Medical Examiner 3-6-20

MEDICALEXAMINER

TM

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

MARCH 6, 2020

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

PEDIATRICS101 TIPS, TRICKS & TALKS TO KEEP TOTS TO TEENS HAPPY AND HEALTHY

WHAT ABOUT SAD?

Have you guys ever seen the memes suggesting humans are essentially houseplants with complicated emotions? I mean it’s true right ? All we really need is sunshine and water. (And I guess food, relationships, shelter, internet, etc... ) But sunshine and water are key. They really are.

This has never been more evident to me than now. I am almost 31 years old, but this winter (which seems to repeatedly disappear and then return with a vengeance, at least in my area, where there have been ongoing threats of freezing rain and snow in the last few weeks...) has really taken it out of me. But last weekend I was finally able to enjoy the sunshine. Sunshine is good, so good.

I question my readers: how many of you have heard of being or having SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder/Depression) or have kids who seem down and depressed during the short days of winter? SAD is real. People who are affected have true depression with seasonal symptoms that have occurred cyclically for at least two years.

The key influencer? Sunlight (or the absence thereof). For people with SAD, their depression sets in as the days grow shorter in the fall with earlier sunsets, darker evenings, longer nights and colder days, and less time outside. It’s dark when they leave for school or work in the mornings and dark or getting dark by the time they get home. And just when it feels like spring is getting close and light is finally winning, Daylight Saving Time returns and the dawn’s early light turns into another hour of morning darkness. It’s like spring suffers a relapse, at least in the morning.

The classic signs and symptoms of depression are all there in most cases dysphoric (unhappy) mood, low energy, decreased moti-

AUGUSTARX.COM

INFECTION’S WORST ENEMY

We’ve all heard the news: hand washing is one of the most effective ways to avoid the flu and prevent its spread, whether it’s ordinary seasonal flu or the whole world’s current obsession, coronavirus, aka COVID-19.

There is nothing funny about the flu, even if it’s merely an inconvenience of a few days duration - and definitely not when it’s fatal. But two things are a bit humorous about all the many recent bulletins about hand washing. First, that they always tell us how to wash our hands, as if nobody knows how to do something we’ve all been doing since childhood.

Second is the stark fact that hardly anyone actually does wash their hands correctly. As it turns out, we really don’t know how to wash our hands, at least in a way that is effective in obstructing the spread of the flu. No wonder coronavirus is spreading like wildfire in some places. For the record, and to put things into perspective, as of 8 a.m. today, March 6, 233 people out of the U.S. population of more than 327 million have officially been diagnosed as having the coronavirus (it was 105 at press time Monday night). That is 0.00007 percent of the population. Who knows what the future holds, but as of this morning the U.S. death rate from COVID-19 (14 people) is 0.0000042 percent of the U.S. population. We all want to keep it that way, so let’s get schooled on something apparently hardly anybody knows how to do: wash their hands properly. Plus we have a bunch of other additional handy information.

Class begins on page 3. +

Please see SAD page 3

STOP BY!

TO SEE OUR NEW SHADE COLLECTION COLORS FOR AN ADDED TEXTURED, HEATHERED LOOK

Draped in 360 degree sophisticated luxury… the super-soft fabric truly pampers you with premium 4-way stretch fabric that drapes elegantly and conveys a polished professional image.

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

+2

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

PART 8 OF A SERIES BY JONATHAN MURDICK Editor’s note: Our correctional nurse isn’t quite as fetching as the nurse on the cover of the pulp novel shown. Ours isn’t even a female. But our nurse has at least one exceptional advantage over the nurse in the picture: he’s real.

THE PILL ROOM

PARENTHOOD

by David W. Proefrock, PhD

Your 12 year-old son has changed friends since he started middle school. His new friends seem to spend a lot of time roaming around the neighborhood and are not as polite and respectful as you would like. He hasn’t done anything wrong, but he is less interested in school work and other activities. He has said he wants to quit playing sports because they take up too much of his time. What should you do?

A. Tell him that you don’t approve of his new friends and forbid him to spend time with them.

B. Tell him that you don’t approve of his new friends and that he has to start spending more time with his old friends and engaged in activities.

C. Tell him that you are worried about the way he has been acting recently. Let him know that you expect him to work on his grades in school, maintain some of his other activities, and stay in at least one sport.

D. He is at the age when he will begin to choose his own friends and activities in spite of your wishes. There really isn’t much you can do.

If you answered: A. You will be in for a battle. Even worse, this is putting the responsibility for his change in behavior on his friends instead of on him where it belongs.

B. This will probably lead to a little less conflict than Choice A. But again, this is putting the responsibility for his behavior on his friends instead of on him.

C. This choice places the responsibility where it belongs. If you clearly state your expectations for his behavior rather than try to control his friends, it is up to him to meet your expectations or face consequences.

D. While it is true that he will, and should, become increasingly independent as he gets older, that doesn’t mean that you should step out of the process altogether. He should know your expectations for his behavior and should be held to them.

Children require guidance. Guidance is achieved by giving them a clear set of standards and making sure they are meeting them. It doesn’t always work, but it is always what needs to be done. +

MARCH 6, 2020

Although the memories of being “dashed” (see previous issue) were still vividly burned in my nostrils, I unfortunately stood little chance of getting a Purple Heart or some other medal for my valor in combat. I needed to return to work promptly. A barrage of blood work and testing was required on both me and the offending inmate, furthering the insult and injury. On the bright side I was given reprieve from “Max” and sentenced instead to the pill room.

The pill room was an 8ft x 15ft concrete block room lined with small cubbies just large enough to fit each inmate’s medicine. This little room held the medicine for more than 1,400 inmates, making it both claustrophobic and overwhelming. The wall facing the interior had a small window installed similar to a fast food window, and 3 times a day inmates would line up to receive their medications.

Several issues became readily apparent to me as I began preparing for my first pill line experience. I had envelopes with each inmate’s name on them, however they were grubby and many were unreadable. The second issue was that many of the inmate’s medication bags were empty. I prepared the ordered medications, double checked the medication administration record, and sat with my labeled envelopes waiting for the onslaught. I didn’t have to wait long as the officer came

I Was a

Prison Nurse !

SHOCKING TRUE TALES!

50¢ up, banged on my window and shouted that we were starting.

A seemingly endless line of inmates walked up, spouted off their name, swallowed their pills which were floating in a cup of water, and walked off. That may sound smooth but the reality was far from it.

Inmates curse, grumble, refuse medicine, want to talk about the weather, flirt with the nurses, or even attempt to masturbate in the public line. On top of that chaos, the system requires nurses to “float” medicines in water to help prevent the hoarding and distribution of medications. While some medications tolerate this treatment well, others completely disintegrate into a horrible-tasting mash.

The line finally ended and I began cleaning up and preparing for the next day.

Pill pass lasts over 4 hours a day, and nearly a thousand doses of medication are given. Some inmates came,

others were no-shows. I was relatively pleased with the pass, and definitely happy to not be in Max. However, that all changed when the officer called me outside the pill room.

He pointed to the nearby trash can where I saw what looked like nearly every pill I had distributed spit into the trash. The officer looked at me and smiled and said don’t worry about it: they never take meds from a new nurse.

Pill pass isn’t glamorous or fun, but it is vitally important. Many of the inmates suffer from psychiatric disorders causing distrust and irrational thought processes. I watched the next day as a veteran of the window administered medications and it was an entirely different show. After she finished administering the pass I walked outside expecting to see a trash can full of pills. To my surprise there wasn’t a single pill in sight. The officer told me the inmates have known that nurse for a long time and they never spit out her meds. It turned out, the battle for medication compliance was simply a battle for consistency and trust. While many would argue a rational person would accept medication from any qualified provider, these inmates aren’t always rational. Many were unstable and in need of consistency in both routine and provider. Understanding that concept would change my relationship with not only inmates but all my patients for the rest of my career. +

Dr. Proefrock is a retired clinical and forensic child psychologist.

NEED A HOUSEKEEPER? Floyd & Leopard CALL BUNNY • FAST • THOROUGH • DEPENDABLE

706-294-5268

Read us online! AugustaRX.com

F &L

LLP

ATTORNEYS AT LAW +

BECAUSE YOU LIKE

WINNING

PERSONAL INJURY • CRIMINAL DEFENSE • FAMILY LAW 461 Greene Street at 5th • greenestreetlaw.com • 706-303-1874 • 800-785-6894

3 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

MARCH 6, 2020

INFECTION’SWORSTENEMY Hand washing is our superpower in the fight against communicable disease. Or it would be if we did it right — or at all.

