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

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006 M E DI C I N E

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JANUARY 5, 2018

P E R S O N

You can’t sugar-coat this Spoiler alert: there are going to be a few words about New Year’s weight loss here and there on the pages that follow.

But for this article let’s go with a total ban on anything weight-related and instead talk about a few worthy fresh start options for ’18 that are just as salubrious — and probably a lot more doable.

Example: step off the treadmill of constant go-go-go and break the busy cycle. Sure, everyone is busy. But back in the old days there was actually something called downtime that happened every now and then. People would just sit and think, stare at the clouds, daydream about something important (or nothing at all). Maybe they would take a bath or a nap or read a book or play with their kids or take the dog for a walk or have a conversation with a friend, face-toface. We can still do that. No screentime necessary. In fact, no screen-time allowed.

Another good goal related to stepping off the treadmill: every single day, devote just 10 minutes to pure Me Time.

Sadness is an emotion every human has felt. Everyone has experienced it in one form or another countless times. It’s natural to hurt at times, but there is a difference between being sad or depressed and having depression. I have been diagnosed with Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, so I know the difference fi rst hand.

Most of my family deals with some form of mental illness, typically depression.

I inherited this evil, this potential silent killer. I grew up around others who suffer as I do now. Depression isn’t just feeling sad. It’s a ball and chain clamped around my ankle, holding me back.

Depression takes away all motivation for anything. It has stopped me from getting up in the morning, going to

“My heart thundering, I grabbed the knife.” school, writing, showering, sleeping, and eating. It makes the smallest of tasks difficult.

Depression lies to me, tells me I’m worthless, that I’ll never succeed, that I’ll never be happy, that I won’t live past eighteen. It can turn the most optimistic, peaceful person into a cynical nihilist.

I can’t remember the exact date of a day during my freshman year when my depression was especially bad. I remember lying in my bed, the blinds drawn. My room was as cold as a tomb, and the only sound that could be heard was the whirring noise of the fan. I was alone, isolating myself. All I had were thoughts I just couldn’t get away from. It was as if a bug had crawled

into my ear, sitting inside and whispering the worst of things. Back then, and sometimes even now, I ponder death. Taking medication and receiving therapy just didn’t seem to be enough. I wasn’t fi xed. I thought I would feel like this forever, that I’d never smile from genuine happiness or run as fast as I can without the heavy weight of depression dragging behind me, slowing me down.

Ultimately, only one option seemed available to me, and from that moment forward I knew that I wouldn’t be alive tomorrow. I began planning my death to end the suffering.

I was so damn tired of it all.

Tired of pretending I was okay, tired of crying every day because I hurt so much inside.

I was tired of living, and I saw no reason to continue.

I sat up from my bed, my eyes following the floor up to my bookshelf. I had old binders from previous school years on the shelves, papers still inside. I got up, walked Please see FIRST PERSON page 2

Please see 18 page 3

THE SKINNY ON THIS ISSUE The new year brings with it a few changes to The World’s Most Salubrious Newspaper.

Have you noticed that The Advice Doctor hasn’t answered a question correctly yet? Well, he has been demoted to the jokes page (p. 13) where he belongs until he can get his act together.

His old spot has been taken over by Q&A, which is going to correctly answer some real-world medical questions. See for yourself on page 3.

We bid farewell to page 4’s Old News (see p. 10), a spot that now belongs to the excellent and long-running column, On the Road to Better Health: A Patient’s Perspective. We’re still looking for a medical student who would like to chronicle their journey through med school on these pages, and there is a standing invitation to every reader to share their health adventures in Medicine in the First Person. +

READY, SET, GO! START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT WITH NEW SCRUBS (706) 364.1163 • SCRUBSOFEVANS.COM • 4158 WASHINGTON RD • ACROSS FROM CLUB CAR • M-F: 10-6:30; SAT: 10-4

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

FIRST PERSON… from page 1 to the bookshelf and grabbed the turquoise binder from eighth grade and opened it. I fl ipped through old notes and grades work sheets, found some blank paper and tore it from the rings. I couldn’t have cared less about the neatness of the paper; it wouldn’t matter in the end.

I walked across my gray and desolate bedroom to my desk, sat down, placed the paper in front of me and turned on the lamp. I grabbed a pen and stared down at the paper, studying the fine blue lines while my mind scurried to find the right words for my suicide note.

I can barely remember what I wrote, just small individual messages to all the ones I loved. I apologized countless times and said I loved every single one of them. Tears began to well up in my eyes and a sob escaped my lips.

I felt so selfish and guilty, and I still do, but I didn’t care enough back then. Tears stained my face once I set the pen down and looked at my horrific message. “This was it,” I thought. This was finally it. I folded the note neatly and left it on the center of my desk.

I vaguely remember slinking downstairs, greeting my mother and father nonchalantly as I made my way to the kitchen, knowing exactly where to go for what I needed. I stopped in front

of the island, sliding the closest drawer open and taking out the small knife with the orange sheath on it, blade’s sharp edges glinting a malicious silver. I sighed, studying weapon in my hands.

This knife would be the end of my pain. I slid it under my shirt into the waistband of my sweatpants and made my way smoothly back upstairs, not daring to look at my mother.

The climb back up the stairs seemed like a grim but relieving exit. I was making my way toward my resting place. I opened the bathroom door, not bothering to flip the light on. The light from the window was enough. I walked briskly over to the tub, took a deep breath, and turned on the faucet. After taking off all my clothes except a tank top, I stepped into the tub and lowered myself into the lukewarm water. It occurred to me then that there was no need to rush this. It would all end the same anyway. So I sat in the tub for a good ten minutes, running over the same thoughts of my family, the knife, and dying. I guess I was preparing myself.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. I was terrified, thinking of the pain and what horrific things I might see as I made my way to death.

Eventually I was able to gather myself. I stared at the faucet, watching drops hit the still surface of the water. My hand

“I dragged the knife across my thigh as fast as I could, gasping as I felt the immediate sting.” found its way to the ledge of the tub, grasping the orange blade. My heart thundering and my hand shaking, I attempted to cut my thigh.

They were thin, shallow cuts, no worse than a cat scratch.

Not enough to bleed out.

Exasperated, I sat up, gripped the blade tighter and pressed it fi rmly against my right thigh. I dragged it across as fast as I could, gasping as I felt the immediate sting. I felt instant regret, and fear began to settle into my stomach.

The cut would need stitches, but I slid down farther into the water, my chest heaving, to see if I could let myself bleed out. But the wound, though deep, was not deep enough. I hadn’t hit a major artery and I barely lost any blood at all.

Water welled up in my eyes and I lost it. I cried and cried in that tub until the water turned cold. My body shook with each sob. I had failed, I had failed, I had failed. I

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grabbed the knife and threw it against the wall in frustration.

I don’t remember much else in the bathroom. I suppose I got up and made my way to my bedroom to further inspect my wound. If I wouldn’t die from it, I thought, I might as well treat it. I had hydrogen peroxide under my sink, so I went back to the bathroom, lifted my thigh onto the counter and squirted some of it into my cut. It fi zzed and the blood turned pink. I wiped it away with toilet paper.

