When insurance companies (like BCBS of Georgia) lie, reader's exercise and weight loss suggestions, Ask A Dietitian about granola, a trip to Italy diverted to Holland, immunization info and much more
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Transcript
DOCTORS HOSPITAL • EISENHOWER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER • EAST CENTRAL REGIONAL • GEORGIA HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY • GRACEWOOD • MCGHEALTH • PRIVATE PRACTICE • SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL • TRINITY HOSPITAL • UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL • VA HOSPITALS • WALTON REHABILITATION HOSPITAL
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AUGUST 3, 2012AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006
M-F: 10-6; SAT: 10-4 • 4431 WASHINGTON RD • NEXT TO THE EVANS DINER • 706.364.1163 • WWW.SCRUBSOFEVANS.COMMED COUTURE • KOI • CHEROKEE • GREY’S ANATOMY BY BARCO • NRG BY BARCO • ALEGRIA SHOES
IT’S VACATION TIMETake a vacation from
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IT’S VACATION TIME
Out of BodyEXPERIENCES
SEE PAGE 7
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Someone isn’t telling the truthhe impasse between Georgia Health Sciences University and Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Georgia has some people scratching their heads in bewilderment. On the one hand, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBS) sent its policy holders a letter on July 16 stating in part that BCBS “was notifi ed by [MCG/GHSU] that they have decided to terminate their contracts with us effective August 15, 2012.” Going on, the letter said, “We understand that it can be disruptive to you and your family when providers leave our networks.” The implication was clear: BCBS was summarily abandoned by GHS. This was such terrible news for BCBS they could barely stop crying long enough to write the letter. Four days later, a letter on Georgia Health Sciences
stationary was mailed to patients affected by the termination. Their version had the same main facts, but an entirely different tone. The GHS version said, “Our negotiations with BCBS have been particularly diffi cult, and we fi nd GHS Medical Center and GHS Medical Associates in the regrettable position of terminating our agreements and exiting the BCBS network effective August 15.” Prior to its July 20 letter, GHS sent an internal letter to its thousands of employees which made the point that “the physicians of GHS Medical Associates have had zero adjustments to how they are paid by BCBS for nine years.... We need to bring this contract to market rates...[to retain] the exceptional physicians we now have and for recruiting new physicians to the area....
As of now, [BCBS has] failed to address the nine years these physicians’ rates have stayed the same.” Perhaps some people reading this article are thinking, “even without the raises, physicians are very well paid. They shouldn’t be complaining.” You and I, ordinary mortals, might be jealous of physicians and what we imagine their standard of living to be. But consider the whole picture: the average newly minted doctor begins practice with more than $100,000 in debt from student loans alone, according to American Medical Association fi gures. At some medical schools, the average student loan debt at graduation is more than twice that high. In the past two decades, the Association of American Medical Colleges says the cost of private medical schools has risen 165% and the cost of public medical schools has gone up even more: 312% in the past 20 years.
For nearly half that time (the aforementioned nine years), BCBS has kept its payment to physicians frozen. As the GHS letter states, “there is no quality hospital care without quality physician care.” It simply can’t work. There are teaching hospitals in other cities, in other states, that offer compensation that isn’t stamped “Payment in 2003 rates.” They can lure excellent doctors away from Augusta — and they have. The paradox is that no one wants their insurance rates to rise, and nearly everyone is appalled by how expensive health care can be. At the same time, we all want the best doctors, and the newest, most advanced medical equipment. We can’t have it both ways. As GHS said to its staff, “the future of health care in our community is too important to allow BCBS to pit our medical center and our physicians against each other.” After nine years, GHS needed to act to send a message of support to its member physicians. In the weeks since these letters appeared, both sides have argued their respective cases through media outlets. We’re siding with GHS; we have seen exactly these tactics before coming from BCBS: at the end of last year, BCBS (dba Anthem) dumped Walgreens from its network. At the time, the Examiner had a modicum of insider information that sounded exactly like the current case: Walgreens was making all the concessions while BCBS was infl exible. The source of that information, we freely admit, was Walgreens. Why do we believe them and not Anthem/Blue Cross? Because Walgreens remains an approved pharmacy provider of every other major pharmacy benefi t network in the
nation. If BCBS’ contention was true, that “Walgreens’ propsed 2012 prices are much higher than the other pharmacies withn our network,” other plans would surely have followed BCBS’ lead in the highly competitive health care marketplace. But they haven’t. BCBS’s letter about GHS came across as an appeal to reader’s sympathies. Anyone who didn’t know the whole picture would think BCBS was left out in the cold by GHS’s decision. With the full picture in place, BCBS’ tone was a little bit like a man asking for mercy from a judge on the grounds that he is an orphan, alone in the world. The judge, for his part, rejects the plea for mercy on the grounds that the man is an orphan because he has just been convicted of murdering his parents. After Anthem/BCBS’ reported refusal to negotiate led to dropping Walgreens from its pharmacy program nationally, Anthem’s pharmacy division (Express Scripts) posted this message to its customers: “Express Scripts is sorry that Walgreens did what they did... We regret any inconvenience that Walgreens’ actions have caused you.” Seriously? The Propaganda Ministry — or whatever that department is called at BCBS — is really at the top of their game. They seem to be following the same path with GHS, reportedly refusing to negotiate in good faith, using their leverage to force acceptance of their terms, and if they don’t, they take their ball and go home, publicly exonerating themselves of all culpability. And to think that Blue Cross/Blue Shield used to be the gold standard. — Daniel Pearson
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OUR OPINION
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Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., or its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which
is presented for informational purposes only. For specifi c medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment consult your doctor.
The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of news within every part of the Augusta medical community.
By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers. If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house!
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Why subscribe to the Medical Examiner? Why would anyone pay for a subscription to a free newspaper? That’s certainly a legitimate question. The answer: as a major regional medical center, patients come to Augusta hospitals and physicians from all over the Southeast. The MCGHealth Medical Center alone sees patients from every single county in Georgia, not to mention South Carolina, Florida, and beyond. Add to that the regional reach of Eisenhower Army Medical Center and both Veterans Administration hospitals, the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, Walton Rehab and University Hospital, and it’s clear that many people seeking treatment in Augusta are not local residents. Furthermore, some of our most loyal readers are in town only occasionally. Or their treatments and visits to Augusta are only temporary. Even local residents may fi nd it more convenient to walk to their mailbox than visit one of our many newsstands. Subscriber copies are mailed the day prior to the issue date so they will be received by most readers no later than the publication date printed on the paper. Copies are sent by First Class mail in a sealed envelope so they’ll arrive promptly and in crisp condition. Rates are $16 for a 6-month subscription (12 issues), $32 for a full year (24 issues). Complete the form below and drop it in the mail with your payment. Thank you!
The Money Doctorappears exclusively in the Medical Examiner’s 3rd Friday
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What’s your story? Nearly all of us — even doctors and nurses — are sometimes patients. Perhaps you were recently injured playing your favorite sport, or years ago you somehow got hurt without even leaving your favorite recliner. Maybe you were diagnosed with a dreaded disease, mugged in a dark and lonely parking lot, or you stubbed your toe in the safety of your own bedroom. On the other hand, perhaps you needed medical attention 5,000 miles from home. Whatever your medical experience, we’d like to hear your story for our Medicine in the First Person feature. It can be frightening or funny, ordinary or extraordinary, just a few paragraphs long or quite a lengthy tale. We’ll publish your encounters with the medical profession as often as we receive them.
