Feb17 17 by Daniel Pearson

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THE 3 LITTLE PS

What are The 3 Little Ps? FIND OUT BELOW

llow me to take you back to a moment in my childhood. I was probably about 6 or 7 on the day this happened. My older brother was 8 or 9, and I had a younger brother still in diapers. Back in those distant days, boys and girls, Pampers, Huggies, Depends, pull-ups, and other modern conveniences were either not invented or not yet in common use. Cloth diapers still ruled the day. There was a diaper bucket next to the toilet in our bathroom, but there were times when my mother would change my little brother’s diaper and temporarily drop the dirty diaper in the toilet. She

would rinse it and transfer it to the diaper bucket later. Good times, right Mom? That’s what confronted me on the fateful day in question: a diaper in the toilet. There was no family rule against micturating on a dirty diaper. As I stood there doing so, by dint of habit my left hand was in its usual spot on the handle of the tank. As I finished up, I automatically flushed the toilet without thinking. About half a nanosecond later I got that extreme uh-oh feeling. It’s the same feeling adults get the instant they realize they’re in the process of slamming a locked car door with their keys still inside. But maybe this would work out. The diaper slithered out of sight in a rush of water, and I went

back outside to play without another thought. Fast-forward a day or two and there was a backhoe digging up our back yard to find and remove the blockage I had created. Oops. The diaper was definitely flushable. I saw it go down with my own two eyes. But that didn’t mean it was flushable. It wasn’t. What does any of this have to do with the 3-word mantra of the Medical Examiner? (Those are the words running across this very page above: health, medicine, wellness.) Virtually every list of the greatest inventions in human history includes indoor plumbing. It Please see FLUSH page 10

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Kid’s Stuff NOTES FROM A PEDIATRIC RESIDENT by Caroline Colden, M.D., Children’s Hospital of Georgia

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Smoking harms nearly every organ in mother’s body, increasing the risk of cancer, vascular disease, and bad outcomes in pregnancy. Is there any amount of “safe” smoking that can take place in pregnancy? The answer is no - literally every cigarette or tobacco product smoked during pregnancy can cause harm to the growing baby. Less cigarettes is always better than smoking more, but not smoking at all is the healthiest route to take. Smoking deprives the lungs of oxygen, and this is especially pronounced during pregnancy when a mother has to provide enough oxygen for both her own body and her baby’s for good health. Smoking also increases the amount of carbon monoxide in the blood, which functions as a poison and blocks the ability of blood to deliver oxygen normally to tissues throughout the body. The baby can end up struggling to get enough oxygen, resulting in brain and other tissue damage and overall decreased growth. In addition to carbon monoxide, other bad chemicals from smoke can enter the baby’s body and cause serious damage. Babies born to smokers are at much higher risk of being born too early or too small (less than 5 pounds), and sicker than babies not exposed to cigarette smoke. Low birthweight babies are at higher risk for developing other health problems, and may have less-developed organ systems than higher weight babies. Babies exposed to cigarettes during pregnancy also have a higher risk of developing birth defects (for example cleft lip or palate), or even dying before birth (miscarriages or stillbirth).

The organs most affected are the baby’s brain and lungs. Exposure to cigarette smoke can also increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) after babies are born. Even if women do not actively smoke themselves, there is still danger in being around other smokers. “Second hand smoke” is breathing in smoke produced by a nearby smoker, and “third hand smoke” includes the particulate matter and stink left behind by a smoked cigarette. All forms of smoke - fi rst, second, and third hand - can cause health risks in a growing baby. At the end of the day, no form of exposure to cigarette smoke is safe for a growing baby. It is never too late to quit smoking, and it will only make the baby healthier with each cigarette that is not smoked. +

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The

PROFILES IN MEDICINE

Advice Doctor

presented by Queensborough National Bank & Trust Co.

STILL LIFE

or most of us most of the time, our choice of doctor is just that: a choice. If we don’t happen to like our physician for some reason we can always pick another. And even if we stick with the doctor, our time spent with him or her is usually only a few minutes at a time. There are certain medical specialties, however, where circumstances choose doctors, not patients, and where doctors and patients truly develop a close relationship that lasts for months, even years. That would certainly describe the specialty championed by the late Joseph M. Still, founder of the burn center at Doctors Hospital named in his honor. It’s no exaggeration to use the word “championed.” The Joseph M. Still Burn Center is one of the leading burn treatment centers in the world and the largest in the United States. Dr. Still founded the center in 1978 with exactly one bed in the hospital’s ICU. Today the center has an extensive

Dr. Joseph M. Still footprint of dedicated space, 70 beds, admits more than 3,000 patients annually and treats tens of thousands more. Its patients have included Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, world-famous necrotizing fasciitis patient Aimee Copeland, multiple victims of the 2008 explosion at the Imperial Sugar refi nery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, and thousands of other ordinary people from your neighborhood, around the Southeast, and the world beyond. As impressive as the JMS

Burn Center is, its extensions are even more impressive: Dr. Still also founded the Southeastern Firefighters’ Burn Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps burn patients and their families with non-medical necessities. It operates The Shirley Badke Retreat, which includes the Chavis House, named for Lexington, SC volunteer fi refighter Jeffrey Chavis, + who lost his life as the result of burns suffered in the line of duty. The Chavis House, just across the street from the burn center, provides no-cost accommodations for family members in its 40-bed guesthouse during what can be long months of treatment. Each day, area volunteers pitch in to bring fully prepared meals for family members staying at Chavis House, an average of about 15,000 meals each year. Additional assistance is provided with medications, transportation, and antiscarring garments. Beyond Augusta, Dr. Still had the vision to realize that, Please see PROFILES page 6

Editor’s note: this is the tenth installment in a monthly series presented by Queensborough National Bank & Trust and the Medical Examiner profiling exceptional physicians and others of note in Augusta’s long and rich medical history.

W E A LT H M A N A G E M E N T

Dear Advice Doctor, For the past 15 years I have had a best friend who is just the greatest, kindest, most generous person I’ve ever known. She is an exceptional human being. But about a year ago she befriended someone who, to me at least, is a royal pain in the patootie. She and I are still great friends, but this new person is now frequently in the mix, and I do not enjoy her company at all. I’m in a quandary about what to do. Any advice? — Two’s Company, Three’s A Crowd Dear Two’s Company, I have to begin by saying I admire your candor. Not everyone would be so open and forthright talking about rectal pain. It may be an embarrassing subject for some, but people should remember that physicians have seen it all. We’re here to help our patients, not judge them. “Pain in the patootie,” as you put it, is certainly not easy to ignore, and that’s a good thing. This is not something that should be ignored. The possible causes are numerous, ranging from simple constipation or hemorrhoids to more serious issues like colorectal cancer, Crohn’s disease or another inflammatory bowel disease, prostate problems, anal fissures, and muscle spasms like Proctalgia fugax or levator ani syndrome. If there’s anything worse than the pain itself, it would have to be the uncertainty gnawing away at your peace of mind: is it cancer? is it going to get worse? will complications arise? That’s why finding the cause and getting treatment is the best option there is. Patients often say they are embarrassed or apprehensive about a rectal exam (which may or may not even be required), but what would you prefer, a few moments of possible discomfort followed by treatment and relief, or months of continuing (and possibly worsening) pain? It’s a simple choice. See your doctor and you can be sitting pretty again in no time. + 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 Examiner issues.

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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 news within every part of the Augusta medical community. Submit editorial content to graphicadv@knology.net Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397

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Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and/or their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., or its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for general informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2017 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

#38 IN A SERIES

OLD NEWS

Who is this?