The sky was dark by now and I knew I had to get this cut treated. I wrapped it up with what I could find, which wasn’t much: toilet paper and electrical tape. I walked downstairs, my head held in shame. This would hurt my mom, it would absolutely destroy her and I felt so damn guilty. I walked with my hand clutching my thigh and made my way to the office where she usually sat at her computer looking at quilt designs.

“Mom,” I croaked, sniffing back tears. She turned around in her chair and looked at me.

“What’s up?”

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t find the right words to sugarcoat that I just tried to kill myself. I walked over and sat in the chair beside her. Now her eyes glistened with worry.

“What’s wrong? Did you try to hurt yourself?”

I wiped away tears that began to slide down my face and then pulled my pants down, took off the pathetic bandages, and showed her my mistake.

She inspected it and frowned.

“Honey, we need to take you to the ER. You need stitches.”

“No, no. They’ll send me to Lighthouse. I don’t want to go there again.” (This wasn’t my fi rst suicide attempt; earlier in the year I had tried and ended up at Lighthouse.)

My mother sighed, her eyes not leaving my thigh.

“You’re right, and I don’t think that is the best place for you right now. We’ll have to go get some butterfly strips to hold this together so it can heal. It could get infected.”

“That’s fine. Can we just go?”

We got in the car and I just remember bursting out in tears, sobbing and coughing as I vented to her all of my problems. During that time I had no friends. I lost the best friend I had had since sixth grade. My depression was just too much for her.

My boyfriend at the time had cheated on me, and school, as always, was kicking my butt.

At the end of the night, after getting supplies from CVS and bandaging myself up, I remember lying in my bed, my eyes swollen and my face stained, my throat hoarse from crying and yelling. I still didn’t want to be alive. I still felt useless to the world. I couldn’t even kill myself. I felt ruined, pathetic, and tired. I don’t remember what the next day was like. I think my mind blocked out most of what happened.

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I still think of dying.

I still suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts, but today I am also more stable than I was freshman year.

I have an amazing support system made up of friends and family who all love me so dearly and are there to keep my head above water when I feel like sinking into the darkness. I cannot let that happen. I cannot give up. I have gotten so far with my battles that no matter how tempting it might be to stop trying and sink, I can’t. Every life is precious, even mine.

There are good things in this world and I wish I had tried harder to find them last year when I felt so far gone. If I had died that day I wouldn’t have met the people I am friends with today. I wouldn’t have grown or made memories I still hold to this day. Life is worth living, and although giving up sometimes seems like it would be a relief, it’s not an option. I cannot let the pain I go through every day conquer me. I have to fight it and use it to my advantage and learn from it and most importantly, learn from myself. I have to learn to stay afloat, to love me for me, emotional baggage and all. + — by Anonymous Evans, Georgia

HELP IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433 - 24/7) 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255 - 24/7) suicidehotlines.com/georgia.html Georgia Crisis & Access Line: 1-800-715-4225 or mygcal.com

JANUARY 5, 2018

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

NEW

18… from page 1 It might seem unrealistic given your current workload, but it can be done as above: reading, meditating, going for a walk. It’s your choice.

Whatever it is, it’s important. It’s important to important people like your family and your employer.

To illustrate, the safety video shown before takeoff on flights will remind you that in the unlikely event of loss of pressure in the cabin, the parent or adult should put his own oxygen mask on first, then the child’s. It’s the old “you can’t help them unless you help yourself fi rst” principle.

Still on things related to slowing down (which can make our later acceleration more speedy) is learning to say no. This is easy for some people, next to impossible for others. None of us can do everything, but some people try. They aren’t fans of delegating. They’re more apt to practice the if-you-want-it-done-right-you-have-to-do-ityourself philosophy. That, of course, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When people are prevented from doing something they never get good at it, proving to the non-delegator that his belief is correct: I have to do it myself. He fails to realize others could do it if they were given the chance a little more often.

The non-weight-related suggestions to this point all have something in common: they will reduce stress if successfully implemented.

Here’s another one that will also do that:

avoid new debts and aggressively pay down existing debt. Financial stress can have physical effects. According to polling research, twothirds of Americans are losing sleep over financial worries.

One strategy some experts advocate is using the debt snowball. It helps melt bills like this: gather all your bills and rank them by the total amount due. Then attack the smallest bill you have with a vengeance. Pay it off immediately if you can. When it is paid off, add the money you had been using on it each month to go after your new smallest bill. While making at least the minimum payment due on all your other bills, make this the one bill that you pay more than the minimum on. Continue to work through your bills in this manner and in no time a dozen bills will be ten, then five, then none.

The reduction in your level of stress will be considerable.

Here’s a quickie: protect your sleep time by assigning bedtime as much importance as your wake-up time.

On the fl ip side, here are several things to avoid to make the year ahead a happy one: • wasting huge chunks of time on worthless activities • procrastinating • addressing problems with alcohol, sleep, overeating, drugs, isolation, or anger.

Have a splendid and salubrious year! +

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Why do I have to fast before surgery?

There are a number of important reasons, but any doubt about the need does have some basic logic on its side. For example, if a person was injured in a car accident and needed emergency surgery, no one is going to suggest waiting 12 hours or more before performing the operation. Emergency surgery has its own special set of additional risks, and this is just one of them.

Scheduled surgeries aim for creating the optimal circumstances, and that includes operating on a patient with an empty stomach. That is true even if the operation is going to be on someone’s big toe. The possible risk is related to anesthesia, not the specific surgery.

Patients on an operating table are often lying flat on their backs. Under general anesthesia, many body parts are completely relaxed — you could say paralyzed — including the esophageal sphincter that normally keeps food in the stomach from reentering the esophagus. When we’re eating and something “goes down the wrong pipe,” we can cough and hack until whatever it is comes out. Under anesthesia, we can’t do that. Food in the stomach can enter the throat and mouth. Once that happens the risk of aspirating or inhaling the food into the lungs is considerable, and a host of complications will result, among them massive infection that is difficult to treat, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia. It can be fatal.

Some people have experienced nausea and vomiting after surgery, and a stomach full of food would make that even more miserable. Anyone who has had an abdominal incision knows how painful even one small cough can be. Vomiting is a hundred times more painful. The throat is often sore too because of intubation during surgery.

Compare all those possible complications to the simplicity of obeying the doctor’s pre-op fasting instructions, where the biggest risk is feeling hungry for a few hours. +

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

#58 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble wrote a long-time column in this paper entitled The Patient’s Perspective reincarnated in this new format. Feel free to contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com

by Marcia Ribble

I

f you’ve never heard Robert Panara, this gentleman’s name, chances are he needs no introduction. On the other hand, if you have heard his name, you probably have no idea who he is or what he contributed to the world during his lifetime.

That incongruous situation holds true because Panara was deaf, and his sphere of influence and accomplishments were largely within the deaf community and unknown elsewhere.

