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

AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

OCTOBER 4, 2013

Here’s something to chew on A pples are the poster child — strike that — the poster fruit for health. Just one of them per day keeps the doctor away, right? So we might rightly expect that Eve (left) is about to engage in some healthy eating. She could have chosen many other healthy options, and perhaps she will.

But there is something she could do that will leave her shortchanged on the potential benefits of her diet. Most of us are guilty of this: not properly chewing our food.

It sounds insignificant, but chewing is the all-important first step in digestion, and as we all know, digestion is what turns the food we eat into vitamins and minerals that can be used by the body.

There are plenty of good reasons to chew on this often overlooked topic.

Weight Loss As unlikely as it might sound, chewing thoroughly can promote weight loss.

It’s easier to illustrate by thinking about wolfing down our food. When we do that — and we all do from time to time — we don’t give the body time to register that it’s full. There is a time delay between being full and feeling full. Eating more slowly prevents overeating.

Since the stomach can stretch to accommodate large meals, consistently eating less over time (by eating slowly) helps shrink the stomach so it won’t take as much food to feel full.

It helps digestion Think of yourself as a cartoon character working inside somebody’s stomach. Your job is to break up everything that comes down the conveyor belt into your work area. Would you rather break up boulders or gravel? Either way, you’ve got to do it, but it’s going to be a lot easier to break up the little stuff.

Back to reality (the cartoon is over), wellchewed food helps prevent indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux. Eating more slowly can also improve your manners: you might be less likely burp, belch – or even worse — by avoiding all the air swallowed by gulpers.

It’s not easy Many people in healthcare have jobs that put them on call more or less all the time. A scheduled meal or break can be interrupted at any moment by a medical Please see CHEW CHEW page 2

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OCTOBER 4, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

CHEW CHEW… from page 1 emergency. Others have, for one reason or another, developed the habit of eating quickly and chewing poorly over many years. How can a lifetime habit of gobbling be changed?

Here are a few simple suggestions.

Chewing 101 The hardest challenge may simply be to become aware of your speedy eating habits.

Once that’s done, it still takes a conscious, deliberate effort over time to break the old habit and make the new one.

One suggestion that works for many people is to set down their spoon or fork (or spork) between bites. True, sometimes that’s impractical. Doing it with a bowl of cereal seems like it could be going a bit overboard, but doing so while eating a thick steak makes perfect sense. Either way, every time you do it is a step in the right direction.

Some people keep a note or some other visual reminder in their kitchen, at their dinner table, or at their desk if they often eat there.

Another tip is to not watch television while eating. It’s easier to focus on the task at hand — eating — without a television program taking your attention elsewhere.

One thing that isn’t required: it’s ridiculous to count how many times you chew each and every bite. For one thing, nobody is going to maintain a habit like that. For another, one of the beautiful things about a good meal — even if it’s a peanut butter and jelly sandwich — is enjoying conversation with your family and friends while you eat. Counting your chews is a conversation killer. Not a good thing. And not every food needs the same amount of chewing anyway. The aforementioned steak will obviously take a few more chews than our page one apple, to take two examples.

One thing that is required: if you’re going to be doing more chewing as a way to assist your hard-working digestive system, savor the flavors of foods, and perhaps enjoy some resultant weight loss, at least follow the advice on this guy’s shirt. +

• SKIN EXAMS • • MOLE REMOVAL • • PSORIASIS • • ACNE •

Editor’s note: Healthcare is a whole new ballgame with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

How will healthcare providers be affected? What about patients? And how about employers who provide health coverage as an employee benefit? How will Medicare and Medicaid recipients be affected? Look to this column for the answers.

HEALTHCARE REFORM & YOUR BUSINESS

by Russell T. Head, CBC, CSA

MORE ON THE MARKETPLACE

I

t’s too soon to tell you how the marketplaces are going since this article was written before October 1.

Therefore, I want to share more on the plans that will be offered in the Marketplace as well as information on how to enroll in a plan through the Marketplace.

Russell Head

What types of plans will be available?

There are four categories of Marketplace insurance plans: • Bronze: 60% (+/- 2%) • Silver: 70% (+/- 2%) • Gold: 80% (+/- 2%) • Platinum: 90% (+/– 2%) Catastrophic plans will be available to people under age 30 and those with very

low incomes.

Check www.healthcare.gov for more information on the details of each plan.

How will I know which plan is right for me?

Premiums are usually higher for plans that pay more of your out-of-pocket medical costs when you get care. If you have a Platinum plan, you’ll likely pay a higher premium and have lower costs when you go to the doctor. When choosing your health plan, keep these general rules in mind: • The lower the premium, the higher the out-of-pocket costs when you need care.

• The higher the premium, the lower the out-of-pocket costs when you need care.

• Do you need regular prescriptions or expect a lot of doctor visits?

• If so, you may want a Platinum or Gold plan.

• If you don’t, you may prefer a Silver or Bronze plan.

More importantly, are your providers in the network and are your prescriptions covered under your plan? Not all medical providers will be on every plan and not all prescription drugs will be covered on each plan.

All plans will cover a comprehensive package of items and services known as essential health benefits: • Ambulatory patient services • Emergency services • Hospitalization • Maternity and newborn care • Mental health and substance use disorder services,

• SKIN CANCER SURGERY • • RASHES • • WARTS • • ITCH RELIEF •

including behavioral health treatment • Prescription drugs • Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices • Laboratory services • Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management • Pediatric services, including oral and vision care Shopping For Coverage • To apply for coverage, compare plans and enroll, you may access the Exchange (Marketplace) through www.

HealthCare.gov.

How to Enroll • Open enrollment starts Oct.1, 2013, and ends March 31, 2014. Medical coverage begins as early as January 1, 2014.

There will be four steps to obtain coverage through the Marketplaces: • Set up an account • Fill out an online application • Compare your options • Enroll You can also apply for Marketplace coverage by mail or in person with a Navigator or other qualified helper.

Required Information Marketplace Application Checklist - available on www. healthcare.gov Items required to enroll include: • Social Security numbers • Employer and income information for every member of your household who needs coverage.

• Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans covering members of your household.

• A completed Employer Coverage Tool for every employment-based plan you or someone in your household is eligible for even if you are not enrolled.

For further explanation of the ACA/PPACA provisions outlined in this article, please refer to the following resources: www.hhs.gov, www.irs.gov, www. healthcare.gov, www.cms.gov Russell T. Head is a Partner and Chief Visionary Architect with Group & Benefits Consultants, Inc., Augusta’s largest, privately held employee benefits consulting firm. He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or rthead@gandbc.com. Visit Group & Benefits Consultants at www. groupandbenefits.com. +

2283 WRIGHTSBORO RD (AT JOHNS RD)

DR. DAVID DOYLE, JR

706-733-3373 GADERM.COM

OCTOBER 4, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

The Short White Coat What’s M

y Pediatrics rotation ended a week ago, and it makes me a little sad.

Luckily my sadness has been cut short by starting an elective in Pediatrics Radiology this past week, because radiology is also awesome and I still get to see the pediatric patients.

I signed up for radiology because I really had zero knowledge or experience with the subject, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to learn and practice. Also, I had heard that the pediatric radiologists were incredibly nice people. I was proven right on all accounts.

Even though I have only completed 1 of my 4 weeks of radiology elective, I feel like my eyes have been really opened wide, both figuratively and literally. We sit in the dark most of the time in a reading room, looking at the bright images of xrays, scans, and ultrasounds on computer screens. No squinting here! It is actually quite peaceful.

And it really has been quite amazing so far to be on this side of medicine, because up until now I had seen patients in clinic or on

the hospital floor, performing physical exams on them and seeing the routine of ordering radiographs. Occasionally, I’d see a chest Xray or CT scan here and there in a patient’s chart, and I did see a fair number of ultrasounds during my OBGYN rotation.

But now, I am looking at the images in all their differing modalities all day long. It really aids in the diagnosis and helps to flesh out the patient’s condition, figuratively and literally. An abdominal mass detected on physical exam can actually be visualized with the technology we have today, without even taking a patient to surgery. It blows my mind a bit. And a child with esophageal reflux can get an upper GI study, and the

!

your story?

A number of images put together a certain way become something quite above and beyond what any of them are individually.

— Francis Ford Coppola

SEE PAGE SIX

A med student’s notebook doctors and child’s parents can watch the special Xray food travel down the throat as the child swallows. It is very cool.

And so much of medical diagnoses hinge on the decisions and interpretations of the radiologists, that it is definitely a privilege to see how it all works behind the scenes.

So far I’ve gotten to see quite a few interesting cases. One child somehow swallowed the head of a toothbrush, and we could see it in his belly with Xray, bristles and all.

Another child came in for suspected appendicitis and needed an ultrasound.

Admittedly, I was a little relieved when the doctor finally said that he could not visualize the appendix and

Nearly all of us — even doctors and nurses — are sometimes patients. Perhaps you were recently injured playing your favorite sport, or years ago you somehow got hurt without even leaving your favorite recliner. Maybe you were diagnosed with a dreaded disease, mugged in a dark and lonely parking lot, or you stubbed your toe in the safety of your own bedroom. On the other hand, perhaps you needed medical attention 5,000 miles from home. Whatever your medical experience, we’d like to hear your story for our Medicine in the First Person feature. It can be frightening or funny, ordinary or extraordinary, just a few paragraphs long or quite a lengthy tale, bylined or anonymous. We’ll publish your encounters with the medical profession as often as we receive them. + Send your submissions for Medicine in the First Person to the Augusta Medical Examiner via e-mail: info@AugustaRx.com or to PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397. (The Medical Examiner reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any submission at its sole discretion.)

THE MONEY DOCTOR: FISCAL HEALTH IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

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Be happy with nothing and you’ll be happy with everything.

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

Submit editorial content to graphicadv@knology.net Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com Augusta Medical Examiner photography: H + D Photography www.handdphoto.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397

(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., or its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor.

The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2013 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

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OCTOBER 4, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Hope IS Possible

This race called life

Helen Blocker-Adams

A

friend of mine posted this question and statement on Facebook recently. “For Hip Hop artists, why do you sing or rap? You need an emotional reason or purpose that will motivate you or you won’t last.”

I think that is a profound question for us all, because motivation is necessary to pursue excellence and success. You can watch the habits of any Olympian or sports star and you will see how they train relentlessly to attain the level of success they have.

What about you? What is it that makes you jump out of bed in the morning and want to tackle the world with eagerness and joy?

I saw a cartoon that shows this character jumping out of bed with a smile on his face and a caption of the devil saying “Oh Lord. He’s up.”

The look on that face is one of exasperation. Clearly he doesn’t want to see another one of God’s children eager to make a difference in the world. It’s really pretty cute.

You have to see it for yourself.

In this race called life, the obstacles, the challenges, the heartaches, the misunderstandings, the break ups, the disappointments, the mess ups, are all enough to make even the strongest person crawl back under the covers and never get up.

Some of you have felt that way. It’s safe to say most of us have been in that situation at one time or another.

But guess what? This is the only life we have. It’s the only body we will ever have, so let’s make the best of it.

Now that we are in a

political season the word “race” may be heard a little more than usual.

Yes, candidates are in a race.

Here in Augusta there is an election in November 2014. There will be rrimaries in the late spring and the general election in November.

But it doesn’t matter if you’re running for public office or not, you’re still in a race, the race called life. There should be a destination, a benchmark, a goal you’re pursuing. For some it might be a promotion on your job, for others perhaps a new level in your relationship with God, for for still others it might be a college degree or some other educational or training milestone.

And unfortunately for others, the ability to simply get out of bed without the aid of someone helping them may be a goal they are striving for.

I wake up in the morning with a thought in mind,

“What can I do to encourage and/or make a difference in someone’s life today?” But you probably have figured that out already. It’s the reason I write these columns.

I find great peace when I spend my time in the morning reading scripture and devotionals. They jump-start my day before the busyness takes over. One of my favorite books of devotionals is Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.

Believe it or not, I also

appreciate how I am treating my body when I am at the gym three times a week at 5 am.

And yes, even when the next day, my body is sore in places I didn’t know it could be. That little voice inside is telling me, “You did good. You are taking care of yourself by living a healthy lifestyle.”

Your mental wellbeing and positive state of mind play an integral part in your race called life. There are people who need professionals to bring them mental health comfort and healing. And I encourage them to do that.

Do whatever it takes to make the best of your life.

Because it’s the only life you have. + Helen Blocker-Adams is Executive Director of the Southeast Enterprise Institute; mental health advocate; and youth advocate. You can reach her at hba@hbagroup-intl. com or visit her website at www. helenblockeradams.com

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MEDICAL EXAMINER

would need the patient to get a CT scan for better screening, because for the life of me I could not see the appendix either. I had been thinking that I couldn’t really be that bad at deciphering images!

So for a first week, I have already seen a lot. Hopefully, I won’t see too many more patients with randomly swallowed objects in their tummies (for their sakes), but with kids, there is never a guarantee. I am looking forward to the next three weeks, and will likely have more stories to share next time.

Happy October to all! + — Author Caroline Colden is a 3rd year medical student from Atlanta, GA. You may reach her at carolinecoldenswc@gmail.com

Our target audience is • 25,000 CSRA healthcare professionals • 500,000 area residents who are interested in better health and better living If these are people you’d like to reach, call 706

.860.5455 or visit www.AugustaRx.com

OCTOBER 4, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT ELOQUENCE, VIGILANCE, AND DEATH

S

amuel treated us to lunch in repayment of a minor social debt. It might have been minor to me, but it was major to him.

I introduced my wife by saying, “She has had the burden of honoring me as my wife for decades. She is the best cook in the world. She has given me two children.

One is skilled lawyer, and the other is a dedicated school teacher. I am undeservedly blessed.”

I could have said, “She’s the baby-momma of my two kids.” That would have been factual, but an ineloquent insult to the English language and a great disservice to her and my family. And that, Dear Hearts, can be deadly.

Here is why it is deadly to be less than civil, vigilant, and eloquent.

Samuel’s father, Bill, is an octogenarian with multiple aging disorders.

He is treated by several respected physicians on staff at a widely known hospital.

Each specialist treats Bill

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with institutionally approved protocols and FDA approved drugs. They are skilled.

