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MEDICAL EXAMINER recipe feature PAGE 7

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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

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

Are you anti anti-vaxxer?

Don’t answer too quickly.

It’s easy to ridicule these people, but by the end of this article, perhaps you’ll wonder if you should.

As we all know by now, anti-vaxxers (headline ahead: look for this to be 2015’s Word of the Year) are those misguided individuals who believe in their heart of hearts that vaccines are dangerous. They have been subjected to much ridicule. After all, their unofficial leaders are Jenny McCarthy, left, whose primary medical research qualifications include being Playboy magazine’s Playmate of the Month in October 1993 and comedian and actor Jim Carrey’s wife from 2005 to 2010; and former physician Andrew Wakefield, who sat down at a keyboard one day and invented a research study out of thin air which purported to establish a link between vaccines and autism.

Once the dust settled and the facts were in, Wakefield was thoroughly discredited, exposed as a fraud on numerous counts, stripped of his medical license, and sent off to live the remainder of his days as a brave martyr who was silenced by Big Pharma to protect their lucrative vaccine business. He even has a book out (with a foreword by Jenny McCarthy) defending his beliefs. He’s sticking to his story. As for Jenny McCarthy, if there is any justice in this world at all, as Taylor Jones’ art suggests, she is right now suffering from a head-to-toe case of measles.

Oddly enough, even though Wakefield’s research was imaginary, it led to a flurry of real investigations into the matter of vaccine safety. In a nutshell, the findings all boil down to this simple statement: complications are more likely to arise from illness than from the vaccinations designed to prevent them.

To illustrate, children who get sick from measles have about a 1 in 20 chance of developing a serious complication; children who instead get vaccinated and develop serious complications number 1 or 2 per million, according to research by Johns Hopkins University.

Most anti-vaxxers, polls have shown, are too young to remember the days when mumps and measles and polio swept across the countryside. They are like people who point to a guardrail at the edge of a cliff along a busy highway. “Do we really need that? No one has gone over this cliff for decades.” The answer (which they don’t hear) is, “Cars went over this cliff all the time before we put it up. That’s exactly why we put it up, and exactly when the problem stopped.”

And sure enough, just like all those unplanned roadside trips over the edge that went away Please see ANTI-VAXXERS page 3

Is your heart in the right place?

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lthough being the publisher of the Medical Examiner undoubtedly gives me a certain incurable bias, I think one of the best things about this newspaper are the three words repeated over and over near the top of every front page: health, medicine, and wellness. Those three words encompass a zillion topics. Should I live forever (so far, so good), I’ll never run out of ideas for articles on ways we can make our lives better in one or more of those three areas. I can skip all the potential articles like “How Coconut Oil Changed My Life,” or “Melt Away Stubborn Belly Fat with St. John’s Wort,” knowing that Dr. Oz has those subjects well covered. That leaves me free to focus on wellness topics that sometimes have a local slant.

This past Saturday night, for example, I watched WRDW’s Meredith Anderson and WGAC’s Austin Rhodes on stage performing the play Love Letters. All proceeds from the play were

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for the benefit of Storyland Theatre, and in a few paragraphs I’m going to explain to you why, even if you were not in the audience on Saturday, you should consider a modest donation to Storyland Theatre.

In brief, Love Letters traces the entire lives of the two characters, from elementary school and the decades beyond, through the paper trail of letters they wrote to each other. As the classic drama masks here suggest, like life itself, it was both a comedy and a tragedy.

Love Letters is an adult play, but on Saturday night it was staged for children — not that there were any in the audience. Many things could be said about the play itself, but I’m not a theater critic. I found myself thinking about the kids who will see future Storyland productions. These are kids who will probably never enjoy the lost art of letter writing, whether on the giving Please see YOUR HEART page 4

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

there’s often an influx of patients towards the end of the year and why families often schedule various procedures in the same year.

The principle comes, at least in part, from some famous research done years ago by the RAND Corporation called the

by Ross Everett RAND Health Experiment. The team enrolled individuals into various health insurance plans.

Some of these plans required the individual to pay a high percentage of the costs that they n the mid-18th century, innocent man to live his life in accrued. These plans are said to English judge Sir William prison. In my opinion, we face have high cost-sharing. Others Blackstone wrote and released a similar, albeit less extreme, were enrolled in plans that cost his most notable work, problem today in healthcare. the individual very little or even Commentaries on the Laws The rising trend of the highnothing. To no one’s surprise, of England. In one excerpt, deductible health plan (HDHP) at the end of the experiment Blackstone proposed, “It is better is not so different. A health those who did not have to that ten guilty persons escape insurance plan’s deductible pay anything out-of-pocket than that one innocent suffer.” is the cost that an enrollee in incurred a lot more medical This principle, now known that plan has to spend out-ofexpenses over the time period as Blackstone’s Formulation, pocket before the insurance that they were followed. is the basis for the modern kicks in and actually starts Surprisingly, though, after debate of whether it’s worse paying some of the costs. This 15 years of follow-up the annual threshold is the reason for a murderer to go free or an individuals with higher cost-sharing did not have worse health outcomes than those individuals with free healthcare.

They didn’t die earlier. They didn’t become unhealthier.

There were no real, significant negative impacts on their health.

This finding supports the multitude of evidence already existing that We are currently enrolling qualified participants in a clinical research study with shows more care does not always a new investigational drug. To qualify, you must be between the ages of mean better 9 and 45, have acne pimples on your face and be in good general health. Health

I

HDHP AND THE PRISONER DILEMMA

insurance is not needed to participate and you may receive compensation for time and travel. Participants must be willing to make six site visits.

To see if you or someone you know qualifies, please call us at 706-447-3930

Anne M. Loebl, M.D. Augusta Centre for Dermatology 3614 J. Dewey Gray Circle, Suite B Augusta, Georgia

2283 WRIGHTSBORO RD (AT JOHNS RD)

DR. DAVID DOYLE, JR

706-733-3373 GADERM.COM

FEBRUARY 20, 2015 health. In fact, sometimes more care can lead to worse health.

Fast-forward a bit. Keeping healthcare costs down are now a national priority. For various reasons, costs are up. To keep individuals from pursuing whatever treatment they might fancy, insurers have rapidly pushed HDHPs as a solution.

Citing no differences in health outcomes, this has become the primary way to deter care that may not be necessary. Raising deductibles has become another tool to discourage possibly unneeded care: between 2006 and 2014, the average general annual deductible among workers covered through their employer grew from $584 to over $1,200. For many plans, particularly family plans, that number goes much higher.

The flip side of the argument, though, is that many people won’t get the care they need because of the associated costs.

Furthermore, many conditions only get worse—and much more expensive to treat—over time. Fortunately, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act addressed this problem to a degree. It mandated that numerous primary care services, including annual check-ups and certain cancer screenings, are required to be covered without any cost-sharing. Thus, many of the basic, routine services that people need to stay healthy are covered without having to meet any sort of deductible.

Unfortunately—at least for the individual—many others are not.

On one hand, there is plenty to like in HDHPs. I think we

all consider ourselves to be sensible, prudent people. And these HDHPs keep all those less sensible hypochondriacs from getting care they don’t need, which helps to keep my premiums lower than they otherwise would be.

Yet on the flip side, there is plenty to hate. Not just because it’s more cost-sharing for us all, but the idea that anyone would forego care they really need, only to end up severely sick or disabled — or even dead — is heartbreaking.

Enter Blackstone’s Formulation. Which is worse?

Is it worse for ten people to hike up the costs for the rest of us, getting care that they don’t really need—aka, the ten guilty going free? Or is it worse for the one sick person to risk their wellbeing and their life because they can’t afford what they need—aka, that one innocent sufferer? I wish I knew the answer. However, it is a real question our policymakers will be forced to ask soon enough. As the ‘Cadillac Tax’ approaches in 2018 and beyond, the push towards higher and higher deductible plans will only grow faster. Someone new will have to decide this time around. Sir William Blackstone is not around to share his thoughts. + Ross Everett is a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia.