Born in 1920, Panara lost his hearing at age 10 due to spinal meningitis. His parents understandably wanted to do everything possible to help their son hear again, so they turned to a number of specialists. One strapped his head into a device that administered electrical shocks; another recommended alternating hot and cold treatments to somehow awaken the boy’s damaged auditory nerves. His father arranged for him to meet Babe Ruth in hopes that the excitement of the experience would somehow shock him into hearing again. When that didn’t work, he tried to set up a “Deaf Flight” where Charles Lindbergh would take the young man up in a plane, but thought the $50 price tag was a bit too steep.

To understand the parents’ concern, it’s noteworthy to consider what The Economist noted in its 2014 obituary for Panara: turn-of-the-century attitudes toward the deaf had hardened to the point that famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell, “appalled by the idea of ‘a deaf variety of the human race,’...called for deaf people to be forbidden from marrying each other and for deaf children to be sterlised.”

But Panara had the advantage of not being born deaf; he could already speak and read before losing his hearing.

Having an undestanding of some of the nuances of language led to Panara’s later display of linguistic gifts. He was an acclaimed poet, and used sign language so artistically that while signing he was said to be building sculptures in the air.

Panara graduated from Gallaudent College, the first (and still the only) institution of higher learning in the world whose sole focus is the education of deaf and hard of hearing students. Panara also received a master’s degree in English from New York University, the first deaf person to do so.

In 1965 he was asked by John Gardner, the US Secretary of Education, to help found a technical college for the deaf, the fi rst of its kind in the United States. The result was the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, incorporated as one of the nine colleges operating jointly as the Rochester Institute of Technology. Panara was NTID’s first faculty member, and was also the first deaf instructor within mainstream higher education in America. Panara’s son, John, who is hearing, also was an instructor at NTID (which accepts both deaf and hearing students).

When NTID admitted its first students in 1968, there were fewer than 150 deaf students nationwide in mainstream American universities. Today, thanks in part to the efforts of Robert Panara, that number exceeds 120,000.

That makes him a most worthy addition to the United States Postal Service “Distinguished Americans” stamp series (shown above, with Panara signing the word “respect”). +

Fell again. Lost my balance in the simple act of making my morning coffee. Bummer!

But within seconds my Mobile Health Alert was doing its job and the voice on the line was asking if I needed help. “Yes,” I replied.

“I’ve fallen and I’m on the kitchen floor.” I had landed fi rst on my butt and then on my back, without causing any damage to anything but my pride. And even that wasn’t significant.

Fortunately I was dressed, so at least my pride wasn’t further affl icted with nakedness.

I had another blessing to consider. I had already gone to the bathroom, so I didn’t face the further indignity of wetting myself. I was clean, dressed, and dry, which is optimal when expecting company while lying on the floor. Although it isn’t always the case, that company is usually male. And it was.

A few minutes later, an ambulance pulled into the driveway and two tall, strong men made their way into the house. I called to them that the door was already unlocked because I had unlocked it when I went out to collect my newspaper. They fl ipped me to sitting up and pulled me to standing up and there I was, good as new and upright and walking into the living room to give myself a nice rest in my favorite chair.

They asked me if I wanted my drink, but by then it was cold and also incomplete, since I hadn’t added the fi xings

yet. They checked me out and my blood pressure, oxygenation levels and all that stuff were perfectly normal, so they had me sign their documents, and saying good-by, they left.

After sitting for a few minutes to get myself back to feeling mostly OK all over, I got up, grabbed my walker, and made my way back to the kitchen to reheat the coffee and dress it up with cream and sugar. Then I went back to my chair, drank my now hot coffee, and read my newspaper. I didn’t feel much like eating at that point, so I didn’t eat.

After a fall, I always experience a short period of uncertainty fi lled with apprehension that I might fall again. So I stayed in my chair for a few hours until I felt pretty hungry, and went to the kitchen to get the menu from my favorite Chinese take-out place, and called them and ordered enough food for several meals. One of the things I ordered was noodles, vegetables and chicken in a pad thai garlic sauce—mild. It was delicious! And I had garlic breath enough to scare away Count Dracula, had he been bold enough to want to pay me a visit.

After eating, I worked a couple of my puzzles, found a good movie on TV, and put my feet up. Then I did what every baby does when full and dry. I took a nap. +

MYTH OF THE MONTH Eggs have no place in a healthy diet Says who (or whom)?

If your information comes from Aunt Clara, you may have to sneak eggs just to keep the peace in the family and avoid nagging.

But if you prefer to listen to medical researchers from respected places like Harvard and the Mayo Clinic, the consensus is that for most people eggs pose no great threat to their health. The key, as with many other things in life, is moderation. Moderate egg consumption (defined as one a day) does not increase the risk of heart disease in healthy individuals.

This is not a green light for everyone.

Diabetics, people who are not controlling their total cholesterol or are having trouble with their LDL cholesterol should avoid or go easy on eggs (only the yolk contains cholesterol), at least until they’ve discussed it with their doctor.

While eggs may not be the enemy of health some paint them to be, watch out for their plate mates. An innocent egg might be combined with bacon, sausage or ham, home fries, hash browns and toasted white bread.

Sometimes it isn’t just simple guilt. It’s guilt by association. +

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW

E

ducation teaches us new words and how to use them. Some say the English language contains more than 1,000,000 words, but the average American knows only 20,000 to 30,000 words.

Having advanced education allows one to use subtle words and say things like “you have advanced maturity” instead of “you are getting old.”

This is like the dentist saying, “This is going to sting a little.” What he really means is, “This may hurt a lot, but it won’t last long, so man up and don’t scream and scare my other patients.” (I know dental anesthesia has advanced greatly over the years, but let’s not let facts get in the way of a good story.)

But how can you tell when you developing more than a minor dose of “advanced maturity?”

Here are a few hints that suggest you have a fullblown case. See if you notice or remember any of the following: • Young sprouts drive too fast even when they’re obeying the speed limit laws.

• After church your granddaughter asks, “Were you here when Moses was alive?”

ABOUT ADVANCED MATURITY

• A beautiful 30-year-old lady opens the door for you.

• Someone asks if your wife is your daughter ... and he’s serious.

• You frequently begin stories about your childhood with, “When I was a kid, things were different.”

• When you have trouble deciding what you want in a fast food line, a thug type gladly waits for you to make up your mind because you remind him of his grandmother.

• You remember when the President’s wife would not appear in public in a sleeveless dress.

• You remember when airports did not have metal detectors.

• Sometimes you feel your toothbrush to see if it’s wet to determine if you already just brushed your teeth.

• You remember when the TV channel changer was the youngest child in the room.

• You remember when a mouse was a small mammal that made women scream, jump onto tables, and suffer near fatal panic attacks.

• You remember when policemen and teachers were respected and thugs were despised.

• You remember when singing groups all dressed

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t s e B alike, made fancy steps in unison, and sang lyrics without four letter words.

• You remember when the whole family sat down at least once a day for a hot, home-cooked meal.