POINTS OF INTEREST TO FORMER KIDS by Trisha Whisenhunt, Senior Citizens Council

IT’S NEVER JUST A COLD

ir John Harington (above) may have spent the majority of his life in the 1500s (he lived from 1560 to 1612), but the impact of his life and the thanks we all owe him are both enormous to this day. Even the most well-studied Anglophiles may not realize that Harington ascended to the throne in 1596. You can look it up. But let’s not get ahead of the story. Harington was born to a privileged family, with a string of lords and barons among his immediate ancestors. He was one of childless Queen Elizabeth I’s godsons (she had 102 in total). Although Harington’s education at Eton and Cambridge focused on law, Harington was attracted to literature and poetry (his father was the poet John Harington of Kelston) and the royal court. This combination attracted the attention of the Queen, and Harington became a courtier, sort of an officially recognized royal groupie. Courtiers were present as companions and/or advisers to the court. In Harington’s case, it was his free-spoken attitude and poetry that initially attracted the Queen, but apparently Harington was sometimes a bit too free-speaking: his bawdy, risqué tales offended the Queen, but his attempted translation of the Italian epic Orlando Furioso was the last straw. Feeling that Harington’s translation was too racy, the Queen ousted Harington from the royal court — until he translated the entire poem. Her affection for him was such that, rather than have him suffer the stigma of banishment, she gave him an assignment so difficult that she viewed its completion as unlikely, if not impossible. To her surprise, however, Harington completed the translation in 1591, and it won great praise and is still read today. But Italian to English translation wasn’t the only matter that occupied Harington’s attention during his enforced banishment from the throne. In fact, the matter of inventing the throne itself became Harington’s chief source of enduring fame. Not that his name is a household word, but it should be. That’s because at about this same time Harington invented the throne — the modern world’s first flush toilet. He installed one in his home in Kelston, and later — quite a bit later — another one for Queen Elizabeth I. Harington wrote a book about his invention entitled A New Discourse Upon a Stale Subject — The Metamorphosis of Ajax (Ajax being his nickname for the device). On its surface the book explained the ins and outs of indoor plumbing, but it was full of thinly-veiled scatological references to political figures of the day and the excrement of their policies. It was a best-seller, but the ensuing scandal led to Harington’s second banishment from the court. He was later forgiven and built a second “Ajax” for the Queen, making possible the fi rst royal flush. The indoor toilet didn’t really catch on for another couple of centuries, but when it did it looked a lot like Sir John Harington’s design of the 1590s. Now you know why bathrooms are sometimes called a “John,” and not a “Thomas.” Thomas Crapper (1836-1910) was a plumber and manufacturer of toilets (his company still exists today: thomas-crapper. com), but he was not its inventor. English inventor Joseph Bramah (17481814) made many practical improvements on toilet operation. +

t my desk, I was attempting to ignore the fact that I felt exhausted. Thursday is my short day and I was trying to make it to the finish line. The following Monday after a hellish weekend, I saw my doctor. I had gotten a flu, pneumonia and shingles shot, but there I was sitting in her office just the same. She swabbed me for flu and it was negative. She didn’t know what I had but she was seeing a lot of it, she said. I was off my feet that whole week and the following Monday. In addition to being very sick, I was extremely annoyed because this all could have been avoided if a certain someone had stayed home. It was a social occasion. She knew she was

sick but didn’t want to miss the party, so three people ended up catching what she passed around. We know if we are sick we shouldn’t go to school or work. But.... a lot of us push on and mix among the healthy anyway. I have recovered, but the cost in terms of the price of a doctor’s visit, prescriptions and, vastly more important to me, having to use precious vacation time I prefer to use for leisure makes me furious. When you measure my experience against someone else who has a compromised immune system, I am small potatoes. Now we are talking about a possibly serious end result, and the person who infects those individuals should be

ashamed of themselves. How does one ever know if they have passed on an illness or specifically whom they have infected? That’s the beauty of going out into the world sick. No one can point the finger. Even if we know who we got it from, as in my case, it’s almost impossible to say from the standpoint of legal certainty. It’s wrong, but you can’t be held accountable, so go ahead and do as you please and too bad for the rest of us. The attitude that you will go into work anyway because “it’s just a cold” is uncaring and self-centered. For someone else it can hold dire consequences. It could put them in the hospital or worse. It’s not just your coworkers and family members that are at risk. It’s everyone you come in contact with directly or indirectly. It’s those in line with you, the money or cards you handle, the doorknobs, countertops, gas pumps, shopping carts, office supplies, computers and a hundred other things which are touched during the course of a day. It’s the sneezing, coughing and sitting next to someone in the movie theatre that is out for the first time after receiving chemotherapy. You never know. And personal responsibility extends to those faceless and nameless people in a far more important way than the majority of us who can withstand the illness and recover. Stay home! It’s never just a cold. +

MYTH OF THE MONTH The average person swallows 8 spiders a year in their sleep That would mean this one here and seven more just like it. This statistic applies to the average person. One man might swallow a mere 4 spiders a year while the next guy swallows a dozen. Does this make sense to you? If it does, how do sleep at night? Fortunately for us all, this is what is now known as an “alternative fact.” As established by sources as varied as Scientific American and Snopes.com, this urban legend defies both human and spider biology. The average person might sleep with his mouth open, but if so is probably snoring, reasons SA. That would scare away any selfrespecting spider. A spider would be as likely to

approach a sleeping human as you or I would to approach a sleeping rattlesnake. According to Snopes, the original source of this “statistic” is widely said to be a magazine article written about absurd things people believe simply because they read them on the internet. The article featured a made-up list of “facts” that included the spider swallowing statistic. As it turns out, not only is the legend itself bogus, but so is the magazine article. Neither has a leg to stand on, let alone eight. + — by F. E. Gilliard, MD, Family Medicine 4244 Washington Road, Evans, GA 30809 706-760-7607

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW res? ABOUT WHEN TO QUESTION ANOTHER

k good eno r skin can ugh cer? son.”

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orgive me. If you want funny, go somewhere else this time. To quote Bob Dylan, “It ain’t me, babe, you’re looking for.” Not today, anyway. My day started out bubble dead on center. Took the dog out. Honey Baked Cheerios with blueberries in 2% milk for breakfast. Levothyroid for more energy. Aspirin to stave off strokes and heart attacks. Shaved. Plunged into my Honey-Do list. Spot watered some grass. Uprooted dead flowers and stored the pots for next year. Mowed grass. Weeded flower beds. All was well except for sweat on my brow and dirt under my fingernails, a small price to pay for a happy wife. Then, I bought stamps at the post office and self-sealing envelops at a discount store. (My wife does not like the taste of envelope glue.) That’s when normality morphed into serendipitous bizarre. Sarge was the discount store clerk. (I call him that because I know not his real name.) Sarge had expensive, high quality tattoos on his wrist. Flames and subtle hints of controlled destruction. His fit, slim frame sported an intricately sculpted, meticulous beard with multiple, well thought out angles. His skin betrayed a smattering of foreign chromosomes. My question was simple, but surgically placed. “Do you like it here?” A floodgate of mixed feelings gushed forth. Herein, I’ll summarize them for you. Sarge was a Ranger with sniper credentials. Had earned all sorts of badges and

emblems of accomplishment. His mistress was a .50 caliber sniper rifle with a scope so powerful you could see germs floating in the air. The bullet looked like a bronzed zucchini. He could shoot the eyebrows off a mosquito at a hundred yards. He could vaporize a hummingbird at 500 yards. If he could see it, it was his. He had lived off snake meat in the swamp. Scorpions in the desert. Dead fish on a deserted island. Penguins in the subarctic. To him, ditch water swarming with unknown organisms meant extra dietary protein. No doubt about it, Sarge was heavy duty. Someone you don’t want to mess with on a bad day. In the Middle East, he was given a high value target (read, terrorist) that needed to meet Jesus immediately. The target’s every breath was a threat to civilized mankind. Sarge hid out for a day and a night in sweltering heat, living off sips of water and cheese crackers. (An act of nature could reveal his hiding place and get him killed.) Finally, his target presented himself. He was in the backyard with kids about. Sarge waited for a clear shot. He was a well-trained, bythe-book man. The scope was sighted in. The windage figured to the last millimeter. A skilled, confident finger rested on a well-oiled, hair trigger. Years of training stood at the ready. Missing at that range was not an option or possibility. Jesus would soon have a troubled soul to judge. But then, his mind slipped from training and duty and responsibility into personal thoughts. Sarge was the product

