May1 15 by Daniel Pearson

F RE E!

AUGUSTA

MEDICAL EXAMINER recipe feature PAGE 7

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

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

AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

MAY 1, 2015

MAY IS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH

Bikers should be seen and not hurt BETTER HEALTH in just 5 minutes or less

Think being healthy takes a huge investment of time and energy? The CDC says Take 5! Or less! Small changes that only take a little time can go a long way to improve or maintain good health. In five minutes or less, you can: 1. Wash your hands Handwashing is one of the best things we can do to keep from getting sick and avoid spreading germs to others. Learn when and how to wash your hands the recommended way. 2. Buckle up Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half. Seat belt use is the most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries in crashes. Get the facts about seat belts. 3. Protect your skin Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. To protect your skin use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, seek shade, cover up and avoid indoor tanning. 4. Read food labels Look at nutrition labels to know what you’re eating. See how much fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, and other ingredients are in your food. 5. Test your smoke alarm Test your smoke alarm once a month to make sure it works properly. Replace the batteries if needed during the time change each spring and fall. 6. Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and stroke Every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Learn the symptoms of a heart attack and stroke. These tips are just a few of the many things you can do in five minutes or less. Learn more small steps you can take to improve your health at cdc.gov. +

oday, more people are riding motorcycles than ever before. Motorcycle riders represent almost every demographic group in the country. Riders now tend to be more affluent than 30 years ago. The average age of riders has increased, and more women are riding than ever before. The profile of who crashes and who dies has changed too: • Age: Young people are not the only ones dying in motorcycle crashes. In 2010, more than half the people killed in motorcycle crashes were 40 or older, up from 25% in 1995. • Helmets: Forty-one percent While only 10% of motorcycle operators and 50% of motorcyclists of motorcycle passengers who killed in crashes died in 2010 were not wearing a in 2010 were helmet. women, almost • Location: More people are all passengers killed in motorcycle crashes on killed in rural roads now than 20 years motorcycle ago. Roughly half of all crashes crashes (89%) + take place on rural roads. were women. • Alcohol: When people drink and ride, they are at much greater risk of crashing and dying. Twenty-eight percent of motorcycle riders who died in 2010 had a blood alcohol concentration that was at or above the legal limit of .08 g/dL. • Motorcycle Type: The majority of people who die in crashes are riding sport motorcycles with mid-size engines designed to maximize speed and agility. — Source: CDC

Sobering statistics Motorcycles made up just 3 percent of all registered vehicles in 2012, according to NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And they account for a mere 0.7 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Despite those microscopic figures, motorcyclists are responsible for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities and 18 percent of all fatalities when you count both bikers and their passengers.

MAY we help you find the perfect scrubs?

Put this guy on a motorcycle, and ironically enough, he’s hard to spot.

Per mile traveled, motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to die in traffic accidents than people in cars. The most common type of motorcycle crash involves striking fixed objects — trees, signs, poles, bridges — not other vehicles. When another vehicle is involved, the most common cause is a vehicle turning left in front of a motorcycle that is going straight. Prevention strategies Not every state requires motorcyclists to wear helmets. South Carolina, where a universal helmet law is not on the books, had 146 motorcycle fatalities on its roads in 2012. 70 percent were not wearing helmets. In Georgia by comparison, where helmet use is mandated, there were 134 deaths, only 6 percent of which were cases of non-helmeted motorcyclists. Please see MOTORCYCLES page 15

Our mission is to help you look your best.

Signature Series Scrubs (706) 364.1163 • WWW.SCRUBSOFEVANS.COM • 4158 WASHINGTON RD • ACROSS FROM CLUB CAR • M-F: 10-6:30; SAT: 10-4

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

BETTER BUSINESS

HEALTHIER BUSINESS by Russell T. Head, CBC, CSA

LEGAL CONCERNS FOR WELLNESS PLANS

any employers offer wellness programs for their employees as a way to reduce health care costs, encourage healthier lifestyles, and prevent disease by offering Russell Head employees incentives for certain healthy behaviors defined by the employer. These plans generally are popular with employees and sometimes even pay for themselves in decreased costs relating to health care and absenteeism. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) even offers incentives for employers who utilize certain wellness programs. The Problem Last year, however, the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) gave at least three employers a wake-up call when the agency charged that they had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by punishing employees too harshly for not participating in wellness plans. In one case, employees who did not complete a health risk assessment were charged their entire health plan premium (plus a $50 non-participation penalty), leading the EEOC to claim the penalty was so steep that it rendered the program “involuntary,” in violation of the requirements of the ADA. The Proposed Solution Employers have complained that by making these charges, the EEOC is holding employers accountable for a standard which has not been defined. In response, the EEOC released proposed regulations on April 16, 2015 that describe how the ADA might apply to wellness programs. The proposed regulations establish the following parameters: • Reasonable Design. To be compliant under the ADA, plans must be reasonably designed to promote health or prevent disease. Plans that collect medical information, but fail to use the data to provide feedback to employees about their health risks, or to design programs aimed at particular medical conditions would be out of compliance.

MAY 1, 2015

• Limited Incentives. The proposed rules clarify that the ADA would allow employers to offer incentives up to 30% of the cost of employee-only coverage to employees who participate in a wellness program. (Cost of coverage includes employer and employee contributions.) Incentives more than 30% of that cost would be considered excessive and render the plan “involuntary.” • Voluntary. Employees may not be required to participate in wellness plans, may not be denied coverage or given reduced benefits if they do not participate in wellness plans, and may not be disciplined for not participating in wellness plans. • Employee Notice and Confidentiality. For wellness programs that are part of a group health plan, the employer must provide a notice to employees explaining what medical information will be collected, how it will be used, who will receive it, and how it will be kept confidential. Generally, employers may only receive medical information in aggregate form that does not disclose the identity of individual employees. • Reasonable Accommodations. For employees with disabilities, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to allow them to participate in wellness plans. For example, an employer who offers an incentive for attending a nutrition class

may need to provide a sign language interpreter for an employee who is deaf. The Next Steps The EEOC will accept public comment on the proposed rule though June 19. Final regulations will be issued, perhaps as soon as the fall of 2015. Meanwhile, employers are not required to follow the proposed guidelines; however, the agency has said that it is “unlikely” that a court or the EEOC would find an employer to be in violation of the ADA if it has voluntarily complied with these guidelines in anticipation of the final regulations. To help employers better understand the proposed rules, the EEOC has provided a Fact Sheet and a set of Questions and Answers, 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.eeoc.gov www.ada.gov www.hhs.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. +

Signs a senior loved one’s needs are changing by Kathy Crist Dad sometimes leaves the garage door up all night with his keys in the car. Mom stays in the same outfit for days and limits her bathing. Uncle Henry’s desk is stacked with piles of bills, health insurance letters and bank statements—all unopened. At first, these behaviors seemed a bit out of the ordinary, but now you are beginning to wonder if something is shifting in your senior loved ones’ health and daily care needs. The warning signs of when aging affects a family member may be gradual at first, but can quickly cause larger challenges. If you bring up the subject to your older adult, he or she may just brush off the Crist topic by stating, “I’m fine. There is no need to worry.” Recognizing true limitations of aging is not always clear-cut, but it may be time to seek outside help if you notice these differences in older adults:

Do you experience vaginal dryness, itching, irritation, or painful intercourse?

Then the Rejoice Trial may be right for you! This national medical research study is evaluating an investigational

LOCAL SITE INFO:

medication to see if it can help reduce

MASTERS OF CLINICAL RESEARCH

the severity of these symptoms, which

706-210-8890

are often experienced by postmenopausal women.

Call 800-70-REJOICE (800-707-3564) or visit RejoiceTrial.com for more information and to see if you qualify.

• Communication and relationship changes with family and friends. • Neglect of personal care. • Poor nutrition, or weight loss or gain. • Financial mismanagement, such as unusual purchases or unpaid bills. • Spoiled food that accumulates in the home and is not tossed out. • A growing collection of nicks and dents in the car. • Confusion and uncertainty with accomplishing regular tasks. • Difficulties with balance, walking or mobility. For many families, there comes a time for “the conversation” with their senior loved one about needing help with everyday activities. Fortunately, it’s a relief to know that experienced home healthcare professionals understand which aging and health changes warrant caregiver help and when and how to take more purposeful steps to support your aging loved one. As your older loved one’s condition begins to flux, here are suggestions for helping you move from guarded concern to appropriate action: • Document changes you notice in your senior loved one. Accompany your senior to doctor appointments so you can hear the medical information firsthand and speak directly with your loved one’s physician. • Involve siblings and significant decision-makers. It is important to share the facts of your loved one’s care needs with your siblings and your elder’s medical and legal power of attorney representatives. See CHANGING page 6

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

SEE PAGE SIX

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.)

MEDICAL EXAMINER

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.

Spring

Put some into your wardrobe with new Koi arrivals now in stock! INTERNATIONAL UNIFORM

Spring in FOR THESE SAVINGS!

25% OFF

ANY ONE ITEM IN THE STORE! Must present this ad. May not be combined with other offers or discounts. Not valid with $19.95 scrub set or on sale or clearance merchandise. Limit one coupon per customer per day. This coupon expires 5-15-15.

1216 BROAD ST • 706-722-4653 HOURS: MON - FRI 9 - 6, SAT. 10 - 4.

WWW.IUISCRUBS.COM

LIKE US FOR A FREE GIFT!

HOME OF THE WORLD FAMOUS $19.95 SCRUB SET

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

OLD NEWS +

POINTS OF INTEREST TO FORMER KIDS by Trisha Whisenhunt, Senior Citizens Council

EVERY CRIME IS A HATE CRIME

Don’t feel like kissing your money goodbye? The Medical Examiner offers advertisers a focused, specific, targeted audience. If your marketing program values quality over quantity, the Examiner may be just what the doctor ordered.. Call today!

CALL 706-860-5455 DIALING ONE OF OUR ADVERTISERS? PLEASE LET THEM KNOW YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE MEDICAL EXAMINER.

THANKS for reading

hy is the word hate attached to certain crimes? Isn’t the commission of any crime odious enough? There are sentencing guidelines for every illegal act depending on circumstances and intent; those guidelines vary in order to cover all foreseeable situations. So why assign additional punishment because a Protestant kills a Catholic? If we are truly the melting pot we imagine ourselves to be, it shouldn’t be a factor. Our laws are in place to protect all of us. No matter who you are, if a crime is committed against you the perpetrator will face the appropriate punishment for the offense regardless of your race, creed, religion, sexual orientation or economic station. In the United States, we are expected to be tolerant of everyone in an effort to get along and make this a better country. So why do we segregate ourselves by having a history month for one race, TV channels for others, medical clinics and laws for those of a different sexuality? By singling out different groups, it reinforces and emphasizes our differences

and flies in the face of the founding principle that we are all equal. Under our judicial system we are all the same. Lady Justice stands with a sword in one hand, a scale in the other and she is blindfolded — not blind — focused on the crime. We are judged on our actions and intent alone. It is the intent which customizes the crime to the individual, not their beliefs or the expression of them. If a crime is not committed accidentally or due to mental illness the courts are obliged to prove intent, and that offers us a view of the dark side of human nature. The

existence of violence against our fellow man is already the worst of whom we are. To suggest the crime was committed only because the perpetrator didn’t agree with his victim’s politics is, in itself, bigoted. The government can’t legislate people to feel a certain way, nor should they try. People have a right to feel, live, think and speak as they wish, even if it’s distasteful to the majority. We have free will and free speech under the Constitution. Adding extra fines or prison time because a person holds a prejudice is the direct opposite of what we are about. The required reading of Orwell’s 1984 in high school clearly comes to mind. By using our differences as identifiers, we separate ourselves, perpetuating and deepening the division. We don’t need to know a person is transgender. It isn’t anyone’s business. Why should anyone identify themselves by their sexual orientation, religion or political views? Those labels don’t tell us the character of the person. What we should concern ourselves with when interacting with each other is what we are, not who we are. It was Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who, under the pseudonym of S.G. Tallentyne, wrote the biography of Voltaire titled, “The Friends of Voltaire” published in 1906. In it she wrote: “I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” +

MYTH OF THE MONTH We use only 10 percent of our brains.

and for your support of our advertisers

We’ve all heard this one, and it gains credence by supposedly being attributed to Albert Einstein. It isn’t true, but you would never know it by pop culture references to this enduring myth. Remember the 2014 film Lucy? Its plot, generally speaking, explored getting greater brain power through chemistry. In truth, almost all of the brain is active almost all of the time. Granted, some areas might be more active than others depending on what we’re doing, but there is no part of the brain that isn’t firing on all cylinders most of the time, even when we’re asleep. Brain cells that aren’t used for some reason (like injury or disease) tend to atrophy or

degenerate anyway, so if 90 percent of the brain was unused, pretty soon only the active 10 percent would remain. This doesn’t mean that our brains are operating at 100 percent capacity. We never reach a point of learning when our brains are “full,” and not capable of taking in even one more fact. There’s always room for more. Scientists have never located that 90 percent of the brain that is unused for one simple reason: it doesn’t exist. + — by F. E. Gilliard, MD, Family Medicine 639 13th St Augusta, GA 30901 706-823-5052

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW res?

ABOUT THE FLUID OF LONGEVITY

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

ife as we know it is dependent upon water. Water has 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The molecule is bent at 109 degrees which causes it to expand when frozen. Without this unique property, ice would sink to the bottom of the ocean and we would not have the ice caps at the North Pole and South Pole. Life as we know it would not be possible. The human body is about 85% water. Thousands of chemical compounds are dissolved in that water, allowing billions of your cells to live and function. Curiously, the pH of blood is almost the same as the pH of ocean water. Your pH must remain within a very tight range for you live. Maintaining proper pH is dependent on balancing your fluid electrolyte intake and the fluid you lose through perspiration and elimination. Today, we don’t drink enough water and we consume too many high fructose corn syrup beverages. We consume too much alcohol. Most of the time, we are mildly k

dehydrated. We’ve all seen TV commercials touting ice cold beer as a thirst quencher. That is marketing tool and not physiologically accurate. Alcohol is a mild diuretic. If you drink 8 ounces of beer, you tend to excrete 9 ounces of urine. Couple that with perspiring while playing sports or working — and not drinking enough water — you should not follow that with a beer to “quench your thirst.” Why? You will be more thirsty after drinking a beer, so you will probably drink a second beer. That makes the beer companies rich and pays for all the advertisements you see on TV. Also, that leaves you mildly dehydrated. Go to sleep that way and you will have a headache the next morning. All that makes you wonder, can you survive drinking mostly alcohol beverages for a long period of time? There is no clinical study I know of answering this question. So for an answer, we must turn to the next best thing: sailors on an ancient warship. According to the ship’s log

TO ADVERTISE IN THE MEDICAL EXAMINER CALL (706) 860-5455 OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY!

t s e B of the U. S. S. Constitution (Old Ironsides), “On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum.” That was 100 gallons of water and 167 gallons of rum per man. Her mission: “To destroy and harass English shipping.” Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there on 12 November. She took on 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine. On 18 November, she set sail

e n i c i d ME

for England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war ships, and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each. By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. The U. S. S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, and no whisky. But she still had 38,600 gallons of water. Only 10,000 gallons less than

when they left. (There is no record of taking on more water, but surely they did. Otherwise they must have been a smelly crew, to say the least.) The 475 men consumed 252,000 gallons of alcoholic beverages during the 208 day voyage. That averages about 2.5 gallons of rum, scotch, or wine per day per man. The men lived through the ordeal. But before you jump to the conclusion that you can drink 2.5 gallons of alcoholic beverage per day, remember that life expectancy back then was less than 40 years. Drink water, Dear Hearts, and live long. + Bad Billy Laveau is a retired MD with a pointed sense of humor. Bad Billy speaks and entertains at public and private events for audiences not subject to cardiac seizure secondary to overwhelming laughter and glee. BadBilly@knology.net or 706-3069397

I’m glad you folks haven’t subscribed to the digital version of the Medical Examiner. We need the business!

WELL, TECHNICALLY THEY’RE SITTING AROUND. CALL TODAY AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING DO TO.

LOOKING FOR A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER?

SEE OUR DIRECTORY ON PAGE 15.

But if you prefer digital, simply visit

www.issuu.com/medicalexaminer Register (it’s free) then click “Follow” and you’ll be notified the minute we post a new Medical Examiner every other Friday. You’ll love the added features of the online Examiner!

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

CHANGING… from page 2 • Plan for a direct, yet loving conversation with your older loved one. Appoint someone to lead the conversation. Use open-ended questions. Be sensitive to not overwhelm or ambush your aging loved one. • Stay flexible on next steps. Your family may need continued conversations over time to determine the best care plan. The time in-between will allow for gathering additional resources or delegating care responsibilities. While it can be troubling to see forgetfulness, lapsed hygiene and other signs of aging affect your older loved one, the good news is that many seniors are actually relieved their families notice and care. In many cases, the elderly loved one can remain independent at home with the support of family members and professional in-home caregivers. + Right at Home is dedicated to helping caregivers and those needing care by providing private-duty care giving services. Right at Home serves the entire CSRA. If you have further concerns about caring for a loved one, please contact us at 803-278-0250 or on the web at www.csra.rightathome.net

www.AugustaRx.com/news

The Short White Coat M y first of three board exams ultimately required for obtaining a medical license takes place in three weeks. I eagerly await my date arrival so that with any luck I can quickly bid the test adieu, and but also wish that time would stop so that I could continue to cram more information into my seemingly saturated brain. It is a strange feeling. My friend, who is a year above me in school, endured her Step 1 preparations gracefully. She called me the other day to check in and say hi, and in her same graceful manner told me I would look back on this season fondly some day, seeing these weeks perhaps as a “blessing in disguise.” Hmm... I thought, skeptically. I could perhaps see the merits of her argument… It is actually pretty cool to start putting together two years’ worth of schooling and start viewing the world as potential patients rather than just powerpoints and excessively studied textbooks. But at the same time, I find myself in an unsettling state of duality: constantly exhausted

yet too wired to sleep, craving yet shunning the world of social interaction and its delightful distractions... Maybe the blessings of this time will become more evident once it has passed, in a “ah, those were the good old days” sort of nostalgic analysis. Perhaps I will emerge from my cave of a room as if a character described by Plato, blinded at first by the sun’s light, but ultimately enlightened. The shadows on the wall during my first two years of school will take the forms of real live patients in clinic in a matter of weeks (hopefully). What I hope for, actually, is that I will take my test and score well enough on it so that I may continue on my journey through school and become a medical doctor in a few years. I think the blessing of this situation is that studying for my boards is actually an exciting time, because it is one more steppingstone on this path as I travel along towards my goal. It is a privilege, too, to be in school and to learn what wonderful elegance and exquisite complexity it is, this human body we are given. And

A med student’s notebook it will be an honor some day to be charged with mending and protecting these bodies of the patients; so of course this season should and needs to be difficult. What higher stakes are there? So cheers to my classmates – let us keep our chins up and hang in there a few weeks more, for we won’t be in our caves for too much longer; and if we are, well then perhaps we ought to invest in rabies vaccines (in case of bats). Haha. Bad joke. I guess it’s back to studying now. + by Caroline Colden, a soon to graduate 4th-year medical student at MCG. This encore column from two years ago is one of her favorites.