• You remember when the blessing before the meal was original and heart-felt and not a rote, machine-gun-fire recitation.

• You remember when the father of the child was known for sure without a DNA test.

There was no, “Momma’s baby, Daddy’s maybe.”

• You remember when pregnant teachers (who were, of course, married) were not allowed to teach because it set a bad example for the students.

• Your typing class had more manual typewriters than electric typewriters.

• When the principal spoke over the intercom, the student

e n i c i d ME

body was struck by utter silence.

• When young people are arguing, they won’t shut up long enough for you to tell them what the real answer is.

• You remember when it was lazy and almost an insult to say, “Season’s Greetings.”

• You remember when it was OK to say your religion was right and everyone else’s was wrong.

• You remember when good penmanship and correct spelling was actually taught and expected in school.

• You remember when girls were not allowed to wear shorts to class in high school or college. Neither were boys.

• You remember when the big disciplinary problems in high school were talking out of turn, chewing gum in class, being tardy, and running in the hall.

• You remember when half the pickups in the school parking lot had a gun rack

and at least one gun. And it was no big deal.

• You remember when most boys carried pocket knives everywhere they went ... including school, church, parties, etc.

• You remember when women went to beauty shops and men went to barber shops ... and never did the twain meet.

• Oh, one more thing: if you have forgotten what the premise of this column was, you indeed have advanced maturity.

But there is an advantage to advanced maturity: you forget a lot of things. We all have things we are better off forgetting. If modern science could figure out a way to let us choose what we forget and what we want to remember, we would be set. + Bad Billy Laveau is a formerlyretired MD who wields a pointed sense of humor - and now, tongue depressors too.

He speaks to and entertains audiences not subject to cardiac arrest secondary to overwhelming laughter.

BadBilly@knology.net or 706306-9397.

F REE T AKE-HO ME CO PY!

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Calling all Bad Billy fans!

More than two dozen of Bad Billy’s personally handpicked stories are collected together in his first book.

Get yours today at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com For personalized autographed print copies, call 706-306-9397

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Southern Girls Eat Clean Cleaned up Southern Collards and Hoppin’ John As many of you might already know, Collards and Hoppin’ John are a must on New Year’s Day in the South. It’s a tradition in our home and it is said that if you have this for your New Year’s Day meal it will bring you good luck and prosperity throughout the coming year. It’s a meal I love to make and enjoy every January.

I have been making these particular recipes for the last five years. Both the collards and the Hoppin’ John were already clean and could both be vegan and vegetarian dishes. There is no pork fat in the collards as would usually be included by most southern cooks. The Hoppin’ John is loaded up with fresh veggies, making both dishes a healthier version. I got both of the recipes from a cooking segment on the CBS Morning Show with chef and author Katie Lee, and I have changed them very little from Katie’s version. One change I did make was to use long grain brown rice instead of white rice for more nutrition.

I was so happy when I realized that I could incorporate two of my favorite southern dishes into our clean eating lifestyle without skipping a beat. We like to Southern Collards and Hoppin’ John serve the two together as you • 3 Scallions chopped, green (Less if you prefer) see in the photo, but you can and white parts • Sea salt or Real Salt brand serve them up separately.

• 1⁄4 Cup of fresh parsley, and cracked black pepper to This is also amazing with a chopped fine taste bit of Franks Hot Sauce on • 1 tsp. of blackened top.... if you dare. seasoning, see recipe below Ingredients for the Hoppin’ Happy New Year, friends!

• Sea salt or Real Salt brand John: and cracked black pepper to • 1-2 Tbsp. of organic coldIngredients for the collards: taste pressed extra-virgin olive oil • 1-2 large bunch of fresh • 1 Sweet yellow onion, finely collards, stems removed and Instructions: chopped coarsely chopped 1. Wash collards and remove • 1 Red bell pepper, finely • 1 sweet yellow onion , stems.

(An easy way to do chopped chopped (Vidalia onion if this is to hold the end of the • 4 cloves of fresh garlic, possible) stem with one hand and pull crushed • 1 Tbsp. of organic colddownward with the forefinger • 1 can of organic black eyed pressed extra virgin olive oil and thumb on the other hand, peas, rinsed and drained. (I • 3 Tbsp. of gluten free soy pulling the leaf away from the use Eden Organic brand)- If sauce (I use San J brand) tough stem. you wish you may use fresh • 1 32 oz. box of organic 2. Chop the collard leaves or dried black-eyed peas. chicken or vegetable broth coarsely.

(You will use for both collards • 2 Cups of cooked organic 3. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a long grain brown rice and hoppin’ john) large stock pot over medium • 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup of chicken or • 1 tsp. of garlic powder vegetable broth • 1⁄2 tsp. of cayenne pepper Please see RECIPE page 10

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+8

JANUARY 5, 2018

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

ASK DR. KARP

NO NONSENSE

NUTRITION Cheryl from Waynesboro asks, “How can I speed up my weight loss?”

Here we are just a few days into the New Year and your resolution to lose some weight seems to be paying off, although very slowly. Since January 1 you’ve lost 2 pounds, but you see all those infomercials on TV that scream, “lose 10 pounds the fi rst week!” You’re wondering if you’re really following the right weight loss guidelines.

Don’t pay attention to those TV weight loss infomercials and programs.

They are particularly abundant at the beginning of the New Year. They’re not about weight loss; they’re about money, advertising and entertainment.

I’m referring to the weight loss pills, the fast weight loss diet regimens or those “biggest loser” community and TV programs. When you are a contestant on a TV program, you are under a lot of social pressure to succeed and be a winner in front of your local community or the entire nation. Regular people like you and I do not have this external type of super-motivation in our lives.

Instead, for us the best driver is our own internal motivation. Have you ever seen what happens to those “big losers” after the spotlight is taken off them? Most gain the weight back and then some, particularly if they do not continue to exercise every day.

The truth is that the slower the weight

loss, the more likely you are to keep the weight off, permanently. In other words, the biggest winner is the slowest loser.

You want to be a big winner, not a big loser. It may be that you only lose 1⁄2 to 1 pound of real weight a week. However, in a year that is 25-50 lbs. When you lose weight slowly, it most likely means you are making important, every day lifestyle changes. It means that you are changing habits and changing your life, not just losing weight. If you have resolved to walk for 30 minutes/day and you are actually doing that, every day... rain or shine...that’s a good sign. It means you have figured out a way to fit “moving” into your busy life.

After a few months of eating more veggies and fruit, less meat, salt and sugar, following the latest USDA Dietary Guidelines (choosemyplate.gov) and walking, you will start to see changes in your body and in your mind. You will feel healthier, you will be breathing more easily as you go up and down stairs and you will feel a “bounce” in your steps.

What about the person who chooses to join a gym and is pumping iron five times a week for a hour each time?

His muscles are starting to bulge. His waistline is starting to shrink. But in a few weeks or months, he will either 1)

run out of money for the gym, 2) run out of motivation, 3) have his life become more complicated (the baby has finally arrived) or 4) has had to go out of town on a business trip. One great thing about walking; you can walk just about anywhere, any time and it is cheap. All you need are good walking shoes.

