JUST THE FACTS PLEASE
That’s what everyone wants, isn’t it? The facts. Life seems to be happening at a dizzying pace these days, chaotic one could say, and there is a bewildering array of positions which people can endorse, often in extreme conflict with one another. Facts would be extremely helpful to help us decide which side to support, which side to reject, and hopefully, which side to patiently and kindly tolerate.
But there is a massive roadblock standing in our way.
Human beings are hardwired to jealously protect their cherished beliefs. If our identity and our very sense of who we are is intimately tied to our beliefs and our view of the world — and it most definitely is — then we will respond automatically (and negatively) to something which challenges those sacred beliefs. To do otherwise might be rejecting the most cherished beliefs your parents raised you to believe; they might cost you your dearest friendships and threaten the peace and strength of your family and marriage.
No wonder we hold on to our beliefs so dearly.
The evolutionist will destroy the arguments of the creationist; the Bible believer will protect his faith by shutting out the arguments offered by the atheist. The vaccine denier has done his research; but so has the vaccine supporter. Climate change is real! No, it’s a hoax! No sane person would belong to the [insert political party here]. On and on the disagreements go.
But there is one other huge elephant (or maybe it’s an ostrich) in the room. Obviously, everyone can’t be right. Also obviously, there isn’t a “right” or “wrong” position when it comes to many issues. They are matters of opinion, not fact. A favorite team or preferred political party are examples of this despite the violence and vitriol people employ in defending their preferred personal opinions and attacking their non-preferred opinions.
Simply letting other people hold their personal viewpoints seems to be heading toward extinction. That needs to be revived.
Meanwhile, “facts” are more and more irrelevant. “Facts,” the real, genuine kind, have to be surrounded by quotation marks, as though they aren’t really true.
How can society thrive, or even just survive, in an environment where intolerance is at every turn?
A big step in the right direction is the simple acknowledgment that all of us by our very nature hold dearly to our beliefs. Denial is an almost automatic first reaction. Remember that the other person isn’t being pig-headed any more than you are. They’re just being a human being. They deserve tolerance and respect.
And that, ladies and gentleman, is a fact.
THE
PARENTHOOD
by Dr. Warren Umansky, PhD
Your child comes home from school and tells you about what she had learned in school that day. She asked what you thought about two statements that Martin Luther King, Jr. had made: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” and “The time is always right to do what is right.” How do you respond?
A. “Let’s sit down and talk about what these mean.” And you do. You discuss how she can be guided in life by the statements.
B. “That’s interesting,” you respond, but you go back to what you were doing.
C. “We don’t believe in what he talked about. I wouldn’t worry about those things.”
D. “Why don’t you go look it up on Google? I don’t know about those things.”
If you answered:
A. What a great teachable moment! You would like your children to share with you and to ask your opinion about things that are important to them. It’s up to you to provide such a welcoming environment that encourages your children to use you as a sounding board.
B. You have missed an important moment to engage with your child and welcome their communication.
C. Ouch! Consider how this shuts your child down now and going forward. Why would they ever want to share with you again?
D. Perhaps a better response would be, “I’m not sure what he meant by those statements. What do you think he meant?” Then, engage in a discussion with your child. You want your children to talk with you about their school day. It begins when your children are young and you ask, “What was the best thing that happened at school today?” This question says to your children that you are interested in their education and that you know good things happen at school. It should be an everyday event. Then, as your children get older, they will want to engage you with some of the more interesting things that occurred. At that point, you can pat yourself on the back and know that you have been a valuable sounding board for your children. They also will be more likely to come to you during times of stress and seek your guidance. Then, you will know that as a parent you have really done well.
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Dr. Umansky has a child behavioral health practice in Augusta.
THOUGHTS ABOUT THOUGHTS THOUGHTS
GAMBLING ADDICTION
Editor’s note: Written by local mental healthcare professionals, this series shares thoughts on how people think and act when affected by common and not-so-common mental health conditions.
Chad is a 30-year-old man who works as a supervisor at a local company. Recently, he’s been calling in sick so he can gamble online on his home computer. Gambling isn’t something new to him; he started at the age of 14, betting on fantasy football with his friends. But now it’s all the time, so much so that he hasn’t paid his rent or his car loan for two months. Plus, he’s behind on his credit card bills. He’s told his parents that he’s having trouble and they’ve helped him financially—but without their knowledge, he’s turned around and used that money to keep on gambling.
Most people may not realize that gambling addition is just as much a psychiatric disorder as a drug or alcohol addiction. The only difference is, the “high” comes from the thrill of betting and winning instead of from a substance. But just like a drug addiction, gambling addiction can significantly impair your personal, work and family life.
A person may be diagnosed with a gambling disorder if they meet four of the following criteria in a 12-month period, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition:
• Spends increasing amounts of money to achieve desired excitement
• Is restless or irritable when cutting down on or quitting gambling
• Has repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling
• Is consistently preoccupied with gambling or remembering past wins
• Continually plans their next venture, thinking of ways to get money and gamble
• Regularly feels distressed, helpless, guilty, anxious or depressed
• After losing money, returns
24/7, free, confidential mental health hot-line that connects individuals in need of support with counselors across the United States and its territories. People do not have to be suicidal to call. Reasons to call include: substance use disorder, economic worries, relationships, culture and identity, illness, intimate partner violence, depression, mental and physical illness, and loneliness. +
another day to try to win it back
• Hides how much they are gambling
• Is willing to jeopardize significant relationships, educational opportunities, or their career to gamble
• The need to gamble isn’t caused by another mental health condition such as bipolar disorder
Who’s
at Risk?
Young men tend to be at higher risk, but once women start gambling, they tend to go to extremes more quickly than men.
Other causes could be environmental, for example, a person who grew up in a home where gambling was accepted. Poverty is also a risk factor— that need to make a quick dollar to survive.
Ongoing Treatment
Only 1 out of 10 people with a gambling addiction will admit they have a problem. Sometimes, it takes the person hitting rock bottom—being kicked out of their apartment, having their electricity cut off or having no money for food— before they can accept that they have a gambling problem. Help, though, is widely available. Gamblers Anonymous (gamblersanonymous.org) offers a helpline and in-person or online support groups modeled after the 12-step program used by Alcoholics Anonymous. Georgia has 47 gambling addiction treatment centers, including in Augusta (alltreatment.com/ga/gambling-addiction-treatment; the website also offers a helpline).