t s e B of a multi-national marriage. American and Middle Eastern. The yard kids in his scope reminded him of his dark haired siblings back home. For half an hour the target dwelt in his scope, many times several yards from the kids. By any estimation, several safe shots presented. No collateral damage possible. Sarge’s rifle stayed at rest. His bullet remained serene and unmolested in the chamber. He failed. The unknowing high value target spent a sun-filled afternoon sipping cold drinks and watching kids play, resting up so he could later concentrate on killing American infidels. Back at the base, Sarge’s commander scalded him with language herein unprintable. Ultimately, he was given a choice: Demotion, bad paper in his file, and a transfer to something “less responsible.” Or an honorable discharge, with the possibility of re-enlisting six months later. He took the latter. Back in the States, he was taken captive by a woman’s charm. She put some heavy duty loving on him and forbade him to re-enlist because “it might be dangerous.” She wanted him home every night. Never mind that they had no benefit of clergy or that she might be gone tomorrow.

e n i c i d ME

He has clerked in a discount store for a year now. Pride, accomplishment, and self-worth are not evident on his face. I got all that without the expense of a second question. He needed to tell someone. So now, the former highly skilled, well-trained, defender of Freedom and Nation is a discount store clerk. The man who once was one with a .50 caliber sniper rifle mans a cash register and stocks shelves with goods imported from China. A big step down from a man who once kept us safe at night. All that brings us to some pointed questions: Had he not been a product of a multi-national marriage, would the terrorist be dead? Had he not put his personal thoughts above his training and duty, would the terrorist be dead? Had he not fallen for the charms of a beautiful young woman, would he still be in the

service of his country with the chance to overcome his previous failing? According to a recent study, 82% of our discharged Middle East veterans suffer from neuropathic pain. Sarge certainly is in situational pain due to the disruption in his career path. It haunts the darkness of my soul that Sarge might end up a VA statistic. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer. I did a bad thing. I asked a second question laced with my personal feelings: “On your death bed, had you rather tell your family, ‘I spent my life defending my country?’ Or, ‘I was a clerk in a discount store.’ You need to decide that. Today.” Now, you know why my funny gear is in Park today. +

Bad Billy Laveau is a formerlyretired MD who wields a pointed sense of humor - and now, tongue depressors too. He speaks and entertains at events for audiences not subject to cardiac arrest secondary to overwhelming laughter and glee. BadBilly@knology.net or 706-306-9397.

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Part K of a 26-part series

Tiny stone, big pain The four words above pretty effectively summarize what all of us know about the nasty little critters called kidney stones. A better headline would have been “How to prevent kidney stones,” but it’s not as catchy, is it? Still, prevention is absolutely the way to go on this subject. You will never believe what Step #1 is in preventing kidney stones, but we’re going to give it to you anyway. You can thank us later. Don’t get a kidney stone in the fi rst place. Do not adjust your Medical Examiner. It’s true. The science behind the obvious is that once you get your fi rst kidney stone, your odds of getting more go way up: about half of first-time stoners have another episode within 7 years — if they don’t take steps to prevent more. So it’s

IS FOR KIDNEY STONES a great idea to avoid that first kidney stone. With Step #1 out of the way, let’s talk about those secondary steps. Drink plenty of water all day every day. It doesn’t all have to be plain, uneventful water. Some of your liquid diet can come in the form of beverages like lemonade or fruit juice. Cut back on the salt shaker and salty foods. An abundance of dietary sodium can raise

calcium levels in urine, and we all know what that means: stones. The beauty of this preventive measure are the side effects: lower blood pressure, better heart health — and reduced risk of kidney stones too! Don’t go cold calcium. In other words, aiming for zero calcium in your diet can be almost as bad as too much. A calcium deficiency can boost the level of oxalates in urine, and oxalates can cause kidney stones too. Balance is the key. Watch what you eat. If you’ve already had a kidney stone experience, you and your doctor have probably already discussed foods to go easy on. Colas, chocolate, eggs, spinach and animal proteins are all on the list of potential triggers. If you’ve been forewarned, be a good patient. The pain you prevent may be your own. +

PROFILES… from page 3 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN while initial burn care needed to be in a state-of-the-art specialized facility, improving patients would naturally be sent home yet still require ongoing follow-up care. For that reason there are Joseph M. Still Burn Centers in places like Jackson, Mississippi; Atlanta, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and affiliated burn centers in places as far-flung as Miami, Florida and Denver, Colorado. Dr. Still also established the Joseph M. Still Research Foundation to promote research and technology that makes possible the most advanced burn care, which is an amazingly long and complicated process. Do you think all of this is amazing for one gifted and brilliant man to accomplish? No doubt it is. But if Dr. Still was alive today, he would undoubtedly say the ten children he and his wife Susan brought into the world — five girls and five boyts — were his greatest accomplishment. The family is probably more than a little tired of just one of those ten children being singled out — after all, it’s kind of hard to ignore that one of their kids was astronaut Susan Still — so we won’t even mention that in this article. The Still life was and is a great life. +

This wreath in remembrance of Dr. Still was placed at the entrance to the treatment area of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital earlier this month on the 11th anniversary of his death (Feb. 1, 2006). The ribbons read “In Memory of Dr. J.M. Still” +

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN A monthly series by an Augusta drug treatment professional

Addiction: The Spiritual Disease, Part 2 by Ken Wilson Executive Director, Steppingstones to Recovery Last month we talked about the bio-psycho-social aspects of the illness of addiction and how effective treatment is to address each leg of the 3-legged stool. We didn’t get to the psychoemotional-spiritual aspect, so let’s look at it now. An addict/alcoholic drinks/uses drugs for one reason and one reason only if you boil it all down to its lowest common denominator: to change the way he/she feels. Once we used the iceberg illustration: if the 10% of the mass of ice that is visible above the surface of the water can be labeled alcohol/drugs, then the 90% of the mass that is not seen from a boat can be labeled “life” with all of its challenges and problems. Every one of us has a lot of chapter titles there, don’t we? It doesn’t take rocket science to figure this out: if we drink to change the way we feel, why do we need to change the way we feel? Answer: that stuff down under is for some reason uncomfortable and we don’t like the way it makes us feel. There’s no need to get into a discussion of which came fi rst, the chicken or the egg. No, when somebody in a diabetic coma comes into the emergency room we don’t stand around and debate, “I wonder if he’s a diabetic because he got it from genetic influence or because he eats too much sugar?” No. We treat the poor guy. Immediately. Suffice it to say that if we drink/drug long enough it will cause problems “down below” due to the increasing tolerance factor. That costs money, causes DUIs, arguments, going AWOL, and the list goes on ad nauseum. Maybe we didn’t have a big long list of life issues deep down below the surface when we started our journey towards dependence on chemicals, when we only drank for curiosity or social reasons. On the other hand, there are some who drink/drug right because of the stuff down under from the start, things like going through a divorce, loss of a loved one, job issues, etc. Twelve Step self-help groups address this phenomena, and go so far as to say that our chemical of choice was only the symptom of the problem. They address causes and conditions (the stuff “down under”). A chemically dependent person who only stops drinking and doesn’t addresss that stuff is often called a “dry drunk,” a miserable soul who hasn’t dealt with their stuff but who instead carry it around with them as an ever-present subconscious dictator. Good treatment deals with the chemicals — the 10% — and also the stuff under the surface — the 90% — especially when coupled with the support and accountability of a self-help program. Most of the time, it is safe to say that someone who has crossed the line into chemical dependence is miserable. He has no peace-of-mind. He/she needs it and wants it desperately... and whether alcoholic or not, that’s what we all want! Peace of mind! And that’s what recovery from addictive disease is all about: Please see ADDICTION page 15

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

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DANIEL VILLAGE BARBER SHOP

Ohio Ave.

