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APRIL 19, 2024
AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006
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EVERYONE HAS A STORY
T NEW WORDS As time marches relentlessly forward, new terms worm their way into our vocabulary nearly every day. For better or for worse, some become permanent. Others quickly slink away into the recesses of declining memories. Here a few new ones that come to mind from just the past few years. Add your own as you see fit. Bidenomics Never-Trumpers MAGA (Make America Great Again) DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Wetbacks became: Illegal Aliens > Illegal Immigrants > Migrants > New Comers Covid
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (most of the time) A series by Bad Billy Laveau
Herd immunity White Christian Nationalist Two-Tier Justice System Participation Trophy Ballot Harvesting Transitory inflation Shrink-flation Black Lives Matter Mostly Peaceful (demonstrations with vandalism, arson, looting, murder, assault) Nonpaying or Cashless shoppers (shop lifters) Please see WORDS page 6
When time stands still
his isn’t exactly a news flash for many readers, but nothing is quite as long as a single night. Normally, the interminable hours that comprise the darkness slide swiftly past our slumbering, snoring selves. But as anyone who suffers from insomnia knows, or who has spent a sleepless night because of pain or illness, the very same hours that fly by in an instant when we sleep through them can drag on endlessly when we’re awake to watch the procession slowly slog past. I suffered through one of those eternal nights recently. On March 14 I had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder. A nerve block was used to completely deaden my arm, and I was told the split second I felt the slightest sensation return to my arm to crack open that bottle of oxycodone and pop a pill. Don’t wait, they said. Get ahead of the pain, they said. Ok, I said. The surgery was scheduled for 6:30 am. That first tingle happened at 6:30 pm. The first pill was popped at 6:31 pm. Not to spoil any surprises, but let me interrupt this tale to announce that oxycodone’s reputation seems to extend far beyond what it delivers. Ah, but I digress. That first night I thought everything was going to be all right. After all, I had the famous and infamous oxy coursing through my bloodstream. I was in bed shortly after 11:00, and fell sound asleep fairly quickly. It was a way better than expected scenario. After several hours, half the night or so, I woke up for some reason and decided to use the occasion to visit the bathroom. On the way back to bed I broke a house rule: my personal policy is to never
look at the clock when I wake up or get up during the night. But for some reason I broke my rule that night. Maybe I thought I would be proud to know I had made it so far into the night so soon after surgery. But to my shock and dismay, the clock said 11:38. I hadn’t even been in bed for half an hour. How on earth...? As I was soon to discover, time was only starting to play its tricks on me. If this has ever happened to you, it’s like taking a power nap right before bed. Now you’re wide awake and ready to go. And the jolt of seeing 11:38 on the clock didn’t do me any favors in the falling back to sleep department either. I tossed and turned for a long time, and my shoulder gave me a lot of pain. It felt like each hour took two or three hours to pass by, but what did I know? I wasn’t about to make the mistake of looking at the clock again. Except that’s exactly what I did. I wondered how long I had been tossing and turning, wracked by pain. I was hoping the gray of dawn was near. But this second time the clock read 1:57. That’s it? Wow. I had been thrashing around sleeplessly for an hour and a half. This was going to be one long night. But eventually I did manage to finally fall asleep again. At some point much later that night I woke up and had the shock of my life. Or at least the shock of that night. And it was a big one, a truly unbelievable one. After experiencing the frustration and disappointment of seeing that it was just 1:57 and then eventually falling into a deep sleep, imagine my intense shock when I woke up again and, since I had made this my official Break Please see TIME page 11
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
APRIL 19, 2024
THECWORD Colorectal cancer is expected to be the leading cause of cancer death in Americans between the ages of 20 and 49 by 2030.1 In the past 10 years overall colorectal cancer rates have gone down, but in the next 6 years cases in this age group are expected to double.2 Researchers are not sure why cases are rising so sharply in younger people, but learning about this disease can help you take action to lower your risk and advocate for yourself if you notice symptoms. One reason researchers are confused by the uptick of colorectal cancer cases in young people is because many do not have the “typical” risk factors associated with the disease.3 Using tobacco, drinking alcohol, being physically inactive, not eating enough fiber, and having a genetic condition like Lynch syndrome are all known risk factors, but they are not being seen in many of these newer early onset colorectal cancer cases.3 Until researchers know more, it is critical for young people to follow screening guidelines and to talk to your doctor if you notice any symptoms. There are several screening options to detect colorectal cancer, but the gold standard can even prevent it! This test is called a colonoscopy. During a colonoscopy, a healthcare provider can remove noncancerous polyps before they become cancer. Suspicious polyps can also be removed and sent for lab testing which can help catch cancer earlier. When found in its earliest stages, colorectal cancer is 91% treatable.4 Earlier diagnosis also lowers the need for aggressive treatments which can impact quality of life long-term. There are other tests for colorectal cancer including “stool-based” tests. Talk through your screening options with your healthcare provider. In response to the high-
er rates of early onset colorectal cancer, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force updated their guidelines in 2021 to recommend people at average risk begin screening at age 45. For people at higher risk, talk to your provider about when to start. No matter your age, if you notice symptoms of colorectal cancer tell your healthcare provider right away. Researchers have identified four warning signs that younger people diagnosed with colorectal cancer more commonly reported before their diagnosis. These include abdominal pain; rectal bleeding; diarrhea; and iron deficiency anemia.5 Having one of these signs was associated with nearly twice the likelihood of being diagnosed with early onset colorectal cancer as having none of the signs; having three or more of these signs was associated with six times the likelihood of being diagnosed with the disease.5 Because early onset colorectal cancer is a newer phenomenon, younger people may have to advocate more for themselves with their healthcare provider. If you do not think your provider has assessed your symptoms like they should, getting another opinion is always a sound option. + “The C Word” is a newsbrief of the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University. For cancer information, visit: augusta.edu/cancer/community. Sources: 1. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.470 2. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2014.32.3_suppl.39 3. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/colorectal-cancer-in-youngpeople#:~:text=Nobody%20knows%20for%2 sure%20why,been%20associated%20with%20the%20disease. 4. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/colorectalcancer/statistics#:~:text=The%205%2Dyear%20relative%20survival%20 rate%20for%20localized%20stage%20colorectal,relative%20 survival%20rate%20is%2073%25. 5. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad068
