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MEDICAL EXAMINER Kid’s Stuff I QUIT! recipe feature PAGE 7

TAKE HOME T HI S C O P WITH Y Y OU !

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

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

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

NOTES FROM A PEDIATRIC INTERN

by Caroline Colden, M.D.

Let’s talk about feeding babies

T

here are a lot of pretty cool things that start with i these days: iPhones, iPads, iTunes, iheartradio. But iQuit isn’t cool at all.

Unfortunately it is the unofficial slogan for some during January and February as people falter on the launch of their activity programs — including those who didn’t make a New Year’s resolution, but who thought they might get something going with the start of a new year.

It happens to the best of us. And the worst. It happens to everyone.

The question is, why? And another question is, what can be done about it?

“Wait ‘til next year!”

The previous sentence, ladies and gentlemen, was surely inserted by a terrorist organization.

It does not reflect the views of the staff and management of the Medical Examiner.

To combine Black History Month and Heart Health Month if we may, our viewpoint, to quote Dr. Martin Luther King, is more like, “The time is always right to do what it right.” That even applies in matters of health and wellness.

To put it another way, February 19 is as good a time to make some salubrious lifestyle changes as January 1. So if you have faltered just a little in your determination to get healthier, this a perfectly fine time to reboot.

But first, let’s first tackle the why question.

Reasonable reasons Why do people fail to maintain fitness programs? Unfortunately, this is only a 16-page newspaper, so we can only scratch the surface, but let’s go ahead and scratch.

In brief, many exercise regimens are too ambitious. They’re too complicated or too expensive. The goals are too lofty. Failure is not an option; it’s a near-certainty.

Examples: • getting up an hour early every day to exercise This might actually work for certified morning persons, but for your rank and file garden variety citizenry, Las Vegas oddsmakers are putting their money on the snooze bar 100 to 1.

• lose 50 lbs before Spring Break This should be easily doable if the need for an amputation happens to arise between now and Spring Break.

• go carb-free, gluten-free, fat-free and dairy-free Finally, a plan that could actually work — and for several hours at that!

As alluded to previously, we only have so much space. When it comes to reasons for fitness failures there are as many whys as fries (in 10,000 Happy Meals).

Rather than dwell on that, let’s quickly and simply address what can be done about it.

Please see I QUIT! page 15

Breast, bottle, or both? How about breastfeeding for now - Breastfeeding really is a wonderful thing, and despite it being one of the most healthy, beneficial, and undeniably natural aspects of life, it is not being done as much these days. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with formula, and in fact many situations demand formula use due to either mother/family situations or special dietary requirements by baby, there are many bonuses to breastfeeding. ** Please note, there are a couple of situations in which breast-feeding is not recommended – these include HIV, active tuberculosis, and use of chemotherapy in the mother, concurrent use of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, or other drugs of abuse, and special dietary needs or allergies in the baby. ** However, for the mothers and babies in whom these contraindications do not exist, here are some reasons why breastfeeding is the best thing ever: • Breastfeeding is FREE – no purchase of bottles, formula, milk, and sterilizing supplies for cleaning required. And no need for refrigeration.

• Breast milk contains the perfect amount of nutrients and calories to help your baby grow. And the production and composition of the breast milk changes with time to accompany your baby’s growing needs.

• It helps mom and baby bond – consistent skin-to-skin contact and just spending time with your baby does so much to help a baby feel loved and thrive, and it helps make the mom and baby bond stronger than ever.

• It reduces the risk of disease in babies – asthma, diabetes, obesity, infection, and perhaps even cancer are DECREASED in babies who are breast-fed, studies show.

• It helps mothers lose weight and return to pre-pregnancy weight Please see FEEDING BABIES page 3

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

THE DOCTOR IS IN

Life Insurance – How much do you need?

A

THE

Money Doctor

The non-M.D. members of your medical team

s a medical student, I had the opportunity to teach anatomy in a summer program for students starting dental and medical school.

Central to many of my anatomy lessons was the beautiful complexity of the human body, each part designed to fulfill perfectly so many specific roles.

For example, the brain’s cellular architecture and innumerable synapses are starkly dissimilar to the kidney’s nephrons, regulating the body’s pH, electrolytes, and blood pressure.

In a somewhat similar way, physicians have had to integrate themselves into various parts of the health care delivery system that involve very specific and regulated roles, much like the specific jobs of our organs.

This change underlies one of the most common patient complaints I hear from patients: “I don’t spend as much time talking to the doctor anymore.”

As physicians have had to change, it is equally important for patients to change how they perceive the delivery of their healthcare.

Notes, orders, prescriptions, meaningful use criteria, referrals, prior authorizations for treatment, correspondence, and scheduling all have to happen immediately at the point of care, and that’s for every patient. Needless to say, efficiency is paramount, and a physician simply cannot do it all without help and expect a quality outcome for each patient he or she serves.

Nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, and other

providers are extremely useful in clinical practice because they can independently manage patients, make decisions, and assist if needed in the outpatient or inpatient settings.

Their expertise becomes critically important when a physician needs to literally split himself or herself in two in order to get the work done.

Perhaps the best lesson for patients is to think of their healthcare as an organism as complex as they are. The best systems, whether Fortune 500 companies, football teams, or shoe factories, utilize welldefined and finite roles to achieve reproducible efficiency at every single level to ensure quality outcomes that are as close to perfection as possible.

Transforming providers who were once deemed ancillary or mid-level into central, primary, and irreplaceable members of our healthcare workforce must be done to ensure not only the quality of healthcare given to patients, but its continued survival as demand continues to outpace supply. +

Life insurance is a key element in the risk management or protection piece of your financial plan. We find that using rules of thumb (like 10 times your salary) when planning for life insurance leaves significant gaps and deficiencies. We prefer to actually put pen to paper to identify your true insurance needs by thinking through the impact on all areas of your financial plan should something happen to you or your spouse. Once that is done, we help clients shop the market to put in place appropriate coverage at competitive market rates.

When thinking through all the different factors it’s important to pull numbers or analysis from other areas of your financial plan, which is why putting insurance coverage in place without doing additional financial planning will cause you to over- or under-insure the risk. The key items you want to consider are typically living expenses, debt payoff plans, education costs, large one-time purchases such as weddings, long-term goals, possible life changes, and others. All those factors require projections and analysis to evaluate what your current and projected insurance needs are.

Consider goals and life changes: if you have a stay-at-home spouse, will you continue to work, or do you need life insurance to be able to stop working and focus on the kids? If you continue working, there would be extra costs involved to hire someone to help with taking care of the children and doing many of the tasks the stay-at-home spouse is responsible for. Another example is living expenses: we include a projection showing what amount our clients need in a portfolio to fund survivors’ living expenses using a 3% - 4% withdrawal rate. As you live longer your savings help decrease the amount of life insurance you need as you move closer to being financially independent. Other items to consider are new homes, weddings, more children, business considerations, and insurability risk. If you are in a taxable estate situation, it gets more Dr. Darren Mack is a graduate complex. of the Medical We find that once you have charted the insurance need it College of becomes much easier to design a plan. We often use a laddered Georgia and is approach which allows you to match your needs and purchase a urologist with more insurance at a lower cost. If you are saving $500,000 over offices in Evans the next ten years, does it make sense to pay more for a $500,000 and Aiken. He 20-year policy than a 10-year? Maybe it does, maybe it does not may be reached at for your situation. Thinking of coverage as the cost per thousand (803) 716-8712; David Russell Photography is a good way to compare different policies. Once we compare via Twitter: all options, sometimes we choose to replace old policies and @doctordmack and Instagram: other times we choose to keep them as part of the plan. It is @aikenurology worth reviewing this analysis every few years as changes in your The information provided in this article assumptions can have an impact on your future insurance needs. is not a substitute for an evaluation by a There are a lot of factors to consider here, but none of these ideas licensed health care provider. are considered as part of a rule of thumb approach. There is a lot of value in this area to having a good fee-only advisor and insurance by Clayton Quamme, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with Preston & Cleveland Wealth Management, agent working with you to help you decide not only the amount LLC (www.preston-cleveland.com). Preston & Cleveland is a fee-only financial planning and investment but also term structure and best companies to consider. advisory firm with offices in Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC. +

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The

Advice Doctor ©

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In addition to all the health and economic benefits listed in the article, breastfeeding is a great bonding opportunity for mother and child.

FEEDING BABIES… from page 1 faster. Breast-feeding burns calories!

