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MEDICAL EXAMINER recipe feature PAGE 7
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AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006
JUNE 5, 2015
WORLD OF MEDICINE
BORED YET? SUMMER VACATION: WEEK 2
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f course you are. It’s a time-honored tradition dating back decades. And it’s why you should check the Summer Vacation 101 article at the Medical Examiner blog for a zillion ideas (ok, ok, maybe only half a zillion) on ways to do stuff, get stuff done, have fun, and avoid summertime boredom. Mom, dad, kids, you need this info! Go to AugustaRx.com and click on the blog link, or go directly to AugustaRx.com/news
There are medical students in Augusta from all over the world. They have a unique perspective borne of their observations here and abroad. In this new series they’ll share some of those observations.
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by Tiffany Thompson
s a medical student, I have had the privilege of doing my training in St. Kitts, the United States, and Canada. I am interested in psychiatry and have paid close attention to the psychiatric services available to patients in all of my locations. My first experiences as a student began in the Caribbean country of St. Kitts and Nevis. Even though the sister islands had a population of around 55,000 at the time that I was there, there was only one psychiatrist for the entire country. There were many patients that needed attention. This was a difficult situation, but the lone psychiatrist made herself readily available to her patients when emergencies arose. The psychiatric unit on the island was in a building separate from the rest of the hospital and was set up as an enclosed veranda-like building. One of the major downsides was the lack of psychiatric medication availability. A lot of the basic “older” medications were there, at least a few in each class, but any of the newer medications that are being used today to help a variety of patients in North America were not available on the island. In the US, I found there to be adequate psychiatric services available for the most part. There are a number of psychiatrists available and all the newest medications are also available, making treatment options more numerous and the ability to try different medications and combinations is readily there. The one downside revolves around the burden of insurance. For patients with no or only limited insurance, the care was not quite as available. And the cost of psychiatric care, therapy, and medications can all put quite a burden on someone lacking in insurance coverage. Of course, the insurance situation is rapidly changing, and even with the Affordable Care Act can be different from state to state. However, it still remains a challenge for many patients seeking care. The psychiatric hospitals in the US are, from what I have seen, top quality with a focus on acute care and getting the patients ready to leave with a solid after-care plan in place. Psychiatrists were able to see patients in the hospital every two to three days, making medication adjustments in a timely fashion. Psychiatrists are usually available with an emergency call number in the community if needed. Please see WORLD page 15
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
BETTER BUSINESS
HEALTHIER BUSINESS by Russell T. Head, CBC, CSA
HEALTH FSAs—THE BENEFIT THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF
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ost employers are concerned about the rising cost of employee benefits. Between healthcare reform and a struggling economy, many of us have been forced Russell Head to reconsider which benefits we will offer and the dollar amount we are willing to pay for the company’s portion. One budget-friendly benefit that is sometimes overlooked, however, is a Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA). How It Works During open enrollment, the employee chooses a dollar amount to set aside for that plan year. (The maximum for 2015 is $2550.) That amount is divided by the number of pay periods in the year, and then deducted from each paycheck before taxes. During the plan year, the employee submits claims for qualified out-of-pocket
medical expenses, and is reimbursed up to the total amount elected. In addition to the tax savings, employees also benefit from the Universal Coverage Rule, which allows access to the maximum amount of reimbursement for the health FSA at any time during the plan year for covered expenses. For example, an employee might elect the maximum $2550 to be withheld for a plan year beginning January 1. On January 15, he could submit a claim for qualified medical expenses incurred in January for the whole amount and be reimbursed even though the total funds have not yet been deducted from his paycheck. The deductions would continue as scheduled for the remainder of the year. For employees, this type of fund can help bridge the gap created by medical plans with higher out-of-pocket amounts, allowing the employee to plan responsibly for expected and unexpected expenses. Employers benefit from the pretax deductions by paying less in payroll taxes. However, there are a few cautions. Who is Eligible to Participate? Employers must have an underlying ACA-compliant group health insurance plan in order to offer a health FSA. Additionally, only individuals eligible for the employer-provided plan can enroll in a health FSA. However, there is no requirement that the employee be enrolled in the medical insurance plan to be eligible for the health FSA. What are “Qualifi ed Medical Expenses”? As mentioned above, only qualified
medical expenses can be reimbursed from a health FSA fund. Qualified expenses are generally defined under Section 213(d) of the Tax Code, and include common outof-pocket expenses such as co-pays and deductibles for medical or dental plans (including for prescriptions). However, other expenses qualify that may not be covered by medical insurance such as eye exams, glasses and contact lenses, orthodontia, in vitro fertilization, and smoking cessation programs. A few items NOT on the list include over-the-counter medications (other than insulin) without a prescription, premiums for group or individual medical coverage, and most elective cosmetic surgeries. An internet search for “FSA Qualified Expenses” may yield a more complete list. Qualified medical expenses may be incurred by the employee, their spouse and/or any tax dependents; however, the expense must be incurred within the covered period. Use It or Lose It? Funds remaining in an FSA account after the end of a plan year are generally forfeited by the employee. As a result, employees are urged not to put more in than they feel they can reasonably spend. However, there are ways the account can be designed to minimize this result. A grace period of up to 2 1⁄2 months can be included after the end of the plan year in which expenses can be incurred and submitted for reimbursement. Alternately, the plan may allow employees to roll over up to $500 of unused funds into the next plan year (in addition to the maximum for the new
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plan year). However, these two options cannot be used together. Plan design features must be recorded (or updated) in the FSA plan document in order to be compliant with ERISA requirements. Other Issues As with some other employee benefits, non-discrimination testing is required for health FSAs to be sure they benefit all employees, and not just the highly compensated. For groups that choose to self-administer their plan, there are special HIPAA rules that must be considered. Groups that opt to use a third party to manage their plan will have administration fees that may not be completely offset by the tax savings. To help employers better understand Medical Flexible Spending Accounts, the IRS has provided Publication 969 (Health Savings Accounts and other TaxFavored Health Plans) and Publication 502 (Medical and Dental Expenses), both of which can be found on their website. For further explanation of information outlined in this article, please refer to the following resources: www.irs.gov www.healthcare.gov http://www.oci.ga.gov/ http://www.doi.sc.gov/ Russell T. Head is President/Managing Partner with Group & Benefits Consultants, Inc., Augusta’s largest, privately held, locally owned employee benefits consulting firm. He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or rthead@gandbc.com. Visit Group & Benefits Consultants at www.groupandbenefits.com. +
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JUNE 5, 2015
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
What’s your story? Nearly all of us — even doctors and nurses — are sometimes patients. Perhaps you were recently injured playing your favorite sport, or years ago you somehow got hurt without even leaving your favorite recliner. Maybe you were diagnosed with a dreaded disease, mugged in a dark and lonely parking lot, or you stubbed your toe in the safety of your own bedroom. On the other hand, perhaps you needed medical attention 5,000 miles from home. Whatever your medical experience, we’d like to hear your story for our Medicine in the First Person feature. It can be frightening or funny, ordinary or extraordinary, just a few paragraphs long or quite a lengthy tale, bylined or anonymous. We’ll publish your encounters with the medical profession as often as we receive them. +
AUGUSTA
Send your submissions for Medicine in the First Person to the Augusta Medical Examiner via e-mail: info@AugustaRx.com or to PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397. (The Medical Examiner reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any submission at its sole discretion.)