WHAT ARE CARBOHYDRATES? Broadly speaking, they are practically poison if you are to believe the claims of many fad diets. But whenever an entire food group or a component in most foods is labeled as bad, people with working brains should be suspicious. Consider: carbs are found in fruits, vegetables, milk, nuts, and whole grains. Does that sound unhealthy? Consider also: carbs are found in cookies, candy, cake, table sugar, and sugary drinks. Does that sound healthy? As you can readily see, not all carbs are created equal. People who say carbs are bad might have a point. It all depends on the source of the carbs. And people who say carbs are good might have a point. It all depends on the source of the carbs. If they’re from a good source, carbs are vital to good health. There are three main types of carbohydrates: simple sugars, starch, and fiber. During digestion, sugars and starches are quickly broken down into simple sugars that quickly enter the bloodstream as glucose, the major source of energy for the body. But that can be a problem. The pancreas responds to blood glucose by releasing insulin, which helps deliver glucose into cells as fuel. Logically, lots of sugar means lots of insulin, and lots of insulin can over time lead to cell damage, heart disease, diabetes, and weight gain as the surplus glucose is stored as fat. Imagine the sugar spike from a slab of cake a la mode washed down with a sugary drink. That’s more than can be used, and that will lead to glucose stored as fat. Compare that with so-called complex carbs. While cookies or cake may be made with heavily processed flour (which quickly become simple sugars), consider a sandwich made with bread made from whole grains (which are complex carbs) and that includes fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, . They take longer to digest, meaning that they don’t result in a sugar spike and all of the problems just enumerated above. Fad diet promoters will tell you carbs cause weight gain and low-carb diets are healthier and lead to weight loss. The truth: a diet rich in healthy carbs can result in weight loss. +
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APRIL 19, 2024
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST
MEDICAL MYTHOLOGY
PARENTHOOD KNUCKLE-CRACKING AND ARTHRITIS by Dr. Warren Umansky, PhD
Your 9-year-old child has to be dragged out of bed for school almost every morning. She’s in bed by 9:30 every night and you allow her to have her phone with her until 10:00. What should you do? A. The teacher hasn’t said anything about her drowsiness or falling asleep in school and she gets mostly passing grades. Things will get better by themselves. B. You suspect the phone may be the problem, so you take the phone away at 9:30. C. Make bedtime a more reasonable 8:30 without the phone, and keep moving her bedtime earlier as needed until she gets up easily. D. Have her sleep with you so you can be sure she is going to sleep and staying asleep through the night. If you answered: A. This is building a poor sleep pattern. If she is having trouble getting up in the morning, she is going to bed too late. And, children should never take phones or other screen devices to bed with them. B. This may offer greater incentive for her to get up more easily in the morning and may show you the power of using the phone as leverage. She still is going to bed too late and it probably won’t have an impact on school performance. She might do better than getting “mostly passing grades” if she is more rested. C. It is most desirable to have the child put in charge of her consequences. By tying bedtime to ease of getting up in the morning, she is taking responsibility for what bedtime works best for her. But, for a 9-year-old, it should never be later than 9PM and can be as early as needed for her to get up easily. D. Children should fall asleep in their own bed. If you feel your daughter’s bedtime is now early enough but she still has trouble getting up in the morning, it might be good to speak with your pediatrician. Parents are responsible for teaching their children good sleep hygiene. Too many children do not get enough sleep. This is apparent in difficulty getting up in the morning, tiredness at school, poor grades and poor behavior, negative mood, difficulty paying attention and sitting still, irritability late in the day, and other indicators. Ease of getting up in the morning often is a very good indicator of getting enough sleep. + Dr. Umansky has a child behavioral health practice in Augusta.
s tha Les
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on his left hand every day for six decades, but never once cracking those on his right hand. His conclusion was the same as the Merck doctor. In a speech accepting an award for his study (the Ig Nobel Prize, if you must know), Unger said, “Mother, I know you can hear me. Mother, you were wrong! And now that I have your attention, can I stop eating my broccoli, please?” Unfortunately, there happens to be a lot more about arthritis than just cracking knuckles that is the subject of medical mythology. Probably the most common is that arthritis is a disease affecting only old people.
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Chances are pretty good that most of us know — despite our mothers’ warnings — there is no connection between cracking knuckles and getting arthritis. Speaking on a Merck Manual podcast about this very subject, one doctor said he would be more worried about people going blind from wiggling their ears than about getting arthritis from cracking their knuckles. A noted study on the issue was actually published in Arthritis & Rheumatology in 2004 based on 60 years of research by Dr. Donald L. Unger of Thousand Oaks, California. Dr. Unger recruited himself as the main participant for his study, which consisted of cracking the knuckles
That is false for several reasons. Even children can get arthritis, particularly the kind that results from inflammation, the kind a rheumatologist would treat. Older people can and do get that version (rheumatoid arthritis or RA), and also osteoarthritis, which in simple terms is a joint or mechanical issue more than one of inflammation. Have you ever heard the old wives’ tale that people with arthritis or other joint issues can predict the weather? Well guess what? It’s not an old wives’ tale. While temperature and humidity have no bearing on the matter, barometric pressure does. Research subjects have been isolated in rooms where the pressure could be raised and lowered, and they were able to accurately report those fluctuations based on how their joints felt. Some people think runners subject themselves to the risk of arthritis by punishing their joints with every jarring step. Not necessarily true. It can certainly elevate the risk, but with quality footwear and above all, good running mechanics, a person could enjoy pain-free running for decades. Some forms of arthritis have no known cure, but others, such as gout, can be managed very successfully and even cured by compliant patients. The key to treatment of any form starts with an accurate diagnosis and following treatment guidelines while avoiding fad diets and quack cures. Stay active, maintain healthy weight, avoid smoking, and feel free to crack your knuckles. + DOWNTOWN 990 Telfair St 706-724-0900 W. AUGUSTA 3954 Wrightsboro Rd 706-863-9318 MARTINEZ 4014 Washington Rd 762-685-5555 WARRENVILLE 2355 Jefferson Davis Hwy 803-593-8473 AIKEN 536 East Pine Log Rd 803-649-1341
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APRIL 19, 2024
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
ADVENTURES IN
Middle Age
#210 IN A SERIES
Who is this?