Send your submissions for Medicine in the First Person to the Augusta Medical Examiner via e-mail: [email protected] 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.)
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER AUGUST 3, 20124
Hope IS Possible
Everyone has a story to tell
here are many authors in the CSRA, and I’m proud to be one of
them. I’ve often said on my radio show and on these pages that I believe everyone has a story, which means that story can be penned into a book. I am often asked about how to become an author and publish a book. When I speak to young children in the schools, I ask the kids if they like to read. On the elementary school level,
most of the hands go up in the air. In the middle schools, I may only get a quarter of the kids to acknowledge they like to read. And I don’t even want to discuss how many hands go up with the high school group. I’ve been a reader as long as I can remember. I am still a reader. I love to read. And write. There have been studies conducted on the positive impact on emotional well-being that can occur when a journal is kept. Writing your feelings down when you’re happy, unhappy, confused, disappointed, hurt or whatever your feelings are at the time, can give you a sense of relief – and actually help you feel better. Maud Purcell, LCSW, CEAP, shared some information in an article that, I believe, will be very useful to any aspiring journal-keepers. Purcell said “The act of writing accesses your left brain, which is analytical and rational. While your left brain is occupied,
your right brain is free to create, intuit and feel. In sum, writing removes mental blocks and allows you to use all of your brainpower to better understand yourself, others, and the world around you.” Begin journaling and you’ll begin experiencing these benefi ts:• Clarify your thoughts and feelings. Do you ever seem all jumbled up inside, unsure of what you want or feel? Taking a few minutes to jot down your thoughts and emotions (no editing!) will quickly get you in touch with your internal world.• Know yourself better. By writing routinely you will get to know what makes you feel happy and confi dent. You will also become clear about situations and people who are toxic for you — important information for your emotional well-being.• Reduce stress. Writing about anger, sadness and other painful emotions helps to
release the intensity of these feelings. By doing so you will feel calmer and better able to stay in the present.• Solve problems more effectively. Typically we problem-solve from a left-brained, analytical perspective. But sometimes the answer can only be found by engaging right-brained creativity and intuition. Writing unlocks these other capabilities, and affords the opportunity for unexpected solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.• Resolve disagreements with others. Writing about misunderstandings rather than stewing over them will help you to understand another’s point of view. And you just may come up with a sensible resolution to the confl ict. In addition to all of these profound benefi ts, keeping a journal allows you to track patterns, trends and improvements and personal and professional growth over time. When current circumstances appear insurmountable, you will be able to look back on previous dilemmas that you have since resolved and forgotten. You might be quite surprised at how you were able to overcome and get through previous situations when you look back years later. I know I have had many of those occasions. Now comes the part that may cause a little concern: getting started.
So how do you begin? Your journaling will be most effective if you do it every day for about 20 minutes. Begin anywhere: don’t wait for some earth-shaking event to begin, and don’t focus on spelling and punctuation. Privacy is important if you are to write without being conscious of someone watching or wanting to read what you’ve written. Write quickly, as this frees your brain from “should I do this or will it really work?” and other blocks to successful journaling. If it helps, pick a theme for the day, week or month (for example, peace of mind, confusion, change or anger). The most important rule of all is that there are no rules. If you’re interested in publishing a book, I can help. Send me an email at [email protected] so we can chat about how you can tell your story. Happy journaling!
Helen Blocker Adams is President/CEO of The HBA Group, Intl and Executive Director of the Southeast Enterprise Institute, Inc. Visit her website at www.helenblockeradams.com. If you like politics, visit her blog at www.projectlogicga.com. You can reach her via email at [email protected] Helen’s new book, Unlikely Allies: 8 Steps to Bridging Divides that Impact Leadership can be purchased by visiting www.hbagroup-intl.com or www.authorhouse.com
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ATTENTIONCompensation and medical benefi ts are available for covered illnesses related to exposure to radiation, beryllium, silica and toxic substances through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP). Over $420 million has been paid to eligible Savannah River Site workers or their survivors through this program.
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by Bad Billy Laveau
On July 13, 2012, near the end of a campaign speech at a fi rehouse in Roanoke, Virginia, President Barack Obama told an audience that “If you’ve got a business - you didn’t build that. Someone else made it happen.” First off, I am horrifi ed that a sitting president who graduated from Yale uses such fl awed English in public. Did he think he was just talking to a fi re crew? Not hardly. He was speaking not only to local voters, local media, but to the nation and the world as well. Second, I am utterly appalled that the President of a free and capitalist society is rooted in blatant socialist ideology and does not give anyone credit for creating anything. I wonder who he thinks made Ford Motor Company happen for Henry Ford? Who made Apple Computers happen for Steve Jobs? Or Wal-Mart for Sam Walton? Or for Bill Gates, Microsoft? For that matter, who gave Fat Betty her House of Beauty down on the corner of Desperation Row and Foreclosure Avenue? Well, I have the answer for you. Nobody gave those businesses to any of them. For long years they invested their blood, sweat, and tears, not to mention personal money and emotional sacrifi ce, to get where
they are. On July 20, 2012, William Bonner, Jr., 36, was at Allie Katz bar off Washington Road around 1:30 a.m. when he let his friends set his head on fi re. The fi rst time they tried he failed to ignite. So being of the I-don’t-give-up-that-easy upbringing, they did it a second time with a larger dose of alcohol on the head. This time he became a real hot head and was transported to Joseph M. Still Burn Center. To my knowledge, he is the fi rst patient to ever say, “Well, we were kinda bored so I bet my buddy he wouldn’t pour a glass of alcohol on my head and then light it.” Years ago, Richard Prior, the foul-mouthed but funny comedian, accidentally set himself on fi re while doing drugs. When he healed and returned to the stage, he said, “I can tell you one thing: if you run down the street with your hair on fi re, people will respect you. They will get out of your way.” Maybe cooler heads should prevail and consider that maybe Bonner and Prior weren’t stupid or drunk. Maybe they had head lice and had invented a way to remove them organically. Or, who knows, maybe they were saving money on haircuts. Or maybe they are misunderstood geniuses, and
we don’t give them enough credit. To quote Fats Domino, “Ain’t that a shame. My tears fell like rain.” A few weeks ago, Weasel got pulled over by the Po-Po. They said he was weaving. He wore a ragged T-shirt left over from his rock concert days. (His shoulder-length hair had been cut the week before to look presentable to the court while he was on jury duty. Ironically, Weasel was about to see justice from the other side of the fence.) Weasel walked the white line straight as a judge. He stood on one foot like a stork and didn’t fall. So good, so far. But then Weasel did something stupid, or at least mindlessly weird. The Po-Po asked, “You been drinking, boy?” “Had 3 beers a couple hours ago.” “You been doing any drugs?” “No, sir. Just a joint or two most days. None of that hard stuff that’ll kill you.”