However, through lack of eloquence and vigilance, apparently none of them ends office visits with this simple sample nicety: “Sir, is there anything new or that has changed in your wellbeing or anything else that we can do for you today?”

That is a fairly simple runon sentence that costs nothing but a few seconds to deliver at the end of each office visit, don’t you agree?

Southerners and those from elsewhere properly steeped in southern manners tend to be stoic. Asians, as a general rule, are exceptionally stoic, too. Unless prompted, neither group complains of every little symptom.

Gradually, Bill developed abdominal discomfort, but he thought it was par for the course, considering his age and his condition. Then one morning he went to the bathroom, sat upon the commode, and was too weak

E

TH

Best to stand up again. Bill was pale and sweaty.

EMTs took him to the ER. Bill’s hemoglobin was 6 (normal: 12 – 16). He had lost half his blood. He was transfused with several units of blood.

Samuel related the history by phone to me while this episode was unfolding. Bill had been on Naprosyn for his arthritis for over two years.

I said, “Bill has a GI bleed probably secondary to gastric irritation due to his arthritis medications. Transfusions will have him ready for an endoscope in the morning.

They will find a bleeding ulcer. The treatment will be medical, not surgical.”

That relieved Samuel, and he promised me lunch. Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth in his moment of distress, I said, “Ruby Tuesday. Any time you wish.”

When Bill was stable and able, a gastric endoscope revealed a major GI bleed from a gastric ulcer secondary to the chronic overuse of Naprosyn, an effective arthritic drug, but not intended to be used for years at a time in geriatric patients.

He could have died. His three days in the hospital, ambulance ride, and ER bill ran into the tens of

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thousands of dollars. Why? Because, weeks or even months previously, no one was eloquent and articulate and vigilant enough to look beyond the immediate moment. No one asked if Bill has experienced any change in condition, regardless of how meager or seemingly incidental it might have seemed.

Once Bill was safely home from his potentially deadly medical misadventure, Samuel asked me to review his father’s current medications, prescribed by several physicians. Bill was on eleven different medications.

He was on two drugs that were both for BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy).

He was taking three antihistamines for allergies.

These duplications seemed to have slipped through the cracks under the direction of various physicians, each treating a specific disorder. It would appear no one treated the patient, but rather, treated various diseases.

I went through his mother’s medications, too. Twentyone medications. She had duplications as well. She was on two calcium channel blockers for heart disease. She was on two acid blockers for gastric reflux disease. She has

not had heartburn in years.

Physicians must vigilantly seek subtle changes in patients. They must ask eloquent questions, some open-ended, some closeended and very specific.

Patients must answer in detailed and accurate sentences. Patients must not prejudge what is important and unimportant, but must be open and honest. Physicians need and deserve the naked truth. And as a safeguard, patients should bring their medicine bottles with them for each physician visit.

Communication lapses can be expensive and deadly.

To quote the devastatingly accurate warden speaking to Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke, “What we have here… is a failure… to communicate.”

Crab cakes and salad at Ruby Tuesday eloquently expressed Samuel’s appreciation. My stomach attested to that.

And I am willing to venture that Ruby Tuesday’s staff and management is unaware they are part of the medical chain of complete patient care. If they knew, they would have a special ICD 9 code that would have billed Samuel’s credit card several hundred dollars, if not thousands. + Bad Billy Laveau is a retired MD with a pointed sense of humor.

Bad Billy speaks and entertains at public and private events for audiences not subject to cardiac seizure secondary to overwhelming laughter and glee BadBilly@knology.net or 706306-9397

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AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006

I woke up in a panic

OCTOBER 4, 2013

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Clinically proven. Doctor recommended.

W

hile travelling out west in 2003, we pulled into a state campground near Newport, Oregon, in the late afternoon. In the middle of the night I woke up in a panic and we weren’t sure what was happening. My wife looked outside and there were virtually no lights anywhere, plus no dial tone on our cell phone. She managed to find a sign for the campground host, so she knocked on their door and had them call 9-1-1. Within minutes an ambulance came (fortunately it was nearby) and based on an elevated blood pressure, the decision was to take me to the emergency room in Newport.

On the way the EMT was trying to start an IV and the needle stick caused blood to

s

“It was pitch-black outside.” spurt, adding to the stress.

Newport is definitely a sleepy little town, but the care I received in their hospital emergency room and clinics was top notch.

They even offered to pay for the taxi to take us back to the campground, thinking we had rushed off with no money. We thanked them but declined.

We stayed over in Newport two days for extended tests which all turned out negative.

Evidently it was just a fluke panic attack.

Even so, it sure is earth shaking to be in a motorhome 2,800 miles from home in the

middle of the night in a strange place, pitch black outside, when the principal driver takes his first ambulance ride, and no one knows for sure what is wrong.

The question then becomes “How do we get home?” as well as “How does the motorhome get home?”

Fortunately it had a happy ending and we were able to continue our vacation, visiting Salt Lake City, then a square dance convention in Oklahoma City before arriving back home.

I rate our hospitals, doctors and nurses in the U.S. as the best in the world. No wonder people from all over the world come here for treatment. + — Submitted by Jerry Knight Evans, Georgia

WE’RE BEGGING YOU We’re never too proud to beg. What we’re begging for is Medicine in the First Person stories. With your help, we’d like to make this a feature in every issue of the Medical Examiner. After all, everybody has a story of something health or medicine-related, and lots of people have many stories. Send your interesting (or even semi-interesting) stories to the Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903 or e-mail to Dan@AugustaRx.com. Thanks!

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

“And that’s when I fell.” nearest hospital “He doesn’t remember a thing.” “The was 30 miles away.”

“I was a battlefield medic.” “He was just two when he died.”

“OUCH!”

“It was a terrible tragedy.” “She saved “I sure learned my lesson.”

“I retired from medicine my life.” “It seemed like a miracle.” seven years ago.” “We had triplets.” “It was my first year “I thought, ‘Well, this is it’.” NOTHING SEEMED of medical school.”

“They took me to the hospital by helicopter.” TO HELP, UNTIL. . “It took 48 stitches.”

ambulance crashed.”

“Now THAT hurt!” “The “My leg was broken “I’m not supposed to be alive.”

“This was on my third day in Afghanistan.” in three places.”

“I lost 23 pounds.” “Turned out it was just indigestion.”

“At first I thought it was something I ate.” “The smoke detector woke me up.”

Everybody has a story. Tell us yours.

Here’s our “No Rules Rules.” We’ll publish your name and city, or keep you anonymous. Your choice. Length? Up to you. Subject? It can be a monumental medical event or just a stubbed toe. It can make us laugh or make us cry. One thing we’re not interested in, however: please, no tirades against a certain doctor or hospital. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

OCTOBER 4, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Southern Girl Eats Clean

NOW OPEN IN SOUTH AUGUSTA!

Homemade Barbecue Sauce......Without Preservatives or Refined Sugars

It is football season and the time of year that you spend your Saturdays tailgating and cheering on your favorite college team. One of our favorite tailgating foods is — what else? — grilled boneless organic pastured chicken breast basted with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce.

