Sept 6 2013 by Daniel Pearson

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AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

If you are a smoker...

I HOPE THIS ARTICLE

OFFENDS YOU This article from the web was written by John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today and posted Feb. 5, 2013

Federal survey results indicate that smoking rates are dramatically higher in the mentally ill compared with other Americans. A joint “Vital Signs” report from the CDC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicated that, among adults who reported symptoms consistent with a recognized mental illness, 36.1% were current smokers, compared with 21.4% of the rest of the population. The report, based on data from the 2009-2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, also found that 30.9% of all cigarettes consumed in the U.S. were smoked by the mentally ill. In part, this disproportion reflects heavier smoking in the mentally ill, with an average of 331 cigarettes per month compared with 310 in the rest of the smoking population. Individuals classified as mentally ill in the study represented 19.9% of the sample surveyed after weighing to reflect the general population’s demographics. Excluded from smoking analyses were individuals in institutions and those considered to have alcohol and substance use disorders. During a telephone briefing for reporters, Douglas Tipperman, MSW, a tobacco prevention specialist at SAMHSA, said the higher smoking incidence among the mentally ill is an outgrowth of lower quit rates. More than half of the non-mentally ill population who has ever smoked has since quit. But among the mentally ill, only about 34% of ever-smokers have succeeded in quitting, Tipperman said. Several barriers help prevent mentally ill smokers from quitting, said Tipperman and CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, who also spoke at the briefing. These include the symptom relief that some mentally ill people

The mentally ill smoke 30% of all cigarettes

Please see OFFENSIVE page 3

id you know that in the United States more people die by suicide than by homicide? The suicide toll is 50 percent more than deaths by murder. Did you know that a suicide occurs once every 14 minutes in the United States? Did you know that more than 5,000,000 people in the US have been directly affected by a suicide? Did you know that some 950 veterans under the care of the Department of Veterans Affairs attempt suicide every month? Did you know that every day, more than 20 former members of the US armed forces die by suicide? Did you know that the 349 deaths by suicide in the US military last year exceeded 2012 combat deaths (295) in

Afghanistan? Did you know that veterans are killing themselves at a rate more than double the civilian population? Did you know that the highest suicide rates of any age group occur among people age 65 and above? Did you know that the term “commit” suicide is considered offensive by many mental health professionals, lumping suicide in with people who “commit” crimes? There is no question that suicide is a complex and serious issue. How can you and I make a difference among those we know who might be at risk? How can we help a friend or family member of someone who has died by suicide? Know the signs If someone is talking about suicide,

believe them. Take them seriously. Don’t brush it off as just talk. If they are not talking about suicide but are saying things like “I’d be better off dead,” or “There is no way out;” if they’re seeking access to pills, weapons, or other lethal means; if they’re getting their affairs in order, making out a will, giving away valuable or important possessions; if they have abandoned long-time friends; or if they’re taking risks as though they have a death wish, take those signs seriously. Speak up By all means, speak up. Experts say the best way to find out for sure if someone is contemplating suicide is to ask them. You’re not going to plant the thought in their mind and drive them to it, say mental health professionals. Instead, you’re showing them you take their problems seriously and that you’re someone they can talk to. How do you broach a subject Please see SUICIDE page 2

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

SUICIDE… from page 1 like this? Simply say, “I’ve been concerned about you lately. How are you doing?” Be a good listener. Be calm, sympathetic and non-judgmental. You might ask if they’re getting help or are planning to. Ask, “How can I best support you right now?” If they say they are thinking about suicide, it’s important to evaluate whether it’s just a vague concept in their minds or a well-thought-out plan. Find out. Ask: • Do you have a suicide plan? • Do you have the means to carry out The national suicide prevention your plan? hotline has staff dedicated to • When do you plan to do this? veterans. To access, Press 1 When talking to a suicidal person DO: • Be yourself. Let the person know you care, that he/she is not alone. The right words are often unimportant. If you are concerned, your voice and manner will show it. • Listen. Let the suicidal person unload despair, ventilate anger. No matter how negative the conversation seems, the fact that it exists is a positive sign. See also • Be sympathetic, non-judgmental, patient, calm, The Blog Spot, accepting. Your friend or family member is doing the page 11 right thing by talking about his/her feelings. • Offer hope. Reassure the person that help is available and that the suicidal feelings are temporary. Let the person know that his or her life is important to you. • If the person says things like, “I’m so depressed, I can’t go on,” ask the question: “Are you having thoughts of suicide?” You are not putting ideas in their head, you are showing that you are concerned, that you take them seriously, and that it’s OK for them to share their pain with you. BUT DO NOT: • Argue with the suicidal person. Avoid saying things like: “You have so much to live for,” “Your suicide will hurt your family,” or “Look on the bright side.” • Act shocked, lecture on the value of life, or say that suicide is wrong. • Promise confidentiality. Refuse to be sworn to secrecy. A life is at stake and you may need to speak to a mental health professional in order to keep the suicidal person safe. If you promise to keep your discussions secret, you may have to break your word. • Offer ways to fix their problems, or give advice, or make them feel like they have to justify their suicidal feelings. It is not about how bad the problem is, but how badly it’s hurting your friend or loved one. • Blame yourself. You can’t “fix” someone’s depression. Your loved one’s happiness, or lack thereof, is not your responsibility. • Leave. If you think a person presents an imminent danger to himself, do not leave him alone, even for a few seconds. It is said that people who kill themselves don’t want to stop living; they just want the pain to stop. You and I can help make that happen. + Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) for assistance with mental health and substance abuse: 1-800-715-4225 or www.mygcal.com, 24/7

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK: SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2013 WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY: SEPTEMBER 10

Editor’s note: Healthcare is a whole new ballgame with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). How will healthcare providers be affected? What about patients? And how about employers who provide health coverage as an employee benefit? How will Medicare and Medicaid recipients be affected? Look to this column for the answers.