Gambling addiction responds best to a combination of medication to help stop cravings and one-on-one therapy, usually cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychodynamic therapy. Group therapy (such as Gamblers Anonymous) and family therapy (to work through the impact of the addiction on family relationships) is also encouraged. With CBT, a therapist will
MEDICAL MYTHOLOGY
SALT LAMPS & HEALTH
This an entry in the library of medical mythology that comes in all sizes, from very large to very small.
As the story goes, salt lamps convey a bevy of health benefits because they emit negatively charged ions. A short list of benefits would include reduced anxiety, improved sleep, and increased energy.
Even if that was the entire list of health benefits, those would be impressive results, considering what a salt lamp is: a block of rock salt with a light bulb inside it.
But imagine multiplying the effect of a single salt lamp many times over. For instance, what if someone created a cave built entirely of blocks of Himalayan salt. The number of negative ions produced would increase exponentially, along with the resulting health benefits, right? Specifically, what would the benefits be?
According to the proprietors of one such cave, spending time inside it will help cure or reduce the severity of allergies, COPD, sinus problems, cystic fibrosis, asthma, bronchitis, and other general respiratory health problems, skin issues such as rosacea, eczema, acne and psoriasis, as well as help treat neuropathy and fibromyalgia. And the relaxing atmosphere in the cave can help people overcome PTSD. Just spending time in the cave is an immunotherapy treatment of the first order.
THOUGHTS from page 2
It is also claimed that negative ions increase blood flow to the brain while also lowering blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Because Himalayan salt contains dozens of minerals, some also claim that spending time around salt lamps can strengthen bones.
Clearly, salt lamps are being overlooked as one of the most effective curative agents in all of medicine. If only, that is, the claims about them were true.
The medical literature offers some clues about people think salt lams confer health benefits.
It is a fact that exposure to negative ions offers some health benefits. As one example, some laboratory studies on mice and rats suggest that being in an environment high in negatively charged ions alters levels of seratonin, a natural chemical that can promote relaxation and better sleep.
The problem with such studies is they don’t really con-
help a person face misconceptions about their addition, for example, “I haven’t lost that much money.” A therapist might gently ask the person how much they’ve lost compared with how much their household expenses are.
Psychodynamic therapy goes to the root causes of disorders by examining past experiences. For example, in Chad’s case a therapist might ask how he started playing fantasy football as a teen, how gambling became part of it, and how it made him feel—both when he won and when he lost.
Prognosis
While it takes time, the eventual goal is for when the urge comes to gamble, the person can stop, be mindful and consider how it might affect them in the long term. Having tools like national
nect to real world situations. Researchers in a lab may study the effects of ion exposure in a controlled environment using devices that create specific, measurable amounts of ions, generally in massive quantities.
By comparison, the salt lamp in someone’s living room gives off few if any ions, negative or otherwise.
This is known because researchers have investigated the claims made about salt lamps. They have taken them into labs and measured their ion output using specialized equipment. The measurements are in the low to non-existent range.
The ion benefit from a salt lamp or salt cave could be compared to adding a drop of orange juice to a sugary beverage and then marketing it as “made with real fruit!”
Of course, there are plenty of sources on the internet that extol the “proven” benefits of salt lamps, but most of them are on websites with names like NatureHealsAll.com or MotherEarthCures.com (we just randomly made those up, but they could be real). Naturally they offer convincing evidence: they want to sell you some lamps.
By contrast, medical literature reports on studies performed by purely neutral scientific organizations and researchers who have no financial stake either way in the salt lamp/salt cave business. They simply report the factual results of carefully conducted studies.
According to the research, no proof exists for most if not all of the health claims associated with salt caves and lamps. Could it be discovered tomorrow? Sure. Anything is possible.
For now, snopes.com, the fact-checking website, says this about salt lamps: “[they] cure everything, if by ‘everything’ you mean a lack of cozy mood lighting.”
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helplines (800-GAMBLER) or the phone number of a sponsor—someone who has successfully kicked the gambling addiction and can serve as a mentor—is also extremely helpful. Just remember, getting better starts with admitting there’s a problem and seeking available resources.
Mia Ulmer, MS, LPC, ATR-BC, CCTP, is a licensed professional counselor at IPS. IPS provides inpatient and outpatient mental health services, with or without a referral, to help patients and their families progress through the care journey. To make an appointment, call 706-204-1366 or visit integratedpsych.care.
DOES STRESS CAUSE HAIR LOSS?
Indeed it can. And stress can also lead to loss of pigment in hair. Perhaps you’ve seen before and after pictures of various US presidents. It’s amazing what four years in a stressful job can sometimes do. Then again, comparatively short-term stressors like childbirth, job loss, divorce, weight loss, and illness and high fever can cause excessive hair loss.
That word “excessive” is important, because on a normal Tuesday the average person will typically lose between 50 and 100 hairs. That’s normal and natural. But extreme stress can cause significantly more shedding.
Simply put, hair follicles just check out when the going gets rough. Stress causes hair follicles to go into an extended resting phase called telogen. In this condition the normal activity in the hair follicle goes dormant. Typical hair growth, normally relatively constant, grinds to a halt, and hair is shed more easily.
One of the ways this was initially discovered was in studies with lab rats. In one 2021 study, researchers removed the rats’ adrenal glands, which produce essential stress hormones (in rats and humans). Free of stress, the rats had accelerated hair growth, but when they were subjected to mild stress for a few weeks, scientists noticed decreased hair growth and simultaneously high levels of stress hormones like corticosterone.
The medical condition known as alopecia can also be triggered by stress. In this state, the immune system attacks hair follicles, perhaps in patches, perhaps everywhere. The result is bald patches, large or small.
For some, stress causes us to compulsively (although maybe not always consciously) pull our hair out. That is known as trichotillomania (trick-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh), and it has entered into the language as an idiom — “I was pulling my hair out over all the decisions I had to make!” — that is usually figurative but is sometimes literal.
Follicles damaged by stress can also stop producing melanin, leading to hair that turns grey or white.
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Who is this?
ometimes the value of medical discoveries extends far beyond the immediate and direct scope of physical health and wellbeing, and that was the case with the discoveries of this man, George Huntington.
He could not have asked for a better environment in the pursuit of medical knowledge. He was born in 1850 into a family of physicians. His father and grandfather were also doctors, and from childhood he accompanied his father on his rounds on Long Island (NY), where the family had lived since 1797.
In fact, in a lecture he gave the Neurological Society of New York in 1909, he described a turning point in his life that happened before his 10th birthday:
“Driving with my father through a wooded road leading from Easthampton to Amagansett, we suddenly came upon two women, mother and daughter, both bowing, twisting, grimacing. I stared in wonderment, almost in fear. What could it mean? My father paused to speak with them, and we passed on. Then my Gamaliel-like instruction began; my medical instruction had its inception. From this point, my interest in the disease has never wholly ceased.”
“The disease” eventually came to be known as, you guessed it, Huntington’s disease. George Huntington didn’t discover this disease. Its earliest known description dates back to 1841, years before Huntington’s birth, by Charles Oscar Waters. At age 22, young Dr. George Huntington gave a presentation on “the disease” at an academy of medicine in Ohio. The lecture ended up being published in a medical journal in Philadelphia, from which it soon circulated around the world.
Huntington’s published description was so noteworthy that years later (in 1908), the noted physician William Osler said of it, “In the history of medicine, there are few instances in which a disease has been more accurately, more graphically, or more briefly described.”
Before that memorable day in Ohio in 1872, the disease was often called chorea. That word might sound familiar. It might remind you of choreography or the adjective terpsichorean, of or relating to dancing. Huntington’s disease started life as simply chorea, an apt word to describe a neurological disorder characterized by jerky involuntary movements. If you’ve heard of St. Vitus’s dance (so named because a visit to a shrine for St. Vitus was believed to cure the disease), that is also chorea, which gradually became Huntington’s chorea, and then simply Huntington’s disease.
The condition is hereditary, as Huntington noted in his famous address: “when either or both of the parents have shown manifestations of the disease…one or more of the offspring almost invariably suffer from the disease…it never skips a generation.”
To this day, Huntington’s disease is incurable. Clearly identifying its genetic nature has so far failed to result in a cure. But George Huntington’s clear explanation of the disorder did result in one important advancement. It helped to stop the religious persecution and execution of victims of the disease for the practice of witchcraft. +
Middle Age
BY J.B. COLLUM
“Pride goes before a crash and a pretentious spirit before a tumble.” — Proverbs 16:18 (Byington)
I know the truth of the above quote first hand, and if you are anywhere near my age demographic, you already have experienced this, or you will in the near future. I am becoming used to younger folks, especially my adult children, jumping in and trying to take over for me when it comes to laborious tasks. I have worked up a rather unfortunate muscle-memory-based response to that, though I often end up regretting using it. It isn’t always the exact same response, but it means the same thing. Here are a few of the variations:
• “Do you think I can’t handle this?”
- Always said with the implied yet unmistakable implication that how they answer that question could determine their place in my will.
• “It’s not really that heavy.”
- Usually said right before my eyes bug out and I feel a hernia coming on.
• “I’ve got this...”
- This SOUNDS like I am saying I can handle it, but it ends up being only the beginning of the sentence, with the last part being something like, “… terrible pain in my lower back. Dear God, I need a place to sit down. Oh good, here is the ground. That will do just fine. Good ground. Nice ground.”
Once I show how insulted I am by them simply trying to help me — and tell them so in no uncertain terms — my body begins a conversation with my brain that goes something like this (By the way. I don’t know why, but in my head, my brain has an upper crust British accent when it orders my body around, and my body has a rough northeastern longshoreman’s accent, so read it that way and it will work better.):
Body: “Hey, what are you talking about? They just offered to help and we need the help. I don’t see you climbing down out of your ivory tower up there to come down here to do any of the work. Maybe you should stay out of it. Capisce?”
Brain: “Your impudence has been noted, peasant! You would be nothing without me! Do as you are told. I have exclusive access to communication with the outside world. Yours is not to reason why, yours is but to do and die.”
Body: “Do and die? I don’t like that deal. I
know what that’s from too, and those guys didn’t fare well at all in the Crimean War. Also, you are wrong. We have other ways to communicate with the outside world besides speech. You know what I’m sayin’?”
Brain: ”I know what it is from, you imbecile, The Charge of The Light Brigade! After all, I am the brain. And I stand by my earlier statement. You must obey me without question!”
Body: “You’re gonna regret this. You can’t say I didn’t try.”
Brain: “Oh my! We appear to be on the ground. Why is the world shrinking down into a dark tunnel? Oh no. Now it is just a pin-prick! What is hap…”
Yes, on multiple occasions, my stubborn refusal to accept help has led to me taking an unplanned nap on the ground. Fortunately, no permanent harm was caused, but on at least one occasion, I was technically non-functioning. AKA dead. At least briefly. I have written about this previously.
Most of the time it is nothing quite so dramatic though. Typically it just means that I hurt worse than usual for a few days or weeks, or in a different place than I usually hurt. I also tend to need a good long time to recover my breath and get my heart rate down to a reasonable Reggae tempo of 80-90 BPM (Beats Per Minute) back from the brink of Trance genre levels of 130-150 BPM.
You’d think I would learn my lesson, but as I have mentioned before, I have a photogenic memory. I remember things better than they really were, or perhaps I only remember the good parts. I’m sort of like a mother that way. You’d think no woman would, by choice, ever give birth more than once, but some seem intent on populating their own small country, even after cursing their husband during each and every birth and swearing to high heaven that they will never do this again.
I tend to look at the outcome of my labors and feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that drowns out all the pain and misery that led up to that achievement. I’ve gotten away with it all of my adult life, but that is no guarantee that I always will. The same goes for you, my dear readers. The bad news is that you could pay the ultimate price and not only not learn that lesson, but forget everything else you’ve ever learned as you lie down on the dirt for a rest, not just for a few moments, but for an eternal dirt nap.
I don’t mean to scare you, but.. oh wait! I do mean to scare you. But only enough to spur you to action, or in this case, inaction. I admit, that doesn’t sound like a motivational
MIDDLE AGE
from page 4
speech you would likely hear at some overpriced seminar, but for middle-aged folks, it may be the best advice you can get. Let me clear up a few things first though.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be active or that you should become (or remain) a couch potato. Indeed, you need to stay ambulatory and get some exercise. I’m just saying that maybe you should listen to your spouse or your kids and hold off from some of the more strenuous or dangerous (for your age or health) activities.
If you still want to do something, but it is too much for you, perhaps buy a tool that helps. Want to move those bags of sand or soil? Buy a tractor with a front-end loader, or a wagon for your riding mower. Want to get around your property to check on things? What about a golf cart? Want to get some work done around the house? Buy whatever materials you need and have it delivered. Then in full view of sympathetic loved ones, start on the task while making loud grunts and groans. Even use a saw and hammer to make lots of noise to draw their attention if
needed, even if those tools are completely unnecessary for the particular task at hand. Also hold your back a few times and sit a lot as you stare at the work in front of you. If you did a good job raising your kids or making good friends, you might just get to sit there and supervise, like your brain, without lifting a finger, except to take a sip of some lemonade.
By way of example, my son (when he is visiting) and my oldest daughter have started handling some of the repairs around the house, and I have reluctantly allowed it. Just today Kate replaced some springs inside our washing machine. I only had to pay for the parts and provide her with some tools to do the work. It goes against my grain, but it makes her happy and it keeps me out of pain.
I call that a win-win. Maybe you should try it too.
J.B. Collum is a local novelist, humorist and columnist who wants to be Mark Twain when he grows up. He may be reached at johnbcollum@gmail.com
Millen
#4 IN A SERIES
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Who is this?
Not everyone in healthcare can be Florence Nightingale, right? Despite the long-running series on page 4, there are clunkers in medicine, and we will examine some of them in this brief series that should be briefer. Unfortunately, there’s enough material to keep this going for a while.
This woman is the very antithesis of Florence Nightingale. She used her trusted position as a nurse to become one of the rarest of criminals, a female serial killer.
Born as Honora Kelly in 1857, she was shipped off to the Boston Female Asylum at age 6 by her eccentric, abusive, alcoholic father shortly after the death of his wife.
Not long after, Honora was placed as a domestic servant to Mrs. Ann Toppan.
Although Mrs. Toppan never formally adopted Honora, she took on the name to distance herself from her former family, and eventually became known as Jane Toppan. In her late 20s, Toppan began training to be a nurse, and was so bright, friendly and well-liked that she was often called Jolly Jane. But the jolly exterior hid a very dark side.
After being expelled from her first job at Cambridge Hospital she was somehow recommended to the prestigious Massachusetts General Hospital in 1889. That didn’t work out well either, so Toppan transitioned to a career as a private duty nurse, and from there launched her killing spree.
In 1895 she killed her landlord Israel (age 83) and his wife Lovely (age 87) by devious enough methods that the deaths were more than two years apart. She followed that up by killing her foster sister, Mrs. Toppan’s daughter (who was 70 at the time), with a dose of strychnine. In 1901 she moved in with Aldean Davis to help take care of him after the death of his wife. If that sounds charitable, it wasn’t: Toppan had killed Davis’ wife, Mattie. With about a month, he was dead too. At 64 and 62, respectively, Mr. and Mrs. Davis were among Jolly Jane’s youngest victims. The record belongs to Minnie Gibbs, the Davis’s daughter, who was 40 when she was killed five days after her father’s death
It was Minnie’s death that finally ended Toppan’s spree. She was too young to fit the pattern of elderly deaths, and when her body was tested it was determind that she had been poisoned.
As the details of her deadly career became known, Toppan’s sickness did too. She would often get into bed with her elderly victims and fondle them as they neared death, deriving sexual thrills from the experience. But she also sometimes dosed them to the brink of death, but not over it, so she could repeat the process again. In one case, she couldn’t obtain a job with a family she had selected as victims, so she poisoned their housekeeper just enough so that she appeared drunk so Toppan could steal her job (and then kill the family).
Despite such depravities, she insisted at her trial that she was sane. She believed that was her best hope to someday be released to continue what she had started. William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal published her purported confession, claiming 31 victims. She was quoted as saying her life’s goal was “to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived.”
Jane Toppan was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed for life to a mental hospital, where she died at age 84
BEING ANXIOUS ABOUT ANXIETY
Guest column by Annmarie Morgan
When I retired, I sought paradise. Florida beaches beckoned me. Sun. Sand. Serenity. How could I resist?
A couple years trudged by. Gradually, I realize how naive I was. I had always lived in a small town in South Georgia, where I didn’t need GPS. In Florida, I used one constantly. It was a new world for me as I navigated the tortured but necessary roads of pro found uncertainty and grief.
for my daughter at home. She had suffered multiple genetic defects and required around the clock care. When her suffering ended my griev ing began.
okay at the beach, but with time my anxiety and health issues gradually surfaced. I came to accept that no matter how much I wanted to live in the warm, sunny weather, it wasn’t in my best
interest. Condo living was not for me. For me, living in a beach condo was like living in freshly-stomped ant bed. We had to move to something more livable. I wanted a home without close neighbors under foot 24/7.
We looked in several locations and decided on central Alabama. Nice house. Small private lake with some land around us. Birds. Bees. And trees galore. However, colder
and depression which often go hand in hand to gain understanding and some selfhelp techniques. My stomach pain and nausea could be associated with stress. Anxiety does unexpected and unthinkable things to your body.
I have a delicate tolerance to medications. Many drugs churn up devils heretofore unknow to me. In desperation, I weaned off the anti
bat depression and anxiety. Everything was a battle. Mood. Energy level. Taste. Sleep. Thoughts. Where was the tranquility of retirement on a beautiful lake, with fish and birds, and all of God’s nature?
Get professional help. Many kinds are available online or in person. Support groups. Physicians. Therapists. Knock and you shall receive.
fibromyalgia reared their ugly
hate and fear immobilization,
As I write this it’s been a week since my last medication adjustments, and initial side effects haunt me. All medications are poisons targeted toward a given mental or physical difficulty. Along with the benefits come the side effects which must be handled. It is the price you must pay.
Hopefully, I will adjust and improve. I struggle to think the way rogue Congressman Adam Clayton Powell did. He often said, “Keep the faith, babes. Everything is going to be alright.” He was not always right.
What have I learned? Depression and anxiety are bad boys. Many things are additive. Environment. People. Climate. Physical disorders. Aging. Stressors. Concomitant disorders. I am not immune. Neither are you. No single answer, treatment or solution fits all. Be your own advocate. Inform yourself about your mental and physical health. Keep abreast of new medical treatments. And don’t lie to yourself. If you have a problem, you have a problem. Don’t react. Act.
My journal addresses how I feel each day. It is both cathartic and helpful in evaluating my progress or lack thereof. I note how much anxiety I felt that day, How well I slept the previous night. How I felt emotionally. My journal documents my progress and will help when adjustments need to be made
Having anxiety and depression is day-to-day combat. Some days are better than others. Hobbies or projects are pleasant diversions that help the mind stay busy and block out some of the pain of depression and anxiety. It keeps the mind sharp. That is a good thing we all need. If you have these issues and can’t seem to gain control, don’t drown yourself in self-pity or mind-numbing idleness. Don’t just stand there. Do something. Long strolls in nature help. Find a good doctor. Use online resources to help. They do not have all the answers, but if you work together on it, increased peace can be closer than might you think.