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.

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Southern Girl Eats Clean

OP SY

Creamy & Flavorful Avocado Dressing

I have to admit that since I started more healthy eating habits I have missed the occasional salad with creamy ranch or blue cheese dressing. Those dressings add tons of flavor, but are very unhealthy and pretty much ruin a healthy salad. But I have a solution! If you love avocados as much as I do, you will love this dressing. It’s got a creamy “mayonnaise” texture to it, but there is not a drop of mayonnaise in this recipe. This dressing is absolutely fabulous on a beautiful salad with dark greens or you can use this as a sauce for fish tacos. Avocados are full of nutrition. Here are few health benefits of avocados: • Heart Health: 1 cup of avocado has 23% of the daily recommended value of folate. Those individuals who eat a diet rich in folate have a lower risk of heart disease. • Lowers Cholesterol: Studies have proven that avocados can help to lower cholesterol by 17% after eating avocado daily for only 1 week. • Eye Health: Due to the amount of carotenoid lutein in avocados, it helps to protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. Add in the olive oil and nutrition to your meal. And • Anti-Inflammatory: white wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of did I mention....It’s full of There are many nutrients water and salt and pepper. flavor too. in avocados that are proven Place all ingredients in to decrease inflammation blender and blend on high for Ingredients: in the body. Arthritis is an 1 minute. • 1 ripe organic avocado inflammatory disease and Remove lid and taste the • 1 shallot, chopped those with both rheumatoid dressing. Adjust seasonings if • 1 cup of flat leaf parsley, and osteoarthritis could necessary. chopped benefit from adding avocados Add in another 1/2 cup of • 2 Tbsp. of organic coldto their diet. water and blend again for 30 pressed olive oil • Anti-Aging: A great source seconds to 1 minute or until • 1 cup of water of glutathione, an important dressing is well blended. • 2 Tbsp. of white wine antioxidant that researchers Serve immediately on top vinegar say is important in aging, of dark greens or the salad of • 1 tsp. of Real Salt or sea salt cancer and heart disease. your choice. • 1/2 tsp. of cracked black (Nutrition nformation on May be stored in an airtight pepper Avocados was found at: http:// container in the www.healthdiaries.com/ fridge for about a Directions: eatthis/10-health-benefits-ofweek. + Peel avocado and remove avocados.html) pit, coarsely chop the avocado Give this creamy avocado Alisa Rhinehart and place in a high speed dressing a try and add it to writes the blog www. blender. a delicious healthy salad. southerngirleatsclean.com She is a Chop shallot coarsely and Instead of ruining a perfectly chop the flat leaf parsley. Place working wife and mother living in healthy salad by heaping on Evans, Georgia. Visit her blog for both in the blender with the a pile of bad fats and sugars, more recipes and information on avocado. you’ll be adding even more clean eating.

Avocado Dressing

Check out our pet health column! See page 10!

BIG TRAVEL PLANS THIS SUMMER?

Make Barney’s your first stop. Whether it’s a mission trip or a dream vacation, foreign travel usually requires vaccinations and preventive medications. No matter where your travels take you, Barney’s Pharmacy will have your health covered so you can enjoy your trip.

Augusta 2604 Peach Orchard Rd. (706) 798-5645 www.barneysrx.com Opening soon! Barney’s on Furys Ferry Road!

Augusta • Louisville • Grovetown • Wrens • Serenity • barneysrx.com • Furys Ferry (opening soon)

PET VET

Thank you for supporting our advertisers!

Pharma cy 4 11

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.

MAY 1, 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.

WHO SHOULD BE YOUR PHARMACIST?

here are many people who argue that a pharmacist has a duty to fill any prescription presented by any patient regardless of personal or moral objection. The present argument for the proponents of the Fill Every Prescription philosophy is that a pharmacist is not a doctor and should not be able to choose who can receive any given medication. A pharmacist’s personal ideology or religion, they feel, should not be projected onto the patient in question. This group argues that a pharmacist willingly entered into the pharmacy field and has therefore willingly taken on the position of caring for patients and fulfilling their medication needs. In their view, letting a pharmacist refuse to fill a prescription would be like allowing a police officer to look the other way or refuse to arrest someone if the officer did not agree with a certain law. The other side of that argument is that a pharmacist is free to refuse to fill any prescription for any one of a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons stem from law and regulatory pressures. The primary example of such a situation is refusing to fill a controlled substance prescription if you have reason to believe it is being used for criminal activity or the patient is abusing the medicine. Imagine if a pharmacist had no choice but to give blanket approval for any prescriptions presented, even if there was clear evidence of drug abuse. Other refusals to fill a prescription fall under moral or ethical reasons. Perhaps a patient presents a prescription for the morning after pill to a pharmacist who has an ethical objection on the grounds that he or she considers it abortion. The patient, in that pharmacist’s view, has an unlicensed handgun and is asking the pharmacist for bullets. So the question is, does a pharmacist have the right to refuse to

Do you like big box pharmacies?

fill a prescription that he or she considers unethical or immoral when the patient does not share that objection? The latest I heard from a state’s board of pharmacy is that they consider pharmacists to be independent contractors who can therefore choose to fill or not fill any prescription. State pharmacy law has always given a pharmacist the right to refuse to fill any prescription that is deemed inappropriate or against a moral or ethical code. This is no doubt subject to interpretation as with so many other items in life. A pharmacist would be supported in the case given above, but would probably be on shaky ground for a situation where a blood pressure or a diabetic medicine was refused because the individual pharmacist simply did not agree that the medicine was safe or effective despite FDA approval. An occasional refusal might go unnoticed, while many refusals might come under scrutiny by the state board and not be upheld. So how do you choose a pharmacist? How do you keep from having a problem at your pharmacy over prescriptions being refused? Start by getting to know your pharmacy and pharmacist’s policies about what prescriptions they fill and what restrictions might be placed on filling prescriptions. Typical restrictions can be how early a controlled substance can be filled or how much of certain cold and cough medicines will be sold and how often. Also you may want to ask if the pharmacy fills prescriptions for birth control devices and pills, including the morning after pill. Once you know your pharmacy’s policies you can make an informed decision about whether that pharmacy is right for you. + 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

Sick of Being Broke? We have just what the Doctor ordered!

CASH! Loans up to $1,000

We’re more of a small bag pharmacy.

ARKS

HARMACY

Hometown. Not big box.

437 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, SC

803-279-7450 parkspharmacy.com

NEW CUSTOMERS! Get Your 1st Loan Interest Free (30 Day Loan) - or We will make your first payment on your installment loan! All loans subject to our liberal credit policy

DELTA FINANCE 905 Greene St Augusta, GA 30901 706-724-9985

MAY

OUR NEXT ISSUE DATE: 15

FRIDAY

LOOKING FOR A DOCTOR? SEE PAGE 15

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Ask a Dietitian DO FAD DIETS REALLY WORK? by Sarah Deen, RD, CSO, LD Georgia Regents University Cancer Center With summer and swimsuit season right around the corner, you may find yourself searching for that magic weight loss remedy. But which one? Atkins, Zone, Raw Food, Macrobiotic, South Beach, Grapefruit, Baby Food, Alkaline, Cabbage Soup, Sugar Busters, Master Cleanse, and the list goes on and on. It’s likely you have heard of many of these diets and maybe even have tried them. All of these and other fad diets promise dramatic results very quickly and with minimal Enjoy the low-calorie recipe effort. Often, the diets listed below, recipe courtesy of promote replacing entire eatingwell.com. Nothing faddy! food groups with cleanses or stimulant products. This is not only dangerous but makes attaining a nutritionallybalanced diet seemingly impossible. A word of advice before considering any diet is to always ask yourself, “Does it sound too good to be true?” If the answer is “yes,” then it STRAWBERRY & CREAM probably is. CHEESE SANDWICH The obvious question now Makes: 1 serving is, “If fad diets don’t work, Ingredients why are they so popular?” • 1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream The reality is that in many cheese cases, the diets do work • 1⁄4 teaspoon honey — but only for a short period • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated of time. Whenever you orange zest drastically reduce caloric • 2 slices very thin whole-wheat intake, weight loss is likely to sandwich bread occur. However, such weight • 2 medium strawberries, sliced loss is usually in the form of Preparation water and lean muscle, not • Combine cream cheese, honey body fat. These short-term and orange zest in a bowl. Spread results further fuel the weight bread with the cheese mixture. loss industry as well as fad Place sliced strawberries on 1 diets’ popularity. piece of bread, top with the other. One of the main problems Nutrition er serving: 128 calories; 4 with fad diets is they are grams of fat; 8 mg cholesterol; 18 grams very difficult to maintain. To of carbohydrates; 4 grams of protein; 3 take one example, imagine grams of fiber; 191 mg sodium + Please see FAD DIETS page 13

Daniel Village Barber Shop 2522 Wrightsboro Road

736-7230

TUE - FRI: 8:00 - 6:00; SATURDAY: 8:00 - 2:00

There is nothing you can do for your appearance that is more effective and less expensive than a haircut. 76 Circle K former Smile Gas

Highland Ave.

Medical Complex

Ohio Ave.

DANIEL VILLAGE BARBER SHOP

Wrightsboro Road

Daniel Field

Augusta Mall

One family of providers.

Everything you need.

2541 Milledgeville Road, Augusta, GA • (706) 738-2581

Services oﬀered in the Augusta area: • • • • • • • •

Short-Term Rehabilitation • Physical Therapy Long-Term Care • Occupational Therapy Inpatient Rehabilitation • Speech Therapy IV Therapy • Private, Semi-Private Wound Care Rooms Pain Management • Trach Care Provided 24 Hour Nursing Services • VA Contract Facility Oxygen Therapy pruitthealth.com

Merchants Credit Bureau, Inc. A full service collection agency since 1949

LET US HELP YOUR PRACTICE IMPROVE ITS CASH FLOW AND ADD TO YOUR BOTTOM LINE.

We’re on Wrightsboro Rd. at Ohio Avenue.

955 Greene Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 No upfront or membership fees Fully bonded and insured

(706) 823-6200 www.mcbusa.com

+ 10

HOPE Through Adversity by Helen Blocker-Adams

MAY DAY! MAY DAY!

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

he month of May is a special month to me. Not only is it my birth month, but it’s also Mental Health Month. It has been eight years since I developed a passion for mental health/mental wellness after helping to raise Blocker-Adams money to bury two babies who were killed at the hands of their mother. Other chronic diseases receive much publicity, research and funding, but mental health lacks the attention it deserves. So whenever the opportunity presents itself, I want to bring awareness to this important health issue. Mental health problems of particular note include depression, anxiety, bipolar, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. This year’s theme is B4Stage4 which

suggests addressing mental health issues early, “before stage 4,” rather than when symptoms are more severe (Stage 4), and recovery thus becomes a longer process. I think that is a fantastic theme. There are local and national organizations that can help if you or a loved one have mental health problems: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a local chapter. Friendship Community Center serves the needs of mental health patients. The Augusta Coalition for Mental Health Advocacy serves the advocacy committee of Mental Health America of Augusta. The coalition was founded to allow mental health professionals and consumer groups to jointly advocate legislation supporting mental health services for Georgians. They are holding their 14th Annual Legislative Dinner on May 7th at the Augusta Country Club. I was honored to receive the CSRA Mental Health Advocate of the Year Award several years ago. It was one of the most treasured awards I have ever received. The headlines of newspapers and television stations are filled daily with incidents, some deadly, that when they dig

deep into why someone did the deed, they find mental health problems. Military personnel are committing suicide in numbers higher than you can imagine. The statistics of people with mental health problems are staggering. Unfortunately, too many people shrug it off as if it’s not important and there’s a sense of indifference. Did you know that about 1 in 5 Americans will have some type of mental health condition in a given year, but only 41% of them will receive services? Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. Recovery is possible, but not all of us think about our mental health enough. This has to change. For more information about this important campaign, please visit http://www. mentalhealthamerica.net/ b4stage4-program. + Helen unBLOCKer Adams Educator, Life Coach/Mentor, Life Agent, Author, Transformational Speaker, Social Entrepreneur www.workinginlife.com www.twitter.com/hbadams www.facebook.com/ helenblockeradams www.linkedin.com/ helenblockeradams

PET VET T

YOUR BEST EXERCISE BUDDY

hat would be your dog, of course, who will never skip out on you with some lame excuse. When you’re ready to run, so is he. But there are some things that will make sure exercise is enjoyable for you both. • Bring enough water for two, and a collapsible bowl that takes up no room at all when it’s not in use. • Consider a waist or belt leash. It’s hands-free and is less likely to get tangled with your legs and send you flying. • A cinching collar only tightens when you pull on the leash, affording greater control for you and more comfort for your dog. • Collars are available with reflectors and LED lights for nighttime safety — and for finding your dog if he gets loose after dark. • In Augusta’s hot climate, would you like to go jogging wearing a fur coat? Probably not. Ditto for Fido. The solution? Cooling vests. You might even want to get a human version for yourself. • If your dog isn’t a jock (yet)

consider either booties or paw wax to help keep his pads healthy as they gradually toughen up. • If you often take a boat out on the the lake or the river, flotation vests for dogs are sold at pet stores and online, and they’re an excellent idea. • Instead of leaving your dog home when you go to the park to play with other humans, you can buy portable tether sets. Corkscrew them into the ground ten or twenty feet apart with a line between them to attach a leash, and your dog isn’t tied down to one spot. • You might be more inclined to take your dog places if you know the next passanger in your car won’t be covered with dog hair. To prevent that, get a car seat cover and toss it in place before your furry friend hops in. • Taking dogs for a walk means being a good citizen. In other words, being a conscientious pooper scooper. You can buy leashes that have an attached roll of clean-up bags. That’s convenient. +

ROLLED SANDWICHES • SOUPS • SALADS

NEW HOURS! MONDAY THRU SATURDAY

WE ROLL IN AT 10:00 AM

Kennnel & Daycare welcoming dogs 40 lbs and under

WE ROLL OUT

5873 Huntington Drive Grovetown, Georgia (706) 840-3141 www.boardwalktobarkplace.com

THAT’S NOT HOW WE ROLL. IT’S WHEN WE ROLL.

AND THEN

AT 8:00 PM (4:00 PM ON SATURDAYS)

Overhead Door Company of Augusta-Aiken 706-736-8478 803-642-7269

Boardwalk to Bark Place

3626 Walton Way Extension (Walton’s Corner) Phone: 706.736.1099 Fax: 706.736.4401

OrderRolyPoly.com

MEDICAL EXAMINER IS ONLINE • AugustaRx.com/news • -OR-

• issuu.com/medicalexaminer •

YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR ADVERTISERS MAKES THIS NEWSPAPER POSSIBLE

MAY 1, 2015

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

From the Bookshelf The blog spot — Posted by Jordan Grumet, an internal medicine physician at http://jordan-inmyhumbleopinion.blogspot.com on March 26, 2015

MY FIRST DEAD BODY I assumed she asked [for my help] because besides being a hospice volunteer, I was a medical student and wouldn’t get spooked by a dead body. She probably didn’t realize that it was my first week of classes and I hadn’t experienced much yet. She walked into the room with her head slightly bowed forward. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. Because of a scheduling snafu, there was only one nurse for the entire hospice floor. This was her second patient to die that day.

I see a nurse.

She asked me to come forward and help prepare the body. I stared down at the lifeless figure. I don’t remember all the details, but I will never forget the stillness. It was the first of many occasions where I would marvel at the appalling lack of motion that separates the living from the dead. We were silent. When she wanted me to perform some task or another she would point with her fingers. I think we put an ID tag on the toes. Maybe we cleaned the body and removed any remaining catheters. The family had come and gone so there were no cosmetic issues of concern. And then she took out the bag. We gently rolled the body over and placed it cleanly underneath. We pulled out the openings around the torso. Then we tucked in the limbs and head. Finally she started at the toes and zipped up the bag from the bottom until she came to the face. She stopped. For me this was the shell of a man I had never known. But for her, for her, he was a breathing, feeling human being. One whose hand she had held, whose family she had comforted, and whose excrement she had helped clean from his weakened and frail body. She went to close the zipper but she couldn’t. I put one hand on her shoulder and reached over with the other removing her fingers. She knelt down in the corner of the room and sobbed as I closed the bag. Through years of medical education and practice there are many images burned into the depths of my soul. But when I think of my first experience with a dead body, I don’t see a body at all. I see a nurse. A humble, grieving, beautiful symbol of all that our profession can be. +

Not ready for a serious commitment? Not ready to love the Medical Examiner? Would you consider just a simple “Like”? Visit Facebook.com/AugustaRX

In just a little over 300 pages, this book will tell you everything you’d ever want to know — and a few things you’d probably rather not know — about what it’s like to be a shiny new doctor. People stereotype doctors as possessed of huge egos. Maybe that’s true sometimes. But as readers of this book will appreciate, long before the god complex surfaces, freshly minted physicians have to battle feelings of overwhelming panic, fear and insecurities, frantic schedules, utter exhaustion, and the distinctly dreadful feeling of being in way over your head in life and death situations. It doesn’t matter that on Day One of med school every student is already a college graduate, often on a premed track. It doesn’t matter that four rigorous years of training follow. It doesn’t even matter that upon graduation those two letters — M and D — now are an official part of your name. Despite all of that, a physician’s training is still a long way from complete. In some ways it’s never

over, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves; let’s stick with year one, the daunting road taken between the covers of this book. First-year doctors are also known as residents: during their 4th year of medical school, soon-to-graduate students are “matched” via a national program with a hospital residency vacancy from each resident’s own short list of preferences. There, as M.D.s, their training continues in a sort of on-the-job apprenticeship program. In all, from leaving high school to becoming a

full-fledged doctor takes a minimum of 11 years. Residencies can last from three to seven years, depending on the resident’s field of medicine. This book then, is a peek into Year #9 of 11 (or more) in the process of becoming a doctor. While this book tells of experiences that range from humorous to absolutely harrowing, it’s reassuring (for patients, at least) to have a bird’s eye view into how extensive and exhaustive (no pun intended) the training is to become a physician. If you’re about to graduate from med school or will be in a year or two, or you’re just someone who finds the medical profession fascinating, you’ll enjoy being perched on McCarthy’s shoulder for this very candid look at the trial by fire that is every physician’s first year in the trenches of medicine. +

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly — A Physician’s First Year by Matt McCarthy, M.D., 336 pages, published in April 2015 by Crown

Research News Drug of the Year — again Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health announced the results of a long-term study into the benefits of aspirin. The study tracked aspirin use and disease in more than 125,000 subjects for 32 years. The findings: taking aspirin regularly for years — many, many years — can reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal cancers — specifically, cancers of the colon, rectum and esophagus — by as much as 20 percent. Getting the optimal benefit required taking aspirin for at least 16 years, so this is not an overnight fix. Actually, the study findings are something of a two-edged sword in that, on the one hand, researchers caution that aspirin use is not without risks and side effects and is not for everyone. On the other hand, “if considered alongside the known benefits of aspirin in the prevention of heart attacks and strokes,” aspirin may provide a

one-two punch against the two leading causes of death in the US and much of the world, says researcher Yin Cao. More studies are planned, but in the meantime, talk to your doctor and ask if regular or low-dose aspirin would be okay for you. Kids and TV An American Academy of Pediatrics study released earlier this week found that kids (kindergartners and first-graders) who watched as little as one hour of television per day were more likely to be overweight or even obese compared with children who watched TV less than an hour a day. Statistically, the percentages of risk for overweight and obesity were as high as 73 percent as compared to kids who watched TV the least. The study found that US kindergartners watch an average of 3.3 hours of TV per day.

How’s your cholesterol? As everyone knows, drugs have side effects. In fact, some people are forced to take Drug B specifically to counteract the effects of Drug A. From that introduction we segue to a brand new study which has found that statins — drugs prescribed to control high cholesterol levels — are associated with a 46 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study, conducted in Finland and released this week, tested insulin resistance and levels of insulin secretion in almost 9,000 men over a six-year period, as well as A1C levels. By each measure the results went in the wrong direction. Researchers factored in and discounted issues such as smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, activity levels and others before determining that statins were to blame. Fortunately, statin-free cholesterol control drugs are on the near horizon. Ask your doctor. +

+ 12

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS

THE MYSTERY WORD

Well that didn’t take long!

What?

by Dan Pearson

I don’t know... How long has marijuana a few weeks. been legal in Georgia? Why?

Hash Brownies? Look at this new Wow. That was quick. Waffle House menu.

The Mystery Word for this issue: SYBIPO

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

ACROSS 2. Dry watercourse 6. Prod 11. _________ Lakes 14. Most famous local dentist? 16. Local med. financial inst. 17. Exclamation of surprise 19. 16-country currency 20. Excavated 21. Containing Element No. 34 25. Hair product 26. Paul of politics 27. Periods of history 29. Near to 31. Irritate 33. To exist 35. Partum start 37. First stomach of a ruminant 38. New CMC acronym 40. Ambulance worker (abbrev) 41. Country on the Black Sea 43. Fuss 44. Heart _______ 46. Showy but cheap; garish 49. Wood on big trucks 50. Requirement 52. Adult Cub Scout leader 54. _____ roll 57. The Augusta Chronicle, for example 59. Endanger 60. Continuous pains 62. View as; believe to be 63. ___ target 64. Essence; embodiment 67. 2009 Pixar animated film 68. Nacreous or iridescent 70. Tiny insect or a small person 71. Fund DOWN 1. Overactive letters? 2. NPR call letters in Augusta

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

QUOTATION PUZZLE

Click on “READER CONTESTS”

D T U A U O H S D T Y R A

E K E T O F O F I T L T M S T L Y N W R R F N H A Y H U G O L O O U E I

— Unknown

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.

3. Abbrev. for molecular weight 4. Hairstyle, briefly 5. Type of crowd? 6. Depart 7. Post-ER destination? 8. Reverential wonder 9. Mr. Barnard 10. Rock’s Billy 12. Place for critical pts. 13. Inactivity or stagnation 14. Anticlimactic occasion 15. Rocks with potential 18. ___-man 21. Droop 22. Absorb 23. Persian 24. Type of medical scan 26. Undesirable race? 28. GA conf. 29. Mimic; mock 30. Grave 32. Doc’s org. 33. Camera type in the news 34. Self-esteem

36. Fashions 39. Mr. Davis of Augusta 41. Start of a muffin? 42. Filled with wonder 45. Danced to a song about a Beer Barrel 47. Like a job with no prospect for advancement 48. Mr. 755 51. _____ node 53. Relatives 54. Augusta Lynx league (abbrev) 55. Clarified butter 56. Understands 58. Monetary unit of 41-A 60. God’s Little _______ 61. Stable attendant (esp. in India) 65. Cleaning cloth 66. ___ name; pseudonym 68. The ratio between circumference and diameter 69. Fro’s opposite

X A M I N E R

5 4

3 9

7 3

9 1

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.

E 1 2 1 2

’ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 L 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5

C 4

5 1

R 2

. 3

1 2

1 2 3 4

R 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1.B A RT T S S G L O W W 2.EEEEEFOORHH 3.AAAVOOOE 4.DUKUCCEA 5.HHILLST 6.DND 7.GN 8.T

SAMPLE:

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

L 1

O 2

V 3

E 4

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

I 3

N 4

D 5

WORDS NUMBER

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

MAY 1, 2015

13 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

o one should be surprised by the growing power of Russia and China. I mean, there were red flags everywhere.

My boss asked me if I was going to sign up for the company’s 401k. “No way,” I told him. “I can barely manage a 10k.” A man sits next to a beautiful woman on a plane. The man is pleased at the prospect of sitting next to such a beautiful creature for the next three hours, but is disappointed when she turns onto her side facing away from him to try to take a nap. Seeing an opportunity about to pass him by, he gets her attention and has her sitting straight again and says to her, “This is going to be a long flight. Why don’t we play a game? I’ll ask you a question and if you can’t answer it, you give me $5. Then you can ask me a question and if I can’t answer it I’ll give you $5.” “That sounds dumb,” says the woman. “I don’t want to play any games.” “Tell you what,” the man says. “I’ll ask you a question and if you can’t answer it you’ll still give me $5. But then you can ask me a question and if I

can’t answer it I’ll give you $500!” As the man had hoped, this gets the woman’s attention. “Ok,” she says. “I’ll play.” Pleased with himself, the man asks his question: “What is the capitol of Iowa?” The woman doesn’t know and gives the man $5. Then the woman asks the man her question. “What goes up a mountain on 3 legs and comes back down the mountain on 4?” The man is stumped. He has no idea. He brings out his laptop and searches the internet but is unable to find the answer, so he gives the woman $500. She takes the money, puts it in her purse and turns over to fall asleep. “Hey, not so fast,” says the man. “What’s the answer to the question?” The woman hands the man $5. Who would win a fight between Bruce Lee and The Terminator? Chuck Norris. “Finally my winter fat is gone,” said one dieter to another. “That’s great!” “Now I have spring rolls.” I have this friend who is a registered dietitian. She thinks she’s so smart. She thinks she knows everything there is to know about food. She said onions are the only food that make you cry. So I threw a coconut at her face. The bartender says, “We don’t serve time travelers in here.” A time traveler walks into a bar. +

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.

FAD DIETS… from page 9 replacing one or two meals per day with jars of baby food for an indefinite amount of time. That’s not going to be easy. Weight lost by following a fad diet is usually regained. In fact, many gain back more weight than they initially lost. This year, instead of falling victim to the ups and downs of fad diets, consider finding a program and making a lifestyle change that you’re confident can be maintained long-term. The following are some tips that can be applied to any successful weight loss plan: • Meal Timing: Eat at least three times a day. Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast. Take a few 1minute breaks from eating during meals. • Fluids: Drink a glass of water Another way to improve before you eat. Drink more during your chances of success meals. Drink plenty of calorie-free is to recruit the help of drinks (water, tea, coffee). a registered dietitian. • Fiber: Get plenty of fiber. Good Registered Dietitians are sources include vegetables, fruits, food and nutrition experts and whole grains. Add vegetables that meet the following to soups or when stir-frying. qualifications: Consider dried peas, beans and • A bachelor’s degree with lentils in place of meat. coursework approved by • Protein: Choose lean meats and the Academy of Nutrition low fat dairy products (i.e. milk, and Dietetics cheese) in place of higher fat/ • Completion of an higher-calorie choices. accredited, supervised • Meal Planning: Cook and go practice program at grocery shopping when you are a health care facility, not hungry. Put salad dressing on community agency or the side instead of mixing it with foodservice corporation. or pouring onto your salad. Then • Passed a national dip your fork into the dressing examination administered prior to taking a bite of salad. by the Commission on • Portion Control: Watch the size Dietetic Registration of your portions. Use the nutrition • Maintains registration label to determine what a serving by meeting continuing size is. Use smaller plates, bowls, education requirements. glasses and serving spoons. To find a registered • Snacking: Keep low-calorie dietitian, visit www. snacks available. You are more eatright.org and search for likely to make poor food choices a professional near you. + when healthy choices are not available. Examples include: low-fat string cheese, low fat yogurt, fat-free milk, fresh fruit and washed, bite-size pieces of carrots and pepper strips served with low-calorie dips. • Mobile Nutrition Apps: Apps such as MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, SparkPeople, CRON-O-Meter and FatSecret all aim to keep you on track as you work towards your goal of making healthier food and lifestyle choices. All provide basic services free of charge, so you have nothing to lose (except for weight)! +

GETTING PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE

+ +

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers. If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house! NAME ADDRESS CITY

STATE

ZIP

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

TO OUR READERS AND OUR ADVERTISERS

+ 14

MAY 1, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: TENDON ...cleverly hidden (in the trees) in the p. 2 ad for THE JB WHITES BUILDING

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.

Congratulations to PATRICIA ALLEN, 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!

CONDO FOR RENT 2 bdrm 1 bath unfurn upstairs condo; carport; pool; outside laundry. Country Club Hills condos, Milledge Rd near GRU/ASU. $750/$750 dep. We furnish water, you pay electric. (706) 736-7168; email:ronst79@gmail.com

The Celebrated MYSTERY WORD CONTEST

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

...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.

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. 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 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

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 CEMETERY PLOTS Side-by-side cemetery plots for sale located at the Heart Section of Hillcrest Cemetery. $3600 for BOTH. (706) 798-8495

Thanks for reading the Medical Examiner!

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

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!

THE PUZZLE SOLVED A D

(OURS IS COFFEE)

M O U

R W O

M A

L K

T R

G O

S E C

A W D

L L

O W

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

G O

I N

Augusta Medical Examiner Classifieds

W A I

P H

SEE PAGE 12

QUOTATION

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

QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: Page 12: “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

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

— Author unknown .25

.50

.75

1.00

1.25

1.50

1.75

2.00

2.25

2.50

2.75

3.00

The Sudoku Solution 8

3.25

3.50

3.75

4.00

4.25

4.50

4.75

5.00

5.25

5.50

5.75

6.00

6.25

6.50

6.75

7.00

7.25

7.50

7.75

8.00

8.25

8.50

8.75

9.00

COFFEE IS GOOD MEDICINE

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

Send this form with payment to:

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

VISIT DRUGOFCHOICECOFFEE.COM

WORDS BY NUMBER “We shouldn’t teach great books. We should teach a love of reading.” — B. F. Skinner

Multiply by number of times ad to run: x Total submitted: $

The Augusta Medical Examiner publishes on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month. Your ad should reach us no later than 7 days prior to our publication date.

Thanks for reading!

www.AugustaRx.com

MAY 1, 2015

15 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

MOTORCYCLES… from page 1 NHTSA data says helmets are heard a presentation from a University 37-percent effective. In other words, of New Mexico neurosurgeon. At the for every 100 riders killed in crashes end of his talk, one legislator asked, while not wearing helmets, 37 of them ‘If there was one thing we could do in would have survived had all 100 been the legislature to make your job easier, wearing helmets. NHTSA what would it be?’ They estimates that helmets expected to hear, ‘Give us saved the lives of 1,699 more money’ or ‘Increase motorcyclists in 2012, our budget.’ Instead the and that 781 more surgeon answered, ‘Pass would be alive today a motorcycle helmet had all motorcyclists law.’” been helmeted. A NHTSA press My responsibility release recounts the — and yours following: “A group Maybe you think of state legislators Helmets are cool. motorcycles are from across the country Not wearing them: not cool dangerous. Maybe

you would never even consent to be a passenger on one for a brief ride around the block. Even so, you are a key player in motorcycle safety. As related above, the #1 cause of car-motorcycle crashes is drivers who turn left in front of oncoming motorcycles. There is a reason motorcycle safety awareness always focuses on looking twice and being alert for motorcycles. Those messages aren’t aimed at motorcyclists. As

crazy at it might sound, drivers of cars and trucks often just don’t see motorcycles. If you didn’t see the April 14 “PSA (Public Service Announcement) of the Week” at the Medical Examiner blog, it’s an eye-opening and sometimes harrowing experience. It would be difficult to imagine any motorcyclist watching the PSA and then hopping on his or her ride without a helmet — no matter what state law does or does not mandate. If you missed it, visit AugustaRx. com/news and scroll down to April 14, or go directly to this URL: http://www.augustarx.com/ news/2015/04/psa-of-the-week-56/ +

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

+ 16

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

MAY 1, 2015

Lost in the maze? Why enter in the first place?

We know the way. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS • COMPLIANCE • WELLNESS • CONSULTING • EXCHANGES • PARTNERSHIPS • TECHNOLOGY

RUSSELL T. HEAD, CBC, CSA-PARTNER • 706-733-3459 • E: RTHEAD@GANDBC.COM • WWW.GROUPANDBENEFITS.COM