HEALTHCARE REFORM & YOUR BUSINESS by Russell T. Head, CBC, CSA

PPACA LARGE EMPLOYER MANDATE DELAY....THE PROS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

have spent the past 6 months sharing different regulations regarding the current 2013 and upcoming 2014 Health Care Reform compliance in these Augusta Medical Examiner articles. I have shared new HCR terminology from Navigators to Public Exchanges to Private Exchanges to the Individual mandate. Needless to say, I hope it has been educational, but now we will tackle the reality. Russell Head The question everyone wants to know is: What does it mean for me? Well, if you are a large employer (50 or more full-time equivalents) then the Obama administration just gave you an early Christmas present. Essentially the reporting that must be completed by large employers has been delayed until 2015. Thus, there will be no financial penalty to the large employer for being out of HCR compliance in 2014. Please understand the mandate to offer coverage is still there, but you will not be penalized for not doing so next year. For many employers this is a breath of fresh air, as this will allow more time for employers to do proper planning and budgeting for the future. Let’s bullet point the Pros of this delay: PROS • Affordability....if you had not already budgeted for what will be an increase, you just received a year extension. Considering the 9.5% of W-2 income for affordability, you will need to be creative without being out of compliance with new non-discrimination rules. • Minimum Value....more time for plan design modification for

being in compliance with minimum essential benefits standards set by HCR rules and regulations. • Pay or Play....Calculators and Tools are what we use to make sure clients know all their options when making that final decision. For some it’s a financial decision, while for others it’s part of the overall Employee Benefits Package to retain or attract the right employee. • Reporting....As issued by the IRS via the Department of Treasury, we anticipate the transition relief of very complex reporting will hopefully be modified to a more simple process in the near future. • Time....you can never have enough of it when it comes HCR compliance. Considering the amount of dollars and staff time large employers have already spent planning for the upcoming open enrollment season, I would imagine another year to rethink or rework a plan is quite all right. As always, we suggest that employers work with their benefit advisors or consultants alongside their team of accountants and employee law/tax attorneys when designing their benefits package for the future. For further explanation of the PPACA provisions outlined in this article, please refer to the following resources: www.hhs.gov www.irs.gov www.healthcare.gov Russell T. Head is a Partner and Chief Visionary Architect with Group & Benefits Consultants, Inc., Augusta’s largest, privately held employee benefits consulting firm. He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or rthead@gandbc.com. Visit Group & Benefits Consultants at www. groupandbenefits.com. +

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

SEE PAGE SIX

OFFENSIVE… from page 1

What’s your story?

experience with smoking, marketing efforts by tobacco companies directed at the mentally ill, and mistaken beliefs by healthcare providers that smoking cessation may worsen patients’ mental illness. Frieden cited his own experience, noting that his first job was as an aide at a psychiatric hospital. There, he witnessed cigarettes being handed out to patients as rewards for good behavior, he said. The point was echoed in the Vital Signs report, which cited two recent reviews indicating that mental health facilities have used smoking privileges as rewards. Asserting that “about a thousand Americans are killed every day by tobacco,” Frieden said that smoking is more dangerous to the mentally ill in most cases than their mental illnesses. Both he and Tipperman said that clinicians, policymakers, and patients themselves should increase their efforts to curb smoking in what the report called this “uniquely vulnerable population.” ++

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. +

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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. © 2013 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Hope IS Possible

Eyewitnesses to hope

Helen Blocker-Adams

had the distinct honor and privilege of serving on a panel and conducting a workshop at the McCormick Correctional Institution in McCormick, SC last Friday. There were fifteen of us that included bishops, pastors, ministers, one South Carolina state senator, and one representative from the South Carolina Department of Paroles. A friend and local pastor invited me to join this esteemed group to talk about health, fitness and nutrition. The purpose of the conference was to bring real life answers to issues and concerns facing inmates who may be getting out of prison at any given time, or to those who may never get beyond the ominous barbed wire fence that surrounded the facility. There was Hope in the room that day. I’ve spoken and conducted workshops in many places, cities and states, but never

inside the walls of a prison. I arrived around 8 am and left around 8 pm. So yes it was a very long day inside those walls. It might sound like an intimidating experience, but it wasn’t. I was acutely aware of my surroundings, but due to the level of attention, respect and professional conduct demonstrated, I almost forgot where I was a couple of times. If it wasn’t for the uniforms with wording that clearly said where we were, one would think we were in a hotel conference facility educating, informing, listening, laughing, sometimes crying, praising God and empowering men to believe, despite their present circumstances, that God still loves them and there is still hope. We were served refreshments and constantly attended to throughout the day by SC Department of Corrections inmates. I was reminded by one of the male bishops who conducts worship service there every Thursday that the inmates rarely see women, especially from the outside, so they tend to gravitate to them when the opportunity presents itself. But never did I feel that I was being watched or looked at in a disrespectful way. I believe they must be taught or warned NOT to look directly in a person’s eye for more than a few seconds, because none caught mine in that way. As I scanned the room during the morning

panel discussion, I saw ages ranging from early twenties to late seventies. I saw black and white men. Some were in there for life. Some had been incarcerated for over thirty years. Others were getting released within the next few years. One of the purposes of the conferences was to provide empowering information so that when released, these men would have the knowledge, tools and resources that will help them stay out of prison. I found that concept to be quite remarkable. Recidivism is incredibly high and unless one knows what path to take, what resources are available, how to seamlessly move back into mainstream society when released, he or she is simply going to travel the easiest and most familiar route. And that route, more likely than not, can put them back in the place they said they would never return to. One of the speakers told the inmates they must prepare a business plan as soon as they arrive in prison. And that plan is designed to be the game plan for their life after they are released, no matter how long their sentence is. I considered that advice to be rather thought provoking. The men were hungry for our information. They gobbled it up like food on Thanksgiving Day. Some took notes, others nodded their heads in agreement, some shook their heads in disbelief. My afternoon session focused on health, nutrition and fitness. I started by talking a little about myself and my

healthy lifestyle journey, I asked each man to share why they choose my session, and we engaged in a two hour discussion about prison food and how they can incorporate a healthy lifestyle with what they have to work with. The session was lively and informative and they seemed to receive what I talked about very well. Later that evening after dinner, the final portion of the day was entertainment and testimonies from Sheila Raye Charles (daughter of the late Ray Charles) and her husband. Both spent over 10 years each in a federal prison for a variety of offenses many years ago. Sheila has been in prison three different times. Their stories of hope, inspiration and motivation were so compelling and riveting, I sat at the edge of my seat the entire time. Their stories gave these incarcerated men hope. As long as one is still alive on this side of earth, there is hope. Having heard the information and knowledge of all the experts throughout the day, closing the full day with the power of real life testimonies was humbling to say the least. I found myself in tears several times as I thought about my life, life’s challenges and what God has purposed

me to do in my life at this appointed time. I also thought of the hundreds of men sitting, watching and listening and wondering what was going on in their minds. Many of them had life sentences. But these men were praising God, they were smiling, happy, and they were given hope. It was truly something to see. A revelation came to me on that day. I realize clearly that God has gifted me with the spiritual gift of compassion. Its a gift I do not take lightly. As these men greeted us at the end of the conference with comments like “God bless you, thank you for taking time out of your day to come here, and thank you for your service.” I was overwhelmed with a heart of compassion for these men. Their sincere grateful heart was empowering to me and made me realize that as long as I’m breathing, I’m called to inspire, motivate, empower, give hope and show compassion to everyone, no matter what their circumstances, in as many ways as I can. + Helen Blocker-Adams is Executive Director of the Southeast Enterprise Institute; mental health advocate; and youth advocate. You can reach her at hba@hbagroup-intl. com or visit her website at www. helenblockeradams.com

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT GENIUSES AND IDIOTS

f your government recommends no mammograms for women under the age of 50, when 25% of all breast cancer occurs in women under age 50 ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally ...you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If a child needs parent’s permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If the only school curriculum allowed to explain how we got here is evolution, but the government stops a $15 million construction project to keep a rare spider from

evolving to extinction ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

Best

If black rappers can make millions of dollars every year (while using the “N” word) and be honored by the President, but a white cook from Savannah (Paula Dean) can be ostracized for using the same word 10 years ago... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

If you need a picture ID to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor or check out a library book, but not to vote who runs the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

If your government makes it a crime to drive over 70 miles per hour, but allows the manufacture and sale of cars that go over 120 miles per hour ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning a gun magazine that holds more than ten rounds, but gives twenty F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt ...

If the government can take money from poor, hardworking citizens and give it to wealthy foreigners and call it foreign aid ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

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If, in the largest city in the nation, you can buy two 16ounce sodas, but not one 24ounce soda because 24 ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If an 80-year-old woman can be strip-searched by the TSA, but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

e n i c i d ME

If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to borrow and spend trillions more dollars ...you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If strippers and Hollywood starlets can use performanceenhancing substances (like silicone breast implants), but athletes are fired for using performance enhancing substances (naturally occurring hormones) ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If your government outlaws prayer in school because a few object but the major still favor it ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If officials of your government exempt themselves from taxes and laws they force you to abide by ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots.

its citizens (take Benghazi, for example), but makes it a crime for citizens to lie to the government (income tax returns or giving a cop a phony name) ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If your government gives billions of dollars to foreign governments, while furloughing thousands of US military personnel to balance the budget ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If your government, with all its faults and injustices, is still the best country in the world ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. If you can say all the things I have written and not be jailed or shot as an insurrectionist ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses, but run by idiots. And given the choice, I will take our idiots over anybody else’s idiots. + 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 706306-9397

If your government officials can legally lie to

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“

I have learned to use the word impossible with the greatest caution.

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

’ve been a representative of a large health insurance company for almost 9 years so regular exercise has been a challenge. Actually that’s not an honest way to put it: I haven’t exercised regularly in a long, long time. My job is just a convenient but unrelated excuse. April 1, 2013 (Fool’s Day) was the day I would begin being 100% committed to getting physically fit; get rid of the muffin-top, get more muscular definition in the abs and arms (I’m very vain), but mainly start working at feeling better. A friend of mine felt the same need, so we both joined a gym and decided we’d start with a few rounds of racquetball followed by weights.

“But I did fly into a concrete wall.” Maybe three minutes (tops) into playing racquetball I discovered I’m not the nimble young man I was the last time I played over 30 years ago: I was on the left side of the room when he returned the ball perfectly to bounce off the right side of the room. To prove my youthfulness to myself, I was running like a cheetah toward the ball. I either slipped or tripped mid-way and flew like Superman the rest of the way until my right shoulder met the concrete wall, instantly humbling me with excruciating

pain and the reminder that, not only am I not Superman, I’m in my mid-50’s and I’ve been excessively sedentary for the past several years. The X-ray showed a fractured clavicle with a shard of bone protruding vertically into my shoulder muscle. Good times! For a month I couldn’t consider ANY kind of exercise but it was around that time that the 100-Day Dash was being introduced. This is just a simple challenge to join a team of 10 or so people who are committed to do a lot of daily walking with a pedometer for 100 days. The steps recorded in the pedometer are uploadable, so at the end of the 100 days the team with the highest average per person wins $1000 for charity.

Since it was to begin in June, I figured it could be a good way to have some forced discipline toward a more realistic goal: like walking. A beat-up, aging man needs that sort of thing. It turned out to be a double or even tripleforced discipline because I ended up on the same team as my manager Dion, and his manager Dino (I could not have used those two names together if I were writing a novel, but those are their real names. Yes, just switch the last two letters). Two months into the Dash, I can say that I am feeling more energetic and even more nimble – not just physically but also mentally. As someone who fights depression, nothing seems to help more than a rigorous walk that gets the blood flowing at a quicker pace and works up a good sweat. My ability to focus has improved, which will really help with all of the training and learning curves I’ll need to get through between now and our first

double-duty enrollment period for Medicare and Healthcare Reform in October. Also, the creative juices are starting to flow again and I have been posting some songs I’ve written on YouTube.com under the pseudonym of Crazy Fathead. So, the moral of my story is: walk with a minimum goal of 10,000 steps a day and you will feel better, think sharper and maybe, if you’re as delusional as me, be able to at least convince yourself that you look better. + — Submitted by J. Price Harlem, Georgia What’s your story? 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 309030397. (The Medical Examiner reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any submission at its sole discretion.) Your story can be “by Anonymous” if you wish.

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.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Southern Girl Eats Clean

I’m always looking for new side dishes. We grill chicken, grass fed steaks, fish or shrimp quite often in our family and I get bored with the same old grilled veggies on the side. I love veggies, I just like to try new recipes and throw some variety into our meals. Looking at the picture you may be saying, “There is nothing exciting about potatoes and green beans.” You would be correct, but this recipe is sort of a “jazzed up” version of potatoes and green beans and not at all like the plain old dish that your mother served every week for Sunday lunch. I came up with this dish a few weeks back when my step-daughters were here visiting. I needed a side dish to go with our dinner that evening that they would actually eat. All I could come up with was green beans and potatoes. Well, anyone that knows me knows that I am not into the ordinary. I like to take the ordinary and make it more interesting. It turns out this recipe was a success all the way around. Everyone enjoyed it and I was pleased with the amount of flavor that was added to a couple of sometimes boring vegetables. It’s a good thing when you can create a dish, stick to your healthy eating values and at the same time please everyone in your family!

5 medi0113

Green Bean & Potato Salad

Making it happen: • Bring salted water to a boil in a 3 quart pan. • Place potatoes gently down into the boiling water and boil until fork tender. Approximately 5-8 minutes. • Once potatoes are done, remove from water with a slotted spoon, place into a large mixing bowl to cool completely. • Place the green beans into the same pan of boiling water. Boil only until tender. Approximately 5 minutes. • Once green beans are done,

Alisa Rhinehart writes the blog www. southerngirleatsclean.com She is a working wife and mother living in Evans, Georgia. Visit her blog for more recipes and information on clean eating.

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For the dressing: • 1/3 cup of organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil • 4 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar • 1 tsp. of Dijon mustard • The juice of 1/2 a lemon • 1/3 cup of flat leaf parsley,

chopped • Real Salt or sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

09/31/13.

Ohio Ave.

What you’ll need: • 1 Tbsp. of organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil • 3-4 shallots, sliced • 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed • 1/4 cup of vegetable broth • 1-2 lbs. of organic Yukon gold or red skin potatoes, skins left on, washed and cut in half or quartered depending on the size • 2-3 cups of organic fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half

drain water and place green beans in bowl with potatoes and allow both vegetables to cool completely. • Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan, sauté for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. • Add vegetable broth to sauté pan with shallots and garlic; reduce heat and cook, stirring often until shallots and garlic are caramelized and browned, approximately 5-8 minutes. Once done, add to bowl with potatoes and green beans. • In a smaller separate bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley. • Pour dressing over potato mixture and toss to coat all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. • Serve immediately at room temperature or slightly chilled if you prefer. +

Wrightsboro Road

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OUR NEWSSTANDS Medical locations: • Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr, 15th St., Main Entrance • Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Uptown Div., Wrightsboro Rd., main lobby • Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Rd, ER Lobby Entrance • Eisenhower Hospital, Main Lobby, Fort Gordon • George C. Wilson Drive (by medical center Waffle House and mail boxes) • GHSU Hospital, 1120 15th Street, South & West Entrances • GHSU Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Main Entrance • GHSU Medical Office Building, Harper Street, Parking Deck entrance • GHSU Hospital, Emergency Room, Harper Street, Main Entrance • GHSU Children’s Medical Center, Harper Street, Main Lobby • GHSU, Laney-Walker Boulevard transit stop, Augusta • Select Specialty Hospital, Walton Way, Main entrance lobby • Trinity Hospital, Wrightsboro Road, main lobby by elevators • Trinity Hospital Home Health, Daniel Village, main lobby • University Health Federal Credit Union/ University Hospital Human Resources, 1402 Walton Way, Main Lobby • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Emergency Room lobby area • University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Outside Brown & Radiology/Day Surgery • University Hospital - Columbia County, 465 N. Belair Road, Main Lobby • University Hospital Prompt Care, 3121 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta

Around town: • Barney’s Pharmacy, 2604 Peach Orchard Rd. • Birth Control Source, 1944 Walton Way • GRU Summerville Student Bookstore • Blue Sky Kitchen, 990 Broad Street • Columbia County Library, main branch lobby, Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans • Enterprise Mill (North Tower), 1450 Greene Street, Augusta • Daniel Village Barber Shop, Wrightsboro Road at Ohio Ave. • Hartley’s Uniforms, 1010 Druid Park Ave, Augusta • International Uniforms, 1216 Broad Street, Augusta • Marshall Family Y, Belair Rd, Evans • Mellow Mushroom, 12th and Broad Streets, Augusta • Parks Pharmacy, Georgia Avenue, North Augusta • Southside Family Y, Tobacco Road, Augusta • Surrey Center, Surrey Center Pharmacy, Highland Avenue, Augusta • Top-Notch Car Wash, 512 N. Belair Road, Evans • Wild Wing Cafe, 3035 Washington Road, Augusta

Plus... 500+ doctors offices throughout the area for staff and waiting rooms, as well as many nurses stations and waiting rooms of area hospitals.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

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.

IS AN ANTIBIOTIC THE ANSWER? MAYBE. MAYBE NOT.

ediatricians are extremely busy this coming up season of the year. No, I don’t mean one of the four regular seasons of each year, but a special medical season known as cold and flu season. Children and adults alike are going to the doctor for sinus congestion, coughs and sore throats. Many people are under the impression that if they go to the doctor’s office with a cold or flu, they should leave with a prescription for an antibiotic. This is not always the best course of action as there are more criteria that must be met to justify using an antibiotic. Colds and flu infections are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not treat viral infections. For the flu there are two medicines that can be prescribed to shorten the duration of the infection. These are Tamiflu and Relenza. For viral infections such as cold and flu, you typically treat the symptoms with overthe-counter medicines. Tylenol, or in certain cases ibuprofen, can be used for fever. Pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine can be used to treat nasal and sinus congestion while antihistamines can treat allergic rhinitis (thin, watery congestion). Dextromethorphan can stop

a troublesome cough. These symptom remedies are used for both bacterial and viral infections. Let’s talk about when it’s appropriate to treat with an antibiotic. We said infections caused by viruses are not helped by antibiotics. Using antibiotics in these cases only leads to more resistant and harder to treat infections for everyone in the future.

“What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” — Bacterial Infection Sore throats are not treatable with antibiotics unless the sore throat is caused by strep or a similar bacterial infection. Bronchitis is mostly not responsive to antibiotics as are most coughs. Bacterial pneumonias are definitely treated by antibiotics. What we are trying to say is that it is okay to go to the doctor and leave with instructions on how to self-treat, and not a prescription. Sometimes a prescription is warranted and in those cases the doctor will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic. Consider the Center for Disease Control guidelines for antibiotic use. Sinus infections are almost always initially

viral and should be treated as such. If congestion stays in the sinuses or nose for a long period of time a bacterial infection can take advantage of the weakened immune system. These secondary infections may need an antibiotic. Sore throats are mostly viral with strep throat being the most common exception. Runny noses and common colds are usually viral and limited in duration to two weeks. Several signs that a bacterial infection has begun is a temperature over one hundred point four, congestion that turns to a yellow or green color, or if symptoms are not relieved by over the counter medicines. Ear infections may often, but not always, need antibiotics. You doctor can help decide if an antibiotic is appropriate. Bronchitis is a type of chest cold that can last for up to two weeks with a cough that can last eight weeks. The signs to go to the doctor are similar to the common cold listed above. Also any colored or bloody mucus produced by coughing should be referred to a doctor. Another point to consider is that initially antibiotics that are not broad spectrum should be used. Broad spectrum antibiotic overuse can lead to infections that are resistant to multiple drugs and in the past decade have resulted in

infections that are resistant to almost every antibiotic we have. So let’s help our doctor treat us properly and not pressure them into unnecessary prescriptions. Check with your pharmacist about selftreating initial symptoms and see your physician if the condition does not resolve appropriately. + Written for the Medical Examiner by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson (cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net If you have any questions, comments or article suggestions please email us at cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Ask a Dietitian

