Feb22 19

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FEBRUARY 22, 2019

SOUNDADVICE

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

You’ve heard of music therapy, right? Do you know anything about it? How would you describe this kind of therapy and any benefits it might offer?

For many people, music therapy is definitely “therapy lite.” It’s not real medicine, they say.

Pressed to describe its therapeutic cousins, they might say it’s on a par with finger painting and building dollhouses with Popsicle sticks.

Fair enough. Plenty of people share your views. Just don’t express them within the hearing of someone like Sok Hwee Tay. She is a music therapist who works with patients at the Georgia Cancer Center, Aiken Regional Hospital, Brandon Wilde and elsewhere around Aiken and Augusta. She has more letters after her name than some doctors. Turns out, music therapy is not something just anyone can decide to do today and start doing tomorrow.

“It’s a 4-year degree,” says Tay, “with rigorous training, 1,200 hours of clinical and a supervised internship.” In fact, no one can practice music therapy in Georgia without being licensed by the state, and to even apply for that they already have to be certified by the profession’s national certification board. Georgia also mandates recertification every two years, and that requires at least 40 hours of verifiable continuing education credits every two years.

“There is a misconception that if you play music, you’re a therapist,” Tay notes. “People confuse musical entertainment with music therapy.” Sok Hwee Tay

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The educational and licensing requirements make it clear that’s not the case.

So what is the difference? Music therapy might be compared to attending a concert where you’re the lone member of the audience and you tell the performer what to play. Music therapy is all about the client/patient, not the therapist, Tay says. Because it’s medically therapeutic, it has to be tailored to each recipient.

Music may affect only the mind (allege some), but anyone who doubts the mind’s tremendous power in making healing possible has never studied the curious but epic strength of the placebo effect. It can rival the power of any pill, scalpel, or syringe, and in that respect it bears striking similarities to music therapy.

Tay might meet with one person who has had a stroke, another patient going through drug or alcohol rehab, someone else in the throes of Alzheimer’s disease, and the next person in the middle of cancer treatment. All present unique challenges and opportunities to employ the power of music.

Alzheimer’s patients may lose their verbal skills, but not the ability to perceive and enjoy music, Tay reports. Stroke recovery involves getting neurons to start firing again. Battling cancer or navigating the twisting turns of substance detox can cause depression and crippling anxiety. All these situations and more can and do benefit greatly from music therapy.

Music can trigger joy and happiness, exactly what some patients desperately need. Music has an Please see MUSIC page 2

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

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PARENTHOOD

by David W. Proefrock, PhD Your 8 year-old son has recently begun hiding in places around the house and then jumping out and scaring whoever walks by. He sometimes scares you and other people in the family as many as four or five times a day. What do you do?

A. Talk with him about how if feels to be startled like that and remind him that we should treat others the way we would like to be treated. Make sure he apologizes when he scares someone.

B. This is cruelty whether or not he admits it or means it to be. It is a sign of a serious emotional and behavioral problem.

He should be taken to a mental health professional for an evaluation.

C. Begin hiding and scaring him several times a week. He will get the idea that people don’t like to be scared and stop doing it.

D. Let him know that scaring people will not be accepted in your home and punish him severely when he does it.

If you answered: A. This is the best response in this case. Never pass up an opportunity to teach an important life lesson. This situation allows you to help him learn “The Golden Rule” and to take responsibility for his behavior.

B. This response is a bit of an over-reaction. While it is cruel to intentional scare someone, it is not necessarily a sign of a psychological problem unless it persists after you have tried other ways to deal with it.

C. This is a common parental response, but one that is probably not going to work. It communicates that scaring people is okay and is more likely to make him get better at it rather than to stop doing it.

D. Punishment is often appropriate, but it is rarely the most effective way to convey the desired lesson. It is better to use this as an opportunity to teach a life lesson.

The key in this situation is knowing what is most important to teach. While you want him to stop scaring people, it is probably more important to teach him the larger lesson in how to treat other people and how his actions make them feel. +

MUSIC… from page 1

amazing power to take us back to faraway chapters of our lives. Who among us hasn’t had the experience of hearing a song from our perhaps distant youth, a song we haven’t heard in decades, and the lyrics come back to us like we had last heard the song yesterday.

Imagine that power unleashed upon an Alzheimer’s patient whose memory has seemingly vanished.

In addition, music can be calming, more so, according to clinical studies, than powerful sedative drugs.

Music also mitigates pain, another fact established clinically. But even without research studies many people have experienced the way music can energize them to a workout that is

harder, stronger, faster, and longer than what they normally do. Courtesy of music pouring through their earbuds, they buzz through the burn without really feeling it.

Music therapy isn’t for everyone, says Tay. It depends on the patient. But the types of people it can help is extensive.

Of course, nearly all of us enjoy music, and we can employ the over-the-counter version of it whenever we wish. But for the skilled services of a board certified music therapist like Sok Hwee Tay, visit the website of The Certification Board for Music Therapists (cbmt.org) and click on “Find A Board Certified Music Therapist.”

They all give sound advice. +

Dr. Proefrock is a local clinical and forensic psychologist

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FEBRUARY 22, 2019

NEWS YOU CAN

National surveys indicate that the vast majority of New Year’s resolutions — those wonderful promises we make to ourselves each January — lie in ruins by early February.

Resolutions are many and varied, often falling into just a couple of broad categories: better health; and personal growth, fulfillment and betterment.

Examples of the latter might include finding a better job, learning to play a musical instrument, paying off bills and/ or implementing a better savings plan, and learning a new language or useful skill.

Health-related resolutions usually center around a similarly small group of goals, like getting more exercise or cutting down on TV watching, quitting smoking and eating a healthier diet.

Resolution #1 year after year is no doubt related to weight loss. It’s one of the peskiest and most elusive of goals, which explains its annual reappearance, often by the same people.

One of the most frustrating aspects of a weight loss plan is the way the goalpost tends to keep moving farther and farther away as the diet goes on.