I was so weary of trying to find a pre-made bottled barbecue sauce without added sugars and preservatives. There are a few out there, but they are always pricey. I decided that making my own sauce can’t be that hard. I looked around at a few recipes and I also looked on the back of the premade bottle of sauce in my pantry. (Annie’s Organic brand) I can honestly tell you..... I will NEVER buy bottled premade barbecue sauce AGAIN. (Sorry Annie) This sauce was more savory and delicious than any store bought barbecue sauce I have ever tasted. I use this barbecue sauce for baked beans, on chicken or as a dipping sauce for oven fried potatoes. The biggest plus is that there are no preservatives or refined sugars in my sauce. That makes me feel great about serving it to my family and friends on game day.

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Homemade Barbecue Sauce • 1 6 oz. can of organic tomato paste (I used Muir Glen brand) • 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar • 2 Tbsp. of molasses • 1 Tbsp. of raw honey • 3 Tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce • 1 Cup of water (Less if you like a thicker sauce) • 1/2 Tsp. of Real Salt • 1/2 Tsp. each of onion powder and garlic powder • 1 Tsp. of cracked black pepper • 1 Tsp. of hot sauce or more if you prefer (I use Frank’s brand)

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Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for approximately 2 weeks in an air tight container. I use a mason jar and it works perfectly. +

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We’re on Wrightsboro Rd. at Ohio Avenue.

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DIALING ONE OF OUR ADVERTISERS? PLEASE LET THEM KNOW YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE MEDICAL EXAMINER.

+

IS HIRING.

For details, visit:

www.augustarx.com/news/?p=3604

at the 4th annual Wags to Wishes event to benefit local animal rescue!

Saturday, October 19, 7-10 P.M. Taylor BMW- across from Club Car in Evans Tickets available mid-September at Animal House, Art on Broad, Dogma in Evans, D'Tails Grooming, Taylor BMW, Village Deli, Vineyard Wine Market, Wild Birds Unlimited, by mail and at the door! www.pawprintsfoundation.org 706-863-2067

+8

P harmacy 411

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

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

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

OCTOBER 4, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Very little if anything about healthcare is inexpensive, and that includes medicine. Tiny pills can command large prices. Over-the-counter medications may be less expensive, but are they also less effective? Find the answers to lots of your drug store questions in this column written

by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson exclusively for the Medical Examiner.

ARE “FREE” DRUGS REALLY FREE?

T

he economy has everyone looking for ways to save money and the healthcare industry is no exception. So drug makers and pharmacies are looking for ways to reduce the cost of prescription drugs their consumers. As money is harder and harder to acquire, families must watch their expenditures more carefully than ever.

Local pharmacies and giant pharmaceutical manufacturers know if you have to choose between food and medicine, you’ll probably choose food every time. That doesn’t work for the drug industry or for patients.

Therefore, everyone involved in delivering prescription drugs to consumers is working to alleviate the tremendous burden of the total monthly prescription bill. Unfortunately, there are forces acting in both directions — raising and lowering costs to consumers.

For the most part, generic drugs are still a good way to decrease medicine costs. But there are exceptions.

There are some drug manufacturers, especially those who make generic drugs, who are making huge price INCREASES just as consumer income is getting tighter. I have been told by one industry watcher that this is due to price increase controls set to go in

effect the first of next year.

These government controls are part of the new health care law known as the Affordable Care Act. The controls may be wellintentioned, but manufacturers are getting around them by marking up prices before the law goes into effect. I have one antibiotic on my pharmacy shelf that went up by over two dollars per tablet, and this is a medicine that started out as one of the more affordable antibiotics. Pharmacies have no choice but to pass these price increases on to the patient.

This is leading to a situation where brand name drugs may be a more affordable option.

Sounds confusing, right? Let me explain.

As brand name prescription prices continue to rise, their manufacturers are expanding programs to assist patients faced with ever-increasing insurance copays and selfpay cash prices. There are restrictions on these programs that vary from one program to another, so ask your pharmacist for assistance in understanding the copay cards that your physician has to offer you.

These programs ultimately help both the consumer and the manufacturer. The manufacturer gets tax benefits and the consumer gets lower prices. It’s a win for all parties.

This can lead to a brand

name medicine costing less than its generic equivalent.

The classic example of this is the $4 Lipitor card compared to a generic equivalent with a copay of $15. But remember the limitations and restrictions on these cards. Whether the full benefit of a discount card can be realized often depends on your insurance.

Pharmacies are also getting in on the money-saving bandwagon with prescription savings programs for generic drugs. There are numerous chains and independent pharmacies alike offering $4 generic drugs subject to preferred drug lists and quantity limits.

One chain offers a whole list of free antibiotics. So how do pharmacies offer such savings

and still stay in business?

Obviously the business has to make money somewhere, so only certain drugs are eligible for the savings plans and the markup on all drugs as a whole must still pay the bills. A combination of costcutting on the pharmacy’s bills and making money on certain items on which each individual pharmacy can get a really good deal is used to make the cost of generic drug programs affordable.

Keep in mind that different pharmacies may discount different drugs, so it could be tempting to search for individual low prices on each of your prescriptions. This must be balanced with the cost of going to multiple pharmacies every month, including the cost of gas.

My suggestion is to check on all of your medicines and look for the lowest price on the group as a whole. This will help save money as well as time and the stress of trying to keep up with multiple pharmacies.

It helps prevent drug-on-drug interactions when you use a single pharmacy. + Written for the Medical Examiner

by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson (cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net If you have any questions, comments or article suggestions please email us at cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net

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OCTOBER 4, 2013

Ask a Dietitian

Q: Our 4 year old is “off the charts” for his weight, according to

our pediatrician. We don’t want him to be bullied or labeled as the “fat kid” once he starts school next year. What can we do?

Answer: Research shows that physicians are the leading voice that parents turn to for advice about their child’s weight issues. However, doctors often have very limited time to offer much help. There are registered dietitians in the area who can give you tools and suggestions to foster healthier habits at home.

You are not the only parent confronted with this issue.

Nearly one million children in Georgia are overweight or obese, according to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

It is good to be concerned about the many risks associated with being overweight. In addition to physical problems — such as being more likely to develop bone and joint problems, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes — children may also experience mental or social problems like bullying and low self-esteem.

Your child’s weight may be associated with a growth spurt, but it could also be related to lifestyle and eating habits. If a child gets less than 15-30 minutes of physical activity per day, snacks frequently, does not eat at regular meal times, or drinks sweetened beverages daily, he may be more likely to gain weight not related to a growth spurt.

It is the parent’s responsibility to control what, where and when their child eats, but the child should be

9+

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

allowed to regulate how much they will eat. Children are good regulators of how much they need to eat, but their available choices should be healthy foods.

Try starting with one goal at a time. Parents are the gatekeepers when it comes to what foods are in the home and what is on the table, as well as the times the child has access to food. It is best to have three structured mealtimes (sitting down in one place, preferably not in front of a TV), and for a child this age, a planned snack in between meals. It is important for a parent to be present and supportive at the meal, but not to try to get your child to eat more (or less) than the child wants. Children who are allowed to “graze” and consume foods and/or beverages (other than water) whenever they want may have problems with food regulation that can cause them to either eat too much and gain excess weight, or they can also eat too little.

Sometimes the issue is the portion size that parents are offering the child. A 4-yearold should be eating about 4-5 servings of grains a day (bread, pasta, rice, etc) for a balanced diet providing adequate energy for the child. One half cup of rice or noodles would be one serving size. This would be about the size of a tennis ball — not a softball.

Another grain serving option: pancakes. The pancake should be the size of a DVD or CD. One pancake that size is a one grain serving, not the frisbee-sized pancakes served at the pancake house.

When making your child a sandwich for lunch, each slice of bread is one serving of grain, so if the child is hungry then perhaps he will eat the whole sandwich. But if he’s

not so hungry and only wants half, that’s ok! For a child, the sandwich only needs one or two ounces of lean meat and not the amount you would expect to find served by the local deli.

What about the rest of their nutrition needs at this age? In addition to the 4 or 5 servings of grains (at least half of those should be whole grains) Dietary Guidelines for a 4- to 6-year-old include 1 to 1-1/2 cups of vegetables and 1 cup of fruit, 2 cups of milk (preferably low fat) and 3 to 4 ounces of meat and fish per day. Fats and sugars should only contribute another 150170 calories for this age child.

When he is thirsty, what does your child drink: water, juice, soda or sweet tea? A glass of sweet tea or juice may easily add an extra 150 to 300 calories every day, depending on how much he drinks.

Even those two cups of milk can become 4 cups if you are filling a large glass or offering refills.

Ellen Satter RD, author of many excellent books on feeding children, reminds us that children are born with a blueprint for growth. This means that the child’s genetic make-up will for the most part determine their growth pattern. However, sometimes

a lack of healthy habits — such as skipping breakfast, too much screen time, or drinking juice throughout the day — might just cause that genetic plan to get out of balance. If you are concerned about your child’s weight and want a good reference, Satter’s book Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming is an excellent resource.

You can also visit www. chosemyplate.gov to access useful nutrition information for tips on cutting back on your kids sweet treats, or adding kid-friendly veggies and fruits. Also visit www. kidseatright.org for tips, recipes and articles on many topics, such as making a healthy breakfast or making fitness fun!

There are many good web sites created by nutrition professionals with fun activities for teaching kids about making healthy choices.

For specific questions related to this topic or to locate a dietitian who might help you, contact the Augusta District Dietetic Association at augustadietetics@gmail.com +

by Jeanne B. Lee, MS, RD, LD, Program Director for the Augusta Area Dietetic Internship, part of University Hospital.

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+ 10

MEDICARE MATTERS +

D

OCTOBER 4, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

by Trisha Whisenhunt

JOIN? SWITCH? OR DROP?

ealing with your prescription drug plan is not as confusing as it may seem. You can join a Medicare drug plan during your original seven-month enrollment period which begins three months before you turn 65, including the month in which you turn 65 and the three months following your birth month.

Follow the Medical Examiner between issues at our blog

+ AugustaRX.com/news

and all the usual places facebook.com/AugustaRX

twitter.com/AugustaRX

If you receive Medicare due to a disability, you have a seven-month window that begins three months before the 25th month of when your benefits began, and ends three months after your 25th month of receiving disability benefits. You will have another opportunity to join a drug plan during the seven-month period

when you reach 65 years of age as outlined above.

There is an annual open enrollment period from October 15 through December 7. Anyone can join, switch or drop a plan during this time. Any change will become effective on the first of January as long as the request is received by December 7th.

You generally must remain enrolled in the plan you have chosen for the calendar year; however, there are circumstances under which a change may occur. You may choose another plan should you move out of your plan’s geographical service area, lose credible prescription drug coverage, or reside in a nursing home You can join a Medicare drug plan in any of the following ways: Enroll on the plan’s website; complete a paper enrollment form; contact the company which offers the plan; call GeorgiaCares at 866-5524464, or contact Medicare at 800.633.4227. You may also visit

www.medicare.gov.

Please remember, if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan which includes a drug plan and you join a prescription drug plan (Part D), you will be automatically disenrolled from your Medicare Advantage Plan and returned to original Medicare.

You can switch to a new Medicare drug plan by joining another plan during one of the enrollment periods discussed.

You do not have to notify your previous plan of the change.

It is automatically processed resulting in “no-break” coverage.

If you decide to drop your Medicare drug plan and do not wish to join a new one, you can do so only during the enrollment period. You can disenroll by calling Medicare or by sending a letter to the company which offers your plan. If you drop your plan without enrolling in a new one and then decide later in the year to choose a new plan, you will have to wait until the

enrollment period. Keep in mind you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you have been without coverage for a calendar year.

Most drug plans charge a monthly premium which varies by plan. You pay this in addition to an annual deductible in most cases. Your actual drug plan costs will depend on your prescriptions and whether they are on your plan’s formulary (drug list), the actual plan you choose, the pharmacy you use and whether you receive extra help (Medicaid) from the state in which you live. Medicare beneficiaries who receive Medicaid are not bound by enrollment periods and can change their drug plans at any time. + Trisha Whisenhunt, Certified Medicare Counselor, CSRA Area Agency on Aging Resource: Medicare & You book (October 2013)

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To advertise in this paper, call 706.860.5455 today!

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OCTOBER 4, 2013

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

From THE Bookshelf

The blog spot — Posted at frugalfamilydoctor.blogspot.com on May 13, 2013

ONE WORD: TOUCH A few years ago I listened as my former residency and practice partner told an audience of physicians about an experience he had with his uncle. The uncle was dying and was unattended by other close relatives. My partner visited his uncle, hoping to share his medical expertise. When he asked how he might help, his uncle asked for a shave. The doctor-nephew was inexperienced giving personal aid but was compelled to proceed.

When he began applying shaving lotion his uncle started weeping. He explained that he had not been touched on the face by another human being for a very long time. The shave was completed with both of them in tears. Touch and connecting with another human being is an important component of healthcare that is often lumped into “the art of medicine.” This [categorization] might inadvertently diminish the value of a powerful healing practice.

Our personal connections with other suffering persons can be enhanced in several ways. Personal familiarity, sharing stories, authentic listening, eye contact and communicating empathy are taught and practiced to some extent in healthcare educational institutions. These skills are often part of the “cultural curriculum” rather than explicitly identified, critically taught, and systematically evaluated.

Touch is a powerful force that can build relationships and merits special consideration. Touch has been deemphasized in medical school curricula for several reasons. Touch can invoke fear in patients, doctors and legal experts because of risks associated with inappropriate intimacy. A long era of purporting the value of a dispassionate, detached doctoring approach may finally be on the decline. Touch takes time and time is strained in current practices. Technological advances such as CAT scans and MRIs are superior in some ways and are reimbursed more lavishly than old fashioned examinations. Some medical educators have written and spoken about systematic devaluation of physical examinations (Kugler and Verghese. The Physical Exam and Other Forms of Fiction. J Gen Intern Med 2010; 25:756–7).

Chiropractics, osteopathy, physical therapy and acupuncture are healing theories that emphasize touch. Although there is evidence of benefit for each of these approaches, they are criticized in medical academia because touch is difficult to measure and quantify. Kugler and Verghese classify examination benefits as diagnostic tests, hypothesis generators and important ritual.