Q: Do you recommend eating small frequent meals? A: Some people eat several small meals or “graze” all day, and others eat just one big meal a day. I have seen both of these cause trouble. Grazers often don’t end up with a good balance by the end of the day, wrapping up the evening with too little protein and minimal vegetables, since they often graze on low-nutrient snack foods. Conversely, research shows those who eat just once a day are more likely to be overweight or obese. Many of my clients realize that they thought they were eating just once a day when in truth they were eating a hot meal once a day. They were in fact occasionally eating chips and a soda without counting it as a meal, even though the calories are equal to that of a meal. Or, sometimes they would snack on baked goods and juice at the office without counting it as breakfast. Those calories will quickly add up to that of a good, intentionally prepared breakfast. For those who actually do just eat one meal a day and no calories otherwise, I am concerned that either the lone meal was so high in fat and calories that it could hold them over for 24 hours, or they have become so inactive that they feel they don’t need fuel in regular intervals. Eventually this can take a toll on one’s metabolism. I find people do best eating 4 balanced meals (or 5 if they have long, active days). Ideally that is breakfast, lunch, an afternoon “strong snack” and supper, all off of plates/bowls. Everyone defines a snack differently, but for many, a

snack is often “anything that I eat when it’s not a meal time, anything I get from the vending machine, something that is salty, something sweet, something that I can eat from a crinkly package (often with ‘100 calories’ across the label), or anything I eat standing up or on the go.” What I call a “strong snack,” however, is: “real” food eaten off a plate or bowl to help hold me from one balanced meal to the next balanced meal without getting too hungry, as well as an opportunity to get in some nutrients that I didn’t get at my last meal

or two (think: fruit, fiber, calcium, or veggies). Two major ingredients of a “strong snack” are protein (at least 5 grams) and fiber (at least 3 grams). These help bridge the often long gap between lunch and supper. I suggest saving grains for meals, especially breakfast and lunch, instead of at snack-times. Try this ideal combination: 1 fruit plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted or lightly salted nuts, and a low-fat dairy serving (or calcium fortified dairyalternative). Examples include a smoothie, greek yogurt with nuts and fruit, or low fat cottage cheese with almonds and string cheese. For those trying to control

their weight, eating about the same number of calories at each meal and snack (remember, that’s 4 times a day, 5 if you are very active), helps to balance out calories throughout the day so that one never feels overly hungry. Keeping a food log throughout the day on an online program such as supertracker.usda.gov or myfitnesspal.com (or the app) will bring awareness as the day goes on. Use this type of program to balance your calories so that you consume about 75% of your day’s total calories before 5 PM. That means that your breakfast, lunch, and “strong snack” need to be digested before supper, keeping away the hungry-monster who comes out at night. An overly hungry person can eat in 5 minutes what it takes 2 hours to work off! Planning is key to making sure those “strong snacks” happen daily to prevent overeating and evening binging, which is often responsible for excess calories and weight gain. + — by Sohailla Digsby, RD, LD Sohailla Digsby is a Registered Dietitian and Fitness Instructor, presenting and consulting in CSRA fitness centers, and Founder of Club Soho Zumba and Best Body Bootcamp. Read more about reaching your best health and fitness in her recently published book, “52 Days to your Best Body - Success Journal.” Visit ClubSohoZumba. com for more information.

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Parents, Teachers, Caregivers: Tired of fussing and nagging? ORGANIZE YOUR KIDS THE CHART MART WAY! AVAILABLE AT: Columbia County Library Cafe AGC Teacher Supply Dixie Dawgs at Saturday Augusta Market

PAPER OR PLASTIC?

Try our Pot Head Blend Drug of Choice Brand Coffee is available at Inner Bean on Davis Road.

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The blog spot — Posted at www.metanoia.org

CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE? READ THIS FIRST If you are feeling suicidal now, please stop long enough to read this. I want to tell you five things to think about. 1. You need to hear that people do get through this -- even people who feel as badly as you are feeling now. Statistically, there is a very good chance that you are going to live. I hope that this information gives you some sense of hope. 2. Give yourself some distance. Say to yourself, “I will wait 24 hours before I do anything.” Or a week. Remember that feelings and actions are two different things - just because you feel like killing yourself, doesn’t mean that you have to actually do it right this minute. Put some distance between your suicidal feelings and suicidal action. Even if it’s just 24 hours. You have already done it for 5 minutes, just by reading this page. You can do it for another 5 minutes by continuing to read this page. Keep going, and realize that while you still feel suicidal, you are not, at this moment, acting on it. That is very encouraging to me, and I hope it is to you. 3. People often turn to suicide because they are seeking relief from pain. Remember that relief is a feeling. And you have to be alive to feel it. You will not feel the relief you so desperately seek, if you are dead. 4. Some people will react badly to your suicidal feelings, either because they are frightened, or angry; they may actually increase your pain instead of helping you, despite their intentions, by saying or doing thoughtless things. You have to understand that their bad reactions are about their fears, not about you. But there are people out there who can be with you in this horrible time, and will not judge you, or argue with you, or send you to a hospital, or try to talk you out of how badly you feel. They will simply care for you. Find one of them. Now. Use your 24 hours, or your week, and tell someone what’s going on with you. It is okay to ask for help. Try: • Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TTY:1-800-799-4TTY) • Teenagers, call Covenant House NineLine, 1-800-999-9999 • Look in the front of your phone book for a crisis line • Call a psychotherapist • Carefully choose a friend or a minister or rabbi, someone who is likely to listen Don’t give yourself the additional burden of trying to deal with this alone. Just talking about how you got to where you are, releases an awful lot of the pressure, and it might be just the additional coping resource you need to regain your balance. 5. Suicidal feelings are, in and of themselves, traumatic. After they subside, you need to continue caring for yourself. Therapy is a really good idea. So are the various self-help groups available both in your community and on the Internet. Well, it’s been a few minutes and you’re still with me. I’m really glad. Since you have made it this far, you deserve a reward. I think you should reward yourself by giving yourself a gift. The gift you will give yourself is a coping resource. Remember, back up near the top of the page, I said that the idea is to make sure you have more coping resources than you have pain. So let’s give you another coping resource, or two, or ten...! until they outnumber your sources of pain. Now, while this page may have given you some small relief, the best coping resource we can give you is another human being to talk with. If you find someone who wants to listen, and tell them how you are feeling and how you got to this point, you will have increased your coping resources by one. Hopefully the first person you choose won’t be the last. There are a lot of people out there who really want to hear from you. It’s time to start looking around for one of them. + Speaking of blogs, the Medical Examiner’s blog is found at www.AugustaRx.com/news

“Five things to think about.”