BY J.B. COLLUM
a move. Then there is the short term. Money problems don’t stay in their lane. They flood out into marital problems, mental problems, including stress, and stress leads to a cornucopia of other health problems, some of which are deadly. With that knowledge, we realize that taking care of our financial health contributes to our overall mental, emotional, and physical health. It can help our most important relationships too. With all these benefits, it warrants careful examination by each of us before we find ourselves in a compromised financial state. I’ll admit that I am not the best at this. In fact, if not for my frugal, practical, and lovely wife, I’d be flat broke and living in a van down by the river. At best! But since I have her, we are doing okay. Not as well as I’d like, but not too bad. We did not have the six-month savings in the bank. Part of that is due to the additional three little expenses we took on back in 2022 in the form of our three grandchildren. Nothing drains a bank account like taking on a responsibility like that out of the blue. We used to have a nice little savings account for unexpected things, but we drained that within months of getting the grandkids in the house. If you are already set with the requisite six months of savings against future bills, keep it up. You are doing great. If you have done well with your retirement savings in a 401K or IRA, then keep that up. You can also deposit more than younger people can because the law allows us seasoned citizens to invest more at our age in order to play catch-up. Another way to help is to not load ourselves down with financial obligations. Do we need the latest iPhone? Do we really need a new car? They seem to last a long time these days. The good ones anyway. Do we really need to upgrade to a bigger house? Perhaps if we examine these and other areas that are more luxury than necessity, we will find room for more peace of mind and happiness in our lives. Perhaps we may even free up enough to not only put more in savings, but also in experiences instead of material things. As we age and look back, we won’t regret missing out on the latest gadget or a newer car. We might regret not taking that trip to Hawaii, the Caribbean, or Europe though. With all that said, guard your health by guarding your wealth. Money doesn’t bring happiness, but a lack of it can bring stress and misery and that’s doubly hard when we aren’t as young as we used to be. + J.B. Collum is a local novelist, humorist and columnist who wants to be Mark Twain when he grows up. He may be reached at johnbcollum@ gmail.com
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One of the greatest fears in middle age is finding ourselves without a job and therefore without health insurance. Even with laws meant to protect us against age discrimination, we all know it is simply human nature for people to shy away from hiring people they fear will cost them more money, or who may seem out of touch with the more youthful values that proliferate in modern society. I have a friend who lost her job in her early sixties, and although I would consider her a leader in her field with an impeccable record, she has struggled to find a position anywhere near as good as her last one. I found myself in this very predicament just this past month. I was fortunate to find a new job only one day after that, but that is the exception rather than the rule. There is still the disruption in regard to health insurance. My new job is as a contractor, at least for now, and so comes with no benefits. Fortunately for me, my previous employer continued my health insurance coverage through the end of March and offered to reimburse me for the COBRA coverage for April, but I imagine that is also the exception rather than the rule. I was a little surprised at the cost of COBRA for my wife and me. I had gotten quotes before when leaving jobs and always found it astonishingly high. This time, though it was high, it wasn’t a lot more than I paid through my employer before. It was a little over $1700/month. With my new job, we can swing that, so I was happy. What is a middle-aged person supposed to do when their employer closes their doors, or has a layoff due to an economic downturn? What happens to one of us if our job is sent overseas or we turn out to be expendable for some reason? Hopefully, you are prepared for this situation with enough savings to pay your bills for six months. That is the standard, but even three months is pretty good in our times. Some have to raid their 401K, but that can bring penalties in addition to the tax implications. If you are over 55, you avoid the penalty, but you still pay the taxes. If you are over 59 and a half, you can avoid the taxes. But even with the advantages of your age in regard to tax and penalty laws, you are not just taking that money; you are also taking all the interest that money would have earned and that is a compound problem because you also lose the interest on the interest, ad infinitum. Then again, with the uncertainty of our economy, it is all a big gamble anyway. However, in the long term, history has shown that you do better by waiting longer. At least financially. So, you may be left with the choice to struggle more now or to impact your retirement income. Only you can decide this, and it is probably a good idea to talk to a financial advisor about it before you make
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CHANGING JOBS IN THE MIDDLE AGES
T
o be a genius who must deal with idiots must be one of life’s greatest burdens. The man above would know a thing or two about that subject. His intellect was sufficient to earn him, among other honors, Fellowship in the Royal Society, a coveted award in itself, followed by the Royal Society’s prestigious Copley Medal and its Faraday Prize, the Kalinga Prize awarded by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), 1960’s Nobel Prize in Medicine, and knighthood in 1965. He was called “the cleverest man I have ever known” by Stephen Jay Gould, and “the wittiest of all scientific writers” by Richard Dawkins. But he was more than just a writer. As you would surmise from his list of awards, he was also a world-class researcher. Perhaps his greatest claim to fame, and the source of his Nobel Prize, came from his work on acquired immune tolerance, research that laid the groundwork for successful organ and tissue transplantation. The immune system can be quite intolerant, after all. It can and will ruthlessly and indiscriminately attack foreign invaders. That’s great when it comes to dangerous antigens. But it doesn’t understand that skin grafts for a burn victim are beneficial, or that a kidney transplant is life-saving. What if the full-on attack mode of ther immune system could be controlled? That question was the starting point of Medawar’s research. After all, the immune system can moderate its response enough to allow a genetically distinct (at least half so) fetus to fully develop. For some cancers the immune response can be completely absent, allowing the uncontested invasion of a host. If the immune system could somehow be taught controlled tolerance — acquired immune tolerance — a researcher like Peter Medawar could become known as “the father of transplantation.” And so it was. At Medawar’s Nobel award ceremony, his “penetrating analysis of existing data, brilliant deduction, and painstaking experimental research” were recognized. That research transformed acquired immune tolerance from a theoretical concept to a medical reality that became the foundation for routine tissue and organ transplantation. But what about this article’s opening sentence? Medawar didn’t seem too hampered by idiots. In fact, one of the professors he had in his early 20s was to become a Nobel Prize winner himself. Actually, in his younger days Peter Medawar experienced bullying and racism that he never forgot. His father was of Lebanese descent, and that’s all it took, starting from his earliest school days. When he later met Jean Taylor at Oxford, her mother was afraid of having “black” grandchildren; her aunt disinherited her. They married anyway. The family said Medawar had “no background and no money.” Well, they may have been on to something there: he completed his PhD research in 1941 but couldn’t afford the £25 fee for the diploma. Despite that, it seems he did all right for himself. +
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Skip scanners (scanning only some of their items at self-checkout) Flash Mob (for partying or robbing businesses) Insurrection Deplorables in Fly-Over States Supply Chain Disruption Transgender LGBTQ (Alphabet soup) Preferred Pronoun Puberty Blockers Sex Reassignment Chosen Gender Podcast Ear Buds PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) EV (Electric Vehicles) Hybrid cars (gas and electric) Friends with Benefits Bitcoin Aesthetist (Electrolysis hair removal technician) Botox Landing Strip (Pubic haircut) Blue Diamond (Viagra for impotency) Baby-Mama Baby-Daddy Single Parent Homes Raising children from afar Man-Boy love (euphemism
for homosexual child abuse) Ghetto Gangster Power Nap Mini-Homes Natty (Two NCAA Football Championships back-toback) 3 Point-Line (in basketball) Transfer portal (college athletes moving from school to school) NIL (Name, Image, Likeness in college athletics) Internet Activist Internet Influencer Digital Influencer Online stores or online shopping Road Rage Wall Martians (PJ bottoms in Wal-Mart) Cordless Hole Puncher (Pistol) Plausible Deniability (Politicians staffers do dirty work so boss can deny) Jury Nullification (race determining guilt/innocence rather than facts) Basement kids (30-yearolds living in parent’s basement) Fentanyl epidemic Closed Border/Secure Border (with 10,000 illegals
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crossing daily) Constitutional Rights for illegal aliens Carbon Neutral Tic Tok Vibe (feelings communicated to others.) Gen X: born between 1965 & 1980 Millennials: born between 1981 &n 1996 Gen Z: born between 1997 & 2012 High Tech Redneck “Studied at” Sneak into the library at Harvard, read the first page of the US Constitution, and put resume “studied Constitutional Law at Harvard.” Remote learning Remote Work Student Loan Forgiveness Safe Zones at College (where different opinions are offensive) AI (Artificial Intelligence for writing college papers) It is likely new terms will charge forth tomorrow depending upon news events, social media, and the news media. Truly, the English language is alive and well. +
Money Doctor THE
WORDS… from page 1
APRIL 19, 2024
RETIREMENT PLAN ROLLOVERS 101 Do you have an old retirement plan? Is it still with your previous employer? Or has your company just been purchased/merged, and the new company has a new plan? Each year many people face this situation. What should you do with your old retirement plan? You will typically have the option to rollover the old account into your new 401k, 403b, 457 or other retirement plan. Then there is another alternative to consider. Instead of rolling it to the new plan, you can roll it to an IRA or individual retirement account. So, which is better? Oftentimes you will find that the new plan is very similar to your old plan in terms of options, fees, etc., so it seems like a no-brainer to do the rollover from your old account into the new account. In that meeting, what may not be discussed are the downsides to rolling the old money into the new employer work plan. Below are some of the key things you should consider when making your decision; • Flexibility – If you roll your current retirement account to the new company’s plan, your money is often stuck in the new plan until you terminate employment whether its voluntary (retire or take a new job at a new company) or involuntarily (you are terminated or the company shuts down). Unless the plan offers in-service rollovers, 401k plans usually do not let you move your 401k funds to an IRA until after you terminate employment. However, most 401k plans allow you to roll your IRA into the 401k at any point. So, by rolling your funds into an IRA you maintain flexibility / options for the future. With an IRA you keep the key and can unlock the box to move money around when you are ready. With a 401k, your company keeps the key and puts rules around when you can open the box to move money around. • Investment Options – 401ks make you choose from a list of around 20-40 investment options selected by your employer. IRAs allow you to invest in thousands of options that include stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, and mutual funds. • Rules – 401k accounts have lots of rules that must be followed. Your employer can include or not include different options. Can you do in-plan Roth conversions? Can you take a loan out? Can you do in-service distributions? 401ks are required to withhold 20% from any distributions for federal taxes. IRAs also have rules, but they are not employer dependent. For example, you can always convert your IRA to a Roth IRA, you can’t take loans, and you are not required to withhold 20% in taxes on distributions. It is important to understand the difference between each option and the rules before rolling your money over. • Fees – 401k accounts have more layers of fees such as participant account fees, fund fees, admin fees, loan fees, etc. IRAs give you access to low-cost investment options at the major brokerages such as Schwab. Most custodians or places that offer IRAs have $0 account fees and minimums for IRAs. • Other Differences – did you know that there are differences in many other areas, too, such as creditor protection, minimum distribution requirements, early withdrawal exceptions, fund share classes, withdrawal flexibility, and more? Deciding what to do with your retirement account is a big decision. This year is a big year for these decisions in the AuPlease see MONEY DOCTOR page 19
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
These businesses all started in a
by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author Follow Kim on Facebook: facebook.com/eatingwellwithkimb
GUACAMOLE POTATO SALAD Create a new picnic and party tradition with this delicious Guacamole Potato Salad made with red potatoes and Fresh California Avocados. With only six ingredients it is surprisingly simple to make and taste good with the added bonus of providing 45% of the Daily Recommended Intake of Vitamin C, while being a low sodium dish (less than 140 mg of sodium per serving). Ingredients • 2 pounds small red potatoes, cleaned • 2 ripe, fresh California Avocados, peeled, seeded, and mashed • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 green onions, whites only, finely chopped • 1 large Serrano pepper, seeded and minced • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste Instructions Place potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with water and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Test for doneness by piercing one
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potato with a fork. The fork should slide in with gentle resistance. Continue cooking if not done, otherwise carefully drain the potatoes and refrigerate them until cold. Cut potatoes in bite-sized pieces (quarter or dice depending on size of potato). Place in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, adjust salt to taste and serve immediately. Yield: 8 Servings Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 106, Fat 8g (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0mg,
Sodium 170mg, Carbohydrate 23g, Fiber 5g, Protein 3g. Serving Suggestion: If made in advance, sprinkle generously with lemon juice and place a layer of plastic wrap right on the surface of the Guacamole Potato Salad and refrigerate. Before serving taste the salad and add additional mashed California Avocado if needed. Recipe provided by California Avocado Commission. For more information please go to: www. californiaavocado.com +
He just looks friendly.