• Breastfeeding also stimulates the production of certain hormones (such as Oxytocin) that help the uterus heal after delivery, thus decreasing the risk of post-partum bleeding. These hormones also make mom feel happy, helping to fight “baby blues” that can happen the first few weeks after delivering, and just helping naturally to boost that feeling of “goodness” on a daily basis.

• Breast-feeding also helps act as natural birth control in moms, especially in the first 6 months of the baby’s life and if the baby is exclusively breast-fed. This helps with child spacing and allowing the mother’s body to return to baseline before she gets pregnant again.

• Studies also show that woman who breastfeed are themselves at decreased risk for breast and ovarian cancers.

• Did I mention how FREE breast-feeding is?

And how it decreases the risk of disease in BOTH

mom and baby? Sorry to belabor this point, but I think they are pretty huge zingers.

Certainly every woman should discuss with her doctor whether it is safe and recommended for her and her baby to breast-feed. Breast-feeding is not for every mom and baby. But hopefully, for those mothers who were previously on the fence about it, I have perhaps convinced a few to consider breast-feeding as an option. For anyone looking for more information, the above bullet points have been taken straight from the following websites: 1. The American Academy of Pediatrics – http:// www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/policyOnBreastfeedingAn dUseOfHumanMilk.html 2. World Health Organization - http://www.who. int/topics/breastfeeding/en/ 3. HealthyChildren.org - http://www.healthychildren. org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/ Breastfeeding-as-a-Form-of-Contraception.aspx 4. WebMC - http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/ nursing-basics?page=3 +

Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about love, life, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important life topic?

Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in Examiner issues.

AUGUSTA

Love to stare at your phone?

Dear Advice Doctor, My next-door neighbor comes home from work well after midnight.

The problem is that he plays music in his car REALLY loud, and he will sit there in his driveway until a song is over. This is about 15 feet from my bedroom window! I am a light sleeper, and I have to hit the road at 5:30 every morning for my job. I’ve tried talking to him, but that did no good. Well, I’ve got a radio in my car too. I figure he’ll get the message if I give him a taste of his own medicine for a few mornings in a row. Do you have a better idea?

— Losing Sleep in North Augusta Dear Losing Sleep, This is wrong for so many reasons. First of all, why would you have his medicine? Sharing prescription medications is not just illegal; it’s foolish and dangerous and potentially fatal. His drugs could interact with some medication you’re already taking; his dosage is designed for his age and weight and height, not yours; it was prescribed for a condition diagnosed by a doctor. If you take it, you are ignoring all of that. You’re playing doctor and selfdiagnosing. Don’t do it.

Antibiotics are among the most commonly shared drugs. That means the person the drug was prescribed for - who was told, “Take all of this medicine” - is disobeying doctor’s orders. And the person they’re sharing with is also not getting the full and effective regimen either. This is why drug-resistant strains of super-bugs are threatening public health and straining pharmaceutical companies’ resources to produce effective antibiotics.

If you have taken someone else’s medicine recently and you happen to have a doctor’s appointment soon after, be sure to inform your doctor to avoid possible interactions with any new medications prescribed. +

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MEDICAL EXAMINER

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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 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

(706) 860-5455

Visit issuu.com/ medicalexaminer and stare away.

www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and 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 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. © 2016 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2016

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

#17 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

OLD NEWS

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POINTS OF INTEREST TO FORMER KIDS

by Trisha Whisenhunt, Senior Citizens Council

CLEAN HOME = HEALTHY HOMEOWNER

H

I

t’s not easy for people in 2016 to fully appreciate what minorities had to endure in times past. The gentleman above, for example, became a physician at a time when no less a figure than Thomas Jefferson was writing this: “I advance it, therefore, as a suspicion only, that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstance, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind.”

Despite that prevailing culture, this man, Dr. James McCune Smith, became the first black man in American history to earn the title “doctor of medicine.”

But it wasn’t easy.

Born in New York City in 1813, Smith describes his childhood as marked by “constant apprehension and jeopardy” in fear of bounty hunters searching for fugitive slaves. In the climate of the day, being black trumped being free; slave hunters would scoop up free blacks and sort out the details later, if at all.

But Smith managed to stay free and distinguish himself at New York’s African Free School No. 2 to such an extent that he was among students chosen to attend a reception for the visiting Marquis de Lafayette. He made his first of many abolitionist speeches that day, the text of which in Smith’s own hand is in a collection of the New York Public Library. “Here, sir,” he said, “you behold hundreds of poor children...sharing with those of a lighter hue in the blessings of education...While it will be our great pleasure to remember the great deeds you have done for America, it will be our delight also to cherish the memory of General Lafayette as a friend to African emancipation.”

Did I mention he was 11 when he gave that speech?

Obviously brilliant and with an interest in medicine, Smith later applied to medical schools in Geneva, NY, and at Columbia University. He was denied solely on the basis of race, although there may have been other options: one black medical practitioner in New York City of the same era was invited to examinations at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons on one condition: that he pledge in writing to relocate to Liberia upon graduation.

With a home-grown education thus roadblocked, Smith was helped by white abolitionist supporters to gain admission to the University of Glasgow, so off to Scotland he sailed on the morning of August 16, 1832, keeping a journal of the voyage that was printed in part in a newspaper called Colored American.

Smith received his BA (1835), MA (1836) and MD (1837) degrees in Scotland, and upon graduation spent some time in Paris gaining clinical exposure before returning to New York late in 1837. Even that was not trouble-free: he had booked passage to America aboard the ship Canonicus, but its Captain Bigley refused to let Smith board and he had to make other arrangements.

Noteworthy milestones of his medical career include being the first black physician to publish articles in a U.S. medical journal. Topics of his published articles include scientific debunkings of phrenology and homeopathy, and a rebuttal of Thomas Jefferson’s racial theories. +

ousework is no one’s favorite pastime.

We all have certain housecleaning tasks we dislike more than others.

(Personally, I procrastinate when the dusting must be done. Moving things and cleaning the bric-abrac is time consuming.)

Many tasks get done on a regular basis, others not so often. Then there are a few that never cross our mind to do. Sometimes it’s just a case of not knowing how to go about getting it clean in the first place.

I have compiled a list of ten things that are important to keep clean but easy to overlook. Perhaps you’ve never thought some things on this list need to be cleaned, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an open mind.

1. Your cell phone. A study at Stanford University shows that a cell phone can carry 18 times more germs than a toilet handle.

2. Your computer keyboard. In one study, 2% of keyboards in secondary schools are contaminated with the MRSA virus.

3. The shower head.

Bacteria love a warm, moist environment. This can be cleaned easily by pouring white vinegar in a plastic bag and securing it to the shower head with a rubber band and letting it set for a while.

4. The shower curtain. Is it pink at the bottom? That pink color is mold. Lay it out in the yard, scrub clean and hose it off, or throw it out and get a new one.

5. The toilet seat. Close the toilet seat lid before flushing. This will prevent bacteria from exploding in the air and settling on other surfaces.

6. Air vents. Use

compressed air for an easy way to clear these out, not only for cleanliness but it also aids in the prevention of fire.

7. Household sponges.

These can carry all sorts of pathogens and should be cleaned. You can nuke them in the microwave, and then set them out to dry completely to prevent bacterial growth.

8. The dishwasher. Junk gets stuck in the food trap.

This should be checked regularly and cleaned out.

Then run the dishwasher empty using white vinegar.

9. Make-up brushes.

Ladies: clean all your brushes on a regular basis to avoid infections, including pink eye.

10. The mattress.

Whenever you flip or turn your mattress over, sprinkle a half cup of baking powder (yes, baking powder) on it and let stand for one hour, then vacuum. This will absorb moisture and odor and will collect excess dust and dander.

If any of you have an out of the ordinary cleaning tip that I didn’t mention, let me know and I will do a followup list of ten for our readers.

I will print your name; credit where credit is due I always say. Just email or write to the Medical Examiner (addresses on page 3). I look forward to hearing from you. +

MYTH OF THE MONTH Wet head + cold weather = get sick To add a bit more detail, the complete recipe for a cold was being outside with a wet head in cold weather. This is what mom said, and so did granny, so it must be true, right?

For the complete picture, let’s not forget that these are the same people who told you that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are real.

No, not everything dear mother said is backed up by medical science. This is a classic example of a medical myth that continues to persist decade after decade. It’s almost as difficult to get rid of as a cold.

Simply put, the one and only thing that causes

colds is exposure to a virus, either by inhaling an airborne viral particle or by touching a surface that a sneezer or a cougher or someone with a cold recently touched, unknowingly leaving behind a gift for the next person to come along. The unsuspecting recipient touches the same surface, and then their mouth, eyes or nose, allowing a pathway in.