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AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER
www.AugustaRx.com The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of news within every part of the Augusta medical community. Submit editorial content to graphicadv@knology.net Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com Augusta Medical Examiner photography: H + D Photography www.handdphoto.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397
(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., or its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2015 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.
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JUNE 5, 2015
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
OLD NEWS +
POINTS OF INTEREST TO FORMER KIDS by Trisha Whisenhunt, Senior Citizens Council
STRESSED IS JUST DESSERTS SPELLED BACKWARD OR: LIFE IS SHORT. EAT DESSERT FIRST.
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he title of this column is an old joke but it’s true. Stress can take a devastating toll on a person’s body in the most unexpected ways. The suggestion here is not that having a piece of cheesecake will relieve stress; I am simply using the sweeter things to represent keeping our focus on the better things in life. That helps control the stress we all face in our daily lives. True story: I once had my tears dried by the offer of a piece of home-made fudge, so the healing properties of sugar are not without their merits. Cake, brownies, turnovers, donuts, cookies, candy, cobbler - take your pick. These are all wonderful choices to be consumed in small amounts and not on a daily basis. Say what you will about the problems we have here in the United States, but there is no denying we have the best junk food, hands down, on the planet. I’m “old-school,” as the kids say; I believe home-made is best and those who will agree probably have a recipe or two that they refuse to share. It’s
that precious grand finale to the perfect meal that won’t go outside the family. Every holiday, every life event we celebrate is punctuated with food. Dessert is fun and it plays a big role. The classic Fourth of July picnic with home-made ice cream is as iconic as pies cooling on a window sill, hot dogs and Cracker Jack at a baseball game, school bake sales, wedding cakes; all the food brought to a home for the birth of a baby, a sick friend, or a funeral. A satisfying meal and its sweet
last course is what brings us together, anchors us to each other and elevates any good (or sad) time to a memory we cherish. Some say we have too much food; too many choices. If you have ever had to strictly watch what you eat, you become acutely aware of every food commercial on TV and there are plenty. Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other health concerns often can be attributed to stress and overeating. Sometimes one can trigger the other. Sugar is a big player, but we all know too much of anything is not a good idea. Anytime you experience odd symptoms consistently, you should see your physician. They could be stress induced. A woman I knew was fainting and her hair was falling out. She suspected it was due to the contentious divorce she was going through and tried on her own to control her stress level. When she began to wet the bed she decided it was time to see her doctor. He confirmed it was all stress related and they outlined what she could do to help herself. Sometimes medication will be prescribed. On occasion, a scoop of your favorite sorbet or a small dish of pudding can boost morale. It doesn’t even require a doctor’s prescription. And it’s ok to eat it first. +
MYTH OF THE MONTH If a child may have a concussion, keep them awake
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While that has long been held to be medical fact, it is actually a medical myth: there is no valid reason to keep someone awake after suffering a concussion — or even a suspected concussion (in other words, when a doctor hasn’t been consulted). However, there are some important considerations that may be in play. Someone who has suffered a blow to the head whose pupils are dilated, who can’t walk or maintain their balance, or who can’t hold a conversation or tell you what day of the week it is should be evaluated by a doctor. Concussions sometimes involve brief loss of
consciousness, vomiting, or a dazed feeling. Those alone need not automatically trigger a doctor or ER visit. And in the absence of the complications mentioned earlier, there is no need to keep a child awake after a bump to the head, even if it causes a concussion. Concerned parents in such situations are often told to wake up their child once or twice during the night (or their sleeping period) to make sure they are able to be aroused. Most children with concussions recover quickly and completely. + — by F. E. Gilliard, MD, Family Medicine 639 13th St Augusta, GA 30901 706-823-5250
JUNE 5, 2015
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW res? ABOUT WHEN THE THRILL IS GONE
k good eno r skin can ugh cer? son.”
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o
e rose up out of poverty. Picked cotton on the Mississippi delta. Not much education. No family network to rely upon. If he was to get anywhere, he had to get it on his own. No whining or crying or complaining. He dug down deep into himself and grasped the only thing he had. He found a sense of rhythm. Near perfect timing. The ability to express his innermost feelings. He hit an E chord on his cheap guitar. He knew where he was going. He knew what he was going to do ... even though no one believed in him at the time. He quit his plantation job making about $20 a week and headed for local juke joints where he got $12.50 and k
supper each night. The hours were better and the female scenery was much appealing. Soon he graduated to the Chitlin’ Circuit, the loose network of clubs and theaters that allowed African American entertainers to perform during an era of racial segregation. But he had a mental limitation: he could not pick and sing at the same time. He had dumb fingers. If he sang, his fingers would not work. So he developed a new style: play a complicated series of blue notes with lots of bent strings that could make you cry just hearing them. Then sing a few lines. Then play more notes. By playing that way, no one noticed his dumb fingers. Blues Boy King was no longer a cotton picker. He was not only a guitar picker; he was a performer in great demand. Later he would say, “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” (Should not every teacher in the country quote him every day? I think so.) Back then, blues was too heavily laden with overt sexuality to cross over into the white audience where the real money was. He cleaned
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t s e B up songs and did not do overly sexual songs or songs that degraded women or that glorified the thug life style. That was 1949. He polished his skills and along the way Blues Boy King became B.B. King, the King of the Blues. By the mid 60s he was playing 300 shows a year, and for a lot more than $12.50 a night. He named his guitar Lucille. He traveled the world. He played on national TV. He played for royalty in castles. He played for presidents at
e n i c i d ME
the White House. He played for common folks like me at the James Brown Arena. He recorded over 50 albums. His 1971 version of The Thrill Is Gone was a mega-hit. Others had recorded it before, but their versions did not sell. They did not have fire and magic. (If you are over 50 and someone says “The Thrill is Gone” and you don’t think of B.B. King, you may need screening for Alzheimer’s.) He influenced performers all over the world. No knowledgeable blues fan can
Bad Billy Laveau is a formerlyretired MD who wields a pointed sense of humor and now, tongue depressors too. He speaks and entertains at events for audiences not subject to cardiac arrest secondary to overwhelming laughter and glee. BadBilly@knology. net or 706-306-9397.