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APRIL 19, 2024
JEWELRY DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS? SURGEON
the
by Ken Wilson Steppingstones to Recovery
and causes dysfunction of the family system that no movie can ever adequately portray, though many have tried to depict a slice of the story. Sadly, the bulk of these stories come from addiction and alcoholism. A good working definition of codependence I’ve used for years in group therapy is “Addiction to an addicted person” and “doing things for another that they could and should be doing for themselves.” For starters anyway, the behavior manifests itself in dozens of ways. I googled the term and the net has 264 million (did I say, million?!) articles about codependence! Do you find yourself losing sleep while worrying about your addicted loved one, or paying the bills that they could and should be paying themselves, or keeping their addiction secret, or begging and pleading for them to stop their self-defeating behavior? Does your happiness and joy depend on their being happy and joyful? When you wake up during the night, do you find your mind wandering about their whereabouts, and then you need extra coffee in the morning to compensate for your lack of
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My mother was codependent. Whew – it cost me a lot of money in therapy to be able to say that! Back in the day even professionals would have asked “say what?!!!” when hearing that line! The term has even wormed its way into the dictionary over the years. We could start with Wikipedia’s definition: “an imbalanced relationship where one person enables another person’s self-destructive behavior.” It goes on to clarify a codependent person puts “focus on other’s needs, suppression of one’s own emotions, and attempts to control or fix other people’s problems.” Part of my own definition of the word: usually a very unhappy person, though they would hardly admit it. True dat: “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” My dad would beat my mom with his leather belt at times and I remember her running around their bedroom, jumping up on the squeaky bedsprings and down on the other side begging for him to stop. I shuddered at the snap of his belt hitting her back and her muffled screams.
Dad wouldn’t know I was still awake. I’d hide behind the clothes dryer over a floor heat vent, in fear that I would be beat up too if he knew I heard their commotion. In time I’d tiptoe to bed and stay awake til I felt they were asleep.
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{
JEWELRY REPAIR
ADDICTED TO AN ADDICT
I found out only a few years ago that church members back then offered to pay family bills if mom would leave him. She never did until her death at age 83 gave her final peace. She paid his bills, covered for his behavior as well as she could, was happy when he was happy (not often) and was unhappy when he was unhappy (a lot). One of my siblings died from the consequences of substance abuse, and the rest of us needed a lot of therapy. I learned not to hide, even without a clothes dryer, when things weren’t going well. The wake of codependence, whether it involves violence or not, ripples down through generations
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sleep? You are not alone… there are thousands of parents and spouses out there who have been there, done that. If you’re finally ready to restore some joy to your life, maybe start with reading a book like Codependent No More, by Melody Beattie. Or attending some free and confidential meetings of Al Anon. Maybe check recovery websites (like Steppingstones to Recovery Facebook page) for news’n notes of finding freedom from fear. Going to PAL meetings. Enrolling in counseling, maybe start with an LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Trust me, it feels really good to kick that old clothes dryer to the curb. +
APRIL 19, 2024
9 +
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
FOODISMEDICINE Tasty tips from registered dietitians with the Augusta Dietetic District Association
SMART GOALS
THE ROADMAP TO SUCCESS by Valerie Lively, RD, LD, CDCES MOVE! Coordinator at Augusta VA Health Care SMART goals can help you reach your goal by giving you a plan. They are meant to spark action and change. Let’s take a look at setting a SMART goal and how it can help you. Parts of a SMART Goal SMART is an acronym for a goal that you set for yourself based on your lifestyle and the things you want to accomplish. No one knows us like ourselves, so when it comes to making life changes, we do best when we set our own goals. When we decide what and how we want to change, we are much more likely to do it. Think about your diet and activity. What overall would you like your attention to focus on first? We are much more likely to be successful when we feel successful! When setting SMART goals, limit it to two or three goals that you feel like you can live with and accomplish. It should be a bit of a stretch, but not impossible. As you feel more successful, you will find yourself naturally taking other healthy steps. Now you are ready to set some goals! Let’s look at parts of a SMART goal. SMART stands for: Specific – This is the specific action you will take. • Example: Avoid the salt shaker Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Measurable – It should be measurable, so you know you accomplished your target. • Example: Walking 30 minutes at least 3 days per week Action oriented – The goal should make you do something different. • Example: When I eat out, I will order water instead of soda. Realistic – The goal should be within your ability to get it done. Also, the goal should be something you can meet given your current life situation. Avoid setting goals that aren’t realistic, you want your SMART goal to be something
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you can keep doing to help reach your desired target. Time sensitive – make sure your goal has a time frame so that you know you got it done or made progress. Keeping it Realistic The reason you want a realistic goal is so that you can get it done. If your goal is too large, you are unlikely to start. For example, if my goal is to walk 4 miles but I usually only have 30 minutes, I am unlikely to take the first step. But if my goal is to walk 1-2 miles, then I am more likely to get it done. You can always increase your goals, but the ones you have need to be doable. Today really is the first day of the rest of our lives. Make these coming days your healthiest ones yet! + References: • Rollnick, Stephen, William R. Miller, and Christopher Butler. Motivational Interviewing in Health Care: Helping Patients Change Behavior. New York: Guilford Press, 2008. Print. • Bailey RR. Goal Setting and Action Planning for Health Behavior Change. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2017 Sep 13;13(6):615618. doi: 10.1177/1559827617729634. PMID: 31662729; PMCID: PMC6796229
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CRASH
APRIL 19, 2024
MONEY DOCTOR… from page 6 gusta area. We encourage you to discuss your options with a certified financial planner that will provide unbiased feedback for your situation. You want to consider all the pros and cons to help you make the best decision for your situation. + by Clayton Quamme, CFP® a financial planner with AP Wealth Management, LLC (www.apwealth.com). AP Wealth is a financial planning and investment advisory firm with offices in Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC.