Here’s what often happens: a person launches

a new dietary regimen, whether on January 1 or August 12 doesn’t really matter, and loses, say, 5 lbs the first week. Great! Encouraged, the person doubles down on their determination to strictly follow this diet, and loses another 4 lbs the second week. Oddly enough, the weekly weight loss continues to dwindle, even though the dieter is faithfully following the plan, not cheating even a little.

Have you ever experienced that? Why does it happen?

In brief, it happens because the body is extremely adaptable to change. Through a process called metabolic adaptation, the body readily adjusts to its reduced fuel supply. So a certain daily reduction in calories religiously observed will produce slightly less effect on each subsequent day.

That’s kind of a drag, isn’t it? It could mean going from a 500-calorie cut the first week to cutting 600 the second week just to have the same results. But it could also mean if you stick to 500 and the weight loss tapers off, you’re expecting that and you’ll avoid being discouraged by it. For some of us, that knowledge could be all it takes to revive the determination we had on January 1. +

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WHAT DOES CERVICAL MEAN?

A little confusion is understandable. If we hear someone say “cervical cancer,” we’re thinking about a completely different part of the body than when we hear the term “cervical collar.”

How did two regions of the body that are literally feet away from each other and are unrelated come to share the same name?

First, let’s define our terms. Cervical #1, the kind paired above with cancer, is related to the lower end of the uterus.

Only women have this kind of cervical. Cervical #2, the one paired with “collar” in our example, is common to both men and women, and refers to the seven vertebrae of the neck and the disks separating them.

In reading or conversation we almost always know exactly which cervical is in play by context alone. No one ever thinks, even for half a second, that a “cervical fracture” could somehow refer to a broken uterus, or that “cervical dilation” describes some procedure to open up vertebrae in the neck.

So in some ways the two cervicals can be a bit confusing, but for the most part they’re implicitly understood. The question remains, though: what’s the deal with their name?

When “cervix” first came into use during the 15th century, in keeping with its Latin origins (the neck; the nape of the neck) it referred to a ligament in the neck. “Cervical” has been around since the 1600s and from the very start referred to the neck, as well as, according to Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, “the constricted area of [any] necklike structure, such as the neck of a tooth or the cervix of the uterus.”

As time went on, cervix and cervical continued to refer to any necklike structure in the body, but by the early 1700s its connection to the uterus rather than only the neck grew so common that it began to appear more frequently in medical writing as cervix of the uterus or cervix uteri to distinguish the specific reference from the cervical of neck region.

Cervical health — no matter which particular brand of cervical is under consideration — is an important component of a salubrious life. +

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FEBRUARY 22, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#85 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com

E

ver have a really terrible weekend? This man can relate.

He had one of the worst weekends a person could have, although at least two people come to mind who would have begged to differ — if only they could.

His name is Malcolm Oliver Perry. He was having lunch one Friday in a hospital cafeteria about half an hour before he was scheduled to meet a group of residents for their scheduled 1 o’clock rounds.

Long before the clock struck one Dr. Perry, at age 34, was thrown onto the pages of history during a situation he later described as “bedlam.”

All you really need to know to fill in the blanks is the name of the hospital where it all happened: Parkland. The date, of course, was Nov. 22, 1963.

After receiving the page that fateful Friday advising him of the situation, Perry rushed to the emergency room where he encountered this colleague, Dr. Charles Carrico, a second-year surgical resident, at the time all of 28 years old, already intubating the mortally wounded 35th president of the United States. Despite his injuries, Drs. Carrico and Perry and others made a valiant attempt to preserve Dr. Carrico Kennedy’s life.

Two things made that weekend a nightmare experience: the death of the president, of course, was an emotionally draining and traumatic experience for the doctors who were there.

And in the case of Dr. Perry, it was immediately followed by his very next patient, Texas governor John Connally, whose wounds were severe but at least not life-threatening. The ghastly weekend concluded for Dr. Perry on Sunday morning as the trauma surgeon who tried in vain to save another gunshot victim, Lee Harvey Oswald.

The second element of what Dr. Perry described as “a bad weekend with a bad outcome” was the unending series of questions about the assassination itself and the actions of the team in Trauma Room 1 that Friday in Parkland. They literally never ended, and the then 34-year-old surgeon lived to be 80.

It began with press conferences the day of the shooting and the rest of that weekend, continued with multiple Secret Service interrogations, extensive depositions and testimony before the Warren Commission, and interview requests from the media that went on for decades.

Statements and educated guesses by attending physicians about how many shots were fired and what were entrance wounds and what were exit wounds inadvertently touched off countless conspiracy theories that still rage today. Dr. Perry unwittingly fueled the fires by performing what one book called “the tracheotomy of the century” at the very site of one of the president’s bullet wounds, compromising the site as a source of untainted forensic information. Later official statements contradicted what the doctors who were there said at the time. That didn’t bother Dr. Carrico, who said the Warren Commission got it right. “Everyone in the room was trying to save his life, not figure out forensics.” +

by Marcia Ribble I don’t think I’ve talked recently about physical therapy, but it is a good idea to do just that. Cold weather seems to add to the likelihood of awkward falls, pulled muscles, and an uptick in arthritic ailments, all of which can be helped by work with a good physical therapist.

My spine is loaded from top to bottom with degenerative arthritis, but I am still able to function reasonably well with help from physical therapy. To add insult to injury (meant as a pun) I have advanced diabetic neuropathy, which means little to no feeling from midcalf to toes and hands and fingers. Together they mean nerves acting up and spasming from neck to bottom and proprioceptive nerve damage, which means I can fall with no warning because my balance is affected negatively by both conditions.

Many people like me are in wheelchairs and in nursing homes, but I am still able to live in my own home, caring for almost all my daily needs. I cook, clean up the kitchen, and feed myself. I bathe myself and dress myself. I do my own laundry. I feed the dog and let her in and out to do her business, which includes keeping pesky squirrels out of the yard. I have fully recovered from two knee replacements as well. That I can do what I do is due to the support of some very good physical therapists.

When I had my knee replacements, physical therapy was designed to strengthen my knees, so I could walk like I did before the arthritis got bad, and without pain.