A wonderful, year-around dish, quinoa is gluten-free (if that’s important to you), relatively high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids. It also provides some fiber, magnesium, B-vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants. Quinoa is a grain crop grown for its edible seeds...in other words, it is a seed that is prepared and eaten similarly to a grain. Since quinoa basically ‘takes on’ the flavors of the ingredients added to it, you can just keep creating recipe variations until your imagination runs out. Think of your favorite salad toppings and homemade dressings, and add those to cooked and drained quinoa to add a boost of easily-absorbed, plantbased protein to your diet. You can also serve a quinoa dish like this one on top of mixed salad greens for added nutrition. I would recommend if you do so, make a bit of extra dressing, toss the mixed greens in it and place the quinoa combo on top. Quinoa comes in different colors, with white, red, and black being the most commonly cultivated. Most grocery stores also carry a tri-color option. There are slight differences in cooking times and chewiness; white quinoa, which you will most Sweet & Savory Quinoa often find in stores, is the mildest and least crunchy, black pepper Meanwhile, rinse quinoa and cooks up the fastest (10 • 1-1/2 cups quinoa of choice in cold water in a fine mesh to 15 minutes). Black is on the (I used white) strainer. other end of the spectrum—it • 4 cups vegetable broth or Bring broth or water to a might need 5 minutes or so water (I used 1/2 of each, but boil and stir in the quinoa. longer and is the crunchiest of plain water works just fine) Simmer, uncovered until the three with red somewhere • 3/4 cup dried cranberries tender, about 10 minutes. The in the middle. • 3/4 cup walnuts, roughly grains will look like small The sweet potatoes in this chopped spirals. recipe take on a savory taste • 3 ounces fresh baby spinach Drain in large fine mesh when roasted with thyme DRESSING: strainer and gently mash and sea salt. Combined with • 3 tablespoons extra virgin liquid out of quinoa. the condensed sweetness of olive oil Place in medium bowl while dried cranberries and some • 3 tablespoons white wine warm and add baby spinach, roughly chopped nuts for vinegar tossing to wilt it. crunch, this is a fi lling and • 3 tablespoons fresh orange Add in walnuts, cranberries delicious meal or side dish. juice and cooked sweet potato This is yet another easy • A pinch of sea salt cubes and toss. opportunity to sneak in some Whisk together dressing greens because, why not?! Instructions: ingredients in a small bowl (Use every opportunity to Position an oven rack just and pour over top, then gently get more of the 7-13 daily above the center of the oven mix. servings of fruits and veggies and set oven to broil. Serve immediately (slightly recommended by the FDA). Place cubed sweet potatoes warm or room temperature). The recipe below is delicious on rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerated leftovers are and will also be a springDrizzle with 2 T. olive oil delicious for a couple of days. + board for your own tasty, and sprinkle with thyme, nutritious ideas. salt and pepper. Toss to coat Cinde White is a certified evenly. health/recovery coach Ingredients: Put under broiler for 5 min. (myhdiet.com) • 2 large sweet potatoes, and check, then again every and a certified peeled and cubed into small minute or two until sweet introductory bite-sized pieces potatoes are tender but not wellness chef • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin mushy and slightly browned as well as a olive oil on the edges (approx. 10-12 representative for • 2 heaping teaspoons minutes. You can also roast at Tower Garden and Juice Plus fresh thyme leaves, roughly 425° for about 20 minutes, but (cindewhite.towergarden.com chopped or 1 teaspoon dried I find they get cooked without or cindewhite.juiceplus.com thyme leaves getting browned, plus broiling and southerngirlseatclean.com) • 2 teaspoons sea salt and a is faster. In the end it’s just sprinkle of freshly ground personal preference).

Voted “BEST BARBER SHOP” in Augusta Magazine many times!

Wrightsboro Road

Daniel Field

Augusta Mall

Tue - Fri: 8:00 - 6:00; Saturday: 8:00 - 2:00

QUIET ZONE The Genuine. The Original. The Quiet.

OVERHEAD DOOR COMPANY OF AUGUSTA/AIKEN (706) 736-8478 / (803) 642-7269 WWW.OHDAUGUSTA.COM

READ THE EXAMINER ONLINE www.issuu.com/medicalexaminer

OUR NEWSSTANDS Medical locations: • Children’s Hospital of Georgia, Harper Street, Main Lobby • Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr, 15th St., Main Entrance • Dept. of Veterans Affairs Med. Center, Uptown Div., Wrightsboro Rd., main lobby • Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Rd, ER Lobby Entrance • Eisenhower Hospital, Main Lobby, Fort Gordon • George C. Wilson Drive (by medical center Waffle House and mail boxes) • Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, main lobby, 15th Street • Augusta U. Hospital, 1120 15th Street, South & West Entrances • Augusta U. Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Main Entrance • Augusta U. Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Parking Deck entrance • Augusta U. Hospital, Emergency Room, Harper Street, Main Entrance • Select Specialty Hospital, Walton Way, Main entrance lobby • Trinity Hospital, Wrightsboro Road, main lobby by elevators • Trinity Hospital Home Health, Daniel Village, main lobby • University Health Federal Credit Union/ University Hospital Human Resources, 1402 Walton Way, Main Lobby • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Emergency Room lobby area • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Outside Brown & Radiology/Day Surgery • University Hospital - Columbia County, 465 N. Belair Road, Main Lobby • University Hospital Prompt Care, 3121 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta

Around town: • Barney’s Pharmacy, 2604 Peach Orchard Rd. • Birth Control Source, 1944 Walton Way • GRU Summerville Student Bookstore • Blue Sky Kitchen, 990 Broad Street • Columbia County Library, main branch lobby, Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans • Enterprise Mill (North Tower), 1450 Greene Street, Augusta • Daniel Village Barber Shop, Wrightsboro Road at Ohio Ave. • Family Y (Old Health Central), Broad Street, downtown Augusta • Hartley’s Uniforms, 1010 Druid Park Ave, Augusta • International Uniforms, 1216 Broad Street, Augusta • Marshall Family Y, Belair Rd, Evans • Parks Pharmacy, Georgia Avenue, North Augusta • Southside Family Y, Tobacco Road, Augusta • Surrey Center, Surrey Center Pharmacy, Highland Avenue, Augusta • Top-Notch Car Wash, 512 N. Belair Road, Evans • Wild Wing Cafe, 3035 Washington Road, Augusta

Plus more than 850 doctors offices throughout the area for staff and waiting rooms, as well as many nurses stations and waiting rooms of area hospitals.

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Pharma cy 4 11 Very little if anything about healthcare is inexpensive, and that includes medicine. Tiny pills can command large prices. Over-the-counter medications may be less expensive, but are they also less effective? Find the answers to lots of your drug store questions in this column written by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson exclusively for the Medical Examiner.