Regular hand washing is a far better weapon against colds than a hair dryer. + — by F. E. Gilliard, MD, Family Medicine 4244 Washington Road, Evans, GA 30809 706-760-7607

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW res?

ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS

k good eno r skin can ugh cer? son.” o

We need an accurate term for our latest epidemic, one that is overrunning the populace everywhere. The medical costs of this epidemic are monumental. The social implications are devastating.

Some call it Dunlap Disease: when your belly done lapped over your belt, making your belt buckle aim at the floor.

I’ve coined a new name: humonga rotunda muchalotta.

If you’re not familiar with Latin, I’ll give you Bad Billy Laveau’s unofficial translation: “huge” and “round” and “a bunch of it.”

This disease afflicts both sexes. When I diagnose women with humonga rotunda muchalotta I do not mean women who are “pleasingly pump” or “vigorously voluptuous.” I mean 116 pound girls who, one minute, are so attractive they could make a foot-washing, evangelical preacher run away from home. Then without warning, the humonga rotunda muchalotta virus invades and the mall cannot stock size 16+ dresses fast enough. Omar The Tent Maker suddenly has a backlog of orders for multicolored shifts.

You get the picture: Rosanne Barr as seen in a circus sideshow mirror.

When I diagnose men with humonga rotunda muchalotta it isn’t men with just enough insulation to make them somewhat appealing to the opposite gender. It’s men with enough insulation to survive January at the North Pole.

God bless women for putting up with the k

shortcomings of men. Men do not deserve woman’s tolerance for one minute.

I guess this old joke explains it all: Adam stood in the Garden of Eden, gazing at the attributes of Eve and relishing the afterglow of the night before. Adam muttered half aloud, “God, why did you make Eve so beautiful, so affectionate, and so appealing?”

God answered back quietly, “Adam, I made her that way so you would love her.”

“But why did you make her just a wee bit dumb?”

“I did that, Adam, so she would love you.”

I do not believe Eve was misshaped or malproportioned. Nor do I believe she looked like the air-brushed hotties that stare wide-eyed at us from the magazines on the checkout line at the grocery store or newsstand.

No, Eve ate fruits and berries, trimmed the fat off her meat before grilling, and only put a trace of sugar in her iced tea. Maybe she had a single Bud Light with fried fish once in a while. Adam, meanwhile, could not count his beers, and inadvertently invented the beer gut while watching NASCAR and professional wrestling. This was the first occurrence of the pre-epidemic stage of Dunlap Disease, now known to be caused by the Humonga Rotunda virus.

Yes, I am talking about people who have love handles, a bubble butt, and a

E

TH

t s e B six month emergency supply of fat draped ominously over their belt.

However it happened, as a society we got hit with the dreaded humonga rotunda muchalotta virus. Our women got oddly misshapen so that they only look balanced when sitting in an easy chair with a fan going. Our men’s center of gravity seemed to require a can of beer in one hand and a TV remote in the other.

Used to be a man needed fat to take him through the winter periods of enforced fasting.

Now, we have a Kroger every five miles and a 7-11 every two blocks. They all carry Cokes and Slim Jims. (Have you ever wondered why the most fatladen product in the store is called a Slim Jim?) So if we are fat, and want to be skinny — remember, if God had wanted you to be fat and showing off a lot of skin, you would have been born that way — we have to do something.

Everyone tries. Jenny Craig sells you permission to lose weight, as if fat won’t come off unless you pay Jenny first.

Chuck Norris sells tummy flattening machines. Before you buy one, consider how

The Augusta Medical Examiner’s publisher, Daniel Pearson, has continuously published a newspaper in Augusta since 1990, longer than any other publisher in Augusta except the gentleman to the right, publisher of The Augusta Chronicle, “The South’s Oldest Newspaper,” founded in 1785.

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MEDICAL EXAMINER

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Augusta’s only independent publication dedicated to medicine, health and wellness

your coat will look hanging on it, because after one month it will be a glorified coat hanger.

None of that high dollar stuff works. Not really.

Humans will do almost anything to lose weight.

Except eating less, that is.

I feel compelled to save the world from the dreaded humonga rotunda muchalotta virus. Here is my solution: Bad Billy Laveau’s Twin Weight Loss Plan It is free. No credit card needed. No payment plans. It will not adversely affect your credit. And it has a double your money back guarantee to boot.

• Plan One: Do not eat anything that is white. That leaves out sugar, white bread, fats on meat, cake, ice cream, starches, fried shrimp, and milk products.

If you fail at Plan One, have no fear. Bad Billy is here.

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.

FREE T AKE-H OME C OPY!

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MEDICAL EXAMINER

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

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

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

This newspaper is delivered to more than

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WE’RE #2!

We’re still wet behind the ears, but proud to have served Augusta area readers for more than a quarter of a century.

e n i c i d ME

• Go to Plan Two: If it tastes good, spit it out. Eat only what you do not like. You won’t eat much: spinach, liver, wild hickory nuts, beets, tripe, chittlins, mountain oysters, and such.

Take before and after pictures. You will lose weight so fast you will soon be on the front of a supermarket tabloid.

You will get endorsements.

Congress will question you about performance enhancing substances.

Best of all, there is happiness and fortune in losing weight.

Oprah got rich doing it. Oprah is getting richer doing it.

Oprah says: You think thin is in? I’m here to tell you, fat is where it’s at.

She might be right. Her weight has gone up and down more times than a Japanese yo-yo. +

private practice doctor’s offices and to 14 area hospitals.

William S. Morris III Founder, chairman and CEO of Morris Communications and publisher of The Augusta Chronicle.

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We are Aiken-Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper

Clinically proven. Doctor recommended.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2016

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The Short White Coat

Part Eight of an 8-part series

r o f ’16 6 1

Not Just Another Addict

by Jasmine Rivas

Since November, each issue of the Medical Examiner has contained suggestions to adopt as healthy habits, whether as New Year’s resolutions or not. After all, it’s always a good time to launch a good habit. Here are the last two ideas. To read previous installments of 16 for ’16, visit issuu. com/medicalexaminer. + #15 GIVE GOOD HEALTH

“Patient just admitted in room 2105E.” Off I went, with my short coat on and clipboard in hand.

I saw the track marks on her arms. I watched the nurse insert the peripheral line and apologize for not finding a good vein on the first try. The patient’s response, “I’ve let more questionable people inject me, it’s okay.”

I thought: This woman is one of the most cooperative patients I’ve encountered.

Hours later at the end of my shift I popped back into 2105E and asked the patient if there was anything she needed before I headed out. She pointed at her left leg and said, “I have an abscess on my thigh and I think it might be worsening.”

I put on gloves and inspected the lesion. I had never seen an ulcer this deep; it was oozing a yellow discharge and it looked painful. My naïve self asked

“Wait a second,” we interject in return. “What about flu shots? Those aren’t just for kids. What about getting the shingles vaccine? That’s for grown-ups. What about people who travel outside the U.S. for business or pleasure? What about people with diabetes, heart or lung disease or other chronic conditions who would be at risk for complications if they get a vaccine-preventable disease? What about selfemployed people who truly can’t afford to miss work?

What about those who spend time in the company of newborns (including grandchildren), cancer patients, pregnant women and

YOUR BEST SHOT We’re not talking Jello shots, either. No, we happen to be referring to the kind of shots doctors give. Granted, we live in an era when the opinions of people whose resume lists acting or modeling can be given greater weight than pretty much the entire global medical community. But for a moment or two, let’s at least pretend that doctors know what they’re talking about when they recommend vaccines.

“Wait a second,” you interject. “I’m willing to pretend, but my kids are all grown and gone. I’m past the vaccine stage. Can we please move on?”

Please see 16 for ’16 page 15

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MEDICAL EXAMINER recipe feature PAGE 7

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TAKE HOME THIS COP WITH Y YOU!

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As the end of one year and the beginning of another approaches, it’s a fitting time to consider ways to start the new year in a better state of mind and body. Each installment of this series, now through February, will offer simple ways to do just that by cutting bad things and adding good things. + #1 DRIVE, BABY, DRIVE When you’re driving, do just that:

COVER!

drive. That might sound obvious, but it is far from the norm.

Look around at your fellow motorists as you travel city streets and interstate highways and you will be amazed by how many drivers are hurtling down the road while looking at a cell phone screen.