One surgery was in 2005 and the other was in 2012 and those knees are both still in pristine condition and pain free. I did not like the therapists when the post-surgery exercises hurt, but now I love them because I can come and go as I please today.

Today therapy helps with everything from breathing correctly, to posture, to wrapping presents this past Christmas. You read that last one right! Wrapping presents requires balance when reaching and bending, so part of physical therapy can be doing everyday

tasks with expert supervision to teach my brain to make up for the lack of signals from my feet and legs so I don’t fall, don’t reach beyond what is safe, don’t bend in ways that might make me lose my balance—because once I start to lose my balance, I can’t just autocorrect, and a fall becomes inevitable.

One day about six months ago I came home sick from the doctor’s office, and the instant I got out of the car my body began the most insane dance in an attempt to keep from falling, to no avail, and regardless of what I grabbed for support. The car door was no help. My walker only made it worse, and soon I was rapidly flailing on my way down to the cement. Big thud! Neighbors saw me on the ground in the driveway and helped me get up and into the house.

More recently, an infection in my leg caused me to lose balance and I fell backwards and down in the narrow space between cupboards in my galley kitchen, landing on my tailbone and whacking my back on a cupboard door breaking one of my ribs. That fall sent me to the hospital for several days and lots of tests. An old patella fracture raised concerns until they realized it was already well healed. And you can imagine what hitting my spine so hard did to me in terms of causing pain. I was in agony, but since that time, thanks to physical therapy, my broken rib is healed, and I am able to use my back for everyday living and its many tasks with little to no pain, except when I cough or sneeze. So now I am getting lessons in how to breathe to expand my chest since the broken rib had taught me to tighten up those back muscles to avoid the hurt that breathing caused, and those tight muscles caused pain when I coughed or sneezed.

So if your doctor orders physical therapy, welcome it, work with your therapist, and practice in between sessions so you, too, can overcome pain without opioids and other major drugs. And if you are in pain and your doctor doesn’t order physical therapy ask, “Could I benefit from physical therapy to improve my functioning and reduce my pain without drugs?” +

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FEBRUARY 22, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

I

Musings of a Distractible Mind

by Augusta physician Rob Lamberts, MD, recovering physician, internet blogger extraordinaire, and TEDx Augusta 2018 speaker.

Reach him via Twitter: @doc_rob or via his website: moredistractible.org

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FEBRUARY 22, 2019

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This newspaper is delivered to more than

got a call from a patient who had a up on theirs, we got back to the topic of the family member sick and in the ICU. She patient. Clearly they had invested much time wondered if I could come over “to offer and energy to his care. I was again flooded support.” Even though the family member with the familiar/foreign medical dialect of wasn’t a patient, I thought it would be good the ICU. It was a delight to see these people to go. and to reconnect after a prolonged time apart.

The ICU triggered flashbacks of my As I talked to all of these clinicians, my residency years, during which I spent a lot patient (the one who had called me to of time in the ICU. There was a weird mix of be there for support) stood and listened both the foreign and familiar. There were the intently, contributing frequently to give her familiar walled-off rooms with beeping IVs interpretation of the situation. The nurses and the sighs of the ventilators, the nurses eased in and out of the room, doing their documenting, and walking from room to tasks as I listened to my colleagues and asked room. On the foreign side, I haven’t cared my own questions. for adults in the hospital for many years, let With the patient’s story told and catching alone the ICU. But despite the intense nature up on our lives lived apart over, my of the place, there was an overall sense of colleagues left and I was again alone with calmness and control. my patient and her ill family member. “The I went to the room where my patient was doctors and nurses here have been absolutely with her family member, and got a run-down wonderful,” she said. I couldn’t argue with of his current status. Things were this assessment. Apart from the bleak, and the situation very fact that I got to catch up with The heart of complicated. A nurse came in old friends, it was impossible to healthcare is still miss the attentiveness everyone and explained the most recent status changes. Things had gave, not only to the patient, but beating. improved since the night before, to the needs of the family. “We but were still tenuous. “I actually feel like they’ve adopted us here think it’s pretty miraculous that he’s still into the ICU. It’s been amazing.” here,” she told us.

So much bad stuff is justifiably said about The intensivist’s nurse-practitioner then the healthcare system and how it is becoming stopped by and gave me a more detailed distant, frustrating, impersonal, and story of what had gone on. I asked questions, dehumanized. That is certainly true in many more for information than to help in care settings as we value data, documentation, (what could I possibly contribute?). There diagnosis codes, and checklists over and were lots of terms she used which brought above the humans for which it’s supposedly on echoes from my past: levophed, peak built. But the time I spent in the ICU inspiratory pressures, wedge pressures, encouraged me greatly, as I saw that people paralytics, DIC, hemofiltration...the list there in the middle of one of the most went on. It was as if I had once been fluent stressful settings in my profession still care. in a language but had not used the tongue They care about the work they do, care about in many years. Familiar and foreign words their patients, care about the families, and flowed and brought me back to passable care about doing what is right. In the midst fluency. of the hectic world of the ICU, they took the She gave me 15 minutes of her time time to talk to me even though I was not at explaining the situation, when two more all involved in the patient’s care. people stepped up: the intensivist and the The heart of healthcare is still beating, nephrologist on his team. Both doctors were despite the ACOs, EMRs, PCMHs, ICD-10s, people I knew fairly well, but from whom I and all the other sideshows demanding to be had drifted away as our clinical paths had center stage. I was proud of us as medical simply not crossed. Had it really been 10 professionals to see what I saw in the ICU. years since I last saw them? They looked It’s easy to be cynical, and it is important to older. I guess they were saying the same be critical, but it’s also important to tip our about me. hats to the people who, at the end of the day, Following a quick explanation of the despite the incredible demands of the work, changes in my life and a chance to catch still care. +

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Money Doctor Financial Planning: Birthdays to Remember In early childhood each birthday brings great anticipation and excitement. It is always fun to watch children track their half birthdays so they can tell everyone if they are getting closer to the next number. As we get older, the rush or excitement to reach the next number diminishes, but several birthdays are critical milestones for financial planning and you can benefit from planning ahead and tracking half birthdays again.