One tip for losing weight is to weigh yourself on your own scale in your own bathroom, once a week, every Tuesday morning, before you take a shower.

This is the only way to tell if you are heading in the right direction. Weighing every day, or every hour, or, worse yet, weighing after every meal is foolish and accomplishes nothing. Your body has a normal variation in weight, hour-tohour and day-to-day. The only way of figuring out if you are losing weight is to weigh yourself once a week, the same day of the week, the same time of day, on the same scale, wearing the same amount of clothes (none). This is simply accomplished by weighing yourself at home, every Tuesday morning, before you take a shower, naked.

So what is the “No-Nonsense Nutrition” advice for today? Be a big winner, not the biggest loser. Slow and steady wins the race. Cheryl, the answer to your question is: “Don’t speed up your weight loss.” +

Have a question about food, diet or nutrition? Post or private message your question on Facebook - www.Facebook.com/AskDrKarp - or email your question to askdrkarp@gmail.com If your question is chosen for a column, your name will be changed to insure your privacy. Warren B. Karp, Ph.D., D.M.D. is Professor Emeritus at Augusta University. He has served as Director of the Nutrition Consult Service at The Dental College of Georgia and is past Vice Chair of the Columbia County Board of Health. You can fi nd out more about Dr. Karp and the download site for the public domain eBook, Nutrition for Smarties, at www.wbkarp.com Dr. Karp obtains no funding for writing his columns, articles or books and has no fi nancial or other interests in any food, book, nutrition product or company. His interest is only in providing freely-available, evidenced-based, scientific nutrition knowledge and education. The information is for educational use only; it is not intended to be used to diagnose, manage or treat any patient or client. Tthe views and opinions expressed here are Dr. Karp’s alone and do not reflect the views and opinions of Augusta University or anyone else.

Dr. Karp

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Roger M. Smith, M.D. announces the closing of his practice for ophthalmology at 820 St. Sebastian Way, Suite 5-A.

Please contact the office immediately for records at (706) 724-3339, or Augusta Data Storage (706) 793-0186

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JANUARY 5, 2018

9+

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

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

A LITTLE NAUGHTY, A LITTLE NICE

by Teresa Ziemba, MS-Dietetic Intern It’s all about balance.

The holiday season we’ve just survived is often a time for social gatherings and festivities with family, friends, and co-workers. These good times often involve eating and drinking. Unfortunately, the unwanted “side dish” may be weight gain. Large portion size and increased frequency of eating may be contributing to the weight gain.

The food label term “serving size” is the recommended amount of food to consume, but in the real world portion size is determined by you or by a restaurant. And quite often during the holiday season it’s big. Our intake of sugary snacks, beverages, and desserts, coupled with foods high in fats such as French fries, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and pizza and other calorie-dense foods tend to increase. Foods not prepared at home usually have larger portion sizes, and several studies have shown that people may consume more food when more food is offered.

Satiety (feeling full) also plays a factor in the amount of food consumed and may contribute to obesity. Foods with low satiety (those with large amounts of sugar and fats, such as sodas, donuts, French fries, bagels, muffins, and pizza) tend to be consumed in higher portions.

Foods high in satiety are

consumed in lower amounts.

Examples of foods with high satiety include high fiber foods such as potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and oatmeal.

Meats, poultry and seafood are high in protein and satiety.

WHICH DARK CIRCLE IS LARGER?

Both are the same size, but the circle on the smaller “plate” (on the left), looks bigger.

The illusion can help control portion size.

Incorrect portion sizes for children may greatly increase their risk for obesity.

Regulating food intake can be just as challenging for children as it is adults. The more food a child is given the more they are likely to consume. Therefore, it is important that parents provide their children with the proper portion sizes to promote normal growth and development, and to prevent excessive weight gain.

Visual cues may help to prevent the incidence of obesity. Research has shown that an average person consumes more if the serving dish is brought to the table instead of left on the stove.

Eating in the dark may result in an increased consumption of food compared to eating in a well-lit area. The size and shape of plates, bowls, and eating utensils can all be

contributing factors. A square is often thought to be larger than a circle even though they both hold the same amount.

However, an individual can buy twice as much if the food is packaged or served in a circular container rather than a square.

Labeling and advertising can influence our intake. A label that includes nutrient or product modifications such as low-fat implies that the food is healthy, and when a food is considered to be healthier, individuals may increase their intake. This may contribute to weight gain. Healthier choices should fit in a well-balanced diet.

The size of packaging can contribute to the amount that is consumed. Bulk purchases may benefit your wallet as they may be cheaper but may negatively affect your weight.

When food is given in smaller portions it may help people to have better control on their overall intake. For example, a large bag of potato chips may be difficult to measure or determine the correct serving size. However, when preproportioned into small bags, it is easier to control portion size. Although portioned smaller bags may be more expensive than buying in bulk it may help decrease a person’s intake.

It is often challenging to achieve and maintain a well-balanced healthy diet. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are the trained experts to help individuals to attain their personal and health goals. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists translate the science of nutrition into practical solutions for lifestyle changes and healthy living. + Reference: Benton D. Portion Size: What We Know and What We Need to Know. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.

2015;55(7):988-1004. doi:10.108 0/10408398.2012.679980

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JANUARY 5, 2018

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

RECIPE… from page 7

OLD NEWS

+

POINTS OF INTEREST TO FORMER KIDS

by Trisha Whisenhunt Dear readers, I have written for the Medical Examiner for approximately five and one half years. It has been my pride and pleasure to do so. Over the last several months I have found it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the needs of the paper and so I have made the difficult decision to resign my column; “Old News, Points of Interest to Former Kids.”

The Medical Examiner provides a valuable service to the CSRA and we are lucky to have such a publication available to us. I am looking forward to being a faithful reader only and enjoying all the interesting and informative columns which will follow me.

Thank you for reading my column. I will miss being a part of the journalistic family. I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2018.

My warmest regards to each and every one of you, Trisha Whisenhunt

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to high heat, add onion and sauté until softened and starting to brown slightly, approximately 5-8 minutes.

4. Pour in about 1⁄2 cup of the chicken broth and add chopped collards to pot. (This will fi ll the pot but they will cook down.)

5. Toss/stir the collards slightly to moisten.

6. Once all collards are wet and mixed with the cooked onions and broth, pour in the approximately 1 cup of broth (or enough to make a base for the collards) 7. Add the soy sauce, garlic powder, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste, stir well.

8. Turn the heat down to a medium/low making sure that the collards are at a very low boil.

9. Simmer at this heat for 30-45 minutes or until the collards are tender.

10. Using a slotted spoon, remove collards from pot and place in a serving dish... adding some of the stock over the collards at the end.

For the Hoppin’ John: 11. Cook rice on the stove-top or in a rice cooker.

12. While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat.

13. Add onion and red pepper and garlic to skillet and sauté until softened, 5-8 minutes.

14. Pour in 1⁄4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth, reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.