“You sure you wanta tell us that?” “The truth shall set you free,” Weasel replied with misplaced confi dence. “Not this time, boy,” the Po-Po said with greater confi dence. “We got all this on camera.” That’s when they gave him stainless steel bracelets and a scenic tour of South Augusta during his backseat ride to the lock up. Weasel is out on bond awaiting trial. And he works most every day and plans to keep his hair short. William Bonner, Jr. is out of the burn center trying to regrow hair and eyebrows. He is lice free. Never did he dream a few drinks were going to cost him so much. He’s famous on YouTube now. (Watch the video at www.AugustaRx.com/news) A lawyer told me he did not think charges would be fi led because there is no law forbidding you to be stupid. And Obama? Well, we still have him. At least for a few
more months. In that time, I hope he does not open his mouth again to speak off the cuff, but waits until the teleprompter is on. While I do not agree with most of his policies, I do not want our president to sound stupid. Or ill informed. Or ideologically misguided. If we did not have the internet and 24-hour cable news, I (and you) would not know of any of these events. The indignities and intellectual malfunctions of the aforementioned four would have never seen the light of day. So, you see, the problem is not of their own making. The problem rests with computers, cable TV, and the internet. No doubt all four were innocent bystanders to the events that swirled around them. Yeah. Right. Do you want to by my beach front condo on top of Stone Mountain? It is not in a fl ood zone, so insurance costs are really low.
Bad Billy Laveau is a retired MD with a pointed sense of humor. Bad Billy speaks and entertains at public and private events for audiences not subject to cardiac seizure secondary to overwhelming laughter and glee [email protected] or 706-306-9397
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WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOWABOUT NEWS OF THE WEIRD AND STUPID
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he condition of the bones (rather than joints) that we see
most commonly is osteoporosis. While we generally think of this as a problem women have, men can get it too. It is one of the few problems that is rarely seen in overweight people. The typical person with bone loss is frail and thin and may start to develop the typical “widow’s hump” as their spine starts to bend forward. Many things are associated with osteoporosis, but the most common factor is age. Women start to lose calcium in their bones after menopause. Estrogen helps deposit calcium in the bones and increase their strength. Other causes of bone loss include a diet defi cient in calcium, protein and vitamins C and D, and other disease-related causes such as hypothyroidism and other endocrine issues. Like with many diseases, we don’t really notice that there is a problem with osteoporosis until very late stages. Women should get their fi rst DEXA scan or bone scan in their 50s, or sooner if they become menopausal. Men usually don’t think to have one of these tests but if they are small and thin and have
had chronic diseases that drain calcium, they should be tested too. Your fi rst DEXA scan measures you against all other people who have had a scan to see where you rate against the general population. Subsequent scans are compared against your fi rst one to determine how quickly you are losing bone and if it is too rapid for your age. Specifi c bones are measured like the wrist, ankle, hip and spine so the entire body isn’t exposed to radiation and a good overview can be determined. There are several problems that can occur with bone loss. The biggest problem is fractures. Even a minor fall can result in a hip fracture or broken arm without warning. When the bone loss in the spine causes the person to bend forward it becomes easy to lose balance. Another problem is that the weak bones hurt. Many times patients will complain of generalized pain with bone loss. If calcium is lost in the spine, vertebrae can collapse and compress the nerves, causing pain and numbness in different parts of the body. Prevention is the key. Even as a teenager, we should think about what we eat and drink
and how it may affect us later. Carbonated soft drinks, for example, are made with phosphorous, which depletes calcium. People who drink more than 3 sodas a day run the risk of decreased calcium in their bones. Diseases that may weaken bones include hyperthyroidism and some cancers. When long term steroid use is needed calcium is depleted. Depo-Provera injections deplete the estrogen and can affect the amount of calcium a person can store. Several medicines act to increase calcium deposits in the bones. Some are taken weekly, some monthly, some are taken by injection or even intravenously for severe bone loss. These methods all have limitations, so discuss your options with your doctor. Calcium supplements like Tums or Os-Cal can help, but you can get too much calcium. 1500 mg a day is considered about right for most people. Calcium is a mineral and can build up in the system. Calculate your dietary calcium plus supplements for your total intake. Foods high in calcium are the best way to keep your levels up, but a quart of milk equals about 1000 mg of calcium. Pregnant women need 2000 mg to supply themselves and their baby with enough calcium. Some bone loss is normal and inevitable for all of us as we age, but that’s no excuse to help it along. All of us can slow bone loss by eating right and exercising and taking some extra calcium if you need it.
HEALTH 101 – Information to help you make positive changes in your life to improve your health by Sandy Turner, RN, EdD, Family Nurse Practitioner, Director of the Good Samaritan House, A Free Community Health Center Open Mondays 1-5 pm. 213 N Main St., Dearing, GA 706-556-9080.
by Naomi D. Williams, MPH, CHES, CIC®
My aunt sent me a poem sometime during Noah’s fi rst year of life. I don’t remember if it was while he was still in the NICU or sometime after he came home, but it had an incredible impact on me either way. I’ve had a column in the Augusta Medical Examiner for a little over a year and I’m just not sure how well I’ve done in articulating and conveying the world of exceptional living (parenting a child with special needs, or as I like to say, who is differently-abled). So I want to share the poem in the hope you’ll see the true defi nition of Exceptional Living.
Even now when I read this I get misty-eyed for two reasons: 1. I was cheated out of Italy, at least fi guratively. 2. Because I’m in love with Holland. I have such an appreciation for the imagery and metaphor Kingsley used because when I read this poem for the fi rst time I had been to Italy just two years prior and absolutely loved it. And now that I have Noah, I have an even bigger reason to visit Holland. After all, I already live there every day.
Naomi Williams is a health educator by training, an entrepreneur by nature, mom, and advocate of the best kid ever, Noah Samuel.
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER AUGUST 3, 20126+
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Holland-boundExceptional Living
Editor’s note: Exceptional Living appears exclusively in the Medical Examiner each month, addressing issues that all of us can benefi t from involving people with special — let’s call them exceptional — needs.
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OSTEOPOROSIS: WHEN BONES START TO WEAKEN
Health 101
by Sandy Turner, RN, EdD, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Assistant Dean for Administration in the GHSU College of Nursing
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER BLOG CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM/NEWSWHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT DENY YOURSELF THE SINGULAR PLEASURE OF VISITING REGULARLY.
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINERAUGUST 3, 2012 7 +
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LReaders share their body-outing experiences
et’s get one thing straight right here in the fi rst paragraph: this article
isn’t about traditionally defi ned “out of body” experiences. In truth, we don’t even know if there is such a thing as a “traditional” out of body experience, and if there is, how it would be defi ned. The Medical Examiner has its own unique perspective on things. Within the context of this article, it has been our observation that far too many of us are in no danger of running out of body. Most of us have way too much body for our own good, and every now and then you see someone who looks like they have enough spare body to make a whole second person. What brings this to mind? All over the world at this moment, people are suffering from or enjoying varying degrees of Olympic fever, watching some of the best athletes on the planet display their speed, strength, and agility. Of course, we do this on a couch with a remote in hand, but that can’t be helped. Even Olympians watch television. With sporting events on the tube more or less non-stop right now, it certainly does bring the subject of exercise and fi tness to mind, and beyond that, the bigger picture of overall health. Recently here at the world headquarters of the Medical Examiner my wife and I had an eye-opening experience, our very own Medicine in the First Person. My wife had a stomach ache that had lasted for several days, throughout a whole weekend. On Monday she called her doctor, but had to content herself with leaving a message on their answering machine. She called again Tuesday, fi nally reaching an actual human. She was put on hold
for a few minutes and then was told that her doctor’s recommendation was to go to the emergency room. That was a many hours long ordeal, resulting in a very vague diagnosis that didn’t amount to much of anything, plus a bill for nearly $4,800.00. A few weeks later, my wife had an appointment with another of her doctors at which she described the symptoms that landed her in the ER, and which had never really disappeared. Based on her complaints, her report of the ER fi ndings, and his examination, he suggested that she increase her fi ber intake. That offi ce visit, combined with the ER visit, meant we paid roughly $5,000 to be told to eat more fi ber. That experience may seem far afi eld from our advertised topic, but it is told here to illustrate the value of health — and the high cost of its absence. In the world of medicine, $5,000 is a drop in the bucket. And in the grand scheme of things, who cares about money anyway? When our health is on the line, perhaps our very life, money is no object. We just want to get better. Far too often, the cure is something that should be preventive in nature. The cure should begin today, right now, maybe years before the faraway day when we would otherwise wind up in an emergency room or in a surgical suite. Getting an appropriate level of exercise for our age or fi tness level is a great fi rst step. So is improving our diet, perhaps shedding extra pounds if we’re overweight. Check out what a few of your fellow readers say works for them (see box, and more suggestions continued at www.AugustaRx.com/news)
— Dan Pearson
“Organized team sports has been a tremendous help for me. I don’t have much motivation to just do an exercise routine, but put me on a soccer fi eld and I can chase a ball for hours.”
