Medical Examiner 01-08-2021

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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

JANUARY 8, 2021

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THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

PARENTHOOD

by David W. Proefrock, PhD

Your 8 year-old daughter was recently hit by a car. She was seriously hurt, but there was no head injury and she will recover with no lasting harm. However, you are worried about her long-term emotional well-being. What should you do?

A. Don’t look for problems that aren’t there. She will be okay. Just leave her alone.

B. Watch her very closely for any signs of fearfulness, anxiety, and depression. Take her to a mental health professional at the first sign of something worrisome.

C. After a serious trauma, children should be in therapy.

Take her to a mental health professional for an evaluation.

D. Treat her as normally as you can. If you see signs of serious problems like grades dropping or unusual emotional or social responses, have her evaluated by a mental health professional.

If you answered: A. While you don’t want to over-react, you also don’t want to miss signs that she’s not dealing with this accident well.

Pay attention to her behavior and take her to a professional if you see something that you are worried about.

B. Watching her too closely may cause you to misinterpret normal variations in mood and behavior, but you do have to be alert for changes that are consistently worrisome.

C. The presence of trauma doesn’t necessarily mean a child should be in therapy. The presence of serious reactions to trauma does require professional intervention.

D. This is the best response. It is difficult to remain objective when your child is ill or has been hurt, so it is helpful to also consider outside measures like grades, interactions with friends, and behavior to indicate whether professional intervention is needed.

No two people react to trauma the same way. What might be a serious trauma for some might be nothing at all to someone else. It is the reaction to trauma, not the trauma itself, that determines the need for treatment. + Dr. Proefrock is a retired clinical and forensic child psychologist.

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SPEED SAVES LIVES There is a time and place for “Speed Kills.” Like if you’re talking about newbies behind the wheel. Teenage drivers and excessive speed can be a lethal combination.

On the other hand, if you’re experiencing chest pains in the back of an ambulance, you definitely want all due haste employed to get you to emergency care ASAP (as safely - and salubriously - as possible).

Which brings us to the biggest topic in the world right now combining speed and healthcare: the COVID vaccine.

While the broad consensus among experts is that the vaccine is both safe and effective, the word on the street is not nearly as reassuring. People think the vaccine was rushed into production, ignoring potential dangers and without even knowing or caring what currently unseen side effects might creep up next week or next year.

In fact, the pre-2020 world speed record for the fastest development of a vaccine was set in the 1960s when it took just four short years to develop a mumps vaccine.

So how in the world is this vaccine ready to safely go into hundreds of millions of arms just a few months after the outbreak of this virus?

One word: planning. Oh, and another word: progress.

Talking progress first, remember fax machines? The early models scanned back and forth, line after digital line.

It could take five minutes to scan a single document. Pretty soon, though, fax machines could swallow and send a document in two seconds. It’s called progress. And it is the

reason fax machines are not exactly common anymore.

The same principle is true in many fields of endeavor. Lots of things can be done lightning fast today that took hours, days, and longer even in the recent past. Medical research has benefited from this trend alongside everything else.

As for planning, researchers have been working to develop an entirely new class of vaccines for more than 25 years. Using mRNA (messenger RNA), the very key to the revolutionary COVID vaccine, has been the subject of research since the late 1980s, primary exploring its use as a possible weapon against cancer.

Back in 2012, the journal RNA Biology stated, “Two decades after the first successful administration of mRNA in vivo [in a living organism], mRNA offers a promising vaccine vector in the light of being flexible, effective and safe. Hence, it could become a ‘disruptive technology’ not just for cancer immunotherapy, but also for vaccination, either prophylactic or therapeutic, against infectious diseases.”

A good portion of the research into mRNA vaccines since the turn of the century has involved related coronaviruses of the past: SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).

So when our coronavirus came along, even though it was a “novel” or new strain, researchers already had a vast pool of solid data about how to attack it using mRNA. The 2021 vaccine didn’t just magically pop up out of thin air, from scratch, in less than a year. Its appearance could best

be summarized as a case of “preparation met opportunity.”

The research created a solution in search of an application, and COVID-19 came along very conveniently.

Despite the decades of trailblazing research that went into the initial development of this technology, overcoming countless enormous hurdles that arose at submolecular size, one single ingredient will make or break the effectiveness of this vaccine beyond the lab and out in the real world: trust.

The most effective vaccine in the world will do no one any good unless people actually take it. They have to trust its safety enough to take it. And if you haven’t noticed, there is a society-wide climate of distrust afoot.

It’s nearly impossible to battle this trend: people believe what they want to believe. Facts that agree with their views are accepted as such. Facts that disagree with and contradict their views are part of the coverup by the Left. Or by the Right.

For the 1% who might be on the fence, it’s helpful to remember that more than 30,000 volunteers worldwide participated in studies designed to test the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.

It’s also worth noting that virtually everything in life carries some degree of risk.

We accept the risk when we feel the benefits outweigh the potential risk: “I probably won’t choke to death, so I will eat this bowl of corn flakes.”

The big choice we all face right now: experts say the vaccine is safe. Experts say the virus is not.

To take or not to take.

Which risk will you choose?

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Let’s spend a few calm, quiet and rational minutes talking about everyone’s favorite subject, the coronavirus. (Part 13 of a feature of unknown duration.)

The entire coronavirus saga of 2020 illustrates a fundamental truth about patients and medical care, and offers a key lesson we can all utilize moving forward.

It is an unfortunate fact that a huge component of the big picture in medicine is us, you and me, the patients, telling doctors to undo the effects of our unrepentant lifestyles.

We’re seeing our doctors for a few minutes a year in most cases, and telling them to counteract our long months of non-salubrious habits.

Examples: “I don’t want to go on a diet. Can’t you just give me a prescription for a diet pill?”

“I’m not going to regularly exercise. Just schedule me for lipo or gastric bypass.”

It has never been more crucial to avoid this kind of conduct. Here is the latest example: “I have no intention of avoiding holiday travel or wearing a mask. Just get me that vaccine.”

Millions of Americans have ignored the warnings of public health experts over the past

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

JANUARY 8, 2021

month and packed airports and airplanes, and in other cases attended huge gatherings with little or no evidence of the basics of prevention — masks and physical distancing — in evidence.