HOW AMERICA IS DOING WITH CARDIAC DISEASE Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death in the United States despite recent improvements in the treatment of these conditions. For example, in 2013 the overall rate of death linked to cardiac causes was approximately 223 deaths per 100,000 people. Even though that number is staggering, it represents an improvement over the previous ten years of almost 29 percent. Let’s look at cardiovascular disease and what we can do to prevent and, if necessary, treat it. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, may be the single biggest problem when it comes to cardiovascular conditions. The American Heart Association in 2016 estimated that roughly onethird of all adults in the United States suffer from hypertension and that only a little over half of those being treated are actually reaching their goals to control it. If your blood pressure starts creeping up, be sure and check with your doctor. They can do tests to eliminate certain physical causes of high blood pressure and start treating you to help prevent serious complications. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist about whether any of your medicines could be affecting your blood pressure. Be sure to tell them about all prescription and non-prescription medicines you take, as well as information about your diet. Some of the most commonly overlooked causes of high blood pressure include things as simple as sodium intake or drinking caffeinated beverages. Reducing or eliminating these can improve your blood pressure and reduce the need for more and more medications. Items such as alcohol and licorice have been linked to high blood pressure, as well as nasal decongestants and anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and naproxen. All of these are overthe-counter and safe for most people. They should be used only with doctor approval if you have blood pressure issues. What if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and need to make some changes? Talk to a dietitian for information about a heart-friendly diet such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. This diet will help lower weight, which is also a cornerstone of treatment. A whole article could be devoted to diet, so I will leave that to the dietitians and stick to pharmacy-related treatments. The latest guidelines for hypertension are out and several groups of medicines were listed as possible options for first-line therapy.

These included thiazide diuretics, calcium-channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Loop diuretics were listed as available for additional fluid control if thiazides fail to work adequately by themselves. Beta receptor blockers as well as alpha receptor blockers were also listed as second-line drugs for additional blood pressure control. This was determined by analyzing data from multiple clinical trials. Even though they’re called “secondline” of defense drugs, your doctor may start you on one of these medicines if that is what your specific case dictates. These are only general guidelines and subject to the physician’s clinical discretion. Your personal situation will guide your medication selection. For example, an individual with kidney disease also will benefit from use of an ACE-inhibitor or ARB since these actually confer a protective effect onto the kidneys. High blood pressure can be controlled by a combination of lifestyle modifications and medication, so talk to your doctor and pharmacist as well as a dietician and be ready to add multiple approaches together to attack your condition from all sides. The other prevalent cardiovascular diseases include heart failure and deep vein thrombosis. We will try to visit those in future issues. Regularly check your blood pressure and see your doctor if the reading is above the normal level of 120 over 80. This will make sure you get treatment started early in the process. + Written for the Medical Examiner by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson

We’re good for what ails you

ARKS

Questions, comments and article suggestions can be sent by email to cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net

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FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Ask a Dietitian COLOR YOUR PLATE, COLOR YOUR LIFE by Lo Bannerman

ello, February! The second month of the year is often associated with love, chocolate, and all things heart-y. Whether it’s because of Valentine’s Day or American Heart Month (which has been around since 1964), it’s important to remember why these traditions began and how we can all stay heart healthy. When heart conditions and diseases were responsible for more than half of all deaths in the United States, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared February as American Heart Month in an attempt to bring awareness to the issue. Since then, heart conditions have remained the leading cause of death in the United States. So, what can we do to keep our hearts healthy? The answer lies in the rainbow on your plate. Heart diseases begin with plaque buildup in our arteries. This gunk thickens our blood and forces our heart to work harder to keep our blood flowing. The heart can pump healthy blood just as easily as we can drink water through a straw, but when plaque finds its way into our bloodstream, our hearts need to use more force, just as if we were drinking a thick and chunky smoothie through the same straw. Colorful vegetables and fruits, fiber, and plenty of water are the necessary ingredients for removing or preventing plaque buildup and keeping things easy for our heart. In addition to limiting plaque in our arteries, magnesium and potassium are essential for our heart to maintain proper communication and a regular heartbeat. These valuable electrolytes are readily available in many fruits and veggies at your local market. Leafy greens, artichokes, celery, beans, figs, and even dark chocolate are all wonderful sources

American Heart Association graphic

of magnesium. Potassium rich foods include avocado, sweet potato, dates, coconut, squash, and apricots. Still craving something more? Add blackberries, raspberries, or wild blueberries to your breakfast or dessert to increase your antioxidant intake and keep your heart pumping with ease. Consider the vegetables and fruits mentioned above as well as beans and oats to increase your fiber intake and help lower cholesterol. Lastly, turn to walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds for hearty healthy omega 3s that can help reduce plaque and lower blood pressure. With so many foods to choose, think of all the ways you can add more color to your plate and years to your life. Here’s a sample menu plan to get started! Breakfast Overnight oats: • Soak whole oats and cinnamon in water or milk in the refrigerator overnight • Add your choice of nuts and seeds • Add berries or other fruits listed above and enjoy! Lunch BAM Salad: • Combine black beans,

avocado, and mango in a bowl or mason jar • Add your choice of chopped onion, cilantro, bell peppers, etc. • Top with black pepper and chili powder and shake or stir to mix • Pour over leafy greens and enjoy! Snacks • Handful of nuts • Celery sticks and hummus or nutbutter • Fresh fruit Dinner Veggie Stir Fry: • Stir fry your choice of heart healthy veggies in olive or coconut oil • Add a serving of salmon or shrimp, if desired • Pour over steamed brown rice and enjoy! +

An archive of past Medical Examiner issues is available online at

WWW.ISSUU.COM/MEDICALEXAMINER

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FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

FLUSH… from page 1 dramatically improved health and quality of life and has reduced the risk of disease. But did you know that a serious problem is crippling sewer systems around the world, especially in more affluent countries? The culprit: “flushable” wipes. In 2013 a 15-ton, bus-sized glob of wipes and hardened cooking grease was discovered to be the cause of a London sewer FINANCIAL PLANNING METRICS blockage. Cities all over the world are fighting the same battle. Every time we flush a toilet we’re in effect sending our problems off for someone else to deal with. Out of sight, out of t is tax season and each year we use this time to have broad discussions with our clients mind. That’s the way the system is designed. that reflect on 2016 and help us plan for 2017 and beyond. Your tax return is full of great But manufacturers of commercial wipes are doing it too, information that can help you calculate different metrics. These metrics help provide insight to your financial situation. The goal is to make sure the metrics, your trajectory, and your goals are creating expensive environmental issues while cashing in on huge profits for products all aligned and working for you. It is important to note that each metric will mean very different falsely labeled as “flushable.” things depending on your personal situation, so you must be careful when using rules of thumb That one word is coming or general guidance. under increasing government Here are a few of the metrics that we often help clients understand and track. scrutiny all over the world. Tax Rates – There are two tax rates that are important to understand and track. Your marginal Municipalities from Orange tax rate and your effective tax rate. As a best practice you can have your CPA provide those rates There are options that County, California to during tax planning in the fall or when filing your return in the spring. The effective tax rate eliminate the huge expenses New York City have sued is calculated by adding up all the taxes you pay annually and dividing by your annual gross manufacturers like Kimberlyand environmental damage. income. The marginal tax rate is the amount of tax you paid on your final dollar of earnings. • Conduct your own flushability Clark and Procter & Gamble Your effective tax rate will be lower than your marginal tax rate because the United States has a test: place a wipe in a bowl to try to recover some of progressive tax system with rising rates for higher income earners. Understanding these numbers of water and stir briskly with the hundreds of millions of helps when making decisions such as Roth vs. traditional contributions, tax-free vs. taxable a fork or spoon. If it doesn’t dollars in damages to their bonds, dependent care accounts vs. dependent care tax credit along with many others. disintegrate like toilet paper sewer systems and waste Savings Rate – For those in the accumulation phase, your savings rate is the amount of water treatment plants. The would, don’t flush it. money saved annually divided by gross income. Your gross income is the amount of money • Place a small step-lid United States, Canada and you earn before taxes. You should include saving for all long-term goals which normally wastebasket in the bathroom Great Britain are among the includes retirement, education, or large one-time future expenses. You can consider including where wipes can be discarded countries that have also put a any principal debt payoff as well. In general we like to see a 15% to 20% savings rate toward instead of flushing them down target on the backsides of these retirement. Your overall savings rate may be more than 20% when you include all other goals manufacturers, along with and debt payoff. It is important to note that your savings rate is a much larger predictor of success the drain. + both private and government than your investment returns. industry trade associations like the Maine Water Environment Withdrawal Rate – For those in retirement, your withdrawal rate is the percentage of money Association and the National Association of Clean Water Please see THE MONEY DOCTOR page 15 Agencies. The popularity of the products is understandable. If a bird pooped on your arm as you walked down the sidewalk, would you dab if off with a dry Kleenex? Probably not. But cleaning ability isn’t the tissue issue; it’s labeling wipes as “flushable,” a denial of basic chemistry. Under a microscope, toilet paper is built from short, natural cellulose fibers designed to quickly disintegrate in water, especially in the agitation that naturally occurs via flushing and traveling through the sewers. Wipes, on the other hand (as well as paper towels), are built from longer and more durable fibers, often synthetic, in some cases with non-biodegradable plastic fibers added for extra durability. Wipes have been tested in labs where they emerged completely intact after 10 solid minutes versus an agitator — picture a relatively slow-speed cake mixer — while the same agitator reduced ordinary toilet paper to tiny shreds within seconds. These wipes do more than clog pipes. They (or sometimes their non-degradable plastic and synthetic fibers) are present in the huge floating islands of garbage that have been reported in the middle of the oceans. The problem seems to be getting bigger all the time: there are bathroom wipes, baby wipes, tire wipes, disinfectant multisurface wipes, makeup and nail-polish-removing wipes, pet wipes, and on the list goes. Municipalities are not the only victims, either. Homeowners have also faced huge bills from clogged in-house and in-yard pipes and septic systems, and then there is the environmental impact on water quality and ocean life. The solution is clear and simple: no wipes in the pipes. In closing, what are The Three Ps? In the words of the Washington Post (and water quality experts all over the world), the only things that should ever be flushed down a toilet are “The Three Ps: pee, poop, and paper” — only toilet paper. +