The following list provides a summary of the important birthdays we track to help our clients with financial planning.

Age 50 & Catch-Up Contributions – Workers age 50 and older can contribute an additional $6,000 per

year in 2019 to 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. You can also contribute an additional $1,000 to traditional or Roth IRAs. SIMPLE plan participants can contribute an additional $3,000.

Age 55 & Early Withdrawals / HSA Catch-Up Contributions – Workers in a 401(k) plan can withdraw money and avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty if they meet certain requirements. The major requirement is that you must have retired, quit, or been fired from your employer after age 55. For Health Savings Accounts, you can contribute an additional $1,000 for those 55 years and older.

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

making withdrawals from qualified retirement plans without incurring a 10% federal income tax-penalty. It is important to consider the tax implications as distributions from traditional (not Roth) retirement plans are taxed as ordinary income.

Age 62 & Social Security – At age 62, workers have the first opportunity to take Social Security retirement benefits. Social Security offers many different filing options and strategies, so taking the time to understand all options before the oldest spouse reaches age 62 can increase your retirement income significantly. Taking benefits early can permanently reduce your monthly benefit up to 30% and if you are still working you will be subject to the earnings limit reduction if you earn above the annual limit ($17,640 in 2019).

Age 65 & Medicare – At age 65, individuals qualify for Medicare.

The Social Security Administration recommends applying three months before reaching age 65 to make sure you meet the required enrollment deadlines. It is important to note that if you are already receiving Social Security benefits, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A (hospitalization) and Part B (medical

insurance). If you are still working the required enrollment may be delayed, but you will want to review the specific rules for Medicare enrollment before delaying.

Age 65 to 67 & Social Security – Between ages 65 and 67, individuals can receive full Social Security benefits. The age of qualification varies depending on your birth year. Statistically most retirees opt to take Social Security retirement benefits early, however waiting or delaying will allow you to take advantage of the 8% annual increase through age 70.

Age 70 & Social Security – If you have delayed taking Social Security benefits, you will want to file now.

There is no additional benefit of postponing Social Security payments after age 70.

Age 70-1/2 & RMDs – Beginning in the year you turn 70-1/2, you must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from tax deferred retirement accounts on an annual basis. The calculation of your required minimum distribution should be approached diligently as the IRS has numerous life-expectancy tables and penalties if done incorrectly.

IT’SYOURTURN! Age 59-1/2 & Withdrawals – At age 59-1/2, participants are able to start

Please see MONEY DOCTOR page 10

We’re never too proud to beg. What we’re begging for is Medicine in the First Person stories. With your help, we’d like to make this a feature in every * issue of the Medical Examiner. After all, everybody has a story of something health- or medicine-related, and lots of people have many stories. Send your interesting (or even semi-interesting) stories to the Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903 or e-mail to Dan@AugustaRx.com. Thanks!

“My leg was broken in three places.”

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

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

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

“I sure learned my lesson.”

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

“The nearest hospital “They took me to the hospital by helicopter. ” “I retired from medicine was 30 miles away.”

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

“Now THAT hurt!”

“OUCH!”

“Turned out it was only indigestion.”

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

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

Everybody has a story. Tell us yours.

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

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GARDENVARIETY

Sometimes I just need comfort food, which for me means carbs. I still struggle gut wise with my recovery from colon cancer. For some reason my tummy is happier with carbs; they seem to give me the least amount of trouble. However, I know it’s important not to put foods empty of nutrition in my body.

That is why I created these Garlic Noodles with Edamame. To ramp up the nutrition, I start with noodles that are made with quinoa. Quinoa is actually not a grain, but a seed that is prepared and consumed like a grain.

Since it is actually a seed, it is higher in nutrition than most grains. Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids. Also, it is high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants.

Next, I add shelled edamame beans to my garlic noodles which are tasty immature soybeans that are packed with super nutritional benefits.

As a vegan protein is something, I am careful to be sure I am getting enough of so edamame is an excellent choice to add to my diet. Just a cup of cooked edamame provides around 18.5 grams of protein.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, edamame contains Garlic Noodles with Edamame fewer carbohydrates and more protein per serving than most other legumes. all the way through. Tip: quinoa noodles are very From 1 cup of edamame, you’ll get 189 starchy, so be sure you have plenty of water and calories, 15 grams of carbs, 8 grams of stir occasionally. fiber, and 52% of the RDI for vitamin K While the noodles are cooking mix in a small and more than 100% for folate. jar the soy sauce, brown sugar, sambal oelek, ginger, oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.

INGREDIENTS Place lid on the jar and shake.

• 8 ounces of quinoa spaghetti noodles Heat 2 teaspoons of sesame oil in a small fry • 1/4 cup lite soy sauce pan, add garlic and saute just until the garlic is • 5 cloves of garlic minced soft. Pour in jar of sauce and shake.

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed One minute before you drain the noodles pour • 1 tablespoon of sambal oelek (ground in the edamame beans in the pot. Stir and then chili paste) drain noodles.

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce Place noodles into a large serving bowl, pour • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger over sauce and toss. Serve. + • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

by Gina Dickson, Augusta wife, • 1 cup frozen edamame beans mom and grandmother, colon cancer survivor, passionate about creating INSTRUCTIONS a community to help women serve In a large stockpot of boiling water healthy meals to their family. Visit place noodles in without breaking. Stir my blog at thelifegivingkitchen.com and allow to boil until soft and cooked

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FEBRUARY 22, 2019

WHAT ARE MY CHANCES? Ken Wilson Executive Director Steppingstones to Recovery Gambling is not something I do well. I’ve only taken small-time risks – by buying and selling things like antique furniture and cars… never by playing cards or slot machines. Once I bought a lottery ticket for $1 and lost right there in the store. It hurt my pride and I would’ve spent more to “chase the loss” if it hadn’t been for a good friend pushing me out the door.

When it comes to recovery, the most frequently asked question I hear is “What is your success rate?” Nobody wants to gamble on their loved one’s recovery by investing in a program with a low success rate. I get that. If only the human machinery had a predictable rate of behavior like the product reviews I seek when buying an appliance!

Truth is, nobody knows the future. Nobody knows the transparent mind and heart of the addict seeking help. We only hear the words of intent and the promises to get well.

To come up with an equation that would factor in a person’s chance of success using their gender, age, family history, personal use history, which drug of choice, internal and external motivating factors, religious/ spiritual values – all of which are important factors in recovery – would take a team of professionals a lifetime to accomplish, and by then drugs and society would have changed so much the material would be archaic! Think of the drug scene 30 years ago!

It in no way resembles the challenges of today!

We thought crack cocaine was the scourge back then.

These days counselors would wish and hope to have a client with such a simple challenge to treat! Opiates and related

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN

A monthly series by an Augusta drug treatment professional chemicals have far eclipsed the scope of treating cocaine dependence.

Trying to track recovery rates in the field of substance abuse and stay in touch with clients who have completed treatment programs has its challenges due to relocation, marriage, divorce, new cell phone numbers, incarceration, and even death.

One of the most thorough studies on addict/alcoholic success rates was an analysis of 1,200 addicts (ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pubmed) which was able to follow up on 94% of its study participants for 8 years (a miracle in itself!).

The research concluded that long-term abstinence is the best predictor of long term recovery; conversely, the quicker the relapse after completing a treatment program, the worse the statistical recovery rate. The study also revealed: • Only one-third of addicts abstinent less than 12 months will remain abstinent • One-half of addicts abstinent more than 12 months will remain clean/ sober • Only 15% of addicts/ alcoholics who stay sober for 5 years will relapse • Only 31% of those completing treatment

programs shorter than 90 days will reach one year of sobriety (samhsa.gov/data).

When I am asked about my “success rates,” I often respond by asking “What number do you want to hear? If you are very young, live in an area that is drug infested, and don’t follow up with continuing care recommendations I’ll give you a 5% chance at best. Or if you’re very motivated, have a strong support system, have a good job that depends on continued recovery, and follow up with continuing care support recommendations then I’ll give you about a 95% chance of success!” The variables are just too great for me to give an accurate forecast. So much depends on the “treatment response.” I’ve seen relapses in the parking lot when leaving an expensive 4-6 week treatment program and I’ve seen long term success with an economical Intensive Outpatient program.

If you’re stuck in the drug cycle, just do Something!

The real gamble is continuing to drink and drug…to flirt with jail, institutions, and death.

Maybe you’re like me.

I’ve quit gambling because I hate to lose. I’m not a good gambler. +

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DON’T LICK THE BEATERS Useful food facts from dietetic interns with the Augusta University MS-Dietetic Internship Program

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT GMOs

by Chelsea Cotugno, MS-Dietetic Intern

There are many food products to select from in grocery stores with labeling information ranging from health benefits to how the product was processed. There are an increasing number of products labeled with three letters: GMO. Information regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be labeled as “contains GMO ingredients” or “made with products of genetic engineering.” Foods that are labeled as “non-GMO” are easily identified with a picture of a monarch butterfly.

A survey conducted in 2018 found that 69% of consumers are not confident they know what GMOs are. Sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate scientific evidence from opinion, but this article will provide answers to questions you may have about genetic engineering and GMOs. What are GMOs? With the world population continuously on the rise, how to provide safe and nutritious foods for all is a major concern. Beginning in 1996, GMOs were developed to modify foods so they will express certain

traits or properties that are not naturally present.

What crops are GMOs? Currently there are ten GMO crops in the United States: alfalfa, apples, canola, corn/ maize, cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash, and sugar beats. The most commonly produced GMO crops are soybeans, maize, cotton, and canola (rapeseed).

Why are crops genetically modified? There are many reasons, but the most common use is to make crops insect resistant and herbicide tolerant. This modification allows farmers to target weeds and insects more selectively.

Other genetic modifications include making crops drought tolerant, disease resistant, and enhancing the nutritional content of crops.

Did you know these GMOs? Cheese, originally made with rennet, an enzyme from calf stomach, now uses a modified version of rennet to produce the stringy mozzarella that may end up on our pizza.

Arctic apples

are modified to eliminate oxidative browning and bruising, which reduces food waste. The Rainbow papaya is a Hawaiian staple that is now virus resistant due to genetic modification.

Are there risks? The scientific evidence that is available at this time shows no conclusive evidence that consumption of GMO crops or ingredients derived from GMOs has any negative effects on human health. Of the longterm studies conducted, the general consensus is that consumption of genetically modified foods are as safe as conventionally or organically grown crops. However, additional long-term effects of GMO crop consumption are still being studied.

Is there a decrease in nutritional quality? GMO crops have the same or higher nutritional content as conventionally grown crops. Some GMO crops may actually be fortified with nutrients that do not normally exist in that crop. An example of this is Golden Rice which is fortified with provitamin A. Are GMO crops organic?

The use of GMO products in organic foods, or to feed animals that will yield meat labeled as organic is prohibited. If a product is labeled as organic, it is not associated with any GMO ingredients.

However, a product labeled “non-GMO” is not necessarily organic.

The future of GMOs: Some GMO products that are currently being worked on include allergy-free peanuts, temperature tolerant crops, flood tolerant crops, and disease resistant bananas.

While opinions may be an important part of the discussion, it is important to remain up to date on research findings on controversial topics. Additional information on GMOs and other food safety related issues are avail-

able at www.eatright.org.

Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists are trained experts in the field of food and nutrition and are excellent sources of credible information. + Works Cited: • Plants, genes, and crop biotechnology. Chrispeels, M. J., Sadava, D. E., & Chrispeels, M. J. (2003). Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publisher.

• Cheese: The GMO food die-hard GMO opponents love (and oppose a label for). https://geneticliteracyproject. org/2015/05/15/cheese-gmo-food-die-

hard-gmo-opponents-love-and-opposea-label-for/ H. (2018). Food Evolution, from https://www.gmoscience.org/ Motion picture. (2016).