He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011. Currently, he is taking a year of leave from medical school to pursue a Master of Public Health degree in Health Systems and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. Please contact him at wideeyedwhitecoat@gmail.com

READ THE EXAMINER ONLINE www.AugustaRx.com/news

• ACNE • SKIN CANCER SURGERY • MOLE REMOVAL

• PSORIASIS • RASHES • WARTS • ITCH RELIEF

We welcome Chris Thompson PA-C to our practice, welcoming new and established patients.

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

ANTI-VAXXERS… from page 1

But what about the rest of us?

But before we start pointing fingers at these people, we should all take at least a quick peek in the mirror.

Some of us think anti-vaxxers are nuts, needlessly risking their health and the health of their children, and we will tell you that while we chow down on a bag of chips and feed our kids a quick fast-food meal of chicken nuggets, French fries and Coke.

We will criticize anti-vaxxers for ignoring the evidence of medical science even though we ignore our doctor’s recommendations in important matters — and have been doing so for years.

We think these people are taking an unnecessary risk with their own and their children’s lives, yet it’s our habit to significantly exceed the speed limit, even when our kids are in the car.

We think it’s ridiculous that anti-vaxxers create conspiracy theories to explain away the science

behind vaccine safety, yet there are some of us who don’t think medical science has conclusively proved that tobacco is dangerous.

And on it goes, individually and even institutionally. A hospital promotes itself as the CSRA leader in delivery of quality healthcare using all the latest technology to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes, yet it provides a designated smoking area for its employees that their patients can not only see but also smell from a main patient entranceway. It might not have raised an eyebrow in the Sixties, but in 2015? At a major city hospital? It’s like providing patients with a life-saving vaccine and a convenient antidote to the same vaccine.

So while many would agree that the antivaccine crowd needs to seriously rethink their approach to health, just as many of us should re-evaluate our own approach to personal health and wellness. If we’re honest, exactly 100 percent of us will see the need for at least one important health-improvement project.

The question is, will we give it a shot? +

Do you love strawberries?

The Senior Citizens Council is taking orders for fresh, big, juicy strawberries, almost as big as the one above!

The berries will be sold as flats of 6 quarts each at $20 per flat. Please place your order by email: katernce@gmail.com; by phone 706-868-0120; or by sending a check for $20 times the number of flats you wish to: The Senior Citizens Council, 4210 Columbia Road, Suite #13A, Martinez, GA 30907.

Order deadline is March 20, 2015. We thank you for your support!

Berries must be picked up at our office on delivery day; Friday, March 27, 2015, between 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Our office is located at 4210 Columbia Road, Suite #13A, in Martinez. All orders must be prepaid.

AUGUSTA

with the installation of the guardrail, measles was declared eradicated in the United States in the year 2000. Now that the guardrail has been taken down by many people, measles is staging a comeback. Until recently we could go a whole year without so much as hearing the word once; now it seems we can’t go a single day without another measles outbreak story. And every new measles case is unnecessary. What’s next, a resurgence of polio? It’s a realistic possibility.

No wonder lots of people think the anti-vaccine movement is insanity.

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MEDICAL EXAMINER

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AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER

www.AugustaRx.com The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of 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. © 2015 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

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FEBRUARY 20, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

YOUR HEART… from page 1 or receiving end. While listening to two characters pour out their deepest emotions in page after page of pen and ink, words like “Tweet,” and acronyms like LOL and OMG kept popping into my head. What used to take pages of longhand can now be accomplished with three letters, or maybe just an emoticon. For the young and loquacious, there’s always Twitter, where they go on and on and on, for up to 140 characters.

Child development experts say that screens — handheld, phonebased, laptop, desktop, wall-mounted — can have a negative impact on young minds, stunting their creativity, reading skills, and brain development. Little wonder that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under age 2 should not watch any TV, and that kids older than 2 watch no more than an hour or two a day of carefully selected programming.

In all fairness, I would guess that the experts of the Fifties made dire predictions about television turning young brains of the day into vacuous blobs of mush. + + The difference between then and now is that homes then had one screen, it was small, it was black and white, and it offered is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Georgia only three or four channels of bland fare: game shows corporation. “If you would like all morning; soap operas all to show your support, we will afternoon; and an assortment of use your funds to help sociocops, cowboys and Indians after economically disadvantaged supper. Then they went off the CSRA children attend our performances. All contributions air until the next morning.

Today screens are everywhere. are tax deductible, and we will be An ordinary home might have very grateful for your help.” three or four (or more) big TVs, several computers, laptops, Send contributions to: tablets and phones. I’ve seen Storyland Theatre, Inc. babies in diapers rather expertly P.O. Box 14875 handling smartphones and kidAugusta, GA 30919 friendly tablets.

Call (706) 736-3455 Does this mean the apocalypse for more information is upon us? storylandtheatre.org + Probably not. But there are + the inconvenient truths that kids who spend a lot of time looking at screens are more likely to be overweight; that kids who view lots of violence are not only more likely to view the world as dangerous (more dangerous than it really is), but also to contribute to that danger by showing a tendency toward aggressive, violent behavior themselves; screen time can interfere with human interaction — important people skills needed throughout life — as well as homework, physical activity, reading, and [insert trumpet fanfare] creative play.

In its 27 years, Storyland Theatre has sparked the imaginations of well over half a million students with plays like Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast. Children have seen the stories of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf and many others.

In a world where reality increasingly is served up in two dimensions, it’s refreshing to see fantasies come to life, and at the same time introduce kids to the arts. Storyland productions do more than just offer the diversion of a field trip; they incorporate lesson plans into performances to weave school curriculum into the theater experience; they teach theater etiquette; they have even staged original productions to teach mature lessons to middle and high school students about the perils of drug and alcohol abuse.

In short, Augusta is fortunate to have such an organization that literally every one of us benefits from to some degree. They deserve our support. Of course, not many of us can afford to be major financial supporters of the arts. But fortunes are built from individual dollars, and dollars are built with nickels and dimes and pennies. It would be a wonderful thing if this week, Storyland Theatre opened its post office box to find hundreds of envelopes from Medical Examiner readers, each containing a modest (and taxdeductible) donation, this one containing $5, that one $10, another just $2, maybe this one $20.

The important thing isn’t the amount each envelope contains; it’s the number of envelopes, each containing something. Thousands of individual dollars add up to, well, thousands of dollars. A sum of money so small you and I will never miss it when added to the donations of others will make a huge impact. Arts organizations these days subsist on crumbs. But many crumbs can really add up.

Medical Examiner readers, we can do this. We should do this.

We will do this. And because we can and should and will, we will contribute to the improved wellness of children and families across the area. Do it right now while you’re thinking about it. +

Storyland Theatre

OLD NEWS

+

POINTS OF INTEREST TO FORMER KIDS

by Trisha Whisenhunt, Senior Citizens Council

THE SUICIDE LANE IS NOT A CROSSWALK

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riving along particular sections of Wrightsboro Road can be dicey. This area is one of several in Augusta that is a hotbed for people using the suicide lane as a crosswalk and a sidewalk — and one of the reasons police are on a mission to reduce pedestrian deaths in Augusta.

While in the long suicide lane to turn left onto Wrightsboro from Jackson Road, I had to come to a complete stop because a man was walking in the middle of the turn lane toward my car.

If I had hit him, even at my reduced speed, conditions were such that I believe I would have killed him. I would not have been held accountable, but that is cold comfort. It’s nerve-wracking having to anticipate someone jaywalking every time you drive through a particular part of town.

Walking to the corner to cross a very busy street, or to legally cross any street with traffic, is the prudent, safe and right thing to do.

(Prudent: adjective 1. capable of exercising sound judgment in practical matters, especially as concerns one’s own interests.)