THE MONEY DOCTOR

PLAN TO KEEP USING WIPES?

READ US ON YOUR SMARTPHONE OR TABLET Just go to www.issuu.com/medicalexaminer

— by Dan Pearson

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Jordan Grumet, M.D., on January 12, 2017

I’M SORRY YOUR MOM DIED, BUT I CANNOT HELP YOU NOW. HERE’S WHY. Dear Mrs. J, I would like to express my deepest condolences on the passing of your mother. She was a magnificent woman, and I had the pleasure of being her doctor for almost a decade. It was a pleasure. During our short visits, she regaled me with stories of childhood and often gently sprinkled in advice gleaned from years of experience. Even as she began to decline, we would sit together in the nursing home, and she would reach out to hold my hand. She was a gift, your mother, a gift that I in no way deserved. I’m sorry she got cancer. As a physician, there is no word worse than the word “metastases.” It not only creates fear in the hearts of our patients but cleaves a chunk out of our souls. We are never as hapless in our calling as doctors as when we admit that we are mere unarmed foot soldiers in the face of this raving beast. We are not helpless. We can comfort and palliate. Cure, however, becomes an everincreasing implausibility. I’m sorry that your mom experienced pain at the end. Lying in bed in the nursing home, she somehow mustered a smile through the groans as the nurses and I passed through the room. She told me that she didn’t see the point anymore. We discussed the risks and benefits of morphine, and I dutifully wrote the orders. Most of all, I’m sorry that YOU stormed into the room that morning and ordered the nurse to stop. That YOU somehow convinced your mother — in the last hours of her life — that she would get addicted to morphine. That YOU screamed at her for not participating in physical therapy the day before because she was far too exhausted. And I’m sorry that she saw you and me arguing in those last precious moments when you should have been sitting at her bedside, holding her hands. Your mom is now at peace. She will suffer no longer. I know that you meant well. I am all too aware that the next few years will be excruciatingly hard as you try to work through loss and maybe even come to terms with the fact that you willfully denied your mom a peaceful death. There was probably much sadness, denial and guilt that led you to make such decisions. I am no longer angry. But I’m sorry that I will not be able to be by your side during this arduous journey. Because above being a doctor, I am an imperfect human being and far from above it all. I am right there in the muck with you. I cannot help you at this time. Frankly, I’m still too disgusted. +

A doctor dishes.

Jordan Grumet is an internal medicine physician and the author of “I Am Your Doctor: and This Is My Humble Opinion”

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As a follow-up to our previous issue and its review of David Oshinsky’s profi le of Bellevue Hospital, here is a peek at his previous book, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History. Spoiler alert: They do find a vaccine for polio. The following review is excerpted from reader comments on amazon.com Author David M. Oshinsky looks at the public health menace of polio, portraying the political and public circumstances that drove John D. Rockefeller to give buckets of money to develop a U.S. equivalent of the Pasteur Institute. He also looks at the research, dead ends and, ultimately the rivalry between the three key men behind the race for a cure: Sabin, Salk and Koproski, each of whom took slightly different approaches to achieve the same end. We also get a rare glimpse into the private feud between Sabin and Salk. The author paints these heroes of the modern age with their feet of clay intact, including

their petty arguments and jealousy about the other’s accomplishments. The author provides an unfl inching portrait of a desperate race driven as much by politics as science and the some of the snags that affected it, including 200 deaths due to contaminated Salk vaccine that was produced without proper supervision. We also discover how advertising helped create the antiseptic culture we live in. Companies used fear of disease to entice people

to purchase items such as DDT to kill germs and fl ies (who were believed to spread polio); Listerine (which takes its name from Dr. Lister one of the earliest users of antiseptics in the surgery arena); even toilet paper was advertised in the arsenal of weapons to fight polio. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a major public health event that formed much of today’s bacteria-phobic culture, ironically shielding us from things we would have naturally formed immunity to through exposure anyway. Well documented, smartly written with a light style that doesn’t shortchange the serious and complex subject matter, Polio: An American Story mixes history, science and the mystery of polio’s cause and cure into a fascinating story about the world of the mid 20th century. Illustrated with photos that capture the climate of the era. +

Polio: An American Story by David Oshinsky; 368 pages, published in September 2006 by Oxford University Press

Research News News no one wants to hear More than one healthcare professional has officially verified what the Medical Examiner had already noticed fi rst-hand: that in the Augusta area at least, this has been one of the worst winters in recent memory for respiratory woes. We are collectively coughing our heads off this winter. And so it is with a heavy heart that we report on a study conducted by the American Chemical Society (ACS) which found that nothing available over the counter is even remotely effective in preventing a hacking, persistent cough. They say cough medicines are virtually useless and fared as well in clinical trials as placebos. In 15 of 19 cases studied by ACS, cough medications with expectorants and dextromethorphan and other alleged cough aids had either no measurable benefit, or the results were so ambiguous that there was no

clear and proven benefit. The one thing some cough medicines have going for them, according to ACS’ analysis of the data, is the ability of the nighttime formulas to offer a good night’s sleep from drowsiness. For relief during waking hours, the study found that cough drops were more effective than cough syrups, and that honey and lemon is helpful for children with a cough, but should only be given to children one year old and beyond. Drinking to block fails Many people with a family member affl icted with post-traumatic stress disorder already know this, but clinical research at Johns Hopkins suggests that drinking as a means to block our or erase traumatic memories not only doesn’t work, it actually strengthens memories associated with fearful experiences.