FREE T AKE-H OME C OPY!
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JUNE 5, 2015
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talk about American music without paying homage to B.B. King. But privately, he was afflicted with more than dumb fingers. He had a more serious personal demon: diabetes mellitus. He handled that privately. He went to good doctors. He followed his doctor’s advice. He ate correctly, at least most of the time. He kept working. He toured regularly until he was 88. He died last month at the age of 89 receiving hospice care in his home. Now, the thrill really is gone. But B. B. left us much through his many hundreds of recordings. He taught our children the importance of learning. B.B. King also showed the world of diabetics how not only to live with, but how to thrive with diabetes. Consider that the average US life expectancy is in the mid-70s, yet even with diabetes, B.B. King would have been 90 this coming September. Maybe you can’t bend strings or play the blues, but you can heed his examples. +
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JUNE 5, 2015
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
#2 IN A SERIES: IMPORTANT PEOPLE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF
Who is this man?
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is name was Paul Ehrlich (1854—1915), and his discoveries and medical advancements have likely benefited you and members of your circle of family and friends. Ehrlich didn’t just coin the word chemotherapy; he invented the technique. With access to a microtome, an instrument that cuts extremely thin sections of tissue for examination under a microscope, Ehrlich began to experiment with staining tissue samples. Stains or pigments added to slides helped make various tissues easier to view under a microscope, but Ehrlich began to notice that some stains readily permeated bacteria, but not healthy human cells. That sparked the idea that perhaps dyes could be developed that simultaneously stained and poisoned the cells which absorbed them, while leaving surrounding tissue undamaged. In fact, Ehrlich is the man who coined the term “magic bullet” to describe a medical weapon that would kill the bad guys and leave the good guys unharmed. Indeed, Ehrlich had discovered magic bullets, molecules that were like keys that fit only the locks they were made for. Ehrlich’s key-lock principle became a cornerstone for the then-emerging medical discipline now known as immunology. He also developed the first effective drug treatment for syphilis, a major public health threat at the beginning of the 20th century, and was a pioneer in combining medicine with chemistry. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in 1908 (jointly awarded to Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov) “in recognition of [their] work on immunity.” Ehrlich was born in March, 1854, in the Kingdom of Prussia in what is now Poland and died on August 20, 1915 in Germany at age 61. +
WE’RE BEGGING YOU! 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!
“The cause was a mystery for a long time.” “And that’s when I fell.” nearest hospital “He doesn’t remember a thing.” “The was 30 miles away.” “I was a battlefield medic.” “He was just two when he died.”
“OUCH!”
“It was a terrible tragedy.” “She saved “I sure learned my lesson.” “I retired from medicine my life.” “It seemed like a miracle.” seven years ago.” “We had triplets.” “It was my first year “I thought, ‘Well, this is it’.” NOTHING SEEMED of medical school.” “They took me to the hospital by helicopter.” TO HELP, UNTIL. . “It took 48 stitches.”
ambulance crashed.” “Now THAT hurt!” “The “My leg was broken “I’m not supposed to be alive.”
“This was on my third day in Afghanistan.” in three places.” “I lost 23 pounds.” “Turned out it was just indigestion.” “At first I thought it was something I ate.” “The smoke detector woke me up.”
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.
JUNE 5, 2015
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
Southern Girl Eats Clean
Chilled Shrimp with Green Tomato Cocktail Sauce Here is a new idea: Green Tomato Cocktail Sauce! I was inspired to create this fabulous appetizer while we were on a trip to Hendersonville, North Carolina. While having dinner at The 3rd Avenue Bistro we ordered a very interesting appetizer on the menu: “Pouched shrimp with green tomato cocktail sauce.” It was so delicious and such a creative use of green tomatoes. It’s tart and sweet all at the same time. I had absolutely no idea of what ingredients the chef used to create his version of this appetizer. I could tell there was horseradish in the sauce and it tasted a bit sweeter than regular red tomato cocktail sauce. The following weekend I went to work in the kitchen. As always, I did not use any processed, non-nutritional ingredients or refined sugars. It took some testing and tasting, but I think I came up with a flavorful alternative sauce for chilled shrimp. It was very close to the dish we were served at The 3rd Avenue Bistro. Green tomatoes are definitely a Southern thing. Generally, we fry them up and slather them with all sorts of unhealthy sauces. This appetizer is a great way to serve green tomatoes and still stick to your clean diet. I hope you’ll give this yummy recipe a try. It will be the perfect summer appetizer to serve at your next party with friends. Enjoy! Ingredients • 2 or 3 large green tomatoes • 1 Vidalia onion • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped • 1-2 Tbsp. of fresh, minced horseradish from the jar (Not prepared horseradish) If using freshly grated you won’t need as much. • 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil • Juice of 1⁄2 lemon • 1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce • 1-2 Tbsp. of local honey • 1 tsp. of sea salt (or Real Salt brand) • 1⁄4 tsp. of cracked black pepper Instructions 1. Slice the green tomatoes and onion and place on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and a very light sprinkle of salt. 2. Place the baking sheet in
Shrimp & Green Tomato Cocktail Sauce a pre-heated oven at 400 for approximately 20 minutes or until tomatoes and onion are softened and turning slightly brown. Use a spatula to turn halfway through cook time. 3. Once done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. 4. Place roasted green tomatoes and Vidalia onion into a high speed blender along with the jalapeno and horseradish. Blend for 1 minute on high. 5. Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, honey, olive oil and salt and pepper to the blender. Blend for another 1 minute approximately or until well
blended. 6. Taste the cocktail sauce and add salt, pepper and honey to taste. (Cocktail sauce should have a slightly sweet taste with the tart tomatoes still coming through) 7. Place in the refrigerator to chill. 8. Once the cocktail sauce is cool, serve with chilled boiled shrimp. + Alisa Rhinehart writes the blog www. southerngirleatsclean. 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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OUR NEWSSTANDS Medical locations: • Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr, 15th St., Main Entrance • Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Uptown Div., Wrightsboro Rd., main lobby • Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Rd, ER Lobby Entrance • Eisenhower Hospital, Main Lobby, Fort Gordon • George C. Wilson Drive (by medical center Waffle House and mail boxes) • GHSU Hospital, 1120 15th Street, South & West Entrances • GHSU Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Main Entrance • GHSU Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Parking Deck entrance • GHSU Hospital, Emergency Room, Harper Street, Main Entrance • GHSU Children’s Medical Center, Harper Street, Main Lobby • GHSU, Laney-Walker Boulevard transit stop, Augusta • Select Specialty Hospital, Walton Way, Main entrance lobby • Trinity Hospital, Wrightsboro Road, main lobby by elevators • Trinity Hospital Home Health, Daniel Village, main lobby • University Health Federal Credit Union/ University Hospital Human Resources, 1402 Walton Way, Main Lobby • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Emergency Room lobby area • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Outside Brown & Radiology/Day Surgery • University Hospital - Columbia County, 465 N. Belair Road, Main Lobby • University Hospital Prompt Care, 3121 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta
Around town: • Barney’s Pharmacy, 2604 Peach Orchard Rd. • Birth Control Source, 1944 Walton Way • GRU Summerville Student Bookstore • Blue Sky Kitchen, 990 Broad Street • Columbia County Library, main branch lobby, Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans • Enterprise Mill (North Tower), 1450 Greene Street, Augusta • Daniel Village Barber Shop, Wrightsboro Road at Ohio Ave. • Hartley’s Uniforms, 1010 Druid Park Ave, Augusta • International Uniforms, 1216 Broad Street, Augusta • Marshall Family Y, Belair Rd, Evans • Mellow Mushroom, 12th and Broad Streets, Augusta • Parks Pharmacy, Georgia Avenue, North Augusta • Southside Family Y, Tobacco Road, Augusta • Surrey Center, Surrey Center Pharmacy, Highland Avenue, Augusta • Top-Notch Car Wash, 512 N. Belair Road, Evans • Wild Wing Cafe, 3035 Washington Road, Augusta
Plus... 600+ doctors offices throughout the area for staff and waiting rooms, as well as many nurses stations and waiting rooms of area hospitals.
JUNE 5, 2015
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
Very little if anything about healthcare is inexpensive, and that includes medicine. Tiny pills can command large prices. Over-the-counter medications may be less expensive, but are they also less effective? Find the answers to lots of your drug store questions in this column written by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson exclusively for the Medical Examiner.
WHAT IS PSORIASIS?
G
ood question. We’ve all heard the word and the jokes about “the heartbreak of psoriasis,” but not many know the details. What is psoriasis and what can you do about it? Psoriasis is a chronic (or long-lasting) disease of the immune system. There are five different varieties of psoriasis – plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic – with plaque psoriasis being the most common at 80% of the cases. It is characterized by red, raised, inflamed lesions covered with silvery white scales. With plaque psoriasis, the immune system is overactive and triggers inflammation of the skin. The skin then starts to rapidly produce new cells faster than it can shed the dead cells, thus causing the plaques. The new skin cell cycle in healthy cells is normally approximately 28-30 days, but in this case, new skin cells are being produced as fast as every 3-4 days. Psoriasis is generally considered a genetic condition. Approximately 10 percent of the general population has the genes for psoriasis, yet only 2-3 percent will ever develop the disease, since it takes just the right (or maybe wrong) mix of genes to do so. For those who do eventually develop the disease, an environmental trigger is usually what causes the disease to become active: stress, an injury to the skin (vaccinations, sunburns, scratches), certain medications, cold/dry weather, or infection (i.e. strep throat). It is not contagious and tends to occur primarily in Caucasian people more than any other race. One important thing to note, however, is that psoriasis is not necessarily limited to just the skin. There are quite a few conditions that often go hand in hand with it. One that is mentioned on television commercials by golfer Phil Mickelson is psoriatic arthritis. Approximately 30 percent of people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis. Unfortunately, this type of arthritis is not just limited to joint inflammation. There is much more involved. There are connections with certain types of cancers, type 2 diabetes,
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Crohn’s Disease, kidney disease, heart disease, depression, uveitis and more. Common symptoms of psoriasis include, but are not limited to: • Raised, red, inflamed lesions • Silvery, scaly plaques • Small, red individual spots (more common in children and young adults) • Dry skin that may crack and bleed • Itching, burning or soreness of the skin • Pitted nails or separation from the nail bed These symptoms may occur most commonly on the knees, elbows or torso, but may also be seen less commonly on the face, hands, feet, genitals, and skin folds. Symptoms appearing in different locations may require different treatments. Since any of these symptoms may be mistaken for other conditions, it is best to let a physician diagnose the condition rather than self-diagnosis and treatment. A dermatologist or rheumatologist can be integral in the management of this disease. Once diagnosed, there are several ways to help make the condition easier to deal with. Your physician may prescribe antihistamines, topical steroids, other topical treatments, or light therapy among other options. There are several non-prescription options as well. Shower in cool water; hot water dries the skin more and causes more itching. Also available from the pharmacy are preparations with salicylic acid (a keralytic agent which peels the scales), urea-containing products (also used to remove scale), coal tar products (slows the rapid growth of the skin cells and helps reduce inflammation, itching and scaling), Epsom salts, Dead Sea salts, oatmeal baths, and moisturizers. Psoriasis may be a life-long condition, but it does not have to be life limiting. + Written by for the Medical Examiner by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson. Questions, comments and article ideas can be sent by email to cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net
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9+
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
DON’T LICK THE BEATERS Useful food facts from dietetic interns with University Hospital’s Augusta Area Dietetic Internship Program
Food for Thought by Catherine Doran, Dietetic Intern
Have you ever heard the phrase “You are what you eat”? Is there any truth to it? Recent studies have shown a link between what we eat and our brain health. Some studies have shown that what we eat might have an effect on the odds of developing memory loss or dementia as we age. Similarly, research has shown that what is good for the heart may also be beneficial in keeping the mind sharp. Heart healthy habits have been associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia from Alzheimer’s disease in later years. Every cell in our body needs a steady supply of oxygen, blood flow and nutrients in order to stay alive and work properly, including brain cells. Because oxygen and nutrients are carried in the blood stream, anything that obstructs blood flow will starve those important brain cells. Diets high in fat and cholesterol can increase the build-up RECIPE of a certain plaque in the brain that is associated the damage found in people SEE PAGE 13 with Alzheimer’s disease. Because of + this, many cardiovascular risk factors (such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure) have been also shown to be risk factors for developing dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease too. If you have heard of the Mediterranean diet, you may know that it is consistent with heart health. Studies have shown that by emphasizing more plant-based foods, consuming healthy fats like olive oil and fish (all components of the Mediterranean diet), can also protect the mind from cognitive disease. This has shown to have the most benefit by encouraging good blood flow to the brain, and is similar to what one would eat to in an effort to prevent heart disease. Components of the Mediterranean diet include: • Avoid foods high in cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats. Replace these less healthy fats with virgin olive oil and fats found in avocados and nuts. • Eat more vegetables each day. Focusing on cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, cabbage and dark leafy greens) can improve the health of your blood vessels by reducing the risk for a memory-damaging stoke. In one Harvard Medical School study that studied 13,000 women over a 25-year period, these vegetables had the biggest on effect on improving memory. Include more legumes which are also good protein sources, like chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils. • Get better acquainted with berries and cherries and add them to your daily menu. Start topping your cereal or desserts with berries too! These are rich sources on anthocyanins and other flavonoids that can aid in cognitive fitness and help boost memory function. Other foods that are great sources of anthocyanins include rhubarb, red beets, red apples, eggplant, grapes and plums. • Walnuts are well-known to have a positive impact on the heart. Research says a neuro-protective benefit is also associated with regular intake of walnuts. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. Eating a handful of walnuts a day may improve concentration and information processing. Almonds and pistachios also make a delicious addition to your snack or salad. Just make sure you are selecting the unsalted varieties. • Eating fatty fish twice a week is good for brain health because it contains Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid that is present in our brains. Having low levels of DHA has been linked with a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease, while higher levels of DHA is linked with prevention. One study showed that people who ate fish at least once a week had a 10 percent slower mental decline than those who did not eat fish. However, Please see FOOD FOR THOUGHT page 13
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JUNE 5, 2015
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
HOT DOG!
