Jan25 19

MEDICALEXAMINER

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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

January 25, 2019

AIKEN-Augusta’s most salubrious newspaper • Founded in 2006

AUGUSTARX.COM

Body Parts: The occasional series

BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER WHAT IS IT? See page 2

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

January 25, 2019

It’s not brain surgery And that’s actually the whole point.

The brain is some of the most precious real estate in the human body. It’s a gated community like no other, and how it protects itself is nothing short of amazing.

True, there are no body parts without elaborate defense mechanisms. The heart and lungs are protected by ribs. Cells throughout the body are guarded by a sophisticated immune system that is on alert 24-hours a day, every day, ready to confront and ruthlessly destroy invaders. Skin is a vital first line of defense.

But nothing quite compares to the bloodbrain barrier, or BBB. Blood circulates everywhere, reaching every last one of the body’s trillions of cells, right?

Well, yes and no.

The brain is the body’s biggest oxygen hog, so obviously it gets plenty of oxygen-delivering blood. But courtesy of the BBB, the brain is just about always on partial lock-down. The body could be compared to a city where the drinking water supply is definitely great, but the water at the mayor’s house - and the mayor’s house alone - is the finest, triple filtered for purity.

In brain terms, that means that medicines we take for our various ailments circulate throughout the body, but cannot enter the brain. Viruses and bacteria likewise are unable to enter the brain.

The secret to the brain’s defenses is a circulatory system variation within the brain.

Blood vessels are typically lined with endo-

thelial cells that are ever so slightly porous.

Obviously a capillary can’t personally deliver blood to every single cell in the body, so some blood “leaks out” of the circulatory system to service surrounding cells.

Those same pipes within the brain are lined with endothelial cells that are tightly knitted together, permitting only certain molecules and nutrients (and yes, alcohol) to enter the brain.

What’s amazing about this defense system is its immense size: we’re talking about some 375 miles of vessels just within the brain - more if you have a big head.

Why does the brain have such an elaborate defense system? Because the brain needs homeostasis, a 25-cent word that simply means the brain doesn’t like change. Its complex chemical and electrical communications don’t thrive in unfamiliar environments. So while a sugar rush might affect someone who just ate 3 packages of Oreos in one sitting, that person’s brain wasn’t invited to the party: the BBB keeps the sugar down in the lower 48.

As amazing as it is, the BBB is a 2-edged sword. Yes, it keeps the bad stuff out of the brain, but if the brain needs something temporarily good, like chemotherapy to treat a brain tumor, there are no hall passes that will allow entry. Fortunately, brain disorders are rare, but because of the BBB they are extremely difficult to treat without surgery. And that’s why the BBB exists: to make sure the brain stays healthy and hopefully never needs surgery. +

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January 25, 2019

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

IS IT DANGEROUS TO SIT TOO CLOSE TO A TELEVISION? 210-8890 Yes. It could fall on you. But assuming it’s safely anchored

Call (706)

Masters of Clinical Research (706) 210-8890 1113 Garredd Blvd, Suite A Augusta, GA 30909

Masters of Clinical Research (706) 210-8890

or mounted, is there still any danger?

Anyone of a certain age remembers our parents scolding us for sitting too close to the TV. “You’re going to go blind!” Of course, back then TV screens were often no larger than a full page of your favorite newspaper, the Medical Examiner. From across the room people on the screen looked pretty small.

These days screens measuring 4, 5 and 6 feet across (and more) are fairly common. There’s no need to get up close to see what’s happening.

If a child in 2019 is habitually sitting too close to the TV, perhaps it’s time to trade in that 1960s GE black & white model. Assuming you did that years ago, maybe the child is nearsighted. It bears checking with a doctor or ophthalmologist.

Another bygone concern is radiation. Some early models back in the day (1967) emitted radiation that was more than 10 times above safe levels. In some sets, way more than 10 times: some TVs were bathing viewers in radiation 100,000 times greater than acceptable levels. The problem was one brand, one model, and they were quickly recalled and repaired. Flatscreen LCD and plasma TVs use a different technology which elimnates the radiation source of early TVs (the cathode ray tube), so today’s TVs pose no radiation threat.

While there are no imminent safety concerns related to distance, there is still the matter of avoiding eye strain. The experts recommend sitting 1.5 to 2.5 times the diagonal screen measurement away from your TV, and at a side-toside angle that presents a relatively flat screen to your eyes, a rectangle, not a trapezoid.

Two points in closing: make sure TVs on tables are well anchored or secure to avoid tipping over onto a child.

And keep in mind that sometimes the danger from a TV arises from the images on the screen, not the screen itself.

Responsible parents monitor both the programming and the length of time their children watch TV (and other screens). +

CALLING ALL PARENTS! MEDICALEXAMINER E! R U T A E EN W F

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AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S most salubrious newspaper

www.AugustaRx.com

The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of salubrious news within every part of the Augusta medical community.

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 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net www.Facebook.com/AugustaRX

Beginning in our next issue, Augusta clinical psychologist David W. Proefrock, PhD, launches “Parenthood,” a new column in every issue to help parents succeed in the world’s most important job. As they say, the first 40 years of parenting are always the hardest, but Dr. Proefrock’s advice just might help ease the burden. Don’t miss a single installment!

Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and/or their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., nor its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for general informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor.

The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2019 Pearson Graphic 365 Inc.

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January 25, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#83 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

by Marcia Ribble

F

or a man born in 1796, Adolphe Quetelet has quite a legacy. He developed practical scientific principles that are still in regular use in 2019.

Perhaps the one that is most famous and notable is the Quetelet Index that he developed and refined from 1830 to 1850.

You say you’ve never heard of it?

Perhaps that’s because today we call it the body mass index, or BMI, a term that, starting in 1972, gradually began to replace Quetelet Index, maybe because BMI is easier to say than Quetelet.