The sunshine cure Northwestern University scientists have discovered a cell in the retina which causes myopia (nearsightedness) when it malfunctions. More significantly, the dysfunction seems to be linked to the amount of the eye’s exposure to natural light during childhood when the eye is still growing and developing. The newly discovered cell, highly sensitive to light, controls how the eye grows and develops. If the “stop” signal is thrown up too late and the eye continues to grow, the result is that images fail to focus properly on the retina, say the researchers. Natural light helps the cell function properly. Artificial indoor lighting does not activate the cell’s signals as designed. More than 1 billion people worldwide have myopia. The study is published in the Feb. 20 issue of Current Biology. +

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FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS +

You had the flu last week?

by Dan Pearson

I sure did. I must have thrown up 500 times.

I’m just glad I’m a human. It could have That sounds terrible. been so much worse.

Well, can you imagine being that sick and being a giraffe?

What do you mean?

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Not up yet 5. The Simple Life co-star 10. Tire 14. Earthen pot 15. Sports venue 16. Fat prefix 17. Horse of mixed color 18. Tithing percentage 19. Single entity 20. Twistable body part? 22. Tea brand 24. Venomous snake 25. Contractions 26. Azziz’ predecessor 29. Rule of _____ (in burns) 33. Chlorofluorocarbon (in brief) 36. Matthew Stafford’s team 39. Fluid accumulation 40. Killed, biblically 42. Rose holders 44. The Family Fold leader 45. Cowboy convention? 47. A Marx brother 49. Music doctor 50. Resembling an ape 51. The _____ of Avon 53. Miss France wears one 57. Proverb 61. 19th C. mercury-based medicine, now illegal 63. Lung-protecting membrane 64. Command to stop a horse 65. Medical prefix 67. 6th Jewish month 68. Impatient motorist message 69. One was on 15th Street 70. Cursor controllers 71. Double S-curve (Archit.) 72. Pepper adjective (at times) 73. Some dorms are this

The Mystery Word for this issue: GALLERY

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 All Mystery Word finders will be eligible to win by random drawing. We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM 1

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DOWN 1. Artery #1 2. Type of pressure 3. Antelope 4. Improving patients are said to be out of this 5. Champions Tour golfer Jerry, born in Macon, GA 6. Where The Wild Things ____ 7. Kidney-related 8. Prefix meaning “within” 9. Indian term of address 10. water 11. Waterfall (Poetic; Scottish) 12. Capital of Western Samoa 13. Obtained 21. Russian mountain range 23. Defensive system (sports) 27. Immune disorder 28. His grandfather was Methuselah 30. Dweeb 31. Islamic chieftain 32. Rational; mentally healthy

33. Area abbrev. 34. Fail completely 35. Basic monetary unit of Ghana 37. Growing area presence (abbrev.) 38. Resident of Belgrade 41. Gated neighborhood 43. Mineral spring 46. River formed at Pittsburgh 48. Thermometer type 52. Post hospital (in brief) 54. Build, as a fortune 55. Keep going, as a Medical Examiner subscription 56. Pond scum 58. Hearing 59. Elegance 60. Dog follower, at times 61. CMC acronym now 62. First-class 63. Partum intro 64. Glogal health org. 66. Anger

Solution p. 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.

X A M I N E R

3 7

7 1

U D O K U

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

Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle above. All the listed letters following #1 are the first letters of the various words; the letters following #2 are the second letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 U 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2

A 1 2 3

O 1 2 3 4 5 1 2

1 2 3

1 2 3 E 1 2 3 4

— Spanish proverb

1.BITTTWOOD 2.HHAFFEOUS 3.ESTEEMY 4.OKIE 5.REN 6.RS 7.TO 8.W

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

WORDS NUMBER

THE MYSTERY WORD

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

13 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

ine out of 10 doctors recommend that children should drink plain water instead of sports drinks. The tenth doctor lives in Flint, Michigan. Moe: It’s times like these that make me wish I’d listened to my father’s advice. Joe: Why, what did he tell you? Moe: I don’t know. I didn’t listen! Moe: I almost talked my way out of a speeding ticket last night. Joe: Almost? What happened? Moe: I told the officer she looked beautiful. Joe: That didn’t work? I am shocked. Moe: It actually was working. But then I added, “And that’s not the alcohol talking, either.” Moe: What did the blonde do when she couldn’t afford a personalized license plate? Joe: I give up, what? Moe: She legally changed her name to PMK483. An Egyptian mummy calls a restaurant.

“Yes, I’d like to make a reservation for Pharaoh Artaxerxes, please,” the mummy says. “Certainly. Would you mind spelling that for me?” “No problem. Bird, two triangles, wavy line, sun, jackal’s head, bird again, scarab.” Moe: Why do married women weigh more than single women? Joe: That’s easy. When single women get home late from work, they settle in, take a peek at what’s in the fridge, then head for bed. When married women get home late from work, they settle in, take a peek at what’s in bed, then head for the fridge. A horse walks into a bar, approaches the bartender and asks, “If a triangle’s three sides are labeled x, y and z, and x and z are perpendicular to each other, which side is the hypotenuse?” The bartender thinks for a moment, then replies, “Y, the long face.” Moe: What’s blue and not heavy? Joe: Light blue. Moe: What’s made of leather and sounds like a sneeze? Joe: A shoe. A student went to her professor’s office when she knew he’d be alone. “I would do anything to pass this class,” she whispered softly to him. “Anything.” “Anything?” the professor whispered back. “Anything,” she repeated. “Would you... study?” he asked. +

Why subscribe to the Medical Examiner? Because no one should have to make a trip to the doctor or the hospital just to read Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper.

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble wrote a long-time column in this paper entitled The Patient’s Perspective reincarnated in this new format. Feel free to contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com Last summer my dog dug several holes leading under the fence so she could escape at will. I spent several hundred dollars having someone come in and fill up the holes. The dog was content, mostly, with staying in the yard, until the recent rainstorms. KC just could not resist that soft, wet, warm soil. So she’d wait until it was dark and I couldn’t see her in that part of the yard, and she’d dig and dig until she had dug a hole her whole body fits in. She’s no petite little toy model, but a 55-pound girl with lots of black curly hair. Ah, but is she escaping? Nope. KC got her geography mixed up and dug her hole a foot away from the fence and running parallel to it. Poor little thing. Good intentions. Bad execution. For many of us, that’s the kind of relationship we have with medical advice we receive. Good intentions, but failing in our application of those intentions to our real world lives. Sometimes, the smallest shift in our daily routine can profoundly and positively affect how well we’re able to comply with the care routines our doctors want us to follow. For me, the toughest thing to do was to routinely check my blood sugar several times a day. I have a two-page-long list (typed and single-spaced) of all the excuses I have given for not doing it. What I have discovered recently is that all those excuses boiled down to convenience. Taking my blood sugar takes only a few seconds, but I’d often have eaten breakfast before I remembered to do it. Then I’d guess about how much insulin to take. It’s no wonder that my A1c was over 10! So what did I do to change the situation? My sister suggested it. “Take your testing supplies and put them right there on your microwave, so when you’re waiting for the water to get hot, you and the supplies are there, same time, same place, easy peasey. It worked! It takes less than half a minute and I’m good to go, having written down my blood sugar in the notebook I keep in the drawer right below the microwave. Now, only a month later, my A1c is down to 7.3. I still have a little fine-tuning to do, but I’m heading toward really good control. I wish that all our necessary solutions to our medical compliance issues could be solved as easily, but this one started with “How can I accomplish that goal?” +

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FEBRUARY 17, 2017

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE MYSTERY SOLVED

126

The Mystery Word in our last issue was: CORONARY

...very cleverly hidden (on the man’s leg) in the p. 2 ad for WINDSOR JEWELERS THE WINNER: EDWARD SMITH! Want to find your name here next issue? If it is, we’ll send you some cool swag from our goodie bag. 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!

That’s how many back issues of the Medical Examiner are available at issuu.com/medicalexaminer You can subscribe to the online edition free!

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. 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.