One day at a time, sweet Jesus. One day at a time. (Reverently stolen from Christy Lane) Tomorrow will be a better day.
TRYTHISDISH
KALE SALAD WITH PECANS
Red Russian Kale straight from the farmer’s market is ideal for this recipe. Combined with local “Easter egg radishes, you will have a gorgeous salad! In our local market (www.augustalocallygrown.org) I did not find Easter egg radishes, but I did find beautiful watermelon radishes that added a beautiful color and flavor contrast to this salad.
Salad
• 1 bunch Georgia Kale (preferably Red Russian)
• ½ cup caramelized Georgia pecan pieces
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 4-6 radishes, washed, dried, and thinly sliced into discs ¼ cup organic dried cranberries
Directions
Allow kale to soak in water diluted with vinegar for about 10 minutes to remove dirt and bugs. Rinse through a couple of times. Beak off the leafy parts for the salad (The stems can be used for soups or combined with other greens for cooking). Dry the leaves using a salad spinner. Place in large salad bowl. Add the onion rings and radishes to the kale. Sprinkle the caramelized pecans and cranberries over the salad.
To caramelize pecans, over medium heat in a non-stick pan, gently roast the pecans and then add a tablespoon of brown sugar and little water, stirring the pecans constantly to keep them as separated as possible. Remove from heat and cool.
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
• ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Georgia honey
• 1 small garlic clove finely crushed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
Directions
Combine balsamic vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and pepper and whisk together. Add the garlic and mix. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk one more time before drizzling over salad and gently toss the salad
Yield: 4 Servings
Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 330, Fat 24g (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 10mg, Sodium 260mg, Carbohydrate 25g, Fiber 4g, Protein 7g.
Percent Daily Value: 4% Vitamin A, 15% Calcium, 10% Iron, 170% Vitamin C
Carbohydrate choices: Carbohydrate 1 ½ Carbohydrates
Diabetes Exchanges: 2 vegetables, ½ fruit, ½ other carbohydrate, ½ high fat meat, 4 fats.
Recipe used with permission from Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics cookbook: Seasonal Eats: A recipe collection of Georgia Products. For more information or to order please see: www. eatrightgeorgia.org. To order the cookbook type “cookbook” in the search window.
EVERYONE HAS A STORY
Life is so unfair
by Anonymous Augusta, Georgia
It was a hot spring or summer day in Dallas, Texas. I was about four years old, the second of six kids. I had an older sister, a younger sister, and most likely another brother in diapers. Mom was pregnant with what would turn out to be paternal twins.
My older sister and I would often visit our friend and neighbor Brooksie to see her small flock of pullets. She had a fenced backyard and a chihuahua that never even pretended to like us. We were barely tolerated only if Brooksie was there with us.
One day I went by on my own, no sister and no Brooksie. But the dog was there. It was inside the fence eating and ignoring my presence. I misinterpreted this for friendship and acceptance at last, so I entered the yard, knelt down, and put my arm around the dog to hug its neck.
I was immediately bitten on the face just to the side of my nose. Running home crying, I tripped in the saw grass and was further bloodied on my arms and legs. I arrived at my house unable to tell any details, so mom loaded us all into the car and drove to a doctors office. I ended up receiving most of the rabies series of shots, some of which were in the stomach.
Later, sitting around nursing my wounds, I find out that everyone got a sucker except me.
+
to spread the dressing. Break the goat cheese into bite-size pieces and sprinkle over salad to serve.
IF I COULD JUST REMEMBER...
by Ken Wilson Steppingstones to Recovery
I admit to being 73 years old and I confess that 73 isn’t 63! For me, it shows up mostly in my memory…do I see a show of hands out there?!!! I mean, I can remember my phone number when I was a kid, the floor plans of the houses we lived in, and how to navigate the streets in Salisbury, NC where I walked a mile to school every day! After being gone for 40+ years, I returned a few years ago and drove around town with no wrong turns!
But sometimes I can’t remember what I went to the next room for! Today it was the Case of the Missing Apple…I’m sure I’ll smell it somewhere in a few days. All I know is I set it down somewhere in the house. I’ve entered the era of non-selective amnesia.
Interestingly, I don’t forget tasks that are habitual and established. Joking aside, I am speaking parabolically about the recovery process. Once an addict or alcoholic comes into recovery they have involuntarily joined the Lifetime Membership Club in self-help support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or if you are a non-drinking family member you will be best served by joining a support cast known as Al Anon – begun by Lois Wilson, wife of the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. (Do watch the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie of years ago about its inception, “When Love Is Not Enough”). And there are several other similar programs that meet weekly in the CSRA, including NarAnon, CoDependents Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, etc.
Less than a year ago I rejoined such a support group
– which one, I shall not say due to the strict Traditions I agreed to follow (not via this medium anyway though I would tell you individually). I meet weekly with a few close buddies and we talk with no inhibitions, which spurred one of my friends of 38 years to invite me to this meeting which he attends weekly. I suppose my conversation shouted that I needed it!
This renewed dedication on my part has benefited me immensely, which in turn has rippled out to benefit other close friends who have voiced their observation of my “new” ways of getting along and relating to them. Being SO close to the situation, like trying to shave with my nose touching the mirror in front of me, I did not see how I had slipped in my MO. I had convinced myself that after all, “I am a counselor who helps others get well” and had somehow
slipped back into ways of thinking that weren’t serving me or others best.
The time of the meeting is not convenient for me…but I’ve carved it out of my weekly schedule and attend without fail. The past few months have been a time of new growth for me in several ways…and as I write this I am realizing that I will not cover the territory in this one column as I had thought but I’ll pick it back up next month. I hope my experience can somehow lodge in your soul as I outline a few benefits of dedication to such a program. These are not out of a book but out of the Book of Ken!
First, I have re-learned the value of repetition. At every meeting we read the group rules, the steps to recovery, the traditions of the program, and a few words to the newcomers attending for the first time. As rote as it may
seem at the time, this weekly repetition is writing the principles of the program in my mind and believe me, they’re easy to forget in the “heat of the moment.” Remember the Karate Kid?!!! “Wax on, wax off!” which prepared the kid for winning tournaments and becoming a champion!
Secondly, oh, I’m out of room for this column, this time. Next time, ok? I’ve made notes so I won’t forget!
Now, if I can just remember where to email this column! If you’re reading it, you’ll know I remembered.
WE’RE BEGGING YOU
We’re never too proud to beg. What we’re begging for is “Everyone Has a Story” articles. With your help, this could be (should be) 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. See the No Rules Rules below, then send your interesting (or even semi-interesting) stories via e-mail to Dan@ AugustaRx.com or by mail to the Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903. Thanks!
“And that’s when I fell.”
“He doesn’t remember a thing.”
“It was a terrible tragedy.”
“I retired from medicine seven years ago.”
“She saved my life.”
“I thought, ‘Well, this is it’.”
“They took me to the hospital by helicopter.”
“Now THAT hurt!”
“OUCH!” NOTHING SEEMED TO HELP, UNTIL...
“The cause was a mystery for a long time.”
“The nearest hospital was 30 miles away.”
“I was a battlefield medic.” “We had triplets.”
“He was just two when he died.”
“I sure learned my lesson.”
“It seemed like a miracle.”
“It was my first year of medical school.”
“It took 48 stitches.”
“The ambulance crashed.”
“I’m not supposed to be alive.”
“This was on my third day in Afghanistan.”
“I lost 23 pounds.”
“At first I thought it was something I ate.”
“My leg was broken in three places.”
“Turned out it was just indigestion.”
“The smoke detector woke me up.”
Everybody has a story. Tell us yours.
against a certain doctor or hospital. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Tasty tips from registered dietitians with the Augusta Dietetic District Association
FOOD CONNECTS US FOODISMEDICINE
Kim Beavers, RDN, LD, CDCES MOVE! & Healthy Teaching Kitchen Dietitian, Uptown VA
This year’s National Nutrition Month theme is perfect! Food is the delivery system for nutrition, and we all eat. Translating “food connects us” is awe inspiring really. Food connects us in numerous meaningful ways, spanning cultural, social, emotional and physiological dimensions.
Food is a fundamental aspect of cultural heritage. Traditional foods and recipes are central to community history, celebrations, values and even climate. Sharing foods can promote understanding and appreciation of different cultures. The last time you traveled did you look ahead to see what traditional foods you might like to try? Was it your aim to try local foods or do you seek out typical American fair?
Traditional/cultural foods across America: Southern food: Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits, Southern Fried Chicken, Fried Okra,
Boiled Peanuts
Northern food: Maine-style Lobster Roll, Cheesesteak, New York-style Cheesecake, Bagel and Lox
Midwest food: Buckeyes, Pasties, Cheese Curds, Cincinnati Chili, Beer Brats, Scotcheroos
West Coast food: Jo Jo Potatoes, Street Tacos, Poke, Tuna Tartare, Sourdough Bread, Marionberry Pie
Traditional/cultural foods across the globe:
Traditional foods from other countries could fill up this entire newspaper but for fun here is a list to consider for a possible “kitchen travel” experience.
Italy: Lasagna, Risotto, Spaghetti Carbonara, Ragu alla Bolognese, Ribollita, Panna Cotta, Osso Buco Germany: Bratwurst, Schnitzel, Brezeln, German Potato Salad, Kartoffelknodel, Rouladen, Stollen England: Bangers and Mash, Black Pudding, Clot-
ted Cream, Fish and Chips, Shepherd’s Pie
Australia: Aussie Meat Pie, Barramundi, Vegemite, Barbecued Snags, Chiko Roll, Grilled Kangaroo
Africa: Jollof Rice, Samosas, Fufu, Maafe (peanut stew), Shakshuka, Piri Piri Chicken
Japan: Sushi & Sashimi, Yakitori, Ramen, Donburi, Miso Soup, Yakisoba, Tempura, Mochi
Google one of these foods you have never tried and spend an evening learning about the history, make the recipe and travel to your foods traditional location anytime you want - right in your own kitchen.
Recognizing food as function of health and wellness deserves attention and cel-
ebration, especially during National Nutrition Month.
Eating together promotes healthier eating habits, can encourage mindful eating, promote balanced diets, and enhance mental well-being through social interaction.
Food also plays a role in emotional connection. When you smell or taste certain foods does it take you back to your childhood or remind you of a favorite family member? The act of cooking together or sharing a meal communicates support and concern for others in celebration, sorrow or simply during everyday life. One such food for me is asparagus. It reminds me of afternoons spent with my granny riding around country roads, searching for wild growing asparagus. This memory is forever etched in my mind and makes asparagus that much more enjoyable.
BASIC ROASTED ASPARAGUS
Roasting asparagus gives it such a deep smooth flavor, and lemon juice brightens it up perfectly.
Ingredients Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 pound of asparagus
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice from ½ lemon)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (optional but delicious)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and spray with vegetable oil cooking spray. Snap the tough/woody ends off each asparagus spear, cut into large bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, pepper, salt, lemon juice and garlic to the asparagus and toss to coat. Transfer asparagus to the baking sheet and roast for 7-9 minutes until tender and slightly brown (stirring halfway through cooking time).
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until they are fragrant and brown. To serve transfer asparagus to a serving platter and sprinkle with toasted nuts.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrient breakdown: Calories 70, Fat 4g (0g saturated fat, 2g monounsaturated fat), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 75mg, Carbohydrate 6g, Fiber 3g, Protein 3g.
CRASH COURSE
More Americans have died on US roads since 2009 than in World Wars I & II combined
ompliance with some laws is pretty anemic. Many people are only mostly honest on their income tax forms, and experts say nearly everyone breaks speed limit laws on a fairly regular basis.
Wearing seat belts, however, is a tremendous success story. Back in ancient times (1983) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, pronounced NIT-suh), pegged seat belt use nationwide at just 14%. Talk about anemic.
But almost every year since then, the rate of compliance has gone up. The national rate is currently 90%, a level which matches South Carolina’s. Georgia, meanwhile, is one of the top states, measured by NHTSA at 95.5% compliant (2013 numbers). Only three states are higher: Alabama (97.3%), California (97.4%), and Oregon (98.2%).
Why does this matter? Because wearing seat belts is important for many reasons.
At the top of the list has to be that they save lives. Everybody knows that, so let’s come back to that in a few and switch gears first.
Many people overlook the fact that wearing seat belts saves money. Actual cash! It may not seem like much — in Georgia and South Carolina the direct fine may be as low as $15 to $50 — but the costs can quickly snowball.
An attorney would know all the details, but in some states a seat belt infraction is considered a moving violation. Having that on your driving record can result in an increase in insurance rates. Insurance companies are getting more and more choosy about who they insure, completely withdrawing from some entire states prone to fires, hurricanes, etc. Having a seat belt violation could result in non-renewal of your policy by s standard insurer. That could lead to limited alternate options from insurers who specialize in higher risk drivers, which another way of saying they specialize in higher
premiums.
As if all that wasn’t expensive enough, one law firm’s website says this: “If you are in an accident, regardless of fault, your auto insurance policy may have a clause that states you will not be reimbursed for any damages, both personal injury and vehicle damage, if you were not wearing your seat belt.”
One of the myths that sometimes comes up when people complain about the inconvenience of having to buckle up is the lack of need on short trips. “I’m only going two blocks to drop my kid off at school.”
It’s tempting to respond by saying that kid should be walking to school, but our restraint is admirable, don’t you think? The thing about crashes is that we cannot predict when they will happen. We could be hit by a passing car backing out of our own driveway. Seat belts should be worn for any trip, short or long, before leaving the driveway.
And since the example above involves kids, it’s a great time to mention a couple of relevant points. Seat violation fines are often double or triple for failing to buckle a child into an ageand size-appropriate restraint. In addition, back seat passengers of any age or size should never get a pass, as though wearing a seat belt is less important for them. It is just as important as it is for a front seat passenger.
Finally, the enormous cost of death should never be overlooked, a cost that seat belts have an impressive record of preventing. Plain and simple, they work. They save lives.
Death might seem to be the ultimate cost of failure to wear a seat belt, but some would argue that a lifetime of permanent disability and extreme pain is even worse. Others say the guilt they live with is worse still.
It only costs a few seconds to click a seat belt, but the potential payback is huge +
The blog spot
— posted by Leonard Wang, MD OSLER AND
THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP
I first heard about Sir William Osler (1849-1919) through my primary care physician. His biography stated: “I practice family medicine because every day I get to meet new people from all over the world. I get to hear their stories, meet their families, and help them heal. In some cases, I get to see them again and again, building trust and respect while forming meaningful relationships. To me, there is nothing more rewarding.”
My own practice philosophy is best summarized in the words of William Osler: ‘It is much more important to know what sort of patient has a disease than what sort of disease a patient has.’” I didn’t fully understand this philosophy until I received care from physicians who lacked Osler’s principles.
The first time was an unusual Clostridioides difficile infection lasting several weeks that caused me to lose 15 pounds. I felt that the doctors cared more about my atypical case of C. diff than me. Being solely viewed as an “interesting presentation of the disease” was invalidating to my experience in the sick role. I felt more like a diseased patient than a patient with a disease. For infectious disease physicians, my disease was more important than me.
The second time was an occupational exposure at a local student-run clinic that sent me to the emergency room. During both periods of illness, I felt the uncertainty, vulnerability, and alienation associated with being sick. Yet reflecting on these events allowed me to realize the importance of clinical empathy and compassionate care. I learned what kind of physician I want to be: one that prioritizes his patients’ humanity in all doctor-patient relationships. At the same time, I recognize that some clinical situations are more conducive to Osler’s ideals. For example, compared to primary care, emergency medicine can be a more difficult environment to display empathy. How does an emergency medicine physician balance empathy with the need to rapidly treat patients suffering from urgent life-threatening conditions?
Osler’s enduring legacy is at the personal level. His ability to touch people inspired compassionate patient-centered care in subsequent generations. Osler remains the epitome of clinical medicine, emphasizing the importance of learning medicine at the bedside. I’m grateful to attend medical school at an institution that provides opportunities for bedside teaching starting from the first day. Working at our student-run clinic has allowed me to provide care for the underserved and form meaningful relationships. Supporting my didactic education with clinical learning showed me the intangible in medicine. Being present to bear witness to an individual’s experience within the sick role can heal in powerful ways. Empathetic listening provides moments of shared understanding, opening a therapeutic space for people who are suffering.
Osler continues to inspire me to reflect on the human condition, study our own mortality, and find meaning in my connections. My personal periods of illness have taught me how nurturing doctor-patient relationships is critical to improving patient outcomes and experiences. I encourage all health care professionals to study Osler and consider their own experiences as a patient.
Leonard Wang is a medical student
How do like working from home?
It’s okay. With no commuting and my hours cut back I have a lot more free time.
ACROSS
1. Forearm bone
5. Virus abbrev.
8. Area in short
12. A criminal might jump it
13. Pigeon coop
14. McCain’s running mate
15. Verge
16. Party of Five actress
18. Patch in Aiken
19. Snakelike fish
20. National standard
21. Type of party
22. Sites for games & concerts
24. _____ drive
26. Doc’s Rx book
27. Former Walton Way bakery
30. Blood vessel prefix
33. DOJ drug agency
34. University bigwig
36. ___ brain (insult)
37. Swoon
39. Self-esteem
40. Word in a sloth’s name
42. Nutrition label abbrev.
43. A punctuation mark and a body part
45. Queasiness
47. New Zealand parrot
48. Augusta native Bernanke
49. Abraham’s successor
52. Cabin component
55. NCAA Division I conf.
57. Louvre pyramid architect
58. High tennis shot
60. James with a statue downtown
63. Smoke pipe
64. They often play in 22-As.
65. “The ____” is on Telfair St.
66. Bits of thread
67. Clarets
by Dan Pearson
I bet you’re enjoying that.
For years I’ve wanted to really thoroughly clean my house. I just never had the time.
Ah, but now that you have the time...
I discovered lack of time isn’t the reason.
The Mystery Word for this issue: CAENVCTIA
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
We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!
68. Male child
69. Fed food agency
DOWN
1. Ride sharing service
2. Former local amphitheater
3. Its capital is Niamey
4. Malt beverage
5. Loses heat
6. Ridiculousness broadcaster
7. He serves under the prez
8. Call of the crow
9. Long narrow cut
10. Aid beginning (sometimes)
11. Rectangular pier
13. Weather without clouds
14. Dental prefix
17. Type of suit
19. Internal; within (prefix)
23. Pen prefix
25. Cushion
27. Rep.’s colleague
28. Brooks of AU
29. Type of palm
30. Likely
31. Inert gaseous element
32. Greek goddess of the earth
33. Day in Tijuana
35. Invasive beginning
37. Surrey’s ______ Market
38. Dental org.
41. Classic Hollywood’s Taylor, raised in Augusta
43. Monetary unit of Ghana
44. Scull power
46. Acts as an usher
47. Rest on the knees
49. Put to use
50. Downtown street
51. Hurt
52. Tolkien work, in short
53. Double curve
54. Happy
56. Big name in Augusta baseball
59. Blocker beginning
61. Ambulance svc.
62. ___ Speedwagon
63. Viral infection, briefly
X A M I N E R
DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.
DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once. Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line. Solution on page 14.
Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle above. All the listed letters following #1 are the first letters of the various words; the letters following #2 are the second letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.
— Satchel Paige
THEBESTMEDICINE
ha... ha...
Two newborns are chatting in the nursery at a hospital. One says, “By the way, are you a boy or a girl?”
“I’m a boy,” the first baby says.
“How do you know?” the other baby asks.
“Shh. A nurse is coming. I’ll show you as soon as she leaves.”
A minute later the nurse leaves, and the baby boy kicks his blanket off and says, “See that? I’m wearing blue socks.”
Moe: A chimney sweep knocked on my door yesterday. He said if I didn’t get my chimney cleaned my house would burn down.
Joe: So did you hire him?
Moe: He thought it was super-urgent, so I said, “Go ahead. Soot yourself.”
Moe: What do you call a person who is engaged to Beyoncé?
Joe: A feyoncé.
Moe: How many TV addicts does it take to change a light bulb?
Joe: I give. How many?
Moe: Find out next episode!
Moe: I’d like to learn about dinosaurs. Do you know any authors who specialize in that subject?
Joe: Try Sara Topps.
Moe: What did the pigs name their daughter?
Joe: Hamanda
Moe: I asked my girlfriend when her birthday is.
Joe: And?
Moe: She said “march first.”
Joe: Did you do it?
Moe: Yeah, I marched around the room and then asked her again. It went on like that for awhile.
Joe: Did she ever tell you?
Moe: Nope.
Moe: How do you know if a pediatric dentist is any good?
Joe: Check if they still have all ten fingers.
Moe: What was Madonna’s name before she was famous? There’s no way she was born Madonna, no last name or anything.
Joe: It was Pre-Madonna.
Moe: I need a job.
Joe: Why don’t you get a job as a waiter?
Moe: For some reason I don’t feel like that’s a respectable job.
Joe: Hey, it’ll put food on the table.
at my phone all day has certainly had no Effect on ME!
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 $24 or one year for $42 . Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta
Dear Advice Doctor,
Dear Too,
You are certainly not the only person who grapples with this issue. We live in a fast-paced world, and many people eat on the run, in a rush, while driving, at their desk, etc. Anyone trying to eat in a hurry is at risk of biting off more than they can chew in the interests of speed. Another related problem in rush-rush eating is not chewing food adequately. Why are these matters of concern?
The process of digestion is how our bodies access the nutrients in the food we eat. Shortchanging that process is like stealing from our own body and shortchanging our own health.
It’s easy to forget that digestion is not something that starts after we swallow. There are chemicals and enzymes in our saliva that start the process of digesting food as we’re chewing it. What you describe is one of two ways people interrupt this important step in digestion. First, what you do: take bites that are too big. It’s almost impossible to properly chew a huge bite of food, which leads to the second issue: chewing too fast and too briefly. For many people, this is how they eat all the time, big bites or small.
There are all kinds of ridiculous strategies offered as solutions, like counting how many times you chew each bite of food. Can you imagine? You can’t even have a conversation with friends or family because you’re counting your chews!
A better answer is to focus on the enjoyment of eating. Slow down. Savor the flavor. Set your fork or your sandwich down after every bite. Take your time. Don’t talk on the phone or do work while eating that divides your attention. Your job for those few minutes is eating, and doing so mindfully (not mindlessly). Bon appetit!
I’ve always had a hard time saying no. It’s a skill I need to learn, but so far, it’s still mission impossible. Take a neighbor to a doctor appointment and wait with them for two hours when I’m already slammed? Sure. Provide snacks for the kids’ entire class? No problem. Do a co-worker’s job for them and then watch them take credit for it? Just ask. I know what I need to do. But I knew that five years ago and here I am still biting off more than I can chew almost every day. What’s the secret to making this change? — Too Agreeable +
I hope this answers your question.
Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED
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. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher. 8. Deadline to enter is shown on page 12.
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
ACUPUNCTURE
Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road
706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com
L. Carter, MD 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com
Davis Road
Augusta 30907
706-860-4048 Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!
EVERYONE HAS A STORY
The junk drawer
Writers can find inspiration in unusual places. Of course, we are always looking for it, but occasionally it crops up unexpectedly. For instance, some time ago I read a serious statistical article that stated that over 85% of households (in the world!) had a junk drawer.
I found it very interesting at the time and nodded in agreement as I read – not only because I personally have a junk drawer, but probably three or four. If you are unsure what constitutes a junk drawer, you can check the official parameters and rules at www.junkdrawer.com.
I seldom think much about my drawer(s), but this morning as I looked at its out-of-kilter position for the umpteenth time, I decided to investigate. First, the drawer guide that keeps it level had committed suicide because it could no longer stand up to the burden of “can’t throw that away” articles stored there.
Everything had to come out before repairs could be made. The faint tap of opportunity made itself known so I sat on the floor and began to sort through these must-keep items. Do you even want to know what was in there? Of course you do. Junk drawers provide an intimate glimpse into one’s life. Is it tidy? No, dummy, it’s a junk drawer! By its very nature, it cannot be tidy. You can make it tidy; but after you close the drawer, the cabinet elves get in there and mess it all up again.
I will not elaborate on the nails and screws which seem to have multiplied, amoeba-like, since I last looked. Wouldn’t it be great if they were standardized – one nail, one screw, different lengths? What’s the problem?
An interesting item I discovered as I sorted, was tape. I am prepared to bind, hang, wrap and strap in any width and any length. I could make a duct tape wallet if I had a pattern. And to utilize every bit of space, I have filled the empty roll core of the tape with old film canisters full of the aforementioned nails and screws. Oh, and pushpins - I might need one someday.
Obviously, I am a saver. That’s a good thing, right? But what about this photograph of an old friend pictured with her two children who have now graduated college? What about this old shower head that has not been needed since I installed the new one fifteen years ago? What about ten pairs of chopsticks? (Hmmm, these must be in the wrong drawer.) What about the instructions for a manual can opener that I bought at a Chef’s Party? Look! Here’s a set of fondue forks. Fondue is back, you know.
The last thing of note, and I use that term lightly, is a bat cookie cutter – just what every household needs. Everything else I found probably has a twin in your junk drawer. The drawer now slides easily, is repaired and free of its overload. The overload, by the way, is now in an old coffee can in my storage shed. I need to clean that out one of these days.
— Pat Tante