COURSE MEDICALEXAMINER
More Americans have died on US roads since 2006 than in World Wars I & II combined
those millions of crashes are borne by the insurance premiums every one of us pay. But as long as we are being direct and open and as honest as possible, let’s take some of the distracted driving heat away from cellphones and shine the spolight on other significant culprits. There are tons of additional contributors. Can you say taco? What about a cup of hot coffee, or a cold drink with a loose lid? A sloppy to-go burger that drips ketchup unexpectedly on your good work clothes? How many people are driving to work leaning forward into the rearview mirror to put on mascara? We haven’t even gotten started on the distractions list! What about GPS? Changing radio stations? Fiddling with the climate controls? Simply talking to another passenger right there in person can be distracting. Ditto for a backseat full of crying children (an AAA study found that having one or more children in the car is 12 times more distracting that talking on the phone while driving). The same is true for those other children, the ones with four legs and fur. According to research by AAA, 80% of pet owners drive with their pets in the car from time to time, but only 17% use some form of pet restraint. A Boston Globe article about distracted driving said, “Although the dangers [...] are apparent and well known, drivers ignore them repeatedly, accounting for many crashes and near-misses.” No doubt we can all relate to that comment. So what’s the answer to the problem of distracted driving? Is there one? Or are we doomed to repeat the same behaviors we know to be unsafe over and over? Nobody knows the answer to that question, but the answer is probably: yes, we’re going to keep doing what we know we shouldn’t do. That’s unfortunate because the solution to distracted driving isn’t complicated. We could take all the million-dollar studies and analyses and distill everything down to just two words of instruction — if only people would follow the direction: just drive. That’s really all it takes. Just drive. Don’t put on makeup. Don’t try to eat a barbecue sandwish. Don’t even think about passing the drive-thru order to the kids in the backseat while driving. Don’t drive with Fido on your lap. And certainly don’t text or email while driving. Or even talk on your phone. The experts recommend putting our phones away in the center console when we head out. That’s an excellent suggestion. Let’s try it. +
{
Please — please — continue reading after the following sentence. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. We know, we know. Yawn. The topic might seem boring. Ok, probably does seem boring. Here’s the problem: everybody knows that things like texting while driving and talking on the phone are distracting. We’ve all heard the surprising facts that looking at our phone for just a couple of seconds at highway speeds is like driving blindfolded for the length of a football field — or longer. Blah blah blah. We’ve also read or heard crash statistics connected to distracted driving. (Note: we didn’t say “accident” statistics. You can’t call it an accident when you’re consciously and deliberately doing something that caused the collision. The definition of an accident is something that happens unexpectedly, out of the blue, “without apparent or deliberate cause.”) Statistically, thousands of people die every year in crashes that were directly caused by their or the other drivers’ distracted driving, and hundreds of thousands are injured, some of them severely and permanently. But those are just statistics. We may not realize the full scope of the problem — that millions of crashes are caused every year by distracted driving (1.6M from phoning while driving and another 1M by texting, according to the National Safety Council) — but let’s be honest, we really don’t care. The numbers of crashes, injuries and even deaths are more or less abstract figures unless we happen to personally know someone who was directly affected. And here’s what is perhaps the biggest factor each of us deals with personally when it comes to distracted driving: “I don’t know what’s wrong with these other people, but I can handle texting and driving. I do it all the time.” That is the thinking most of us have, whether we will consciously admit it or not. It’s almost funny (but it really isn’t at all) that 90 percent of drivers “fear” people using a smartphone while driving, yet 50% of drivers in the same US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study say they do it. Similarly, in an American Automobile Association (AAA) study, more than 95% said texting or emailing while driving is “unacceptable,” yet 49% say they do it. This disconnect means the problem of distracted driving crashes, injuries, and deaths will continue to plague everyone. Yes, everyone. The insurance costs generated by all
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JUST DRIVE
ALL THE COOL KIDS READ IT THAT INCLUDES YOU!
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APRIL 19, 2024
The blog spot — posted by Neill Slater, MD, MBA, on 4/12/24 (Edited for space)
TALK TO PATIENTS ABOUT MONEY A non-compliant patient arrives at the ER for evaluation of high blood pressure. Why isn’t she taking her medication? It costs $300 per month, and she can’t afford it. Has she talked to her doctor about a less expensive alternative? No. Unfortunately, this type of interaction occurs far too frequently. The doctor would be happy to prescribe a cheaper alternative if requested, and the patient would love a cheaper option but doesn’t want to question the doctor. It’s a Catch-22 that even Heller would appreciate. A simple conversation about the cost of treatment, the patient’s insurance status, and their ability to pay would easily solve the problem. As physicians, we must learn to discuss these money matters with our patients. What can a provider do to help ease their patient’s financial burden? I recommend the following three steps.
CAN YOU AFFORD THIS MEDICATION?
1. Educate yourselves. Do you know how much the medications you prescribe cost? Do you know your patient’s insurance status? If a patient doesn’t have insurance or has a high-deductible plan, they’re unlikely to take the $300 per month medicine you prescribe. Learn how insurance and medical billing work. Find out what your employer charges for every test and medication you prescribe. An IM shot of Bicillin LA may be $200, while a prescription for Pen VK costs $20 or less. I would rather prescribe my patient the fourth-best blood pressure medicine that she can afford than the absolute best she cannot. 2. Get uncomfortable and assess your practice. Stop practicing based on habit. Review every protocol and “order set” to see if there are any unnecessary tests or those that may be applicable only under certain conditions. Reassess the medications you routinely prescribe to determine if there are cheaper alternatives that are still effective. Ask yourself the hard questions. Do I need to refer this patient to a specialist, or can I handle this with some research? Do I need to order that $700 viral panel, or can I take the time to explain that it is unnecessary?