“I get up early before work to run. If I wait until the end of the day, then I’m tired and have a list of excuses to not exercise (its hot, running errands, stuff to do, etc.) I set my alarm, go run, come back and get ready for work. I feel great, I have more energy throughout the day, and I have no guilt or dread.”
“Gyms work great, but many people don’t have the time and/or resources for that, so I have found that just plain walking 30 minutes to 1 hour each day (at least fi ve days a week) can burn calories and make you feel great!”
“Walking and running have helped me lose and maintain weight as well as provide an inexpensive means of exercise. Going to the gym to work out and lift weights is another way I was successful in losing weight but it got expensive, especially when not having steady income.”
“I saw a homeopathic doctor to help clear eczema and going to clean eating helped me not only lose weight but learn to eat clean and healthy.”
“I have tried a low carb, low sugar diet and it really works.”
“I have been a part of Bethany’s Bikini Fit Camp since January and have used that for losing weight. In addition, there is another program started by the same trainer, Bethany Roley, that is called “The Biggest Loser”...that is based totally on eating clean. Since starting both programs I have lost more than 15 pounds and about 12 inches. I have found them to both be benefi cial.”
“One thing that worked for me when the kids were younger was to plan my exercise while they were busy with an activity. For instance, I would drive them to soccer and instead of sitting on the bench watching, I slapped on my tennis shoes and walked the perimeter of the athletic fi eld/complex. That was great. I would also do this by walking the track when they were at Y activities, etc.”
“The food thing is no problem - I just
think about how unhealthy something is, how unsafe it is to eat, how many calories are packed inside, and how high it will raise my blood sugar, and by then it has no appeal. “
“I fi nd the exercise part to be the hardest, not because I don’t want to but because there are only so many hours in the day to get everything done. I try to exercise after work but before dinner. That works unless I get tied up and stay late. “
“Because I have felt tired and unwell for years I recently took up a way of eating that is advocated in books like The Yeast Syndrome and The Yeast Connection and others. I’ve been trying to stay off of anything that feeds Candida - particulary sugar and refi ned carbs or very starchy foods like potato and rice. I’ve been eating more fats including butter, olive oil and coconut oil, but also plenty of lard and tallow - yep, pigfat and cowfat. My biggest weakness is alcohol, which is basically sugar when it gets in you. Fighting off Candida was the main goal but I’m also losing weight. I’ve been 210 at my heaviest - 200 more recently, and this morning I was 186.”
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER AUGUST 3, 20128+
Pharmacy 411Pharmacy 411EDITOR’S NOTE: Very little if anything about healthcare is inexpensive, and that includes medicine. Tiny pills can command large prices. Over-the-counter medications may be less expensive, but are they also less effective? Find the answers to lots of your drug store questions in this column written by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson exclusively for the Medical Examiner.
HOW CAN I PREVENT MEDICATION ERRORS? Pharmacies handle hundreds of prescriptions a day and pharmacists check each and every one of them. With this level of attentiveness why are there still medication errors? The fi rst and foremost reason is that pharmacists are human and, no matter how hard we try, we cannot totally eliminate the occasional error. The good news is that you can be your own advocate in helping reduce your chance of taking the wrong medicine. A great way to help yourself with your prescriptions is to use one pharmacy and stick with them. That way a single place has all your prescriptions and can check for drug interactions and duplications of therapy. The pharmacy then knows if a medicine is new to you or if you have taken a certain drug combination before with no adverse effects. The same can be said with physicians, with the exception of specialists, use one primary care physician and have all information reported back to that one physician. The premise here is the same with one pharmacy. Centralizing your medical information in one place can help get an overall picture for your physician and not having different people seeing only parts of your body. Another helpful strategy that correlates with the one pharmacy approach is to get to know your pharmacy staff. As you get to know your pharmacist and pharmacy staff they will get to know you. This allows the pharmacy to have more information about you that can be helpful in analyzing potential drug therapy and interactions. For example if you tend to have problems with fl uid retention when you take anti-infl ammatory drugs from your orthopedic then the pharmacy can help steer your primary care doctor away from that class of drugs when treating you for an unrelated condition. For this reason tell
your pharmacy anything that could be of interest to your drug therapy. By far the next point is the most important in preventing medication errors from reaching you. That is to know your
medications and be able to answer questions about them. You should be able to tell your pharmacy what you are taking and what each is used to treat. You should also know the color, shape and appearance of each of your medications. This will allow you to know when something changes and you will know to question the pharmacy about the change. The fact that a pill’s appearance changed does not mean there has been a medication error. We have seen an unprecedented number of manufacturer backorders these last couple of years. Things are not showing signs of getting any better so the trend will probably continue. This does not mean that every pill change should not mean a call to the pharmacy. We do not get offended by a simple
question and appreciate your involvement in your healthcare. Also talk to your pharmacist about any new additions to your drug therapy. This will let you know if you are taking two medicines for the same condition. In some cases this is normal and in others this can be a serious case of concern. For example two or three blood pressure medicines will work together and produce positive results. Two anti-infl ammatory medicines can quickly lead to a stomach ulcer so here would be a case of information being a good thing. Questions about this article or suggestions for future columns can be sent to us at [email protected]
Written for the Medical Examiner by Augusta pharmacists Chris and Lee Davidson ([email protected] )
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OUR NEWSSTANDSMedical locations:• Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Ctr, 15th St., Main Entrance• Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Uptown Div., Wrightsboro Rd., main lobby• Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Rd, ER Lobby Entrance• Doctors Hospital, 3651 Wheeler Rd, Employee Entrance (near the Joseph M. Still Burn Center entrance)• Eisenhower Hospital, Main Entrance, Fort Gordon• George C. Wilson Drive (by medical center Waffl e House and mail boxes)• GHSU Hospital, 1120 15th Street, South & West Entrances• GHSU Medical Offi ce Building, Harper Street, Main Entrance• GHSU Medical Offi ce Building, Harper Street, Parking Deck entrance• GHSU Hospital, Emergency Room, Harper Street, Main Entrance• GHSU Children’s Medical Center, Harper Street, Main Lobby• GHSU, Laney-Walker Boulevard transit stop, Augusta• Select Specialty Hospital, Walton Way, Main entrance lobby• Trinity Hospital, Wrightsboro Road, main lobby by elevators• Trinity Hospital Home Health, Daniel Village, main lobby• University Health Federal Credit Union/ University Hospital Human Resources, 1402 Walton Way, Main Lobby• University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Emergency Room lobby area• University Hospital, 1350 Walton Way, Outside Brown & Radiology/Day Surgery• University Hospital - Columbia County, 465 N. Belair Road, Main Lobby• University Hospital Prompt Care, 3121 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta
Around town:• Barney’s Pharmacy, 2604 Peach Orchard Rd.• Birth Control Source, 1944 Walton Way• ASU Student Bookstore• Blue Sky Kitchen, 990 Broad Street• Columbia County Library, main branch lobby, Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans• Enterprise Mill (North Tower), 1450 Greene Street, Augusta• Daniel Village Barber Shop, Wrightsboro Road at Ohio Ave.• Hartley’s Uniforms, 1010 Druid Park Ave, Augusta• International Uniforms, 1216 Broad Street, Augusta• Marshall Family Y, Belair Rd, Evans• Mellow Mushroom, 12th and Broad Streets, Augusta• Southside Family Y, Tobacco Road, Augusta• Surrey Center, Surrey Center Pharmacy, Highland Avenue, Augusta• Top-Notch Car Wash, 512 N. Belair Road, Evans• Wild Wing Cafe, 3035 Washington Road, Augusta
Plus... 500+ doctors offi ces throughout the area for staff
and waiting rooms, as well as nurses stations and waiting
rooms of area hospitals. Visit our blog! http://www.augustarx.com/news/
www.ambienthealthcare.comFrom hospital to home, quality of care continues
is now
Same phone numbers! Same convenient location!
Our next issue: August 17, 2012. Don’t miss it!
IS ONLINE
• www.AugustaRx.com/news •
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MEDICAL EXAMINER
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINERAUGUST 3, 2012 9 +
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ave you noticed the trend where seemingly good things will, over
time, mutate into something almost sinister — supposedly in the name of “improvement”? Take the comic book villain who starts out with an idea to help people, but along the way becomes so twisted that he (or some evil creation from his lab) poses a threat to the entire world. Video games started out simply and innocently enough. Morph ahead to today and a great number of games feature munitions and mutilations and the ability to trash talk your opponent. Some foods have undergone a similar descent from innocent to sinister. Imagine if our food could talk! What would the innocent box of cereal have to say today’s “new and improved” versions? Perhaps it’s an exaggeration to compare a box of innocent cereal to a virtual gun battle or a fi ctional villain. Then again, they do indeed belong in the same category: fi ction. In fact, cereal box labels may be the best and most creative work of fi ction yet. By now we should all be expert label readers, so let’s challenge this assertion by selecting a controversial cereal — granola — to see what the real story is, whether good or evil.
According to several published accounts, granula, as it was fi rst known, was invented by Dr. James Caleb Jackson, owner of the “Jackson Sanitarium” health spa. Dr. Jackson, a healthy diet advocate, created the product using whole grain graham fl our pioneered by another health advocate, Dr. Sylvester Graham, inventor of the graham cracker. Granula was a twice-baked product which was subsequently broken into smaller pieces for serving. A third health advocate, Dr. John Kellogg, founder of the Kellogg Cereal Company, created a similar version of the product using whole grains which he also baked and ground up. As you might expect, Dr. Kellogg’s version was not met with enthusiasm by Dr. Jackson. Feeling cheated of due profi ts and credit for his efforts, he took legal measures against Dr. Kellogg, so Kellogg changed the name of his cereal to “granola.” In short, we have three concerned doctors working on a breakfast food designed to promote good health. Besides the legal wrangling, there is nothing sinister to report. Marketing back then was not nearly as creative as it is today. As a result, the product was successful but not mainstream. Granola didn’t really come into its own until the 1960’s when
health food was all the rage and profi t-minded individuals began to see potential. With sales climbing, creative minds began to consider what “improvements” could be made to garner even larger profi ts. The decision was to pander to the palate with the addition of copious amounts of sweeteners and oil and the addition of extras like nuts, fruits, and candy bits. Some of these additives — nuts, for one — offer health benefi ts, while others are purely for the pleasure of the palate. Because of the additional sugar and oil, modern day granola became a high-fat and calorically dense product. Additionally, saturated fat was often the oil of choice which, as we all know, can land you in the care of a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Labeling laws came along requiring full disclosure of ingredients, and nutritional analysis brought what was certainly unwanted attention to granola. Health food became known as unhealthy food.
Although there are good granolas and bad granolas, some people perceive it as a sure ticket to the undertaker. But does granola really merit the kind of fear that would banish it from kitchen cupboardsacross America? Manufacturers themselves seem fearful of the truth, as they continue to play games on the labels. Instead of the usual 3/4-cup serving size for cereal, you will often fi nd granola serving sizes at a mere 1/4- to 1/2-cup. Translated, that’s just 4 to 8 tablespoons of cereal. Really! Have you ever poured yourself 4 tablespoons of cereal into a bowl and felt satisfi ed? Additionally, some brands list larger serving sizes for their
Ask a DietitianAsk a DietitianH
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER AUGUST 3, 201210+
GRANOLA… from page 9
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low-fat versions and smaller serving sizes for their regular version. If you compare a half cup of just about any granola to 3/4-cup of a whole wheat fl ake cereal, you will realize that there are indeed far more calories and fat in granola. However, manufacturers responded with “low fat” granola versions which are about half the fat of earlier versions, and compare a little better to wheat cereal. In all fairness, comparing wheat fl akes to granola is like comparing cheesecake to angel food cake, two entirely different items within the same category. In fact, some granolas are cheesecake and some are rice cakes, fi guratively speaking. Rather than viewing granola as an unhealthy food, what should really be considered are your personal diet goals and whether or not this item fi ts within your goals and objectives. To enjoy the best granola has to offer, its fans might want to try some of these tips:
• Begin from scratch, literally, by making your own healthier version, where you can control the fat, sugar and add-ons, including sodium (there are several on-line recipes for this).• Select the lower fat versions available. However, as is true of most reduced fat items, some manufacturers will lower one ingredient and increase other components, such as sugar and sodium (one brand went from 15 mgs of sodium per serving in their regular granola to 200 mgs per serving in their low fat version).• Granola may be stand-alone
food, but it can also be an added feature, such as the crunch on top of yogurt. Some people also mix granola with regular breakfast cereals. • Variety is the key to a good diet so don’t consume granola on a daily basis. Rotate it with lower fat/sugar options such as homemade oatmeal, whole grain toast, etc.• Remember that the right granola offers plenty of good eating and nutrition: whole grains, nuts, and fruits. As with most superhero stories, good does triumph over evil. It just takes awareness and some creative thinking. Just as Batman has Robin, the food label is your trusty sidekick. Use it to guide you through Gotham City, where, as we all know, Publix, Bi-Lo, and Kroger are located.