Once upon a time, drivers were taught to keep both hands on the wheel at the 10 and 2 positions (comparing the steering wheel to a clock face), but for millions of distracted drivers it’s one hand for the phone, one for the steering wheel. According to a study by Carnegie Mellon University, driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity directly associated with driving by 37 percent. Other studies have established that driving distracted is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol level of .08. That’s considered DUI in Georgia (although a fraction of that — .02 — is the limit for drivers under 21 years of age). Experts say there are three main types of distracted driving: Visual (taking your eyes off the road), Manual (taking your hands off the wheel), and Cognitive (taking your mind off driving). Texting while driving — illegal but still common — is especially dangerous because it Please see 16 for ’16 page 13

T

he other day as I walked up to a doctor’s office, I saw two men having a conversation near the building’s front door; a woman with them stood nearby. As I walked past them toward the door, I noticed the woman had a strange look on her face. I wondered briefly if she was what we used to call retarded, or blind, or perhaps both: it’s hard to describe, but she was staring off into the distance in a way that seemed vacant and unseeing, yet also in mild distress. Just after I passed her, I heard the reason for the bizarre look on her face: she unleashed a mega-sneeze. When I glanced at her as I walked past moments before, she was in one of those pre-sneeze trances. Have you ever seen that?

Please see COVER! page 9

HIGHLIGHTS: Baby Barf 101 • Page 10 Bad Billy talks about having kids • Page 5

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her why she let it get that bad...”doesn’t it hurt?” I asked.

“Heroin makes everything go away,” she replied.

I wanted to know how long she had been using heroin and why she started. I’m not accustomed to probing people about personal issues, but in the clinical setting I’m improving. A person is suffering, and we need to find out why in order to help.

In this case, unable to help with a remedy for her disease of addiction, I promised to share her story (or at least a simplified version of it).

In 2010, she and her husband owned a home, two cars and their second child was on the way. Her husband as a professorhe worked full-time as a counselor at a methadone clinic. On her way to work one morning she was the victim of an accident, resulting in an emergency C-section and extensive back surgery. Left in chronic pain afterward, she was referred to a pain management clinic. She was started on Percocet 15 mg; Morphine 100 mg; Xanax 0.5 mg 3x/day (later increased to 2 mg 2x/day). She explained to me that she felt so much energy: “...able to do a million things at once with the oxycodone and then feel so mellow and calm with other meds.”

At the time, the thought of using street drugs, specifically heroin, within one year after her accident would have seemed ridiculous, even impossible. But that’s what happened.The clinic she was going to shut down, she lost her job, and it was not long before her husband noted an immense sum of money was unaccounted for. “$30 a pop for oxycodone on the street, methadone is expensive too...heroin is only about $10 a pop...even though you never know what you’re really getting.”

There was a family intervention and she went to countless addiction treatment facilities across the US, as well as internationally.

“A lot of money was spent by my family and I can’t believe I haven’t been able to stop. I hate that this is my life. I had so much going for me and I can’t stop craving, no matter how many

A med student’s notebook therapies I try or methadone clinics I go to...”

“My family wiped their hands clean of me.”

With every attempt to stop there are significant cravings that are not decreased by methadone. She is unable to control the cravings even post withdrawal, and has a great amount of remorse and guilt.

She wants to quit and is willing to keep trying. However, I can tell she is losing hope. She told me she was recently clean for 90 days, but then moved to an area for a new housing opportunity and it was a trigger that led to yet another relapse. This was two weeks ago.

Someone made a comment about her case: “We all make choices. She’s just an addict.” I shared a synopsis of her history in response. Looking back, I would have added, “She didn’t seek highly addictive pain control with the goal of heroin addiction. She was in her 20’s, in intense pain and she trusted her doctors.”

Pain management clinics have benefited many patients whose lives and productivity would otherwise be limited by pain. However, as in any line of work, with a degree of power comes the ability to due harm. I believe this is a topic that needs to be addressed.

Patients receiving narcotics need to be warned about the risks involved and possibility of addiction.

She did not choose this disease or the societal stigma that comes with it. She is not just another addict, but a person seeking medical attention who deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. ***Details have been altered to protect patient privacy and confidentiality. ***

by Jasmine Rivas, a third year medical student at University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Feel free to contact her with questions or feedback: jrivas@umhs-sk.net +

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FEBRUARY 19, 2016

7+

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Southern Girls Eat Clean Spicy Homemade Tortilla Chips

There are a lot, and I mean A LOT of packaged all-natural, organic, non GMO tortilla chips on the market today. So you are probably wondering why I would go to all the trouble of making my own tortilla chips when there are so many pre-packaged options. Well, basically I wanted to eliminate some of the nonnutritional ingredients in the store-bought tortilla chips, such as refined oils and flours, as well as eliminate the deep frying of the chips by baking my own.

Recently I saw a recipe for homemade tortilla chips posted on one of my favorite websites for clean eating: Clean Cuisine and More.

It looked really simple, so I thought I’d give it a try. I changed up the recipe a bit by putting a few spices on the chips once they came out of the oven.

I can’t believe these yummy chips were so simple and easy to make. I used Food for Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas and Nutiva Red Palm Oil. I cut the corn tortillas into 4 triangle shaped pieces using a pizza cutter. You could also use kitchen scissors to cut the tortillas. I then brushed a burn.

• 1/2 tsp. of Real Salt (or sea small of amount of red palm 8. Once the chips are done, salt) oil and lime juice onto each remove from the oven and side of the chips. The mixture immediately sprinkle a light Instructions: will have the consistency of dusting of the spice mixture 1. Using a pizza cutter or yogurt or mayonnaise. over this side of the chips.

When the chips came out of kitchen scissors cut each 9. You will need to bake the tortilla into 4 triangle shaped the oven I sprinkled a blend chips in two batches. Mix pieces. of smoked paprika, garlic together 1 Tbsp. of red palm 2. Place all of the chips onto a powder, cayenne and sea salt. oil and 1 Tbsp. of lime juice parchment paper lined baking It was the perfect seasoning again and rub over both sides sheet. for my homemade tortilla of the remaining chips and 3.

Mix together 1 Tbsp. of lime chips. If you prefer, simply repeat the same instructions juice and 1 Tbsp. of red palm sprinkle some sea salt on the for baking. oil. chips or use the spices of your 10. Allow the chips to cool 4.

Brush both sides of the choice. Be creative. and serve immediately with chips with red palm oil/lime These chips are much your favorite salsa, dip, soup juice mixture. healthier than store-bought or chili. + 5.

Place the baking sheet into and areperfect to serve with a preheated 350 degree oven. your favorite fresh salsa, Alisa Rhinehart is half of the blog Bake for 9 minutes. guacamole, a big pot of chili southerngirlseatclean.

6. While the chips are baking, or my super flavorful Taco com She is a working place all of the spices into a Soup which you can find on wife and mother living small bowl and mix together the blog. Enjoy! in Evans, Georgia. well.

Visit her blog for 7. Remove baking sheet from Ingredients: more recipes and the oven and sprinkle a light • 1 package of organic corn information on clean eating. dusting of the spice mixture tortillas over the chips. Then turn all • 1-2 Tbsp. of red palm oil of the chips over and place • 1-2 Tbsp. of lime juice back into the oven to bake for • 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder another 7-8 minutes. Watch • 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika closely so that they don’t • 1/4 tsp. of cayenne

CSRA Parkinson Support Group A panel of caregivers from the local group will share insights into the best practices and behaviors for interacting with Parkinson patients as well as those practices and behaviors that should be avoided.

When:

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 6:00pm

Where: St. John Towers dining room 724 Greene Street Augusta Contact: Mary Ann Navarro (706) 364-1662 Note:

This event is free and open to the public.

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IF THE SHOE FITS YOU PROBABLY BOUGHT IT FROM US SOUTHERN COMFORT SHOES 1001 WALTON WAY (in the former Integrity Medical location)

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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 Medical 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) • 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 • Augusta U., Laney-Walker Boulevard transit stop, Augusta • 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. • Hartley’s Uniforms, 1010 Druid Park Ave, Augusta • International Uniforms, 1216 Broad Street, Augusta • Marshall Family Y, Belair Rd, Evans • Mellow Mushroom, 12th and Broad Streets, Augusta • 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... 800+ doctors offices throughout the area for staff and waiting rooms, as well as many nurses stations and waiting rooms of area hospitals.

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

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.

VITAMINS: DO THEY HELP OR HARM? Over the years there have been many conflicting claims about the usefulness of vitamins and supplements. Some say vitamins are useless or even dangerous, while at the other extreme some claim that vitamins can cure every disease known to man. The actual truth is, as usual, somewhere in the middle. So today we will look at what the truth is about vitamins. Can vitamins help the American public? Can you trust vitamins to be what is actually on the label?