From THE Bookshelf If the topic of this issue’s cover story hits home with you and yours for any reason — perhaps there is a suicide in your family’s history or you’re currently worried about someone’s precarious hold on the will to live, this book might be among the key places you seek information. Here is Amazon.com’s review: “Suicide is a particularly awful way to die: the mental suffering leading up to it is usually prolonged, intense, and unpalliated,” writes Kay Redfield Jamison. “There is no morphine equivalent to ease the acute pain, and death not uncommonly is violent and grisly.” Jamison has studied manic-depressive illness and suicide both professionally-and personally. She first planned her own suicide at 17; she attempted to carry it out at 28. Now professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she explores the complex psychology of suicide, especially in people younger than 40: why it occurs, why it is one of our most significant health problems, and how it can be prevented. Jamison discusses manic-depression,

suicide in different cultures and eras, suicide notes (they “promise more than they deliver”), methods, preventive treatments, and the devastating effects on loved ones. She explores what type of person commits suicide, and why, and when. She illustrates her points with detailed anecdotes about people who have attempted or committed suicide, some famous, some ordinary, many of them young. Not easy reading, either in subject or style, but you’ll understand suicide better and be jolted by the intensity of depression that drives young people to it. And an excerpt from from the

review by Publishers Weekly: “Providing historical, scientific and other helpful material on suicide, Jamison, a Johns Hopkins psychiatry professor, makes an excellent contribution to public understanding with this accessible and objective book. There is, she asserts, a suicide every 17 minutes in this country. Identifying suicide as an often preventable medical and social problem, Jamison focuses attention on those under 40 (suicides by those who are older often have different motivations or causes). [She cites] research that suicide is most common in individuals with mental illness (diagnosed or not), particularly depression and manic depression. JJamison presents fascinating facts about suicide in families and in twins, gender disparities, and the impact of the seasons and times of day. She also provides poignant portraits of those who have committed suicide. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. + Night Falls Fast, by Kay Redfield Jamison, 448 pages, published in October 2000 by Scribner

the

Muzak & teen drivers A study published in late August by Ben Gurion University reports that teens listening to their preferred music while driving commit a greater number of errors and miscalculations, including such illegal and potentially dangerous actions as speeding, tailgating, careless lane changes, one-handed driving, and risky passing. Driving with a researcher/ driving instructor, nearly a third of the drivers needed a sudden verbal warning or command to avoid an accident, and 20 percent needed an assisted steering or braking maneuver to avoid an accident. By contrast, driving without music cut the number of offending drivers only marginally, from 98 percent to 92 percent. The safest driving, researchers found, is accompanied by “background music” such as easy listening, light jazz, or soft rock. Researchers said the tendency

Clipping File

of teen drivers to choose energetic, fast-paced music played loudly affects driving without the driver’s knowledge. Male novice drivers were found to make more frequent and serious driving mistakes than their less-aggressive female counterparts.

Whole Fruits coming to Augusta Well, they need to be. The reason: a study in the August 29 issue of the British Medical Journal has broken new ground. It’s no news flash that eating fresh fruit is linked to a number of health benefits, but British researchers say their study is the first to specifically look at the affect a diet high in fresh whole fruits has on a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes. And they went further, looking not just at fruit in general, but which fruits are the most beneficial. Researchers analayzed existing data from three longrunning studies (1984 to 2008) involving more than 187,000 participants. They discovered

that people who ate at least two servings each week of blueberries, grapes, and apples enjoyed the greatest protection from developing type 2 diabetes. The reduced risk measured 23 percent compared with those who ate less than one serving per month of those three fruits.

More berry news An earlier study (last January) from Circulation: The Journal of the American Heart Association reported that eating three or more servings of blueberries and strawberries per week can help women cut their risk of heart attack by as much as onethird. And yet another body of scientific evidence from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that berry fruits — blueberries, blackberries and strawberries in particular — help the brain stay healthy, preventing age-related memory loss, mainly due to the high level of beneficial antioxidants in berries. +

+ 12

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS

THE MYSTERY WORD

by Dan Pearson

Huh? I thought you I did. He’s concerned That’s quite a found a tick on about the sodas and combination. So what your leg was his diagnosis? the tick

So what did your He said I need to cut doctor tell you? back on Mountain Dew

Lemon-Lyme disease

THE EXAMiNERS

The Mystery Word for this issue: PITEARONO

PUZZLE

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com

All Mystery Word finders will be eligible to win by random drawing. We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM TO ENTER!

Click on “Reader Contests”

QUOTATION PUZZLE

20 21 22 23 24 ACROSS 1. Home of Takarazuka 25 26 27 (Augusta’s sister city) 28 29 30 31 6. Cardium lead 10. Valley town 32 33 34 14. Before 35 36 37 38 39 15. Figure skating jump 16. Decoy 40 41 42 17. _____ walker 43 44 45 46 47 48 18. Shade of green 19. 6th month of the Jewish 49 50 51 calendar 52 53 54 20. Like a simplistic answer 55 56 57 58 59 21. Paine building 23. I on the periodic table 60 61 62 25. Move to another country 63 64 65 27. Forest hider? 28. Get by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com 29. Deadlock 30. Arrest 33. Popular ISP 63. Scent 32. Consumed 34. Ben of Augusta lore 64. Peruse 33. Sounds of contentment 35. Minor prevarication 65. Speed contests 34. Local financial inst. 36. Spider 35. Brett of the NFL 37. Vigorously played (in DOWN 38. Nail intro, at times music) 1. Johns with an Augusta 39. Writers of verse 38. January 2014 Augusta event connection 40. Greek rainbow goddess (followed by an X) 2. On fire 41. Funny man Brooks 39. Polaris 3. Type of justice 42. Adjective for heaven 41. A person who mints money 4. Where the Wild Things ___ 43. Device for artificial (archaic) 5. A form of jade respiration 42. Corridor 6. Sense of taste 44. Doze off 44. Invasive beginning 7. Banish 45. Vague feeling of illness 45. Frenzied female Bacchus 8. Letters for deep 17-A 49. Large intestine follower 51. Having a natural aptitude 9. Inflammation of the ileum 46. Emphatic typeface 10. It often follows shoulder 52. Seat occupied by a king 47. Beginning of dementia 11. Assembled spectators 53. Snakelike fish 48. Official proclamations 12. Conduct, as business 54. Blackbird 50. Hermit 13. In this place 55. Soon (poetic) 51. Cotta prefix 22. Roof overhang 56. Far-fetched tale 52. Pacific rim tuber 58. Tending to a definite end 24. Metal-bearing mineral 57. Affirmative vote 26. Toothed wheels 60. Go up 59. Bush Field abbrev. 29. Definite article 61. Jaguarundi 31. Type of shelter or boy 62. Leaning Solution p. 14

— Ben Irwin

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.