As most of us know, BMI is a simple Computing your BMI way to express a general measurement The basic formula is weight (in of the ratio between height and weight. lbs) divided by height (in inches) squared, then multiplied by 703.

Is someone who weighs 150 pounds An example for someone who obese? Yes, if they’re 4 feet tall; no if weighs 120 lbs and is 5 feet they’re over 6 feet.

As many critics have pointed out, (60 inches) tall: 120 ÷ 3600 BMI is woefully imprecise. Since (60x60) x 703 = 23.4. muscle is heavier than fat, a BMI According to the World Health reading could define an extremely Organization, a BMI of less fit athlete with very low body fat as than 18.5 is underweight, while obese. For that reason, knowledgeable anything above 25 is considered people know that BMI is more useful overweight. + in population studies than it is for evaluating individuals, and that is how its use was envisioned by the man who invented it.

That fits, since Quetelet was an accomplished mathematician and statistician who pioneered the application of broad sets of numbers into social sciences like anthropology, psychology, public health, and even criminology. Some of it was misapplied over time into pseudoscientific directions like phrenology, the belief that intelligence and personality traits could be predicted based on measurements of the skull.

But other datasets established by Quetelet based on physical measurements have survived to the present day. One such was the science of anthropometry, founded by Quetelet based on a theory he first propounded around 1835. In fact, the Quetelet Index (or BMI) arose from his anthropometric research.

Anthropometry could be described by using a more modern term often used in its place: ergonomics, While not exactly interchangeable, both terms describe the application of largescale population measurements to optimize human interaction with work, tools, living spaces and even fashion.

Basic applications of anthropometry dictate the most optimal height for a desk surface or a chair, the best angle for the chair’s back, the most comfortable place for its lumbar support, the best angle for a computer screen and its keyboard. Anthropometry is why hammers and shovels and weed eaters have the handle configurations they do; it is how shoe manufacturers decide what sizes to mass produce. Because it’s based on huge-scale population measurements, anthropometry can measure the successes or failures of an entire nation’s nutritional habits.

Born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1796, Quetelet died in Brussels in 1874, five days shy of his 78th birthday. +

What do you do when you are suddenly in need of seeing a doctor, picking up a prescription or getting medical tests? My answer used to be that I would get into my car and drive there. Easy peasey, lemon squeezey. But since tearing a muscle in my thigh, I have become unable to drive.

Several weeks ago, with severe cellulitis I needed to go to the doctor, but no one was available to take me. I was frustrated; my doctor was frustrated because she wanted to see me live and in person; the nurse treating me was frustrated because my leg was fire-red and oozing. In a diabetic, this can be a fairly short path to an amputation, so it wasn’t hysteria on anyone’s part, just a genuine, if sudden, need.

In the past I have spent time attempting to access rides to places I needed to go. The Columbia County Senior Center offers rides at a reasonable rate ($6 round trip), but

it needs to be scheduled several weeks in advance. I use this service and recommend it for non-emergency, non-immediate transportation needs. I tried calling a cab and the charged would be $80 to ride from my home to the University complex and back. I am not wealthy enough for cabs. Calling for an ambulance is also too expensive to be a viable option.

The social worker at the home health service I use suggested Uber or Lyft, but neither of them has a way to talk to someone and arrange a ride. She was here with me today and discovered, just like I had, that neither of those systems are user friendly for someone like me. She is going to keep working on it, and I’ll let you all know what we find out if there is a way to access those transportation services.

Meanwhile, it seems ridiculous that a city as large as Augusta/Columbia County doesn’t offer a more accessible transportation option for those of us who need one. +

DO VACCINES CONTAIN MERCURY?

Which will it be?

The answer to our title question depends upon whom you’re asking.

If you’re asking anyone from the anti-vaccine lobby, the answer is a clear yes.

If you’re asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other public health organizations, the answer (with only a few exceptions) has been no for most of this century.

Who are you going to believe?

Is there a vast conspiracy to lie to people and cover up the truth? Millions of people think so. The very same evidence that leads some people in this direction leads many other people in that direction.

A noteworthy example is the case of Andrew Wakefield, the medical researcher who in 1998 published a study which claimed to expose a clear link between vaccines and autism.

The research was subsequently said to be flawed at best and deliberately falsified at worst. Countless organizations around the world published independent studies which thoroughly debunking Wakefield’s findings.

The journal which published the study issued a retraction.

Another journal (in 2011) said Wakefield’s study was “perhaps the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years.” Wakefield was stripped of his license to practice medicine.

To the opposing camp, everything that happened to Andrew Wakefield was clear and convincing evidence that a full-scale cover-up was in play: anyone who dares to expose “big pharma” or threaten the medical establishment’s status quo will be crushed and professionally destroyed.

So using facts [air quotes]

to answer the question about mercury in vaccines is pointless. For people whose minds are already made up (on either side), “facts” are just part of the opposing camp’s propaganda.

Most people trust the purity and safety of vaccines, the honesty of their doctors, and the integrity of public health agencies.

A smaller but still large number of people subscribe to the wild, wild, west theory of healthcare, where pharmaceutical companies are international outlaws, killing and maiming people at will in their all-consuming pursuit of profits. In this scenario, doctors are either ignorant pawns or willing, heartless and greedy participants in the scheme, and public health agencies look the other way in exchange for payoffs.

So who is to be pitied more, the gullible saps who believe doctors are actually trying to help them, or the surly cynics who see sinister signs everywhere they look?

Who will you believe? +

January 25, 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

MEDICALEXAMINER

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926 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

January 25, 2019

AIKEN-Augusta’s most salubrious newspaper • Founded in 2006

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This newspaper is delivered to more than

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am frequently amazed and deeply and oxycodone, and the second two to the disturbed by how callously patients are cruelty of physical therapists seemingly sometimes treated in healthcare settings. unaware that I FRACTURED MY FRIGGIN’ It’s almost like they are a commodity, SHOULDER, I was nowhere near to being a necessary evil required for billing of functional. I couldn’t lie down in bed, services. and I could barely move my arm without I do understand that doctors and significant pain. nurses are often drained of their ability to The words of my surgeon colleague show compassion by a system that puts echoed in my head as I walked into the them in an adversarial relationship with orthopedists office for another x-ray, exam, patients, hospital administrators, insurance and opportunity to satiate the sadistic needs companies, lawyers, and their fellow doctors of my physical therapists. Chris was doing and nurses. surgery at four weeks? I could barely scratch Still, I am appalled at how many times my nose. What is wrong with me? Am I a patients’ worries are not addressed, their wimp? Am I really feeling this much pain? pain is questioned, and their truth is doubted. I asked my orthopedist why our surgeon Perhaps I could have gone down that path friend had such an easier go of this same had it not been for a moment when I suddenly fracture. Was he different? I was desperately saw things so differently that it dramatically trying to escape membership in the changed my approach to my patients. brotherhood of wusses. He told me he didn’t Ironically, my turning point was on a trip know, and said he’d get back to me. to Puerto Rico sponsored by a After a few weeks of doubting My turning point my pain and my manhood, my drug company. Yes, I know, this kind of thing is now viewed came when I could orthopedist informed me that as an act of evil avarice. In my barely scratch my Chris had a mid-shaft fracture, defense, I was young, had four which is far quicker to heal than nose. kids, and had never been able to my fracture. I wasn’t the king of afford a real family vacation. the whiners! My pain was real!

Plus, as you will soon see, things didn’t It took nearly 4 months before I could lie quite turn out well. Karma, I guess. flat in bed, and almost a year before I was We arrived in Puerto Rico and eventually mostly pain-free. But as I pondered my selfdoubt and shame over my pain, I realized made our way to the west coast city of something: many of my patients have that Rincon - the surfing capital of the island.

On the second day in there, I got the delusion same fear. Here I was, with as good a reason to feel pain as anyone could have, and I was that I was: a) younger than I was, and b) far doubting my own experience as being valid. more coordinated than I am. I tried bodysurfing. The 6-foot waves unfortunately How much more of these feelings of doubt and shame do people with fibromyalgia, broke quite close to the beach, which turns chronic back pain, or chronic fatigue feel? the untrained body-surfer (that would be This idea changed forever how I approach me) into a projectile launched at great speed my patients. Instead of judging whether a into 6 inches of water. As my face was about person’s symptoms were “real” or not, I to be planted into the sand, I instinctively try to reassure them that I believed them put my arm up. The result: a fractured right and didn’t doubt their reality. Over time, humerus.

I’ve come to believe that my patients almost While I immediately knew something always tell me the truth. The problem comes was seriously wrong, I didn’t know it was when they do one of two things: either try to a fracture. In my pain-induced confusion, self-diagnose, mixing up their theories with I allowed myself to be convinced that the their symptoms; or they exaggerate their people on the beach (in various stages of symptoms to get medical people to believe inebriation) knew something about first aid them. People are so used to being doubted for shoulder injuries. After a few attempts to that they feel they have to make the story locate my “dislocated shoulder” (and several more dramatic (which usually decreases offers of alcoholic anesthesia), I was still in their credibility). really bad pain, and decided that perhaps I This brings me to the subject of empathy. should seek the opinion of a real doctor.

My self-doubt about my pain taught me one I will skip my adventures in the Puerto of the most important truths of the patient Rican health care system (now a blur of psyche: they are afraid; they feel vulnerable; oxycodone-clouded memories of spanishthey desperately want to be heard, speaking soap operas, paper linens over my understood, and believed. wet, sandy body, and my cries of “mucho Fortunately for me and my patients, my dolor” to the radiology tech as she tried to practice is centered on communication, twist my arm to get a better picture). not documentation. My office is all about Not long after returning to Augusta, I relationships. met up with a surgeon who also recently It’s sad when a system built to care for had broken the same ironically-named bone people squeezes compassion out of those a few months earlier. “I was back doing whose job it is to give that care. The need for surgery after four weeks,” he bragged. healthcare reform is more than just financial.

But after four weeks of healing, with It is human, personal, and spiritual. + the first two devoted to immobilization

Call 706.860.5455. Let’s talk ads.

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

January 25, 2019

M E D I C I N E

I N

T H E

F I R S T

P E R S O N

A bug in my ear

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ME TIME Make sure to always reserve a little

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MEDICAL EXAMINER +

was in bed at last, looking forward to a peaceful night’s sleep with pleasant dreams after a rough day spent with four active youngsters.

My serene bed rest was irritatingly interrupted by an annoying scratching, tickling feeling inside my right ear. I stood up, shaking my head from side to side to release whatever it was, but the foreign object would not budge. I dipped a cotton swab into peroxide, gently swabbing the object. Whatever it was it was I could feel it traveling deeper inside my ear canal.

“Ouch!” I cried.

I woke my husband up, calmly stating. “I have

There was nothing amusing about it. some ear pain. I’m on my way to the emergency room. Just listen out for the children and try to hold the fort down until I get back.”

“Wait ‘til later,” Dave mumbled.

The emergency room was only about half a block away. There’s no way was I waiting until morning as Dave suggested.

“I’m leaving now, honey!” I said.

The doctor on duty chuckled, saying I had probably just had a nightmare. I asked him to get a flashlight and examine

the inside of my ear. He looked strangely at me but got the flashlight and a long, metal instrument. He said he spotted what he called “the squirmmer” and pulled it out, showing off his find: A small, black roach. Where it came from I haven’t any idea, but somehow it managed to crawl in my bed and nest itself inside my ear.