In 1966, a scientist named Linus Pauling started a multiyear campaign on the benefits of mega-doses of vitamins.

He already had a long career as a scientist and had made numerous significant contributions to science that earned him two Nobel prizes. His downfall came when he became enthralled with the idea that mega-doses of vitamin C could prevent or cure any of a number of diseases, including cancer. Other scientists tried to confirm these claims with clinical trials using vitamins versus placebo. None of Pauling’s claims could be proven. It proved to be his discrediting as a scientist, because every time a study would prove no significant benefits he would then make an even more far-reaching claim.

Vitamins were then studied at the University of California in a trial to determine beneficial effects in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. No benefits were found in this study. A medical journal then published an article that stated vitamins were basically useless and could be harmful in large doses. This was a tremendous setback to the vitamin industry.

However before you throw your vitamins in the trash let’s look at a little bit of the fine print behind that last article. The Annals of Internal Medicine stated that vitamins do not prevent chronic disease or death and, as such, people should avoid taking them. That got all the publicity, but the article also mentioned that the lack of benefit from vitamins applied especially to healthy people who eat a well-balanced diet providing a good intake of vitamins and

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minerals. These are the very people, as the article noted, most likely to take vitamins.

In short, health-conscious people are already getting all the vitamins they need naturally from their healthy diet. At the other end of the spectrum are people who have a poor diet and could benefit from vitamins or an improved diet but who, for one reason or another, are doing neither.

All of that being said, are vitamins useful for people in general? There is no absolute yes or no answer to that question. Vitamins are not harmful when taken in accordance with the approved dosages. It is better to supplement than to do be in a nutrient-poor state.

The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the oversight of dietary supplements through the food portion of their mandate. Because dietary supplements are listed as food and not drugs, the FDA cannot review these products for safety and effectiveness prior to their being marketed. The fine print always says something like, “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.” That puts the consumer in a let-the-buyerbeware situation when buying or using vitamins and dietary supplements.

This leads into my main point about vitamins. If you have a healthy diet and get a wide variety of nutritious foods, you probably do not need vitamins or supplements.

It stands to reason that your body will function better if you have the proper balance of nutrients, and nutritious foods are the best source. If for some reason diet does not supply them your pharmacy’s vitamin section should be Plan B. Moderation is the key. You will not get additional benefits from taking five to ten thousand times the recommended daily intake, but you may cause physical harm.

So let’s all try to take a multi-pronged approach to health. Start with improving your diet and your knowledge about healthy foods, then follow up with vitamin supplementation in a reasonable dosage only if necessary. If you do take vitamins, make sure they are from a reputable manufacturer so that you actually get what the label says you get. This is as important as your decision to take vitamins in the first place.

We are out of space for this issue. I will try to do another article soon with research about reputable brands. Until then let’s all try to improve our diets and get healthier.

Check with your pharmacy if you feel you need a vitamin or other supplement. + Written for the Medical Examiner by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson Questions, comments and article suggestions can be sent by email to cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net

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FEBRUARY 19, 2016

9+

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

TO INDULGE OR NOT TO INDULGE

by Jessica Williamson, Dietetic Intern

As tempting and forbidden as chocolate may seem, any reason is a good enough reason to indulge in this delicious and decadent confection. When the leftover Valentine’s Day chocolate goes on sale in the grocery stores, pick yourself up a bag because science says certain chocolates, in moderation, aregood for your health. The science linking chocolate and your health is dependent upon the flavonoid compounds found in cocoa powder. Flavanols, a particular type of flavonoid, are responsible for producing the bitter flavor of cocoa typically found in darker chocolates.

Multiple steps of processing and a variety of additions to chocolate usually conceal the bitter flavor produced by cocoa.

Despite producing an astringent flavor, flavanols also provide the health benefits of chocolate. Flavonoids have been proven to have cardioprotective effects on health due to their antioxidant activity, immunoregulatory properties, and favorable effects on vascular tissue. Flavonoids improve heart health by improving vascular function, reducing blood pressure, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing the stickiness of blood platelets. Antioxidantrich cocoa is beneficial to our bodies due to its ability to resist cell damage caused by free radicals produced naturally in bodily processes

and environmentally by contaminants.

Although it would be nice to believe that any and all chocolate is healthy, indulgers must be wary of the type of chocolate eaten. The healthiest choice must contain a certain amount of active flavonoid components for its effects to be beneficial. The flavonoid content of chocolates differs due to the extent of processing of the cocoa. Processing methods include fermentation, alkalization, and roasting.

What kind of chocolates offer these science-supported health benefits? It is important to understand how chocolate is made in order to make an educated decision on which chocolate to purchase. Cocoa is the dried and fermented seed of the fruit from the cocoa tree.

Cocoa is then ground, roasted and fermented to produce cocoa liquor. Cocoa liquor, which is labeled on chocolates as “percent cocoa,” is a paste containing both cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Removing the cocoa butter from the paste leaves only the cocoa solids,

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Resources: • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC4696435/ • http://my.clevelandclinic. org/services/heart/prevention/ nutrition/food-choices/benefits-ofchocolate • https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/ issue/Aug2011/Feature1 • https://www.cadbury.com.au/ About-Chocolate/Harvesting-andProcessing-Cocoa-Beans.aspx

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thus producing cocoa powder.

It is the “percent cocoa” of the product by which the darkness of the chocolate is determined.

Dark chocolates must contain at least 35% cocoa. Milk chocolates contain anywhere from 10 to 12% cocoa along with condensed milk. White chocolates are made from only cocoa butter and contain no cocoa solids, thus lacking the beneficial effects of flavonoids.

Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are the best sources of the beneficial flavonoids found in cocoa. The average flavonoid content of dark chocolate is five times greater than that of milk chocolate.

Cocoa butter is naturally high in fats, such as monounsaturated fats and saturated fats, and cocoa solids are naturally high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Highly processed commercial chocolates are usually stripped of these naturally found nutrients and are loaded with added sugars and fats to improve palatability. The more cocoa is processed, the fewer beneficial flavonoid compounds remain. And remember: less is more.

Overconsumption of chocolate cancels its benefits.

In order to achieve the optimal health benefits from chocolate, eat one ounce of dark chocolate a few times per week.

There it is. Your excuse to eat chocolate! Enjoying a small piece of dark chocolate once in a while is scientifically proven to be good for your health! +

Help us celebrate!

The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce has announced Barney’s Pharmacy owner and president Barry Bryant as the recipient of its 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year award “in recognition of the service that he provides to the community.”

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+ 10

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

And the thought may very well be, “Seriously???” We’re looking for those things at the market or grocery store that make you think, “What is going on here?”

BETTER BUSINESS

HEALTHIER BUSINESS WHAT IS A 1095 FORM AND WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

M

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Next time you see something on the grocery store shelf that’s a head-scratcher, whip out your phone, snap a picture and send it to: info@augustarx.com

THANKS IN ADVANCE! Happy shopping

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ost large employers are aware (or should be aware) or their new reporting obligations concerning the type of healthcare benefits they have (or have not) offered their full-time employees during the prior year. While the forms are not due to employees until the end of March, some of these forms have already been sent, creating a storm of questions from employees.

Russell Head Whether you are on the sending or receiving end of these forms, here are some quick answers to questions you might be asking: Why am I getting this form?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created new responsibilities for employers as well as individuals. These forms are designed to help establish whether those responsibilities are being met—for individuals, they report which months they and their dependents maintained qualifying health coverage; for employers, they report which months qualifying coverage was offered to full-time employees, and if not, why.

Do I need this form to file my individual taxes?

Probably not. On December 28, 2015, the IRS extended the due date for employers and health coverage provider to send out 1095-B and 1095-C forms to employees from February 1 to March 31. At that time, individuals were told that these forms would not required to file income tax returns this year. Once received, they can be kept with other supporting tax documents as proof of coverage, or offer of coverage, for the year.

FEBRUARY 19, 2016 However, if you enrolled in coverage from the Health Insurance Marketplace, you should you should wait until you receive a 1095-A to file your 2015 income tax return.

I received two of these forms—one from my insurance company and one from my employer. Is this a mistake?

The 1095 series forms can come from several sources with varying reporting responsibilities, so it is very possible for an individual to receive more than one form.

Large employers, health coverage providers, and the Federal Exchange all have reporting requirements which may result in multiple forms being issued to the same person.

Changing jobs and/or insurance coverage can trigger multiple forms as well.