Author Cindy Elia, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. is the Nutrition Specialist for the CSRA Area Agency on Aging, your gateway to aging resources. Got a question? Drop us a line: [email protected].
ancy and I were on a cruise a few years ago. After the evening’s events, our group decided to visit the casino. I declined and headed toward our cabin. I was alone in the
elevator lobby when a lady entered. She was wearing nothing but panties. I recognized her as a passenger who was always seen tagging along aimlessly behind her husband. I coaxed her into a more secluded area for her privacy and found a ship’s crew member to get her back to her cabin and her husband. We learned later that the husband had put her to bed, secured the cabin with furniture, ropes and tape, and then fell into bed, helplessly tired after the day of caring for her. And as he slept she houdinied her way through his barrier to roam the ship. Sad! I write this because I see so many couples where I live [at Brandon Wilde] in some phase of transition. After all, isn’t Brandon Wilde a little like a cruise ship, and are not many of us in transition? Couples generally arrive at Brandon Wilde clinging to the independence of driving, walking, and managing toilet. But after time, signs of dependence start insidiously creeping into that life. As ugly as it sounds, at least some experts say that eventually one in three of us will have dementia. And then the inevitable. The patchwork of independence will disintegrate and managed dependency will become imperative and couples will become separated. I see managed dependency as a point after which couples have to start sleeping alone (also caused by death and divorce). After years of marriage the fi rst night of sleeping alone must be one of the most devastating events of life. Probably like others, Nancy and I have made the brave pledge to stay together until the end. We moved from a Brandon Wilde cottage into an apartment to help galvanize that commitment. We have braced it with paid assistance, intense health care and an ongoing plan to continue sleeping together. We have circled the wagons. What we have done has not been without help. Amber Cooper and Carol Davis are staff members committed to helping residents who live independently. Amber and Carol have met with Nancy and me numerous times to give us invaluable help in grappling with this time of transition. They are resourceful and competent and available to help deal with our decaying independence. They are co-authors of our plan. The fi rst step of the plan, early on, before the obvious, is for couples to talk openly about the possibilities while the playing fi eld is still level. A partnership about the possibility of physical and mental dependency is critical. So now for Nancy and me the stage has been set. With the plan, the on-going counsel and the commitment in place, we can watch and see how the drama plays out. Until then, however long that may be, we will take it one day at a time. After all, that is all any of us is promised.
Go the Medical Examiner blog (www.AugustaRx.com/news)for our favorite granola recipe.
Sleeping togetherEditor’s note: This article is by Bill Atkinson, one-time CEO of Trinity Hospital (then St. Joseph Hospital), and the author of the comprehensive 2009 Medical Examiner series on the founding of the Augusta area’s major healthcare providers. This article originally appeared in the Brandon Wilde Journal. It is the fi rst in a two-part series.
N
“Those who love one another
should rest on the same
pillow.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINERAUGUST 3, 2012 11 +
A world without PSA testing? Would that be a good thing? Before we answer, let’s set the stage. PSA stands for prostate specifi c antigen, and until a couple months ago was considered to be a key diagnostic tool in the treatment of prostate cancer. Simply put, the antigen detected in a simple blood test is a protein produced by the prostate gland. It’s normally present in low levels, but high readings can suggest the need for further tests: it could signal the presence of prostate cancer (although there are other possible reasons for an elevated PSA). PSA testing has come under fi re recently as being an ineffective test: the fi nding was that men in the 55-74 age group with low PSA readings were not likely to benefi t from diagnosis, screening and treatment; furthermore, action taken in cases of low PSA readings were resulting in needless diagnoses, overtreatment, and increased health care costs.
Well, hold on just a minute. Cancer, the same peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society that published the anti-PSA study has now just published (on July 25) a new analysis which has concluded that doing away with PSA testing would likely cause three times as many men to developed advanced cancer that would metastasize to other parts of the body. The study estimates that PSA detection and early detection could prevent some 17,000 men from having advanced cancer at the time of fi rst diagnosis. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men. During 2012 alone, 241,740 new cases of prostate cancer are projected, resulting in 28,000 deaths. Since the prognosis depends to a signifi cant degree upon treating the cancer before it spreads, PSA testing and other early detection strategies are obviously a valuable tool in preventing prostate cancer deaths.
The hip bone’s connected to the...what? ... to the eye bone, silly. UCLA researcherss have found that cataract surgery often results in hip fracture prevention. It makes sense, really. Cataract surgery is often performed on older adults. Poor vision is an obvious risk factor for falls; improved vision logically prevents falls. Specifi cally, those patients in their early 80s who underwent cataract surgery experienced a 30 percent reduction in hip fractures. The study subjects were randomly selected from a population of 1.1 million Medicare benefi ciaries. Intersteingly, previous studies of the benefi ts of cataract surgery have shown that the procedure, a safe outpatient procedure with a high success rate, signifi cantly improves quality of life, curbs depression, improves sleep, makes patients more engaged and mentally alert. All things considered, a very benefi cial procedure, indeed.
theClipping File
TMMEDICAL EXAMINERAUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER
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From THE Bookshelf
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— Posted May 6, 2012 at lifeasamedicalstudent.blogspot.com
MEDICINE IS A BUSINESS What once used to be a profession geared towards healing the disabled and sick has now become a battle for safeguarding ones career. Often referred to as “CYA” (cover your - - -) medicine, doctors are ordering more tests so not to miss pathology and treating minor ailments in vain. They put forth great efforts to serve their patients, but must protect their practice from suing patients, money-hunting lawyers and non-paying insurers. Some discussion with physicians about the subject often brings up ideas for reform with what sounds like logical plans to solve the issues at hand. In some markets doctors are paid [only] 50% for their services as a result of under-insured patients or insurers who just won’t foot the bill claiming there were non-qualifi ed expenses. Since when can people utilize a service provider, demand services and pay nothing? When I go to the supermarket looking for home goods, they are certainly going to laugh when I ask them to put it on my tab. In some places the “fee-for-service” model has done well. Patients want their health care provided and pay the provider an agreed upon fee. Both parties are satisfi ed and treatment is given. There is talk of requiring all citizens to have health insurance. I am still trying to understand why this would be a bad thing. I choose to drive a car; I get insured. I choose to receive health care; I get insured. Seems simple. Research has shown that people value things more when they have to “pay” a nominal fee for it. Even if there was a required co-pay, at least it would show sincerity of the purchaser to the provider that they have a signifi cant concern needing to be addressed. It becomes taxing on the medical systems to provide free or discounted care more often than not. Perhaps that is why one third of hospital emergency departments have closed across the country in the last few years. Uncompensated services cannot last forever. Whether paying in cash, through an insurer, Medicaid or Medicare, it seems fair to be offering remuneration to physicians for their hard work rather than trying to scheme ways to leave them empty handed. While each insurance organization has various offerings to their clients, some may come up incomplete, requiring users to seek for additive options. Medigap insurance plans, for example, offer to fi ll in the gaps that Medicare Part A and B do not cover. It brings peace of mind to patients that experience a wider coverage of care and allows providers to give comprehensive services. As I move into medical practice it is hard to know what medicine will be in the future. Policies are being written into law and health care reform is happening at the national level. Medicine as it is known today may be inside out and backwards years from now. Hopefully, parties on both sides of the fence fi nd will be able to latch onto something positive so the face of medicine is tainted no more than it already has been.
Editor’s note: is there a favorite web log you enjoy reading that is in any way related to health and wellness? Send us the link and we may feature it here in a future issue. Send your suggestion to to [email protected].
“I am still
trying to fi gure out how this
could be a bad thing.
”
The blog spot
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As any parent knows, when a child is born healthy and whole, you can’t help but feel that a miracle has occurred before your very eyes. After all, there is no limit to the number of things that can — and often do — go wrong. This is the story of one of those perfect, miraculous births. And one of those other births. The imperfect kind. You see, a few years ago author Brian Doyle and his wife had twin boys. One boy was the picture of health and the other, well, he was going to need a lot of sophisticated medical assistance to survive. Twin #2, Liam, was born with three chambers in his tiny heart. That would be one short of the standard four chambers. Liam would undergo open heart surgery at age fi ve months and again at a year and a half, and would still ultimately require a heart transplant. This book, a quick read at a mere 186 pages, has been described as barreling through the topic “like a freight train.” To be sure, Doyle’s writing style is defi nitely on the unique side. But you can’t make it through many pages without
developing a profound regard for the heart itself, not to mention the incredible skill of the doctors who specialize in repairing it. That kind of deepened respect, for the heart particularly, is something we would all benefi t from. After all, without the heart life would end instantly. Instead, it pumps effi ciently away at the rate of some 100,000 beats per day. That adds up. Since this same date last year that multiplies out to 35 million heartbeats — in just one year! Yes, we depend on our hearts to the tune of billions of heartbeats over a lifetime. With an enhanced appreciation for its prodigious workload, we’re hopefully less
likely to engage in behaviors that make this hardest-working organ have to work even harder. This book also is Doyle’s celebration of the surgeons whose skill saved his son’s life — and who every day save the lives of heart patients here in Augusta and around the world. We’ve probably all heard the old joke about the auto mechanic who complains about his cardiologist’s fees compared to his. The cardiologist replies by suggesting the mechanic try working on car engines while they’re running. That certainly puts things in perspective. And Mr. Doyle, if you’re reading this — and why wouldn’t you be? — thank you for setting a fi ne example for Medical Examiner readers. You see, every issue we publish our standing invitation for “Medicine in the First Person,” asking ordinary people to tell the stories of their medical adventures. We wish we got more. Maybe after this issue we will. Thanks, Brian!
The Wet Engine: Exploring the Mad Wild Miracle of the Heart by Brian Doyle, 186 pages, published in 2005 by Paraclete Press
THE EXAMiNERS+
by Dan Pearson
The Mystery Word for this issue:MATCHOS
Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you fi nd the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com
Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle. All the listed letters following 1 are the 1st letters of each word; the letters following 2 are 2nd letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues and entering unique and minimal choice numbers (such as 5 thru 8 in this puzzle). A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.
A
Solution on page 14.
1 2 3 1 2 3 4
H H
M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8D
— Bill Waterson
ETV
DLBT
ENO
PESI
ISLE
NTL
YWR
PAG
YOA
YOBI
SLU
TER
TOM
SHM
S1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
DOWN 1. Conceit 2. To feel intense aversion 3. Struggle 4. Hissing 5. Greek epic poem 6. Scandinavian 7. Just a little 8. Augusta_________ 9. Type of 62-A 10. Oak (at ASU) 11. MD aides 12. 7th letter of the Greek alphabet 13. Monetary unit of Romania 21. To a smaller extent 22. Jack, memorialized on Riverwatch Parkway 24. Masters group 25. Image 26. Offi cial language of Pakistan 27. Encounter 29. Folds 32. Unit of electrical resistance
33. Lump 35. Blemish 36. More than one locus 37. Aggregate of fi bers 39. Teller of tales 42. Type of spirits 44. Very strong wind 46. _______ pressure (bleeding antidote) 49. Cheek depression 50. German emperor 51. Coop up 53. Reverence for God 54. 520’s last name? 56. Place for very sick babies (abbrev.) 57. Excavate 58. Large fl ightless bird 59. Georgia Prevention Institute (in short) 60. Masculine pronoun
ACROSS 1. British Open winner, 2012 4. Pass through a sieve 8. Barton follower 14. Obtained 15. Hip bones 16. Air out 17. Scull power 18. Tie up 19. Capital of the Bahamas 20. Resident of Tuscany 22. Jack ____, London invader of 1450. 23. Warrior’s defense 24. Radioactive element (Symbol: Po) 28. Genius club 29. Fire 30. Mother-of-pearl 31. Insomnia cause for some 34. Mineral deposit 35. Move through the air 38. Adverb meaning “of that” 40. ____-job; crazy fool 41. Rich soil 43. Carrier’s holder 45. Bitterly pungent 47. NBC weekend classic 48. Still Burn Center patient Shirley___________ 52. Capital of Manitoba 54. ____ Smith, Mayor of Augusta, 1923-1925 55. Greek goddess of strife 56. Criticism, tirade 57. Thermometer unit 60. Swine fl u 61. Prostate abbrev. 62. Collision 63. Frozen treats 64. Lower limb 65. Culpable 66. People Who _____ 67. Poet’s “before”
nce in the operating room for my second V-NUS closure looking
like a child making a snow angel, the anesthetist quickly recalled that I have a particular vein which works very well and used that vein, avoiding others which might roll or fl atten or squiggle out of the way. Because of this, the IV went in quickly and easily. Soon I was off in dreamland with the sense that I was in good hands and all would be fi ne. The time before I had told her which one to use and she poked around trying other veins rather unsuccessfully, and fi nally chose the vein I told her would cooperate with her. I appreciated the fact that she remembered my last time with her over a month ago, and her willingness to specify that she had not listened to me at fi rst. Sometimes medical personnel are unwilling to listen for good reason. They can have a history of dealing with patients who make claims about illnesses that don’t exist, addicts clamoring for pain medication, or know-it-all patients who spend a great deal of time researching their illnesses and then second-guess doctors on the appropriate course of treatment. They can obsess about the possibility of patient lawsuits and this can lead to their need to be able to medically document and justify everything they do. Here is another example of why using the same health care providers can be useful, both for patients and care providers. Over time, providers learn which patients can be trusted to properly disclose information to them. When my children were little it took time for doctors to begin to trust that I was accurately seeing and reporting my children’s symptoms. With our fi rst child it seemed I spent half my life in the doctor’s offi ce for sore throats, fevers,
ear aches, and other childhood illnesses. Later it got so I could call, describe, and not waste their time or mine with an illness that would fi x itself in time. This continued until my fi fth child was born. She had serious breathing problems and was in an incubator for a few days. The nursing staff in NICU called her doctor in the middle of her fi rst night when her breathing became very strained and rattling. I told a nurse, “There’s something wrong with my baby; take me to her.” I beat the doctor there, and by the time he arrived I had calmed her breathing to near normal. A day or so later when she was still in the NICU because if she tried to nurse or drink from a bottle she would stop breathing, I reached into the incubator and changed her diaper and undershirt which were wet. One of the nurses yelled at me for doing that and our pediatrician overheard it. “Don’t you ever get in my mother’s way again,” he scolded her. “She knows more about baby care than you ever will!” Trust is a two-way street, and we and our health care providers are better off when we have it. Marcia Ribble received her PhD in English at Michigan State and recently retired from the University of Cincinnati where she taught composition. She taught writing at the college level and loves giving voice to people who have been silenced. She can be reached with comments, suggestions, etc., at [email protected].
Talk is cheap.Not talking can be deadly.