Thank goodness it was not pregnant, laying a bunch of eggs. Perish the thought!

Dave and the children had a good laugh over breakfast when I relatedthe details of my adventure.

Personally, I didn’t find any part of that horrific ordeal amusing. +

IT’SYOURTURN! www.facebook.com/AugustaRX

Submitted by Rochelle S. Day Augusta, Georgia

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.

January 25, 2019

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

GARDENvariety

Simple to make hearty vegetable chowder gives you a delicious and satisfying meal that’s full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It takes less than 30 minutes to make, can be made ahead, and gives you yummy leftovers to pack in your lunch the next day.

Each ingredient brings its own health benifit to this chowder.

Chickpeas: Between 65-75% of the fiber found in chickpeas is insoluble fiber, which remains undigested all the way down to the final segment of your large intestine.

The chickpea fiber can be metabolized by bacteria in the colon which helps lower your risk of colon problems, including your risk of colon cancer.

Carrots: Eating carrots is associated with a lower risk of colon cancer. It has also been found that juicing carrots may help kill leukemia cells and inhibit their progression.

Further, a meta-analysis found that eating carrots may reduce your risk of gastric cancer by up to 26 percent.

Potatoes: They are very effective in reducing inflammation, both internal and external. Since they are soft, easily digested, and have a lot of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6, they can help relieve inflammation in the intestines and the digestive system.

Hearty Vegetable Chowder Celery: In the cold and flu season it’s a Instructions great idea to eat celery often. It is rich in 1 Cook on medium heat the onions, garlic vitamin C and antioxidants, it significantly and celery in 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth boosts the immune system and makes in a medium stock pot for about 5 minutes. it more active and efficient. Eating this Add more broth if needed so it’s doesn’t vitamin C rich vegetable regularly can stick. reduce your risk of catching a common cold, 2 Add the oregano and thyme, stir and as well as protect you against a variety of cook for 2 more minutes. other diseases.

3 Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the Hearty Vegetable Chowder potatoes and carrots are tender.

Ingredients 4 Transfer about 1/2 the chowder to a • 1 cup chopped onions blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

• 1 cup chopped celery 5 Return pureed chowder to the original • 4 cloves of garlic minced pot of chowder stirring together to create a • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme creamy chowder. + • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

by Gina Dickson, Augusta wife, • 4 cups peeled and diced yellow potatoes mom and grandmother, colon • 2 cups peeled and diced carrots cancer survivor, passionate • 6 cups vegetable broth about creating a community • 1 16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained to help women serve healthy • 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning meals to their family. Visit my • 1 teaspoon each, pink Himalayan salt and blog at thelifegivingkitchen.com black pepper

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

January 25, 2019

WHY? Ken Wilson Executive Director Steppingstones to Recovery

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IT WAS FUN FOR A WHILE

Once I heard a woman in recovery say a truth that lodged in me like a key in a doorlock. She said, “I’d rather suffer as an addict than suffer like my family members have during my addiction.”

Wow! There are no truer words. Nobody has lost hundreds of hours of sleep, entire bank accounts, experienced headaches, heart palpitations, anxiety, depression, stress unknown to the average human, disappointment, sometimes temporary elation, and sometimes not even feeling like the spouse, parent, or other family member of an alcoholic or addict any more.

Probably the biggest question mark that sits on my counseling sofa is “Why?” Family members often take on the responsibility of their loved ones behavior, saying “If only I had ...” or “It’s all my fault because I...” or “I wish I had...”

A wise man once concluded that all our attempts to intellectualize a problem are merely a method the mind uses to ease the pain of disappointment in another person. “If I could only understand why...” is the illusion.

But it is only an illusion.

A mirage. A phantom wish.

Truth is, if we really did understand “Why?” it would still hurt. We would still be in pain. Who knows – maybe even more pain.

In 1856 John Greenleaf Whittier penned these words which aren’t as antique as they are modern: “Of all sad words of tongue and pen, the

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN A monthly series by an Augusta drug treatment professional saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’”

Truth is, “it might still be!”

As long as there is life, there is hope.

In the meantime, it’s a mean time. While your loved one is still choosing to continue in self destructive thinking and actions, you can begin to ease your sorrow in a few ways...that is, if you want to.

Yes, you heard correctly, if you WANT to. You must have the desire. Funny we humans are, thinking that because a loved one is still “out there” we have to consign ourselves to being miserable as long as they are still in active addiction or alcoholism. More truth is...you don’t have to be miserable. You can begin to free yourself from an unhealthy attachment to a friends’ destructive behavior by practicing a few changes in thinking. Here are a few: • Accept that you are powerless over your loved ones actions. I’m not saying you have no influence over their actions, but you are powerless to change them.

Powerless. If you had power over them they would have changed ages ago. Admitting is nice but it is all in the head where there is no peace;

accepting is in the heart and there is abundant peace there.

• Accept that you alone can change your painful thinking about them, but also that you need help doing so! You alone can do it, but you cannot do it alone. Come to a family support group... attend AlAnon/NarAnon... go to counseling...read daily readings by people who want to help you.

• Get a support system.

Recovery from addiction requires accountability and support ,as does recovery from unnecessary attachment to another’s actions. Make sure to find this support in one who understands addictive diseases for an easier row to hoe.

• Realize this: “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” (credit to Wayne Dyer for this thought) Looking at a computer from the front is so different than looking at one from the back. A little change in viewpoint can buy you some serenity. Ask “What can I learn from all this?” or “How would the world be better if I get a better grip on myself?”

A journey begins with a single step. Why? Why not?

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Our next issue will be dated February 8

January 25, 2019

9 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Don’t Lick the Beaters Useful food facts from dietetic interns with the Augusta University MS-Dietetic Internship Program

AvocaDOs & AvocaDON’Ts

by Laycee Claes, MS-Dietetic Intern

Avocados are the newest superfood that everyone is talking about. They are popping up in every meal from breakfast to dessert.