One of my mentors taught us, “to touch the patient, put your hand on the part that hurts.” I attributed this quote to Clifton Meador’s A Little Book of Doctor Rules (Hanley and Belfus, Philadelphia, 1992), but I could not verify that when researching for this post. Itzhat Brook, a physician who writes about his experiences with cancer, is one of many who described the benefits of hugs from his doctors (My Voice: A Physician’s Experience With Throat Cancer referenced at dribrook.bolgspot. com). Literature is packed with examples of healing through touch. This does not make it true, but many things that help people have eluded scientific certainty. I am reminded that absence of proof is not proof of absence.

I am glad that my partner touched his uncle’s face. I am also thankful that he was touched.

“Touch is a powerful force.”

Speaking of blogs, the Medical Examiner’s blog is found at www.AugustaRx.com/news

“CAMPING

+

is nature’s way of promoting the motel business.

— Dave Barry

“

Here is a classic that will probably still be great reading a century from now.

It’s already a bit on the vintage side (the copy I’m holding was published in 1991), but the stories are even older.

Roueche started writing for The New Yorker magazine in 1944 and within two years they had created a department in the magazine (The Annals of Medicine) for his regular columns. He continued to write for The New Yorker until his death in 1994. Several of those articles are in this book in case you missed them in the magazine.

The elements which make this book a worthy read are many.

For starters, each story reads a bit like a novel. Characters are introduced, questions are raised, dialogue is uttered between the main characters and various walk-ons, mystery ensues, the plot thickens, and finally a solution is found, or at least the source of the medical misadventure is discovered even if some things must remain a mystery.

As these stories unfold, taking place from the 1940s through the 1980s, you begin to appreciate the history of

medicine and all the things that have changed in the past half century or so. Some of these stories will have you shaking your head at how antiquainted things were a few scant decades ago; others will leave you pining for the good old days and wondering why some things were ever changed when the “improvements” were not, well, improvements.

But let’s leave healthcare reform to others for the moment and get back to our story.

One of the curious things about looking into the past is often amazement that the savages back in such primitive times (the Fifties, for example) could manage to tie their

shoes, let alone discover fire, penicillin, invent the wheel, airplanes, and twerking. And yet they did. (Related side note: a couple years ago a study set out to determine what the pyramids of Egypt would cost if they were built today.

The study concluded that the pyramids could not be built today for any amount of money, mainly due to labor issues and regional strife.)

True, the medical detectives of the 1940s or 50s may not have had the sophisticated gadgetry of today, and epidemiologists may have been sent to the backwoods of Tennessee (as in Chapter 11 of this book) to solve their mysteries, but solve them they did.

If you check into this book you’ll note a legitimate complaint made by previous readers: as a book with some years on it, you can’t help but wonder about today’s state of affairs compared to older statistics cited in the book.

Sometimes you just have to do your own medical detecting. + The Medical Detectives by Berton Roueche, 432 pages, published in March 1991 by Plume

the

Golden’s Gym That’s our suggestion for the next chain of membership health and fitness clubs. Let us hope Gold’s Gym has no attorneys on retainer.

Our brainstorm comes from a fitness study conducted with subjects ranging in age from 91 to 96. (Do not adjust your Medical Examiner.)

The two dozen nonagenarians in the study — ok, the eleven people in the study (the other thirteen were in the control group) — went through a 12-week program of age-appropriate physical exercises which demonstrated that no one is too old to benefit from physical exercise and even strength training.

The adventurous eleven went through their specially designed exercises just two days a week, but the benefits were many: the training lowered their risk of falls, improved their walking speed, their balance, their ability to get into and out of their chairs (or wheelchairs),

Clipping File

improved their muscle tone and their physical strength and “raised their functional capacity,” said researchers. The study was reported in Age, the journal of the American Ageing Association.

Screening works At least for colorectal cancer it does.

That was the message at the 2013 European Cancer Congress, held this past weekend (Sept. 28).

Researchers there presented evidence that suggests some of the resources currently devoted to screening for breast and prostate cancer (where the evidence of the effectiveness of screening is less clear-cut) should instead be devoted to colorectal cancer (CRC).

It is no doubt heresy to attack anything related to breast cancer research and screening during October, but the figures from Europe are compelling.

Studying screening and mortality rates for 11 countries between 1989 and 2010 established a direct link between screening and lives saved.

In Austria, where 61% of those studied reported having taken a FOBT (fecal occult blood test), deaths from CRC dropped by 47% among women during the study period and by 39% among men.

By comparison, in Greece, where only 8% of males surveyed had had an endoscopic examination (versus 35% in Austria), the death toll for men rose by 30% and 2% for women.

Researchers estimate that overall, in the European countries studied, 73% of the decrease in CRC mortality in males and 82% of the drop in deaths among females is directly attributable to their having one or more endoscopic examinations over the past ten years. +

+ 12

OCTOBER 4, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS +

by Dan Pearson

Are you learning Not exactly. lots of new I work in payroll. recipes?

So how do you At the culinary school? like your new job?

Great. I love it.

So it’s nothing to Well, today I learned with food at all? how to garnish wages.

The Mystery Word for this issue: DAGNABE

© 2013 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

11

12

All Mystery Word finders will be eligible to win by random drawing.

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM TO ENTER!

Click on “Reader Contests”

QUOTATION PUZZLE O H E E L W O T T I I U V V

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

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved

— W. H. Auden

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.

E

3

X A M I N E R

8

2

4

9

1

6 3

6

7 6 1 5 7 8 9 4 3 5

S

9 4 1 5 2

4

2

8

7

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved. Built with software from www.crauswords.com

U D O K U

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

Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle. All the listed letters following 1 are the 1st letters of each word; the letters following 2 are 2nd letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.

1 2 1

2

F 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 3

4

5

6

7

L 1 2 3 4

1 2

V 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 I 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2

— Ben Franklin

1.WWHHHFRNLIT 2.NOOIAIAEHII 3.VVVTMALL 4.ASHLLEET 5.LES 6.LS 7.F

SAMPLE:

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

L 1

O 2

V 3

E 4

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

I 3

N 4

D 5

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved

BY

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

13

20 21 22 23 ACROSS 1. ____-It 24 25 5. It often follows 10-D 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 10. Worry 14. Burn soother 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 15. Set ______; save 40 41 42 43 44 16. River in Switzerland 17. Doing nothing 45 46 47 48 49 18. Urge forward 50 51 52 19. Heart quivers, for short 20. Straighten up 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 22. Exude; radiate 61 62 63 24. Made a mistake 25. Synthetic textile fiber 64 65 66 67 26. Indicate; show 68 69 70 29. Masc prefix 71 72 73 33. Affirmative vote 36. Aspirin, typically (abbrev.)

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com 39. Biblical home of Abram 40. Main part of a church or 34. Two-masted sailboat 73. British gun cathedral 35. Wicked 42. Type of legend 37. Short for a condition of DOWN 44. Enormous abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc.

1. _______ College 45. Between (informally) 38. Morse element 2. Wiser partner, often 47. Class composition 41. What you’re reading now 3. Plexus intro 49. ___ station 43. No in Glasgow 4. Be on the brink 50. Muslim God 46. Word used with contrasts 5. Precipitation 51. Blood prefix and comparisons 6. Doctrine, generically 53. Venomous African snake 48. Giant of Norse myth 7. Venomous snake 57. The son of Abraham and 52. Egyptian god of the afterlife 8. Swelling Sarah 54. Common term for parotitis 9.