O
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“Coffee is good medicine.” — J. Perkins Brewster III.
www.drugofchoicecoffee.com
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Columbia County Health Department Back to School Immunization Walk-In Clinic Dates
Location: Columbia County Health Department 1930 William Few Parkway Grovetown, GA 30813 706 868-3330Dates: August 1-7, 2012Time: 8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Back to school immunization datesJULY
21SATURDAY
Requirements for School 4-6 Years:DTAP • Hepatitis BPolio • MMRVaricella • PCV13-boosterHepatitis A Requirements for School K4 & K5: Hearing, Vision and Dental Screening
Students transferring to Georgia from another state must meet vaccine requirements for attending facilities and schools in Georgia. Parent(s) must bring the child’s immunization record to the health department or doctor’s offi ce to be evaluated for vaccine
requirements. If you are new to our clinics, it is helpful to drop a copy of your child’s immunization records by prior to your visit so we may enter them in the state computer system. This allows us to better serve you in a timely manner.
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Four reasons to vaccinate your children From car seats and baby gates to bicycle helmets and football pads, there are numerous ways to protect children as they grow. One of the most important is getting them vaccinated, says Dr. Dennis Murray, Infectious Diseases Chief at the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center. “Many life-threatening diseases are not seen today in the United States because of the development and implementation of vaccines,” says Murray. “Polio and smallpox are examples. Other diseases like measles have been dramatically decreased.” Still, more than 900,000 American children are not fully immunized, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the new school year approaches, Murray urges parents to understand the value of immunizations and to be sure their children’s shots are up to date. He cites four main reasons: 1. Immunizations can save your child’s life. Advances in medical science enable your child to be protected against more diseases than ever before. Some potentially fatal diseases have been eliminated completely and others are close to being gone – primarily due to safe and effective vaccines. 2. Immunizations protect others you care about. Serious vaccine-preventable diseases still occur, striking groups such as infants who have not yet been fully immunized and those unable to receive vaccinations due to allergies, illness,
weakened immune systems or other reasons. Full immunization in the general population is important to prevent the spread of diseases to vulnerable friends and loved ones. 3. Immunizations can save time and money. A child with a vaccine-preventable disease will likely be kept out of school or daycare. Likewise, a prolonged illness can take a fi nancial toll because of lost time at work, medical bills and/or long-term disability care. Immunization is a good investment and usually covered by health insurance plans. For those without insurance or the underinsured, ask your health care provider about the Vaccines for Children program, a federally funded program that provides free vaccines to children. 4. Vaccinations are safe and effective. Vaccines are recommended only after a long and careful review by scientists and health care professionals. The side effects of vaccines (potential pain, redness or tenderness at the injection site) are minimal compared to the pain, discomfort and trauma of the diseases these vaccines prevent. Studies repeatedly debunk the link of vaccines to autism, sudden infant death syndrome, immune dysfunction or asthma—fi ndings supported by groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine, National Institutes of Health and CDC. Murray stresses the importance of immunizations both in well-child care and for periodic updating in adults. For more information, visit cdc.gov/vaccines or talk to your pediatrician.
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER AUGUST 3, 201214+
THE MYSTERY SOLVED...carefully hidden (on the skeeter) in the page 7 ad for
JURY PEST CONTROL Congratulations to Jeffrey Burns, who scores a $20 Wild Wing Cafe gift certifi cate, two free movie passes courtesy of Health Center Credit Union, a free Top Notch Car Wash gift card,
and anything else we may be able to scrape together on short notice. Win this stuff! The new Mystery Word is on p. 12. Start looking!
...wherein we hide (with fi endish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then be the fi rst to fi nd it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries you’ll score our goodie package: gift certifi cates from Wild Wing Cafe, Top Notch Car Wash, Cheddar’s, and movie passes from Health Center Credit Union! SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and fi nd the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (WInners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher.
The CelebratedMYSTERY WORD CONTEST
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NOTICE! ATTENTION! If any current or past employer has failed to pay you min. wage or time and a half overtime pay, you may be entitled to an order from US Fed-eral Court awarding you twice the amount of your unpaid wages plus atty. fees. For info, call Arthur H. Shealy, Attorney at Law, 803-278-5149, 1010 Plantation Rd, North Augusta SC 29841. You may be entitled to a similar award for unpaid wages if your employer required you to perform duties during your lunch hour, before clocking in, or after clocking out.
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A patient’s family gathered to hear what the specialists had to say. “Things don’t look good. The only chance is a brain transplant. This is an experimental procedure. It might work, but the bad news is that brains are very expensive, and you will have to pay the cost yourselves. It’s not covered by insurance.” “Well, how much does a brain cost?” asked the relatives. “For a male brain, $500,000. For a female brain, $200,000.” Some of the younger male relatives tried to looked shocked, but all the older men nodded because they thought they understood. A few actually smirked. But the patient’s daughter was unsatisfi ed and asked, “Hold on. Why the difference in price betweem male and female brains?” “It’s standard pricing practice,” said the head of the medical team. “Women’s brains have to be marked down because they’ve been used.”
AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINERAUGUST 3, 2012 15 +
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AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER AUGUST 3, 201216+
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GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY & TENDER CARE AT EVERY TURN
Eight back-to-school health checks for kids Preparing your child for another school year requires more than new clothes and school supplies. You should also consider your child’s health needs, according to Dr. Davidson Freeman, a pediatrician at the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center. “No matter what grade your child is entering, routine physical examinations, including hearing and vision tests, help ensure that your children are truly ready for school,” Freeman said. Here is a handy back-to-school health checklist: 1. Have your child’s hearing checked. Most states mandate hearing tests for babies and toddlers, but school-age children may not be routinely tested. Clues to hearing loss include listening to the television or music at a very high volume or favoring one ear over the other. If indicated, your pediatrician can recommend an audiologist for an in-depth evaluation. 2. Have your child’s vision screened. An annual screening is vital to ensure that children can see well enough for schoolwork. A vision problem can likely be corrected, preventing children
from falling behind in school. Be sure that glasses or contact lenses are in good condition and that your child’s prescription is current. 3. Keep shots up to date. Immunizations are necessary to prevent infectious diseases. Your child will not be allowed to attend school without the required immunizations. Vaccines or booster doses for older children that were not required when parents were younger may be needed. To be sure, ask your pediatrician. 4. Investigate possible learning problems. If you suspect that your child is developmentally delayed, including not processing information correctly, speak to a teacher or contact a learning center for advice. A diagnosis usually requires one to two days of professional testing. The sooner you discover a disability,
the sooner your child can be taught how to compensate. 5. Inventory your child’s mental health. What’s your child’s behavior like? Are his reactions appropriate in most situations? Is he anxious or apprehensive about school? Children typically need about a month to adjust to change, but factors such as a new school, class bully or new transportation routine may cause ongoing anxiety. If your child seems anxious or unsteady, talk to your pediatrician or a counselor who can help you identify the source of the behavior and work out a solution. 6. Plan ahead on prescriptions. If your child takes medication for asthma, diabetes or any other chronic problem, make sure you have plenty on hand for home and school. Inform school nurses and teachers of your child’s needs, especially if a school employee will administer medicine. Speak with staff members before school begins and work out a course of action for emergencies. 7. Equip the athlete. Provide all necessary protective equipment for children involved in sports. Children with braces
and/or glasses require extra protective measures, even for gym class. Invest in sports frames for the eyes and a mouthpiece to protect dental work. Save time by completing forms and physical exams in the summer, if possible. 8. Address sleep issues. Is your child having trouble sleeping? Issues such as
sleepwalking, insomnia and nightmares can impede school performance. Begin a routine sleep schedule about a month before school begins; the body needs more than just a couple of days to adjust to factors such as earlier bedtimes and fewer hours of daylight. If problems are severe, your pediatrician may recommend a sleep specialist.