11 +
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
TIME… from page 1 the Rules Night, I immediately looked at the clock. It read 2:09. Two. Oh. Nine. Exactly twelve minutes had gone by since I last looked at the clock. Do not adjust your Medical Examiner. Twelve minutes? Seriously? Was I in some kind of vortex that had altered the time-space continuum? The answer to all those questions: yes. And that was the end of any partnership between me and sleep for quite some time. I was in severe pain. On that subject, if you’ll permit me a personal observation: I’ve heard people describe the pain they’re experiencing as 10 on the time-honored 1-to-10 scale. Come on, people. If the pain you’re feeling really is a 10, that means you believe it’s equal to what you would experience if boiling oil was poured on you. Is your pain really that bad? By that measure, I suppose I have to admit that my severe pain was maybe only a 7. It was bad, but I could imagine many things that would be much worse than the ache I felt deep in my shoulder. Right after surgery, when patients need to be told important stuff while they are in a half-conscious stupor, I vaguely remember being handed a sheet of paper with
a phone number on it. I was told I could call that number at any hour of the day or night if I thought I was experiencing complications or problems or needed help. I briefly contemplated making that call as the night crept agonizingly along. I didn’t expect to talk to a machine or reach a call center in Mumbai. I actually believed one of the nurses from the doctor’s office right here in Augusta would be on call at home. I couldn’t bear the thought of waking her up to inform her of my wimpiness and ask for relief. What could she do in the middle of the night? Instead I spent
Sparkle
a few hours auditioning various positions, looking for the one that was the least uncomfortable. I looked at the clock one more time that night. It was well after 4 am, and I think I fell asleep shortly thereafter. To summarize, then, between 11 pm and 4 am, I spent roughly 45 minutes sleeping and the remaining 19 hours tossing and turning. — by Dan Pearson Medical Examiner publisher Note: The above adventure and the ensuing recuperation period is the reason the April 5 issue of this newspaper was online only. +
Wash
PRESSURE PROFESSIONALS
3. Get comfortable talking about money. We talk to patients about intimate details – drug use, sexual activity, bodily functions, etc. I ask teenagers about sexual activity in front of their parents and Grandmas about drug use. How much more difficult is it to say to a patient, “Can you afford this medication? Do you have any financial concerns about following this treatment plan? There are less expensive alternatives available.” You don’t have to worry about bias if you ask every patient.
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I’m not recommending substandard care. I’m suggesting that an open dialogue about money can build trust, improve compliance, and lower patients’ costs. We need more than money conversations to solve health care’s affordability crisis, but we have to start somewhere. +
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rabies: 99.9% fatal
+ 12
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The Examiners
APRIL 19, 2024
THE MYSTERY WORD
+
Why did you go to the doctor?
That stray dog bit me, and apparently I have rabies.
by Dan Pearson
Oh no! Do you have to get rabies shots?
But rabies in humans is 99.99% fatal.
You know I don’t believe in those.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance!
The Mystery Word for this issue: AALTPLE
© 2024 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.
Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word HIDDEN in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com
EXAMINER CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
ACROSS 1. Hyper letters 5. Famous architect 10. Offers a price 14. Sullen 15. Old Augusta Mall anchor 16. Orinoco Flow singer 17. Supporter 18. Decorative 20. Famous Ott 21. Fairy tale beast 22. Where the big hit is on a record 23. Metallic compound 25. Not to 26. Grunge icon 28. ____ Grove of Little House 31. Wheeler County seat (GA) 32. The Band follower 34. 28-A is one 36. Vault adjective 37. Canal keeper 38. ____ tap 39. Self-esteem 40. Every ambulance has one 41. Jefferson’s other name 42. Woman proficient in yoga 44. Medical District Blvd 45. Word often before and after old 46. Savannah, for example 47. Strict 50. Wait; stay 51. Big SC employer 54. Stubborn; strong-willed 57. Mr. Mondrian 58. Scottish Gaelic language 59. Jinx 60. Sicilian volcano 61. Corner of note 62. Measured (out) 63. Indian peasant or tenant farmer
BY
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3 E 2 5 S 5 6 X 1 3 7 2 U A 6 3 8 D M5 2 1 I 5 4 8 O N6 5 9 8 K E 7 9 8 2 9 U R
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We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!
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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2024 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.
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2024 All rights reserved.
DOWN 1. 33-D’s partner 2. Clinton’s opponent 3. Uproar 4. Like some ice 5. Polygon having all angles equal 6. Downtown furniture vendor 7. Window element 8. Pitcher’s meas. 9. Doctrine or philosophy suffix 10. Berry, soldier atop Augusta’s Confederate monument 11. Inca sun god 12. Group of two 13. Transaction 19. Type of bird 21. Potpourri 24. Feeble, as an excuse 25. Earth ____ 26. Headland 27. Study suffix 28. Small songbird
QUOTATIONPUZZLE
29. _________ Hospital 30. Site of 2006 Winter Olympics (in Italy) 32. Medical prefix 33. 1-D’s partner 35. Exam 37. Queue 38. Walk in water 40. Vital ______ 41. The D of DMB 43. Augusta’s Meadow _______ 44. Like most roofs 46. Wash lightly 47. Mets’ former home 48. Descriptive word or phrase 49. Relaxation 50. Low-quality diamond used in cutting tools 52. Most populous city in Nevada after Las Vegas 53. Quick!!! 55. Ted Turner’s movie station 56. Regret 57. For each
W C N G T P E S A T V C O H S I H I T O A H T E E S V A H D C E E T
E I O R I C T
2 6 3 9 8 1 4 2 E 5 G8 N 9 U7 S 6 5 7 3 S 1 4
— Author unknown
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2024 All rights reserved
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.
Solution p. 14
Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle above. All the listed letters following #1 are the first letters of the various words; the letters following #2 are the second letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.
1
N 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 1 2 3 4
1
2
1 2 3
4
1
2
3
4
5
— Aesop
5
1.CAATFIDEW 2.HOONSER 3.AURRIE 4.STEMBN 5.NEYAT 6.DIF 7.UN 8.L
SAMPLE:
5 7 4 6 3 1 2 9 8
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
bybyDaniel DanielR.R.Pearson Pearson©©2023 2024AllAllrights rightsreserved reserved
WORDS NUMBER
1
Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, APRIL 28, 2024
1 8 6 3 9 5 4 2 7
7 4 3 1 2 6 9 8 5
9 2 5 8 7 4 3 1 6
APRIL 19, 2024
13 +
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...
A
n old guy and his wife drove 500 miles in their aging Chrysler to a spot where they could experience the totality of the eclipse. Their son knew about their plans, so after the eclipse ended and they were driving home, he called his mom to ask how everything went. “Did you see the eclipse?” he asked. “Were you in total darkness? Was it really cool?” “Oh, you know your father,” she replied. “What do you mean?” asked the son. “We only saw a partial eclipse,” she said. “We watched until maybe 5 minutes before it peaked, but then he said we’d better leave to beat the traffic.” Moe: I noticed the boss called you in to his office. What was that about? Joe: He wasn’t at work all last week, but when he got here this morning someone told him I came in drunk last Monday. Moe: Whoa! What did you tell him? Joe: I looked him dead square in the eye and said, “Sir, if the sun can black out on a Monday afternoon, so can I.”
The
Advice Doctor
Joe: It was an experience I’ll never forget. It’s like it was permantly burned into my eyes.
©
Moe: All the eclipse safety stuff they kept talking about was totally bogus. Joe: Like what? Moe: Like that you can’t look directly at the sun without eye protection. Joe: That is definitely true. Moe: Not true! Anyone can do it, but only a maximum of two times: once in the right eye and once in the left. A guy was driving down the highway at 70 mph when he noticed a chicken running alongside his car. As crazy as that was all by itself, the chicken had three legs. The guy punches it to 80, but chicken stayed right with him until it cut off down a country road. The guy doubled back and turned down the side road. He saw a farmer at the first farmhouse and slammed on the brakes. “Sir!” he called. “Did you see a three-legged chicken come down here just now?” “Yeah, that’s one of mine,” he said. “I breed them with three legs because me, my wife, and my son all like drumsticks.” “That’s amazing!” the guy responds. “How do they taste?” “No idea,” said the farmer. “We’ve never been able to catch one.” Moe: Why are there pop tarts but no mom tarts? Joe: Because of the pastryarchy.
Moe: What did you think of the eclipse?
Moe: Why is Superman called Superman? Joe: Chuck Norris was already taken. +
Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? Staring at my phone all day has certainly had no Effect on ME!
Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day.
Dear Advice Doctor, We have a fairly new employee in our office who is constantly bragging about all his accomplishments at his previous job. It was all very impressive until by chance I discovered that a friend of mine works at his old job. Turns out he was a complete disaster there and didn’t do any of the things he boasts about. The guy must have a screw loose, but I don’t know whether I should confront him privately, go straight to HR, or continue to bite my tongue and just let him self-destruct. Got any tips for me? — Co-Worker of Mr. Perfect Dear Co-Worker, You know the old saying that practice makes perfect? Not true! At least not always. Exhibit #1 is eating. We’ve all been chewing food on a daily basis since our baby teeth came in decades ago, and yet as you remind us, we all still accidentally bite our tongue from time to time. It’s a lot more common than you might think. People not only bite their tongue while eating, but also when playing sports, during a traumatic event like a fall or a car accident, after dental anesthesia, while sleeping, and for some, during seizures. The tongue is a body site that bleeds a lot, even if the wound is small, so the first step is to assess the injury. With clean hands and a clean cloth or gauze pad, apply pressure to the site to stop the bleeding. Wrapping ice or a cold pack in the cloth can also help. Cold and pressure for five minutes is usually enough to stop the bleeding, although sometimes it can take a few minutes more. Once the bleeding stops, expect it to take anywhere from a day or two up to a week for your tongue to heal. During healing, avoid rough or scratchy foods in favor of softer foods that are easy to swallow. Sucking on a piece of ice or a fruit-flavored ice pop can help alleviate both pain and bleeding. If the injury is more severe, if bleeding can’t be stopped, if the tongue is swollen or you still experience intense pain after a reasonable period of time, or if you suspect or see signs of infection, it’s time to contact your doctor or head to an ER or walk-in clinic for evaluation. 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 +
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Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #192
By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers. If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area, or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house! NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP Choose six months for $24 ____ or one year for $42 ____. Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903-0397
BEFORE READING
AFTER READING
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THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: DIGESTION ...cleverly hidden in the ladies hair in the p. 4 ad for GEORGIA DERMATOLOGY
If that’s your name, congratulations! Send us your mailing address using the email address in the box on page 3. The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!
APRIL 19, 2024
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER THE PUZZLE SOLVED A D H D I M P E I B I D S D O U R S E A R S E N Y A A L L Y O R N A M E N T A L M E L O G R E A S I D E A L L O Y F R O C O B A I N W A L N U T A L A M O P E R R Y N U T P O L E L E V E E W I R E E G O S I R E N D A V I S Y O G I N I R A D E N T A G E R I V E R S T E R N B I D E S R S H E A D S T R O N G P I E T E R S E C U R S E E T N A A M E N M E T E D R Y O T
SEE PAGE 12
QuotatioN QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION The path to success is acting on the advice we give others. — Author unknown
WORDS BY NUMBER A doubtful friend is worse that a certain enemy.
The Celebrated TheSUDOKUsolution MYSTERY WORD CONTEST 2 6 5 1 7 9 3 4 8
...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package! SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher. 8. Deadline to enter is shown on page 12.
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— Aesop
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READ EVERY ISSUE ONLINE WWW.ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +
ACUPUNCTURE
DERMATOLOGY
EMF PROTECTION
Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road 706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com
Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 706-733-3373 SKIN CANCER CENTER www.GaDerm.com
EMF Safe Homes Sheila Reavill Certified Building Biology Specialist 209-625-8382 (landline) SURVEY•ASSESSMENT•REMEDIATION
WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax)
IN-HOME CARE
PHARMACY
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
DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS Karen L. Carter, MD 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com
DRUG REHAB Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd. Augusta 30909 706-733-1935
DENTISTRY
YOUR LISTING
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Augusta Area Healthcare Provider 4321 CSRA Boulevard Augusta 30901 706-555-1234
Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!
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CALL 706.860.5455 TODAY!
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YOUR LISTING HERE Your Practice And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo. Keep your contact information in this convenient place seen by thousands of patients every month. Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details!
LONG TERM CARE
Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS N. Augusta 29841 HARMACY 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com
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SLEEP MEDICINE Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555
WEIGHT LOSS/DETOX 3K BODY CONTOUR (NON-SURGICAL) BYE BYE BELLY • Detox Juice/Tea 233 Davis Road Suite H Augusta GA 30907 706-403-7536
CALL THE MEDICAL EXAMINER (706-860-5455) TO BE LISTED HERE
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APRIL 19, 2024
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
APRIL 19, 2024
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