• “Survey Showing Most Americans Remain Confused About GMOs Despite Overwhelming Health & Safety Consensus Among Experts.” GMO Answers, 2018, gmoanswers.com • “GMO Science.” Non-GMO Project, 2015, www.nongmoproject.org/gmofacts/science/.

• Haumann, Barbara. “Organic and GMOs.” Robust Organic Sector Stays on Upward Climb, Posts New Records in U.S. Sales | OTA, 2018, www.ota. com/organic-101/organic-and-gmos.

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*

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Find toes Organs

Near Augusta GA

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Toe

HHHHH

5.7 million reviews

The digit(s) of the foot Working now? Doubtful Take-Out Available?

Definitely not advised Good for: Maintaining balance; walking; they’re great stocking stuffers

( * Brit E. Millen, GA

H H H H H 2/7/2019

Beau S. Martinez, GA

My foot doctor told me I can’t work for the next three weeks because I have hammer toe.

That makes zero sense: I’m a carpenter. +

Troy H. Beech Island, SC

H H H H H 2/8/2019 I called in sick yesterday and missed all the fireworks. My buddy Joey got into a fight with the foreman, broke his jaw, and got fired. They went at it toe to toe. Wish I could have seen that. +

Eddie B. Beech Island, SC

H H H H H 2/8/2019 I saw the previous post - and I was there. Foreman told him to toe the line and Joey wouldn’t.

That was all she wrote. +

Holly H. N Augusta, SC

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

MONEY DOCTOR… from page 6

Age Based Tax Exemptions – For retirees many states, counties, and cities provide aged based tax exemptions. A common one many people forget to apply for is the property tax or school tax exemption for homeowners. Many counties will allow you to apply for an exemption after a certain age.

It is always a good idea to check with your local government to make sure you are taking advantage of these. Your CPA can provide guidance for any aged based income tax breaks you may qualify for as well.

There are also a few unique and more complex non-agedbased rules for 457 and 403(b) plans regarding additional contributions and penalty free withdrawals. Having a financial planner help you understand the rules above can help you save money and avoid unnecessary expenses & penalties along the way. We value and enjoy the long-term relationships we share with our clients which allow us to help them navigate the various rules along the way. +

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

H H H H H 2/9/2019 I just read an article in Runner’s World about how to keep toes healthy. Okay, no problem, but they must have used the term “big toe” dozens of times. That is so thoughtless and insensitive. Would you like it if every time someone said your name, like Debbie for example, they said “Big Debbie”? How about a little sensitivity? You’ve never heard that toes are sensitive? Well they are! +

Karla P. Aiken, SC

H H H H H 2/11/2019 I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS REVIEW ONE HUNDRED PERCENT! People call toes “little piggies”?!?!?!?

That is highly offensive. What is this, the Fifties? Have we as a society made so little progress that we can’t treat these important body parts with respect and accord them some of the dignity they deserve for the thankless job of helping to haul our overweight carcasses around all day? People, how about a little respect? +

Beau S. Martinez, GA

H H H H H 2/15/2019 I read those reviews above about the guy who got fired - and the one by that crazy Runner’s World lady. Look, toes need to grow a pair. They need some backbone. They are too sensitive. You’re talking about messing with people’s livelihoods here. That’s when it gets real. At my job, a guy got fired for supposedly stepping on this one lady’s toes, and I know for a fact that he did not do that. When it happened, she was sitting at her desk. No way he could have stepped on her toes. No way. +

Gunter J. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 2/16/2019 FAKE NEWS! There’s an article in National Geographic about a guy who climbs mountains with no equipment whatsoever. No ropes, no pitons, nothing. The article said he finds handholds and toeholds even on sheer rock faces. I call fake. Hello! He was wearing shoes, Einstein. +

Jamal N. Hephzibah, GA

H H H H H 2/18/2019 I think the term “pinky toe” is racist. +

Jessica Y. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 2/19/2019 I’m not sure whether this story makes me want to cry in sadness or punch a wall in anger, but one of my husband’s co-workers had an accident at work and they ended up having to amputate one of his toes. That is sad enough, but in this case it was a baby toe. Who would do something like that to a baby toe? Who will raise it? What do the other toes think? Will anyone offer them support and comfort?

What a heartless and uncaring doctor. Is there some kind of Adopt-A-Toe Foundation we all should know about or donate to? +

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FEBRUARY 22, 2019

The blog spot — posted by Niran S. Al-Agba, M.D. on Feb. 6, 2019 (edited for space)

HOW AN INSURANCE AUDITOR TRIED TO DESTROY A PHYSICIAN’S CAREER It’s no secret that in today’s health care market, insurance companies are calling the shots. As a pediatrician in private practice for almost two decades, I’ve seen insurance companies transform into perhaps the single most powerful player in today’s health care landscape — final arbiters whose decisions about which procedures or medications to authorize effectively end up determining the course of patient care.

Decisions made by insurers have arguably killed patients.

But it was only when I got caught in the crosshairs of an insurance company auditor with a bone to pick that I fully appreciated their power to also destroy physicians’ careers.

My nightmare began around two years ago when my late father, also a physician, and I opened our clinic on a Saturday.

It was the start of flu season, and we’d just received 100 doses of that year’s flu shot. Anxiety about the flu was running high following the death of a local girl from a particularly virulent strain of the virus a year before.

Under [Washington] law, adults don’t need to see their doctors to get flu shots. They can get them directly from pharmacists. But because children under nine are more susceptible to rare but life-threatening allergic reactions, they must be immunized by a physician.

That particular Saturday went off without a hitch, with my father and I seeing and immunizing around 60 patients between the two of us over a 12-hour day.

Three months later, a representative from the insurance company requested to see some of the patient charts from that flu clinic as part of an audit aimed at rooting out insurance fraud by cross-checking doctors’ records. To incentivize their auditors and thus boost the corporate bottom line, auditors work on commission, being paid a percentage of the funds they recover.

The auditor in charge of my case failed to turn up any irregularities in our documentation. But she ordered us not to open our clinic on Saturdays to administer flu shots.

This struck me as an outrageous restriction, considering our clinic is a private entity where we set our own hours and schedule accordingly, and so I called the auditor. Instead of backing down, she ratcheted up her rhetoric, forbidding me from examining my patients before immunizing them, clearly a bid to save her employer even more money. I was shocked.

Her directive amounted to practicing medicine without a medical license — which is, of course, illegal.

I informed her there was no way I would be complying with her mandate. She reported me to the Medical Quality Assurance Board, the government-backed body charged with shielding the public from unqualified or unfit doctors. The accusation levied against me? Not following an insurance company mandate which, in her opinion, amounted to unprofessional conduct.

It didn’t matter that the charges against me were ludicrous.

The potential consequences were only too real, and potentially catastrophic. Had the State Medical Board decided against me, I could have lost my license. I was cleared last month by a unanimous committee vote. But other physicians facing similar situations may not be as lucky.

The 18 months of excruciating stress that followed my altercation with the auditor made it patently clear that insurance companies wield far too much power. Bureaucrats are making life-and-death medical decisions without a single minute of medical training. Unfettered by any consequences for enforcing policies that fly in the face of rules protecting patient safety, insurance companies will continue to harm doctors and patients alike if no one stops them. +

The charges were ludicrous.

Niran S. Al-Agba is a pediatrician who blogs at MommyDoc.

11 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

From the Bookshelf There is a lot about this book that is amusing and enlightening and encouraging, but also a lot that’s just plain heartbreaking, starting with the front cover.

After all, would you want the title of your autobiographical book to be The Elephant in the Room, especially when that elephant is you?

Putting pride aside, Tommy Tomlinson writes eloquently and poignantly about the extreme challenges of practically every waking moment confronting someone who weighs almost a quarter of a ton (460 pounds, to be exact). At 6’1” (73 inches tall) and with a 60-inch waist, he notes, “I am nearly a sphere.”

His BMI is 60.7, but what the heck, let’s round it off to 61.

(The official obesity threshold for obesity is a BMI of 30.)

It’s not easy to write about a subject this painful and yet so personal. Who wants to admit something like this to the entire world: “I worship bowls full of peanut M&Ms, first savoring them one by one, then stuffing my

mouth with handfuls, then wetting my finger to pick up those last bits of chocolate dust and candy shell.” Who wants to tell anyone who will listen, “I’ve guzzled enough SlimFast to drown a rhino”?

Of course, he knows what he has to do to avoid dining himself to death. Plenty of people have told him how simple it is: “eat less and exercise.” He knows. He observes, “If I wrote down everything that would be better if I lose weight, the list would be as long as the Old Testament. If I wrote down everything that might get worse, it wouldn’t fill up an index card.”

But everyone who struggles with weight knows it just isn’t that simple. Unfortunately, there are probably many who live with people of weight (a new PC term we just made up) who don’t know how complex and fraught with failure the weight loss journey is. So those are two of the several demographic groups who should read this book: people of weight and those who live with them. Or friends and relatives of either.

Psychology Today says that “prejudice against fat people continues to be one of the deepest and most widely shared prejudices that the public holds.”

So maybe we all need to read this book.

By the way, if the author’s name sounds familiar, Tommy Tomlinson wrote for The Augusta Chronicle for about three years back during the late 1980s. These days he lives in Charlotte.

The Elephant in the Room — One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America, by Tommy Tomlinson; 256 pages, published in January 2019 by Simon & + Schuster

Research News Local breakthrough A professor at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University has discovered a gene in the prefrontal cortex of mice associated with social behaviors. When the gene is not firing on all cylinders the result is depression, social isolation and loss of interest in life.

But Dr. Xin-Yun Lu found that directly activating the gene reversed the symptoms, holding out the promise that major depression — a mental disorder that affects nearly 7 percent of U.S. adults — could one day be effectively treated by medications that activate the gene.

The research was published February 18 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Sleep well Research from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) published last week reveals that not getting enough sleep is implicated

in cardiovascular disease.

Specifically, investigators say good sleep protects against the buildup of arterial plaque, otherwise known as atherosclerosis. On the other hand, insufficient sleep increases production of inflammatory white blood cells by breaking down the production control mechanism for these cells.

Immigrant myths Politicians often use stereotypes about immigrants and residents of other countries as convenient tools to make points about government policy. The standard drill says that incoming foreigners are disease carriers who put at risk the native population and create a drain on healthcare delivery and the economy.

A study commissioned by and published in The Lancet late last year says the most common myths are not supported by available

evidence. The study noted that in 2018 more than one billion people were on the move globally, a quarter of whom, some 258 million, crossed international borders.

A commission of 20 leading public health experts from 13 countries, including those with UN and WHO affiliation, studied the major issues globally — that migrants have high fertility rates, and are less educated, in poor health, damaging to local economies — and point by point found that immigrants are being falsely accused.

For example, on high fertility rates, the data showed higher birthrates in the native, host population than among immigrants; as for damaging health or healthcare delivery, migrating populations are not noted vectors for the spread of disease across borders; and for each 1 percent increase in migrants, the economy (as measured by gross domestic product) rose by 2 percent. +

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners +

by Dan Pearson

Definitely. I suggested Me too. I even wrote in I always enjoy the with some suggestions Were they people who have Suzanne Somers, played a major role Gwyneth Paltrow and Excellent! But what about Great idea! I’ll send “Who Is This?” feature for the series. her name in too! in medical history?

Dr. Oz. in the Examiner.

Jenny McCarthy? © 2019 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Vegas machine 5 African antelope 10 Back to the Future bad guy 14 Mediterranean port 15 Coal digger 16 Notion 17 Algerian port city 18 Get under the skin 19 Caffeine-containing seed 20 Image (in brief) 21 Facebook reaction 22 Capsules 23 Augusta University has several 25 It means delight 27 Belonging to 28 Delays 32 Coughdrop brand 35 Despises 36 First word in a Hendrix song title 37 Lament of regret 38 Adored 39 Comparison phrase 40 _____ house 41 Famous piper 42 Factory 43 Justified 45 In favor of 46 Catch; arrest (slang) 47 Major dietary component 51 Test an ore or metal 54 Half a dozen in Tijuana 55 Unreturned serve 56 Space 57 First American to orbit the earth 59 Air pollution 60 Accurate; correct 61 Deserve 62 List of options 63 Offer for money 64 Hair 65 Snake’s warning

The Mystery Word for this issue: EGUIFTA

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

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, MARCH 4, 2019

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

E X A M I N E R

S U D O K U

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved.

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

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved.

DOWN 1 Jaguar Express pick up spots 2 The vocal part of a song 3 Spinach-like plant 4 Decimal base 5 #1 messaging type 6 Websites usually have these 7 Daughter of Queen Elizabeth II 8 Natal beginning 9 Like some coughs 10 Minimalist swimsuit 11 Image used in worship 12 Cut down a tree 13 Belonging to the agency responsible for U.S. aviation 21 A large amount of 22 Dogs and cats 24 Lubricants 25 He’s a big _______ 26 Didn’t make it 28 Gestured in greeting 29 Agency that employed 57-A 30 Smile 31 Transmitted

32 Like some feelings 33 Soothing balm 34 Regulations 35 There’s a new one on Broad St. 38 Famous Strauss 39 Quite a bit 41 Talk to God 42 Not amateurs 44 Dental coating 45 CSI looks for these 47 Male genitalia 48 Charles and Ray, husband and wife designers 49 Computer screen images 50 Supreme ruler in Ethiopia 51 The A of B.A. 52 Painful 53 Downtown Augusta bar 54 Dry (esp. of vegetation) 57 London time (in short) 58 Nickname of Primus guitarist 59 Text messaging acronym

Solution p. 14

QUOTATIONPUZZLE F E U A T D E T E O C E I T O R O G O T T C M E A N O F N H H L A H O Y R H P L O

L A N E M Y V

— Mark Twain

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved

DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once.

Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line.

Solution on page 14.

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

1 2

1 2

W 1 2 3 4

NUMBER SAMPLE: BY

THE MYSTERY WORD

T T 1 2 3 4 5 6 W 1 2 3 4

1 2

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 1 2 3

M 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 H 1 2 3 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3

1.WAAYYLIBISOFTT 2.VOOOOSTEWERHAL 3.AALLUUMOTTE 4.TEMKNRY 5.OE 6.RN 7.E

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

L 1

O 2

V 3

E 4

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

I 3

N 4

D 5

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved

WORDS

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

13 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE

carried in a small bag. The couple assumed she was selling drugs and debated calling ha... ha... the police, but since they didn’t know for sure, they just continued to watch her from their house.

One day the wife noticed that the girl only approached people with radios and boom boxes. Ready to solve the mystery, she told her husband to take their big radio the next day and go lie on the beach.

The next day the man followed his wife’s plan and sure enough, before long the girl police officer was sitting in his cruiser in approached him. The wife watched from a front of the station one day, finishing distance and saw him say no, then watched some paperwork at the end of his shift. the girl wander off.

Suddenly his K-9 partner started barking from the back seat, and the officer looked up to see a The woman couldn’t contain her curiosity and immediately went down to where her little boy staring at him. husband was still sunbathing, “Is that a dog you got back there?” the boy “Is she selling drugs?” she asked. asked.

“No, she’s not,” he said.

“It sure is,” the officer replied. Puzzled, the “Well?” she asked. “What is it then?” boy looked at the officer and then towards the “She sells batteries,” the man said. back seat several times.

“Batteries?” echoed the wife.

Finally the boy asked, “What’d he do?”

“Yes,” he replied, “For boom boxes. She Moe: I got a call from the school today telling sells C-cells by the sea shore.” me that my son has been telling lies.

Moe: I had probably 100,000 letters Joe: Uh oh. What did you say?

Moe: I told them he really is an excellent liar. delivered to my house today!

Joe: Whoa, that is crazy! Why? Joe: You did what?

Moe: No biggie. The dictionary I ordered Moe: I don’t have any kids! came today, that’s all.

A couple who lived on the beach noticed Moe: I wonder why that store over there a girl who would walk around every day has a huge “SAL” sign in their window. approaching people in brief conversations.

Joe: My guess, it’s a sale with 25% off.

Most people would respond negatively and she would wander off, but occasionally Moe: Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. someone would nod and there would be a Joe: Right. And blue sky at night, day. + quick exchange of money for something she

The

Advice Doctor ©

A

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?

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

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

Dear Advice Doctor, I don’t know if you ever do any financial advice, but I just found out I will be inheriting more than a million dollars from a recently deceased relative. She was a woman of modest means who lived a very ordinary and conservative life. In my wildest dreams I never imagined she had saved and invested so well. I don’t want to be one of those people who blows a huge sum of money and is broke again five years later. Do you have any advice to share?

— The Future Looks Bright Dear Future, I can certainly understand why this subject interests you. Unfortunately though, even scientists don’t really understand dreams and whether they serve a specific function, such as helping us to process and store information for future retrieval.

One thing everyone can agree on: as you say, dreams can be wild. The brain’s prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls logic, is unusual in that, unlike other portions of the brain that are functioning continuously, the prefrontal cortex “sleeps” when we do. That explains why dreams can be absurd, nonsensical and illogical in the extreme.

Most people have numerous dreams every night, although most are not remembered the next morning.

Interestingly, it is said that dreams of people who have been blind from birth feature tastes, smells, sounds and touch, but not visual elements.

While there are a million or two websites that claim to offer dream interpretation, reputable sleep science experts generally agree that no clinically-supported method of accurately analyzing dreams has ever been established.

Even so, there is no shortage of dissenting opinion on the subject.

If someone promises you that they can analyze your dreams and interpret their meaning, beware: chances are they are after your inheritance.

I hope this answers your question. + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.

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