The first problem we collectively have is not washing our hands at all, or at best nowhere near as often as we should. In one survey, nearly 60 percent of respondents said they’ve seen others leave a public restroom without washing their hands; 20 percent said they had seen restaurant workers do so. Nearly half of all foodborne disease outbreaks, according to the CDC, are connected to failing to wash hands correctly. A joint study by Michigan State University and the CDC found that 7 percent of women and 15 percent of men do not wash their hands after using the restroom.

Further, research conducted in London found that if everyone routinely washed their hands, a million deaths per year could be prevented.

Ironically, though, the CDC says the people who probably should know more about the importance of hand washing than anyone — healthcare providers — wash their hands less than half of the times that they should. Across the board, only 5 percent of people wash their hands correctly, according to a 2013 undercover study.

One of the basic problems with our hand washing habits is we’re too impatient. Hardly anybody does it long enough, even though the experts recommend hand washing should last 20 seconds. Try that yourself with a timer and you’ll realize if you’re like most people you aren’t

SAD… from page 1

vation, changes in appetite (often with increased cravings for carbs and subsequent weight gain), reductions in activity level, sluggishness, etc.

Studies are increasingly showing that decreased vitamin D levels and synthesis exacerbates these symptoms, not surprisingly, since vitamin D synthesis is stimulated by the sun.

Interestingly, patients with SAD can have decreased serotonin levels and increased natural melatonin levels. That combination leads to the feeling of being more tired, having less energy, wanting to sleep more.

Who can relate to this ? Who feels like they struggle a bit with SAD? *hypothetical show of hands from reader audience* So how does someone handle their SAD? How do we avoid it? It’s easier said than done, but the treatment is simple: more sunlight and more time outside. Some people with severe symptoms can buy special lamps to use inside the home that emit the specific wavelengths of light that mimic those that are most beneficial from natural sunlight. For those who do not want to go to those lengths, simply making conscious efforts to look out windows, go for walks, spend time in outdoors. Also, making sure they are getting enough Vitamin D in their diet can be

washing your hands nearly long enough.

As a consequence of our haste, most people don’t wash their hands anywhere near thoroughly. Laboratory studies reveal that even people who think they wash well commonly miss the backs of their hands, between their fingers, their thumbs, and inside their rings.

Another problematic factor is hand sanitizers.

According to some sources (but not all), they are not as effective as plain old soap and water to begin with, and that fact is compounded when most of us use less than we should, use it ineffectively, and often wipe it off before it has time to finish its work. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers, however, absolutely have their place, particularly for healthcare workers who studies say should wash (or sanitize) their hands as many as 100 times per shift. Hand sanitizers cause less skin irritation than soap and water.

In conclusion, what are the instructions for “proper” hand washing? Wet hands with clean running water (either cold or hot) and apply soap. Rub your hands vigorously and thoroughly, making sure to include palms, backs, fingers and fingertips, between fingers and under nails.

Keep it up for at least 20 seconds. Humming the song “Happy Birthday” twice should do the trick.

Rinse hands thoroughly under clean running water and dry them with a clean towel. Especially in public restrooms, avoid recontamination by using the towel when necessary to turn off the water and open the door. +

great at combating the effects of SAD. Vitamin D is naturally produced in the body in reaction to direct sunlight, but when getting enough sun is a struggle (heavy winter clothing doesn’t help either)... diet needs to pick up the slack.

Exercise in itself - with or without sunlight does wonders for the psyche. It improves mood, helps with weight and appetite control, and aids sleep tremendously. Sleep is also amazing for both body and mind. Greater rest means greater happiness and control over life and its emotions.

So really the key to it all is balance, and understanding how intricately humans rely on such basic things as sunlight especially for joy and happiness. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am counting the days until the sun stays out well past 7pm and the evenings are warmer.

Daylight savings is upon us and we have a lot to look forward to! +

by Dr. Caroline, an MCG-trained, board-certified pediatrician. This article is not intended to substitute medical advice and is merely to be used as a tool of education. If questions arise or you have concerns about your child, please consult a medical care provider accordingly and avoid any delay in treatment, as all children deserve treatment on an individual basis.

CORRECTION

Clearly, we need to hire a proofreader. But realistically that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

The need, however, was never more painfully obvious than in our last issue when, among other things, we ended an article on page 3 with a fresh new paragraph which read, in its entirety, “Clearly” Not even so much as a period followed it. Of course, if you, as recommended, follow the Examiner on Facebook (Facebook.com/AugustaRX) you already knew this, and you were directed to a more correct version of the Feb. 21 issue online. There you would have found that final paragraph fully restored, as reproduced below. Our sincere apologies for our error(s), and until our next typo, please enjoy your most salubrious life.

“Clearly, we need way more space to cover this subject. But hopefully this brief overview has been enlightening.” +

IS ELDERBERRY A THING? Oh, it’s definitely a thing, all right. The question is, is it an effective thing? Its proponents say elderberry can prevent, cure or control anything from heart disease and high cholesterol to colds and flu. Detractors just roll their eyes when they hear such claims.

The preceding paragraph describes one of the pitfalls of being rigid and maybe even a little fanatical in one’s beliefs without basing them on legitimate research. One faction may downplay any “natural” approach as crackpot science and the “Dr. Google” effect; the other side criticizes the role of so-called Big Pharma and the medical “industry.”

The question is, how does one do “legitimate” research? After all, pictures like this (right) are in wide online circulation.

If you can’t quite make it out, that’s half an onion stuffed into someone’s sock as a cure for something. As our resident expert, Dr. Warren Karp, pointed out in the Jan. 10, 2020 Examiner, adding “pubmed” to any search of healthrelated topics directs your search results to the vast archives of the US National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. There the published results of carefully conducted scientific studies are displayed. It’s always better to base our beliefs on facts, not random opinions posted on social media.

So with that lengthy preamble out of the way, what’s the verdict on elderberry from scientific studies?

The findings are good. In both lab studies (in vitro) and real-life (in vivo) numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies showed “significant” beneficial effects; one showed elderberry to be an “efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza,” relieving sufferer’s symptoms on average 4 days earlier compared to placebo; further research found elderberry blocked the ability of H1N1 influenza viruses to infect host cells in vitro, comparing elderberry’s anti-influenza effectiveness with Tamiflu; yet another study carefully created a pool of more than 300 longdistance air travelers (flights of 7 hrs or longer) and tracked the respiratory health of all from 10 days before flying to 5 days after, with some taking elderberry capsules, others placebo. The results: “a significant effect of elderberry on cold duration and cold associated symptoms was detected.”

So elderberry is more than a thing. It’s an effective thing too. +

MEDICALEXAMINER

TM

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER

www.AugustaRx.com The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of salubrious news within every part of the Augusta medical community.

Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397

(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net www.Facebook.com/AugustaRX Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and/or their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., nor its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for general 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. © 2020 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

+4

MARCH 6, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#110 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com

T

he history of medicine is full of examples of doctors and researchers who experimented on themselves, but perhaps none more astonishing than this man, Werner Forssmann (1904-1979).

There are many reasons for self-guinea-pigging.

Sometimes it’s done to prove a drug or procedure is safe, as when Jonas Salk confidently tested his polio vaccine on himself. In other cases it’s out of stubborn ignorance, as in the case of the Bavarian chemist who drank a large dose of broth containing cholera bacteria to disprove Robert Koch’s true and correct discoveries about bacteria. Fortunately, the skeptic survived his protest with mild symptoms (it is thought that he may have had cholera as a youth and because of that had a degree of immunity), but two of his students who joined him in the stunt died.

In the case of Forssmann’s self experimentation, he simply couldn’t find any volunteers willing to test his hypothesis, and perhaps he was too ethical to employ death row prisoners or other disadvantaged members of society.

He had shared his idea with his supervisor, who forbid him to pursue it.

And no wonder: Forssmann had been thinking about ways to diagnose and treat heart problems. He had stumbled across an old article in medical literature by the noted French physiologist Claude Bernard, who in 1844 inserted a glass catheter into a horse’s heart. Forssmann wondered if the same thing might be possible in humans.

He had practiced heart catheterization on a cadaver, but the consensus of the day was that it would kill a living subject by arresting the heart, puncuting a vein, or both.

Forssmann didn’t agree. He wanted to try to insert a probe into the heart of a living person, and he could think of no better test subject than himself.