Pass on 61. Small spine (botany) 55. Sheep cry 10. It often comes before 5-A 63. Foreigner (in Latin 56. Hartford-based insurer 11. Augusta VIP visitor of yore America) 58. Concerning; about 12. Cleveland’s lake 64. Principal 59. Playing marble 13. Type of page 65. Spirit beginning 60. : 21. Home of Adam and Eve 67. Intro to life or thing 61. Castle material?

23. Ark builder 68. A single time 62. Size of type 27. One of GRU’s predecessors 69. Expert group 63. Masters’ sport 28.

Challenge 70. Division word 64. Extinct flightless bird 30. Medicine 71. 6th month of the Jewish 66. Football field official (abbrev) 31. Muffin prefix? calendar 32. Singles 72. Medical symbol (with 33. Province in Peru snakes) Solution p. 14

WORDS NUMBER

THE MYSTERY WORD

OCTOBER 4, 2013

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

He said: “Since I first laid eyes on you, I’ve wanted to make love to you really badly.”

She said: “Well, you’ve succeeded.”

He said: “Shall we try switching positions tonight?”

She said: “That’s a great idea. You stand by the ironing board while I snore on the sofa.”

A

man had been slipping in and out of a coma for weeks, yet his wife stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him he whispered, with his eyes full of tears, “You know what? You have been with me through all the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side... You know what?”

“What dear?” she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.

“I think you’re bad luck. Get away from me.”

Q. Why do female Black Widow spiders kill the males after mating?

A. To stop the snoring before it starts.

Q. Why do little boys whine?

A. Because they’re practicing to be men.

Q. Why does it take 100,000,000 sperm to fertilize one egg?

A. Because none of them will ask for directions.

The CIA had an opening for an assassin.

After background checks and interviews were done, there were three finalists: two men and a woman.

For the final test, CIA agents took the first man to a locked door and handed him a gun.

“We must know that you will follow orders no matter what. Your wife is sitting in a chair on the other side of this door. Kill her!”

The man said, “You can’t be serious. I could never shoot my wife.” The agent said, “I’m sorry. You’re not the right man for this job.”

The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. Five quiet minutes later the man came out and said, ”I tried, but I just can’t kill my wife.” The agent said, “You don’t have what it takes. Take your wife and go home.”

Finally, it was the woman’s turn. She was given the same instructions. She took the gun and went into the room where her unsuspecting husband sat. Several shots were heard. Then the agents heard screaming, crashing, and banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and the woman came out.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and said, “This gun is loaded with blanks. I had to beat him to death with the chair.” +

Why subscribe to the Medical Examiner?

Because no one should have to make a trip to the doctor or the hospital just to read Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper.

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

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

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

STATE

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Choose ____ six months for $16; or ____ one year for $32. Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903-0397

The Patient’s Perspective

by Marcia Ribble

N

ow what? I ask, as the storm clouds do their afternoon buildup into thunderheads. Have I run out of materials to write about?

I kind of doubt that, since I now am teaching students in medical training who bring up issues to talk about regularly.

They have families with medical issues, with cares and concerns and with hopes and dreams of their own, including wanting to be the best they can be and help people who are hurting. Right now it is my plan next fall to teach a writing course and to invite my students to co-author a column with me, so they will get an in school record of publication and some more professional experience.

At the early stages of many careers, especially in the sciences, students often find it difficult to think of themselves as writers about their work, as well as doers it. Their experiences have taught them that they will talk directly with professors and bosses and patients, but not often do they write to and communicate with the larger world outside those personal interactions.

Yet they have an incredible wealth of knowledge whose dissemination could be very helpful to practitioners and patients alike.

For example, ask them why patients are not compliant and they can roll out story after story about people they know who receive a diagnosis of diabetes and who promptly reject that diagnosis and go out and slam back half a pizza for a “snack.” They may know people suffering through other kinds of issues like bi-polar disorder, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, cancer, Autism Spectrum disorders, and drug addiction.

They can talk intelligently about how to give massages, calm boisterous patients,

Talk is cheap.

Not talking can be deadly.

or respond to patients with tender loving care (TLC).

In addition, as a writing teacher I have long known that writing about something is a great way to learn the subject well enough to be able to explain it to others. This can give students a great deal of personal pride and a sense of one’s value to the community.

Many students are taught by others that their worth is slight, but to be invited to participate in a publication valued in their field calls them out in a public way as having something worth saying and something worth listening to.

But that won’t start for a few months, until the autumn term rolls around. Meanwhile, I’ve been to Michigan and back this summer, so I’ll write about my travels, because many of us with disabilities decide that we can’t go gallivanting anymore.

With my two replaced knees, my mostly healed broken shoulder, the metal plate in my ankle, my diabetes, my nowseeing eyes, and all my other issues, I hit the road all by my old white-haired self, on the road to new adventures even as I turn 70 in a few days! + Marcia Ribble received her PhD in English at Michigan State and retired from the University of Cincinnati.

She taught writing at the college level and loves giving voice to people who have been silenced. She is now teaching again at Virginia College in Augusta. She can be reached with comments, suggestions, etc., at marciaribble@hotmail.com.

DOING RESEARCH? The Medical Examiner website has a zillion links to useful and informative sites of all kinds. Visit www.AugustaRx.com/StudyHall.html

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OCTOBER 4, 2013

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

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

...cleverly hidden (on the little man) in the p. 8 ad for PRINCESS HOME SOLUTIONS Congratulations to ROBERT W. STONE, who scores a $20 Wild Wing Cafe gift certificate, two free movie passes courtesy of Health Center Credit Union, a free Top Notch Car Wash gift card, and if she’s a coffee drinker, a jar of Drug of Choice gourmet coffee. Win this stuff!

The new Mystery Word is on p. 12. Start looking!

The Celebrated MYSTERY WORD CONTEST ...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then be the first to find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries you’ll score our goodie package: gift certificates from Wild Wing Cafe, Top Notch Car Wash, and movie passes from Health Center Credit Union!

SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (WInners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher.

The new scrambled Mystery Word is found on page 12

SENDING US A CLASSIFIED? USE THE FORM BELOW AND MAIL IT IN, OR GO TO WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM AND PLACE & PAY CONVENIENTLY AND SAFELY ONLINE. THANKS!

EXAMINER CLASSIFIEDS HOMES, APARTMENTS, ROOMMATES, LAND, ETC. FOR RENT 2 bdrm 1 bath unfurn upstairs condo. Carport, pool, outside laundry. Country Club Hills condos, Milledge Road near GRU/ASU. $750/mo + $750 dep. We furn water, you pay electric.

706-736-7167 Email: ronst79@gmail. com ROOMMATE WANTED! 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath house with pool, 2 minutes from colleges. Perfect for medical or grad students. $425+share utils. 706.993.6082 FOR SALE: 3 BR house + 1 BR apartment (private entrance) + 2 full basements. Apt ideal for aging parent, or home office, or rental (now rented; income to offset mortgage). 310sqft basemt perfect for office or playroom.