Avocados are mostly known as a great source of healthy, monounsaturated fatty acids.

These fatty acids may help to lower your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (or LDL, the “bad” cholesterol) and increase your high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (the ‘good’ cholesterol). This may reduce the risk for heart diseases.

Avocados have various health benefits, that includes allowing your body to more efficiently absorb fatsoluble vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins should be consumed with a fat source to increase absorption by the body.

Therefore, it is beneficial to add a healthy

fat such as avocados or dressing when eating a salad.

Avocados are not only a good source of healthy fats, they are loaded with necessary nutrients, such as vitamins C and K, folate and potassium, which are needed to sustain a healthy life. Avocados are also a good source of dietary fiber. Fiber aids in satiety by slowing digestion, which will result in the sensation of feeling fuller

longer.

While avocados have many health benefits, there is such a thing as too much avocado in your diet. It is important to keep in mind that the serving size of an avocado is 50g or about 1⁄4 of an avocado. In a 50g serving there are 80 calories, 68 of which come from fat. In other words, each serving of avocado is approximately 85% fat, making this a very high fat food. Although the type of fat in avocado is healthy, too much of a good thing can still be bad if excessive. The fat from avocado still has the same amount of calories as those from other sources.

This means that eating too many servings of avocados could potentially lead to weight gain if you don’t account for the extra calories.

So eat them in moderation.

In summary, avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats with various nutrients and fiber. They are easy to incorporate into your everyday recipes and may even help lower your overall risk for heart disease.

However, everyone needs to be mindful of the caloric content of avocados and be sure to consume an appropriate serving size.

For more information, please contact a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) or visit https:// www.eatright. org for additional credible scientific health and nutrition information. +

Editor’s note: An annual survey published last week by Today’s Dietitian asked 1,342 registered dietitians which foods they believe are the healthiest for 2019. Avocados ranked #2, topped only by “fermented foods” such as yogurt.

MEDICALEXAMINER

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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

190 CREPE MYRTLE DR • AIKEN • (803) 648-7800 • ZoomingRX.com *

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Floyd H. Waynesboro, GA

Franklin A. Evans, GA

H H H H H 1/18/2019 I just had a hip replacement, so I can’t get around too good right now. I asked my doctor, I said, “Doc, does this mean no hip-hop for me?” He said that’s right. So that’s good. + H H H H H 1/18/2019 I like rose hips. I use them to make tea. +

Jake T. Aiken, SC

H H H H H 1/19/2019 We needed to replace our roof, and the contractor suggested a hip roof. I said, sure, sounds great.

But when they finished I thought it was kinda blah to be honest. But the guy swore it was a hip roof.

Whatever. +

Nancy N. N. Augusta, SC

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H H H H H 1/19/2019 Aren’t all these comments HIPPA violations, every one of them? + H H H H H 1/20/2019 Back in the day I was a hippie. Now my musband says I’m hippy. Same difference, I say. +

Toni H. McBean, GA Tiffani O. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 1/21/2019 Why is it that a hip-length coat is no big deal, but a hip-length skirt is? +

Bo B. Evans, GA

H H H H H 1/22/2019 I know this older guy who I thought told me he was going to show me a hip joint. I was thinking it was going to be some hot new club downtown or something. No. It was his hip joint. Memo to everyone: do not show me your hip joint - unless it really is a hip joint, you know what I mean? + H H H H H 1/22/2019 Were I work we had a total jackass for a manager. Everyone hated that dude. He was mean to everybody, employees and customers. He only cared about himself and made everyone’s life miserable. We all complained to management about him for the last three years. And finally somebody listened. Our new manager is like everybody’s brother or best friend. He is one of us; that’s his management style, and everyone rewards him by working twice as hard as we did for that jerk that we used to have. This new guy gets us pizza every Friday. And he’s in a band too. When I think of the difference between our old boss and our new boss, I always think, now that is a hip replacement. +

Max D. Augusta, GA

H Allen M. Martinez, GA

H H H H H 1/23/2019 At the plant were I work, this one guy dislocated his hip last week. Maybe now they’ll listen to me.

I’ve been saying we need a Lost & Found Department every since they hired me. +

Jarret D. Augusta, GA

H H H H H 1/23/2019 My girlfriend is always talking about how much she misses her best friend who moved away last fall. I never knew exactly why until the other day she happened to say that they were joined at the hip. Well no wonder! The amazing thing is that I’ve seen both of them in bikinis. There are no scars on their hips at all. I’ve looked, believe me. That is major surgery. I would like to know what doctor performed that operation. He did great. +

What will the new prize for winners of the Mystery Word Contest be?

FIND OUT ON PAGE 15!

The

Advice Doctor ©

Will he ever get one right?

TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER!

Please review us on Facebook facebook.com/AugustaRX

Probably not.

+

Questions.

And answers.

On page 13.

January 25, 2019

11 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Jason Han, MD, on Dec. 6, 2018 (edited for space and content)

WE OPERATE ON THE BODY BUT FORGET THE SOUL It was almost noon in the ICU as the attending surgeon and I approached the thin elderly woman who had undergone an operation a week before. She lay perfectly still on the bed, sunken into the folds of a worn-out mattress.

Most patients who undergo this operation leave the hospital the next day, but her case had been complicated.

For days we thought she may pass away any minute.

Through her weak stare, she recognized us when we walked in. You could tell her spirit was broken.

Painstakingly drawing in a deep breath, she greeted us with what amounted to whispers.

“I just don’t think I’ll ever get better.”

I looked down to avoid meeting her eyes and waited for my attending to reply. As surgeons, it isn’t rare to encounter patients who want to give up. I knew my attending surgeon to be a gentle, empathetic person. I thought he would say something to reassure her to have faith in modern medicine and her team, and to stay strong for her loved ones.

So what he said next was unexpected.

“I want to get you a gift,” he said softly, “Something that will lighten your mood. What do you like?”

She thought she must have heard him incorrectly. “A what?”

“A gift.” The surgeon looked to her husband and asked, “What does your wife like? Does she like flowers?”

The husband nodded.

“Oh, you don’t have to bring me flowers!” she said, much louder and more energetically than she had spoken mere moments before. She was startled to hear her physician was going to bring her a gift. I was, too. It seemed impractical. I thought, what good will flowers do for a woman struggling to survive in the ICU? “Okay, I’ll bring you flowers tomorrow, but promise me something. You can’t give up. It is within your power to recover. Promise me you will believe in that.”

Then before she could return to her state of hopelessness, before her eyes could dim once more, he turned away and walked out of the room.

Her circumstances didn’t abruptly improve after this encounter. Every day of the following two weeks that she remained in the hospital was a tough fight. But there was something different about her after she received her flowers.

When I saw her each morning during rounds there was a renewed resilience and even a hint of optimism.

Whereas she once believed she had reached the end, now she believed the worst was behind her. It was as if she firmly believed that regardless of how long or challenging her recovery would be, it would be an upward trajectory from this point on.

She eventually left the hospital on post-operative day 22.

In reflecting on her comeback, I often think back to what my attending said. “I want to bring you a gift.” Something changed in her when she received that gift.

I realize now that what he meant to give her was not an object, but rather a new perspective with which she could view her body and her circumstances differently.

Perhaps she thought she owed the surgeon to get better.

Perhaps his kind gesture inspired her to remain positive.

Whatever the reason, she was now re-connected to the living world, and she didn’t want to let go.

In operating on the human body, we often forget to acknowledge the soul. However, as I learned from this encounter, sometimes the true life-saving gift is not a complex cure, but a simple gesture that reminds the patient that his or her existence is meaningful to others. + Jason Han, MD is a thoracic surgeon

“I want to bring you a gift.”

Back in the day did you ever buy a record by an artist you had never heard of before just because the album cover intrigued you? Sometimes you were rewarded, sometimes it was a waste of money.

Browsing at Augusta’s Barnes & Noble recently, this book was like that. Knew nothing about it; had not heard any buzz, but it looked like it could be interesting. Or a snoozefest.

As it turned out, it was quite a score. This book is worth the price of admission on so many different levels.

On one hand, it is a fascinating general history of the progression of medicine down through the centuries told through detailed case histories of various unfortunate patients, some of them mostly unknown to the pages of history, others with entire chapters dedicated to their lives.

There are the stories, for example, of everybody from Abraham of Genesis fame and his adult circumcision to Bob Marley and the toe (one of his own) that lead to his untimely

and unnecessary death at age 36.

Along the way are all kinds of spellbinding tales of medical interventions that made history, some for their success, others for their failure despite heroic attempts. Some of them are noteworthy for how primitive they seem under the glare of 20th century light, others for how futile even the most technologically advanced care can sometimes be.

Beyond the medical histories recounted in so much detail that one wonders

how the author could have stood over a surgeon’s shoulder in 1657 and lived to write a book about it in 2018, the book is also quite an education into medicine itself. While it’s hard to imagine a surgeon or nurse who wouldn’t thoroughly enjoy reading this book, the author has taken pains to explain anything that might be foreign to someone without M.D. following their name.

If he uses a word that might not be generally familiar — occlusion or idiopathic, for instance — he takes a moment to define it. The book also contains an extensive glossary and is liberally sprinkled with sidebars that contain extensive information on general topics: fever, sutures, hernia, scalpels, hemorrhoids, bariatric surgery and much more.

Definitely good reading. + Under the Knife — A History of Surgery in 28 Remarkable Operations, by Arnold van de Laar, 357 pages, published in October 2018 by St. Martin’s Press

Research News A squat a day...

For some reason about 95 percent of all healthcare infomercials seem like quack medicine. But that means 5 percent might be legit.

And sure enough, earlier this month the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology identified one of the elite few: the Squatty Potty.

They weren’t talking about what are officially known as “defecation postural modification devices” or DPMDs in general. No, they published a study that was specifically about the Squatty Potty.

The Ohio State University study co-author admitted that part of the motivation for the study was people at parties who, knowing he is a gastroenterologist would ask, cocktail in hand, “So Peter, what about these Squatty Potty things? Are they any good?” (We aren’t making this up.)

So they finally decided to

subject the devices to some clinical research. 52 medical students were recruited, each of whom kept a defecation diary for two weeks. Various routine issues were identified: straining, blood in their stool, “incomplete emptying,” constipation... the usual.

Then everyone was equipped with a Squatty Potty and asked to do another two-week survey.

After sorting through descriptions of more than 1,000 bowel movements — and people wonder why doctors get the big bucks — the results showed there was 90 percent less straining using the Squatty, 71 percent had faster bowel movements, and two-thirds of study participants said they planned to continue using the device in the future.

Researchers emphasized that the benefits enjoyed by the healthy volunteers might be even greater among people with persistent bowel issues.

So close, and now so far A Salon article earlier this week noted a 70 percent drop in teen smoking between 1997 and 2015. Some were predicting the first smoke free generation could be just a few years away.

All that was just before vaping came along, which the FDA calls an “epidemic” among teenagers. The agency says e-cigarette use among high school students rose 78 percent between 2017 and 2018, and by 48 percent among middle schoolers. The FDA fears data for 2019 will show another steep increase.

The American Lung Association (ALA) greeted the FDA news with concern, accusing the FDA of failing in its oversight of the e-cigarette industry by failing to control the mixture of chemicals, flavorings and nicotine levels present in the product.