Remember that the forms are designed to report proof of healthcare coverage (from a health coverage provider or the Health Insurance Marketplace) and/or offers of healthcare coverage (from an employer), so the forms may not be reporting the same information.

I did not receive a form, but I had healthcare coverage. Is this a mistake?

Depending on the size of your employer and the type of healthcare they offer, they may not be required to send you a form. (For example, employers with less than 50 fulltime equivalent employees are exempt from reporting if they are fully insured.) Also, since the forms are not due until March 31, they may be received at a later time.

My spouse and children were covered on my employer’s plan. Will they receive a form too?

Generally, only one form will be issued to each employee. Copies may need to be made for adult dependents who are filing their taxes separately from you.

My employer or health coverage provider has suggested that I opt to receive these forms electronically rather than on paper. Are they allowed to ask me that?

Yes. Employers and health coverage providers may ask for your consent to receive the forms electronically. This is entirely acceptable and may be more convenient for you. + Russell T. Head is President with ACHS Insurance, Inc., Augusta’s largest risk management and employee benefits brokerage. He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or rthead@achsinsurance.com. Visit ACHS Insurance at www.achsinsurance.co

LOOKING FOR A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER? SEE OUR DIRECTORY ON PAGE 16.

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

From the Bookshelf The blog spot — Posted by Michael Forbes, MD, on Apr. 12, 2014 at kevinmd.com

CLINICAL OBESITY, PLEASE, NOT MORBID Michelle Obama refers to childhood obesity as the tobacco of the 21st century. I agree. Obesity is quickly overtaking smoking as the nation’s No. 1 killer.

As a pediatrician who sees firsthand the impact of overweight and obese children, we need to have conversations with our patient families that focus on obesity as a clinical issue.

Right now, this isn’t happening. The rate of missed diagnosis for childhood obesity is over 95 percent, according to research my colleagues and I conducted at Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio. Similar rates of under-diagnosis and underdocumentation have been reported in other states.

A few years ago during a medical hand-off of an ICU patient, a colleague described a 10-year-old patient as “a little undergrown.” Before I went in to see him, I checked his medical record and found that his BMI placed him at the 50th percentile.

He was the definition of normal weight.

Intrigued by this, my colleagues and I launched a series of studies aimed at defining the actual and perceived burden of morbid obesity in our pediatric population.

Chart reviews revealed that nearly 14 percent of our patients met CDC criteria for obesity — their BMI was greater than 95 percent of children their age — yet clinicians only documented this 4 percent of the time. That means we failed to document (and presumably address) this life-changing diagnosis almost every time.

We speculated that maybe it’s because obesity isn’t a priority in the PICU because we’re just trying to save lives.

So we took our hypothesis to the primary care setting. After calculating BMIs for 63,500 children based on well-child visits, we found 14 percent of the children met the criteria for obesity.

Yet, pediatricians documented their obesity only 3 percent of the time.

Numerous euphemistic diagnostic codes inferred, but never named, obesity as the diagnosis. This is akin to charting tuberculosis as an “unspecified bacterial infection.”

So, why are pediatricians not diagnosing obesity?

We found that a primary reason pediatricians fail to diagnose obesity is that they liken telling families their children are obese to delivering bad news.

In my opinion, our national care failure around pediatric obesity is because we’re reluctant to tell children and their parents that the Emperor is butt naked. Yes, your child does look fat in those jeans.

However, the discussion about weight is hardly cosmetic. If a child’s BMI is greater than 95 percent of his age-gender matched peers, there’s a promise of premature, preventable disability and death.

Yes, the bad news about an obesity diagnosis is a hard pill to swallow. But the good news about childhood obesity is that it’s a disease of childhood. There’s still time to move the conversation toward successful, life-changing interventions.

First, change the name of the diagnosis from morbid obesity to clinical obesity. Morbid obesity is, well, morbid or “gross.”

Clinical obesity frames the conversation as categorically clinical, not cosmetic. Tell your patients and their families that clinical obesity is a threat to their health and welfare.

Then, tell them the good news. They are young, still healthy, and have a terrific opportunity to take charge of their lives by taking charge of their health.

Let’s have the clinical discussion — and don’t be gross. +

Why are we not diagnosing obesity?

Michael Forbes is a pediatric critical care physician at Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio.

One of the true growth markets, if you’ll forgive the term, in all of medicine is depression and its several cousins: manic depression, AHDH, bipolar disorder, and ADD. Sometimes it can seem like every third person has something within this constellation of disorders (although, alas, some seem to be self-diagnosed).

If that estimate (one in three) is true (and it isn’t; it is surely an exaggeration), among the remaining two you have one person who is sympathetic and understanding and another who thinks it’s all a bunch of hypochondriacs who use their “diagnosis” whenever they need a convenient and incontrovertible excuse to get out of some disagreeable chore or activity.

Enter William Styron, the acclaimed late author of such notable works as The Confessions of Nat Turner, Sophie’s Choice and Lie Down in Darkness. He was the recipient of the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Confessions.

Sophie’s Choice was adapted for film and was nominated for five Academy Awards.

In the midst of all this literary and financial success, Styron suddenly and inexplicably descended into depression so severe that he attempted suicide and was hospitalized.

As he explains, his “dank joylessness” and “self-hatred” were all the more puzzling because they struck when he traveled to Paris to accept an award “which should have sparklingly restored my ego.”

But that’s the way these things go; if you were sad because the love of your life died the day before your wedding, that would be

normal. Depression seems by definition abnormal.

Having a man of letters suffer through a devastating bout with depression is a good thing, at least for the rest of us. Styron wrote about it in a book that could be a real eyeopener for many, especially perhaps for those who don’t question depression, but who do question “depression.”

As Styron writes, “Depression is a disorder of mood so mysteriously painful and elusive...as to verge close to being beyond description.

It thus remains nearly incomprehensible to those who have not experienced it.”

His purpose in writing this frank, vivid and insightful exposé of his own condition was an attempt to pull back the curtain for the uninitiated, and for those who know exactly what he’s talking about, the book offers, as The New York Times put it in a blurb quoted on the front cover of many editions, “It offers the solace of shared experience.” + Darkness Visible —A Memoir of Madness by William Styron; 84 pages, published in 1990.

Research News Vaporizing the immune system In a small but comprehensive preliminary study, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found evidence that e-cigarette use — vaping — damages the immune system in ways even worse than tobacco smoke.

The study compared data from nasal swabs taken from smokers, vapers, and those who do neither, then analyzed it genetically, looking at the activity of nearly 600 genes related to immune responses.

Smoking, it was found, suppresses the activity of 53 genes involved in the immune system. E-cigarette use suppressed the activity of the same 53 genes — and more than 300 others.

Further studies will try to identify if e-cig flavorings are to blame. Most are considered safe for eating and have been in use in the food industry for some time, but only for eating, not inhaling.

“We’re really in the beginning of understanding the

toxicity” of e-cigarettes, said one researcher.

The study was presented last Friday, Feb. 12, at the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.

Toil takes its toll Research reported on in the Feb. 15 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine says that unpaid family and friends who help older people with disabilities by doing such things as coordinating doctor appointments and helping manage medications are “significantly more likely to experience emotional, physical and financial difficulties than caregivers who don’t provide this type of support.”

One symptom identified in the study, conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: such unpaid caregivers are three times more likely to be unproductive at work due to fatigue or distraction, a phenomenon called

“presenteeism,” (as opposed to absenteeism, which is also a problem), a finding which reveals employers unknowingly bear some of the cost of care.

The study acknowledged the huge amount of work involved in people with complex health needs and which extends beyond recognized healthcare providers and into an unpaid and invisible workforce.

It is huge: the study found that an estimated 14.7 million people in the U.S. are unpaid caregivers for a friend or family member to varying degrees, and further concluded that they are often the linchpin in the entire healthcare delivery system for many older adults.

They are the ones who get patients to their doctor appointments and pharmacies, and who ensure medications are taken as directed.

What needs to happen, say researchers, is for healthcare providers to do a better job of including caregivers when they accompany patients to their appointments. +

+ 12

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS

THE MYSTERY WORD

+

by Dan Pearson

I threw it away. I might need some of You know what you Oh, I forgot to tell What happened to You haven’t touched that stuff someday! are? An expert at you.. I got that The add junk collecting junk. all my stuff? that stuff in a year. teaching job at AU. professor position?

The Mystery Word for this issue: SHTIG

© 2016 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Chew on 5. TV network sports award 9. Polychlorinated biphenyl, in short 12. Orchard beginning 13. Muskogee resident?

14. Noted Lane 16. Disagreeable 18. Common medical prefix 19. ____-line 20. Prepare for publication 21. Entrances 22. Single-handedly 23. Upper Broad Street has one 24. Lindsey’s predecessor 27. Members of the distaff side 28. Football played on 200 ft.long field 29. Raced 31. Greg’s follower 34. Abuse tactic 38. Garden implement 39. Name with Aaron 40. Temporary tattoo ink 41. Governor in Mogul India 44. _______ boy 45. Clothing fastener 47. Eisenhower’s middle name 50. Permit 51. Monetary unit of Iran 52. Beta Kappa intro 55. Type of machine gun 56. Oil rig worker 59. Scottish Gaelic 60. Flyers on scoreboards 61. Rule of ______ (in burns) 62. Donkey 63. Method 64. Feet (slang)

BY

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Click on “READER CONTESTS” 15

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VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM

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W T R L H Y W U L T N H I A O U E L I O E O B N D T G M Y T T E L D V O S U O O O W I E T O

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2016 All rights reserved

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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.

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2016 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com

DOWN 1. ______ pool 2. Back of the neck 3. Knee injury abbrev.

4. Helmsman 5. Reddish dye 6. _______board 7. Slender metal fastener 8. Nevertheless 9. Give pleasure to 10. Dependent on 11. He took over for Cheney 12. Tavern 15. Mediocre 17. Fuss 21. Leg (Dated slang) 22. First-class 23. Conclusion (in music) 24. It might say “Miss Georgia” 25. Group of three persons 26. Persistent; tenacious 27. Masters follower 29. Thrust with a knife 30. As needed, in medicine

— Martin Luther King Jr.

32. Sigmund’s youngest child 33. Celebrity 35. Word used when comparing 36. Siam today 37. Blend 42. Makes amends 43. Exclamation of surprise 45. Headquarters 46. Marine introduction 47. Park Avenue starter 48. Passageway between seats 49. Large tank 52. Second half of table tennis?

53. Colors 54. Word often erroneously given an apostrophe 56. Spinning speed (abbrev.)

57. Exclamation of pleased surprise 58. Logical beginning?

6 3 5 7 1 9 6 8 2 3 1 7 9

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X A M I N E R

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2016 All rights reserved. Built with software from www.crauswords.com

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.

Solution p. 14

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

1

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1 2

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C 1 2 3

8 9 10

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

1.AAAAFICIONI 2.SSCCOOONTT 3.CRNTTT 4.SIGA 5.STTI 6.AVIU 7.DEON 8.TENN 9.EA 10.LS 11.S

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

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D 5

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2016 All rights reserved

WORDS NUMBER

1

All Mystery Word finders will be eligible to win by random drawing.

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

13 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

A

t the end of a long day, a border collie reported back to the farmer, “All fifty sheep accounted for, boss.”

“Wait, I only have 48 sheep.” he replied.

“I know that,” said the dog, “I just rounded them up.”

A young boy got lost at the YMCA and ended up in the women’s locker room. The room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover.

The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, “What’s the matter? Haven’t you ever seen a little boy before?”

Why do elephants drink so much?

To forget.

A cowboy walked into a bar and ordered a whiskey. When the bartender delivered the drink, the cowboy asked, “This place sure is quiet.

Where is everybody?”

“They’ve all gone to the hanging,” replied the bartender.

“Hanging? Who are they hanging?”

“Brown Paper Pete,” the bartender replied.

“What kind of a name is that?” the cowboy asked.

“It fits him,” said the bartender, “He wears a brown paper hat, brown paper shirt, brown paper trousers and brown paper shoes.”

“Weird guy,” said the cowboy. “So what are they hanging him for?”

“Rustling,” said the bartender.

Serving the Medical, Dental and Education Communities since 1976 Visit us at any of our 5 locations or at www.hccu.coop 706-434-1600

Teacher: Whoever answers my next question correctly can go home now.

A boy throws a book out the window.

Teacher: Who just threw that?

Boy: Me, and I’ll see you all tomorrow.

Teacher: Someone tell me a sentence that starts with “I.” Student: I is the...

Teacher: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop. You never say “is” after I. Always use “am.”

Student: OK. Sorry.

Teacher: It’s okay. Go ahead.

Student: I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.

During an audit by a company’s IT department, the following password was found in their system: MickeyMinnieGoofyPlutoHueyLouieDewey Donald The specific computer was identified, belonging to a blonde secretary. When asked why she had such a big password, she said it’s company policy that passwords have to be at least 8 characters long.

What’s the difference between a hippo and a Zippo?

One is very heavy, the other a little lighter. +

Why subscribe to the Medical Examiner?

Don’t feel like kissing your money goodbye?

The Medical Examiner offers advertisers a focused, specific, targeted audience. If your marketing program values quality over quantity, the Examiner may be just what the doctor ordered..

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

Call today!

CALL 706-860-5455

+ +

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER 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

TO OUR READERS AND OUR ADVERTISERS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.

+ 14

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: BRUISE ...cleverly hidden in the p. 2 ad for WINDSOR FINE JEWELERS Congratulations to BRENDA MEALING, who scores a coveted Scrubs of Evans gift card, 2 movie passes courtesy of Health Center Credit Union, and a $20 Wild Wing Cafe gift certificate. Want to find your name here next issue? The new Mystery Word is on page 12.

Start looking!

The Celebrated MYSTERY WORD CONTEST ...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package!

SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. 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.

EXAMINER CLASSIFIEDS HOMES, APARTMENTS, ROOMMATES, LAND, ETC.

SERVICES

HILTON HEAD For sale: Hilton Head oceanfront timeshare, 2 bdrm, 2 bath, first week of March. $790 OBO. More info: (706) 738-2292

HOUSE CLEANING Your house, apartment, rental move-outs. Thorough, dependable.

Weekly, or whatever schedule you prefer.

References. 706-267-9947

WANTED Room / roommate on The Hill, downtown, Martinez, West Augusta, or North Augusta. I can pay $100 - 150 per week or $400 - 600 per month. I’m a clean, trustworthy, business oriented, 52 yr old, social drinking, single male. You can CALL me between 11:00 am - 11:00 pm @ (706) 251-5554 I will pay a $20 - 50 referral if you know of someone looking for a good roommate or already has a place and I move in. Thanks.

BIBLE BY PHONE - Free daily Bible readings; for Spiritual Encouragement and Growth. Call 706-855-WORD (9673)

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.

ELIPITICAL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION Asking $75.00. Please call 706-306-4666

AUGUSTAGAHOMESEARCH.COM Foreclosures • MLS • Builders • Rentals (706) 564-5885 HOUSEBOAT FOR SALE Tradewinds Marina, 30 minutes from Augusta. Live at the lake - or have a second home there with NO grass to mow!

Recently upgraded. $65,000 Text me at (803) 640-9732 for pics

F. E. GILLIARD, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Acute & Chronic Illnesses Occupational Medicine PROMPT APPOINTMENTS 706-760-7607

MISCELLANEOUS

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

cellent condition. $300. Double bed early 1930s with mattress spring coverlet shams $150. Call (706) 860-2170 WANT TO BE HEALTHY? (Energy, weight loss, mental clarity) Go to gethealthyat.le-vel.com See video and Facebook. Sign free as customer.

BEING PAID WHAT YOU ARE WORTH? Then make more money! Watch movie all out interview: ExtraMoneyInterview.net 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) 295-3033 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 or (706) 829-1729 PET CARE in Martinez-Evans area. Dogs to 40 lbs, $9.00. Cats (1-3), $9.00 For interview/information, phone 706-829-1729

KING-SIZED bed frame with rails, dark wood, some surface scratches but overall very good condition. $90 Call 706-3730193 ANTIQUE maple dinette set with buffet corner cabinet table with pull-out leaves.

Four chairs with two captain’s chairs. Ex-

The new scrambled Mystery Word is found on page 12

SENDING US A CLASSIFIED? USE THE FORM BELOW AND MAIL IT IN, OR GO TO WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM AND PLACE & PAY CONVENIENTLY AND SAFELY ONLINE. THANKS!

THE PUZZLE SOLVED

WHAT’S YOUR DRUG OF CHOICE? (OURS IS COFFEE)

Augusta Medical Examiner Classifieds

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING FORM Name Address Work number (if applicable) ( ) Home phone ( ) Category of ad (leave blank if unsure):

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

S P Y P K I E L A N T E T G A E C A S W O M E P E D R E A T M N K H E A L D A V I D R I A L U S T A B I L N I D E D O

C O N T I N G E N T

B I D E N

S O S O

A N N A

S T A R

P O N G

H I U T E S S

SEE PAGE 12

QUOTATION

In case we need to contact you. These numbers will not appear in the ad.

QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: “It does not matter how long you live but how well you do it.”

AD COPY (one word per line; phone numbers MUST include the area code):

— Martin Luther King Jr. .25

.50

.75

1.00

1.25

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1.75

2.00

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The Sudoku Solution

COFFEE IS GOOD MEDICINE

(Copy this form or continue on additional sheet if more space needed.)

Send this form with payment to:

AUGUSTA MEDICAL EXAMINER, PO BOX 397, AUGUSTA, GA 30903-0397 Total ad cost by number of words as shown above: $

VISIT DRUGOFCHOICECOFFEE.COM

Multiply by number of times ad to run: x

6 8 4 9 1 3 2 7 5

3 5 1 2 8 7 9 6 4

2 7 9 4 6 5 8 1 3

7 4 3 6 2 8 1 5 9

9 2 6 5 3 1 7 4 8

5 1 8 7 9 4 6 3 2

4 3 2 8 7 6 5 9 1

1 9 7 3 5 2 4 8 6

8 6 5 1 4 9 3 2 7

WORDS

BY NUMBER “Forgiveness is not an occasional act it is a constant attitude.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Total submitted: $

The Augusta Medical Examiner publishes on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month.

Your ad should reach us no later than 7 days prior to our publication date.

Thanks for reading!

www.AugustaRx.com

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

15 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

I QUIT!… from page 1

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 that disappeared — temporarily — for reasons you’re about to read. We’re happy to have The Patient’s Perspective — and Marcia Ribble — reincarnated in this new format. Feel free to contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com

by Marcia Ribble I spent five days in the hospital recently for a recurrence of the cellulitis. That was a good reminder that as we get older many of us become faced with medical issues which are chronic and a pain in the tush. When these issues are monitored, though, they can be managed and help us make strides toward better health. So instead of months (as before), this time I was home in five days and carrying on .

We’re having a wet and cold and windy weekend as I write this, but I’m prepared for that. I’ve shopped for groceries. So if it gets bad out with slippery roads and sidewalks, I can just stay tucked in at home. However, I’ll be conscious of the fact that home isn’t as neat and tidy as I want it to be. Normally that would mean I’d waste energy with frustration that would not make the house one bit tidier. I also would not do those things I would enjoy normally, like writing, reading, painting, and pursuing other fun activities. I’d sit, glued to the TV, or working my puzzles, immersed in a cocoon trying to avoid my own discontent, and accomplishing not one darned thing of use to me or anyone else.

These past weeks, however, I worked on better mental health even while I was in the hospital, and now at home. One of the things bothering me has been the state of my house.

I can easily tolerate a fair degree of clutter, but I don’t like it if it’s dusty, if there are bits of shed dog hair lying around, if the dishes aren’t done, and the general overall state of housekeeping isn’t up to standards. My walker gets in the way of a lot of housekeeping chores.

Walkers require using both hands, leaving no hands free to vacuum, dust, or wash the floors.

Rather than waste energy fretting, I called the CSRA folks who offer services to elders and got put on a waiting list (which might mean a months-long wait). This week I also used the materials the CSRA sent and proactively decided to call one of the service providers and pay to get someone to clean the house. Today I have someone coming to do just that.

Better health doesn’t always mean becoming able to do things for ourselves. Sometimes it means being wise enough to recognize both our needs and our inability to meet them ourselves, and seek help when we need it. Our goals for moving forward don’t prevent us from recognizing the realities of our present situations.

The good feeling from a more well-kept home can actually improve the likelihood that we keep making strides toward where we want to be. Happy with my soon-to-beclean house, I am far more likely to go to the handicapped accessible pool at the YMCA to work out some of the kinks and become stronger in the lovely warm water there. +

102 This is how many back issues of the Medical Examiner are available at issuu.com/medicalexaminer

A B C

Let’s get this thing started void Correction: restarted. tobacco As we pointed out in our previous issue, heart health and heart attack prevention is as simple as ABC. Remember this graphic ecome from page 1 last time? more We harp on smoking way too much active already, and in every issue we have at least two articles about healthy eating, so let’s hoose good zero in on B: Become more active. nutrition We promised on page 1 to do this quickly and simply. so here goes: Walk.

That’s it. One word. It’s easy. It’s free. It’s simple. It’s available everywhere, unlike swimming, for instance, which requires a pool or lake to be handy.

More significantly, of the dozens or hundreds of ways a person could choose to Become more active, walking has the lowest dropout rate. And despite its ease and simplicity, walking offers a plethora of significant benefits, according to the American Heart Association.

Among them: • reduced risk of heart disease and stroke • improved blood pressure • improved blood sugar levels and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes • reduced risk of osteoporosis • reduced risk of breast and colon cancer Best of all, these benefits don’t require miles and miles of walking (although how far you walk is up to you). These benefits are available for just 15 minutes of walking, followed by turning around and walking back where you started. Or you can break up your 30-minute daily walk into three 10-minute walks. That’s doable.

In conclusion, if you have said “I quit!” — and haven’t we all — it’s okay. Stick with that. Just change the target of your quittage: how about, “I quit being so inactive!”

That works. +

16 FOR ’16… from page 6 others who cannot get vaccinated? Or who work with the elderly?

Your vaccination can prevent you from passing along a sickness.

If you don’t have it, you can’t give it.

And it goes without saying (but we will say it anyway) that what’s good for adults is good for kids too. The vaccines may be different, but kids should get kid vaccines and adults should get adult vaccines. Some diseases thought to have been eradicated for decades have recently resurfaced here and in Europe among non-vaccinated individuals. The credit goes to the anti-vaxxers. It might even be trendy to be one — until you or your baby or pre-schooler comes down with a serious and preventable illness, and what’s more, passes it on. The prevention solution is simple, and is faster, less painful and definitely less expensive than getting sick. #16 PATIENCE, PATIENCE This quality is not generally viewed as an antidote to injury, disability and death, but that should change. After all, how many workplace, home and highway accidents do you think are caused by impatience?

Not properly securing ladders, not taking the time to use the proper tool, not taking the time to use goggles or safety glasses, impatiently coasting through stop signs, running yellow and newly-red lights at intersections, speeding, turning in or pulling out in front of oncoming traffic... the list goes on and on. Each item on this potentially lethal list boils down to taking a shortcut to save a minute or two or maybe even just a few seconds. We often get away with these little infractions, but whenever someone doesn’t, the foolishness of risking life and limb to save a few seconds becomes readily apparent. By then it’s too late, of course; the damage has been done.

Cultivating patience ties in with #15 above: it’s like getting inoculated against a whole laundry list of potential trips to the emergency room. And even though it’s a good idea, you can still be at risk from those who haven’t taken the time to get the patience vaccine. Like literal shots, the more people have the vaccine, the greater the overall community immunity.

It’s almost poetic. Literally. + Previous “16 for ‘16” suggestions are available in back issues of the Medical Examiner beginning November 6, 2015. They are available for browsing any time at www.issuu.com/medicalexaminer

+ 16

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

+

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY DERMATOLOGY

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

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

DIABETES WOUND CARE

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

DENTISTRY Dr. Judson S. Hickey Periodontist 2315-B Central Ave Augusta 30904 706-739-0071

Aiyan Diabetes Center “A Comprehensive Diabetes Clinic” Dr. Janaki Nadarajah, DPM 706-868-0319 462 Furys Ferry Road

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

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

Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd.

Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

YOUR LISTING HERE

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

Urgent MD Augusta: 706-922-6300 Grovetown: 706-434-3500 Thomson: 706-595-7825 Primary Care Rates

Cornerstone Compassion Center 420 Warren Road Augusta 30907 706-228-5359 or 706-394-6518 Assisted Living • Personal Care

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

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

PHARMACY

VEIN CARE

Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. N. Augusta 29841 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com

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

WEIGHT LOSS

Your Practice And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo.

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CALLING ALL M.D.S!

SENIOR LIVING

F. E. Gilliard MD, Family Medicine 4244 Washington Road Evans, GA 30809 706-760-7607 Industrial Medicine • Prompt appts.

Medical Center West Pharmacy 465 North Belair Road Evans 30809 706-854-2424 www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com

DRUG REHAB

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

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FAMILY MEDICINE

Medical Weight & Wellness Specialists of Augusta Maycie Elchoufi, MD 108 SRP Drive, Suite B Evans 30809 • 706-829-9906 YourWeightLossDoctor.com

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