8 6 5

X A M I N E R

4 5 9

6 8 3 8 1

3 1

7 2

7 5 7 9 2 1 8 7 3 5 3 4

U D O K U

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

Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle. All the listed letters following 1 are the 1st letters of each word; the letters following 2 are 2nd 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.

O 1 2 3 4 1 2

1 2

T 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 1

R 5

1 2 3

1 2 3 4

1 3

P 2 3 4

F 1 2 3 4

— African proverb

1 . W W F F O O DA B T T T 2 . E E E H H N O O I FA 3 . S LO P E T E T T E 4 . H H LY T T T E E 5 . R H S

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

M N E R H L F T U E O B S N R F O O E T I O D V A S S H E I D H S O S A I A A E N E N W U N T P K

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

man is lying in bed in the hospital, wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, still heavily sedated from a difficult four-hour surgical procedure. A young student nurse comes in to give him a partial sponge bath. “Nurse,” he mumbles from behind the mask. “Are my testicles black?” Embarrassed, the young nurse replies, “I don’t know, sir. I’m only here to wash your upper body and feet.” He struggles to ask again, “Nurse, are my testicles black?” Concerned that he may elevate his vitals over worry about his testicles, she overcomes her embarrassment and sheepishly pulls back the covers. She raises his gown and takes a look and says, “There’s nothing wrong with them, sir. They’re normal color.” The man pulls off his oxygen mask and says very slowly, “Thank you very much, nurse. That was wonderful, but listen very, very closely… A r e – m y – t e s t – r e s u l t s – b a c k?” Instructor: Who invented fractions? Student: Henry the Eighth?

“Doctor, I’ve been stung by a wasp. Should I put ointment on it?” “Don’t be silly. It must be miles away by now.” A woman arrived on time for an appointment with her doctor, but waited for an hour before her name was called. Then, after her weight and blood pressure were taken, she was shown into an exam room where she waited for another hour. Finally she had enough and walked out into the hallway. Just then a nurse came out of another room and began walking toward her. “Excuse me nurse,” said the woman. “I have a terrible problem. Can you help me out?” “Certainly,” said the nurse. “Which way did you come in?” “Say doc, what happens if I swallow uranium?” asked a patient. “You’ll probably get atomic ache.” “Doctor, I’m having trouble breathing.” “I’ll give you something that will put a stop to that.” What do you call a man who has been attacked by his cat? Claude. Professor: “Class, we’re only going to have a half day of classes this morning.” Class: “Hooray!” Professor: “We’ll have the other half this afternoon.” +

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.

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

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

STATE

The Patient’s Perspective by Marcia Ribble

erspective, by definition, is determined by the viewer’s position. I have been working on the computer and behind it is a window. Somehow, once in a while a bug or fly manages to work its way between the screen and the window where it finds itself trapped. It crawls or flies back and forth over and over again trying to find a way out of its selfmade prison. It uses all of its flying or crawling devices attempting to find an opening it can use to exit. It can’t rely on memory to help it figure out how it got in between the screen and the window; it can only struggle and struggle. The little paper wasp in that situation right now has managed to get its tiny head through the small holes in the screen, but the rest of its body can’t get through, so it’s stuck. Ah, there. It’s out of the head trap, but still trapped behind the window screen. How many times do we find our way into traps of our own making? Sometimes we rely on our doctors to get us unstuck, but the doctor is not responsible for our being stuck, nor for finding our ways out of our traps. This is not meant to be ungenerous. We all know that life sometimes ensnares us in traps not of our own making. We spend years paying into Social Security for example, only to discover that the government has “borrowed” what should have been a secure old age for us. We get married believing in “until death do us part,” only to find that the security of an old age with a life partner was just another un-kept promise. We have a job we think will allow us to survive through old age, and that job suddenly disappears, and along with it the financial security we had counted on. There are many other situations where we are not in control of the outcomes and must simply deal with them the best we can, which is often not good enough. Although doctors often cannot “fix” life’s non-medical calamities and tragedies, they can nonetheless be aware that we are struggling with them

Talk is cheap. Not talking can be deadly.

and help us to find solutions to those issues through referring us, not just to medical specialists, but also to social agencies able to support and help us. Doctors are not alone in this kind of supportive role in our lives. The people who deliver meals on wheels are often keenly aware of their clients’ needs of many kinds, but their knowledge is seldom routinely collected by anyone. Once a year or so I welcome a nurse/social worker into my home to do an intake to judge my situation. Regardless of what it might be, unless I am at death’s door, and sometimes not even then, they check off my name and move on to the next person and not one thing in my life changes. The same is true of thousands of other seniors, and others in difficult circumstances, regardless of age. Recently those who are severely needy have been given the heave-ho by lawmakers in the House of Representatives who voted to cut food stamp funding in their farms bill. For many with meager incomes, this action, although not likely to pass the Senate, and certain to be vetoed by the President, is yet another sign of the callous disregard for the needs of those who are struggling. The right to life, so prominent in our early documents, includes the right not to starve, not to be malnourished, not to be rejected and discarded for being poor. + Marcia Ribble received her PhD in English at Michigan State and retired from the University of Cincinnati. She taught writing at the college level and loves giving voice to people who have been silenced. She is now teaching again at Virginia College in Augusta. She can be reached with comments, suggestions, etc., at marciaribble@hotmail.com.

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Defeat is not bitter unless you swallow it.

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

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

...cleverly hidden (in the trees of their logo) in the page 15 ad for EVANS DENTAL GROUP Congratulations to FRANCINE CONNER, who scores a $20 Wild Wing Cafe gift certificate, two free movie passes courtesy of Health Center Credit Union, a free Top Notch Car Wash gift card, a $40 Scrubs of Evans gift card, and if she’s a coffee drinker, a jar of Drug of Choice gourmet coffee. Win this stuff! The new Mystery Word is on p. 12. Start looking!

The Celebrated MYSTERY WORD CONTEST ...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then be the first to 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: gift certificates from Wild Wing Cafe, Top Notch Car Wash, and movie passes from Health Center Credit Union! 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.

The new scrambled Mystery Word is found on page 12

SENDING US A CLASSIFIED?

EXAMINER CLASSIFIEDS HOMES, APARTMENTS, ROOMMATES, LAND, ETC.

perfect getaway from the urban rat race, to raise kids, or retire. 706-798-4359 or 706-831-9015

ROOMMATE WANTED! 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath house with pool, 2 minutes from colleges. Perfect for medical or grad students. $425+share utils. 706.993.6082

WEST AUGUSTA House for rent. 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1500 sqft, 1-car garage, 3024 Sterling Road, located off Stevens Creek at Riverwatch Pkwy. $850/mo. Call 678467-7187.

FOR SALE: 3 BR house + 1 BR apartment (private entrance) + 2 full basements. Apt ideal for aging parent, or home office, or rental (now rented; income to offset mortgage). 310sqft basemt perfect for office or playroom. 2nd basemt (240sqft, large windows) great for workshop or studio. House & apt (2042sqft), hardwd floors, new baths. Lush back yard. Tanglewood area, near Augusta Mall. $93,500 OBO. 617-6292915. FOR RENT: Perfect location 1 mi. from MCG 1827 McDowell St. house for rent. Two bedrooms, 1-1⁄2 baths, living room, dining room, den, kitchen. Recently refurbished, tile and hardwood floors, ceiling fans, w/d hook-up, new fridge, cable, storage house. Renter pays utilities. $750 plus deposit. 706.738.2331 LAND Unique thirteen acres. Bold, beautiful rocky creek running through

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. Augustagahomesearch.com Foreclosures • Rentals • MLS Roman Realty 706-564-5885

SERVICES CAREGIVER looking for work. Will do light housework too. (706) 738-2366 WILLS, TRUSTS & POWERS OF ATTORNEY - We can fulfill your legal and estate planning needs through preparation of simple wills, complex trust agreements,

advance directives for healthcare, and/or durable powers of attorney. For more information call John R.B. Long, Attorney at Law, 411 Telfair St. Augusta GA 30901 (706) 868-8011. Mention this ad for a no-charge consultation. BIBLE BY PHONE - Free daily Bible readings; for Spiritual Encouragement and Growth. Call 706-855-WORD (9673) FULL-SERVICE MOVER Anthony’s Professional Moving, 28 years serving the CSRA moving hospital equipment, offices, homes, apartments, etc. Estimates are FREE. Call 706.860.3726 or 706.814.8141 NOTICE! ATTENTION! If any current or past employer has failed to pay you min. wage or time and a half overtime pay, you may be entitled to an order from US Federal Court awarding you twice the amount of your unpaid wages plus atty. fees. For info, call Arthur H. Shealy, Attorney at Law, 803-278-5149, 1010 Plantation Rd, North Augusta SC 29841. You may be entitled to a similar award for unpaid wages if your employer required you to perform duties during your lunch hour, before clocking in, or after clocking out.

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The Short White Coat M

y MCG medical school rotations have progressed from OBGYN and taking care of teeny babies before they are born, to pediatrics, where I get to see what happens after they’ve made their grand entrances into the world. I have to say that pretty much the best way to start a day off is to say hi to and examine a newborn. I literally squeal with delight sometimes, especially when they squiggle about on the exam table and hold onto my outstretched finger while I listen to their hearts and lungs with my stethoscope. The toddlers are pretty adorable also, but they are not my biggest fans once it’s time to look in their ears. I don’t blame them though. Really, who likes having things shoved in their ears? (except, of course,

“The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.” — Mark Twain those patients who come in to the clinic every now and then for ear pain and irritation, and upon further investigation you discover Tic Tacs or Skittles stuck down in their little ear canals). I’ve also realized that children also give awesome histories of themselves and their ailments. One little 6 year old came in to see the doctor because he had a rather bad bug bite on his foot. “What kind of bug do you think bit you?” I asked him. “A baby ant,” he said. Not an adult ant, but a baby one. Exact words. I agreed with him; “Sometimes those baby ants can be a bit too

mischievous,” I told him, to which he nodded solemnly. The teenagers are fun in their own ways too, because you see them making this amazing transition in life from childhood to adulthood. It brings back a lot of memories that (for better or worse) had been forgotten from the days when growing pains were both literal and figurative. We can all remember those years when the daily stresses caused by acne, puberty, SATs, and learning to drive were pretty much the worst ever... Thank goodness those things only happen once! The doctors I am working with are wonderful, which is really what makes this rotation great. Transitioning to the fast-moving busy pace of MCG and its children’s hospital was

A med student’s notebook mildly chaotic at first. Figuring out the system of teams and all the people who make it run smoother than melted butter was like learning a whole new language. And learning how to use the electronic medical records was definitely not my favorite thing. But now that I have gotten the hang of things a bit more, my days are pretty fun. I owe it all to the doctors, residents, and other hospital staff for being so patient in working with me, and to the sense of camaraderie that has been building steadily among my fellow 3rd year students and I. Sometimes it really stinks to feel lost in a giant

healthcare machine that runs like clockwork, floundering and flapping your arms about helplessly... but then you realize you aren’t the only one who has ever felt that way, and that all the doctors above you have had their moments of learning as well. And then it is time for the daily Morning Report and to go see the patients on the schedule for the day. And that is really the best part – seeing the patients, hearing their story, and working on all the puzzles they bring you. It is a wonderful experience and privilege to be a part of the healthcare system, because truly it is the business of people. But that is all for now. As a student, I write progress notes for the patients I see and send them to doctors for approval and evaluation. So here is a progress note of myself, signed and ready for review. + — Caroline Colden Junior Medical Student

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DRUG REHAB

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

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

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

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OPHTHALMOLOGY Roger M. Smith, M.D. 820 St. Sebastian Way Suite 5-A Augusta 30901 706-724-3339

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GET YOUR PRACTICE IN FRONT OF 30,000 READERS EACH MONTH! A simple black & white listing is $95 for six months or $175 for the whole year. Add your logo and the price is just $119 for six months or $219 for the entire year. CALL 706.860.5455 TODAY!

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013