I haven’t been able to figure out if people who choose to do this are lazy or if they have a death wish.

My daughter was sitting in the suicide lane waiting to cross over into a gas station when a small group of teens ran into the lane behind her and pounded with their fists on the trunk of her car before running across the street, laughing at her distress. This was a total disregard for safety and another’s property, and it’s not funny. It’s poor judgment.

People who believe this portion of the street is a safe zone are taking their very lives into their hands.

The purpose of these lanes is to accommodate turning traffic. Pedestrian crossings are typically at the end of the blocks where cars stop at

traffic lights allowing both walkers and drivers to move along, each in their turn, giving preference to those on foot.

Wrightsboro Road runs east to west, so you have the sun in your eyes in the morning if you are headed downtown and again on your return trip as you head back to Columbia County. While most drivers are cautious, avoiding an impatient pedestrian who is willing to take their chances by running across five lanes is a no-win situation. Factor in sunset or nighttime with a person wearing dark clothing and it is a recipe for disaster.

Should someone be struck by a car under these conditions, the driver may not be legally responsible, but certainly would feel terrible and carry the emotional burden of the incident for life.

Personal responsibility and common sense would go a long way to stop most of these dreadful accidents.

It’s immature thinking to depend solely on drivers to avoid an accident while those attempting to cross throw caution to the wind and make a run for it. No matter how careful a driver may be, weather, light or lack of it, road conditions and many other factors can end in tragedy for all parties involved.

There is a reason they’re called suicide lanes. Let’s all — drivers and pedestrians alike — make it a goal to use them solely as turn lanes. +

MYTH OF THE MONTH Does drinking water help cure dry skin?

We have probably all heard this, and it seems logical: dry skin comes from the inside out, and someone chronically dehydrated is also a dry skin sufferer.

However, dry skin is actually an external problem and its solution is also.

This time of year, low humidity — indoors and out — can be one of the main factors in dry skin. Chemicals can also take away natural skin oils, leading to dry skin. If you’re thinking you don’t interact with many chemicals, cleaners and detergents qualify as chemicals. Perfumes also qualify.

Applying a lotion or moisturizer helps form an effective barrier to moisture loss through the skin during bone-dry winter weather. A good cream or lotion is best applied soon after bathing, when skin is still damp.

And by the way, even though water doesn’t cure dry skin, most of us could still stand to drink more of it. + — by F. E. Gilliard, MD, Family Medicine 639 13th St Augusta, GA 30901 706-823-5052

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW res?

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k good eno r skin can ugh cer? son.” o

k

alvin Fred was a lonely Indian from the Southwest. His exact tribe I do not recall nor is it of any great importance, at least not to me. I liked him. Whether he like me or just tolerated me, I’m not sure. But not only was he lonely, he was shy and reticent.

Calvin Fred wanted to meet a girl, but not immediately in the flesh. He wanted to write letters to her and for her to answer. I knew a very nice lady who also was lonely and some distance away. So I spoke with her. She was intrigued. She would be happy to write Calvin Fred and to meet him someday if all goes well, should he so choose.

I was very careful how I described her to Calvin Fred because I wanted this to work out.

Calvin Fred asked, “Is she fat?”

I had carefully skipped over the fact that she weighed 230 pounds, thinking this might be a put off to him.

But I was wrong. Her

ABOUT THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

weight was a big factor with him. In his eyes, skinny girls are not beautiful. He wanted “some meat on her bones.” As it turned out, a lot of meat on her bones.

“What is a good weight?”

I asked, not knowing exactly what to expect.

Calvin Fred said, “Well, at least 250 pounds.” There was a hopeful look in his eye and great relief in my heart.

I changed my tune and said she weighed somewhere between 230 and 250 pounds, but most likely would be willing to gain some weight to make him happy ... if the relationship worked out.

They wrote letters. They spoke on the phone. They met in person. Three months later she moved in with him.

Beauty is in the eye... and mind... of the beholder. Reality as we know it is a matter of perspective. While we all may see the same thing, what we think about it varies widely, depending on your background, situation, and inclinations.

For instance, let’s look at FREE T AKE-H OME C OPY!

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AUGUSTA

MEDICAL EXAMINER

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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

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

This newspaper is delivered to more than

600

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t s e B penicillin. For mankind and other mammals penicillin is a gift from God. Penicillin and many other antibiotics cure infections, prolong life, and reduce suffering. For mammals, that’s a good thing.

But it is not so good if you are a gram-positive bacteria. To them, penicillin is a deadly curse that has killed many billions of bacteria. To them, penicillin is a very bad thing.

Or look at termites. In their stomachs, termites harbor a special bacteria that is necessary for termites to digest cellulose. So that’s a good thing for the termite, otherwise termites would starve to death.

But to those of us who live in houses made of wood, that special strain of bacteria is an evil. The bacteria makes it possible for termites to destroy our homes.

Brewer’s yeast converts sugars to alcohol. Without this special yeast we would not have beer, wine, or of any the hard liquors that our society seems to so love. Also, we

e n i c i d ME

would not have the alcohol that is used to destroy bacteria that grows on the skin and can cause severe infections.

If you’re a barkeep, alcohol is a wonderful thing because it makes you a living. But if you’re in law enforcement, alcohol is a public enemy because it leads to traffic fatalities, DUI arrests, and numerous court appearances.

If you were in medical practice a century ago, alcohol was used for medicinal purposes, both internally and externally.

Now that we have better antiseptics, alcohol in the emergency room is an evil rather than a godsend.

Our views of politicians are pretty much the same as of microorganisms. If the politician does something or passes a law that you like, then he is great. If you don’t like what he does, then he’s evil.

The politician hasn’t changed.

The only difference is how his actions affect you personally.

What is good for one may not necessarily be good for

the other. (Reconsidered the example of the termite above.)

We have clichés to describe this mindset: “Rabbit huntin’ ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun.”

“Whether or not ‘coon hunting is fun, depends on whether you’re on the ground looking up ... or in the tree looking down.”

“Everybody is a racist ... except me.”

“There are many religions in the world. Unfortunately all of them are wrong ... except mine.”

So, whether you are right or wrong about any given subject depends upon who your peers are, what your objectives are, what your personal situation happens to be.

When Chevy Chase slips and falls, as he has done it so many movies and Saturday Night Live episodes, we smile and laugh. It would not be so funny if it were you who slipped and fell.

Perspective is everything. + 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 706-306-9397

THE EXAMINER IS PUBLISHED EVERY 1ST & 3RD FRIDAY

private practice doctor’s offices and to 14 area hospitals.

+

We are Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper

Clinically proven. Doctor recommended.

THIS PAGE IS PRESENTED IN LIVING COLOR IN THE ONLINE EXAMINER. THEY ALL ARE, ACTUALLY. VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM/NEWS FOR NEW CONTENT EVERY DAY.

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING OUR ADVERTISERS!

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FEBRUARY 20, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School MEDICINE IN THE FIRST PERSON

Preparing students for careers in the medical field According to the recently published “100 Best Jobs” ranking from U.S. News and World Report, six of the top ten jobs on the list are in the medical field, as are fully one-third of the top jobs. Many of these jobs are medical professionals with whom we come into contact occasionally — doctors, nurses, x-ray technicians, dental assistants, and pharmacists. Other jobs on the list are “hidden” medical professionals that we would only come into contact with under special circumstances, or medical professionals who often work behind the scenes. These jobs include clinical laboratory technician, respiratory therapist, sonographer, occupational therapist, and epidemiologist.

Other jobs on the “100 Best” list are not always well understood by the general public, i.e. nurse practitioner, physician assistant, paramedic, occupational therapist assistant, and physical therapy assistant. Also on the list are entry level jobs that can provide a future healthcare professional with valuable experience and training – personal care assistant, nursing assistant, and medical assistant.

At A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School, our mission is to expose students who are interested in a healthcare career to all of these professions to help them make an informed choice. We

have partnerships with Richmond County Emergency Management Agency, Georgia Regents Medical Center, University Hospital, Richmond County Health Department, Shepeard Community Blood Center and Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home. These partnerships allow our students to shadow medical professionals in a variety of areas and to participate in community outreach activities using the skills they have learned.

This year our students have participated in a cardiac screening for student athletes in partnership with University Hospital. The Emergency Medical Responder students are now Richmond County CERT Team #11 thanks to training from Richmond County Emergency Management Agency. Their training included a mock disaster drill and many of the students participated in an active shooter drill at University Hospital to test the response of hospital security and law enforcement.

Students from our new Dental Assisting Program are gaining experience by shadowing dental and dental hygienist students at the GRU Dental School and Richmond County Health Department. The future nurses and doctors in our Nursing Assistant program spend several mornings a week working beside the staff at Georgia War Veterans Please see A. R. JOHNSON page 10

My measles I

graduated from high school before the measles vaccine was developed.

Before the 1960s, children got measles most often, although adults were not immune. Few died from measles, a virus of which it is said a person can have only once because a person builds up antibodies that prevent future cases.

I was an exception to the rule. I had measles several times, and once, roseola, an angry red rash similar to measles. The doctor told my parents there were seven kinds of measles and I could have them seven times each.

Medicine has come a long way.

I’ll never forget being elected Princess of the second grade only to come down with measles and have to miss the parade of classes wearing

I had it several times. cloak and crown beside my Prince.

Measles are contagious. A common practice in the 1940s was for parents to take a child over 5 years old to visit a child who had the measles in order to expose him to the virus. The idea was to get measles and develop the antibodies before he reached an age where having measles was more dangerous.

As I matured I evidently outgrew my tendency to have measles. Unfortunately, though, I had chicken pox and mumps with my children. + — by P. Chavous Augusta, 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.

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

Southern Girl Eats Clean

Mediterranean Vegetable Frittata

I love breakfast food, don’t you?

I enjoy serving omelets, but it’s so hard to make omelets for everyone, keep the food hot and have the whole family be able eat at the same time, right?

My solution: serve a frittata.

Frittatas are super easy and quick to put together. We always make them on holidays or if we have guest in the house staying overnight. Frittatas are truly a one dish meal. You just saute everything in a skillet and pour the eggs over top and cook until the eggs are done. Top with cheese if you like or not. It’s a very versatile dish.

There are so many delicious combinations for a breakfast frittata: • Potato, shallot and prosciutto and smoked mozzarella on top • Assorted veggies....zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, with goat cheese • Asparagus, onion and sundried tomato with Fontina cheese • Smoked turkey, caramelized onions and gruyere cheese on top • Smoked salmon, onion with arugula and goat cheese to top This Mediterranean frittata is definitely our favorite. We love this flavor combination.

Use pastured eggs whenever bottom is turning slightly brown.

Directions: possible, from chickens that If so, remove from heat.

Begin by tying on a cute apron. have roamed in the pasture and Place the skillet in the preNext, pre-heat the broiler of pecked the ground for bugs heated oven under the broiler. your oven to high heat. and worms as God intended Watch closely until the top of the Heat olive oil and ghee in a (in my opinion). These eggs frittata is completely set, about 9-10 inch skillet over medium to are healthier and contain more 8-10 minutes. Depending on your high heat.

Omega 3, vitamins A and E, and oven you may cover with a Place sliced onions and less fat and cholesterol than eggs mushrooms in pan and saute piece of foil again to prevent produced by caged chickens. until softened, 5-8 minutes. the top from browning too I hope you’ll give this dish a Then add in the spinach; saute much. try this weekend. It’s healthy, only enough to wilt the spinach, Once the eggs on the frittata clean and so yummy. Enjoy! then remove skillet from heat. are set, remove from the oven Spread all veggies evenly over and scatter diced tomatoes, Ingredients: the skillet bottom. feta cheese and chopped basil • 1 Tbsp. of olive oil In a mixing bowl, whisk the 8 on top.

• 1 Tbsp. of ghee (Clarified butter eggs and add a pinch of salt and Slice into wedges and serve with all milk fats removed) + cracked black pepper. immediately.

• 8 pastured eggs Place the skillet back onto high • 1/2 of a purple onion, thinly to medium heat.

Alisa Rhinehart writes the blog sliced www.southerngirleatsclean.com Pour the eggs into the skillet • 7-8 Baby Bella mushrooms, She is a working wife and mother and allow to cook until the edges thinly sliced living in Evans, start to harden.

You may want • 1 container of baby spinach Georgia. Visit her to place the lid (or foil) over the • 1 tomato, seeded and chopped blog for more recipes skillet to allow the eggs to steam • 1/4 - 1/2 cup of crumbled feta and information on and cook.

Check often. cheese clean eating.

When you see that the edges • 1/4 cup finely chopped basil are starting to harden, lift an • A pinch of salt and cracked edge with a spatula to see if the black pepper

Mediterranean Vegetable Frittata

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY

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

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

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.

GRAPEFRUIT AND ITS INTERACTION WITH MEDICINES

G

rapefruit and its extracts and components have a variety of uses from cosmetics to medicines from treating cholesterol and cancer to being used to help with skin conditions.

But what effect does it have on medications that you take for any number of conditions? The answer can be “a lot.”

Grapefruit can interfere with the enzyme pathway that metabolizes many other drugs. Since the chemistry of grapefruit and its juice can vary based on species, growing conditions, and the process used to extract the juice, effects can also vary. Consult your doctor about whether you can take your medicines with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. For the rest of this article grapefruit will refer to the fruit and the juice (not the extract) unless otherwise specified. We will go thru the most common medicines that have a major interaction with grapefruit.

Buspirone and benzodiazepines are affected by grapefruit.

Their effects and side effects can be increased when combined with grapefruit. This is also true for certain statins used to treat high cholesterol, and high blood pressure medicines such as calcium channel blockers and carvedilol. In the latter example you could get a much sharper drop in blood pressure, possibly to a dangerously low level. The steroid known as methylprednisolone is also affected, as the body is slower to get the medicine out of your system, so levels can build up. This can lead to numerous side effects, including immune system suppression. The antihistamine fexofenadine and the antifungal agents itraconazole and ketoconazole, all have increases in levels due to grapefruit, which resulting side effects. Three other medicines that have a severe grapefruit interaction are estrogen, carbamazepine and the over-the-counter cough suppressant dextromethorphan.

Some other medicines have mild to moderate but still potentially significant interaction. These include caffeine,

♥

erythromycin, losartan, warfarin and some stomach reflux medicines. The effect of these medicines can be increased by grapefruit, or the good effects of the medicine can be decreased, causing a relapse of the original problem. An example of this type of interaction is the blood pressure medicine losartan mentioned earlier. Also certain anti-inflammatory drugs can be affected by grapefruit. These include meloxicam, celecoxib, diclofenac and ibuprofen.

The question has always been and will perhaps always will be about how much grapefruit causes the various interactions. The consensus right now is that grapefruit should be avoided if you are taking a medicine that interacts with it. Taking them at separate times of day or consuming a reduced amount of grapefruit is not considered a suitable remedy for the interaction; the effects can still occur. This is partially due to our discussion earlier about variations in grapefruit chemistry. You never know an exact composition of grapefruit.

As we discover more and more new medications and do more research on existing medications we are always adding to the list of medicines that interact with grapefruit. So even if you are in the clear right now, be sure to check with your doctor with each medicine addition or change for new interactions.

Also check at your annual visit to see if new information is available for your maintenance medicines. We are also finding out that other fruits can cause similar interactions. Certain types of oranges, as well as limes and pomelos can cause a problem.

Do research to see if any citrus fruit you consume contains furanocoumarins, which is thought to be the active ingredient in this interaction. + Questions about this article or suggestions for future columns can be sent to us at cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net Written for the Medical Examiner by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson (cjdlpdrph@bellsouth.net )

February is Heart Health Month

(So are the other eleven at Parks Pharmacy)

P

ARKS

HARMACY

Hometown. Not big box.

437 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, SC

803-279-7450 parkspharmacy.com

Rd. 30907

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

DON’T LICK THE BEATERS Useful food facts from dietetic interns with University Hospital’s Augusta Area Dietetic Internship Program

I

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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

It’s time for farmers markets

t is almost that time of year again when local farmers share their produce with the community, giving everybody the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of fresh foods without the toil and trouble of gardening. This farmers market season, get out there and get to know your local farmers to gain a deeper appreciation for your food. Shopping at a farmers market provides more benefits than just eating fresh, such as supporting local businesses, receiving helpful recommendations for food preparation, trying new fruits and vegetables, enjoying their wide acceptance of WIC and SNAP cards, providing learning opportunities for children, and receiving the most nutritional value while fresh food is at its peak.

Farmers markets offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, but what many people do not know is that all the ingredients required to create a complete meal are available. Items such as eggs, cheese, meat, and herbs are also common items sold at local farmers markets. These seasonal produce items are not only more flavorful, but also are more affordable. Before you start planning recipes, though, it is important to pay attention to which fruits and vegetables are in season.

Read the following lists to find out when your favorite produce is in season.

Spring: Apricots, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Celery, Cabbage, Green Onions, Kale, Peas, Radishes, Rhubarb, Spinach, Squash, Snow Peas, Strawberries, Zucchini Summer: Bell Peppers, Blackberries, Blueberries, Butter Beans, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Field Peas, Figs, Garlic, Grapes, Green Beans, Honeydew, Hot Peppers, Okra, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Watermelon, Zucchini Fall: Apples, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Collard Greens, Garlic, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash Winter: Apples, Beets, Bok Choy, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collard Greens, Grapefruit, Kale, Leeks, Lemons, Lettuce, Onions, Oranges, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Rutabagas, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash

Augusta-Area

Now that you know when your favorite seasonal produce is available, step outside the box this year and buy local at the following Augusta Farmers Markets.

Augusta State Farmers Market 1150 5th Street, Augusta 706-721-3004 Open daily year-round Aiken County Farmers Market Williamsburg Street, Aiken 803-648-4123 Mon-Sat, April-November: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm

“There are many wonderful things to know and love about Augusta Locally Grown. My top three favorite things are 1) Freshness - the food is fresh and therefore tastes significantly better, and as an added bonus it will also last longer in the refrigerator. 2) Using the online farmer’s market system allows you to pick what you need from week to week, and that is great for busy families who may have different needs each week.

3) Lastly, I love supporting our local economy and the local farmers who work hard producing this nutrient rich food.

“In addition, the opportunity to learn more about foods, try different items, and meet the farmers is wonderful. Nowhere else will you find such a group of people willing to share their expertise with you.”

Visit www.augustalocallygrown. org to learn more.

Columbia County Farmers Market 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd 706-288-7895 Every Thursday, AprilAugust: 4:30pm-7pm Saturday Market on Broad 416 8th Street, Augusta 706-722-8000 Every Saturday, April-August: 8am-12pm Can’t find the time to make it to the farmer’s market? No problem! Try using Augusta Locally Grown! Augusta Locally Grown is a modern-day farmer’s market that allows locals to order fresh produce of their choice straight from the internet. Kim Beavers, Media Relations, Outreach Dietitian at University Hospital shares her passion for Augusta Locally Grown by stating the following:

Next time you find yourself with fresh ingredients from a farmer’s market, try this recipe found on augusta.locallygrown. net: Vegetable Beef Stew Ingredients: - 1.5-2 lbs lean stew beef - 6 cups beef broth - 1 large onion, chopped - 1 bay leaf - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper - 2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed - 2 celery ribs, sliced - 1 can diced tomatoes - 4 tablespoons tomato paste - 1.5-2 cups cut green beans (optional) - 1/2 head cabbage - 2 medium carrots, sliced Instructions: 1. Brown stew meat in dutch oven or large stock pot about 12 min. Drain excess grease.

2. Add beef broth, onion, pepper, and bay leaf to the beef.

Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.

3. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, tomato paste and let simmer 20 min. Add cabbage and continue to simmer another 15-20 min. + — by Kelsi Brock, Augusta Area Dietetic Internship at University Hospital

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+ 10

The Money Doctor Teaching Kids to Have a Good Relationship with Money

T

he famous Spanish philosopher, Maimonides, famously said “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

This same concept applies to the money skills we teach our children. Taking the time to teach the children in your life about money can have a positive impact on their overall health and well-being.

Children will naturally learn by observing you and your relationship with money, so the most important thing you can do is model good behavior for them. Basic finance courses are still not taught in many schools so having a proactive plan is important as your child grows older.

The first step to teaching children about money is being honest about the money skills you do or do not possess.

Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses will help you identify what areas you may need help

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

teaching. For areas you need help with consider talking with a family member, friend, or your financial advisor.

Many financial advisors are more than happy to talk with current clients about this and depending on their skill set, could play an important role in helping with the educational process.

A common myth about financial education is that you should start in the teens or early adulthood.

However, many psychologists recommend that you start as early as possible. The early years in a child’s life offer many teachable moments that can be synchronized with developmental milestones.

Here are some basic examples of teachable moments and items you can consider implementing at different stages.

Young Children - Your child picks up a coin or dollar bill and asks, “What’s this?”

This is a great age to develop

basic money skills. Keep the focus on tangible concepts (coins & bills; exchanges of money for items) rather than abstract concepts (debt and credit cards). Introducing an allowance to help children purchase a toy or snack opens the door for conversations about what certain amounts of money can buy, or even why the cost includes tax and what tax is for.

Pre-Teen – This is a great time to introduce concepts such as checks and ATMs, which can lead to conversations about why we keep money at a bank. You can also add another level of responsibility to their allowance by having them use it for larger purchases such as recreation, entertainment, or clothing. If they run out, that is a great time to help them make the connection between personal responsibility, delayed gratification, and

their ability to achieve goals.

Delayed gratification is one of the most important concepts to teach our children. The inability to delay gratification can cause significant financial problems later in life. Having to save for a larger purchase also helps them learn the importance of working hard in order to achieve a goal.

Teenagers - Here the teachable moments will be endless. At this stage of life they are working to establish their independence, so increasing responsibility and allowing for mistakes will help them understand the consequences. This will help them avoid larger mistakes later on when the stakes are higher. Consider helping your children get their first checking account, set up a cash reserves fund, and get a low limit credit card. As part of using a credit card, it is important to help kids understand that they should already have the money saved for any purchases they are putting on a credit card. That way when the bill comes, they can pay off the card immediately and in full.

Getting into a bad habit of not paying credit cards off each month early in life puts many in a hole that is difficult to recover from.

Saving, Giving, & Investing – The three jar concept can be used at all stages with the jars becoming bank accounts as the children grow older. With young children you can put three jars out, labeled spending, saving, and giving. The children can choose to put a specific part of their allowance in each.

You can also consider adding a matching amount to the saving and giving jars. In the pre-teen years you can open a UTMA/UGMA account to start introducing basic investment concepts by showing your child the account statements each month or quarter.

Talking about money with children does not come naturally, so a couple times each year take a few minutes to evaluate your children’s money skills along with your own. Then put a plan in place to continue learning and improving those skills as it will lead to fiscal rewards and increased personal happiness for everyone. +

by Clayton Quamme. Clayton is a financial planner with Preston & Cleveland Wealth Management, LLC (www.preston-cleveland. com). Preston & Cleveland is a fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm with offices in Atlanta and Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC.

TOOTHACHE

A. R. JOHNSON… from page 6

Boardwalk to Bark Place Kennnel & Daycare welcoming dogs 40 lbs and under 5873 Huntington Drive Grovetown, Georgia (706) 840-3141 (706) 556-8127 www.boardwalktobarkplace.com

Nursing Home. Our Patient Care Technician students learn basic phlebotomy and how to perform 12-lead EKGs. All senior students spend time at the Health Department so they will become familiar with community resources – important knowledge for any medical professional.

All students graduate from A.R Johnson with at least one credential that would help them get an entry-level medical job. Our pass rate for these exams in 2014 was 100 percent! The students are prepared for these credentialing exams through classroom, lab, and clinical/ shadowing experiences. An important and expensive part of the lab experience is equipment. We would be happy to have your used or expired equipment. We are especially interested in equipment for our new dental program, including instruments and a dental chair. We can arrange to have the equipment picked up if needed, and we can give you a receipt showing a tax deductible donation.

We are also interested in speakers and demonstrations

Emergency Medical Responder students Jachua Polcyn and Arianna Barnes practice proper fire extinguisher use during the Teen Community Emergency Response training provided by Richmond County Emergency Management Agency. (A.R. Johnson photo)

for our students, especially from those “hidden” medical professions.

Please contact Dr. Lynne Clarke, Health Science Department Chair, at clarkwi@boe.richmond.k12. ga.us or 706-8323-6933 if

you would like to discuss an equipment donation or a class visit. + Source: http://money.usnews. com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/the100-best-jobs

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

11 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

From the Bookshelf The blog spot — Posted by Richard Young, MD at healthscareonline.com on January 25, 2015

BAD FAMILY MEDICINE As much as I have given the ologists and other members of the dysfunctional U.S. healthcare system a hard time in previous posts, it’s only fair that I call out bad family medicine as well. I have a great example.

I recently saw patient who is relatively new to the area who had seen another family physician in my community.

He is 39-year-old male and his only significant potential health problem is borderline hypertension.

When he came to see me he brought a bag full of about 6 medicines and was scared because he was told that he had a host of medical problems. Best I can tell, there were some insurance issues that caused him to seek care at my facility: private doctors not taking one of the low-pay exchange plans I suspect. He had saved a copy of the paperwork he received from the previous family physician, which included a “complete set of blood work.”

It would take too long to write out all that he was subjected to, so I’ll give you the main categories of blood tests. They included panels (meaning more than one test per panel) of labs for cardiac dysfunction, cardio metabolic markers, lipids, lipoprotein particles and apolipoproteins, inflammation oxidation markers, myocardial stress/ function, platelet function, lipoprotein genetics, platelet genetics, coagulation genetics, other metabolic functions, renal, sterol absorption markers, sterol synthesis markers, glycemic control (more than an A1C), insulin resistance, beta cell function, electrolytes, liver functions, male and female hormones, thyroid function (8 tests in that panel), urinalysis, CBC with differential, PSA, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, other fatty acids, and a few more that are harder to categorize.

The patient’s TSH was perfectly normal, but this doctor had prescribed levothyroxine. His cholesterol was 203, LDLcholesterol 133 and HDL 54, but she put him on a statin. His blood pressure, best I can tell, was never measured higher than the low 150s, but he was prescribed three blood pressure medicines. His pressure was way on the low side of the normal range when measured at my clinic. He also brought a list of stuff from the grocery store he was supposed to take every day such as so many teaspoons of cinnamon, cloves, and some other plants and spices.

What an incredible waste. This poor guy was exposed to financial harm, psychological harm, and completely unnecessary medications. I made my best guess about the minimal regimen he would require to keep him in good stead for the next few years (one blood pressure medicine). I have not seen him back yet for follow-up.

I wish there were some mechanism to report this heinous care that did not involve the state medical board. This lousy care is just as bad as when a cardiologist performed an unnecessary stent or an orthopedist does an unnecessary joint replacement.

At least I have a glimmer of hope that this kind of behavior could be captured using billing data. As the pundits talk about quality of care and metrics, reforming this kind of outlier poor performance would be much more meaningful to our country’s future than the meaningless use criteria being foisted on us now. +

This man was exposed to heinous care.

Speaking of blogs, the Medical Examiner’s blog is found at www.AugustaRx.com/news It features new content daily.

Reading this book calls to mind the famous quote by Stuart Chase: “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.”

We are currently rehashing issues that were hotly debated in the 1700s and even earlier: the first military defeat in American history happened when George Washington vacillated on whether or not to have his troops vaccinated against smallpox. After a forced retreat he made inoculation mandatory.

That he was unsure of the safety of vaccines was not an evidence of the thinking of the day. As Eula Biss shows in this slim but well-researched volume, many centuries before George Washington vaccines were the subject of broad acceptance and pockets of entrenched skepticism.

The more things change, it seems, the more they stay the same.

The debate has little to do with fact, although this book is densely packed with them. Consider a little of the related history Biss reviews: the theory that AIDS is a government plot to kill

segments of the population the government supposedly views as undesirable. As one African man near AIDS’ ground zero remarked, however, wouldn’t it have been simpler to poison their Coca-Cola than to concoct a virulent disease?

Another: Cotton Mather, became a proponent of variolation in the early 1700s (coincidentally, not long after losing his wife and three children to measles), and was rewarded by a firebomb thrown through his window.

Consider the so-called anti-vaxxers who ignore the mountains of evidence provided

by the CDC, the World Health Organization and countless independent studies by organizations with impeccable credentials, and instead hitch their wagons to a disgraced doctor and a former Playmate of the Year (see page one).

Indeed, this debate is really not about facts. It’s about trust: of government, of the medical profession, and of the pharmaceutical industry.

As Biss acknowledges, there are plenty of reasons to distrust all three. That does not mean, however, that everything they endorse or recommend is some diabolical plot. If it is, one has to wonder what’s behind government speed limits, healthful suggestions from the medical field (like encouragement to quit smoking), and aspirin tablets made by the pharmaceutical industry.

The best idea may be found in the words of Biss herself, who suggests that we should “trust, but in an intelligent, skeptical way.”

Her book will help you do just that. + On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss, 205 pages, published in January 2014 by Graywolf Press

Research News Cholesterol rollback Don’t take this as a blank check, but the #1 nutrition advisory panel in the land (the highly influential Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee) is dropping its caution about eating cholesterol-rich food.

Here’s the catch: high levels of LDL in the bloodstream (so-called bad cholesterol) are still considered a bad thing.

There is no change there.

What is new is a shift in thinking caused by research that shows eating foods high in cholesterol doesn’t have a significant effect on the levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream. It’s like pouring something into a tanker truck’s huge trailer; it really has no effect on the gas tank of the truck itself.

Researchers are learning that a diet heavy on saturated fats is of far more direct concern than dietary cholesterol.

As alluded to above, the

forthcoming change, which is somewhat controversial among nutritionists and public health officials, should not be considered a blank check to go hog wild on cholesterol-rich foods like eggs, shrimp and lobster.

There will continue to be people with particular health issues — diabetes, for example — who should continue to avoid foods high in cholesterol.

The subject would make a good question to ask your doctor about during your next visit.

Make a note right now.

More changed thinking A study by the American Cancer Society and several universities published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine says previous estimates of tobacco’s toll on health is much worse than traditionally suspected.

Previous estimates of tobacco’s death toll — nearly

half a million premature deaths in the US every year — were “substantially underestimated.”

Studies that followed nearly a million smokers, former smokers and never-smoked patients for a decade found that smoking was linked to increased risk of infection, kidney and liver disease, intestinal diseases caused by tobacco-related impaired circulation, and certain heart and lung ailments, all of which were not previously attributed to tobacco.

The new findings add as many as 120,000 additional annual deaths to tobacco use.

The evidence shows that smokers die, on average, more than a decade younger than nonsmokers, says one epidemiologist who participated in the study.