2nd basemt (240sqft, large windows) great for workshop or studio. House & apt (2042sqft), hardwd floors, new baths.

Lush back yard. Tanglewood area, near Augusta Mall. $93,500 OBO. 617-6292915.

FOR RENT: Perfect location 1 mi. from MCG 1827 McDowell St. house for rent.

Two bedrooms, 1-1⁄2 baths, living room,

dining room, den, kitchen. Recently refurbished, tile and hardwood floors, ceiling fans, w/d hook-up, new fridge, cable, storage house. Renter pays utilities. $750 plus deposit. 706.738.2331 WEST AUGUSTA House for rent. 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1500 sqft, 1-car garage, 3024 Sterling Road, located off Stevens Creek at Riverwatch Pkwy. $850/mo. Call 678467-7187.

FOR SALE: GORGEOUS, immaculate, never occupied townhome located mins from Medical District. 2 bed, 2 bath, master en suite, walk-in closets, office.

1450 sq ft. hardwood floors throughout, fabulous upgrades, custom kitchen and baths. Floor to ceiling windows, fenced yard. Partially furnished! 120k OBO. 803-507-6621.

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

SERVICES CAREGIVER looking for work. Will do light housework too. (706) 738-2366 WILLS, TRUSTS & POWERS OF ATTORNEY - We can fulfill your legal and

WHAT’S YOUR DRUG OF CHOICE?

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9.00

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

Send this form with payment to:

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

P A I N E

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A N T A

Y A W L

E V I L

S M A O N A D

P I C A

T R E A E I T E N E D R E A N S E U X T A H M A M I N U N M E P R S

I V E R S I D E M P E L E M A R A Y D A I D R B A N E S S A H E B A L E G E T R O A N E L T A F F

N O A H

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QUOTATION QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: Page 12: “Thousands have lived without love but not one without water.”

— W. H. Auden

AD COPY (one word per line; phone numbers MUST include the area code): .50

NOTICE! ATTENTION! If any current or past employer has failed to pay you min. wage or time and a half overtime pay, you may be entitled to an order from US Federal Court awarding you twice the amount of your unpaid wages plus atty. fees. For info, call Arthur H. Shealy, Attorney at Law, 803-278-5149, 1010 Plantation Rd, North Augusta SC 29841. You may be entitled to a similar award for unpaid wages if your employer required you to perform duties during your lunch hour, before clocking in, or after clocking out.

SEE PAGE 12

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

.25

FULL-SERVICE MOVER Anthony’s Professional Moving, 28 years serving the CSRA moving hospital equipment, offices, homes, apartments, etc.

Estimates are FREE. Call 706.860.3726 or 706.814.8141

THE PUZZLE SOLVED

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

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

TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER!

(OURS IS COFFEE)

Augusta Medical Examiner Classifieds

estate planning needs through preparation of simple wills, complex trust agreements, advance directives for healthcare, and/or durable powers of attorney. For more information call John R.B. Long, Attorney at Law, 411 Telfair St. Augusta GA 30901 (706) 868-8011. Mention this ad for a no-charge consultation.

The Sudoku Solution

COFFEE IS GOOD MEDICINE VISIT DRUGOFCHOICECOFFEE.COM BUY AT INNER BEAN CAFE

3 5 4 8 7 1 6 9 2

9 8 7 2 6 3 5 4 1

2 6 1 9 4 5 8 7 3

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

7 2 6 3 9 4 1 5 8

1 9 8 7 5 6 3 2 4

5 4 3 1 2 8 9 6 7

WORDS

BY NUMBER “He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.”

— Ben Franklin

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The Augusta Medical Examiner publishes on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month.

Your ad should reach us no later than 5 days prior to our publication date.

Thanks for reading!

www.AugustaRx.com

OCTOBER 4, 2013

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Five simple steps to safer health care Patient Fact Sheet Patient safety is one of the Nation’s most pressing health care challenges. A 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 44,000 to 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of lapses in patient safety.

This fact sheet tells what you can do to get safer health care. It was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association.

1

Ask questions if you have doubts or concerns.

Ask questions and make sure you understand the

answers. Choose a doctor you feel comfortable talking to.

Take a relative or friend with you to help you ask questions and understand the answers.

2

Keep and bring a list of ALL the medicines you take.

Give your doctor and pharmacist a list of all the medicines that you take, including non-prescription medicines. Tell them about any drug allergies you have.

Ask about side effects and what to avoid while taking the medicine. Read the label when you get your medicine, including all warnings. Make sure your medicine is what the doctor ordered and know how to use it. Ask the pharmacist about your medicine if it looks different than you expected.

3

Get the results of any test or procedure.

Ask when and how you will get the results of tests or procedures. Don’t assume the results are fine if you do not get them when expected, be it in person, by phone, or by mail. Call your doctor and ask for your results.

Ask what the results mean for your care.

4

Talk to your doctor about which hospital is best for your health needs.

Ask your doctor about which hospital has the best care and results for your condition if you have more than one hospital to choose from. Be sure you understand the instructions you get about followup care when you leave the hospital.

5

Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery.

Make sure you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done during the operation.

Ask your doctor, “Who will manage my care when I am in the hospital?” Ask your surgeon: • Exactly what will you be doing?

• About how long will it take?

• What will happen after the surgery?

• How can I expect to feel during recovery?

Tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses about any allergies, bad reaction to anesthesia, and any medications you are taking. +

TO OUR READERS AND OUR ADVERTISERS

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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY ALLERGY

DERMATOLOGY

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

CHIROPRACTIC Poppell Chiropractic Clinic 1106-A Furys Lane Martinez 30907 706-210-2875 Most insurance plans accepted

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

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS Karen L. Carter, MD 1302 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com

DRUG REHAB Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048 Dental Partners of South Augusta W. Palmer Westmoreland, DMD 2504 Peach Orchard Rd Augusta 30906 706-798-8300 Evans Dental Group 4250-2 Washington Rd Evans 30809 706-860-3200 www.evansdentalgroup.com

Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Augusta 30904 706-733-3373 www.GaDerm.com

Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd.

Augusta 30909 706-733-1935

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Group & Benefits Consultants Inc. 3515 Wheeler Rd, Bldg. C Augusta 30909 706-733-3459 www.groupandbenefits.com

YOUR LISTING HERE Augusta Area Healthcare Provider 4321 CSRA Boulevard Augusta 30901 706-555-1234 CALL 706.860.5455 TODAY!

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

HOSPICE Alliance Hospice 3685 Old Petersburg Rd. Suite 145 Augusta 30907 706-447-2461

LASER SERVICES Ideal Image 339 Fury’s Ferry Rd Martinez 30907 1-800-BE-IDEAL • www.idealimage.com Schedule a FREE Consultation

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

OPTICIAN

Murphy & Robinson O Phil Harris 1571 Walton Way Augusta 30904 706-737-2020

P T I C I A N S

PHARMACY Medical Center West Pharmacy 465 North Belair Road Evans 30809 706-854-2424 medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. N. Augusta 29841 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com

SENIOR LIVING Augusta Gardens Senior Living Community 3725 Wheeler Road Augusta 30909 SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY 706-868-6500 www.augustagardenscommunity.com

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

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

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

OCTOBER 4, 2013