ven though summer isn’t officially here yet, someone forgot to tell our thermometers. We’ve frequently been having 90° temperatures since late May, and that’s not likely to change for the next three months. That’s not necessarily a huge issue for most of us, indoor workers that we typically are, but it might be a big deal for our pets, our dogs especially. After all, when was the last time you saw a cat chained to a tree in someone’s yard? Never. The same can’t be said for dogs, who are often chained up, or free to roam but only within the confines of a fenced yard. Depending on the lay of the land, they might have very little shade, and that can be a problem: WebMD quotes a Hebrew University study which found that only half of dogs who suffer heatstroke
survive the experience. If your dog is an outside dog and you work all day, make sure he has two things: shade and fresh water. If there are no trees or natural shade producers, just about anything that casts a shadow will do: a picnic or patio table is a simple solution. It offers shade and is easy to get under — assuming it’s located where Rover has access to it. A fresh bowl of water set out before you go
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to work in the morning might seem sufficient, but what happens after it’s empty? What if it gets tipped over? What if your chained dog runs around a tree a few times and doesn’t realize running in the opposite direction will restore his freedom? It happens, and when it does he might as well be tied up with a 12-inch chain for all the mobility he has. In the meantime, water and shade may be out of reach. Another factor to keep in mind is the sun’s habit of moving across the sky as the day wears on. Have you noticed that too? The metal water bowl you place in the shade at 7:30 in the morning might end up spending much of the day in the blazing sun. The water that doesn’t evaporate is too hot to drink. The solution? Check with your favorite pet store. They have all kinds of clever solutions for both drinking water and cooling mist systems that will help avoid a dangerously hot dog, all without requiring a loan when your water bill arrives. The key principle in keeping your dog healthy and safe in the hot months ahead is the same as it is for getting along with fellow humans: the Golden Rule. If you wouldn’t want to sit out in your yard in the heat of the day, your dog probably won’t either. Try to make it as comfortable for him as you would like it to be and you’ll both do just fine. +
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HOPE Through Adversity by Helen Blocker-Adams
I
THE PAIN OF LOSS
have heard people say that it seems like people are dying now more than ever. I don’t have any facts to justify that statement, but just in my circle of friends and family it seems there have been quite a few deaths over the past 90 days. There is pain in loss. All of us have experienced it. We don’t want to talk about dying, but all of us must Blocker-Adams pass that way sooner or later. As a licensed life insurance agent, I have conversations regularly with people who need and want final expense/funeral benefits. Educating people on this subject is what I like the most about my work, even though it’s something most prefer to put on the back burner. If you’re young and healthy, your monthly premium is significantly lower than someone who is older and in bad health. It baffles me how many people, even with health problems, do not have life insurance. We pay for auto insurance, health insurance, and fitness centers, but fail to see value in insurance that will bring peace to our family long after we’re gone. A 2010 study by the Life Insurance and Market Research Association showed that 56 percent of Americans do not have an individual life insurance policy and that 30 percent have no life insurance at all. Here are some reasons
why many do not have (or want to discuss) life insurance. 1). No current benefit. People are reluctant to spend money on something that has no immediate value. 2). There is no legal requirement to have life insurance, unlike auto insurance and more recently, health insurance. Could it be that some people do not feel compelled to purchase insurance that does not benefit them personally? Sounds selfish, doesn’t it? 3). Fear of death. Some people tell me that planning in advance gives them the sense that they’re going to die sooner than they would like. 4). Disbelief in their own death. Comments like “I’m too young to die” or “I work out and eat healthy; I’m not going to die soon.” Many people simply can’t conceptualize that they will one day not be living here on earth. Families are left in dire financial straits, deceased remains stay idle at funeral homes much longer than they ought to, fundraisers are started, and donations being asked for are some of the situations occurring every day all across the U.S., because a family member made a decision NOT to purchase life insurance or final expense/funeral benefits. Is this really what you want to do? What value are we placing on our families by being negligent in this area? We all have a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to our family by planning today for tomorrow. Taking a proactive approach can help minimize the pain of loss! + Helen unBLOCKer Adams Educator, Life Coach/Mentor, Life Agent, Author, Transformational Speaker, Social Entrepreneur www.workinginlife.com www.twitter.com/hbadams
JUNE 5, 2015
11 +
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
From the Bookshelf The blog spot — Posted by Zina Jayne at medium.com on May 28, 2015
HOW I MAY HAVE SAVED THE LIFE OF THE PERSON IN LINE BEHIND ME AT THE POST OFFICE TODAY It’s entirely possible that I saved someone’s life earlier today at the post office, though the woman in question did not seem grateful about it at all. I was there to mail forms to a government office that still insists on pen-and-ink signatures. Only one station was open at the long counter. I was next in line, waiting while a man mailed several packages. A woman came in and got in line behind me. We gave each other one of those tight little smiles meant to indicate one’s courteous and upbeat nature without encouraging conversation with a potential crazy person, over-sharer, or loud complainer. I stood there in my jeans and t-shirt, she in her skirt suit. Just as the man with the many packages was about to move away from the counter, a woman came rushing in the door and went straight up to the counter. Before the postal clerk could tell her to wait in line, she frantically explained that her husband had brought in a package to mail and had put the wrong address on it and she desperately hoped it hadn’t gone out yet. The clerk went and found the package. The woman gave a huge sigh of relief and explained that her husband had put the wrong zip code on the return address. I laughed quietly inside at this irrelevant panic, and the woman behind me crossed her arms impatiently and shook her head unamused. Now it was my turn at the counter. I handed over my manila envelope to be weighed and stickered and tossed in the outgoing bin. I also needed to buy stamps. “No flags, please. Something fun that my kids will approve of.” The clerk pulled out winter scene stamps, which bothered me because this is Florida and predictable scenes of sledding and snowmen are incongruous. When he saw my slight frown, he said, “I’ve got circus stamps....” I enthusiastically requested those, but he had to go in the back to get them. There was an audible sigh from the woman behind me in line. At first I felt bad for taking up time at the only open station over something as frivolous as postage stamp design. But then I realized that this little irritating delay I was causing the woman behind me could be preventing her from getting in a terrible traffic accident. Maybe if I had taken the boring winter scene stamps and quickly been on my way, this woman would have left the post office 3 minutes sooner, and would have been going through an intersection 3 minutes sooner, and that would have been exactly when an overtired truck driver ran a stop light and plowed into her. Maybe her neighbor is cutting down a tree right now and, because he miscalculated, that tree is going to fall on her driveway. Maybe it’s going to fall exactly 5 minutes before she gets home from the post office, but maybe that if the silly woman in line in front of her hadn’t been so picky about stamp choices, she would have been home just in time to be crushed by the tree. I was contemplating the numerous possibilities of how I might be saving this woman’s life when the clerk came back with a big smile on his face, offering a choice of circus stamps or Batman stamps. Of course I took the Batman stamps...I have very conflicted feelings about the circus, but our whole household loves Batman. I gathered up my change and my stamps feeling quite satisfied with my good deed and, without even looking back, left the woman behind me to continue her impatient sighing, in blissful ignorance of the thin margin by which she survived, free to now go about her busy day. +
Not that she cared.
THE MONEY DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU (in our next issue)
Oliver Sacks has had quite a career as a writer. Then again, he’s had 81 years to write, but this book may well be his last: earlier this year he measured his remaining life expectancy in “months” after metastases from an ocular tumor that was treated nine years ago were found in his liver. As he wrote in The New York Times in announcing his impending demise, he has had a remarkable run. His second book, 1973’s Awakenings, was made into a memorable Oscar-nominated movie of the same name, and what made the film so noteworthy was that it was true. Sacks discovered a ward full of patients who were apparently vacant shells — unknowing, unspeaking victims of an encephalitis epidemic decades before. As it turned out, they were alert and conscious and fully comprehending their surroundings the entire time. Sacks discovered a way to bring them back to life, so to speak, (hence the book’s title) only to lose them again as the medication gradually lost its effectiveness. Another notable book in the
Sacks catalog was 1985’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat And Other Clinical Tales — 24 of them to be exact. The fascinating case studies in this book and others Sacks wrote no doubt spawned thousands of careers in psychiatry, psychology, neurology and other disciplines in mental health. That title may have been particularly close to home for Sacks, who has prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces. This book, however, is unlike all of Sacks’ previous writings. As befits a man whose days are numbered, this is not another
compendium of numerous cases studies, but of just one: his own. This is his autobiography. He reveals a lot, including his numerous brushes with death things that probably made him a better practitioner in his field (neurology): his past addiction to amphetamines. And he sets the record straight what was completely wrong with the portrayal of him by Robin Williams in Awakenings. As Sacks wrote on learning he has terminal cancer, “When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate — the genetic and neural fate — of every human being to be a unique individual.” While Sacks admitted he was not without fear, he said his predominant feeling at the end of his life is gratitude. “Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege + and adventure.” On the Move — A Life, by Oliver Sacks, M.D., 418 pages, published in April 2015 by Knopf
Research News Something new under the sun A Yale University study released this past February discovered something previously unknown about prolonged exposure to the sun: the damage continues after you go inside. The primary sunburn does, indeed, occur while a person is in the sun; the second wave is chemical in nature. The Yale study found that when sunlight hits the skin it activates a couple of enzymes which, in turn, make chemicals that react with each other, and these in turn excite an electron in melanin, the very skin pigment often thought to protect us from sun exposure. The energy in the electron then causes damage in DNA. The entire process, which occurs over several hours, had never been observed before the research conducted by Brash and his colleagues. The study adds another excellent reason to limit sun exposure and use sunscreens.
Tattoos are long-term And we don’t mean ink-wise. We mean medically. Researchers at NYU’s Langone Medical Center surveyed 300 tattooed adults and found that up to 10 percent have longterm symptoms like infections, itching, swelling, and delayed healing that has lasted longer than four months, and in some cases, for many years. The research team was not surprised. For one thing, skin is a key component of our immune systems, a first line of defense. It would be a shock if repeatedly injecting a foreign substance into the skin did not cause a reaction. And those foreign substances vary from color to color and from one ink manufacturer to the next (red is the color most likely to cause a reaction). There is no national ink standard or industry uniformity. In addition, the study found that when people do have some kind of allergic reaction to a tattoo, only one in three seek medical assistance. Most go back to the tattoo parlor for advice.
When medical intervention happens, it can range from anti-inflammatory steroid drugs, laser surgery, and in extreme cases, surgery is sometimes necessary to remove built-up scar tissue and skin lesions. The research was published May 27 online in the journal Contact Dermatitis. Eating for two? Don’t. University of Chicago researchers say that one-third of new mothers whose weight was normal before pregnancy were overweight or obese a full year after childbirth. The 774 women surveyed gained an average of 32 pounds during pregnancy. At the one-year mark 75 percent remained heavier than they had been before pregnancy, and almost half still weighed at least 10 pounds more than they did pre-pregnancy. A maximum of 300 to 400 extra calories per day while pregnant is recommended, while breast-feeding and moderate exercise can promote weight loss after delivery. +
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JUNE 5, 2015
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
THE EXAMiNERS
THE MYSTERY WORD
+
by Dan Pearson
Yes. In fact, You used to live in I was a nurse at England? Buckingham Palace.
I bet you could tell some stories.
But in general terms, what was the most common ailment in the palace?
Not that I would, of course.
The Mystery Word for this issue: MAMALONE
Royal pain. © 2015 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.
Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com
EXAMINER CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
ACROSS 1. Light wood 6. _____ League 10. Patrol route 14. Regions 15. Repeat 16. Scratch 17. Certain areas of sand 18. Medical prefix 19. Ostrichlike bird 20. Immune disorder 21. ______ it a pity? 23. Aptitude 25. Abroad 27. Inactive 28. Governing bodies 29. ____ result 30. Smoltz stat 32. Place for flowers 33. Augusta’s North _____ 34. _____ killer 35. Lieu 38. Shoulder-fired weapon (abbrev) 39. Fine or tax 40. Certain MD 41. Pale 42. Synonym for 10-A 43. Trauma pt. destinations 44. For what 45. Ornament with embroidery 49. Par on some holes 51. Use IV drugs 52. Capital of Albania 53. Highly excited 54. Drink like a dog 55. Half a CSX track 56. Health nut’s entree? 58. Site of famous Mexican victory 60. Sea eagle 61. Great lake 62. Teacher 63. Hurricane centers
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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 All rights reserved
34. Iris center 35. Eye to eye beginning 36. __________ care (in medicine) 37. Preserve and honor, as in Cooperstown 38. Floyd, Masters champion 39. Circular gateway in a wall 41. Made of wheat 42. The Musketeers, for one 44. Benign cyst on the skin 45. Rectangular gem cut 46. Widen; expand 47. Captivate; fill with liking or admiration 48. Type of card 50. Abnormal breath sounds 51. Organized crime 52. ______ house 57. Metal-bearing mineral 59. Light (in Latin)
DOWN 1. Literary anticlimax 2. Reach, as a destination 3. Yeast 4. Plant juice 5. ______ living 6. Concert and game venues 7. Leases 8. Build on 9. Starting a computer 10. To drink deeply; pour a drink for (literary) 11. Delicate; fragile 12. Having no center 13. _____ does it! 22. Reproductive part of a plant 24. Common conjunction 26. Capital of Morocco 29. Brainwave abbreviation 31. Fire ____ 33. Hosp. employee
N N T H
H E O
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— Ambrose Bierce, 1842 — 1914
DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once. Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line. Solution on page 14.
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com
64. Trim 65. Put forth
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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 All rights reserved. Built with software from www.crauswords.com
U D O K U
DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.
Solution p. 14
Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle above. All the listed letters following #1 are the first letters of the various words; the letters following #2 are the second letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.
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7 — John Ruskin
1.WAASPHUMMVI 2.PAMINERAA 3.KRAMARN 4.CELSPY 5.PLEES 6.LLE 7.DF
SAMPLE:
1. ILB 2. SLO 3. VI 4. NE 5. D =
L 1
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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 All rights reserved
WORDS NUMBER
All Mystery Word finders will be eligible to win by random drawing. We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!
JUNE 5, 2015
THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...
M
ost problems in this country can be blamed on the ill-advised immigration policies of the American Indian. Jack was on his deathbed with his wife, Jackie, at his side. With tears streaming down his face, Jack said, “Jackie, I must confess that...” “Hush,” Jackie interrupted. “Don’t try to talk.” “No,” said Jack. “I want to die with a clean conscience. I have to tell you that I’ve been unfaithful to you.” “I knew that,” Jackie replied soothingly. “Why do you think I poisoned you?” “I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.” — Steven Wright What did the dyslexic rabbi say after a particularly rough day? “Yo!” Two cheapskates were eating lunch one day when one of them said, “Man, the food at this place is absolutely terrible.” “I agree 100 percent,” said the other, “and look at how small the portions are.”
“It’s too bad the Concorde isn’t flying anymore,” said Joe. “Supersonic commercial flight will never succeed — ever,” said Moe. “Why not?” asked Joe. “Do you want to watch a movie you can’t hear until two hours after you land?” asked Moe.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT… from page 9 don’t start eating fish when you begin noticing symptoms of memory loss. Start eating fish regularly now and think of it as a 401k plan for your memory! Types of fatty fish include salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, trout and herring. If you like the popular hummus dip that can be found in any grocery store, you must like chickpeas! Here is an easy, quick recipe for a summer salad that will go well with your grilled chicken or fish.
I believe you should savor and celebrate every day as if it is your very last day on earth. Which is why I don’t have any clean clothes because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of his life? “My friend really hit it big on his trip to Vegas,” said Jane. “Really?” said Jill. “I’ll put it to you this way: he drove there in a $20,000 car and came home in a $100,000 bus.” Ancient Proverb: Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties. The less than well-endowed wife started ironing as the argument with her husband droned on. “Why do you iron your bra when you have nothing to put in it?” he asked snidely. “I iron your shorts, don’t I?” she replied. What did the patient say to the plastic surgeon who helped her out of the examination chair? “Thanks for the lift!” +
Why subscribe to the Medical Examiner? Because no one should have to make a trip to the doctor or the hospital just to read Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper.
CHICKPEA SALAD • 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (drain and rinse to get rid of some of the sodium) • 4 Tablespoons virgin olive oil • 1 cup chopped onion (now is the time to use some of those Vidalia onions!) • 1 cup chopped red, green or yellow (or a combination of) sweet peppers • 1 cup chopped black olives • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper • 3 Tablespoons white vinegar Mix above ingredients and marinate for a few hours or overnight. Serve over a bed of salad greens. Makes 4-6 servings Although there is no guaranteed way to prevent age-related diseases or normal aging processes, there is much research to support that proper attention to what we eat can slow, delay or prevent memory loss in some cases. Choose these foods that will encourage good blood flow to the brain and sustain health to your whole body. +
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JUNE 5, 2015
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: EXERCISE ...cleverly hidden (in the money) in the p. 7 ad for DELTA FINANCE Congratulations to ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ, who scores a coveted Scrubs of Evans gift card, 2 movie passes courtesy of Health Center Credit Union, and a $20 Wild Wing Cafe gift certificate. Want to find your name here next issue? The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!
The Celebrated MYSTERY WORD CONTEST ...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package! SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher.
EXAMINER CLASSIFIEDS HOMES, APARTMENTS, ROOMMATES, LAND, ETC. ONE BDRM COTTAGE FOR RENT with off-street parking/carport in Hill area 2 blocks from college. Washer/dryer. We furnish water, you pay electric. $675/$500 dep. No pets. (706) 736-7168; email: ronst79@gmail.com Pictures avail. ROOMMATE WANTED! 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath house with pool, 2 minutes from colleges. Perfect for medical or grad students. $425+share utils. 706.993.6082 WEST AUGUSTA House for rent. 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1500 sqft, 1-car garage, 3024 Sterling Road, located off Stevens Creek at Riverwatch Pkwy. $850/mo. Call 678467-7187. AUGUSTAGAHOMESEARCH.COM Foreclosures • MLS • Rentals • Builders 706-564-5885 FOR SALE: GORGEOUS, immaculate, never occupied townhome located mins from Medical District. 2 bed, 2 bath, master en suite, walk-in closets, office. 1450 sq ft. hardwood floors throughout, fabulous upgrades, custom kitchen and baths. Floor to ceiling windows, fenced yard. Partially furnished! 120k OBO. 803-507-6621.
HELP WANTED CHIROPRACTIC ASSISTANT NEEDED to work mornings. Great job for Mom with school-age children. Some experience preferred but not necessary. Non-smoker. (706) 860-4001 PART TIME HELP NEEDED Flexible independent contractor tutoring opportunity with locally owned educational services company. Students served include K-12 and college seeking support in ALL subjects. Immediate openings for Spanish, anatomy, physics and statistics tutors. Contact info@maeseducationcenter.com
SERVICES HOUSE CLEANING Your house, apartment, rental move-outs. Thorough, dependable. Weekly, or whatever schedule you prefer. References. 706.267.9947
F. E. GILLIARD, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Acute & Chronic Illnesses Occupational Medicine PROMPT APPOINTMENTS 706-823-5250
MISCELLANEOUS CEMETERY SPACES (2) Sunset Memorial Gardens, Graniteville SC adjacent to lighted military flagstaff, includes granite bench with urn space, installation and inscription. All $4700 ($8600 value). Spaces only: $2700. Call (803) 295-3033 FISHING CLUB wants more grey-haired members. Meet 2nd Thurs of month at Harbor Inn Restaurant, 12 noon. “Adventure Before Dementia” Info: (706) 736-8753 or (706) 829-1729 PET CARE in Martinez-Evans area. Dogs to 40 lbs, $9.00. Cats (1-3), $9.00 For interview/information, phone 706-829-1729
DOES YOUR HOME NEED CLEANING? A little of that extra? Need organizing assistance or help to make clutter vanish? Seniors will get a discount. 706-7553803
CEMETERY PLOTS Side-by-side cemetery plots for sale located at the Heart Section of Hillcrest Cemetery. $3600 for BOTH. (706) 798-8495
BIBLE BY PHONE - Free daily Bible readings; for Spiritual Encouragement and Growth. Call 706-855-WORD (9673)
Thanks for reading the Medical Examiner!
The new scrambled Mystery Word is found on page 12
SENDING US A CLASSIFIED? WHAT’S YOUR DRUG OF CHOICE? USE THE FORM BELOW AND MAIL IT IN, OR GO TO WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM AND PLACE & PAY CONVENIENTLY AND SAFELY ONLINE. THANKS!
(OURS IS COFFEE)
Augusta Medical Examiner Classifieds
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QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: Page 12: “Death is not the end — there remains the litigation.”
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COFFEE IS GOOD MEDICINE
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www.AugustaRx.com
JUNE 5, 2015
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
WORLD… from page 1
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In Canada, I did my rotation in a northern area, which had its limitations. There is a huge doctor shortage in Canada, and psychiatrists are no exception. In Canada if an individual needs psychiatric care, they have to first see their primary care doctor and get a referral. In the northern area that I rotated in, the doctor shortage made it difficult for some patients to even have a primary care physician. Then in a lot of instances, the psychiatrist would meet with the patient once, do an initial evaluation, and make recommendations for the primary care physician to continue with the care. The psychiatric unit of the hospital was almost always full, and patients had to wait in the emergency department, anywhere from a few days up to a week, before being admitted to the psych floor. Because of the doctor shortage, patients in the hospital were seen by the psychiatrist only about once a week, which actually made for longer patient
MEDICAL EXAMINER
stays. Something that I did notice that was a bit more liberal in Canadian hospitals was the use of passes. If patients were doing well they were given day passes or weekend passes more frequently then I have noticed in St. Kitts or the US. Another notable difference in Canada is psychiatrists are not really available on call. If the patient has a problem between visits they either wait until their next appointment or go to the emergency room if the problem is serious enough. Overall, I don’t know if I could say any one system I worked in was better or worse. They were all just different. And this was just a small snapshot into each situation as it presented itself to me. +
IS ONLINE • AugustaRx.com/news • -OR-
• issuu.com/medicalexaminer •
Tiffany Thompson is a native of Canada currently doing a psychiatry rotation in Augusta. She is a medical student at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St. Kitts pursuing a career in psychiatry.
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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY DERMATOLOGY
ALLERGY
Tesneem K. Chaudhary, MD Allergy & Asthma Center 3685 Wheeler Road, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555
CHIROPRACTIC
Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 706-733-3373 www.GaDerm.com
DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS
Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William M. Rice 108 SRP Drive, Suite A 706-860-4001 www.evanschiro.net Poppell Chiropractic Clinic 1106-A Furys Lane Martinez 30907 706-210-2875 Most insurance plans accepted
COUNSELING Resolution Counseling Professionals 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com
DENTISTRY Dr. Judson S. Hickey Periodontist 2315-B Central Ave Augusta 30904 706-739-0071
LASER SERVICES
Karen L. Carter, MD 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com
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
Medical Massage Stuart Farnell L.M.T. 803-646-1846 jsfarnell@att.net www.FarnellClinic.com
Roger M. Smith, M.D. 820 St. Sebastian Way Suite 5-A Augusta 30901 706-724-3339
Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd. Augusta 30909 706-733-1935
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Group & Benefits Consultants Inc. 3515 Wheeler Rd, Bldg. C Augusta 30909 706-733-3459 www.groupandbenefits.com
F. E. Gilliard, MD Family Medicine 639 13th Street Augusta 30901 706-823-5250 Industrial Medicine • Prompt appts. Urgent MD Augusta: 706-922-6300 Grovetown: 706-434-3500 Thomson: 706-595-7825 Primary Care Rates
M.D.S:
MEDICAL MASSAGE
OPHTHALMOLOGY
DRUG REHAB
FAMILY MEDICINE Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!
Ideal Image 339 Furys Ferry Rd Martinez 30907 1-800-BE-IDEAL • www.idealimage.com Schedule a FREE Consultation
PHARMACY Medical Center West Pharmacy 465 North Belair Road Evans 30809 706-854-2424 www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. N. Augusta 29841 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com
SENIOR LIVING Augusta Gardens Senior Living Community 3725 Wheeler Road Augusta 30909 SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 706-868-6500 www.augustagardenscommunity.com
...SENIOR LIVING
Cornerstone Compassion Center 420 Warren Road Augusta 30907 706-228-5359 or 706-394-6518 Assisted Living • Personal Care
SLEEP MEDICINE Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Centered in Georgia Diane Young L.M.T. 4488 Columbia Rd Martinez 30907 706-251-2244
VEIN CARE Vein Specialists of Augusta G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 706-854-8340 www.VeinsAugusta.com
WEIGHT LOSS Medical Weight & Wellness Specialists of Augusta Maycie Elchoufi, MD 108 SRP Drive, Suite B Evans 30809 • 706-829-9906 www.mwwsAugusta.com
SUPPORT YOUR PRACTICE - AND THE MEDICAL EXAMINER A simple listing in the Professional Directory is less than $100 for six months or less than $200 for an entire year, and puts your contact information in front of 30,000 readers a month. CALL 706.860.5455 TODAY AND BE IN THE NEXT ISSUE
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER
JUNE 5, 2015
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