After anesthetizing a spot in the hollow of his left elbow he cut open his antecubital vein and inserted a 65-cm catheter. And he kept inserting it. Feeling no discomfort and only a few places where he felt resistance or obstruction, he continued to push the catheter into his vein until he reached a point that he felt equaled the distance from his elbow to his heart. Unsure, he walked down a hallway and down a flight of stairs, catheter in place, to have a chest X-ray. When a fluoroscope showed the tube had not reached its target, Forssmann pushed the tube in even farther, and an X-ray image was taken as proof that the catheter was in his heart’s right atrium. Forssmann subsequently removed the catheter without ill effects and, to make a long story short, cardiac catheterization was born that day in 1929.

Part of the longer story is the uproar his findings created. He was fired or demoted several times, or kept on hospital staff in unpaid positions as he continued research in catheterization and injecting contrast materials for diagnostic angiography (often on himself).

Forssmann had the last laugh when he and two others shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their contributions in discovering catheterization as valuable medical tool. +

by Marcia Ribble Sometimes trying to achieve a small challenge is nearly impossible by phone, like trying to order a simple box of checks. I tried it once and was sent the kind of checks for a credit card cash advance. My teeth were gnashed. My temper was elevated to the growling stage. But for what?

Because a simple call to the bank is not enough anymore. Sad and frustrating for sure! I don’t know how people without computers manage.

On the computer it took all of three minutes to order a box of checks. At least I was able to pay some of my bills via computer and hope I can pay the others soon enough to avoid extra charges while waiting for the checks to arrive.

Life is challenging for those of us confined to wheelchairs and walkers, like it is for everyone, but with an added level of frustration. It’s enough to make me want to run away from home, if I could run anywhere. My kids would tell me to take a chill pill, which would only increase the level of angst.

Speaking of angst, there are many people world-wide who are feeling somewhat anxious about the coronavirus. We don’t want to risk getting it and unknowingly pass it on to someone else. Because the symptoms are similar to flu symptoms, both would be pretty easy to do. Experts say some folks have such mild cases that they never even feel sick. This morning on CBS an expert said the most important things we can do are to keep our hands away from our faces and to wash our hands frequently. Masks don’t help. And avoiding Corona beer is just plain silly.

Those of us who are older remember when polio was a serious threat and we were warned to avoid large crowds of people, like at the county fair, which I always wanted to go to and wasn’t allowed to, so one thing we learned

from that experience was that being with large numbers of people increased our risks of getting polio. We still had to go to school and we still had to attend church, though. My mother also practiced isolation. When we were sick, we were to remain alone in our beds so as not to pass whatever we had on to our siblings. That is solid advice, but we managed to give it to one another anyway I am reminded of one particularly virulent bug that we all shared over a period of several weeks. This was back in the days when doctors made house calls and the doctor came, examined us, and recommended the medications he thought would help. It wasn’t until we were mostly all healed and my sister Sunny’s skin on her feet was peeling that our doctor realized we’d all had scarlet fever and should have been quarantined for two weeks.

My mother had done that instinctively anyway because we weren’t allowed to leave the house when we were sick.

The reality we now know is that with most viruses, people can transmit them before they have any symptoms and don’t even know they are coming down with whatever it is going to be. Therefore, because there really is no way to be absolutely sure you won’t get this coronavirus, your best bet is the aforementioned handwashing and avoiding big crowds when you can. One other strategy, especially important for the weaker among us, is to bolster our immune systems by eating well, sleeping well, getting outdoor exercise, and helping our bodies become strong enough to fight off viruses of any kind. Watching funny movies and tv shows can also help because laughter really is a free medicine. Oh, and wash your fruits and veggies before you eat them! Advice from my mom who didn’t heed the advice to quit smoking and died of lung cancer. +

The Medical Examiner is what is known as a

GOLDILOCKS PUBLICATION At 16 pages every issue, we’re just right.

MARCH 6, 2020

5 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

ADVENTURES IN

Middle Age

BY J.B. COLLUM

I have always considered my father a man of Well before sunset that day, my father decidfew words and even when he does speak, he ed that he was tired and wanted to make sure usually understates things to an extreme degree. he got home before dark, so we said our goodOf course, he grew up watching John Wayne byes and went our separate ways. I was nearly shake off anything short of an amputation as home when I got the call from my Dad. a scratch, so it is understandable. I remember “Hey, I was going down Storm Branch Road how he downplayed many of my injuries as and I slipped off the road some and I’m stuck in a child and a teenager. For example, when I a ditch. Do you think you could get some rope wrecked a moped and bent the front wheel, and pull me out?” ripped a good bit of skin off both my forearms, “Are you alright?” I asked. a shoulder and a knee, he didn’t take me to “Sure. I’m fine. I just rode too close to the the emergency room. No, he poured hydrogen side and slipped into a ditch. No big deal.” peroxide on it and taped it up with whatever he “I’m turning around now. Just sit tight,” I told could find. When I complained, him. he told me to tough it out and not It looked like the scene I then called my brother who to tell Mom. was closer than me and had his of a plane crash.

And now that you understand truck with him and some rope. a little bit about my dad, I can When I got there, it looked more tell you about what happened when he called like the scene of a plane crash. There were mulme one day to say that he had “slipped off the tiple police cars and an ambulance and Dad’s road into a ditch.” He just needed me to “pull van was nose down in a deep and wide ditch, him out of the ditch with a rope.” It was this looking for all the world like a crashed plane event that earned him the title, “King of Underwhose front end was buried in the ground and statement” in my book. If John Wayne was the the back end was up in the air. In the midst of Duke, my dad had to be the King. the chaos, I found my father in a chair speaking The last time we visited in this space, I mento a nice family whose yard he crashed in front tioned that my father got a diagnosis that we of. As I walked behind the van and followed didn’t welcome. That diagnosis at first was sim- the path he had taken, there were giant old pine ply dementia, and after more testing, it turned trees that had been sideswiped. There were out to be Alzheimer’s. This news was devastatpieces of the van’s undercarriage strewn for ing to us as you can likely imagine. However, at over a hundred yards along his path. I could the time he still seemed to be fine most of the see the furrows in the ditch and the cracked time. The incident in Fayetteville seemed to be concrete culverts where driveways crossed the just a particularly bad few days and the new ditch. He had hit each one and launched upmedicines helped a lot. ward as he must have made multiple jumps and That said, I had heard a few complaints about dives on his path. his driving from some of his friends and family I spoke with the police officer in charge, told who had ridden with him. He was always an him who I was and that I had spent the day aggressive driver, but lately he was cutting it with my father just before this. He asked about close. I thought that the people who complained drinking and wanted to test my father for DUI were just timid drivers and overstating the situsince Dad was confused. I told him about the ation since I too am an aggressive driver and get Alzheimer’s and he mercifully suggested that I complaints from time to time. However, what could go ahead and take him with me as long happened on this day changed my mind. as he was alright. Except for some bruises, Dad The day started well. My father, brother, and turned out to be unhurt, so I took him home I and some other members of the family spent and then I took his keys.

Saturday together out on land that my brother It was very hard taking my father’s freedom and I had bought but that we had not moved away from him, but Mom and the doctors onto yet. It has a beautiful creek all along the agreed, and he adjusted. He doesn’t feel as back of the property with cool clear water and a much like John Wayne since he doesn’t get to sandy white quartz bottom. You can see the fish drive his own “horse” anymore, but for now, swimming in it and it makes for a great place he is still the King of Understatement. I’m to cool down on a hot summer day or to just sit going to miss that too one day. + beside just about any time of year. We had built a deck right on the creek with rocking chairs, J.B. Collum is a local novelist, a picnic table and a fire pit and mostly we just humorist and columnist who wants sat down there and enjoyed the beautiful surto be Mark Twain when he grows roundings while we ate something tasty that my up. He may be reached at johnbcolbrother had grilled. lum@gmail.com

Tell a friend about the Medical Examiner!

MEDICALEXAMINER

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

MARCH 6, 2020

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

TM

AUGUSTARX.COM

This newspaper is delivered to more than

private practice doctors offices and to 14 area hospitals.

+

We are Aiken-Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper

Clinically proven. Doctor recommended.

DIAL NOW! 706

860-5455

AD SPECIALISTS ARE STANDING BY YOUR AD COULD BE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE!

+6

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

DOCTORS:

Is this the prescription for your practice?

Advertise in the Medical Examiner

MARCH 6, 2020

E IM T S U IO R B U L A S FOR A

5 5 4 5 0 6 8 6 0 7 CALL

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

MARCH 6, 2020

FIRST OF ALL, NICE HANDWRITING! SECONDLY, CALL US TODAY: 706.860.5455

AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

AUGUSTARX.COM

OUR GUARANTEE

IF ANY ISSUE OF THIS NEWSPAPER EVER FAILS TO MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS AS A READER FOR ANY REASON, YOU MAY OBTAIN A FREE REPLACEMENT COPY AT ANY MEDICAL EXAMINER NEWSSTAND AT NO CHARGE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

IT’SYOURTURN! Your turn for what? To tell the tale of your medical experiences for Medicine in the First Person. 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. See our “No Rules Rules” below. Thanks!