“You have retailers mixing liquids in their back rooms,” said one ALA official. +

+ 12

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners +

Well, there’s John Can you Foy, the so-called recommend strong arm. a good lawyer?

by Dan Pearson

No thanks. I need someone a little more focused on the law, not goofy side projects.

I mean his daily radio show, John Foy and Billy.

What do you mean?

I had no idea that is the same guy! © 2019 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Hippocratic follower 5. Augusta’s Earth ____ 9. Smoke and fog 13. Walton ________ 15. Mountain goat 16. Famous Laker 17. The A of 34-A 18. Finn craft 19. French notion 20. Alkali 21. Famed crimefighter 23. Comparison word 25. Former acorn 26. Family of famous artists 27. It’s at one end of an arrow 29. Move to and fro 32. Sewing case 33. Ancient physician 34. Largest venue in Aug. 36. Contractions 40. If can follow stone or iron 41. Canoe propeller 42. Self-esteem 43. Rods partner 46. Long-running NBC show 47. Flashdance star 49. One is named 51. 2012 presidential candidate 52. Intervening (in law) 54. Swoon 56. Energy 57. Otherwise 58. Dark Angel star 59. Bad cholest.

62. Killer whale 64. Augusta _____ 66. Noted architect 68. Greek god of love 69. Otherwise 70. Cinemas’ name 71. Legendary story 72. Observed

SEARCH

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com

34. Guitarist Feliciano 35. Prohibit 37. Legume 38. Look at amorously 39. Promising, as an outlook 44. Ernie of the PGA 45. Last name of a Hill Section street?

47. Grand local hotel of yore 48. Ambulance worker (abbrev) 50. Red dye 51. Word with eye or cage 52. Local furniture vendor 53. FL tourist destination 54. Positive start?

55. Congressman Rick 56. Composition in verse 59. Sorenstam org.

60. College department head 61. Pleasant, cheerful tune 63. Powdery residue 65. Savannah River Brewing product 67. Cry of a cat

DOWN 1. By mouth 2. Ethereal 3. Of thou 4. A dynasty in China 5. Earliest 6. Embarrass 7. Field official (in brief) 8. Still existing (esp. of a document) 9. Snow runner 10. Lakeside town (in SC) 11. Caribbean sorcery 12. Nerd 14. Fig tree that can cover acres 22. Brain current meas.

24. Downtown Bar 26. Acronym for pro wrestling 28. Stroke abbrev.

29. Augusta talk radio station 30. The villain in Othello 31. Small secluded valley 32. Tiger’s dad

G R O O V E S U

E P A R G S R S

N I M C R E P C

E E Y E T A C A

S R G S T I B S

O C B A S R C J

J E H I L L O E

The Mystery Word for this issue: MOISUD

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 “READER CONTESTS”

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

e x a m i n e r

4

8 6 7 2 7

6 2 4

9 1

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3 4

5 6 5

9 5 1

s u 6 5 d o k 3 u

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved. Built with software from www.crauswords.com

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

73

73. Wish for

The Mystery Word

QuotationPuzzle

5 Ex 6 Pr 7M un G T O T C R I E O S L I N T D A P B O M L T O L Y OAngel ACROSS Za E R T E D W L T G T I M N S1 EBest F E E T N Sstar H Y 8O H O F A H N movie 17 To exist ise DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in awards 18 Depart 9 Br each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross7 it outTherefore in the lower half of the puzzle.

LettersCity may be used only once.

19 __ Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto 6 L et t ersa second line.

9 Plural of I 21 Sister by Ev Solution on page 14.

BARROW 11• Augusta’s Brandy marriage 10 C DOGLEG ____ • The 13th is one THREE LETTERS Section • Rut • Grant born in cocktail 12 P GROOVE • Guitarist Feliciano • US President Augusta of the PGA Franklin • Ernie of the PGA 13•• Davis MischiDOWN 14 M Austin’s station SEVEN LETTERS •PIERCE Floyd of the PGA • Palmetto util.

River Water • GreenJacket evous 1• _____ Idiot co FIVE LETTERS Park (now gone) stadium sponsor • Col. Co. venue • Daniel _______ •7Mr. L Brown’s venue et t ers • ____ child 2• Charlie Slovenly u Spirit _______ • Major SC jobsite • Savannah _____ • 5-star Aiken Hotel •CRYSTAL Augusta has two LETTERS EIGHT LETTERS FOUR LETTERS fr 15SIX Latter person • He said “I won’t • Physician’s business •VILLAGE Heredity carriers bite” • Aiken campus 3 Goddess 16 Il WEBSTER part of ti the morof tillage WILLCOX 4 1 9 2 8 6 3 5 7

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved

8 5 3 9 1 7 2 4 6

2 7 6 5 4 3 8 9 1

— Robert Schuller

Solution p. 14

W V D O G L E G

A O R R E V I R

G L A D Y A A V

C R Y S T A L S

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2019 All rights reserved

WORD

P W I L L C O X

1

January 25, 2019

ANSWERS: PAGE 14

7 3 2 4 6 8 9 1 5

5 6 4 3 9 1 7 8 2

1 9 8 7 2 5 6 3 4

January 25, 2019

13 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

TheBestMedicine

Joe: I thought you were going to the gym today.

Moe: I was, but the elevator in my apartment building was broke, so...

ha... ha...

The

Advice Doctor ©

Moe: What do you call a Mexican who gets hit by a car?

Joe: I give. What?

Moe: An ambulance, you racist.

T

Moe: Does having dyslexia make it harder for you to be a taxi driver?

Joe: Not at all. It’s as easy as C-A-B.

he Sunday school teacher told the children the famous story of Lot. God told Lot to take his wife and flee out of the city, and not to look back. However, Lot’s wife did look back and turned into a pillar of salt.

“But Lot obeyed and lived,” she concluded.

One little boy raised his hand.

“Yes Billy?”

“What happened to the flea?”

Moe: Hey, I’m making some tea. You want a cup?

Joe: No thanks. I don’t drink tea. I can never figure out when to take the tea bag out, so I just drink coffee.

Moe: Well, there is a steep learning curve.

Moe: The other day I beat my son at dominos.

Joe: Oh yeah?

Moe: Yeah. I should have waited until we got home, but when he dropped that pizza I guess I kind of lost it.

Moe: They say it’s tough to survive in prison.

Joe: From personal experience I can verify that.

Moe: You were in prison?

Joe: I was. And I don’t think I would have survived without the nickname I gave myself. It inspired fear in everyone who heard it.

Moe: So what was your jailhouse nickname?

Joe: Mitochondria.

Moe: Say again?

Joe: Mitochondria. It’s the powerhouse of the cell.

Moe: My new hobby is flying radiocontrolled planes. It’s so fun, and if the plane crashes, there’s no loss of life.

Joe: With all due respect, I think if your hobby is flying RC planes you never had a life to begin with.

Moe: I got gas today for only $1.19!

Joe: Sweet! Where was this???

Moe: Taco Bell.

Moe: People told Beethoven that he couldn’t be a composer because he was deaf.

Joe: But did he listen? No. +

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.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICALEXAMINER +

+

Dear Advice Doctor, I should probably be asking an attorney about this, not The Advice Doctor, but your advice is free, so here goes. I was recently fired from my job for stealing. The thing is, my hands are clean. As God is my witness, I have never stolen anything from my employer. But I know who did, and I haven’t said anything because that person is in desperate shape financially. I could easily retire or live off my savings for quite a while. I don’t need the job, but that person does. Still, I know my name and reputation are tarnished by my choice to protect a co-worker. Do you think I made the right decision?

— Cover Charge Dear Cover Charge, Like perhaps everyone who read your letter, I commend you for your concern. You’ve raised a very important issue that applies to far more than just you and your coworker.

In fact, the CDC says people like you who keep their hands clean are making a major contribution to public health. Hand hygiene is vital for people who work in food service, the medical field, and the public in general.

A number of threats to health are prevented by frequent and thorough hand washing, including diarrhea, flu and other respiratory infections such as pneumonia and more.

But how and when should hand washing be performed?

The answers might surprise you.

Despite heavy advertising, antibacterial hand soaps are not as effective as plain old soap and warm water. Antiseptic hand sanitizers are not considered to be effective for dirty hands, but they are efficient germ killers (but still not better than soap and water).

Surprisingly enough, soap can spread bacteria. That would apply to bar soap, which can transfer bacteria from one user to the next. For that reason, especially in a household battling colds and flu, liquid soap has its advantages, and a hands-free dispenser makes it even better.

In public restrooms, turn off water using a paper towel, and use it also to open the door.

The benefit of clean hands can be cancelled out by dry, cracked skin which provides many entry points for germs.

Moisturizing lotion can help prevent that.

Clean hands are a simple but significant public health strategy.

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.

Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #53

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

If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area, or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house!

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Choose ____ six months for $20; or ____ one year for $36. Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903-0397

Before reading AFTER reading

S S

7

+ 14

9 1

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3

5 L et t ers THE MysteryLADYA SOLVED et t ers METRO The Celebrated RIVER NEMYSTERY WORD CONTEST The Mystery Word in our last issue was: STOMACH ...cleverly hidden on the guy’s shirt in p. 7 ad for FITZPATRICK OPTICIANS

THE WINNER: COLBY CANADA! Want to find your name here next time? If it is, we’ll send you some cool swag from our goodie bag. The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!

January 25, 2019

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THE PUZZLE SOLVED

O R A L

A E R Y

W G A C

I A G O

P O E M

M E R R Y

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

F I R S T

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SEE PAGE 12

TheSudokusolution

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

SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher.

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Love to stare at your phone?

Visit issuu.com/ medicalexaminer and stare away.

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QuotatioN QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION “Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”

— Robert Schuller

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January 25, 2019

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Coming soon!

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Winners of the Medical Examiner’s celebrated Mystery Word Contest will soon be sipping their tea and coffee (or some other salubrious libation of their choice) from these cool custom mugs.

When we’ve already used the word “soon” twice so far, it unfortunately means it won’t be this week, or even next.

That’s because these babies are custom made from the ground up. Literally. We have people out digging up clay this week and next.

In fact, this mug is merely a prototype, so the final prize might look exactly like this, or it might look slightly different.

But no matter what the end result is, we guarantee it will be pretty nifty and locally designed, built and fired.

If you’re a winner between now and delivery day, this mug will be like money in the bank. So please be patient. And please be on the lookout for the Mystery Word.

Details on pages 12 and 14.

MEDICALEXAMINER

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NOWWITHEASIERSUDOKUS! Because really, how much fun is a puzzle you can never solve?

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

January 25, 2019

Varicose Veins? Spider Veins?

Leg Pain? Finally a Solution!

Your Full-Time Complete Vein Care Center

Zumbro Vein Institute

G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., M.D.

706-854-8340 501 Blackburn Dr • Martinez (off Furys Ferry Road)

We accept most insurance including Medicare and Medicaid

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +

ALLERGY

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

AMBULANCE SERVICE ambulance • stretcher • wheelchair

706-863-9800

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

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

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

Keep your contact information in this convenient place seen by tens of thousands of patients every month.

Literally! Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details

DENTISTRY

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

IN-HOME CARE

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

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

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

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

DERMATOLOGY

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

DRUG REHAB Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd.

Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

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

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

VEIN CARE

PHARMACY

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

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS

SLEEP MEDICINE

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

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

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