Then again, why go to a big party and then stand six feet away from anyone? It’s almost like the decision to attend in the first place is a rejection of the prevention recommendations.

It is no doubt true that most

of us are doing our best to stay safe by wearing masks and keeping our distance from others in public. But enough people are ignoring the basics of prevention that in city after city around the nation, hospitals are overwhelmed — so are their staff members.

That could negatively affect anyone and everyone who finds himself in need of medical care for any reason, but is turned away or delayed for hours or days.

If this pandemic has offered any lasting lesson, it is this: cooperating with medical advice is always vital. We can’t do whatever we want all year long and then waltz in to a hospital or doctors office and expect medical professionals to rescue us from our own indiscretions.

Each of us needs to be part of our own healthcare team, and the most important part at that. +

“Give it to me straight, Doc. How much time do I have to ignore your advice?”

WHAT’SYOURSTORY? 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 have a personal COVID-19 story or one involving your family. Maybe you were diagnosed with a dreaded disease, were 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 medical adventures as often as we receive them. Hopefully that will be often. + 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.)

How can I clean and sanitize when stores don’t have the products?

Good question. We seem to be hitting Round Two (or is it Five? What? You say it’s Round Twelve???) of the shortage and hoarding of disinfecting wipes, bleach, toilet paper and other COVID “necessities.”

As we’re about to establish, few if any of the items that have been disappearing from the shelves of every store in town are actually necessities. Toilet paper hoarding, for example, is one of the great mysteries of 2020 that will puzzle historians in generations to come. We’re in the middle of a largely respiratory pandemic, after all, not a gastrointestinal one.

So let’s do our best to avoid buying multiple 250-roll bales of TP, shall we?

As for bleach and other germ-killing products, remember that the basic cleaning recommendations are built around plain old soap and water. They are the best. Bleach is great for certain applications, but it can be very rough on skin, and can eat through fabrics and wash away colors like they were never there.

If you do have bleach, a little goes a long way. It is powerful stuff. Just 4 teaspoons in a quart of room temperature water, or a quarter cup in a gallon of water makes a very effective cleaner. Don’t ever mix bleach with other cleaners.

For the bleachless among us, what are some effective alternatives? Aside from the aforementioned soap and water, ammonia is another effective cleaner that, like bleach, deserves to be handled safely and in a well-ventilated room.

Our grandparents often used baking soda dissolved in water as an effective cleaner, toothpaste, mouthwash, antacid, and stain remover.

Distilled white vinegar mixed in water is a time-honored cleaner for glass, coffee pots, laundry applications and stain removal.

In short, there are probably many basic cleaning products already under our kitchen sinks. See what you’ve got, check the internet for usage directions, and walk right past those empty shelves on your next grocery trip. +

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

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JANUARY 8, 2021

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#130 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE

N

ot every medical pioneer was a willing participant in the groundbreaking research they were involved with.

There are literally thousands of examples, but we’re using Laika, pictured above and below, because she is considerably more photogenic than some of her fellow research subjects. She was the very first animal to orbit planet Earth.

Laika was a stray dog plucked from the streets of Moscow for use as a test passenger aboard a Soviet rocket. Her name means “barker.” Russian scientists thought that strays would be especially appropriate subjects for testing the survivability of space flight because they were already accustomed to harsh conditions and extremes of cold and hunger. The November 1957 flight, Sputnik II, dubbed in the west as “Muttnik II,” was not expected to return Laika to Earth alive, and the predictions were accurate.

It might be surprising to some readers in 2021 that Laika’s death (in fact, her experimental use at all) sparked immediate protests against animal testing.

Demonstrations were held in front of Russian embassies around the world, and outside the United Nations in New York.

Laika was far from the first dog to go for a ride in a rocket, and far from the last creature to be involved in space research.

Fruit flies were launched 68 miles into the atmosphere from White Sands, New Mexico, in February 1947 aboard a V-2 rocket. Its jettisoned capsule floated back to Earth, and the fruit flies were retrieved alive.

Two years later the U.S. launched two rhesus monkeys 83 miles into space, but both died when their capsule plummeted to Earth after a parachute failure.

What is rather amazing is that the previous rhesus monkey experimental flight was deemed a failure because the rocket failed at a height of “only” 39 miles.

Compare that to the 1783 experiment when the Montgolfier brothers sent a sheep, a duck, and a rooster a few hundred feet into the sky in a hot air balloon to see if ground-dwelling animals could survive the experience. (The rooster and the lamb were the test animals; the duck was the “control” subject).

Tortoises aboard a Soyuz 20 mission launched in 1975 set a new longevity record for animals in space, about 90 days. And a 2007 European Space Agency mission with cockroaches on board marked the first creature from Earth to conceive and give birth while in space.

Of course, aeronautical and space experiments are just the tip of the very controversial animal testing iceberg. The British Royal Society, which supports animal experimentation, has argued that virtually all medical achievements in the 20th century have relied on the use of animals in some way. There are very persuasive arguments both for and against animal testing in medicine, and as a result, a growing number of nations and research institutions are establishing ethical guidelines to govern future research and minimize it to the extent possible. +

Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com

by Marcia Ribble This is one of those miscellaneous columns with a bit to say about a few seemingly unrelated things, but they all involve keeping more money in our own pockets.

As a senior living in a small household, I like to keep milk on hand, but have often seen it go bad before I can use it up. One day the milk I wanted was out of stock, but my shopper substituted a super pasteurized bottle of milk with a 4 month expiration date. I didn’t believe it was possible at first, but lo and behold, I still have an open bottle and it is still good. This will likely result in several hundred dollars a year in savings.

Right now when every penny counts this was an awesome discovery of a product I didn’t even know existed. Yay for us all!

At a time when many of us, seniors or not, are dependent on receiving deliveries, it is only natural that the bad guys want to take advantage and trick us out of our hard-earned money. I discovered one way they do this when I placed an order for some Christmas presents to be delivered to me. One day I got an email stating that my order was on the way. The next day, I received three emails, all from different sources, but all with the same message.

All were a variation of, “we want to deliver your packages, but to do that we need for you to send a confirmation of your address.

I looked back at my receipt and noticed that the delivery was to be made by UPS. In my many years of experience, neither UPS, USPS, or FED-EX has ever asked for an address confirmation. They already have my address from my initial order.

That was my first clue that something nefarious was afoot. My next clue came when I called the company I had placed my order with. Had they actually used the delivery company indicated in their message to me confirming the sale? They answered

that they had and that item I ordered should arrive that very day. Things we order on our computers, if legitimate, should have easy tracking information, so at any point we can find out where our packages might be.

I got that pit-of-my-stomach awareness after talking to the company that some folks had been trying to scam me. I wondered how they knew I had ordered anything in the first place. The answer was that they didn’t need any information other than my email address to send me their messages.

At a time when so many of us are ordering things online for delivery, a scammer would be correct a majority of the time to assume that we might have a package or even a lot of packages coming. Email addresses, including those who are customers of specific retailers, can be easily purchased from companies selling that information with no questions asked.

If I had replied with my address, an ugly network of thieves would have been alerted that packages would soon be arriving at my address. From that point, porch pirates would be waiting like vultures for the easy pickings of packages left on porches, including mine.

Fortunately, I was too smart for them.

I didn’t open the emails. The need for address confirmation was in the subject line. I was alert enough to notice that all three messages came from three different locations and none of them were from a .com or commercial address, which emails from any of the legitimate carriers would have been using.

Sadly, the end of the holiday season won’t end attempts to scam us out of our packages and their contents. So be aware. Be suspicious. Be smart. Scam the scammers by simply deleting their phony messages! Then pat yourself on the back for not allowing yourself to become a statistic.

PS: My packages did arrive that day and were promptly brought indoors to safety. +

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JANUARY 8, 2021

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

ADVENTURES IN

Middle Age

BY J.B. COLLUM

in sufficient quantities.

We also have a better handle on how COVID-19 spreads, and with the exception of a few states, we have found a way to open most businesses in a safe way. Now if only people would stop standing on a soapbox in front of store employees refusing to wear a mask and

our lives, we can at least put things in perspective.

January 1st is always a tough day for me personally because it is the anniversary of my grandmother’s death.

It has been 22 years now, but it still hurts. It serves as a reminder that we may lose friends or family at any time, so we should cherish them and show them that by spending time with them. Of course, that is harder now, but we have 2020 to thank for getting most of us proficient in using some form of video teleconferencing, whether it be Zoom, Facetime, or some other platform.

Grandparents are using it to see grandkids, attend worship services safely, and even to attend memorial services. The older you get, the more likely you are to lose close friends and family to our ancient enemy, death. The hurt never goes away, but the wound gets less raw over time. Like me, you probably lost more than a few people in 2020 and weren’t able to be there to hug and kiss your friends and family to help assuage the grief.

Here’s to hoping that 2021 will take the “virtual” out of our reality and replace it with “actual reality” where we can experience eating out inside a dining room, going to parties, kids spending the night with their friends, going to the movie theater, football games, kid’s plays, houses of worship, or whatever else it is that you miss. +

THE

{ Here’s what’s already better in 2021.

seemingly wanting to make a scene. Look, if you don’t want to wear a mask and you think it is useless and you want to complain, contact the people who make the rules in government and/or the management of the stores and restaurants.

Don’t harass employees who are just doing their job. Don’t hold up lines of people just trying to get their groceries and go home in peace. The folks who are doing this are probably the grown up versions of kids we used to hear having a tantrum in the store when their mommy wouldn’t buy their favorite cereal, right? Too bad their parents didn’t train them better back then. Lesson learned (I hope).

Meanwhile, we have a new, scary strain of COVID-19 out there that looms like a shadow over 2021, so we will have to wait and see how that turns out. Cases are also surging in many places, so let’s hope that increased case counts don’t turn into record death tolls.

Besides the pandemic, I’m sure that 2021 will be ripe with its own challenges for us, but as long as we remember that what counts is the people in

J.B. Collum is a local novelist, humorist and columnist who wants to be Mark Twain when he grows up. He may be reached at johnbcollum@gmail.com

MEDICAL EXAMINER +

{

As I write this, it is the morning of January 1, 2021, the day all our woes will end.

It’s 2021 and none of our troubles of 2020 will follow us, right? If you listened to or watched the flurry of opinions and sentiments predominant in the media the past week or so, you would be tempted to think so. Of course, that is just wishful thinking.

The fact is, we still have the same problems we had in 2020, but to give in to the optimism for a moment, let’s examine what is better now.

For one, we have multiple vaccinations for COVID-19.

They aren’t all approved yet and the ones that are approved aren’t out there in sufficient quantities for everyone to get a shot, but the speed at which these vaccines were created, tested, brought to market, and distributed has been a real eye-opener as to what can be done when we are united, and determined to remove some of the impediments to the approval process. Maybe this will open the door to more rapid medical breakthroughs reaching sick people quickly, people who really need breakthrough treatments that in the past have gotten bogged down in bureaucracy.

When you need a lawyer you don’t need to get the approval of a physician, but it seems like sometimes when you need a physician you need approval from a lawyer or legislator. Maybe all new laws should be reviewed by scientists and physicians to make sure they are healthful.

I wouldn’t hold my breath for that one.

Another thing better now than before is that, at least so far, toilet paper and hand sanitizer seem to be available

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by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author Follow Kim on Facebook: facebook.com/eatingwellwithkimb

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GET THE WILD CARD

MEXICAN CORN AND BLACK BEAN SOUP This soup is delicious and economical. The sweetness of the corn pairs perfectly with the slight spiciness of the peppers.

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Ingredients • 5 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen; divided • 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth; divided • 1 teaspoon oregano • 2 roma tomatoes, chopped • 3 teaspoon canola oil • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped (about 1½ cups) • 1 cup celery, chopped • 2 poblano chilies, seeded and diced • 2 garlic cloves, minced • ¼ teaspoon pepper • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped • Lime wedges -- make sure to include! The lime juice is excellent in the soup!

• Salsa (optional) Instructions Place about half the corn (2 ½ cups), two cups broth, oregano and tomatoes into a blender and puree until smooth, set aside. In a large pot (or Dutch oven) heat oil and add onions, chilies and celery, cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook another minute. Transfer

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the remaining three cups of broth, puree mixture, corn kernels, and black beans to the pan and bring to a simmer. Top with cilantro, salsa and serve with lime.

Yield: 6 Servings (Serving Size: 1 ½ cup) Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 190, Fat 2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrate 38g,

Sodium 550mg, Fiber 10g, Protein 9g, Potassium 573mg, Phosphorus 49mg.

Percent Daily Value: 20% Vitamin A, 230% Vitamin C, 6% Calcium, 15% Iron Carbohydrate choices: 2 Carbohydrates Diabetes Exchange Values: 2 Starches, 2 Vegetables, ½ Lean Meat +

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ASK DR. KARP

NO NONSENSE

NUTRITION Peggy, from Evans, Georgia, asks, “Dr. Karp, how about giving us some good nutritional advice in a nutshell to start the New Year?”

Happy New Year, everyone! Nutrition advice in a nutshell? Usually, that’s pretty difficult to do because nutrition science is such a complex subject. However, here is one sentence that summarizes some important nutrition ideas: “Eat a variety of plantbased foods in moderation and enjoy what you eat.”

Sounds simple, don’t you think? Let’s take a look at this sentence a bit more carefully.

First of all, eat your food,

PH

don’t drink it. For 2021, pull back on all those liquid drinks, those super drinks, those shakes and those smoothies. Part of the way your body tells you “I’m full” involves the amount of time you spend chewing your food, swallowing your food and the amount of time it takes you to eat. All those built-in controls are lost when you chug-a-lug a blueberry/yogurt/pomegranate super smoothie.

The next important word is variety. By variety, I mean that each day, at each meal and each snack, you need to increase the number of different foods you eat. I do not mean increasing the amount of food you are eating. Instead, decrease the portion sizes and increase the variety. For example, instead of meat, potatoes and a veggie, a dinner with more variety might be baby potatoes with red and green peppers and salmon, topped with mushrooms, and a tossed salad or vegetable medley. Even a simple snack can and should have variety. Although most people do have variety at dinnertime, breakfasts and lunches tend to get into boring nutrition routines. For breakfast, instead of a breakfast bar, how about a bowl of cereal with fruit and a glass of juice? Variety is a key concept when it comes to good nutrition. It is the only way of ensuring that you are getting all the nutrition your body needs.

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2021 Next, we come to the concept of plant-based. In 2021, the scientific evidence is pretty overwhelming that a plant-based diet leads to lower risks of all those chronic diseases that haunt the modern world. When you do have meat, make sure it is lean and simply a part of the meal, not a major portion of your meal. If you are trying to save money in 2021, eat more plants and less animals. When you buy plantbased foods, don’t feel you have to buy more expensive “designer” plants. For example, brown rice is cheap and nutritious and a fraction of the cost of quinoa or other more expensive “millennial” grains.

Another important word in that simple sentence of basic nutrition advice is the word food. Time and again, the scientific evidence point to the importance of eating food rather than taking supplements. Unless you have a specific, targeted reason to

take a supplement, don’t. As an example, if you have limited sunlight exposure and low Vitamin D blood levels, you would be a candidate to take a Vitamin D supplement. On the other hand, if you are taking a Vitamin D supplement because you heard it might lower your risk of getting COVID, cancer or any number of other diseases and conditions, then don’t. Don’t apply general recommendations meant for an entire population of people to your own individual life. Look at your own specific nutrition issues instead.

How about the word moderation? Today, most Americans do not have a realistic concept of what moderation means when it comes to food. So, for example, suggesting to someone to be moderate in the use of salt and sugar gets lost in translation. Moderate in salt is impossible if you are eating out often. Fast food and

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What’s the “no-nonsense nutrition” advice to begin 2021? Throughout the year, reflect on these important nutrition words: variety, plant-based, moderation and enjoyment. Keep these words in your mind as you live life in 2021. +

Have a question about food, diet or nutrition? Post or private message your question on Facebook (www.Facebook. com/AskDrKarp) or email your question to askdrkarp@gmail.com If your question is chosen for a column, your name will be changed to insure your privacy. Warren B. Karp, Ph.D., D.M.D., is Professor Emeritus at Augusta University. He has served as Director of the Nutrition Consult Service at the Dental College of Georgia and is past Vice Chair of the Columbia County Board of Health. You can find out more about Dr. Karp and the download site for the public domain eBook, Nutrition for Smarties, at www.wbkarp.com Dr. Karp obtains no funding for writing his columns, articles, or books, and has no financial or other interests in any food, book, nutrition product or company.

His interest is only in providing freely available, evidenced-based, scientific nutrition knowledge and education.

Dr. Karp The information is for educational use only; it is not meant to be used to diagnose, manage or treat any patient or client. Although Dr. Karp is a Professor Emeritus at Augusta University, the views and opinions expressed here are his and his alone and do not reflect the views and opinions of Augusta University or anyone else.

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restaurant food tends to be high in sodium. Remember: you cannot control the salt content of what you eat if someone else is preparing it.

A good resolution for 2021 would be to cut down on the number of times you eat out during the week.

Moderate in sugar means having soft drinks, cakes, cookies, candy infrequently, not part of an everyday routine. Moderation also means that portion sizes need to be smaller than you think.

A moderate piece of meat or fish, for example, should be about 3-4 oz., about the size of a deck of cards.

Most importantly, enjoy what you eat. Eating is one of the basic pleasures in life.

Americans seem to think that feeling guilty about what you eat is a normal part of living. Stop being food phobic and enjoy your meals. Mealtime should be a time to feed both your body and your soul. Have interesting conversations during your meals. Turn meals into a wonderful social time, not just an eating time. By the way, this is much easier to do once your kids are grown.

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

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JANUARY 8, 2021

ALCOHOL AND NUTRITION

by Sohailla Digsby is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Fitness Pro, Author, International Speaker, and is a Clinical Instructor at Augusta University for the MS-Dietetic Internship students.

Most of us have a favorite way to kick back and relax. For some it is binge-watching a new series, others read a book with a cup of tea, others might enjoy sports or a walk. But for many, a glass of their preferred wine or beer, or a bubbly drink might be the go-to.

Near the start of the pandemic in the United States, overall sales in spirits increased by 55%.

Toward the end of April, the spike dropped, but typical sales were still up 20%. An increase in sales doesn’t exactly translate to an increase in consumption, but surely for many that has been the case.

Many of my clients are trying to cut back on drinking as a New Year’s Resolution. This is a wise change for multiple reasons, from managing money to managing weight.

It’s almost impossible for most people to out-exercise the calories consumed from having even a couple drinks a few times a week.

For example, it takes 12 miles of running to work off 6 IPAs consumed over the week.

It doesn’t help that people often don’t realize what they’re getting themselves into. The Nutrition Facts for alcoholic beverages aren’t required on wine, beer and liquor, and the details aren’t easy to come by. This often translates to,

“Well, what you don’t know can’t hurt you, right?”

The way alcohol impacts your health and weight is largely dependent on how much you drink and your overall calorie balance. It gets especially problematic when people are drinking in the privacy of their homes to cope or to take the edge off. This can be a slippery slope when it comes to the amount consumed.

First, let’s define a standard alcoholic “drink.”

Then we’ll look at what the labels don’t tell you so you can make an informed decision as to whether consumption of alcoholic beverages is worthwhile for you.

Alcoholic “drink” serving size: • 12 ounces of beer • 8 ounces of malt liquor • 5 ounces of wine • 1.5 ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof liquor Though moderate alcohol intake can be part of a healthy diet, our nation’s obesity level is an indication of how difficult moderation is when it comes to food and drink.

Moderate drinking using the serving size above is defined as: Up to 1 daily drink for a woman and up to 2 for a man Please see ALCOHOL page 15

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

CRASH

COURSE

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

W

limit that particular child safety seat carries.

Usually that means until at least age 2.

After that, look for the next size up in car safety seats, and then that’s followed by appropriately-sized booster seats until an adult seat belt fits them safely and properly (such as not reaching directly across their throat when buckled in), usually when children reach about 4 feet 9 inches in height and 80 pounds, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (iihs.org).

But where should these infant and toddler seats be installed? In the back seat. That step alone, in properly sized safety seats, reduces the risk of fatal injury by about three-quarters for children up to age 3, and almost half for children ages 4 to 8.

The importance of all of this is underscored “by the numbers.” Again using the definition of child as age 12 and under, the actual number of traffic-related child fatalities in 2018 was 880. That number represents a lot of grief. Even more tragically, of that number iihs.org says that 193 were unrestrained, and others were improperly restrained (although those numbers are not listed). Perhaps those deaths could have been prevented.

So to review, boys and girls, moms and dads, the progression should go something like this: starting out in a rear-facing restraint before moving up to a forward-facing restraint, and then a booster seat. Each step is taken when height and weight make it appropriate, and they should all take place in the back seat, not the front, where inflating airbags pose a significant risk. +

{

e’ll have to wait for the verdict of history, but we may very well be living in the Golden Age of Kids in Cars. Think about it: millions of kids are home all day every day, and have been since early last year. And so are their parents. So instead of dropping the kids off at daycare or school, everybody is home all the time, and when mom and dad go to the store, it’s generally frowned upon to leave the children home alone. So pack everyone up and off we go.

Fortunately, we are also living through the Golden Age of Car Seats — so far. It will get even better, but the infant and toddler seats of today are light years ahead of their ancestors, just as the ones ten years from now will make today’s look like medieval torture machines.

As a result of the Car Seat Golden Age, we are also living in the Golden Age of Child Safety. Really!

Comparing the statistics for 2018 (the most recent full year of stats available) against 1975 figures is amazing and encouraging. The rate of motor vehicle deaths per million kids 12 and younger today is not even one-fourth of what it was in 1975. The rate at which children die as passenger vehicle occupants had dropped 60 percent, and their death rate as pedestrians and bike riders today (2018, that is) is less than one-tenth the 1975 rates.

How can we keep the progress moving in the right direction?

Appropriate child safety seats are much safer for kids than seat belts alone. All infants and toddlers, therefore, should be in rear-facing seats until they reach whatever weight

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JANUARY 8, 2021

HUMAN BEHAVIOR It’s probably rare for anyone to think GOOD GRIEF — AND back over 2020 and not feel a wave OTHER THOUGHTS of sadness. We’ve all lost something this year, whether that’s a milestone ABOUT 2020 birthday or graduation or a job and our

by Jeremy Hertza, Psy.D.

accustomed lifestyle. And for many of us, we’ve also lost very important

someones in our lives.

But even if you’ve “just” lost your routine of driving to an office, having your kids attend school, going to in-person concerts or other events, or just feeling comfortable walking into the grocery store, guess what? It’s still loss—and it’s OK to feel grief about it.

And while it often does, grief doesn’t have to happen because of one moment in time—it can be tied to an event spread out over months or years. And every little loss adds up.

Yes, We’re Going to Mention the Grief Cycle If you find yourself more irritable these days, or if you’ve binged on your candy stash at 10 p.m., you guessed it: You’re experiencing the grief cycle.

It’s a framework that’s been identified since the 1960s, and it includes denial and shock, confusion and anger, rationalization, depression, and ultimately, acceptance and hope. The stages don’t always happen in this order, and people can go back and forth between stages, such as feeling angry, then depressed, and then angry again.

Then there’s physical grief, which can lower your immune system responses so you get sick more easily, or increase cortisol levels so you gain weight. It can affect how well you sleep and slow down your metabolism, and also your ability to concentrate.

Negative emotions like anger can also come out in funky ways—you snap at people you love, you pick fights, and you behave in ways you don’t normally: You may eat an innumerable number of chocolate bars one night or spend an afternoon weeping over sad movies. It’s not ideal, but it’s understandable.

What may not be OK is if your bad habits take the form of overindulging in alcohol or other illicit substances or if those bad behaviors consume your life, affecting how you take care of yourself or your family, or impacting how you are at work or school. That’s when it’s a good idea to ask a professional counselor or therapist for advice.

Healthy Grieving The point to remember is that when you’re grieving, you’re going to experience all of these emotions; it’s OK to feel these emotions; but you won’t always feel this way.

Here’s what healthy grieving looks like: • You don’t judge yourself for going through different stages and emotions; instead, you’re letting yourself feel these sometimes uncomfortable emotions, and know that they’re normal; • You’re not angry at yourself for being angry; • You’re giving yourself time to work through your grief; • You realize that asking for help doesn’t make you weak—it makes you human.

One thing though: You do need to move through the stages of grief, not become the grief. If grief becomes your identity—if people no longer recognize you as yourself, but as the person who lost XYZ—then it’s time to intervene.

Because that last phase of grief involves acceptance and hope: Acceptance of the positive memories you have and how they’ll always stay with you—and hope for a future, where birthdays will be celebrated, and weddings, and graduations. And when life won’t be the new normal, but just normal again. +

Jeremy Hertza, Psy.D., is a neuropsychologist and the executive director of NeuroBehavioral Associates, LLC, in Augusta, on the web at http:// nbageorgia.com. Contact him at 706-823-5250 or info@nbageorgia.com.

JANUARY 8, 2021

11 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Rose Kumar, MD, on January 4, 2021

I FEEL MORE ALONE THAN EVER I am an internist in private practice in a community west of Milwaukee, and my commitment as a physician is to keep my patients and community safe and healthy.

Throughout the pandemic, I have worked hard to learn everything I can about COVID-19, have helped my patients stay healthy, greatly reduced rates of COVID spread through preventive education, and cared for my patients who have become COVID positive, keeping them healthy enough not to need hospitalization. My practice has stayed open throughout the pandemic; I’ve been diligent and tenacious through significant dips in patient volume and worked hard to meet payroll. I have not furloughed any employees and have even sacrificed paying myself for months to keep my doors open.

I have no idea how I can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

My potential exposure to COVID-19 is high. Even though we screen our patients to make virtual appointments if they are symptomatic and never turn anyone away who needs to be seen, I have seen patients who are COVID-19 positive. We all have. It is an occupational hazard for those of us whose calling is clinical practice.

Yesterday, I contacted the Wisconsin Medical Society and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to question how/where my staff and I can get vaccinated.

Neither knew how physicians in private practice were to get on “the list” and be in line for the vaccine, let alone our staff. Then I called my community hospital which I have interfaced with for 20 years. I am on courtesy staff there and send my patients for diagnostic testing and hospital admissions to their hospital. I spoke with the medical staff administrator who said she had no provisions for us. The vaccines they received were meant for hospital employees only, and I was “on my own.”

I am shocked and saddened at the lack of coordination surrounding vaccinations for front line health care providers and staff who are not corporate health care affiliated.

Have doctors become the have-nots in medicine? Is our value only based on what we can provide for corporate health care facilities, funneling our patients to them so they can profit from us? Do we have no value in Medicine as respected members of our vocation?

I have never felt this alone as a physician.

Yet I know I am not alone. Many of my private practice colleagues are experiencing what I am, and we are all reeling from what has happened to health care every day. The corporatization of health care treats private practitioners as outliers. I am left to wonder when we will be noticed as having any value or worth.

Until then, I guess we are “on our own” as the health care administrator so eloquently stated. And we need to find a way to support one another as outliers of the corporate system who have a sacred commitment to keeping our communities healthy. +

“You’re on your own.”

We medical examiners like to stick together. And so we herewith remind you of a book that isn’t a new release, but it’s still highly readable and full of valuable information. And it’s written by a doctor who... well, let’s just say when she talks, we really should listen. She knows what she’s talking about.

Here is an excerpt from the review of her book at Amazon.com:

Thousands of people make an early exit each year and arrive on medical examiner Jan Garavaglia’s table. What is particularly sad about this is that many of these deaths could easily have been prevented. Although Dr. Garavaglia, or Dr. G, as she’s known to many, could not tell these individuals how to avoid their fates, we can benefit from her experience and profound insight into the choices we make each day.

In How Not to Die, Dr. G acts as a medical detective to identify the oftenunintentional ways we harm our bodies, then shows us how to use that information

to live better and smarter.

She provides startling tips on how to make wise choices so that we don’t have to see her, or someone like her, for a good, long time.

• In “Highway to the Morgue,” we learn the one commonsense safety tip that can prevent deadly accidents—and the reason you should never drive with the windows half open • “Code Blue” teaches us how to increase our chances of leaving the hospital alive—and how to insist that everyone caring for you practice the easiest hygiene method around • “Everyday Dangers” informs us why neat freaks live longer—and the best

tise here AdveCallr706.860.5455

nt Joi

ns he te

of companies who already support u

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+

a million people can’t be wro ng. +

How Not to Die by Dr. Jan Garavaglia, 288 pages, published Sept. 2009 by Harmony

BINGEREAD

Rose Kumar is an internal medicine physician

s than Les

ways to stay safe in a car during a lightning storm Using anecdotes from her cases and a liberal dose of humor, Dr. G gives us her prescription for living a healthier, better, longer life—and unlike many doctors’ orders, this one is surprisingly easy to follow.

This book is valuable in the way the author presents each case. she describes in detail the damage done to the body by human indifference, forgetfulness and recklessness. You think you don’t you need to take that blood pressure medication because you “feel fine”? Well, you might not feel it but your heart is enlarging to double its size and your arteries are hardening, which will lead to a stroke in a few months.

The book is full of examples like this. You already know most of this, but you might need a reminder of just how bad things can get if you don’t start taking care of yourself. +

VISIT ISSUU.COM/MEDICALEXAMINER, WHERE MORE THAN 200 ISSUES OF THE EXAMINER ARE ARCHIVED FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE.

MEDICALEXAMINER

+ 12

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners

JANUARY 8, 2021

THE MYSTERY WORD

+

by Dan Pearson

I’m frustrated working on my sailboat over the Why the long face? winter months, that’s all.

Well, a week ago I ordered a new sail, but I accidentally What happened? ordered the wrong size.

Just call and cancel the order.

I tried. They said that sail has shipped.

The Mystery Word for this issue: SWIRT

© 2021 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

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

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Seat at Squeaky’s 6. Par, usually 10. Make tea 14. Cut back branches 15. Gimpy 16. Son of Jacob and Leah 17. Opposite of 13-D 18. By mouth 19. Capital of Yemen 20. Choose 21. Swing around (var.)

23. B-52’s home 25. Walter L. _________ 27. Raises, as a question 28. Unrestrained power 29. Early breast cancer detector? (abbrev.)

30. Extinct flightless bird 32. Author Harper 33. Regret 34. Boulevard that becomes 13th St. 35. DDE middle name 38. Cozy room 39. Twill-weave fabric 40. Sportscaster Andrews 41. Male cat 42. Mongrel dog 43. Catch 44. Type of snake 45. Highest 49. Ascending and descending body part 51. Deportment 52. Pulsates 53. Bring up 54. Before in poetry 55. Prolific poet?

56. Mosque prayer leader 58. Monetary unit of Nigeria 60. Shine partner?

61. Thurmond, for example 62. Lace protector

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DOWN 1. Temp. regional tax 2. Victor’s prize 3. Expulsion 4. Single unit 5. Diminished 6. Like hands making bread 7. Paddled; rowed 8. Kill Bill star 9. Backslide 10. Lethargic feeling 11. Savior 12. Vespers 13. Opposite of 17-A 22. Brunswick element 24. Lower digit 26. Name still found on some bumper stickers 29. Round bread roll 31. Consumed

6 4 3 3 7 5

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S U D O K U

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8 1 9 7

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2021 All rights reserved.

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

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2021 All rights reserved.

63. Smell 64. Toboggan 65. Hard candy (Brit.)

5 4 9 7

QUOTATIONPUZZLE

33. Band from 23-A 34. -tology prefix 35. “Female beginner” (Fr.) at a formal (informally) 36. Spider 37. Vigorous in manner (Music) 38. ER bad news 39. Celestial 41. They’re often removed 42. Prolonged unconsciousness 44. Sponge___ Squarepants 45. Abounded (with) 46. Jennifer from Summer of ‘42 47. Booke of The Dukes of Hazzard 48. _____ of Verailles 50. Recluse 51. Male duck 52. Edible tuber 57. Grand ___ 59. Gone by

U T E A P R E A T R G N P T M I L E T H I E O U O O N G B O E R H L H T R A

N T D G E N

5 1 4 9 2 7 9 6 8 M4 7 3 S 1 5 3 H2 6 8

3 8 6 2 5 1 9 7 4

— Henry Rollins (1961 — )

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2021 All rights reserved

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

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

Solution on page 14.

Solution p. 14

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

1

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I ’ 1 1 2 3 4 M G 1 1 2 3 4 5

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1.TGMMBSTGLAAWIO 2.ORNSAOYUEEHAO 3.SLERMANTEST 4.TAENTKT 5.SGI 6.EN 7.G

SAMPLE:

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

L 1

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I 1

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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2021 All rights reserved

WORDS NUMBER

1

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, JAN. 18, 2021

8 5 4 3 1 2 7 6 9

6 1 3 7 9 8 4 5 2

2 7 9 5 6 4 3 8 1

JANUARY 8, 2021

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...

A

n 85-year-old man was rushed to the hospital with a possible concussion.

The doctor asked him a series of questions: “Do you know where you are?” “I’m at Mercy Hospital.” “What city are you in?” “Cleveland.”

“Do you know who I am?” “Dr. Hamilton.”

While the doctor made some notes the man turned to the nurse and quietly said, “I hope he doesn’t ask me any more questions.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because all the answers I gave him so far were on his ID badge.”

Moe: Ugh! I accidentally sprayed deodorant in my mouth!

Joe: I guess that explains that weird Axe scent when you talk.

Moe: What rhymes with orange?

Joe: No it doesn’t.

Moe: What’s your New Year’s resolution?

Joe: This year I’m done trying to be a people pleaser all the time. Done!

Moe: Ok. Joe: I mean, if everyone’s ok with that...

The

13 +

Advice Doctor

Joe: So what’s your New Year’s resolution?

Moe: You know I’m a big basketball player, so I want to travel less this year.

©

Moe: Did you hear that the CEO of IKEA was elected President of Sweden?

Joe: No, I didn’t know that. How’s it going over there?

Moe: Pretty good. He should have his cabinet assembled by next week.

A small town pastor assured his congregation one Sunday that they should feel free to call him anytime they had a problem.

That very night the pastor’s phone rang at 3 a.m. On the other end was a dear elderly lady who said, “Pastor, I can’t sleep.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he comforted her.

“But what can I do about it?” the pastor said.

“Preach to me a while, pastor,” she said.

Moe: If a group of dolphins is called a pod and a group of crows is called a murder, what is a group of little children called?

Joe: Annoying.

“Do you believe in life after death?” the boss asked one of his employees.

“Yes sir, I do,” the clerk replied.

“That’s good to hear,” the boss said, “because after you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother’s funeral, she stopped in to see you.”

Moe: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?

Joe: Well the road certainly wasn’t going to cross Chuck Norris. +

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?

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

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

Dear Advice Doctor, We’re having huge problems with our son during this pandemic. He has been arrested twice in the past month alone, he’s been expelled from online classes (he’s a high school senior) and the university that accepted him for this fall has rescinded their offer. Honestly, I’d like to completely wash my hands of him, but it’s not that easy to disown your child. I know: I asked a lawyer.

— Is It Too Late to Unparent Myself?

Dear Unparent, First off, I’d like to commend you for your stated intentions, and encourage more people to take a stand like you. Maybe if there were, we wouldn’t be going through a pandemic.

The problem is there are not enough people like you, people who will go on record as saying they like to completely wash their hands. And then you have other people who might say they will, but then they don’t. They forget, or maybe they just quickly rinse their hands without even using soap.

Not good!

Hand washing is not complicated. It isn’t expensive. It’s not time-consuming either (unless you think 20 seconds is more time than you can spare). Yet it’s one of the easy, simple, basic preventive measures that we’ve all been encouraged to practice to help stop the spread of COVID-19, you know, the virus that has been raging practically unchecked for the past 10 months.

Despite the tens of millions of cases, growing by the day, and a body count today that would have been thought to be unimaginable in the spring of 2020, there are still people, and lots of them, who aren’t on board.

For the benefit of those who have been in a coma or who just returned from the International Space Station, let’s review the basics: 1. Wear a well-fitted face mask over your nose and mouth when in public.

2. Keep a respectful 6 feet between you and others when in public.

3. Finally, as you promised to do, so should the rest of us: regularly wash our hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and in between those times, use hand sanitizer.

Thanks for writing! + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about health, life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICALEXAMINER +

+

Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #332

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

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

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

BEFORE READING

AFTER READING

+ 14

9 7 4

4 3 2

8 1 9 7

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

...cleverly hidden on the stethoscope in the p. 1 ad for INTERNATIONAL UNIFORM

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

JANUARY 8, 2021

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER THE PUZZLE SOLVED S P L O S T

T R O P H Y

O U S T E R

D A V E R I B A G C O T H R A N O R I S O D O

O L N E E S S P E A N L E I D N B L O O B N E R

F L O L U A R N Y E D T O O A N S I M L A S L

O U R B A M E L R A L A E A T H D P O S B S E R U E D E N S E M C U R T O P M D E M E A R E A R A M N A K E A G E D L O

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T R E A T Y

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A T E

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

...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package!

SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher. 8. Deadline to enter is shown on page 12.

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Love to stare at your phone?

Visit issuu.com/ medicalexaminer and stare away.

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QuotatioN QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION Nothing brings people together more than mutual hatred.

— Henry Rollins

WORDS BY NUMBER

Walking isn’t a lost art — one must by some means get to the garage.”

— Evan Esar (1899-1995)

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READ EVERY ISSUE ONLINE WWW.ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER

JANUARY 8, 2021

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

23

JEWELRY SURGEON

the

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• MODERN & ESTATE PIECES •

ROLLED SANDWICHES • SOUPS • SALADS

WE’RE CONDUCTING A

To

WILD WING CAFE & SCRUBS OF EVANS They’re the prize sponsors of our Mystery Word Contest.

RESTORATION AND REPAIR ON GOLD & PLATINUM JEWELRY

CLOCK REPAIR WHEN SECONDS COUNT

1254 AUGUSTA WEST PARKWAY INSIDE BARGAIN HUNTERS CALL AHEAD: (706) 284-0190

ROLY POLL

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ROLY POLY SANDWICH? PLEASE STOP BY THIS WEEK TO CAST YOUR VOTE.

EYEGLASSES REPAIRED

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

Welcome former Murphy & Robinson customers!

OrderRolyPoly.com

To view my work visit scscja.org. Click on resources, then merchandise.

Click on the ring photo, then the PDF link.

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REMEMBER: YOU STILL HAVE 23 AND A HALF HOURS EVERY DAY.

Read online: issuu.com/medicalexaminer

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +

ACUPUNCTURE

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

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

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

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

DENTISTRY

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

IN-HOME CARE

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

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

DERMATOLOGY

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

LONG TERM CARE

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

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS 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

PHARMACY Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS HARMACY N. Augusta 29841 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com

P

SLEEP MEDICINE

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

TRANSPORTATION AMBULANCE • STRETCHER • WHEELCHAIR

706-863-9800

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

YOUR LISTING HERE Your Practice And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo.

Keep your contact information in this convenient place seen by thousands of patients every month.

Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details!

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PRINT IS DEAD WELL, A LOT OF IT IS.

There are others that have died in addition to the eight past publications pictured. The Senior News is no more. The Augustan (or “The New Augustan”) seems hard to find, but that could just be a temporary COVID situation. And many people say The Augusta Chronicle is a mere shadow of its former self.

The good news is that one area publication is alive and well and going strong, and for that we have our loyal advertisers and loyal readers to sincerely thank. If you’re wondering, the name of that publication is shown below:

MEDICALEXAMINER WE’RE BEGGING YOU!

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

JANUARY 8, 2021

ALCOHOL… from page 9 According to a recent Gallup poll, of those who consume alcohol, most report having about four drinks per week. Though this is considered moderate, keep in mind that the calories do have to be burned off or they will be stored securely on your body...most typically around the waist (also known as “the beer gut”).

Speaking of calories, research shows that drinking even a moderate amount of alcohol impacts the amount of food you eat when you are drinking. Translation: still more calories to burn off. The sugar content in most mixers contributes to further calories from the alcohol as well. (The graphic shown on page 9 does not combine the alcohol and mixers, so be sure to do the math).

Consider this, if you work out 3 times this week and also have 2 glasses of wine for 3 nights (totaling 6 glasses, perhaps filled a little past the 5-ounce mark), the drinks might just end up as an even calorie swap for the workouts. Most people already start the New Year with plenty of stored calories in the form of fat tissue to burn off during workouts, without adding in those weekly drinks.

I know, it’s not the best news for those who regularly enjoy an evening drink or two to realize all their workouts accomplish are just burning off their bubblies, but it’s important to be aware. Cutting back or setting a specific boundary might make the difference in being the best you!

If you enjoy a drink or two here and there, the question to ask yourself is, “Is it worth it?”

For many of my female clients who struggle with this question, learning of the dramatically increased risk of breast cancer with two or more daily drinks is enough to help them to

strongly consider cutting back. Other cancers that are linked to alcohol intake include esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, and cancers of the head, neck and liver. If you have a family history of cancer, you may want to consider the aforementioned question even more carefully.

For those who are watching their waistlines, I recommend avoiding alcohol for a few weeks to see how it affects you...perhaps as a New Year’s Resolution. You may notice a big enough difference in your waistline (or possibly in your triglyceride levels) to motivate you to cut back long term. If you happen to have an unhealthy attachment to alcohol, this break from drinking will also serve to identify that.

Again, “Is it worth it?” is a great question to carefully consider when consuming any indulgent food or beverage. If you decide “yes,” then be sure to slowly savor every sip or bite mindfully, and make sure both general movement and purposeful exercise are part of your lifestyle too!

If alcoholic beverage intake is a meaningful part of your life, make a decision that helps you set a reasonable boundary. If you indulge, do so responsibly, making a plan in advance that you will feel good about the next day. And be sure to employ the alternate rule: drink a glass of water after your drink, especially if you plan to have another.

If you’d like to learn more about managing your weight and your health (and enjoy camaraderie, new recipes, and workout ideas along the way), Sohailla would like to encourage you to join her 52-day Best Body Countdown online. It starts very soon -- you can be your best self by Spring with her no-nonsense support.

Details are here: bestbodyin52.com. +

SKIN IT’S WHAT WE DO. ALL COLORS, ALL SIZES.

MEDICINE IN THE FIRST PERSON Everybody has a story.

Please tell us yours!

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. Tell us if you want it “by you” or if it needs to be anonymous. Thanks!

SKIN CANCER CENTER

AIKEN

2110 WOODSIDE EXECUTIVE COURT 803-644-8900

AUGUSTA

2283 WRIGHTSBORO ROAD 706-733-3373

SKIN CANCER REMOVAL • MOHS SURGERY • ROUTINE SKIN EXAMS • MOLE REMOVAL • BOTOX • DERMAL FILLERS

GENERAL, SURGICAL & COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY