legs to promote circulation, bleeding her, applying warm liniments and poultices (called plasters) to her skin, and “heating [an] odoriferous Clyster to be cast up in her body, to give heat and warmth to her bowels.” Translation: they employed a heated (and scented) enema. Specifically, records indicate the doctors used bellows to blow tobacco smoke into her rectum. Although there was some debate at the time over whether blowing smoke into the lungs or the rectum was most beneficial, the medical consensus of the day favored the rectum. The British physician Richard Meade (1673-1754) was a particularly ardent proponent of tobacco smoke enemas in the mid 1700s. In one incident treating a seemingly drowned woman in 1746, based on the advice of a passing sailor, the woman’s husband inserted the stem of the sailor’s pipe into her rectum, covered the bowl with a piece of perforated paper, and “blew hard,” said a 2002 article in The Lancet. The woman survived. By the 1780s, the Royal Humane Society had installed resuscitation kits that included equipment for smoke enemas at regular intervals along the River Thames within London to rescue drowning victims. By the turn of the 19th century the life-saving effects of tobacco smoke enemas were considered to be on a par with artificial respiration. While the popularity of tobacco enemas only lasted a few decades, it makes a person wonder what treatments and procedures of today that are currently state of the art might be viewed with curiosity and disbelief many years from now. For her part, Anne Greene was given a full pardon, inasmuch as failed executions were viewed as clear indicators of innocence, if not divine intervention. She lived another nine years after her date with the gallows, bearing three more children before dying (in 1659) at the ripe old age of 31. +

Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com by Marcia Ribble The weather on this Monday after the Masters dawned bright and sunny, a great day to celebrate being alive! And it doesn’t matter if my back hurts, or my knees, or if my bank account is getting slim and I’m afraid of what feels like incipient poverty. I can still, for the time being, just enjoy a pretty day! As we age, or when we’re dealing with major issues, health or otherwise, it’s so important for us to take time out to focus on the little blessings of life. For many people who have recently struggled with all kinds of disasters, taking even a few minutes to enjoy life is like going on a little vacation. Years ago, when my mother was dying from stage four lung cancer, I was in Michigan driving up I-75 to her home in Lake St. Helen when, rounding a bend in the road, there was suddenly a fall splurge of crimson on a whole mass of trees. It was breathtaking! uplifting! and a reminder that mom’s impending death was not the only reality in life. I found myself in a worshipful response, thanking God for his gift of beauty. That small, fleeting gift was all it took for me to feel more positive about mom’s cancer. After all, although sick, she was still alive. When I arrived at her home, I told her about the crimson trees and asked if she was up for a little drive to see the trees. Her hip hurt a lot but she was game, and wanted to

WHICH WILL IT BE?

Your toothbrush can make you sick In all likelihood, that is not a true statement. It’s

drive herself, in her own car. We didn’t go very far and we didn’t go for very long, but it was long enough for her, too, to breathe in God’s beautiful blessings of color. What a marvelous bit of joy I was able to share with her! It was her last drive, and she would be dead only a few weeks later, but that day she was still fully alive, fully able to celebrate God’s gift of beauty. As for me, the memory of that drive fits in with a thousand other memories of Mom, with all the Sunday drives we took, in all seasons, to see the leaves. She taught me to notice the first soft green frieze of leaves in spring, the fattening buds before flowers and leaves bloomed, the small red or green spikes of tulips and other bulbs. She showed me the place in the yard where, as the snow melted, rhubarb’s curly red stems began to poke up. In many ways, when I look out of my eyes I see with hers. There are memories, too, of going to the library on Tuesday night after we went to the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena (whose purpose I can no longer recall), of the smells of incense at church, of old paper in the library, of piling books into paper sacks to keep them clean, of then stopping at Mooney’s for an ice cream cone, of the almost antiseptic smell of ice cream freezers. Memory is a precious gift and we trigger memories as easily as we welcome the softness of a spring day. +

possible, but the odds are against it. However. That doesn’t mean that the toothbrushes we use are usually sterile, either. In fact, clinical tests of typical toothbrushes scooped up from family bathrooms have discovered they can be awash in germs like flu virus, staph bacteria and E. coli. Thankfully, our bodies come equipped with a pretty effective immune system to ward off attackers. Even so, oral hygiene should be accompanied by brush hygiene. Here are a few ideas:

• wash hands before and after brushing • alternate between two toothbrushes to allow the brushes to dry completely between uses • change to a new brush at most every three months, and whenever you have had a cold or the flu • if you do have the flu or a cold, use a separate tube of toothpaste from others in the family • sterilize your brush with an alcohol-based mouthwash. +