15. Add the black eyed peas and cooked long grain brown rice

Sparkle

16. Pour in an additional 1⁄4 cup (more or less) of chicken or vegetable broth. Only add enough to help rice and veggies combine well.....the mixture should not be too moist.

17. Stir in scallions, parsley and blackened seasoning.

18. Simmer, stirring often to make sure rice doesn’t stick.... for another 5-7 minutes.

19. Serve immediately on top of the collards or separately. + Alisa Rhinehart is half of the blog southerngirlseatclean. com. She is a working wife and mother living in Evans, Georgia. Visit her blog for more recipes and information on clean eating.

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JANUARY 5, 2018

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Franklin Warch, MD, on September 17, 2016

HOW CAN PATIENTS GET BETTER IF THEY LIVE IN HOMES TAILOR-MADE FOR DISEASE? I’m new to the job of coroner. I’m sure it won’t surprise anyone to hear that it’s nothing like C.S.I. You measure the wait for test results in months, not minutes. It’s not like Quincy, M.E. either, where the same person responsible for the autopsy hops about cracking a case that somehow befuddles police. Most deaths are natural, with a good number of accidents and suicides, despite the media’s frenzied reporting on murders. It’s unglamorous, methodical work, less about solving a puzzle than making sure the details line up and the story make sense.

Recently I was called to investigate the death of man in his 40s, though his body had seen more wear and tear than most his age. He was an ex-addict. The assumption was that he’d died by overdose after one more relapse.

As the details unfolded an overdose seemed ever more remote as the cause of death. While most of the story could be gleaned from his medical records, I decided to take a visit to the late man’s home.

The deceased and his girlfriend had lived for years in a housing complex not far from the hospital. The buildings were drab and barren in design, the flooring old and lifting, the hallways dim and poorly ventilated.

The walls transmitted noise, the cabinetry intact but cheap, the fi xtures functional but dated. The air, stale and rank, mixed the pungency of pet odor with the funk of old cigarettes. The hallway — if you could call it that — between bedrooms had walking space measurable in inches, the sparse floor space taken up by bags of pet food and fans. The rooms were fi lled with haphazardly strewn junk, everything from empty bottles to aquarium supplies, piled from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. Somewhere in this mess were supplies brought by home-care workers — bags of IV antibiotics, suction pumps, wound dressings – tossed among ashtrays and piles of dirty clothing.

And everywhere was food. Open boxes of cereal, halfeaten bags of stale snacks, empty juice boxes, fragments of sandwiches, and wrappers with unfinished fast-food ... on every piece of furniture and every square foot of floor.

The man had spent most of the prior season in hospital, treated for drug-resistant infections and pockets of pus all through his body, unhealed wounds from decades of abuse. The hospital stay wasn’t enough, though, and it looks like the infections are what ultimately did him in.

As the saddest punctuation mark on the story, the man’s girlfriend — herself a recovering addict and victim of trauma, and the one responsible for administering his prescribed pills — found solace in her partner dying of natural causes. At least it wasn’t her own actions that killed him, that left her living alone in squalor.

I’ve made many house calls over the years, some in trailer parks or otherwise sketchy neighborhoods.

Ironically, it wasn’t until I dealt with someone dead that the question finally struck me: How can we — as doctors, nurses, citizens — expect people to get better, living as they do in homes tailor-made to breed disease? A nurse changing a dressing, an instruction to “see your doctor” — this is a “dedication to community-based care”?

I’m not arrogant enough to think I have the answers. I’m not even sure I could tease out all the questions. But it’s time we took a hard look at the lives of our patients before coroners need concern themselves with their deaths. +

Looking at lives might prevent looking at deaths

Franklin Warsh is a family physician who blogs at Impatient Care and can be reached on Twitter @drwarsh.

What follows is from a Kirkus Reviews overview of The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee:

A panoramic history of the gene and how genetics “resonate[s] far beyond the realms of science.”

Mukherjee (Medicine/ Columbia Univ.; The Laws of Medicine, 2015, etc.), who won the Pulitzer Prize for his history of cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies (2010), begins with Mendel and his “pea-flower garden,” and he never lets readers forget the social, cultural, and ethical implications of genetics research. Indeed, he dedicates the book to his grandmother, who raised two mentally ill children, and to Carrie Buck, the Virginia woman judged “feebleminded” and sterilized according to eugenics laws passed in the 1920s. After Mendel, Mukherjee describes Thomas Morgan’s fruit fly studies in the 1900s, and he goes on to trace the steps leading to the discovery of the double helix, the deciphering of the genetic code, and the technological

advances that have created ethical dilemmas. Early on, there was recombinant DNA, the insertion of genes from one species into another, and this led to mandates initially proscribing certain experiments.

Then, there were the fi rst disastrous attempts at gene therapy, which consisted of arrogant and sloppy science. Meanwhile, the human genome has been mapped, more and more genes have been associated with certain diseases (and even behaviors), and a new technique has been

developed that permits the removing or replacing of specific genetic defects. Are we ready to apply that to an individual patient? Should it apply to sperm and egg cells so as to affect future generations? Mukherjee ponders these issues in the fi nal chapters and epilogue, ultimately seeing the need for more research about the information coded in the human genome, since so much of it does not consist of genes.

Throughout, the author provides vivid portraits of the principal players and enough accessible scientific information to bring general readers into the process of genetic lab science.

Sobering, humbling, and extraordinarily rich reading from a wise and gifted writer who sees how far we have come—but how much farther we have to go to understand our human nature and destiny. +

The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D; 608 pages, published in May 2016 by Random House.

Research News Go fish A study released by the University of Pennsylvania in late December has found that regularly eating fish improves both mental ability and sleep.

The research subjects were 541 children between the ages of 9 and 11. It is said to be the first study connecting all three.

“Regular” consumption was defined as at least one serving each week. Children who eat fish at least once a week sleep better, which researchers theorized might be one of the significant reasons the fisheating group had IQ scores that average 4 points higher than non-fish eaters.

Memory loss reversal A drug designed to help treat diabetes has shown promise in significantly reversing memory loss for Alzheimer’s patients.

In fairness, it must be said that the patients in the study conducted by the UK’s Lancaster University

are mice. But they are mice who had been genetically modified with the gene that causes Alzheimer’s in humans, and the mice in the test had “advanced stages of neurodegeneration.”

After treatment with “triple agonist” drugs (a combination of GLP-1, GIP and glucagon), the mice that had been lost in their favorite maze showed “learning and memory formation that were much improved,” along with measurable declines in brain plaque and inflammation.

The drug studies hold the promise of double benefits, since type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and has been implicated in accelerated progression of the disease.

The study was published online January 1 in Brain Research.

Why fiber?

Another January 1 story, this one in The New York

Times, reported on studies from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg that explains why fiber is so beneficial. Scientists and dietitians have long extolled fiber’s health benefits.

A diet high in fiber reduces the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.

Overall, even in the absence of those three maladies, people who eat more fiber simply have lower odds of dying.

That’s the what. It’s the why that scientists haven’t exactly sure about.

In brief, the studies in Sweden are looking at intestinal bacteria, the good stuff that keeps our immune system purring. Apparently the “indigestible” components of food — what we call fiber — are like steak and potatoes for our intestinal flora. Fiber feeds them by the billions, keeping them fully functional at their very important work within our immune system.

Go fiber! +

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JANUARY 5, 2018

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS +

Did you make any resolutions for I never can keep the new year? them, so this year I made only one.

by Dan Pearson

Mind if I ask what it is?

Maybe I won’t be able to keep this one either.

Out of shape?

To stay out of shape.

The Mystery Word for this issue: UIGONTACOS

© 2018 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Rueben seller 5. Swollen (usu. a body part) 10. Snare 14. River in central England 15. Dodge 16. The old days 17. Opened the windows?

19. Loop; spiral 20. Swallow up, as in flames 21. Self-service restaurant 23. British Prime Minister from 1997-2007 26. “Friendly confines” team 27. Sponge 30. Flow back 31. Negative reply 33. Long narrow cut 34. Break 36. Type of code 37. Exclamation of fear or surprise (often plural) 38. Section starter (at times) 39. Sushan today 40. Stroke ltrs.

41. Soft, light color 44. Plot of ground 45. Masculine pronoun 46. Porcini mushroom 47. Friendly 49. Type of opera 50. Party of 23-A 51. Pensioner 54. Ceremony; rite 58. Hygiene adjective 59. The way something looks 62. Card-playing Latin word that means “Before” 63. Amendment to an insurance policy 64. Store opening hour?

65. Brave or noble feat 66. Squamous

BY

Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com All Mystery Word finders will be eligible to win by random drawing.

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM 1

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Click on “READER CONTESTS”

QUOTATION PUZZLE

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9

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

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2018 All rights reserved

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2018 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com

67. Latin abbrev. for “Let it stand” DOWN 1. Jazz musician Brubeck 2. A person wronged may want to get this 3. Georgia’s famous Crawford 4. Artificially open an airway 5. The Bell is on it 6. A black light emits this (abbrev) 7. It can be welcoming 8. Notion 9. Infers 10. Baseball legend with local ties 11. Chambers 12. Operatic melody 13. Skin 18. Evils 22. People soak in these 24. Word on express lane sign 25. Piano ________ 27. Intimidate (with “out”)

28. Living 29. TV’s Kelly 31. Type of cavity 32. Deliver a speech 35. Swelling 36. Reservoir of a traditional thermometer 39. Glenn Hills High School athletes 41. A fruit whose name is its shape 42. Becomes visible 43. The Greenblatt is one 46. Wound 48. Material for 7-D 49. Condition 51. Highway 52. Sea eagle 53. Heroic 55. Single entity 56. Skin eruption 57. English court (historical) 60. Handheld organizer (abbrev. from the 1990s) 61. Snakelike fish Solution p. 14

— someecards

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.

E

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4 9

2

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2018 All rights reserved. Built with software from www.crauswords.com

U D O K U

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

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.

D L A 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 N’ ’ K 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4

— Daniel J. Boorstin

1.WEEDDLIKKYY 2.HENNISIVOOD 3.AAUUUDDEOO 4.WWCRTNNN 5.ANTT 6.IT 7.IN 8.GO 9.N

SAMPLE:

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

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2018 All rights reserved

WORDS NUMBER

THE MYSTERY WORD

JANUARY 5, 2018

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

The

Advice Doctor

Moe: What is an owl’s favorite band?

Joe: Let’s see... The Who?

©

Moe: If you’re an astronaut, what is a your favorite part of a computer?

Joe: Um... the space bar.

A

man visiting Georgia saw a vicious dog attack a young child, so he pulled out his pocket knife, bravely pulled the dog off the boy and killed the dog with his knife.

The boy’s mother saw the whole thing and said, “You just saved my son’s life. I happen to work for the newspaper, and this is going to be our headline this week: “Brave local man kills dog to save child.”

“That’s very kind of you,” says the man, “but I don’t live here.”

“That’s okay,” she replied. “I can make it ‘Georgia man saves child by killing dog.’”

“But I’m not from Georgia,” he says. “I’m from New York.”

“Well,” said the woman, “Then I guess it’ll be ‘Yankee butchers family pet.’”

Moe: What is the fi rst thing you look for in a woman?

Joe: Intelligence. Because if she doesn’t have it, I might have a chance.

Moe: Why was the homeless man begging people for yeast?

Joe: Because he wanted to raise some dough.

Moe: I’ve got a brain teaser for you.

Joe: Okay.

Moe: What is the one kind of surgery that changes the way you look that isn’t considered plastic surgery?

Joe: That’s a tough one. I give up. What?

Moe: Lasik.

Moe: This article says Stephen Hawking has started dating.

Joe: How’s that working out?

Moe: Not too well. She stood him up.

Moe: Why are socks like snowflakes?

Joe: Because you can never find two that are alike.

Moe: My friend from Brooklyn was telling me that two cheese trucks crashed into each other today.

Joe: What about it?

Moe: He said da brie was everywhere.

Moe: Did you hear about the felon who escaped from prison with the help of the prison beekeeper?

Joe: No. How did he do it?

Moe: He broke out in hives.

Is reading a “Do not touch” sign in braille breaking the rules? +

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

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers.

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NAME ADDRESS CITY

STATE

Dear Advice Doctor, I believe my daughter’s teacher is abusing her. Not physically, and certainly not sexually. But there is no question that she verbally abuses her in class every day by correcting her — not privately, but in front of the whole class — when she makes mistakes, interrupting her when she talks during tests, and just generally being an all-around adult bully to a child who is only 13. If she thinks I’m going to take this laying down, believe me, she is in for a rude awakening. How do you think I should handle this? At school, in the school parking lot, or at the teacher’s home?

— Looking Out For #2 Dear Looking Out, Rarely do I have a question that presents so many possible topics. Where do I even begin?

First of all, you’re defi nitely not the type to take something like this lying down, but you should be. I’m a doctor, not an English major, but to “lay” is to place something someplace.

To “lie” is to recline. Let me illustrate this for you: you have a headache, so you lay your bag of pork rinds down and then lie down. Perhaps you can remember it by thinking “I lie.” Not that you would. Probably not, anyway. But lie would apply to you, lay to an object (generally speaking). See the difference?

Secondly, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t a teacher’s job to correct me if I’m wrong? And our children, including your precious daughter? Isn’t that what we pay them for? To teach our children and to correct them when they make mistakes?

Remember when you were in school? Wait. Never mind. Strike that. Remember this instead: when one child is corrected — any child — every student in the room can also benefit and learn from the mistake and thus avoid making the same mistake.

This is not a matter that you should address anywhere, but especially not in the school parking lot or at the teacher’s home.

I would suggest addressing it in your own home and only in your own home.

Finally, to answer your main question, there is no scenario I can envision in which you would ever be the one to awaken your daughter’s teacher, rudely or otherwise. For everyone else, the entire topic of rude awakenings is the subject of some debate, but most people like to be awakened gently and gradually, never rudely. Apply the Golden Rule. The debate arises in the case of sleepwalkers, but actually there is no need to wake them at all.

Sleep experts suggest simply guiding them back to bed. Chances are they won’t even remember the incident the following morning. + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in Examiner issues.

Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #41

ZIP

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

BEFORE READING.

AFTER READING.

+ 14

JANUARY 5, 2018

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

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

THE PUZZLE SOLVED D

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THE WINNER: MARY BLACK 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!

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SEE PAGE 12

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

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

WRITER WANTED

The Sudoku Solution 5

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...cleverly hidden on a pine needle at the top of the p. 2 ad for WINDSOR FINE JEWELERS

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Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.”

— Daniel J. Boorstin

QUOTATION QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: “I want to have a good body but not as much as I want dessert.”

— someecards

The new scrambled Mystery Word is found on page 12

READ EVERY ISSUE ONLINE WWW.ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER

The Medical Examiner has for years published a monthly column by an Augusta medical student as a chronicle of his or her thoughts and experiences during medical school. Are you interested in becoming the next author of The Short White Coat?

Please call (706) 860-5455 or write to Dan@AugustaRX.com

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MEDICAL EXAMINER

Our target audience is • 25,000 CSRA healthcare professionals • 500,000 area residents who are interested in better health and better living If these are people you’d like to reach, call 706

.860.5455 or visit www.AugustaRx.com

JANUARY 5, 2018

IT’S A QUESTION OF CARE It is better to give than to receive

by Amy Hane, a licensed Master Social Worker in South Carolina and Georgia, an Advanced Professional Aging Life Care Manager and also a Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager.

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

As we look back over the Holidays we may have racked our brains to figure out what sort of gift to give our elderly loved one. As people age they’ve generally acquired many items; they no longer need or want something else to put on a shelf or store away in a closet – or perhaps to re-gift to someone else.

In preparation for the next gift giving opportunity that comes along, this is the time when you can think outside the box and perhaps spend your money on assistance for your loved one, which will in turn give you peace of mind. Here are a few ideas.

• One item that an elderly person who lives alone may truly appreciate is a personal emergency response button. As noted in a previous column, these come in many shapes and sizes with varying features, but the basic premise is that it can alert someone

if your loved has fallen or needs assistance in some way. If you choose one with a GPS function, it can also determine the location of your loved one. This can be a great gift and costs approximately $40 per month.

• Another layer of assistance that would be appreciated is someone to assist with meals or a meal service.

You can hire someone to come into the home and cook. Depending upon your budget and your loved one’s preferences, this could be a friend, a church member, or even a personal chef. This would not have to be every day, but it could be a couple days per week, which would ensure a delicious and well-balanced and nutritious meal, and enough leftovers for future meals too.

• In that same vein, you can also hire a general caregiver. Again, perhaps it can be someone your family

knows, or you might hire someone through an agency. This person would assist your loved one with daily living activities, shopping or possibly transportation. Often, elderly people do not want to spend the money for such help even though they desperately need it. It’s a great way for you to give them a gift that they will eventually recognize as priceless.

• Through the years, our loved ones may have always done their own house and yardwork, but as their physical abilities wane they need assistance with these tasks. They are often reluctant to spend their money on these services. Paying for a housekeeping service just once every 3-4 weeks or a lawn service even once per month can give you peace of mind and the reassurance that your loved ones’ home and surroundings are neat and clean. +

+

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

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

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DENTISTRY

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

F. E. Gilliard MD, Family Medicine 4244 Washington Road Evans, GA 30809 Floss ‘em or lose ‘em! 706-760-7607 Industrial Medicine • Prompt appts.

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

DERMATOLOGY

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

OPHTHALMOLOGY Roger M. Smith, M.D. 820 St. Sebastian Way Suite 5-A Augusta 30901 PRACTICE CLOSED 706-724-3339 See ad on page 8

SENIOR LIVING

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

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

Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 Medical Center West Pharmacy 706-733-3373 465 North Belair Road www.GaDerm.com Evans 30809 Vein Specialists of Augusta Resolution Counseling Professionals 706-854-2424 G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 Augusta 30909 706-854-8340 706-432-6866 Parks Pharmacy Karen L. Carter, MD www.VeinsAugusta.com www.visitrcp.com 437 Georgia Ave. 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 N. Augusta 29841 Augusta 30901 803-279-7450 706-396-0600 If you would like your www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com www.parkspharmacy.com medical practice listed Your Practice in the Professional And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo.

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+ 16

JANUARY 5, 2018

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THIRD IN A SERIES

The vitamin alphabet This is the point in the series at which someone might raise a question.

“There was vitamin A in the fi rst installment, then vitamin B1 in the second...I was expecting vitamin C this time.”

For all you vitamin C fans out there, please be patient.

It’s going to be awhile before C takes the stage. And when it does you’ll celebrate the fact that there is only one vitamin C. The B vitamins, on the other hand, are part of a pretty large family. The B clan, often called the “B complex,” has eight members.

Why are there eight Bs but only one A, one C, etc?

Vitamins have been around forever, but people just discovered in the past 100 years or so.

Scientists realized that various components make

B

up vitamins. They assumed they were all similar components, and sometimes they were.

In the case of vitamin C, for example, it can be delivered by ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate or still other vehicles, all with equal benefit to the body.

But in the case of the components originally thought to all be equal members of the B group, it was soon discovered that each one had a separate and distinct benefit to the body that none of the other component duplicated.

As one source put it, if you tried to replace folic acid/folate (vitamin B9) with biotin (vitamin B7), the folate-deprived person would run the risk of producing offspring with spina bifida.

Once these differences

2

were identified, biochemists realized that, although the various B vitamins shared common attributes, they were all separate and distinct in their functions within the

body and in the effects they created when deficient in the diet. At that point, the various members of the B complex got (slightly) different names. First name: B; Last name: number.

Which brings us, at long last, to vitamin B2, often known by its other name, riboflavin.

Riboflavin is crucial to health and life due to its role in cellular respiration, the set of metabolic reactions in which cells convert nutrients into biochemical energy.

Riboflavin, fortunately for us, is readily available in milk, cheese, eggs, leafy vegetables, legumes and nuts, liver, and other foods.

It is also commonly added as a supplement in breads, baby foods, pastas and cereals where natural riboflavin is lost through processing.

Incidentally, the name riboflavin comes from “ribose,” the sugar that forms its basic molecular structure, and “flavin,” from the Latin flavus, meaning yellow.

Because of B2’s yellow color, it is rarely supplemented into foods whose color would be affected (white rice, for example) or into liquid products because of its poor solubility in water (even though B vitamins are as a group water-soluble). But its color is strong enough that riboflavin can be used as a food coloring.

Vitamin B2 is pretty new, at least to the field of human knowledge. It was discovered in 1926.

While riboflavin deficiency is extremely rare in the Western world, excessive consumption of alcohol can significantly inhibit its absorption.

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