The new scrambled Mystery Word is found on page 12

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EXAMINER CLASSIFIEDS HOMES, APARTMENTS, ROOMMATES, LAND, ETC. FOR RENT 2000+ sqft warehouse space w/ loading dock, Walton Way Medical District. Available immed. $850.00/mo. incl. utilities. 706-564-1644 ROOM FOR RENT with private bathroom and full house privileges. Martinez $600/mo (706) 840-6860 FOR SALE 3 bedroom/2 bath, single garage Townhouse in Martinez. Master/ bath down, 2 upstairs bedrooms share bath, large loft for office, playroom, den; wood-burning fireplace, covered back porch. Freshly painted with new flooring, lighting and ceiling fans. Easy access to Riverwatch Parkway, Washington Rd, I-20, Augusta. 1987 sq.ft. $147,900. 706-836-7001. ROOM FOR RENT 1 room, private bathroom, 2bdrm MH on private lot. Clean quiet neighborhood. Non-smoker. $600 monthly. Must be stable, verifiable references and income. Cable and Internet included. Warrenville, 5 min from Aiken, 20 min to Augusta. (803) 270-2658 POND VIEW! Evans all-brick 2-story with solar panels. Avg. electric bill $170 in Northwood, 3,400 sqft. Call 1-800401-0257, ext. 0043 24/7 for price and details.

SERVICES PETS Dogs walked, cats sat, in the comfort of your home by retired pharmacist. No kennel noise, fleas, disease, transport cost/time. Avail 7 days/wk in Martinez/ Evans. $15 per visit. References. Call for free interview at your home. Call Buddy for your buddy: (706) 829-1729 CELIA DUNN, DMD 584 Blue Ridge Drive, Evans GA 30809 (706) 650-9700

HOUSE CLEANING Your house, apartment, rental move-outs. Thorough, dependable. Weekly, or whatever schedule you prefer. References. 706-877-0421 F. E. GILLIARD, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Acute & Chronic Illnesses Occupational Medicine PROMPT APPOINTMENTS (706) 760-7607

MISCELLANEOUS PART-TIME OPPORTUNITY IMMEDIATE OPENING! MATH AND SCIENCE TUTORS NEEDED: Local tutoring company seeking qualified math and science tutors. Flexible hours. Please reply to: info@maeseducationcenter.com

THE PUZZLE SOLVED A

A L

W H

M A

SEE PAGE 12

QUOTATION

STARTING OUT? KICKED OUT? Refrigerator, stove and dryer, $490. Call 706-231-1653

QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: Page 12: “Don’t let your fear of what could happen make nothing happen.” — Author unknown

SUNSET MEMORIAL GARDENS Opening and closing at Sunset Mem. Gardens in Graniteville. Sale: $760 (Value: $1520+) Call 706-736-0596

The Sudoku Solution

ANTIQUE maple dinette set with buffet corner cabinet table with pull-out leaves. Four chairs with two captain’s chairs. Excellent condition. $300. Double bed early 1930s with mattress spring coverlet shams $150. Call (706) 860-2170 CEMETERY SPACES (2) Sunset Memorial Gardens, Graniteville SC adjacent to lighted military flagstaff, includes granite bench with urn space, installation and inscription. All $4700 ($8600 value). Spaces only: $2700. Call (803) 2953033 FISHING CLUB wants more grey-haired members. Meet 2nd Thurs of month at Harbor Inn Restaurant, 12 noon. “Adventure Before Dementia” Info: (706) 736-8753

WORDS BY NUMBER “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” — Spanish proverb

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE MONEY DOCTOR… from page 10

ADDICTION… from page 6

withdrawn annually from your portfolio divided by the total portfolio value. There is a lot of academic research surrounding this number. Often times you will hear people say that a 4% withdrawal rate is the rule of thumb. Like most rules of thumb it is best to take them with a grain of salt. This number is different for everyone depending on their personal situation. Items like long-term care policies, fi xed income streams such as pensions or social security, rental property income, mortgages, and living expenses should be taken into account. It is important to keep in mind that when your portfolio value drops your withdrawal rate will increase, so understanding when you need to make adjustments is key. Net Worth – Understanding and calculating your net worth can be one of the best things you do each year. Net worth is the sum of all your assets minus the sum of all your liabilities. Your assets generally include bank accounts, investment accounts, home, auto, and personal property. Your liabilities normally include debt such as mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and any credit card debt. Updating these balances once a year will help you track your overall financial progress. The ultimate goal for most people is financial independence. The number you need to be financially independent will be much different than other people, so using your net worth as a measuring stick when assessing your progress toward fi nancial goals can be much more powerful than comparing your situation to others. There are many other metrics we use when planning for clients such as investment returns, inflation rates, liquidity needs, debt to income ratio, expense ratio, and more. Having a financial planner help you understand the importance of tracking different metrics along the way can help provide a peace of mind that you are on track to meet your financial goals. +

positive spirituality, which is what I like to summarize as Peace of Mind. When we have it, we are in accord with ourselves and others and have that much less of a need to change the way we feel with a chemical. We rely on other methods instead: exercise, friendship and communication, prayer, meditation, church attendance and involvement, etc. We must carefully distinguish Spirituality from Religion. If this is a new thought to you, ask yourself these three questions: • Can one be religious without being spiritual? (dedicated to a group or its teachings) • Can one be spiritual without being religious? (have peace without group-think) • Can one have both – positive spirituality and be religious? This topic could be fodder for a whole book! Or just for our next column. +

by Clayton Quamme, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with Calvary Wealth, LLC (www. calvarywealth.com). Calvary Wealth is a fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm with offices in Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC.

FREE! +

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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY ALLERGY

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

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

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

DENTISTRY

DERMATOLOGY

Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 706-733-3373 www.GaDerm.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

FAMILY MEDICINE

F. E. Gilliard MD, Family Medicine 4244 Washington Road Evans, GA 30809 706-760-7607 Industrial Medicine • Prompt appts. Urgent MD Augusta: 706-922-6300 Grovetown: 706-434-3500 Thomson: 706-595-7825 Primary Care Rates

OPHTHALMOLOGY Roger M. Smith, M.D. 820 St. Sebastian Way Suite 5-A Augusta 30901 706-724-3339

PHARMACY

YOUR LISTING HERE

SENIOR LIVING

Augusta Gardens Senior Living Community 3725 Wheeler Road Augusta 30909 SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 706-868-6500 www.augustagardenscommunity.com

SLEEP MEDICINE 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

Medical Center West Pharmacy 465 North Belair Road Evans 30809 Vein Specialists of Augusta Dr. Judson S. Hickey Your Practice 706-854-2424 Periodontist And up to four additional lines of your www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 2315-B Central Ave choosing and, if desired, your logo. Floss ‘em 706-854-8340 Augusta 30904 or lose ‘em! Keep your contact information in Parks Pharmacy www.VeinsAugusta.com 706-739-0071 this convenient place seen by tens of 437 Georgia Ave. thousands of patients every month. N. Augusta 29841 Jason H. Lee, DMD Literally! Call (706) 860-5455 for all 803-279-7450 116 Davis Road the details www.parkspharmacy.com Augusta 30907 Medical Weight & Wellness 706-860-4048 Specialists of Augusta THE AUGUSTA Maycie Elchoufi, MD MEDICAL EXAMINER Steven L. Wilson, DMD 108 SRP Drive, Suite B Psych Consultants Family Dentistry Evans 30809 • 706-829-9906 AUGUSTA’S 2820 Hillcreek Dr 4059 Columbia Road MOST SALUBRIOUS YourWeightLossDoctor.com Augusta 30909 Martinez 30907 NEWSPAPER (706) 410-1202 706-863-9445 www.psych-consultants.com

WEIGHT LOSS

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M.E.

PSYCHIATRY

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FEBRUARY 17, 2017