“My leg was broken in three places.”

“This was on my third day in Afghanistan.” “I lost 23 pounds.”

“We had triplets.” “He was just two when he died.”

“The smoke detector woke me up.” “It took “She saved 48 stitches.” my life.”

“I sure learned my lesson.”

“The cause was a mystery for a long time.”

“The nearest hospital “They took me to the hospital by helicopter.”

“I retired from medicine was 30 miles away.”

“I thought, ‘Well, this is it’.” seven years ago.”

“Now THAT hurt!”

“OUCH!”

“Turned out it was only indigestion.”

“He doesn’t remember a thing.” “I’m not supposed to be alive.” “It was a terrible tragedy.”

“And that’s when I fell.” NOTHING SEEMED “The ambulance crashed.” “It was my first year “At first I thought it was something I ate.” TO HELP, UNTIL... “It seemed like a miracle.” of medical school.”

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.

MARCH 6, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

7 +

GARDENVARIETY

N

Ingredients • 1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry (they are sold 2 in a box) • 14 oz fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch spears

CTIO

Asparagus Tart

INFE

Freshly picked asparagus in a creamy filling on top of light crispy puff pastry shell makes this easy Asparagus Tart so beautiful and tasty that your friends will think you worked hours on preparing it. It’s a perfect quick appetizer or side dish for your spring luncheons or dinners.

This recipe was originally in Par 3 Tea-Time at the Masters: Relaxed Entertaining cookbook. I tweaked it just a little by using puff pastry for the crust instead of pie dough.

Personally, I like the light, crisp texture and taste of puff pastry. When you are shopping for asparagus for your tart, be sure and look for bright green or violettinged spears. They should feel firm. If they are limp and wilted then pass them by. I like to look for thin stalks because the larger they get, the more mature they are, and they have a higher chance of being woody and hard to chew.

Also, make sure the tips are closed and compact. When the bunch is squeezed, the stalks should squeak together.

When you get home from the store, trim the bottoms of the stalks with a sharp knife. Wrap the cut ends in a damp paper towel, place in a plastic bag for up to three days in the refrigerator. If you have room in your fridge, another good way to keep asparagus fresh is to treat your spears like fresh flowers. Just place the cut ends in a jar filled with an inch of water and cover the tops with a plastic bag and refrigerate. I find this way gives you a few extra days of storage.

Asparagus Tart • 2 eggs • 2/3 cup half-and-half • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon (basil is also good) • 1/2 teaspoon salt • pepper to taste Instructions Let your puff pastry defrost in the fridge or on the countertop according to the package’s instructions then lay pastry in a round 9-inch pie pan.

Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Cook the asparagus in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes or until tender-crisp Drain well and place on paper towels.

Beat the eggs, half-andhalf, cheese, tarragon and

salt in a bowl. Season with pepper.

Arrange the asparagus on the baked puff pastry crust.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the asparagus.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the center is firm and lightly browned. Cover edges with foil if they begin to brown too much.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool slightly.

Loosen from the side of the pan with a sharp knife to remove tart and serve. +

by Gina Dickson, an Augusta mom to six and Gigi to ten. Her website, intentionalhospitality. com, celebrates gathering with friends, cooking great healthy meals and sharing life around the table. Also on Instagram @ intentionalhospitality

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FACEBOOK.COM/AUGUSTARX

GARAGE IS A BEAUTIFUL WORD

OVERHEAD DOOR COMPANY OF AUGUSTA/AIKEN (706) 736-8478 / (803) 642-7269 WWW.OHDAUGUSTA.COM

TM

+8

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

ASK DR. KARP

NO NONSENSE

NUTRITION

Phil from Augusta writes: “My wife, Sally, has moderate dementia.

Sometimes she refuses to eat what I cook, and she has been losing weight. It concerns me.

Any suggestions?”

Thanks for writing, Phil.

You are not alone in your concerns. In fact, organizations like the Parkinson Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association have some good nutrition resources for you to use, so check them out on the web. In addition, it might be helpful to join a dementia caregiver support group so you can share ideas and solu-

tions with other caregivers who have the same concerns.

It may be that you and your wife need to sit down with an R.D.N., a registered dietitian nutritionist, who specializes in geriatric nutrition.

People with cognitive decline or diseases and conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s - for which there are presently no known cures - are frequent targets for nutrition misinformation offering false hope.

Social media and advertising are filled with nutritional products and supplements of questionable value, whether they are made from jelly fish, contain gingko biloba or turmeric or are advertised as superfoods. It is all what we call “wishful thinking.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a certain supplement, food or diet did, indeed, cure or lessen the effects of mental decline? Wonderful, but, unfortunately, wishful thinking.

Wishful thinking is not a plan and never a good basis for rational decision-making for either your wife or you.

As an example, Vitamin D supplements have been suggested as a way to reduce the occurrence and severity of dementia. However, when you look at the evidenced-based science, what you find is that the results of studies are inconclusive.

If you think that Vitamin D issues might be a concern for

your wife, ask her physician to measure Vitamin D blood levels at her next physical.

Vitamin D supplementation should be based on your wife’s clinical data, not just because “it seems like a good idea.” And of course, low Vitamin D intake should be corrected, particularly with regards to bone health.

People with dementia are a very diverse group, with a spectrum of severity, symptoms and challenges. It is important to individualize nutrition solutions for the specific individual, taking into account likes, dislikes, cultural preferences and many other factors that you as a caregiver intimately understand. There are many different reasons why your wife may not be adequately nourished. She may have trouble chewing and swallowing, she may have tremors or other

MARCH 6, 2020

movement difficulties which make eating challenging, her medications may be upsetting her stomach or she may be depressed. The best way of approaching the specific challenges that you and your wife are experiencing is to first analyze and separate the nutrition issues into specific areas, and second, get help from the appropriate health professional who specializes in that area.

If your wife is having chewing problems because of poor-fitting dentures or poor oral health, find a dental health care team that specializes in treating patients with dementia. When I searched the web for dental resources in Augusta specializing in treating dementia patients, I found several. For those who don’t live in Augusta, see what dental resources are available in your area. If

your loved one has muscle movement problems that interfere with eating, a visit with an occupational therapist may be very helpful. An occupational therapist will be knowledgeable about all the latest adaptive eating and drinking devices and can make recommendations based on exactly what is observed with your wife.

If she has swallowing problems, it may be a good idea to ask for a referral to a speech language pathologist for a barium swallow study.

Never let depression and sadness, for either you as the caregiver, or for your loved one, go without treatment.

Mention mental health issues to your family physician, who may treat you or refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist.

The point is to understand the different nutrition issues and then seek out the appropriate health professionals to help with the issues.

What are some simple things you can do at home?

It is important to break the vicious two-way cycle of dementia causing malnutrition and malnutrition making dementia worse. Sometimes, it is as simple as using bright red or other color-contrasting utensils and dinnerware to make the meal stand out. Or, it might be serving one food at a time, instead of stanPlease see DR. KARP page 16

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

Although Dr. Karp is a Professor Emeritus at Augusta University, the views and opinions expressed here are his and his alone and do not reflect the views and opinions of Augusta University or anyone else.

n

n

Dr. Karp

We carry your

DRUG OF CHOICE

ROLLED SANDWICHES • SOUPS • SALADS

Well, the legal ones, anyway.

P

ARKS

HARMACY

Hometown. Not big box.

437 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, SC

803-279-7450 parkspharmacy.com

IN-STORE • ONLINE • DRIVE-THRU • DELIVERY

MAKERSON DENTAL Cosmetic Dentistry • Endodontics • Implants Invisalign Orthodontics • In-Office Bleaching And More Most Major Insurances Accepted Call for an appointment today 706-73-SMILE (737-6453) www.Drmakerson.com

n

n

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

OrderRolyPoly.com

MARCH 6, 2020

Ask a Dietitian DIABETES 101: BASICS AND MYTHS

by Dr. Victor Yu, PhD, RDN, BC-ADM Professor of Nutrition, Georgia Military College

9 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

WE HAVE SHOES FOR EVERY

WALK OF LIFE LET US HELP YOU WALK YOUR WALK

SOUTHERN COMFORT SHOES

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people worldwide. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 30.3 million people in the United States had diabetes in 2015, or 9.4% of the population.

There are many who may have pre-diabetes without their awareness. People with pre-diabetes typically do not experience any symptoms, while their body is trying (706) 434-0129 • MON-THUR: 9-4 • FRI: 9-2 to normalize the blood sugar. Unfortunately, damages are occurring while the elevated blood sugar is harming Comfort & therapeutic shoes and boots • Diabetic fittings • Custom the arteries. The ADA offers a free tool online (www. orthotics • Board-certified Pedorthist • 20 major shoe brands diabetes.org/risk-test) to determine your risk of develop• MD, PT, Podiatrist and Chiropractor referrals welcome ing diabetes. Anyone with family member(s) who has/ WALK-INS WELCOME! have diabetes should go to this site to determine your risk. Furthermore, you should ask your www.southerncomfortshoes.com healthcare provider to screen you for diabetes the next time you are in their office.

There are 3 main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes mellitus. The most common is type 2 diabetes mellitus. This disease cannot be cured, but with proper education and lifestyle modifications, it can be controlled to minimize major health problems such as heart attacks, stroke, kidney damage, blindness, amputations, etc.

Misinformation is rampant through word of mouth, social media, advertisements, and sometime even the news. Here are some selected myths with clarifications: Myth 1. People with diabetes can’t eat sugar. The good news is people with diabetes may eat sugar or sweetened foods, but moderation is the key. A sip (2 ounces) of sweet tea is not going to harm you, but a large sweet tea (32 ounces) is not the best choice. Likewise, a bite (a teaspoon full) of your favorite dessert is OK every so often, such as your birthday.

2610 Commons Blvd.

Myth 2. People with diabetes need to avoid carbs. There is no scientific evidence to support Augusta GA 30909 this claim that people with diabetes need to avoid carbs. Carbohydrates (often called “carbs”) provide many important nutrients that are not available in protein and fat foods, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber to aid with bowel movements. The current recommendation for people with diabetes is to get about 45% of their calories from carbs, which means almost half of your total caloric intake should come from carbohydrates. This definitely is not a low carb diet. However, sugar sweetened beverages should be avoided since their caloric content can contribute to obesity. For example, 32 ounces of sweet tea will furnish 359 calories. That alone is approximately 18% of the recommended 2,000 calories for an adult’s recommended total daily caloric consumption.

706 399 9186 Myth 3. People with diabetes need to follow a special diabetic diet. People with diabetes RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL should follow a healthy meal plan as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans MelcherandCo.Maintenance@gmail.com (www.hhs.gov/fitness/eat-healthy/dietary-guidelines-for-americans). Contrary to popular misconception, people with diabetes do not need to follow any special diet. Additionally, most Lance Melcher Owner of the “special diabetic foods” or “diabetic diet” are just sales gimmicks and should be avoided since they really are not necessary.

Myth 4. Diabetes is contagious. Diabetes is not a communicable illness, which means it cannot be passed on by touch or via blood, or from someone sneezing. You may catch a cold from your friend with diabetes sneezing, but you will not catch his or her diabetes.

Myth 5. Poorly controlled diabetes does not affect sexual function. People with poorly controlled diabetes can experience erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness, or reduced desire to have sex. Prolonged high blood sugar could lead to poor blood circulation to the penis and vagina, which causes sexual dysfunction for both men and women. Poorly controlled diabetes may also lead to impairment to the nerves that regulate the erectile function and the muscles in the vagina. Lastly, this nerve dysfunction also decreases sexual interest.

Diabetes is a serious disease that could lead to detrimental health problems. If you have a family history of it, best to go on the ADA’s website to identify your risk factors and ask •DOWNTOWN• •W. AUGUSTA• •MARTINEZ• •AIKEN COUNTY• your health care provider to screen you for diabetes. If you 990 Telfair St 3954 Wrightsboro Rd 4014 Washington Rd 2355 Jefferson Davis Hwy already have diabetes, be sure to follow the advice given by 706-724-0900 706-863-9318 762-685-5555 803-593-8473 your health care providers, such as a registered dietitian and a diabetes educator. The myths listed above is an attempt to make some clarification and not to contradict your health care providers’ advice. + FOR MONEY-SAVING COUPONS, AUTO & TIRE CARE TIPS, AND MORE!

1001 WALTON WAY

SOMETIMES THE CURE needs a cure of its own

Steppingstones to Recovery

706-733-1935

THANK YOU FOR THANKING OUR ADVERTISERS

Our job: Make sure your vehicle is operating at

PEAK PER4MANCE

AND WE NOW HAVE 4 SHOPS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN! VISIT CCAUTOMOTIVE.COM TODAY

References Maiorino, M. I., Bellastella, G., & Esposito, K. (2014). Diabetes and sexual dysfunction: current perspectives. Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy, 7, 95–105. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S36455 American Diabetes Association. (2020). Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes− 2020. Diabetes Care, 43(Supplement 1), S1-S212.

• Customer shuttle • 6 months same-as-cash financing • 2-year/24,000 mile warranty • ASE Certified technicians • 24-hour towing & key drop • www.ccautomotive.com

Catch the C&C Automotive Show Saturday mornings from 8-10 on 580 AM or 95.1 FM

+ 10

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

CRASH

COURSE

More Americans have died on US roads since 2000 than in World Wars I & II combined

POINTS? WHAT ARE POINTS?

People who don’t drive safely have more than just traffic tickets to worry about. There can be jail time for serious offenses. Depending on how poorly someone drives, the total ramifications of bad driving can be extremely expensive. Citations and fines alone can add up to thousands of dollars in direct costs. Added to those can be towing and impound fees, court costs, and attorney fees. And there can be massive indirect costs too: lost wages while someone is in jail or attending court, car rental costs that may not be covered by insurance, and speaking of insurance, there can be huge increases in insurance premiums — and it’s illegal to drive without it.

How do insurance rate increases work?

The corporate policies of individual insurance companies vary from provider to provider, but one of the factors are the point systems maintained by state motor vehicle departments. In South Carolina, a driver’s license will be suspended if he accrues 12 points or more on his driving record.

No time limit is specified. Georgia suspends the licenses of drivers if they accrue 15 points or more over the course of 24 months.

How does one earn points? Not by doing anything good.

In the Palmetto State, here are a few common offenses from the point schedule for regular motor vehicle drivers: • Speeding over the posted limit by: No more than 10 MPH: 2 points.

Over 10 MPH but under 25 MPH: 3 points.

25 MPH or faster: 6 points.

• Failure to yield right of way: 4 points.

• Making an illegal turn: 4 points.

• Following another vehicle too closely: 4 points.

• Reckless driving: 6 points.

• Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in property damage: 6 points.

“Regular” drivers are mentioned above because those with a CDL (commercial driver’s license) may receive higher points for the same offenses as car drivers, and they’re subject to automatic suspension of their license.

In Georgia, here are some common offenses and their corresponding points: • Speeding 15 through 18 MPH over the posted speed limit—2 points.

• Having an open alcohol container in the car—2 points.

• Speeding 19 through 23 MPH over the posted limit—3 points.

• Not obeying a police officer—3 points.

• Speeding 24 through 33 MPH over the posted speed limit—4 points.

• Reckless driving—4 points.

• Speeding 34 MPH or faster over the posted limit—6 points.

• Aggressive driving—6 points.

There are ways to get around the severe penalties of exceeding the point limits. Both Georgia and South Carolina may allow a driver to have his or her license reinstated by successfully completing a defensive driving course. But it’s not something that can be employed at will. In fact, although Georgia will reduce an offender’s point totals by as many as 7 points for completing a defensive driving class, the class option is only available once every five years.

A good driver can go through a lifetime of driving without ever accruing a single point. That should be every driver’s goal. +

Please review us on Facebook facebook.com/AugustaRX

TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER!

MARCH 6, 2020

HUMAN BEHAVIOR WANT TO BE MORE ASSERTIVE? TRY THIS

Why aren’t we more assertive?

Why is that we’re often afraid to speak up in meetings, hesitate about asking for a well-deserved pay raise, don’t tell the whole truth in our reby Jeremy Hertza, Psy.D. lationships—or sometimes just plain don’t say what we want?

Maybe we’re afraid of being laughed at. We worry that speaking up will mean a situation will be worse than the status quo. Or, we’re not sure we deserve what we want.

I say this: forget all that.

While being too assertive can be annoying—and you can quote me on that—there are also too many life situations where for our own sense of well-being, we have to be brave enough to stand up for ourselves.

1. First, assess your assertiveness and figure out some workarounds as a start. In general, be aware of how comfortable you are in being assertive. For example, some people are more assertive one-on-one, but shut down in groups. Or you find it hard to be assertive when you’re talking to an authority figure, like your boss. If that’s who you are, that’s potentially OK— you just need to create situations where you feel comfortable.

So maybe if you have a big meeting and want to share an idea, go ahead and talk about your idea with some of the attendees ahead of time. Or talk to people who really get along with that person who scares you, like your boss, to find out what makes him or her tick and some situations where you’d be most successful at striking up a conversation.

2. Practice, practice, practice. Talking to your boss at the coffee machine is one thing; asking for a raise is something else altogether. And eventually, you’ll need to speak up in a group setting. So practice. Start by just talking to yourself in the mirror. Record yourself and listen back. Then graduate to a live audience, like your partner, a supportive family member or a friend, and role play. It’s just pretty much universally true about anything—the more you practice, the better you are.

3. Life’s emotional. Recognize that. If you care about your job, your relationships, your life in general, you’re going to be emotional about what you’re standing up for. Know that, but also know that you can’t let your emotions make you come off as pushy, frustrated, or at worst, irrational. If you feel the heat rising in your face or your heart starting to hammer, try this: Yawn, to get more oxygen in your lungs, and press your foot into the floor as hard as you can, to displace some of that psychological tension.

4. Know your culture. Right or wrong, cultural expectations exist for all of us. Be realistic about the expectations of the culture you’re in. Then, decide what you want to do. Here, your assertiveness should be well-planned and thought-out and tied to a specific goal.

5. Don’t pick every battle. Sometimes you have to let some things go—and let someone else’s assertiveness win. So choose what really matters to you. Then, give yourself the best chance of getting what you want. Start the conversation with a compliment; don’t be accusatory and use the word, “You,” but instead try, “When this happens, it …”; and if you should be spontaneously assertive because the right opportunity comes up, grab it. + Jeremy Hertza, Psy.D., is a neuropsychologist and the executive director of NeuroBehavioral Associates, LLC, in Augusta. Contact him at 706-823-5250 or info@ nbageorgia.com.

MARCH 6, 2020

11 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Sasha Retana, MD, on Dec. 4, 2017 (Edited for space)

5 WAYS TO HELP YOUR FRIEND WITH DEPRESSION Up to 17 percent of the world’s population may suffer from depression, but trying to explain it to the other 83 percent can be difficult. Normal people have bad days and sad moods, but “normal” means they’re actually able to deal with those bad days, whereas depressed people can’t. Explaining why “Cheer up!” doesn’t work is impossible because they just don’t get it.

I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, depression is like quicksand . Your foot has been caught, so you pull it out, but you need to step with the other foot, and since you do that, it sinks too. Then, you’re in with both feet, up to the knees, and as you kick, you’re up to the waist.

Eventually, there comes a moment when you realize you’re about to get sucked down. You relax for a second, and then you’re in the dark.

It’s like being in a vise or a Chinese finger trap. The more you move, the tighter they crank it. You think, this will have to stop eventually, but you just don’t know when. All of this sounds very melodramatic — even to me. So, of course, it’s impossible to explain to people who have never experienced it.

Having a family member or friend with depression isn’t easy. So, friends and family, this is what you need to realize: 1. It’s an imbalance, and people can’t help it. Depression is a neurotransmitter deficiency. You’ll protest: “But it’s only because (insert stressor here).” It doesn’t matter how it got started but if it lingers, regardless of what triggered it, it is an imbalance of serotonin and dopamine. It is no different than, say, diabetes. So, please please, please, don’t tell people to “snap out of it.” They can’t snap out of it any more than they can will their pancreas into making insulin again.

2. Your friend is not depressed for lack of trying not to be. “You just need more positive energy!” “Eat clean and exercise!” “You lead an unhealthy lifestyle!” “You need a vacation!” I am not knocking the benefits of healthy living, rest or positive energy. But for a person who might already be feeling worthless, hearing that they’re just not doing life right exacerbates the problem. And please don’t remind them that they “have no reason to be depressed.” Pointing out there is no excuse evokes shame.

3. You can’t always fix it, and that doesn’t reflect on you.

Most people honestly want to help. They truly believe that once the problem is identified, it can be fixed. So, they try to provide help by encouraging talking or an active lifestyle, or trying to eliminate possible triggers, or whatever — they try, at least at first. After a while, when it doesn’t work (and it won’t), they get annoyed, or worse, angry.

4. If you really want to be supportive of your friend or family member, this is the best you can do: Just be. Accept the fact that they are currently in a hole. Hug them when indicated. Get them tissues and tea. Don’t try to offer easy solutions. Don’t tell them to man up. Most importantly, don’t take it personally.

5. Get medical help, an impartial, experienced professional who can recognize signs and will know what to do. I cannot stress this enough. Contrary to popular belief, doctors aren’t just going to plop you on an antidepressant and send you on your way. They will do a careful history to rule out any reversible organic causes. They might recommend therapy first. Don’t tell people who are trying to get help and get on medication, “Do you really want to be numb to all emotion?”

That’s not what medication does; they need the medication so they can feel like you feel every day. You wouldn’t dream of telling a diabetic to “get a grip,” right? This is no different. .

Because depression is a frequently fatal condition.

Don’t tell them to snap out of it

If you are concerned that a friend or family member may be succumbing to depression, please take them to the emergency room. Send an ambulance to their house if they’re talking suicidal. If it’s you, you are not alone. If you feel yourself circling the drain, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 +

Sasha Retana is a gastroenterologist

A compendium of excerpts from reviews of this book:

Henry Marsh describes the soaring triumphs and the shattering tragedies that are part of every surgeon’s life.

A remarkable achievement.

(Michael J. Collins, author of Hot Lights, Cold Steel)

The outstanding feature of Do No Harm is the author’s completely candid description of the highs and lows of a neurosurgical career. ... For its unusual and admirable candor, wisdom and humor, Do No Harm is a smashing good read from which the most experienced and the most junior neurosurgeons have much to learn. (AANS Neurosurgeon) This thoughtful doctor provides a highly personal and fascinating look inside the elite world of neurosurgery, appraising both its amazing successes as well as its sobering failures. (Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)) One of the best books ever about a life in medicine, Do No Harm boldly and gracefully exposes the vulnerability and painful privilege of being a physician. (Booklist (starred review)) When a book opens like this - “I often have to cut into the

brain, and it is something I hate doing” - you can’t let it go, you have to read on, don’t you?

(Karl Ove Knausgaard, Financial Times) Marsh, one of our leading neurosurgeons, is an eloquent and poetic writer. Do No Harm offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the most mysterious part of human life. His descriptions of neurosurgery are at once fascinating and illuminating; a gripping memoir of an extraordinary career. (Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, author of The Organized Mind and This Is Your Brain On Music)

A soul-baring account of a practical-minded neurosurgeon who admits that a surgeon’s ultimate achievement is marked by patients who ‘recover completely and forget us completely.’ Readers, however, will not soon forget Dr. Marsh.

(Katrina Firlik, author of Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside) Each story invites readers into the private thoughts of a neurosurgeon and astonishes them with the counterintuitive compassion required in the operating room. (Michael Paul Mason, author of Head Cases) + Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery, by Henry Marsh, M.D., 288 pages, published in May 2015 by Thomas Dunne Books

Research News Diabetes breakthrough?

Before you read this story, let’s mention something up front that we usually mention in the final paragraph: the medical development you’re about to read is going to take a lot of additional work before it’s ready to use in treating people.

Even so, the news is very exciting.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis converted human stem cells into insulinproducing cells and then injected them into mice with severe diabetes — as in blood sugar readings over 500.

Within two weeks the blood glucose levels returned to normal and stayed that way for months many months.

Next up, longer tests in larger animal models before it can be determined if the procedure is safe to use in people, and if so, to develop ways to manufacture enough

cells for the millions of people who could potentially benefit from the procedure, which requires about a billion cells per person.

The research was published Feb. 24 in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Greenlight for new cholesterol drug from FDA A new once-daily pill for treating LDL cholesterol was approved last month.

Marketed under the brand name Nexletol, the drug (bempedoic acid) made headlines because it’s the first oral non-statin drug for LDL reduction to be approved in nearly two decades.

How calorie reduction helps One of the wise maxim’s of Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack was, “To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.”

More than two hundred years later, the clinical proof supporting that proverb continues to increase.

In non-Ben Franklin terms, the news is that caloric restriction reduces inflammation throughout the body, delays the onset of agerelated diseases, and just as Franklin said, lengthens life.

A new study conducted in China and the US under the auspices of the Salk Institute examined the cellular effects that make this long-known truth possible.

The exact mechanism is perhaps too complex for the three inches of space we have remaining, but the researchers compared cells from young lab rats who ate plenty, and older rats who ate modest diets. The cellular changes normally associated with aging were not seen in the older rats, who were the equivalent of 20 years older.

Preventing aging is preventing the highest risk factor for many diseases, including cancer, dementia, and diabetes.

We are what we eat. +

+ 12

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners

MARCH 6, 2020

+

I thought you told me you know American Sign Language.

I do.

by Dan Pearson

Then why couldn’t you You didn’t notice understand that guy just now He had a bad speech he was missing a who was signing you?

A speech impediment? impediment. couple fingers?

He never made a sound.

The Mystery Word for this issue: FINTENICO

© 2020 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

1

2

3

4

5

12

13

15

16

6

9

10

11

17 20

21 24

25

27

28

29

34

35 38

42

43

46 48

49

56

57

50 58

62 65

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

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, MAR. 16, 2020

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

E X A M I N E R

3

8

2

4

9

1

6

7 6 1 5 7 8 9 4 3 5

S U D O K U

9 4

6 3

1 5 2

4

2

8

7

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved.

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

68

30. Bowl ranking system 31. Tolkien letters 32. Notion 33. Military abbrev.

35. Opp. of bro 37. Letters in many front yards 40. Doctors 41. Beginning 42. Hawaiian dance 43. Giant of the Giants 45. Banks of note (1931-2015) 46. Savannah, for one 48. Grinding tooth 49. Study suffix 50. Umbilical scar 51. Eat sparingly 52. New Age singer 53. Built-up embankment 55. Hippocratic follower 58. English monk 60. Contend 61. One can be in one’s bonnet 62. Grand ____ Solution p. 14

QUOTATIONPUZZLE I D D D N I A N L E N H A N R R H I W K R L T U E S U W O T L E O S D D H T T E I N I S

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved

3 9 5 8 4 7 8 2 7D 6 1 3 W 6 5 9K 4 2O 1

2 6 1 9 4 5 8 7 3

— Author unknown

DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once.

Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line.

Solution on page 14.

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.

M 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6

I 1 2 3 4

T 1

2

3

4

5

D 1 2 3 4 1 2

1

F T 1 2 3 4 5 W 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3

1 2

1.PRIFFFILAST 2.HOOTIEESAI 3.WORMUKEN 4.LEEDRAP 5.ERTL 6.DE

SAMPLE:

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

L 1

O 2

V E 31 24 3

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

I 3

N 4

D 5

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved

BY

8 14

18 19 ACROSS 1. Dome covering, often 22 23 5. Topic of page 1 story 26 8. Having two or more colors, 30 31 32 33 like a piper, perhaps 12. Stir up 36 37 13. Legal rights gp.

39 40 41 14. Main artery of the body 15. Chateau in Georgia 44 45 16. Lustful; licentious 47 18. Jewel 19. Sick 51 52 53 54 55 20. WJBF’s affiliation 59 60 61 21. Bethesda agcy.

22. Village in Augusta 63 64 24. Maj. CSRA employer 66 67 26. Winfrey TV 27. Garden beginning?

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved.

30. Pancakes served with sour cream 68. 1988 Masters champion 33. Pale 34. The green of green eyes DOWN 36. Liver oil source 1. Braves mound great 37. Grant born in Augusta (to friends) 38. Black bird 2. Greased 39. Brain _____ 3. Andes pack animal 41. Eccentric 4. Lair 42. Grasps 5. Regattta craft 44. ________ Blvd (in Augusta) 6. Long-sleeved clergy garb 46. Furrow 7. _____ mater 47. Last year’s Jrs. 8. Hawaiian food 48. First name of MCG’s 1828 9. _____ lung founder 10. Sewing case 51. Debutante, in brief 11. Morse element 54. Classical intro?

13. Local congressman Rick 56. Eggs 14. Capital of Ghana 57. Chocolate _____ 17. Norwegian dramatist 59. Certain to occur 19. Hawaiian honeycreeper 62. Intro to in, out, over, along 23. Invasive beginning 63. Eagle’s nest (Var.) (sometimes) 64. Duct type 25. “Star Wars” letters 65. Old 27. Augusta’s ____ Park 66. Domesticated 28. Thermometer type 67. ____ Excellency 29. Type of tunnel

WORDS NUMBER

7

THE MYSTERY WORD

8 7 2 5 1 9 4 3 6

4 3 9 6 8 7 2 1 5

6 1 5 4 3 2 7 8 9

MARCH 6, 2020

13 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...

A

priest, a minister and a rabbit walk into a bar.

The rabbit says, “I think I might be a typo.”

A priest, a minister and a rabbit walk into a blood bank.

The rabbit says, “I think I might be a Type O.” A priest, a minister, and a rabbi want to see who’s best at his job, so they each go into the woods, find a bear, and attempt to convert it.

Later they get together to compare notes.

“When I found the bear I read to him from the Catechism and sprinkled him with holy water,” said the priest. His first communion is next week!”

“I found my bear by a stream,” says the minister, “and preached God’s holy word. The bear was so mesmerized that he let me baptize him.”

They both look down at the rabbi, who is lying on a gurney in a body cast. “In hindsight,” he says, “maybe I shouldn’t have started with the circumcision.”

The judge asks a defendant to please stand.

“You are charged with murdering a garbage man with a chain saw.”

From the back of the courtroom a man

shouts, “You lying bastard!”

“Silence in the court!” The judge turns to the defendant again and says, “You are also charged with killing a paperboy with a shovel.”

“You tightwad!” blurts the spectator.

“Silence!” yelled the judge.

“You are also charged with killing your mailman with an electric drill.”

“You cheap son of a...” the spectator shouts.

The judge thunders, “I will hold you in contempt! What is the reason for your outbursts?”

“I’ve lived next to that lying bastard for 10 years now, but do you think he ever had a single tool when I needed to borrow one?”

A new camp commander was appointed to Ft. Gordon, and while inspecting the place for the first time he saw two privates guarding a bench. He went over and asked them why they were guarding it.

“We don’t know. The last commander told us to do it, so we did.”

The new CO called the previous commander to ask why the bench needed guarding.

“I have no idea. The previous commander always had guards there and I just kept the tradition going.”

Going back three more commanders, he found a now 100-year-old retired general.

“Excuse me, sir. I’m the new CO of your former camp. I’ve found two guards assigned to guard a bench. Why did you put them there?”

“What??? The paint is still wet?” +

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?

Staring at my phone all day has had no Effect on ME!

Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day.

The

Advice Doctor ©

Dear Advice Doctor, On vacation over the Christmas holidays I set my purse down in a restaurant, and it was out of my sight for maybe two seconds, but when I looked for something I had in there later it was gone. I don’t know who did it or how, but in the blink of an eye they stole my identity, ruined my credit rating, and drained my bank account. I’m still recovering. Help!

— Cleaned Out Dear Cleaned Out, I’m sure this is a difficult situation for you, and I don’t mean to seem uncaring, but it’s a wonder this doesn’t happen more often, or that it has never happened to you before this.

Why do I make a statement like that?

Do you realize the average person blinks 15 times a minute?

That adds up to more than 10,000 blinks a day, quite a lot of shuteye. “The blink of an eye” is an idiom meaning a very brief period of time, and in fact, the length of a typical blink is a mere 100 milliseconds long. Even so, University College London (UCL) neurologists estimated in a 2005 study that if all our blinks in an entire year were consecutive, they would add up to 9 full days spent blinking annually.

We blink for several reasons, including as a response to eye irritants and as flirting or other forms of body language, and the majority of blinks, performed to lubricate the eyes and rinse away any foreign matter.

How is that we don’t notice so much blinking?

Those same UCL neurologists conducted an elaborate study to measure the effects of blinking on the brain. Subjects blinked while lying in a darkened MRI brain scanner with a fiber optic light cable in their mouth to make their entire head glow. This was to ensure that light falling on the retina was constant even while blinking, enabling scientists to measure any effects on brain activity independent of light.

The surprising discovery of the study was that blinking instantaneously suppresses brain regions associated with sight.

That’s why we are only rarely aware of our many blinks. When people say (as you did) that they missed something because it happened in the blink of an eye, well, the brain misses it too.

I hope this answers your question. Thanks for writing! + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about health, 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.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICALEXAMINER +

+

Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #402

By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers.

If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area, or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house!

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

BEFORE READING

AFTER READING

9 4

+ 14

3

5

8

2

7

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

...cleverly hidden by the background of the p. 16 ad for GEORGIA DERMATOLOGY

THE WINNER: MADDIE OLSON! Want to find your name here next time? If it is, we’ll send you some cool swag from our goodie bag. The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!