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APRIL 19, 2019

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Musings of a Distractible Mind

by Augusta physician Rob Lamberts, MD, recovering physician, internet blogger extraordinaire, and TEDx Augusta 2018 speaker. Reach him via Twitter: @doc_rob or via his website: moredistractible.org

was disappointed and disgusted upon graduating from medical school when I realized I was never told why some people have “innie” bellybuttons and some have “outies.” It is another example of how far America has slipped in its educational process. Fortunately, I have since discovered the reason (and feel incredibly fulfilled because of it). When the umbilical cord dries up and comes off, it leaves a scar. Some people get bigger scars than others – some babies develop umbilical granulomas which are red, weeping scars at the site where the cord once was. Outie bellybuttons are largely due to this scar tissue. Umbilical hernias also play a role, although they are not responsible for the classic “alien coming out” appearance of the outies I remember as a child. They scared me a little. I am a proud innie. Probably the biggest downside of being an outie (other than complete ostracizing as a child) is that outie bellybuttons don’t collect lint. Navel lint was the subject of research by Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki of

the University of Sydney, Australia. Wikipedia gives a good summary: • Navel lint consists primarily of stray fibers from one’s clothing, mixed with some dead skin cells and strands of body hair. • Contrary to expectations, navel lint appears to migrate upwards from underwear rather than downwards from shirts or tops. The migration process is the result of the frictional drag of body hair on underwear, which drags stray fibers up into the navel. • Women experience less navel lint because of their finer and shorter body hairs. Conversely, older men experience it more because of their coarser and more numerous hairs. • Navel lint’s characteristic blue-gray tint is likely the averaging of the colors of fibers present in clothing; the same color as clothes dryer lint. • The existence of navel lint is entirely harmless, and requires no corrective action. For his contribution to mankind, Dr. Kruszelnicki was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in 2002. Wikipedia goes on to describe another Australian

who became famous over navel lint: Graham Barker of Perth, Western Australia, is in the Guinness Book of Records as the record holder for collecting navel lint. He has been collecting navel lint almost every day since January 1984. He collects about 3.03 mg per day. Contrary to the research of Dr. Kruszelnicki, Barker’s lint is in a particular shade of red, even though he rarely wears red clothes. This raises several questions about the Australian people: 1. Is there a higher innie/ outie ratio in Australia? 2. Do Australians have too much time on their hands? 3. What kind of underwear do Australians wear that would cause such an infestation of lint? 4. Would you buy a red sweater made in Australia? I am personally glad the article points out the harmlessness of lint. I had once told someone they had only two months to live because of their navel lint, but I will stop that practice from this point on. All of this reminds me of something important: I have some serious lint harvesting to do. +

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APRIL 19, 2019

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Life with ADHD and depression

rowing up in Taiwan, I suffered behavioral problems as a child. I displayed uncontrolled and unpredictable hyperactive behavior and an inability to follow instructions. Many times I was advised to seek a guidance counselor with my mother’s supervision. My mom and I talked to many counselors as I grew up; however, ADHD was little known back in that time. Many counselors focused on discipline, since medication as an option was completely unheard of. Adolescence was a very emotional time. In addition to my existing inability to concentrate, many teachers acknowledged that I exhibited more rebellious behaviors than normal teenagers. I con-

I woke up in a hospital. tinued to be a regular at the guidance counselor’s office for many reasons. Psychiatric treatment for depression was pretty much out of the norm in Taiwan, as it created the stigma of mental disability. Along with many students who shared the same problem, I had a rough time with self-worth. I managed to pass the majority of my classes with help from my guidance counselors and teachers, along with my own perseverance. I immigrated to America to study in high school while under the care of my indirect family here. In addition to

the standard curriculum, I had to take ESL (English as a Second Language) classes during the first year. That wasn’t too challenging since I had ESL classes in Taiwan. However, I struggled in standard classes with my peers who are native English speakers. My inability to focus resurfaced, along with anxiety issues due to culture shock and being bullied as a foreigner. When I took my first SAT, I struggled to finish the questions on time. Not only was my overall score below average, but it also did not meet the minimum requirement of any schools of which I applied. Knowing that I might not be seen as a strong applicant, I asked teachers who knew about my potential to be my references.

APRIL 19, 2019 Through emails and on-site visits, I also made personal introductions to program managers and the staff at the admissions office of the institutions where I applied. Knowing that academically I did not excel, I worked hard on volunteer activities through student organizations and church. Finally, I was accepted to Augusta University. When I started college I moved out on my own. I had to take supplemental English reading and writing courses again in the ESL program in addition to the standard curriculum. Although the courses were difficult, they helped me to prepare for English 1101 and 1102. With a small institution size, I was able to meet with my professors to ask questions. Nevertheless, in addition to my grade issues, I experienced a lot of anxiety from peer pressure, on-and-off relationships, and the naturalization process. After several breakdowns, I woke up in a hospital and was urged by the Vice

President of the university to seek professional help. The physicians released me back to my indirect family after their assurances that they would take care of me and get the help I needed. The harm that I brought to my loved ones made me recognize how devastating my mental issues had become. I apologized to everyone affected and promised that I would take charge of my mental health. With the help of my indirect family, I visited a psychologist for the first time in my life, and finally was able to see myself under the light of ADHD and depression. However, about the time I turned 20, my indirect family’s insurance company discontinued my health coverage. As my ongoing psychologist visits and back payments from the unexpected hospital stay piled up, I had to discontinue treatment. While I had finally been getting the therapy I needed, the financial burden was giving my family and me almost

IT’SYOURTURN!

Please see ADHD page 16

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.

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

GARDENVARIETY

It’s springtime in Augusta, and I am ready for fresh garden produce. My tomato plants are starting to grow, but in the meantime, I am jump-starting the season by using fresh yellow tomatoes for a variety of my recipes such as this homemade salsa. Making fresh homemade salsa is easy using the combination of fresh ingredients such as yellow tomatoes, chilies, onions, and cilantro to create a salsa with an authentic Mexican flavor. It is perfect with chips or as a condiment for fajitas, burritos, and quesadillas. You can use any variety of large tomatoes for this salsa, but I like to use a tomato that is not too acidic like a yellow tomato. It might surprise you that according to Prevention, yellow tomatoes are slightly better for you than red. Yellow tomatoes are lower in calories, higher in iron, phosphorus, and potassium. They also are higher in zinc, which helps boost your immune system. For those of you worried about cholesterol, yellow tomatoes are almost double in niacin, which helps keep it low. Another good reason to use yellow tomatoes is they are nearly double compared to red in folate, which helps your body produce red blood cells. It might surprise you how simple it is to make fresh homemade salsa. Just peel your tomatoes (I share with you on my site a quick way to do this), then toss Homemade Salsa your ingredients into a pot and allow ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high them to simmer, filling your kitchen heat, stir continuously. with a savory Mexican aroma. Once all your ingredients are simmered, use and an immersion blender to make it chunky Reduce heat, and simmer gently. Stir frequently so the tomatoes do not burn. Allow to simmer for or smooth, whichever you prefer. Then about 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are very pull out the chips and enjoy! soft, starting to fall apart. Use an immersion hand blender and puree the Homemade Salsa salsa until it is smooth. Ingredients Chill and then serve with fresh cilantro and • 5 large yellow tomatoes peeled crushed red peppers to taste on top. + • 1/3 cup chopped onion • 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped by Gina Dickson. “As a mother of six who beat • 1 tablespoon white vinegar cancer, I want to share with you what I • Juice of one lime learned through my journey. I know • 2 cloves fresh garlic chopped healing from cancer can take everything • 1/4 cup cilantro a mom has, yet you still want to love • 1 teaspoon cumin and care for your family through the • 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt treatments. My blog is a community full • 1 teaspoon sugar of encouragement for moms going through cancer • 1/4 to 1 teaspoon pepper flakes treatments who would like to use a plant-based vegan diet to complement their healing journey. Making the Salsa www.thelifegivingkitchen.com In a medium stock pot combine all

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The saddest stories I have heard over the past 32 years of working in the field of addiction have been stories of good kids from good families who have seemingly done everything right but who have still crossed the threshold into chemical dependency. I first think of “Susan,” who had painful menstrual cramps and was prescribed painkillers as a pre-teen by a well-meaning family physician, and who understandably and forgivably became a full-blown addict by the age of 18 when she was officially an adult. I think of “John,” whose parents allowed him as a teenager to drink — only at home — and who learned to water down the vodka he took from his dad’s at-home bar so it would appear the Vodka level hadn’t dropped. We learn early don’t we! He had earned 2 DUIs by the time he was 19 years old. It is certainly impossible to child-proof your son or daughter from addiction, but there are steps you can take now to minimize the possibility. First, make your home an Alcohol & Drug Free Zone. There are abundant posters available that you can post in your home to keep this in front of your face. It is also a bold statement to all friends who enter your home. You can even include tobacco in all its forms today in your expectations, as statistics show that kids who use tobacco at an early age are more prone to smoking other drugs in years soon to come.

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THIS IS YOUR BRAIN

A monthly series by an Augusta drug treatment professional Second, put it in writing! Establish a Living Contract with your children with 3 columns: Expectations, Rewards, and Consequences. Make it plain, simple, and doable. Strictly enforced. Remember, kids love rewards! They can be things normally seen as “coming with the territory” of living at your home such as cable TV, Wi-Fi, food, cell phone, and clean clothes. These are items that are taken away if the contract is broken. And restored after a set time of being drug-free. The last column can include: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd consequences with each violation getting tougher, just like state DUI laws. Third, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” If you as a parent exercise your right to drink beverage alcohol, okay. You have a tough educational challenge in front of you, however. That is to convince your children that drinking responsibly does not begin until age 21 when the brain is supposedly fully wired to tolerate the effects of alcohol without damaging the brain’s developmental chemical stability. There is abundant research out there on this, including a couple of new books on the adolescent brain. Kids won’t be accepting trite, old reasons for sobriety in this Age of Google! We used to say Monkey See, Monkey Do – but that’s in the trite, old sayings

category now! Do not suffer under the delusion that it’s okay for your child to drink at home because you’re monitoring their intake! They are establishing habit patterns for the circle of life outside the home. That thinking belongs to dreamers only. Fourth, talk about drugs at home in a non-judgmental and informative manner. Parents who do this reduce their child’s risk of using by 50%. Use news clips as fodder for discussion; you will have no shortage, and they will be a continual source of examples of high risk choices made poorly. Fifth, consider attending an “open” meeting of 12step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. These are usually “speaker” meetings, celebrating “birthdays” of its members who are having another successful sober year. Non-alcoholics and non-addicts may attend these community events free of charge. In fact, the organizations will not accept your $1 donation as the basket is passed. Local meeting schedules are online. These meetings are worth their weight in gold, as the best medicine is prevention in the first place, and hearing the stories presented are very effective in driving home “that could’ve been me.” Low risk or high risk? Take your pick, but know that we are never far away from the cutting edge of high risk. +

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Sorry we’ve been missing you. Let us know how we can correct our oversight. Our phone and email contact info is always on page 3.

APRIL 19, 2019

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Useful food facts from dietetic interns with the Augusta University MS-Dietetic Internship Program

OH, SUGAR!

by Bailey Joyner, MS-Dietetic Intern The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugars each day. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends reducing the intake of added sugars. Added sugars are sugars or syrups that are added to a food product during processing or preparation. Sugars naturally found in foods are not added sugars. For example, sugars in fruits are natural and sugars added to sodas are added sugars. Many studies have found that overconsumption of added sugars increases the risk for the development of chronic conditions like heart disease and obesity. Most Americans consume their excess added sugars from beverages - sodas and energy drinks. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages may lead to a greater consumption of calories throughout the day. It is recommended that daily intake of added sugars should be less than 10% of total calories. Taste isn’t a reliable way to determine the amount of sugar in a product. Reliable, accurate and scientific information is provided on the food label. Therefore reading food labels is important.

Let’s take a detailed look at the amount of sugar in some popular beverages. A can of Classic Coca-Cola contains 9.3 teaspoons of sugar, Mountain Dew has almost 11 teaspoons, and Red Bull contains 6.75 teaspoons. One of the common misconceptions is that fruit juices are healthy. Fruit juice does contain natural WHAT ARE ADDED SUGARS? Added sugars are sugars or syrups added to a food product during processing or preparation. Sugars naturally found in foods are not added sugars. For example, sugars in fruits are natural and sugars in sodas are added sugars. fruit sugars, but sometimes more sugar is added. This is often overlooked because advertising can be deceiving. For that reason, the solid nuts & bolts information on food nutrition labels is good reading for all foods, not just beverages. Manufacturers may add sugar to foods that are considered healthy, such as low fat yogurt and granola. The overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk for obesity. One study found that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages

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led to as much as 14.4% higher total daily caloric intake compared to those who drank water. In addition to weight gain, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages leads to a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. A recent study found that drinking two sugar-sweetened beverage a day increases the risk for death by 21% compared to those who drank less than one beverage per month. How does consuming these beverages differ from eating a piece of fruit that might contain the same amount of sugar? The sugary drink doesn’t contain the fiber that fruit does. Fiber slows down the release of sugar into the blood, preventing the release of an excess amount of sugar that may spike blood glucose levels and overload vital organs like the pancreas and liver. The body makes triglycerides from the excess sugar and calories that are stored in the liver and the bloodstream and may contribute to artery-clogging plaque. This may increase the risks of heart diseases and strokes. The best beverage option is water. It does not provide calories and plays a vital role in proper hydration of the body. Other drink alternatives would be fruit or vegetable infused water. Coffee or tea without added sugars could be flavored with cinnamon, lemons and other herbs. + For additional information on added sugars and reading food labels, contact a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) for evidence-based information or visit www.eatright.org. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are trained health professionals in the science of food and nutrition.

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H H H H H 4/10/2019 Man, I just did my taxes. Uncle Sam is killing me. Does anybody know what kind of deduction I can get if I donate a kidney? It would have to be donated to charity, right? + H H H H H 4/10/2019 I saw steak and kidney pie on a menu somewhere the other day. So that’s what they do with all those kidneys people donate??? That’s just plain crazy. +

Lee G. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 4/11/2019 This guy at work said he had kidney stones, said he was in constant pain, said they made his life miserable. Then one day he was telling everyone that he passed the stone and it was the most excruciating pain any human could ever experience, blah, blah blah. Then he showed us the stone. It was no stone. It wasn’t even a pebble! I didn’t know this guy was such a wimp. +

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H H H H H 4/12/2019 I was just reading that the average worldwide price for a kidney on the black market can be as high as $160,000. +

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I enjoy reading the Medical Examiner online here in Iran. You might be interested to know that Iran is the only country in the world where it is legal to sell one’s kidney for financial compensation. The program is regulated by the government. We have no waiting list for kidney transplants or any shortage of available organs. The average price paid is only $2000-$4000. Transplants are paid for by either recipients, the government, or charities. + H H H H H 4/13/2019 Kidneys produce urine? So this is the organ that wakes me up six times a night and sends me to the bathroom? Then sign me up for a trip to Iran today. Can I donate both? +

Ronald G. Grovetown, GA

H H H H H 4/13/2019 Wait, wait. Cancel! I didn’t mean that. I want to sell them on the black market! +

Larry D. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 4/14/2019 You hear about these people who wake up without a kidney in a strange place they don’t recognize. I always say to myself, “Just stop and think, people. Where was the last place you saw it?” +

Darryl J. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 4/15/2019 In school, I flunked several times. I reminded people of a kidney. Kidney failure, to be specific. +

Karl W. Evans, GA

H H H H H 4/15/2019 You’ve heard of kidney beans, right? I believe kidneys are the only organs that produce beans. +

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APRIL 19, 2019

SAVINGS… from page 3

your savings start to add up, working with a financial planner to help you understand all the other items you need to consider will help keep you on track. It is important to note that the chart and examples above oversimplify retirement planning since they excludes pensions, Social Security, tax planning, long-term care planning, and many other factors that we help our clients consider when planning for retirement or other saving goals. The numbers in the chart give you a feel for how important saving consistently over time can be. They also demonstrate how living below your means and on a smaller part of your income helps you save more and reach future goals quicker. Beyond reaching financial goals, saving money as part of your lifestyle has other significant benefits. Better savings and improved Psychologists have studied the financial health can reduce impact of individual’s financial stress and reduce the risk of habits on their overall health and obesity and chronic illness. wellbeing for many years. They have found that practicing good — UCLA research financial habits such as having a healthy saving rate will help you experience lower levels of stress. It is also not surprising that studies have found a link between saving habits and the health of children or our future generations. A recent study by UCLA researchers found that children in households with less than three months of savings had a substantially higher risk of obesity and chronic illness and worse overall health than households with more money set aside. Given that children learn the majority of their financial habits from family and friends, it is especially important that we take the time to monitor our own saving habits which will help us demonstrate and teach future generations the habits which will lead to a healthy lifestyle. Savings rates are something we really enjoy helping clients evaluate and understand. The discussions we have with clients provides an overall peace of mind, promotes living a healthy lifestyle, and ensures they pass on positive habits to future generations. This spring is a great time to evaluate your savings rate as you may be surprised at what you find. A few small changes can make a big difference over time, not just for your financial picture, but also for the health of all members in your family. + by Clayton Quamme, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with AP Wealth Management, LLC (www.apwealth.com). AP Wealth is a financial planning and investment advisory firm with offices in Augusta, GA.

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APRIL 19, 2019

The blog spot — posted by Christopher Johnson, M.D., on April 10, 2019 (edited)

WHEN DOCTORS ARE POOR EXPLAINERS A physician, like anyone, can be a poor explainer of things for several reasons, but foremost among these is the tendency to use medical jargon. This is not a problem unique to doctors. When I take my car in for repairs, I often must ask the mechanic to explain what is wrong in a way I can understand. I have a rudimentary understanding of what the various parts of the engine do, and I even recognize the terms he uses to describe these parts, but I have little understanding of how the parts relate to each other and what can go wrong with them. Automobile mechanics often wrongly assume most people know more than they actually do about car engines. If you spend all day working with engines and talking with colleagues who are doing the same thing it can be difficult to grasp how confusing the subject can be to nonmechanics. Physicians find themselves in a similar situation. Most parents know about their child’s body and many of the ailments that can affect it in the same way I know about my car and what can go wrong with it. But even though we know the words for body or engine parts, someone explaining to us what is wrong with a child or a car should not mistake this passing acquaintance with the vocabulary as true understanding. Explanations should be in plain, jargon-free English. There is another way this situation is analogous to auto mechanics: often the non-mechanically inclined, especially men, believe they ought to know about car engines, even if they do not, and are reluctant to press for clearer explanations from the mechanic. So they nod wisely while the mechanic explains, all the while having little or no idea what he is talking about. Likewise, parents sometimes feel as if not being medically knowledgeable makes them somehow poorer parents, and they are reluctant to press the doctor for clearer explanations when they do not understand what she is telling them. You should not let your mechanic do anything to your car you do not understand the need for; do not accept any less from your child’s doctor. What should parents do if they find themselves with a doctor who is a poor explainer, either from her excessive use of medical jargon or some other reason? I think the best approach is to do as a doctor does when we take a history from parents who are vague and imprecise in their descriptions: we pause frequently and rephrase our questions in different ways, and keep doing that until we understand. Parents can do the same thing by stopping the conversation at intervals, restating in their own words what they think they are hearing, and then asking the doctor if that is correct. Thus a parent can respond to a murky explanation from the doctor with something like: “So, what I hear you saying is … Is that right?” The worst thing to do for your sick child is to imply to the doctor you understand when you do not. One way or another, make her explain it to you so you understand it. Make her draw pictures if necessary. When you insist on continuing the conversation until you comprehend everything you are not being a pest, you are doing your job of being a good parent. +

What to do if your doctor is one of them

Christopher Johnson is a pediatric intensive care physician

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From the Bookshelf Reading this book calls to mind the famous quote by Stuart Chase: “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.” We are currently rehashing issues that were hotly debated in the 1700s and even earlier: the first military defeat in American history happened when George Washington vacillated on whether or not to have his troops vaccinated against smallpox. After a forced retreat he made inoculation mandatory. That he was unsure of the safety of vaccines was not the thinking of the day. As Eula Biss shows in this slim but well-researched volume, many centuries before George Washington vaccines were the subject of broad acceptance and pockets of entrenched skepticism. The more things change, it seems, the more they stay the same. The debate has little to do with fact, although this book is densely packed with them. Consider a little of the related history Biss reviews: the theory that AIDS is a government plot to kill

segments of the population the government supposedly views as undesirable. As one African man near AIDS’ ground zero remarked, however, wouldn’t it have been simpler to poison their Coca-Cola than to concoct a virulent disease? Another: Cotton Mather, became a proponent of variolation in the early 1700s (coincidentally, not long after losing his wife and three children to measles), and was rewarded by a firebomb thrown through his window. Consider the so-called antivaxxers who ignore mountains of evidence provided by the World Health Organization, the

CDC and countless independent studies by organizations with impeccable credentials, and instead hitch their wagons to a disgraced doctor and a former Playmate of the Year. Indeed, this debate is really not about facts. It’s about trust: of government, of the medical profession, and of the pharmaceutical industry. As Biss acknowledges, there are plenty of reasons to distrust all three. That does not mean, however, that everything they endorse or recommend is some diabolical plot. If it is, one has to wonder what’s behind government speed limits, healthful suggestions from the medical field (like encouragement to quit smoking), and aspirin tablets made by the pharmaceutical industry. The best idea may be found in the words of Biss herself, who suggests that we should “trust, but in an intelligent, skeptical way.” (See page 1 of this issue.) Her book will help you do just that. + On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss, 205 pages, published in January 2014 by Graywolf Press

Research News Oral bacteria is evil As reported April 7 in Experimental Biology researchers are finding that bacteria implicated in gum disease can travel throughout the body, spreading toxins that can cause Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and pneumonia — plus, don’t forget, gum disease. While the news is a reminder to everyone of the head-totoe importance of oral health, researchers say that people with a genetic history of Alzheimer’s or RA should be especially conscientious about their efforts to prevent gum disease. The best way to prevent the spread of the bacterium identified in the study — Porphyromonus gingivalis — is by brushing and flossing regularly and visiting a dental hygienist at least once a year. Quick recipe This publication frequently mentions how salubrious

actions pay handsome dividends, even when the actions are relatively brief. Adding more evidence to that is a study published earlier this month in Frontiers in Psychology. Researchers started with the basic premise that spending time in nature is relaxing. But are the benefits measurable beyond just feeling good? What is the correct dose? An hour a week? An hour a day? University of Michigan researchers set out to answer those questions using the brand of nature most accessible to most people: not a road trip to a distant national park, but the nearest little pocket of urban nature. The backyard, that little fountain outside the office surrounded by flowers and benches, the nearest city park of any size. So the medicine is whatever is handy, but what about the dosage? Study participants were asked to take a “nature

pill” of 10 minutes or more at least 3 times each week. Researchers measured the subjects’ levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, before and after their interaction with nature. To keep the results as pure as possible, subjects were asked to avoid social media, aerobic exercise, phone calls and other assorted potentially stressful distractions on days they took their “nature pills.” Otherwise they were free to choose the time of day (during daylight hours), the location and duration of their walk or sitting spell. The data collected revealed that just 20 minutes per day spent in natural surroundings significantly reduced cortisol levels. The greatest stressreduction effects came at about 30 minutes, but additional destressing benefits were added more slowly after that. Considering that stress is a major contributor to various ills, a 20-minute nature pill is a simple and inexpensive aid. +

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners

APRIL 19, 2019

THE MYSTERY WORD

Can you recommend a good doctor?

A specialist or a family doctor?

by Dan Pearson

Sure. The one we go to is a family doctor in more ways than one.

A family doctor.

He treats mine and I support his.

How do you mean?

The Mystery Word for this issue: AFES

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

5 13

NUMBER BY

8 15

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

19 23

26 29

37 40

44 48

45 49

51 55 61

9 6 7 3 4

E X A M I N E R

20 21 22 ACROSS 1. Once more 25 5. Vietnam offensive 27 28 8. Blocker start 12. Building in downtown 32 33 34 35 Augusta 38 39 14. St. Louis landmark 41 42 43 16. No-name abbreviation 17. _____-Bifida 46 47 18. Capital of Peru 50 19. Indian peasant 20. Mover at a regatta 52 53 54 21. Goose color in Augusta? 58 59 60 23. Kidney-related 25. Large marbles 63 64 26. Dark Angel star 66 67 27. Severe/sudden 29. French painter (1619-1690) by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved. 32. Daniel, former MCG president DOWN 33. Religion of Allah 1. The Sun Rises missing title 36. IV word 38. Metal-bearing mineral 2. California valley 39. Steady or kiss follower 3. Islamic chieftain 40. “_____ a boy!” 4. Pale 41. Glasgow _____ Scale 5. Anklebone 43. Bibb County seat 6. Great lake 45. Square end of a wall 7. Ted Turner’s movie station 46. Jessye’s last name 8. Noted Doug of Augusta 48. Downton ________ 9. New Age singer 50. Roman garment 10. Type of kit 51. Heroic; great 11. Fire ____ 52. _____-American 13. Capital of Morocco 54. Coffin stand 15. Columbia County city 55. And so on 22. Monetary unit of Angola 58. Focus on 42-D 24. Flow back 59. Mild oath 25. Large beer or wine cask 61. Number opposite nine 26. Seat of Georgia’s Wheeler 63. Encounter County 64. Packaging weight allowance 27. Hank or Tommy 65. Ben of note in Augusta 28. ____-therapy 66. Candied roots 30. Liquid waste 67. A book docs use 31. Gritty partner 68. Royal introduction 32. Fabled bird of Arabian Nights

WORDS

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, APRIL 29, 2019

5 6 7

6 6 8

2 1 5

4 8 1

S U D O 2 7 K 5 U 3

2 3

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

QUOTATIONPUZZLE

34. Palmetto energy co. 35. Fond du ___, Wisconsin 37. Medical test for men (abbrev) 42. _________ Row 43. Start for some schools 44. Neck back 45. WJBF affiliation 47. Extinct emu-like bird 49. This sometimes introduces a defect 51. Duck with soft down 52. The A of CSRA 53. Brain ___ 54. Shakespeare, notably 55. Therefore (Latin) 56. Duct start 57. Red coin 58. Grant of Augusta 60. A break in continuity 62. Letters after I, sometimes

R L L E C U S W W E D L R L O R F Y N D O I R I R I A O F N I Y O E U S N E Y T L A Y H L T

9 8 6 5 7 3 2 4 5Y 7 8E 1 1U 9 3 6 4 2

— Sicilian proverb

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.

H 1 1 2 3 4 C H 1 2 3 4 5 6

S W 1 2 3 4 5 6

S F 1 2 3 4 5 6

F 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4

C 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 T T U 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 5 5

1.JRBFAIFHTMTS 2.TUEHHORLAEI 3.WARVCUUAARS 4.TNCTINIAEHR 5.IDYYCTES 6.TRSCS 7.E

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

2 1 4 9 6 3 7 5 8

3 9 2 7 8 5 6 4 1

4 8 6 1 3 9 5 2 7

5 7 1 6 2 4 8 9 3

APRIL 19, 2019

13 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...

temperature is at birth? Joe: Sure. Womb temperature.

uring an American History class, the professor is explaining how society’s idea of beauty can change over time. “For example,” he said, “the winner of the Miss America pageant in 1921 stood five foot one, weighed 108 pounds, and had measurements of 30-26-32. How do you think she’d do in today’s version of that contest?” The class was silent until one woman commented, “She’d lose for sure.” “And why is that?” asked the professor. “Well for one thing,” the student answered, “she’s over a hundred by now.” A guy bought his wife a beautiful new dress. “I love it!” she said. “But it’s two sizes too small!” “I know that,” he said. “I did that on purpose to motivate you to lose weight.” “Oh,” she responded. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in it,” he said. “That’s a good idea,” she said. And on his next birthday she bought him a coffin. Moe: Do you know what a baby’s normal

Moe: Do you know what type of music geologists usually like best? Joe: Rock.

The

Moe: There is a Lane, a Street, and a Court in my neighborhood, all with the same name. They mix up deliveries all the time. Joe: That is unacceptable. My last job I got fired for making one wrong delivery. Moe: Who were you with? FedEx? UPS? Joe: No, I was driving a hearse.

Moe: Are you going to the gym today? Joe: No, I broke up with my gym. Moe: What happened? Joe: We were just not working out.

Moe: I think that cashier at the grocery store likes me. Joe: She definitely checked you out. Moe: What’s this I hear? You qualified for the Olympics? Seriously? Joe: Well yeah, but not the regular Olympics...the Nudist Olympics. Moe: How is that possible? You’re no athlete. Joe: True. I barely made it. A new Polish immigrant went to apply for a driver’s license. First, he had to take a vision test. The examiner showed him a card with the letters C Z W I N O S T A C Z. “Can you read that?” the examiner asked. “Read it?” the Polish guy replied, “I dated her in high school.” +

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean? Staring at my phone all day has had no Effect on ME!

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Dear Advice Doctor, I don’t want to sound like I’m super-sensitive, but my mother-in-law made a snide comment about my weight that has really gotten under my skin. She was just kidding and didn’t mean anything malicious, but every time I’m around her it’s the first thing I think about. It’s still a sore subject after almost three weeks now. Any advice on how to get this off my mind? — Trying to Keep the Peace Dear Trying, Situations like this can fester for weeks if they aren’t handled properly, so I applaud you for seeking advice on how to do things properly. Personally, I had a very similar incident myself once — I can’t remember now if it was a splinter or a thorn, but it was definitely under my skin — but it was steadily getting worse. This will not resolve itself. The best course of action will be determined by exactly what has gotten under your skin. Let’s review how to remove a splinter first, then we’ll discuss the steps for removing an insect stinger from a bee or wasp. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your hands and the affected area first to help prevent infection. The primary tool for this operation is usually a pair of tweezers. Sterilize them using rubbing alcohol. Now inspect the splinter closely (using a magnifying glass if necessary), and use the tweezers to pull it out, reversing the direction it went in. If a splinter is completely under the skin, use a sterilized needle to gently open the skin or to move the splinter toward the skin’s surface, then use the tweezers to pull it out. After removal, clean the area again, pat dry, apply petroleum jelly to the wound and cover with a bandage until it heals. Seek medical attention if the splinter is too deep to remove and/or if the site becomes infected. For insect bites, anyone with a history of allergic reactions should use an EpiPen immediately. Insect stingers are a little different because removing them with tweezers can actually squeeze the venom sac, releasing more toxins into the wound. For that reason, scraping across the surface of the skin in the direction opposite of the way the stinger entered is the best way to remove the stinger without injecting more venom. Clean the area, apply hydrocortisone cream to reduce any reaction, and apply ice. + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.

Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #53

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

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THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: AMATEUR

...cleverly hidden in the lower right corner of the p. 8 ad for MAKERSON DENTAL

THE WINNER: OLIVIA ESTES! 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 19, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER THE PUZZLE SOLVED A L S O

N A P A

A R A O R C O N A A R M E Y A

E W M A R I N A R B L T A W C U T E H N I E M A M O R M A T O G S I A N T S E E T T M S

T A L U S S C A N A G A P

E T R C H I M A E R E A L B L E B L A M A M C O N A B E P I B I E R A D T R E H D R

B A R N A R D

E N Y A

T A O N O T L

U R I A N B E C E H R O G P O

N I P T S T A Y T E A R

C E N T

SEE PAGE 12

The Celebrated TheSUDOKUsolution MYSTERY WORD CONTEST 9 8 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package! SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher. 8. Deadline to enter is shown on page 12.

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Love to stare at your phone? Visit issuu.com/ medicalexaminer and stare away.

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QuotatioN QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION “Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.”

— Sicilian proverb

WORDS BY NUMBER “I have always found that mercy

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APRIL 19, 2019

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEY’RE ALMOST READY! Our world-exclusive coffee mugs, being custom made for us by Tire City Potters in downtown Augusta, will be ready soon. All Mystery Word Contest winners beginning this past January will each get one, as well as future winners.

They’re cool! They’re hot! Earn the chance to win yours today!

Just unscramble the Mystery Word provided on page 12, then start hunting. Remember, the Mystery Word is always in an ad, and is always hidden. You’ll never see it in an article or in large letters.

EDICA M

MI NE

Once you find the word, head over to the Medical Examiner website (AugustaRX.com) to enter for your chance to win.

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ADHD… from page 6

more stress than going untreated. As a result, I again utilized counseling services at school. When I took psychology and sociology courses, I learned through case studies about different psychological behaviors in animals and humans. I started looking at myself and my behaviors from a third-person view. Being aware of my conditions made me more mature, and instead of going into sheer panic attacks and then getting reprimanded like I used to, I came to terms with my mental issues in a logical way. I became more aware of surroundings that disrupt my concen-

tration and emotions and learned to avoid them. I slowly adapted ways to concentrate and stabilize my impulsive energy and emotions. In my senior year of college, I was doing better at school, parttime jobs, and in social settings. Although I still had arguments and deplorable relationships, I was never anywhere close to the breakdowns that I had in my early college days. It was also around this time that I finally met my significant other, Hector, who has shown an endless amount of patience and concentrated attention for me. Through his demeanor,

I learned the virtue of patience and attention to details. Together, we also alleviated the burden of financial stress on each other, and together we were able to accomplish more things. I finally resumed my psychological treatment after obtaining steady pay and health insurance through my fulltime job. I went to see a psychiatrist for the first time when I was 22. I was finally able to get my long overdue diagnosis of ADHD. My psychiatrist, as well as the other physician assistants, all commended me for graduating college without

APRIL 19, 2019

any medical treatment. When I first started taking Adderall, I only wished I had gotten it sooner. As the economy remained stagnant from the recession, I moved from one job to another, and my insurance coverage would change as a result. Around the time I turned 25 I learned that insurance companies do not cover controlled substances treating attention disorders after a certain age. In sum, I was only able to receive the blessing of medication for ADHD for 2 years out of the 24 years that I have lived with this disorder. Nevertheless, I

shifted my focus to my other mental issue, depression. I had a rough time finding work, and even when I did, I had close encounters with lay-offs. I was able to get medical leave for some time and sought help through an employee assistance program, which ultimately referred me to a psychiatrist. Thankfully, my insurance has been covering my anti-depressants. But from experience I know that the terms of coverage could change any day. Even as I realized just how much medication can improve my behavior, I learned to not to take anything

for granted through my rough but fruitful experience. I know I cannot fully rely on health insurance after what I had gone through. To this day, I still practice different methods to help me to concentrate and stabilize my emotions. In the past I struggled with the unknown. However, once my mental disability was recognized and diagnosed, I sought help and turned my life around. So whenever a hardship comes, I know what I need to do to overcome it. + by Si-Long Chen Augusta, GA

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +

ACUPUNCTURE

DENTISTRY

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

Dr. Judson S. Hickey 2315-B Central Ave Augusta 30904 PRACTICE CLOSED 706-739-0071

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

AMBULANCE SERVICE

IN-HOME CARE

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048 Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445

Zena Home Care Personal Care|Skilled Nursing|Companion 706-426-5967 www.zenahomecare.com

LONG TERM CARE WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax)

706-863-9800

CHIROPRACTIC Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William M. Rice 108 SRP Drive, Suite A 706-860-4001 www.evanschiro.net

COUNSELING SA

Resolution Counseling Professionals 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com

Medical Center West Pharmacy 465 North Belair Road Evans 30809 Georgia Dermatology & 706-854-2424 Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com Augusta 30904 Parks Pharmacy 706-733-3373 SKIN CANCER CENTER 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS www.GaDerm.com HARMACY N. Augusta 29841 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS

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

DRUG REHAB

Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd. Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

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

TRANSPORTATION Caring Man in a Van Wheelchair-Stretcher Transports • Serving Augusta Metro 855-342-1566 www.CaringManinaVan.com

VEIN CARE

PHARMACY

DERMATOLOGY

AMBULANCE • STRETCHER • WHEELCHAIR

SLEEP MEDICINE

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

YOUR LISTING HERE Augusta Area Healthcare Provider Prices from less than $100 for six months CALL 706.860.5455 TODAY!

If you would like your medical practice listed in the Professional Directory, call the Medical Examiner at 706.860.5455