About 42 million Americans still smoke, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 percent of women and 21 percent of men. +

+ 12

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE EXAMiNERS +

by Dan Pearson

Well, here’s news It seems like it will be of one of the a great help to those first local uses of who need it. medical marijuana.

I agree. I hope it’s approved right away.

Who does that? I mean approves it?

I believe that would be the Joint Commission.

Duh. I feel like an idiot.

The Mystery Word for this issue: HAHOOCETT

© 2015 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Mitchell’s magnum opus, in brief 5. Free from doubt 9. Enterprise add-on 13. Scarce 14. Angry 16. Type of circle 17. Thrifty 19. Thug or bully 20. The Father 21. A token thrown to someone 22. Happenings 24. Highway division 25. Roman poet 26. Sid, former Brave 29. _________ school 33. Anorak 34. Network of nerves 35. Massage sounds 36. Slender woodwind 37. Summerville library 39. Colored eye area 40. Abdominal disorder, for short 41. 1995 farm film 42. Plants, generally 43. A nobleman’s vassal 45. Lucky ______, nickname for Charles Lindbergh 46. Oldest son of Saddam Hussein 47. Capital of Western Samoa 49. Heart lead-in (in Augusta) 52. Family 53. Period of history 56. Coil 57. Uninterested in politics 60. A canal of note 61. Orange variety 62. Small piece of wood 63. Gabriella’s nickname 64. Optical device 65. Right angles

BY

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Click on “READER CONTESTS”

QUOTATION PUZZLE 30

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VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM

23

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

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

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P H G O A S R S R E E P P T F O A

45

46 49

11

25

33

43

10

19

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40

9 15

24 26

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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

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M E E E

D S H N N W Z O ’ R H R S T W E S A A I C A O I L H R E M

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 All rights reserved

59

— Unknown

62 64

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.

65

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 All rights reserved. Built in part with software from www.crauswords.com

DOWN 1. Cheap gas seller in North Augusta 2. City in central Texas 3. Stepped 4. Benign cyst of the skin 5. Paul of music 6. Kidney by-product 7. Contest 8. Bush Field abbrev.

9. Local URL pre-Azziz (minus “dot”) 10. ______ man 11. Spoils or plunder 12. Many nurses 15. Raise 18. POTUS, currently 23. See; consult 24. Superior, for example 25. Minerals 26. Gulf petrol leaker 27. Synagogue scholar 28. Uneven 29. Jackets’ color

30. Braves Hall of Fame inductee 31. ______ degree 32. Short literary composition 37. Month of Muslim fasting 38. Online auctioneer 39. Hip bones 41. English monk 42. Michigan city 44. Early-season Heisman frontrunner (of 2014) 47. Area congressman sworn in on 01/03/15 48. Buckets 49. SC utility 50. Symptom of migraine sufferers 51. Child’s bed 52. Small, sheltered bay 53. Old Lynx league (abbrev.)

54. Half a train track 55. Mont Blanc range 58. Buddy 59. Type of water?

S

E6

5 1 7 8 6 5 2 7 6 5 4 8 4 2 5 3 1 5 1 2 8 3 9 3 8 6 4

X A M I N E R

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 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.

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 2

1 2

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4

1 2

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 1 2 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4

1 2 3

1 2 3 4

1 2 3

1.WAAYYLIBISOFTT 2.VOOOOSTEWERHAL 3.AALLUUMOTTE 4.TEMKNRY 5.OE 6.RN 7.E

SAMPLE:

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

L 1

O 2

V E 31 24 3

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

I 3

N 4

D 5

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2015 All rights reserved

WORDS NUMBER

1

THE MYSTERY WORD

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

13 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE BEST MEDICINE ha... ha...

“Can you get this thing to work?” he asked in return.

“Certainly,” she said. She turned the machine on, inserted the paper he handed her and pressed the start button just as the intern said, “I’ll need two copies of that.”

Five doctors went duck hunting one day.

Included in the group were a general practice (GP) physician, a pediatrician, a psychiatrist, a surgeon and a pathologist.

After a few minutes, a bird came winging nock knock! overhead. The first to react was the GP, who Who’s there? raised his shotgun, but then hesitated. “I’m HIPAA. not quite sure it’s a duck,” he said, “I think I HIPAA who? should get a second opinion.” And of course Sorry, I can’t tell you that. by that time, the bird was long gone.

Moments later another bird appeared in A lady came in for a routine physical at her the sky. This time, the pediatrician drew a doctor’s office and spent over an hour in the bead on it. He too, however, was unsure if it waiting room after signing in. was really a duck in his sights, and besides, Finally a nurse called her name. “Here,” the it might have babies. “I’ll have to do some nurse said, handing the lady a urine specimen more investigating,” he muttered, as the container. “The bathroom is this door on your creature made good its escape. right, and afterward the doctor will see you Next to spy a bird flying overhead was right here in exam room 3.” the sharp-eyed psychiatrist. Shotgun A few minutes later the lady came in to the shouldered, he was certain of his intended exam room with a relieved look on her face and an empty specimen container, which she handed prey’s identity. “Now, I know it’s a duck, but does it know it’s a duck?” The fortunate bird to the waiting nurse. disappeared while the doctor wrestled with “Thanks anyway,” she said. “That was very this dilemma. thoughtful, but there was a toilet in there so I Finally, a fourth fowl sped past and this didn’t need this after all.” time the surgeon’s weapon pointed skyward followed instantly by a deafening BOOM! Walking past the nurse’s station one night The surgeon lowered his smoking gun, at the hospital, a nurse noticed a new intern standing in front of the shredder with a piece of then turned to the pathologist beside him paper in his hand and a puzzled look on his face. and said, “Go see if that was a duck, will you?” + “Can I help you with something?” she asked.

K

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.

The Patient’s Perspective

by Marcia Ribble

H

ardly any of us likes being in a hospital, and much less so if a holiday is approaching, as I noted in my last column. But there I was, like it or not, in one crazy inflatable hospital bed. The bed was designed to help patients on forced bed rest to avoid any possible skin lesions on pressure points like the elbows, hips and buttocks. To make that happen, the bed continuously inflated and deflated day and night.

Putting it as mildly as I can and with the stentorian tones of the British monarchy, I was NOT amused!

In fact, that bed made me quite cranky, a crankiness relieved only by another change of antibiotics, and the very gentle and loving care I was receiving from all the staff I encountered, and the dear ladies on the other side of the curtain. I usually don’t complain much, but I did complain while I was in that “bed.”

I could not sit up to eat and that annoyed me a lot.

Because I couldn’t sit up, I couldn’t even see the food on my tray, let alone force it to move against gravity down my throat. Even water threatened to drown me. It didn’t, of course, but that didn’t calm my fears, nor ensure I could take in enough nourishment to help my legs heal. At one point, from sheer frustration, I simply refused to eat.

In addition, the posture I was forced into by the bed, with a curved spine and my chin on my chest, really exacerbated my asthma and allergies, so I coughed relentlessly, trying to open up my airways without much success.

Talk is cheap.

Not talking can be deadly.

Finally, towards the end of my stay, one brilliant nurse suggested that they bring in a wheelchair so I could sit up to eat. Oh my goodness, what a difference that made!

At last I could see my food.

I could eat and swallow easily. I could drink without feeling like I was drowning.

Best of all, I could breathe without struggling to do so.

What a sense of freedom that brought!

What I learned from the experience was that most of the staff on the floor really wanted to find ways to make me feel more comfortable while maintaining the proper level of care. Being made to feel uncomfortable was not their goal at all, and we finally found a strategy that worked for all of us.

So don’t give up if a treatment has negative consequences for you. Work to find words to articulate as clearly as you can what the problem is from your perspective, because medical schools do not train medical personnel to read minds. + Marcia Ribble received her PhD in English at Michigan State and retired from the University of Cincinnati. She taught writing at the college level, most recently at Virginia College in Augusta, and loves giving voice to people who have been silenced. She can be reached at marciaribble@hotmail.com.

+ +

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

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

NAME ADDRESS CITY

STATE

ZIP

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

TO OUR READERS AND OUR ADVERTISERS

+ 14

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: ACTIVITY ...cleverly hidden (in the bricks) in the p. 9 ad for WILD WING CAFE Congratulations to CHARLIE McCORD, who scores a coveted Scrubs of Evans gift card, 2 movie passes courtesy of Health Center Credit Union, and a $20 Wild Wing Cafe gift certificate. Want to find your name here next issue? The new Mystery Word is on page 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 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. 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!

Augusta Medical Examiner Classifieds

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

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

CONDO FOR RENT 2 bdrm 1 bath unfurn upstairs condo; carport; pool; outside laundry. Country Club Hills condos, Milledge Rd near GRU/ASU. $750/$750 dep. We furnish water, you pay electric. (706) 736-7168; email:ronst79@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

ROOMMATE WANTED! 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath house with pool, 2 minutes from colleges. Perfect for medical or grad students. $425+share utils. 706.993.6082 WEST AUGUSTA House for rent. 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1500 sqft, 1-car garage, 3024 Sterling Road, located off Stevens Creek at Riverwatch Pkwy. $850/mo. Call 678467-7187.

FOR SALE: 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.

CEMETERY PLOTS Side-by-side cemetery plots for sale located at the Heart Section of Hillcrest Cemetery. $3600 for BOTH. (706) 798-8495

SERVICES HOUSE CLEANING Your house, apartment, rental move-outs. Thorough, dependable.

Weekly, or whatever schedule you prefer.

References. 706.267.9947 HEALTH CARE - CNA offering in-home care: companion/assist with daily activities, light housekeeping, meal prep, assist with ambulation, medication reminders, grocery shopping, Dr. appts, errands, etc. Since each person’s needs are different, I will consult with you one-on-one to discuss your needs. CALL 706.833.9787 BIBLE BY PHONE - Free daily Bible readings; for Spiritual Encouragement and Growth. Call 706-855-WORD (9673)

WHAT’S YOUR DRUG OF CHOICE?

G R E G

W A C O

B P O I L

R A B B I

(OURS IS COFFEE)

S C E G

A U R A

.75

1.00

1.25

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3.75

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4.75

5.00

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5.75

6.00

6.25

6.50

6.75

7.00

7.25

7.50

7.75

8.00

8.25

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9.00

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

U R I N E

E B A Y P A L

R E A T E C A L E E V O V I G R A D R E T E E S E E F N L A P I C L A N O L I T V E L E N S

M C G E D U

I R O N

L O O T

L P N S

A A I R L O I N A E I C C H E L

T H I R D

E S S A Y

R A I L

A L P S

QUOTATION QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION: Page 12: “The person who proofed Hitler’s speeches was a grammar Nazi.”

— Unknown

The Sudoku Solution

COFFEE IS GOOD MEDICINE

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

Send this form with payment to:

T W S R E I O N O M D B O L A N E A M R K A O E R S B A E G E M U D A C R E D R L A I E N B Y

SEE PAGE 12

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

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE Ridiculously affordable and highly visible advertising available through the pages of Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper, aka the Augusta Medical Examiner. Have you heard of it or seen a copy? Rates can be reviewed at AugustaRx.com. Questions? Send an e from the website, or call the publisher directly: Dan Pearson at 706.860.5455. or Email to Dan@AugustaRx.com

THE PUZZLE SOLVED

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

.25

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.

TELL A FRIEND ABOUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER!

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

F. E. GILLIARD, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Acute & Chronic Illnesses Occupational Medicine PROMPT APPOINTMENTS 706-823-5250

VISIT DRUGOFCHOICECOFFEE.COM

6 1 3 5 8 2 9 4 7

2 8 5 9 4 7 6 1 3

4 7 9 6 1 3 5 8 2

5 6 2 1 3 9 4 7 8

8 3 7 2 6 4 1 5 9

1 9 4 8 7 5 2 3 6

3 5 6 4 9 8 7 2 1

7 4 1 3 2 6 8 9 5

9 2 8 7 5 1 3 6 4

WORDS BY NUMBER

“It is better to let someone walk away from you than all over you.”

— Unknown

Multiply by number of times ad to run: x Total submitted: $

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

Your ad should reach us no later than 7 days prior to our publication date.

Thanks for reading!

www.AugustaRx.com

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

PET VET O

15 +

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

CONTROLLING SHEDDING

ne of the most effective ways to control your pet’s shedding lies in choosing a variety that doesn’t shed much.

Like maybe goldfish. But if you’ve already brought home and fallen in love with a great

dog or cat, then what?

There are several options, and none of them involve a Fort Gordon-style buzz job.

One strategy is diet. A poor diet that provides insufficient nutrition is a great way to ensure

maximum shedding. A better diet means less shedding. Aside from quality food, there are also vitamins and supplements expressly designed to help clip shedding, some that are straight nutrition boosters, others with oils designed to help curtail shedding. Some pet owners add olive oil to their dog or cat’s food (one teaspoon per 10 lbs of weight), or include tuna or salmon in their diets as a means to increase omega-3 fatty acids. Talk to your veterinarian about both optimal diet choices and recommendations for any supplements.

Another effective tactic is the preemptive strike: rather than letting shedding happen naturally, on its own, you can

Coverups are ineffective, and unpopular with dogs anyway. take the initiative and reduce shedding through grooming.

If you regularly comb or brush your dog or cat’s coat — out in the back yard or on the patio — that much less fur will find its way into and onto your rugs, couches, chairs, pants, dresses, suits, socks, linens, and tightly sealed Tupperware food containers.

The key is to do this every day, and depending on the breed, perhaps several times a day.

Check with your DVM or pet store about the most effective type of comb, brush or rake for your pet’s particular coat.

Regular baths for your dog — don’t even try if you have a cat — can also help reduce shedding, but done too often or with the wrong shampoo can lead to dry skin and make things even worse. Do your research or call your vet for advice.

Completely eliminating shedding is impossible (unless you went for the goldfish), so if you’ve done all you can, remember the pet-owner’s maxim: no outfit is complete without dog (or cat) hair. +

+

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY DERMATOLOGY

ALLERGY

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

CHIROPRACTIC

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS

Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William M. Rice 108 SRP Drive, Suite A 706-860-4001 www.evanschiro.net Poppell Chiropractic Clinic 1106-A Furys Lane Martinez 30907 706-210-2875 Most insurance plans accepted

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

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

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

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

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

FAMILY MEDICINE F. E. Gilliard, MD Family Medicine 639 13th Street Floss ‘em or lose ‘em! Augusta 30901 706-823-5250 Industrial Medicine • Prompt appts.

Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048 Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445

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

HOSPICE

SENIOR LIVING

Medical Services of America Hospice 4314-E Belair Frontage Rd. Augusta 30909 706-447-2626

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

MEDICAL MASSAGE Medical Massage Stuart Farnell L.M.T. 803-646-1846 jsfarnell@att.net www.FarnellClinic.com

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

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

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

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Centered in Georgia Diane Young L.M.T. 4488 Columbia Rd Martinez 30907 706-251-2244

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

WEIGHT LOSS Medical Weight & Wellness Specialists of Augusta Maycie Elchoufi, MD 108 SRP Drive, Suite B Evans 30809 • 706-829-9906 www.mwwsAugusta.com

If you’d like your medical practice listed in the Professional Directory, call the Medical Examiner at 706.860.5455

+ 16

AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

Lost in the maze?

Why enter in the first place?

We know the way.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS • COMPLIANCE • WELLNESS • CONSULTING • EXCHANGES • PARTNERSHIPS • TECHNOLOGY

RUSSELL T. HEAD, CBC, CSA-PARTNER • 706-733-3459 • E: RTHEAD@GANDBC.COM • WWW.GROUPANDBENEFITS.COM