MARCH 6, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER THE PUZZLE SOLVED G R E G

O I L E D

B L C O S T R D I E T

E N Y A

L L A M A

D E N

A L I L N I E O W N I N I D E M O A D E N S R S B N E E V I T R I E M E

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

I R O N

E T U I

D A S H

O R A L

W I S N I D S

O L O G Y

N A V E L

SEE PAGE 12

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.

5 4 8 7 1 6 9 2

8 7 2 6 3 5 4 1

6 1 9 4 5 8 7 3

Love to stare at your phone?

Visit issuu.com/ medicalexaminer and stare away.

7 2 5 1 9 4 3 6

3 9 6 8 7 2 1 5

1 5 4 3 2 7 8 9

2 6 3 9 4 1 5 8

9 8 7 5 6 3 2 4

QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION “The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word unsaid.”

— Author unknown

B E D E

The Celebrated TheSUDOKUsolution MYSTERY WORD CONTEST 3 9 2 8 4 6 7 1 5

...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!

QuotatioN

4 3 1 2 8 9 6 7

WORDS

BY NUMBER “ Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.”

— Zig Ziglar

+

READ EVERY ISSUE ONLINE WWW.ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER

MARCH 6, 2020

IT’S A QUESTION OF CARE What to do when offers of care and assistance are unwelcome.

15 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Families often reach out to us because they are frustrated with how to “force” a family member, typically an elderly loved one, into accepting more care. This can be quite a dilemma in that an adult child might have Power of Attorney for his or her elderly parent, but from a health care perspective, this is not a carte blanche avenue to force care on the elderly loved one. Often when I get a phone call from a family member in this position, I talk them through whether they think their loved one has the “capacity” to make his or her own decisions and understand the consequences, even if this means their demise. If it sounds as if the loved one has the capacity, and the person on the phone is the Power of Attorney, if they can convince Mom, Dad, or whomever they are dealing with to accept the care, or frame it in a way that will make them acquiesce, it can be positive. I give them pointers about how to frame their conversation and arguments to make

the idea of care more appealing.

On the other hand, if the elderly loved one does not have the capacity to make his or her own decisions and stay safe, healthy, and secure, often I suggest to the family to seek out the counsel of an Elder Law attorney. The Elder Law attorney will walk them through the Guardianship process and discuss whether Guardianship is appropriate in this case. Guardianship, in the states of South Carolina and Georgia, is a mandate by the court stating that the person is not competent to make his or her own decisions regarding care and well-being and someone else must do so for them. Conservatorship (control over the incapacitated person’s money) is typically granted as well. This is because if he or she cannot make smart decisions with money and does not understand the consequences of making inadequate decisions, he or she must have someone protect the monies and the use of them.

Guardianship can be a very difficult, emotional, and heart-wrenching process to often save a loved one’s life. It can also be expensive, and so it must be entered into from a standpoint of education and understanding of what the person pursuing the Guardianship would like to happen for their elderly loved one. There must be an end goal of keeping him or her safe, healthy, and secure, knowing that their loved one very well may not be “happy“. This is typically not ever a black and white situation, but rather myriads of grey through the whole process. As a Social Worker and an Aging Life Care Manager, I have seen families pursue and be granted Guardianship and truly save their family member’s life and the person goes on to live a very fulfilling one. +

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

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +

ACUPUNCTURE

Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road 706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com

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

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

COUNSELING Resolution Counseling Professionals 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com

DENTISTRY

Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048

IN-HOME CARE

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445

DERMATOLOGY

Everyday Elder Care LLC Certified Home Health/Caregiver 706-231-7001 everydayeldercare.com Zena Home Care Personal Care|Skilled Nursing|Companion 706-426-5967 www.zenahomecare.com

LONG TERM CARE

Georgia Dermatology & WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! Augusta 30904 (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax) 706-733-3373 SKIN CANCER CENTER www.GaDerm.com

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS

PHARMACY

SLEEP MEDICINE

Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555

TRANSPORTATION AMBULANCE • STRETCHER • WHEELCHAIR

706-863-9800

VEIN CARE Vein Specialists of Augusta G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 706-854-8340 www.VeinsAugusta.com

Karen L. Carter, MD Medical Center West Pharmacy 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 465 North Belair Road Augusta 30901 Evans 30809 706-396-0600 Your Practice 706-854-2424 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo.

Parks Pharmacy Keep your contact information in this 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS convenient place seen by thousands of HARMACY N. Augusta 29841 patients every month.

Steppingstones to Recovery 803-279-7450 Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details!

2610 Commons Blvd. www.parkspharmacy.com Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

YOUR LISTING HERE

DRUG REHAB

P

+ 16

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

DR. KARP… from page 8

What is the “No-Nonsense Nutrition” advice for today?

The term dementia encompasses a broad spectrum of disorders. People with dementia exhibit a wide range of symptoms and nutrition issues. The very best thing you can do as a caregiver is to figure out the individual issues and seek out the specific health professional who can help you address each issue. Join a caregiver support group. You are not alone. +

200+ BACK ISSUES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE. VISIT ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER

ART & FRAME

Custom Framing Custom Mirrors

Daniel Village Barber Shop 2522 Wrightsboro Road

736-7230

TUE - FRI: 7:30 - 6:00; SATURDAY: 7:30 - 1:00 I’m going to recommend regular haircuts from Daniel Village Barber Shop.

DANIEL VILLAGE BARBER SHOP

E Medical Complex

76 Circle K

Thanks, doc.

You saved my life!

Highland Ave.

provided by other means to reach a caloric balance.

It is best to eat with your wife. True, depending upon the severity of the dementia, it can sometimes be a pretty messy experience. Break up the food and also try using finger foods. If you run out of ideas, speak with your R.D.N. You might try adding extra spices or herbs to make the food more highly flavored.

Keeping the eating environment simple and peaceful is always a good idea too.

I remember that a friend of ours who had lost her appetite got some of it back by simply watching food shows on TV. So whatever works is fine; the possibilities are limitless.

Moving, moving, moving is

another very important way of stimulating appetite. Take your wife for a walk or stroll outside or just around the house. Sometimes putting on music with a strong beat can help with this.

Some medications taken by people with dementia may interact with food, so be aware of this. A high protein meal or specific vitamin and mineral supplements may interfere with the drug action of certain forms of levodopa. Check with your physician prior to using any vitamin, mineral or nutritional supplements.

Ohio Ave.

dard meal serving. It might be changing the texture of the foods in a meal. Another helpful suggestion for increasing your wife’s calorie intake, since she is losing weight, is to add extra calories as healthy oils to her foods. Just a little bit of olive oil or canola oil can increase the calories in mashed potatoes or veggies quite a bit.

It may be that encouraging your wife to sip on a liquid supplement throughout the day will slow down her weight loss. One good hint for improving taste when offering liquid supplements, like Ensure and Sustacal, is to serve them chilled. You might also think about taking out your blender and creating some liquid meals on your own. If your wife becomes primarily dependent on liquid nutrition, it is best to use commercially-available supplements, since they are formulated so that four servings provide about 1000 calories and all the vitamins and minerals they need each day. Then, extra food calories can be

MARCH 6, 2020

Wrightsboro Road

Daniel Field

Augusta Mall

e

Visit us at danielvillagebarbershop.com

LIFE IS COMPLICATED Death doesn’t have to be.

We know how to help.

Caskets & More

1944 WALTON WAY • AUGUSTA • (706) 738-2999 • CANDMAUGUSTA.COM

OUR NEXT ISSUE DATE: MARCH 20, 2020

Proudly affiliated with Dr. John Cook of Southern Dermatology in Aiken

Art Installation Reframing

Gallery Moments Printing Services 526 Georgia Avenue • North Augusta • 803.441.0144

WIN A MUG! The world’s most salubrious mugs, crafted by artists at Augusta’s Tire City Potters, are part of the haul if you win the Mystery Word Contest! Plus gift certificates from Scrubs of Evans and Wild Wing Cafe!

LOOK FOR THE MYSTERY WORD HIDDEN IN EVERY ISSUE!

M.D. John Cook,

Pictured above (from left to right), John Cook, MD; Lauren Ploch, MD; Jason Arnold, MD; Caroline Wells, PA-C; Chris Thompson, PA-C

2110 Woodside Executive Court Aiken, South Carolina • 803-644-8900

SKIN CANCER CENTER

2283 Wrightsboro Road Augusta, Georgia • 706-733-3373

Skin Cancer Removal • Mohs Surgery • Routine Skin Exams • Mole Removal • Botox • Dermal Fillers

GENERAL, SURGICAL & COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY