Medical Examiner 10-2-2020

MEDICALEXAMINER

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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

OCTOBER 2, 2020

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

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WE’RE

BACK! Yes, the area’s most salubrious publication is back! COVID quarantines and delivery restrictions made it difficult to get copies of the Examiner out last spring. We managed to make it through early April on paper and online, but as lockdowns, new cases and fatalities all continued to rise, it began to look more and more like the safe and prudent course was to temporarily go online only.

As loyal readers know, that means we never really went away: every issue has come out on our same-as-always first and third Friday schedule. If you weren’t aware of that, you have 11 issues awaiting your perusal at www.issuu.com/ medicalexaminer. If you’re a fan of our puzzle page you can print it and enjoy almost 6 months worth of mental stimula-

tion (and occasional frustration).

We need to take this front page location to express a huge thank you to the advertisers who make this publication possible, and who stuck with us through what has been an extremely challenging time for nearly all businesses. Despite the fiscal crunch they were all under, they all remained on these pages throughout. We hope readers who enjoy this paper will make opportunities to convey your thanks to our advertisers.

And readers, thank you for reading! We have enjoyed hearing from many of you during the past 6 months. +

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

OCTOBER 2, 2020

The path I have chosen

by Kimberly Savage

PARENTHOOD

by David W. Proefrock, PhD

3 year-olds can be unbelievably oppositional when they decide they don’t want to do something that you want them to do. The best way to handle oppositional behavior is to make it okay. It’s hard to rebel against something that you’ve already been told is okay for you to do. By saying, “You don’t have to take a nap. Just sit on your bed and play quietly,” you take the fight out of naptime. +

appreciate what we do a lot more than ever. Some people consider me a “healthcare hero,” which is humbling.

“Being a hero has its drawbacks.”

{

If you answered: A. It is impossible to make a child go to sleep, but you can make sure she rests. You don’t want naptime to become a battle. This is the way to make sure it doesn’t. There’s a good chance that she will fall asleep while she’s playing quietly.

B. You have underestimated a 3 year-old’s ability to fight to get their own way. This will not work and it will turn naptime into a battleground that will ruin the whole day for both of you.

C. It’s possible that this could work, but if you are the parent of a 3 year-old, you know that it’s more likely that you will go to sleep instead of her.

D. Now you are underestimating the ability of a 3 year-old to not sleep even if they are tired. It would be far better to give her something else to do.

The coronavirus has upended our lives! Some of us have become busier, some of us have found ourselves with an unusual amount of free time on our hands. Overall, we are all trying to adjust to life with coronavirus. The mask, the precautions, the barrage of questions and restrictions we are greeted with in any establishment we walk into.

My life as a respiratory therapist has changed. Now people know what a respiratory therapist is, what we do and that we are different than a nurse. In some hospitals, some of the nurses who took over treatments on the floors while we were overwhelmed with ICU workloads now

{

Your 3 year-old daughter has begun refusing to take her afternoon nap. This wouldn’t a problem except that when she doesn’t nap, she gets overtired by late afternoon and by suppertime she is impossible to live with. She usually goes to bed at night with no problem whether or not she takes a nap.

What do you do?

A. Put her in her bed at naptime. Tell her she doesn’t have to sleep, but she has to read or play quietly during naptime.

You can call it “brainrest.”

B. Make her take a nap. She needs her rest. If she doesn’t go to sleep, give her a swat and let her cry herself to sleep.

C. Lie down in her bed with her until she falls asleep.

D. Don’t worry about it. After a few days of not napping, she will get tired enough that she will go to sleep and there won’t be a problem.

work. When I admit to this, I am informed I will not be allowed to come into the office to be seen by the doctor or dentist. I cannot go to the office for labs, even with a mask on, due to the nature of my job. The only way I can get my teeth cleaned or get a check up is if I lie and say I have not been exposed. Then I am faced with the moral issue of not telling the truth.

I do not feel sick, but approximately 50% of people are asymptomatic. Some of my co-workers say to just lie and say I have not been exposed, but again, I struggle with what is “the right thing” to do. What if I lie and unintentionally give it to someone who is compromised? Do I get tested periodically to ensure I do not have the virus? That test could have been used on a patient who is symptomatic. Do I lie about it? I wear a mask 99% of the time I am in the hospital so that maybe my exposure is less than what I anticipate it to be.

I am a respiratory therapist, but I am also a person who ocassionally needs to get my teeth cleaned and go for my check ups just like every other person. It seems in this particular circumstance being a “hero” can have significant drawbacks! +

One of the things that has changed for me and many others, not necessarily for the better, is the inability to go the doctor or dentist. Remember the questions I mentioned earlier? The difference for me is that I am exposed to the coronavirus most days that I

— Kimberly Savage is a respiratory therapist who works at two Augusta-area hospitals

MEDICALEXAMINER The CSRA’s most minimally invasive newspaper

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

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Let’s spend a few calm, quiet and rational minutes talking about everyone’s favorite subject, the coronavirus. (Part 11 of a feature of unknown duration.)

We have a few words to share with that slice of the population who believes there actually is a pandemic raking its way around the planet. You are the same people who listen to public health experts who recommend various strategies like hand washing, physical distancing, mask wearing in public and a few other simple steps, to minimize the risk of disease transmission.

There is another camp of unknown but apparently considerable size who takes every opportunity to argue against the experts: mask wearing is an assault on freedom. “[Mask wearing] is

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

OCTOBER 2, 2020

all about control,” said one Martinez man this week on social media. The number of COVID cases are vastly overblown by the “liberal media.” Never mind that these people are hair dressers, retired school bus drivers, teachers, and pest control applicators; they know more than all of us put together, including world-renowned experts with decades of experience. There is no collection of facts of any size that will budge their convictions by so much as a millimeter, so why bother?

For the rest of us, it’s worth noting that there is good news and not so good news.

The good news is that overall, Georgia numbers have been trending downward since late July.

The not as good news is that South Carolina numbers are up and down, in some cases way up: two of the Palmetto State’s highest daily totals have come within the past 30 days, and its highest-ever one-day COVID case count has happened in the past 10 days.

Overall there seems to be a feeling that grows a little stronger every day that life is taking baby steps toward “normal.” But all of us — all of us who believe there is a pandemic, that is — need to stay on red alert. Some unemployed viral microorganism floating around looking for work is not going to care if we live in a downward trending state. It will latch on to any opportunity that presents itself. This is no time to let down our guard. That has happened already here and there and the results have been renewed surges.

Let’s not contribute to anything that helps this virus. +

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“Thanks for advertising in the Medical Examiner.”

Are Alzheimer’s and dementia the same thing?

They are related, but they are two very different things.

Dementia is a broad general description, sometimes called an umbrella term, that covers a lot of territory. Its domain includes things like memory loss, poor judgment and reasoning, negative changes in thinking ability, and the inability to communicate well or effectively. There are many different causes and different types of dementia.

Alzheimer’s can include all of the above, but it is a more precise diagnosis than a broad-brush word like dementia. While dementia is a syndrome (a group of symptoms that consistently occur together), Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain. It’s the most common cause of dementia, but there are other causes unrelated to Alzheimer’s. Dementia versus Alzheimer’s might be compared to the difference between saying someone’s arm hurts compared with saying they have a broken arm. There is pain in either case, but one describes the specific reason for the pain. In another situation, the pain might not be caused by a fracture.

To put it another way, not everyone with dementia has Alzheimer’s disease, but everyone with Alzheimer’s has dementia.

It’s important not to lump the two together as synonymous because management and treatment differ depending on the exact diagnosis.

Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, for example, can cause dementia, as can vascular disease. Stroke and depression are additional triggers. Each has a different regimen of treatment, although in most cases dementia is treatable but not reversible.

One aspect of treatment for either dementia or Alzheimer’s is that it typically begins with an often lengthy denial phase.

Mental lapses and memory problems are chalked up to stress, medication or any of a thousand other reasons, shrugged off and ignored - temporaily. They will be back, and over time they will get worse.

If there is anything good about these two plagues, it’s that their progression is slow, sometimes taking as long as 15 years from diagnosis to demise.

Of course, the bad thing is that their progression is slow, sometimes taking as long as 15 years from diagnosis to demise. +

MEDICALEXAMINER

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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.

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

(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: graphicadv@knology.net www.Facebook.com/AugustaRX Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and/or their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., nor its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for general informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment, consult your doctor.

The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2020 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.

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OCTOBER 2, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

#124 IN A SERIES

Who is this?

ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE

W

e recently stated in this very spot that this series is about people who are more or less directly involved in medicine and healthcare.

We are gathered together here today to amend that declaration ever so slightly.

If you are a doctor, nurse or EMT you have undoubtedly saved lives. You may keep a running tally in your head, or perhaps you’ve lost count; dozens or maybe even hundreds of people are alive today because of your actions.

This man, barely a historical footnote, is credited by some with directly saving more lives than any other person of the 20th century.

But what he did wasn’t noteworthy. It’s what he didn’t do.

His name was Stanislav Petrov (he died in 2017), but 37 years ago this week, his remarkable insight, discernment and patience prevented an international incident and potentially saved millions of lives.

On the night of September 25/26, 1983, Petrov was on duty at a super secret installation of the Soviet Air Defense Forces south of Moscow. 45 years old at the time, he was the duty officer in charge of an early warning facility which monitored US missile silos and Soviet defenses.

Suddenly a siren began to wail and crucial warning lights started flashing on control panels spread before him. His monitors told him that satellites had detected the launch of a US nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. Within moments, his screens showed five more incoming warheads.

“It was an adrenalin shock,” Petrov said in an interview years later. “I will never forget it. I immediately looked at the map and could see that at a military base on the east coast [of the U.S.] it was blinking as a signal that a missile had been fired, aimed at us. And I thought, ‘In forty minutes it will be here.’”

To put the incident in context, just three weeks before, Russian air defenses had shot down a Korean Air Lines 747 bound from Anchorage to Seoul with 269 people on board.

Tensions were extremely high since the KAL attack was expected to trigger an American response.

To his credit, Petrov reasoned, “Americans knew that a nuclear attack on us was tantamount to the eradication of at least half of their population. I was convinced that the Americans were a militant nation, but not a suicidal one. I remember thinking, ‘That big an idiot has not been born yet, not even in the U.S.’” Plus he thought if Americans really were going to attack, they would surely launch more than five missiles.

But in the crucial moment, it appeared completely impossible that the system might be sending a false alarm. Petrov had only minutes to react. He contacted his supervisor at another facility who told him, “Do your job.” All Petrov had to do was obey orders and follow procedure.

In the middle of the night, with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Petrov made the judgment call that the warnings were innacurate. He ignored procedure, ignored the warnings of attack, and in the process may have saved millions of lives.

The incident was unknown outside the Soviet military until 1998. Thereafter, Petrov received many awards and accolades in the US and Europe, but on his military record, his lifesaving decision earned him a reprimand. +

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 One health issue I rarely see discussed outside of the broiling hot days of summer is hydration. Most doctors only bring up the subject when a urinary tract infection is present, or when a patient’s kidney function values are low during their annual wellness checks. But getting to and remaining hydrated should be year-round goals.

Hydration is even more important for older people than it is for younger people.

As we age one of the clearest signals that we need more hydration comes from the largest organ in our bodies, our skin. Why is it that older people have more problems with hydration? One big reason is that we often take medicines younger people rarely do, such as diuretics. As we get older some of our body systems can become less effective in removing water from our lower extremities. Those systems are the lymph glands and the smaller, venous, blood vessels. We may see outer signs of that inner problem in swollen legs and ankles.

Active people may not experience this problem because contraction of the large and small muscles used in walking helps to reduce swelling. Being active may become more difficult for some people when arthritis makes walking painful, especially when the knee and hip joints rebel and control becomes tenuous and a tendency for those joints to collapse without warning increases the likelihood of falling.

Another reason why seniors may begin to consume smaller amounts of water once again lies in body systems becoming less sensitive. Just as many older people begin to lose their appetites as their bodies fail to signal hunger, their bodies may also fail to signal thirst. If you are someone who has gone for many hours without feeling hungry, you may also go for unusually long periods without drinking water or other liquids.

Those issues are exacerbated when it hurts

to simply get up and get a glass of water.

Some older people with bladder control issues may also see drinking water as causing increased urination. They may not even be aware that they have gone from drinking normal amounts of water to restricting how much they drink during the day. They may remember being told when their children were young to restrict fluids after dinner to prevent bed wetting.

That thought may unconsciously translate to, if I don’t drink as much water, I won’t leak when I laugh. Because leaking can be embarrassing, it’s easy to understand why drinking water may begin to have an adverse response instead of it being a healthy option.

Whatever reason older people have for drinking less water, it is a serious issue. Our bodies need water to function optimally. It helps the blood system to carry nutrients to the cells and remove waste. It helps the digestive system to process the foods we eat, and for the elimination of waste products to be comfortable. The kidneys also need water to function, helping to dilute the minerals that in larger quantities can cause painful kidney stones. Remaining hydrated helps the kidneys to remain healthy and avoid dialysis and even the need for kidneys to be removed and transplants to be necessary.

Fortunately, our bodies are happy with water that is hot or cold. Most of the time I prefer my water to be very cold, but I also can enjoy hot water when it is flavored with tea or coffee or even some lemon juice.

Tap water is never cold enough for me, but bottled or tapwater that is refrigerated can make it likely that I’ll see the water whenever I open the refrigerator door and remind myself to have some water with my snack or meal.

At first drinking water wasn’t something I thought of, but now it has become automatic.

I still drink pop, usually Diet Dr. Pepper, but now I drink twice as much water. Nice, cold water! How satisfying! +

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

Middle Age

BY J.B. COLLUM

{

I am offically ready to lose weight. Not today, however.

Because we have limited our eating out to places with outdoor dining or occasionally getting take-out, our choices have dwindled and therefore we have experimented with a lot more recipes that have, almost without exception, turned out to be delicious. With an even larger variety of yummy leftovers in the fridge, it is easy to eat too much.

Working from home also means that I have lots of choices for food, and I don’t have to walk to the convenience store a couple of blocks away from the office like I do at work when I want a snack. I always told myself that walk made up for the calories. It probably didn’t, but it was better than no walk.

Another problem is the weather. Until this week, it has been so hot that no sane person wanted to go outside and exercise. I am fortunate

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that we have a pool, so I have gotten some exercise.

Okay, I know that floating on a raft with a beer is not exercise, but let me have that one. And I do manage to squeeze in some actual swimming sometimes.

So as you can see, the cards have been stacked against me in regard to weight loss. However, I think I have also reached a turning point, and my age and maladies are giving me enough incentive to turn the tide in this war on weight gain.

Extra weight also means that my arthritis acts up more. My joints ache from the strain.

My digestive system is even less forgiving now that I’m in middle age too, and when I have dieted in the past one of the first benefits was the cessation of my heartburn. I take medicine for that now because it got so bad, but I’d love to drop that medication.

All of these factors and more have finally provided the motivation I need to get this weight off.

So here goes my next attempt at weight loss. Not today, of course. I’ll start on Monday, after this vacation.

Right now I need to go buy some donuts. It’s not my fault.

I have a coupon and I have three more days of vacation. +

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should have made me take action. I have some excellent excuses though. I will go through them.

Being mostly stuck at home and not being able to see a lot of your friends and family can be depressing.

Depression makes me want to eat. I think it does for a lot of people.

{

I was listening to one of my favorite songs just the other day when my twisted mind started changing the lyrics based on our current quarantine situation.

The song is Margaritaville and here is a sample of my changes to the chorus: Instead of “wasting away again in Margaritaville,” I changed it to “gaining weight again in Covid19ville” because, like a lot of other people I’ve talked to, I have gained a lot of weight during this pandemic. I will get back to that momentarily, but first, let me explain why my weight gain became more apparent.

We are currently on vacation at the beach. We waited until after Labor Day to avoid the crowds so that we could spend our time at the beach in a more socially distanced way, and I am glad to report that the beaches are not crowded at all. Waiting also saved us a lot of money, so there is that too. We bought new low slung chairs for the beach, and the first time I tried to get out of one of them, I realized that my belly was proving to be an obstacle. I ended up having to scoot out to the end of the chair and rock back and forth until I could get the momentum to launch out of it. How embarrassing. It wasn’t enough that I had to resort to wearing surf shirts to hide my big pale belly, now I can’t even get out of the chair. That is the last straw, but there have been a lot of other things that

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OCTOBER 2, 2020

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Read it for life.

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

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OCTOBER 2, 2020

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CAN YOU SAY

UPGRADE?

by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author

PINTO BEANS UNDER PRESSURE

These old fashioned pinto beans can be flavored multiple ways after cooking.

When cooking beans it is ideal to soak them overnight first, which improves the digestibility of the beans. The pressure cooker makes it very possible to cook beans even if you forget to pre-soak.

Whether you planned ahead to soak your beans or --“OOPS” forgot, the pressure cooker has you covered.

Start by rinsing the beans and sorting out any pebbles or shriveled beans.

Add the rinsed and sorted beans to the inner pot of the electric pressure cooker with 6 cups of water, oil, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, bay leaf and vegetarian bouillon cube.

Select bean setting and adjust time to 25 minutes. Once cooking time is done, allow pressure to naturally release for about 10 minutes. Then manually release pressure and carefully remove the lid (always tilt the lid away from your face when opening).

Check beans for tenderness and enjoy in multiple ways.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: ½ cup) Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 140,

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Fat 2g (0g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 170mg, Carbohydrate 25g, Fiber 8g, Protein 8g.

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to your slow cooker with 8 cups of water and seasonings above; cook on low for 8 hours.

Kim’s note: The electric pressure cooker is great for cooking beans pre-soaked or not. But pre-soaking is the ideal way to cook beans for easiest digestion. The best way to soak beans is actually to brine them (this method produces tender beans that do not burst when cooked).

To brine beans dissolve 2-3 tablespoons of salt in 8-12 cups of water, add your pound of beans and soak in the refrigerator overnight. After the overnight soak, drain the beans, rinse and cook as described above.

No pressure cooker? No problem, simply add the drained and rinsed beans

Bonus Recipes: • Use to make easy refried beans: 1 ½ cup beans, sauté onion (1/4cup), 1 garlic clove with ½ tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, ¼ cup vegetable broth (mash and top) • Use to make bean quesadillas: in a bowl mix ½ cup pinto beans (mashed) ¼ teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon chili pepper, 1 tablespoon minced red onion, 1 tablespoons cilantro, ¼ cup spinach, and ¼ cup reduced fat shredded cheese. Place in a tortilla, fold quesadilla style and cook in a nonstick skillet (that has been sprayed with a little cooking spray) until brown on both sides. +

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

ASK DR. KARP

NO NONSENSE

NUTRITION Jocelyn from Orangeburg, SC asks: “Do vitamin B12 shots give you energy?”

Believe it or not, the myth that Vitamin B12 shots give you energy has been around my entire life. The fad comes and goes, especially as it relates to dieting. Some diets even promote the use of B12 shots while losing weight, in order to help boost your energy. This is faulty thinking.

For those of you old enough,

do you remember Geritol, a supplement sold to cure for “tired blood”? That didn’t work, either; like B12 shots, it was just one more, of many, “passive” approaches to nutrition.

The fact is that if you want to lose weight, you need to both boost your energy and preserve muscle mass. Losing weight and losing muscle mass is not a good idea. There is little doubt that active exercising — meaning to actually move around and burn calories — is the way to go, not simply getting a shot. B12 shots, as a routine supplement for weight loss, is nothing more than nutrition “faddism.”

There is no scientific evidence that it does anything other than possibly fool you into thinking you are getting some useful medicine (the placebo effect).

At the very least, realize that no vitamin, whether B12 or another vitamin, has any calories. That means that it has no energy. Energy in your diet comes from fats, proteins, carbs, and alcohol.

Sometimes (in commercials) you hear or read that a B12 shot “promotes your metab-

olism” and gives you energy this way. Does it? No. The critical medical condition for which you need B12 injections is called pernicious anemia.

Since B12 is needed to produce red blood cells in your body, pernicious anemia occurs when your bone marrow cannot produce an adequate amount of red blood cells because you are unable to absorb adequate amounts of B12 from what you eat. Without sufficient B12 absorption from the foods you eat, your developing red blood cells cannot divide normally. They become larger than normal and have a hard time getting from your bone marrow into your blood, causing anemia.

OCTOBER 2, 2020 So if you have been diagnosed with low Vitamin B12 levels and pernicious anemia, you will receive B12 injections. Over the long term, you may be prescribed high doses of oral B12. If you have pernicious anemia and do not receive B12 supplementation, you can die from this disease; it is that serious.

Some people develop pernicious anemia as a result of an autoimmune disease which destroys the stomach cells responsible for producing the compound needed to absorb B12, called intrinsic factor.

Like most nutrition fads and quackery, there is usually a little bit of truth hidden somewhere within the fad.

These little bits of truth give the quackery some credibility. In this case, it is true that pernicious anemia is caused by a B12 deficiency; it is true that if you have anemia you feel “tired;” it is true that B12 shots are given for this condition; and it is true that when you get the shots, your anemia resolves and you feel like you have more energy. What is not true, however, is that in the absence of pernicious anemia, vitamin B12 shots will help you lose weight or

give you energy.

What about the placebo effect? Some people feel better just by the “laying on of hands;” taking some vitamins or sugar pills that a physician prescribes, or getting a shot. The mere idea of the medicine or treatment, rather than the medicine or treatment itself, may result in feeling better or temporary relief from symptoms.

This placebo effect can be quite strong under certain conditions. However, rather than fooling ourselves into thinking we are better, the most reasonable approach is to seek out specific, effective, evidenced-based medical treatment. And the data is clear: getting B12 shots for “energy” is not supported by data. So save your time and money.

So, what is the “No-Nonsense Nutrition” advice for today? Simply this: if you think that a B12 shot is going to help you lose weight or give you “energy,” then you are wrong. To get energy while losing weight and maintaining your muscle mass, you need to…yup… you need to exercise. +

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

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

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OCTOBER 2, 2020

Ask a Dietitian EAT MORE FRUITS & VEGGIES A WORKSHEET FOR HEALTH

by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Producer and Co-host of University Hospital’s Eating Well with Kim www.universityhealth.org/ewwk.

Follow Kim on Facebook @Eatingwellwithkimb or @Timetoeatwellwithkim Do you care about your health? ____ Yes ____ No Do you like going to the doctor? ____ Yes ____ No Do you enjoy taking medication? ____ Yes ____ No Do you eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day? ____ Yes ____ No Why are these things important?

• Nine out of ten adults DO NOT eat the recommended number of fruits & vegetables • Seven of the top ten leading causes of death are chronic disease.

• According to the CDC, 24% of Americans take three or more prescription medications, most of which are to manage a chronic disease.

• A diet rich in fruits & vegetables reduces the risk of chronic disease.

List what you ate yesterday: _________________________________________ ____________________________________ _________________________________________ ____________________________________ _________________________________________ ____________________________________ _________________________________________ ____________________________________ _________________________________________ ____________________________________ Did you have 2 servings of vegetables at both lunch and supper?

Any at breakfast?

Did you have fruit at 2 meals or for a snack?

Turn knowledge into action by setting one of these produce goals or make your own.

• Look up recipes and make more smoothies (a great way to get more fruits and veggies in the morning). Try https://www.universityhealth.org/drink-your-veggies-green-smoothie • Add sundried tomatoes or roasted bell peppers to morning eggs or evening rice.

Try: https://www.universityhealth.org/roastedred-egg-muffin • Use fruit as a snack or dessert.

Try: https://www.universityhealth.org/frozen-yogurt-covered-blueberries • Add cauliflower rice or finely chopped mushrooms to ground meat.

Try: https://www.universityhealth.org/cheeseburger-topped-potato

9 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER • ¼ pound white or cremini mushrooms – thinly sliced (about 4-5 whole mushrooms) • 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth • 1 (14 ounce) can white beans – drained and rinsed • ¾ teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons dried oregano • 2 teaspoons dried basil • 1 teaspoon dried parsley • 1 tablespoon brown sugar • 2 cups raw spinach or kale chopped • 6 tablespoons Parmesan Place a large soup pot on the stove and turn the stove onto medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, white onion, and carrot to the pot. Cook until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

Add the chicken to the pot

TUSCAN CHICKEN, WHITE BEAN AND VEGETABLE SOUP This hearty, healthy soup is ready in 30 minutes and offers a bouquet of rich and delicious Italian ingredients. With 5 different veggies, steeped in a tomato-based broth, this dish is bursting with color, flavor, and nutrition.

Ingredients • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 4 cloves minced garlic • ½ white onion, thinly sliced • 1 cup chopped carrots (about 12-14 baby carrots) • 2 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed • 2 zucchinis – halved and sliced • Pack portable snacks as needed with dried fruit and whole grains. Try: https://www.universityhealth.org/georgia-pecan-cherry-trail-mix • Eat in-season for optimal price, nutrients and flavor. Check out our local on-line farmers market at: https://augusta.locallygrown.net/market • Keep it simple, think about adding produce to foods you already make, such as soup, stir-fry, casseroles, grilled cheese (ex. sliced granny smith apple in a grill cheese yum), etc.

• Go to www.fruitsandveggies.org and take the Have A Plant® Pledge. #Haveaplant • What is your produce goal? How are you turning it into action? _______________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Try the delicious soup recipe above to help you meet your produce goal. It provides a whopping three servings of vegetables in each 2-cup serving of soup. +

and brown all over.

Add the zucchini, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, white beans, salt, dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, and brown sugar to the pot.

Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

A few minutes before serving, remove the lid and add the chopped spinach or kale to the soup. Continue cooking for another minute or so to wilt the greens.

After serving, top with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese per bowl. + Yield: 6 servings; 2 cups per serving Nutrient Breakdown: Calories 260, Fat 9g (2.5g sat. fat), Cholesterol 40mg, Sodium 570mg, Carbohydrate 24g, Fiber 5g, Protein 19g Plate Plan: 3 vegetables, 1 starch, 2 lean protein, 1 fat.

Reprinted with permission from Science-Driven Wellness, www.edwinaclark.com.

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CRASH

COURSE

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

I

drivers died in crashes over the twenty year period from 1998 to 2018 than in previous decades. t’s definitely not fair to lump all drivers from The actual death toll for drivers 70 and older the same age group together, as if to suggest in 2018 was 4,973, a number 15 percent lower they all drive alike because of their age. than the peak year for senior highway fatalities But it happens. Some people think all teenage (which was 1997). Keep in mind, this reduction drivers are reckless speed demons and all older happened over a stretch of two decades during drivers are a menace on the highways. which the number of older drivers was steadily Many stereotypes get their start with a kernel growing. The overall per capita rate of drivof truth, but when the broad brush is applied, ing fatalities among older people has fallen by accuracy goes out the window. almost half (46 percent) since 1975. The sharpest There are very safe teenage drivers, just as decreases in fatality rates, in fact, there are extremely safe, cautious were among drivers 80 and above. and courteous older drivers.

So it it’s easy to see why calls Older drivers are a rapidly growfor the mandatory surrender of ing segment of the driving populadriving privileges at a certain pretion. Back in 1997, just 73 percent set age are unfair and unnecessary. of drivers older than 70 still had That being said, there are undenitheir license, but that number had able driving risks for older adults, jumped to 83 percent in 2018. Nurisks which typically increase with merically, we’re talking about some each passing year. As time goes by, 29 million drivers as of 2018. The it’s important for family members U.S. Census Bureau predicts that How could I have been doing people 70 and above will increase 70 miles an hour when I’ve only to monitor the situation and take action sooner rather than later. to 53 million by 2030 (the number been on the road for 10 minutes?

Rather than a one-size-fits-all was 35 million in 2018), and with each passing year the trend is for more and more law, it is far better for families to address this topic on an individual, as-needed, when-needed older adults to keep their driver’s licenses active basis. It can be a very difficult conversation to longer and longer. have. An older driver who isn’t as capable of safe With these kind of numbers, large and growly getting around anymore might not be aware ing, do we need to get these people off the road, of their gradual decline in driving skills. No one enacting some kind of mandatory age limit for relishes the thought of losing their independence drivers? and having to depend on others to go anyplace or In a word, no. do anything, so it can be a contentious event.

As noted above, what annoys some motor To that point, those who take the keys from a ists the most about older drivers is that they’re family member really need to step into the void cautious; they can be slowpokes. There are worse habits to have behind the wheel, that’s for they have created. They need to actively and proactively promote their chauffeuring services, as sure. All things considered, that characteristic well as responding quickly as often as reasonably (although it’s a stereotype that doesn’t apply possible when their family cab is called. This to all older drivers) is an excellent and realistic removes the burden that would be on the newly response to slower reaction times people experirestricted driver to constantly have to ask for ence as they get older. rides. Making sure they aren’t stuck at home will Accident statistics bear out the stereotype that promote and protect their mental and emotional older drivers are generally safer drivers. health, which will in turn help enhance their According to figures from the Insurance physical health. + Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), fewer older

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OCTOBER 2, 2020

HUMAN BEHAVIOR

How neuroscience works in everyday life

PAIN IS SUCH A PAIN

My pain often makes it difficult to concentrate — sometimes I stare at my email for hours trying to make sense of

by Jeremy Hertza, Psy.D. the words. My pain makes it difficult to do little things, or to enjoy anything. I cannot tell you how many days I’ve spent lying down, or nights I’ve spent wide awake, unable to sleep. When the pain is bad enough, I cannot cook. I cannot eat. I cannot clean, and I cannot bear to sit or stand.

And that pain? The pain of knowing I am living half a life? Of knowing I am missing out? That pain is far greater than what I feel in my back. That is the toughest pill to swallow.

–Ashley Jane, excerpted from the Scary Mommy blog, www.scarymommy.com Thirty years ago, pharmaceutical companies promised relief to the nearly 25% of Americans who live with chronic pain: opioids.

While these same companies were riding high on a golden balloon, families were destroyed. Pills clearly aren’t always the answer.

Doctors still prescribe opioids, and patients in pain still benefit from them. But these medications were originally designed to treat the worst pain, 10 out of 10. They’re designed to give immediate relief. They were never meant to be used on a daily basis.

So with the medical profession now much more cautious, what can patients and families do to help manage pain that’s 5 out of 10? Or higher?

More Pain We’re living longer today. But our bodies aren’t necessarily staying in peak condition. Our backs weaken, our knees are creaking, and arthritis curls our fingers and hands.

With chronic pain, experts in physical therapy and rehabilitation often say, “Motion is lotion.” The more you move and stretch, the less pain you tend to have. We say, move and stretch as you are able. That could mean walking, exercise in a pool, gentle yoga or stretches—whatever you are comfortable with. I can’t repeat this enough: Physical activity is important. This is different from acute pain, like from a sprained ankle or broken arm, which needs to stay immobile.

While people may be a little skeptical about alternative therapies—they are called “alternative,” after all—studies have shown that acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic services, even massage can help knock pain down by about 20%. Stress and anxiety can make pain symptoms worse, so stress reduction is pain reduction.

The important thing is to have several tools you can use to help manage your pain before you reach for a prescription pain pill.

What About CBD? Derived from the marijuana plant, CBD oil, whether or not it contains THC, is everywhere these days. There is no current research that has found CBD has any harmful effects. As for THC, most studies show no longer-term effects, although that varies depending on how you use it.

People using THC through a vape pen have experienced lung problems, even death. Smoking anything can be harmful to your lungs.

There’s also very little evidence that it’s chemically addicting, although it could be emotionally addicting. Like anything, use moderation if you choose to explore CBD oil.

The Final Word My personal approach is to advise patients to consider a variety of techniques before taking an opioid. By design, opioids are not a first-line treatment; they should be a last-line treatment.

Whether that’s exercise and CBD oil or nerve blocks and antiinflammatories, all of those are going to be safer at managing pain.

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 +

OCTOBER 2, 2020

11 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Gregory Jasani, MD, on September 18, 2020

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO WEAR A MASK, COME TO WORK WITH ME I am an emergency medicine physician in an innercity emergency department, and I would like to start by stating a simple truth: coronavirus is not going away any time soon. Cases are climbing in practically every state and show no signs of slowing down. From my personal perspective, things are getting worse. Every day I am treating more and more patients who are ill with COVID-19 infections. Given the spiraling case numbers, I find the refusal of some people to wear masks completely baffling.

Yet I know the idea of wearing a mask stirs up a strong, visceral reaction in many who feel their personal freedoms are being curtailed. Maybe you, reading this now, are one of these individuals. If that is the case, I have a simple offer: please come to work with me.

In my emergency department on a typical day, you will see the very real and sometimes deadly consequences of coronavirus infections. You will watch as patients, some of them otherwise healthy, struggle to breathe. You can also watch as I intubate some of these patients and place them on a ventilator, then pray that my intensive care unit has a bed available. You can listen as I tell patients they have coronavirus, and you can stand there silently while I hold their hand as they cry. Do you think wearing a mask in your grocery store is unpleasant? If so, then wearing a gown, an N95 surgical mask, two sets of gloves, and face shield into every patient’s room will be really uncomfortable for you. I won’t even mention to you that you are still over three times more likely than the general public to catch coronavirus by working in a hospital. And if you do, your colleagues will have to take care of you and possibly watch you die – a wrenching circumstance that is happening all over the country.

You may view wearing a mask as an infringement on your civil liberties, but for those of us in healthcare, it is a numbers game. Every person who refuses to practice basic preventive measures such as social distancing and wearing a mask increases the transmission of the virus.

More transmission means more cases. Admittedly, the majority of those infected will only have mild symptoms and recover. Sadly, that’s not true for everyone. Those of us who work in healthcare don’t have the option of refusing to treat these patients the way you have the option of refusing to wear a mask. To put it another way, we don’t have the “freedom” to keep ourselves safe, even though you have the “freedom” to endanger us.

Masks work. There is solid data showing that masks drastically decrease transmission of the virus. Given that people can transmit the virus while otherwise appearing completely healthy, it is paramount that everyone wears a mask. Counties with mask mandates are seeing cases drop; those without are, predictably, experiencing surges.

To me, refusing to wear a mask is unacceptable. By not wearing a mask in public, you are helping to transmit a deadly virus. Your actions are condemning countless people to serious illness and possibly death. You feel your freedom is being limited by wearing a mask? With freedom comes responsibility, and also consequences. If you insist on refusing to wear a mask, then at least have the courage to come see the consequences of your choice.

Please come to work with me and see things from my perspective. Wearing a mask in public will seem a pretty small inconvenience after you do. +

At least have the courage to see the results of your choice.

Gregory Jasani is an emergency medicine resident.

It’s a curious exercise to ponder what advanced medical practices and technology of today will look ridiculously primitive, if not downright dangerous, in the future.

After all, high tech medicine in the days of yore has included some pretty weird practices. Ever hear of trepanation, for instance? It boiled down to this: “Hey doc, I’m having lots of headaches.”

“I’ll need to drill a hole in your skull to relieve the pressure.”

“But what about the pain?”

“Oh don’t worry about that. Anesthesia will be invented in a couple hundred years.”

Trepanation, blood letting, and a host of other odd practices were all state of the art medicine at one time.

But that was then, this is now, right?

Not so fast, says author Edwin Black. In War Against the Weak he chronicles an American medical trend of the first half of the 20th Century that is uncomfortably reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

This particular installment of pseudoscience was called eugenics, and it was admirably subtle. When it fully developed and came to maturity in Germany, it was a blatant exercise in racism and execution on an epic scale.

In its infancy in the U.S., it was no less judgmental, but a more subtle.

Instead of execution in gas chambers, tens of thousands of Americans who inhabited “the lower tenth” of society were forcibly sterilized, permanently committed to mental institutions, and prohibited from marrying and reproducing more of their undesirable kind.

Who were “the lower tenth”? People who scored

low on IQ tests, the “feebleminded,” the simply shy, people who were the “wrong” color or who couldn’t speak English.

Black tells the fascinating and frightening story in great detail —and there’s a lot more detail than you would hope: mandatory sterilization laws were enacted in 27 states to prevent those deemed “unfit” from breeding more undesirables.

Respected institutions from the hallowed halls of medical academia right up to the U.S. Supreme Court were all completely on-board with the immediate goal: sterilizing 14 million unfit Americans.

Maintenance would follow, refining and purifying the gene pool by continually straining off the bottom tenth: Mexicans, Jews, “white trash,” alcoholics and immigrants.

It’s a chilling tale. It happened here, and not all that long ago.

Its importance? As George Santayana famously noted, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” + War Against the Weak by Edwin Black, 592 pages, published in 2008 by Dialog Press.

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

MEDICALEXAMINER

+ 12

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

The Examiners

OCTOBER 2, 2020

+

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

by Dan Pearson

I had a bowl of granola with a sliced banana and oat milk.

That is downright freaky.

So you had oats and oat milk?

What??? Why?

Now I don’t feel like eating my chicken and egg sandwich for lunch. © 2020 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

10

15

16

17

18

19

11

12

13

22 24 29 34

35

36

40 43 46

44 47

48 53 56

57

58

61 64

The Mystery Word for this issue: ACRICOTH

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

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, Oct. 12, 2020

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

E X8 A4 M I N E R9

7 9 6 6 7 1

2

1 3 1 6

3

7

5

S U D 7 O 9 K U

3

5

7 5 6 3

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1

4 7 2

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved.

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

67

29. Sound-absorbing, as tile 31. Revelry; happiness 33. Home security provider 34. Waterproof canvas 35. Eye part 36. Bristle 38. Blockade in wartime 42. Park in Augusta 43. Las Vegas NFL team 47. Possible partner of 48-A (abbrev.)

49. Convocation or coven of witches 50. Kellogg’s product 51. Latin end 52. Sudden rush or increase 53. Involuntary muscle action 55. Stare open-mouthed 56. A single time 57. Quick!!!

58. Make weary 60. Distant Solution p. 14

QUOTATIONPUZZLE Y O C R S G F E T R A R T U R U E M R S L T U S H Y O C R O O M A E S N N Y U U T O E E A

3 7 1 6 8 4 A E 4G 1 I S 2P 3 R P 5O 9 7 5 N 6 2 9 8 — Bill Gates

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.

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved

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

L 1 2 3

1

2

1 2 3

A B 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 1 2 3 N N 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

— Plato

1.BATATOUMIT 2.NNOOHHHFLS 3.SYMILEEE 4.ATM 5.NA 6.LA 7.GS 8.E 9.A 10.B 11.L 12.E

SAMPLE:

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

L 1

O 2

V 3

E 4

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

I 3

N 4

D 5

by Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved

BY

9

14

20 21 ACROSS 1. Aug. talk radio letters 23 5. Skin root 25 26 27 28 10. Secure 14. Hip bones 30 31 32 33 15. The same as 37 38 39 16. Blood blockage 17. Deprived of sensation 41 42 18. Ivory objects 45 19. 20th Hebrew letter 20. Profane 49 50 51 52 22. Curt 54 55 23. Consisting of roots 24. Kidney-bladder connector 59 60 25. Like rainy weather 62 63 28. Shortened life?

29. Against, in the sticks 65 66 30. Your great-great-greatby Daniel R. Pearson © 2020 All rights reserved. great-great-great-great great-great-grandfather?

67. Allot 32. Tracheal inflammation 37. Women (in old movies) DOWN 39. Form of Esperanto 1. With up, what a pitcher does 40. Trap 2. Adhesive 41. Official approval 3. Intentions 44. John Wayne movie 4. Strongest Man tossed pole title word 5. Matthew Stafford’s team 45. True 6. Torrid 46. Blue 7. Oxidized 48. Test for guys (abbrev.)

49. Crude figure, especially of 8. Produce 9. Lou Gehrig ltrs. someone disliked 10. Checking for disease 52. Agitates 11. Wide awake 54. Slick mud 12. Director, choreographer, 55. Crossroads sign actor Bob (1927-1987) 59. Something that causes 13. Early anesthetic ruin or trouble 21. Corn holder 60. Ridiculous sham 22. Attempts 61. Not pro 24. Exclamation of disgust 62. Related by blood 25. Dry watercourse 63. Score for newborns 26. Wax coated cheese 64. Wound reminder 27. Compact by pounding 65. Word with drive or tube 66. Staggers

WORDS NUMBER

8

THE MYSTERY WORD

9 5 2 8 7 6 4 1 3

4 7 1 2 5 8 3 9 6

6 2 3 7 9 4 1 8 5

8 9 5 6 1 3 2 7 4

OCTOBER 2, 2020

13 +

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...

A

n 80-year-old man who was new to the Boston area and New England went with his wife to a doctor’s appointment. Being a small practice, the doctor himself came out to the waiting room to call the man back in for his exam. After the appointment was over the wife waited until they got in the car to ask how the appointment went.

“The doctor said I have a hot mama,” he told her proudly.

“Honey,” she said, “we’re in Boston now. I think he said you have a heart murmur.”

Moe: It’s terrible for someone whose career is singing to realize that he can never sing again.

Joe: True.

Moe: But it’s even worse if he doesn’t realize it.

Moe: Do you know what kind of coffee was served on the Titanic?

Joe: Sanka?

Moe: What goes ha ha ha ha plop?

Joe: I give. What?

Moe: Someone laughing his head off.

The only cow in a tiny village in Wisconsin stopped giving milk. The villagers were all poor and had shared the milk, but now they were unable to give milk to their children. Fortunately, one of the men in the village had a brother in Minnesota who was willing to loan them one of his finest dairy cows.

The cow was everything the brother had said and more, but they knew she was only a loaner, so they decided to find a bull to mate with the cow. Then they would have their own cow and all the milk they needed.

They pooled their money and bought a bull that came highly recommended, but whenever the bull came anywhere near the cow, she would move away. No matter what the bull did the cow refused to mate.

Several of the men decided to ask the rabbi from a nearby village for advice.

“Nothing works for this bull,” they told him. “If he approaches her from the side she walks away; from the back, she moves forward; from the front she backs away.”

The rabbi listened patiently until they finished speaking, then pondered in silence for a few moments. Finally he asked, “Did you get this cow from Minnesota?”

The people were amazed at the rabbi’s wisdom, since nothing about where they had gotten the cow had ever been mentioned.

“She is from Minnesota!” they said.

“How did you know?”

“My wife is from Minnesota,” the rabbi said sadly. +

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?

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

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

The

Advice Doctor ©

Dear Advice Doctor, I need your advice about a strong suspicion I have that I can’t prove. I don’t know how or from whom, but I think my husband is stealing money — a lot of it too. Some of the stuff we buy (not on credit either) is really expensive. All the time I’m looking at these price tags and thinking, beats me how in the world we can afford this stuff. He’s either stealing money or printing it. What should I do?

— Champagne on a Beer Budget Dear Champagne, It is sad indeed to be in a situation like yours. Any woman who writes a letter seeking advice about her husband that includes the words “beats me” deserves all the assistance and support that can be mustered.

Your letter is especially timely since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This scourge afflicts fully onefourth of all women in their lifetime; one-third of all women also experience some form of sexual violence over their lifetime. There are huge numbers behind those statistics, and no doubt rivers of tears.

But sexual assault and physical or verbal violence are really just the tip of the domestic violence iceberg. Many people don’t realize that obsessive or controlling behaviors are also considered to be domestic violence, emotional abuse like extreme jealousy, completely controlling their mate’s social life including forbidding contact with family members and/ or lifelong friends, exerting oppressive financial control, and constant calling or texting, often to micromanage movement or ascertain whereabouts.

For any conduct that poses immediate danger, 9-1-1 is the number to call whether it is your situation or one you suspect is affecting someone else. Other numbers are shown below.

Ultimately, everyone has the responsibility to help prevent this enormous problem by not looking the other way and instead being an engaged bystander.

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) loveisrespect (Dating Abuse Helpline) 1-866-331-9474 National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) I hope this answers your question. Thanks for writing! + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about health, life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.

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Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #51

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

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THE MYSTERY SOLVED !

The Mystery Word in our last issue was: PANCREAS

E U S S I in the p. 16 ad for ...cleverly hidden on a windowframe T X E CLEANING CO. AUGUSTA WEST N K C A B K C E CH

THE WINNER: WE STUMPED THE PANEL! NO WINNER! 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!

OCTOBER 2, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER THE PUZZLE SOLVED W I N D

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M A A L K S E T U R A G I C H E O S U R S A D T I R I D E C E A R L S

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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.

QUOTATION PUZZLE SOLUTION “Your most unhappy customers* are your greatest source of learning.”

* or patients

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— Bill Gates

WORDS

BY NUMBER “Of all the animals the boy is the most unmanageable.”

SEE PAGE 12

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

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

QuotatioN

— Plato

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READ EVERY ISSUE ONLINE WWW.ISSUU.COM/ MEDICALEXAMINER

OCTOBER 2, 2020

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

FOR A E IM T S U IO R B U L A S 5 5 4 5 0 6 8 6 0 CALL 7

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

THANKS TO OUR CONTEST CO-SPONSORS

LOOK FOR THE MYSTERY WORD IN EVERY ISSUE!

SEE PAGE 12 FOR MORE INFO!

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +

ACUPUNCTURE

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

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

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

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

DENTISTRY

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

IN-HOME CARE

Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!

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

DERMATOLOGY

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

LONG TERM CARE

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

DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS

PHARMACY

SLEEP MEDICINE

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

TRANSPORTATION AMBULANCE • STRETCHER • WHEELCHAIR

706-863-9800

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

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

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

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

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

YOUR LISTING HERE

DRUG REHAB

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

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

John Cook,

OCTOBER 2, 2020

WE’RE BEGGING YOU!

M.D.

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

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

MEDICINE IN THE FIRST PERSON

SKIN CANCER CENTER

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

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

GENERAL, SURGICAL & COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY

Everybody has a story.

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!

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