Medical Examiner

ack when I was a teenager I began to see people I knew,

and then even my close friends, begin to experiment with alcohol and drugs. I was a good kid. I made good grades, didn’t get in much trouble at school or at home. But as most teenagers want to fi t in, I wanted to join in the apparent “fun” they were having. First up on the list was marijuana. And just like that I had found my muse - my green goddess Mary Jane. I graduated high school while maintaining my grades and a good part-time job. After

school I worked full-time and attended college, all the while still smoking weed. Although I did not complete college I was still able to land some great jobs. I found success in a fulfi lling career and traveled our beautiful country from coast to coast. I drove nice vehicles, purchased my fi rst home at 25, and maintained a fl awless credit record still smoking weed. I had some good relationships and

some bad ones. Meanwhile, I watched some of those same friends that I wanted to be like in my younger years get in trouble and get involved with heavy drinking and more serious drugs. I watched other friends put it all down and become responsible, successful adults. But not me. I kept on smoking. As I approached 30, I saw the number of my friends who were still willing to partake in my smoking sessions dwindle down. And the number of my friends who gave me a hard time

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The life and deathof a pothead

M E D I C I N E I N T H E F I R S T P E R S O N

“I’ll be like Willie Nelson.”

The War on Drugs: is it over?

Healthcare Reform & Youby Russell T. Head

ow that the election is over and the Supreme Court has ruled,

let’s talk about Healthcare Reform. The world of health care as we know it has changed and will continue to change over the next few years. On one side, hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers and all medical ancillary providers must adopt the new rules and regulations of healthcare delivery. On the other side, insurance carriers, HMO’s, provider sponsored organizations, co-ops, and benefi t consultants must adopt and adapt to the new Federal guidelines under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). In the middle of it all are the consumers, patients, and businesses both small and large. To be in compliance with PPACA what does a business need to do in 2013? Here is a summary of a few of the regulations affecting small business:• Health plans and issuers of health plans must provide a Summary of Benefi ts and Coverage (SBC) to plan participants during open enrollment.• Beginning March 1, 2013, employers must provide all current employees and future hires with a written notice about the new

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Editor’s note: Healthcare is a whole new ballgame with the passage

of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). How

will healthcare providers be affected? What about patients? And

how about employers who provide health coverage as an employee

benefi t? How will Medicare and Medicaid recipients be affected?

We have enlisted the assistance of two experts to help us navigate

this altered landscape. Look for the fi rst installment of a monthly

column by Trisha Whisenhunt, a Certifi ed Medicare Counselor with

the CSRA Area Agency on Aging on page 9. And below, the debut

of an every-issue column by Russell Head, an expert consultant in

matters of employee benefi ts and healthcare reform.

f it is, the victory may have a hollow ring, not unlike the U.S. military’s exit from Vietnam: “Let’s just declare victory and get

the hell out of here.” But that does, indeed, seem to be the tenor of recent legislation near and far. Drug use certainly does not seem to be on the wane, but anti-drug laws are gradually changing. The world is a patchwork quilt of legality here, strict laws there, and lax enforcement elsewhere (see map, page 2). This is especially true in the case of marijuana. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to legalize medical marijuana and more are likely to follow suit.

The danger in such a trend is that it could send the message that marijuana is actually medicine, albeit a harmless, state-sanctioned, recreational one. While researchers are far from unanimous in branding marijuana a “gateway” drug that leads to the use of harder and more dangerous drugs, the fact remains that it would be diffi cult to defend, from a health perspective alone,

deliberately inhaling smoke from any substance into your lungs on a regular basis. While no one in the legislative or medical community is encouraging wholesale marijuana use, there are those who would point to the enormous cost — trillions of dollars

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Watch the documentary fi lm

“Breaking the Taboo”at AugustaRx.com/news

Please see THE WAR page 2Please see REFORM page 3

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Cannabis laws around the world

— spent fi ghting a war on drugs (including far more than marijuana) that has been spectacularly unsuccessful so far — and with no signs of victory anywhere in sight. The Prohibition Era is a perfect illustration of the diffi culty of the current war. In that light, Breaking the Taboo, the fi lm mentioned on page 1, presents a thought-provoking array of facts presented by people who certainly should know what works and what doesn’t: former presidents (of the U.S. and countries like Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Switzerland), White House drug czars, and drug policy experts. It isn’t easy to admit defeat, and as the fi lm points out (and as the U.S. discovered in Vietnam and currently, in the Middle East), it’s a lot easier to start a war than it is to end one. In Mexico, for example, billions of dollars have been spent fi ghting the drug war. Meanwhile the drug cartels, with more money at their disposal than the Vatican, operate under “a bullet or a bribe” policy, buying off offi cials or killing them to protect their global business interests. More than 47,000 drug-related murders have been committed in Mexico alone since just 2006. Organized crime and terrorism groups are estimated to receive up to half their income from the profi ts in dealing illicit drugs. Meanwhile, a Harvard study in 2008 estimated if drugs were legalized and controlled, they would generate $76 billion in tax revenue for the US government. In the United States, home to less than 5 percent of the world’s population, nearly 25 percent of all the prisoners in the world reside. Roughly 2.3 million people will sleep in prison cells in this country tonight. That’s more than any other country ever, including China, and they have a billion more people than does the US. The huge US prison population has been created by the war on drugs: when the war was declared by President Nixon in 1970, the US prison population was a mere 330,000. As one former prisoner says in Breaking the Taboo, virtually any drug was available in prison. “If you can’t control drug use in a maximum security prison,” he asks, “how can you control drugs in a free society?” (How many of those 2.3 million prisoners, unable to fi nd work upon release due to their prison record, will turn to selling drugs as a source of income?) So is the answer to simply declare victory, Vietnam-style, and open the fl oodgates? No artifi cial or unilateral peace declaration will solve the problem. What will? Watch the fi lm and see what is actually working in places like Portugal, Switzerland and Holland. While it may be true that no one in Augusta has the power to change state or federal drug laws, here’s a question to ponder as you personally consider what the solution to illegal drugs in our society might be: if your son or daughter had a drug problem and you had a choice, would you want them to get a prison sentence? Or get help?

POTHEAD… from page 1

for still being a “pothead” continued to swell. But this did not bother me. “Why should I quit?” It has never held me back from anything I wanted to accomplish. So that was it, I thought. I’ll just be like Willie Nelson or Snoop Dogg and never quit. But alas, one recent Friday morning out of the blue I had my Moment of Clarity. I decided to have one last hazy weekend, and then starting Monday I would be a sober man. I wondered if I could really pull it off. After all, I had been smoking weed every day for more than 12 years. I told only a few of my friends. I couldn’t proclaim it to too many for fear of a more-than-likely failed attempt at quitting. The few I did tell scoffed at the notion of me not smoking anymore. The Big Monday arrived. Time to do this! I came home from work and turned on the TV, but instead of getting high I simply watched TV. Although I didn’t have the munchies, I ate my dinner just like any other evening. When it came time for bed, I settled down and fell right asleep just as easily as I had when I was going to bed stoned. Could it really be this easy? Tuesday came and went. A week went by, then two. Could it be that I am no

longer a “pothead”? I am 30 years old and can submit an untainted urine sample for the fi rst time in my adult life. I do not write this to condone marijuana or pretend that all those years of smoking had no adverse effects on my life. Maybe I would have graduated from college. Maybe I would have found a better career, or found more success in the one I did choose. Maybe I would have had a bigger house or a nicer car. Maybe I would have had a few more good relationships or some of the bad ones would have been better. I will never know. I do know that I am happy with the decision that I made. My paychecks stretch a little further. I am fi nally working on projects around the house that I have put off for far too long. I do not have to worry about where to buy my next bag or getting arrested for marijuana possession. I do not have to dread those random drug screenings at my job. I guess this is what it is like to fi nally grow up into a mature adult... Not too bad if you ask me.

— Name withheld Augusta, Georgia

THE WAR… from page 1

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?

The Money Doctorappears exclusively in the Medical Examiner’s 3rd Friday

issue of even months, written by Augusta’s own Bill

Cleveland, a Certifi ed Financial Planner named by

Medical Economics magazine as one of the “150 Best

Financial Advisors for Doctors” in the U.S.

Read it and reap

FISCAL HEALTH

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, bylined or anonymous. We’ll publish your encounters with the medical profession as often as we receive them.

Send your submissions for Medicine in the First Person to the Augusta Medical Examiner via e-mail: [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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PPACA Health Insurance Exchanges which are currently scheduled for open enrollment starting October 1, 2013 for a January 1, 2014 effective date. There will be 2 Public Exchanges available. The Small Business Health Options Program (The Shop Exchange) and the American Health Benefi t Exchange, this exchange will be open for any eligible individual to enroll in.• 60 Day Notice of Plan Changes – Material Modifi cations to the existing plan.• Notice of Rescission – Group Health Plans and health insurance issuers may not rescind coverage for a covered individual except in the case of fraud or intentional misrepresentation of a material fact.• Preventive Care Services For Women (non-grandfathered plans) – Effective August 1, 2012, non-grandfathered health plans must cover specifi c preventive care services for women without cost sharing requirements such as copays, deductibles and coinsurance. Preventive Guidelines are available at www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines.

• $2500 Contribution Limits – Pre-tax salary reductions for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) will be limited to $2500 annually. Lower maximums can be established by the plan sponsor. This is a sampling of what will be required in 2013 to be compliant for January 1, 2014. PPACA is far reaching and will touch everyone in some way whether you are a medical provider, a small business providing benefi ts to its employees or a consumer of health care. Follow this column for more detailed discussions about specifi c provisions of the PPACA regulations, the impact on the local marketplace and updates to the regulations. Russell T. Head is a Partner and Chief Visionary Architect with Group & Benefi ts Consultants, Inc., Augusta’s largest, privately held employee benefi ts consulting fi rm. He can be reached at 706-733-3459 or [email protected]. Visit Group & Benefi ts Consultants at www.groupandbenefi ts.com.

REFORM… from page 1

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Hope IS Possible

Loving my healthy new lifestyle

love the freshness,

newness, anticipation and expectations of a New Year. Each December I spend a lot of time refl ecting on the past year, examining where my strengths and weaknesses were, and looking ahead to what the next year holds for me. Too often I would put my game plan together without considering what God’s plans were for me. Of course, He would allow me to ‘do my thing’ and just wait patiently for me to acknowledge Him in my splans. I am so happy to be at a place in my life where His will for me is crystal clear. It took me a very long time to get here. I’m sure some of you know exactly what I am talking about. My involvement with young people has grown exponentially in the past year. Working with, inspiring and empowering youth, especially middle and high school students, is a passion

that is often hard to express in words. This year marks our third year of Unlikely Allies Emerging Leaders Conference Series. Our partnership with Episcopal Day School where our monthly conferences are held is a blessing from God. We’ve added a new component that focuses on fi nancial literacy and an expert in the fi eld will provide the needed training. One of our All-Star leaders has developed a mentor program that will launch in February. We’re happy to continue our partnership with my personal trainer and friend, Tj Simmons, owner of Champion Fitness & Nutrition. Our leadership team has a passion for the positive growth and development of young people and we look forward to serving hundreds this year in the CSRA and beyond. Our motto is “Empowering healthy youth today for tomorrow.” After reading a news article last June about Georgia ranking #2 in childhood obesity, I felt compelled to do something. Our youth leadership program is about developing young leaders. Adults must lead by example. With my own new interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the need to instill these same characteristics in young people from a leadership perspective became apparent. I believe in leadership by example. It occurred to me that if we help young people develop a healthy lifestyle while they are young, then

they won’t have to play ‘catch up’ like me and so many other adults are having to do. It simply made sense. Our concept of weaving leadership and healthy lifestyle in one youth program caught the attention of Georgia Health Sciences University and the Institute of Public and Preventative Health. I was incredibly blessed to be one of seven one-year research community grant recipients. There were 33 applicants. They were interested in initiatives that addressed a variety of public health concerns in Georgia. Childhood obesity is a grave public health matter and is something we were already addressing with our Unlikely Allies conference series. It was like a match made in heaven. Beginning this month, we will implement a comprehensive after school program in a Richmond County middle school that will include leadership development, health and fi tness, and nutrition education. The vision is to expand this to all the middle schools in the CSRA. Last June I started a new Monday series on my radio program called Healthy Mondays where we feature information and guests that address health, nutrition and fi tness in a fun and entertaining way. I regularly write comments on my Facebook page about my healthy lifestyle progress. I’m pleased to say that in 8 months I have lost over 20 pounds and 40 inches. I’ve learned to not focus on the scales, because they can be deceiving. My weight training and cardio is helping me lose more inches than pounds. And I must say wearing blue jeans three sizes smaller is pretty cool, to say the least. I have made a lot of changes in my eating habits and what I eat. And I feel fabulous. God has helped me forge leadership skills in young people and develop a healthy lifestyle at the same time. By combining these, He has shown me how I can make a profound impact on young people, but adults will be impacted as well. I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2013. But that’s not all. As a writer, radio talk show host and columnist, I have been blessed with communication vehicles that reach thousands of people. So my latest entrepreneurial

venture was born. MY Life..MY Way...MY Healthy Lifestyle! Its purpose is to educate, inform, inspire, and share healthy information from people I know, and give businesses that provide services and products in the area of health, nutrition and fi tness a vehicle to promote and market them. Our fi rst quarterly insert is in this fi rst issue of the Medical Examiner! I’m excited about the possibilities. My friend, Ashleigh Brooks, owner of c2 Photography and Design, is our graphic designer, and you will see several articles from local entrepreneurs and authors. I have also created a Facebook page where you can LIKE it and be kept informed. Our goal is to promote a healthy lifestyle — and not through gimmicks, like a 90-day plan, or taking pills or even being on a diet. We want the word healthy to become a part of your vocabulary and your very life. It’s really not as hard as you think. We don’t want you to have unrealistic expectations and we also believe there are many ways to lose weight and have a healthy lifestyle, thus the reason for the unique name of our initiative and publication. I would like your feedback and input. If you have something you would like to submit or be a sponsor in our Masters edition, feel free to contact me. I guess it’s safe to say that 2013 looks incredibly promising. I stopped writing or even talking about New Year’s resolutions years ago. I am thankful that I am here to see another year. I am thankful for my parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, great niece, great nephews, and many friends. I am also grateful for you! I pray that your 2013 is prosperous and that you will fi nd yourself in the Center of God’s will for your life. I pray that you are happy and make time to make a difference in the lives of others. Happy New Year!!!

Helen Blocker-Adams is Executive Producer/Host of “The Helen Blocker Adams Show with Co-Host Sammy Lilly”, which airs Monday through Thursday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. on 103.7 FM/1600 AM WKZK The Spirit. She is also Founder of Unlikely Allies Emerging Leaders Conference. You can contact her at [email protected] or visit her at www.helenblockeradams.com

Helen Blocker-Adams

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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.

t this time of year, we tend to look backwards

hoping to see something that will help us in the future. We make New Year’s resolutions. We pray for forgiveness for the things we did that we should not have done. And we seek forgiveness for things we should have done but did not. Here are a few of the things I ponder: I should have lost fi ve pounds this last year. Instead, I gained four pounds. I could have saved some extra money for a rainy day, and I would have lived longer. Both of those would have been good things. I listened to politicians

make beautiful speeches, and actually believed some of them. They all promise change and betterment that will occur if we elect them. Then I see Marion Williams is again on the County Commission, and I wonder. I listened to our President talk about the need for austerity right before he took off for his annual 10-day vacation in Hawaii. He does that like it is required by the Constitution. But to his credit, he did leave early and return to Washington to prevent us from going over the fi nancial cliff. He left his wife and kids unattended to suffer in the surf. I wonder if they will

return as Delta coach passengers? I should not have wasted the time thinking about such things. Occasionally, I stupidly drove on I-20 without using cruise control. What was I looking for? Speeding tickets? Decreased gas mileage? Sometimes, I stayed home on Sunday mornings. I made the

excuse that I would make up for not going to church by watch a service on TV. Sometimes, I made myself out a liar by watching Fox News instead. Occasionally, when I came in from mowing the grass and my wife asked if I was done, I said, “Yes” even when I had not done the edging. I hoped her cataracts would prevent her from seeing my short comings. She had cataract surgery and can see a gnat in the top of a pine tree. Well, now I am in for big trouble.Cataract surgery is mostly a good thing. It was for my wife. We have to wait to see how it works out for me. Our Yorkie got a sweater for Christmas. I tried to remove it without her approval. I got snapped.

Fortunately, my tetanus toxoid is up to date. Next time I will seek permission rather than forgiveness. For the third year in a row, I was honored to be the celebrity auctioneer at the annual animal rescue charity auction held at Taylor BMW. There, I made the foolish statement that due the economy, we might neither reach nor exceed our record-setting $26,000 mark of last year. I wish I had not said that: when the dust settled, our good citizens had contributed $32,000 this year. Nancy McNair, MD is a saint in disguise to the CSRA animals in peril. She and her mafi a makes all this happen. Over the years I have written this column, I have received many emails and phone calls. New York. Las

Vegas. Nashville, Tennessee. New Orleans. Over 90% have been positive. I don’t know if I am pleased with that or not. Some say you should get 20% negative mail. I’d like to think my missing 10% are busy writing misguided letters to Congress, trying to get the 2nd Amendment repealed. In the meantime, I thank you for your comments, pro and con. And I thank those of you who have engaged me to entertain at your events, particularly the ones who have hired me more than once. May your New Year be better than you deserve and may neither of us do too many things we later regret, regardless of our initial intentions. 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 WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER

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READ THE EXAMINER ONLINEwww.AugustaRx.com/news

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by guest columnist Bill Atkinson

I told Nancy that when she dies and opens her eyes the fi rst face she will see will be mine. Nancy and I were both diagnosed about the same time with insidious malfunctions of our brains. Same diagnostician, different diagnoses Neither of us has Alzheimer’s and yet, at the end, we will probably both be demented. Her symptoms compromised her early on (walking and talking). Mine have been almost completely obscured. It all began about eight or nine years ago and the trek for the rest of our lives began. This writing is the third in a series. The fi rst and second in the series, Sleeping Together and Sleeping Apart have been published in the Medical Examiner. Sleeping Together described the fear of losing independence. Sleeping Apart was written to describe the pain of being separated. About two years ago Nancy lost her independence and had to go to the Colonnade (assisted living) and then to the Pavilion (nursing care). My medications have kept me independent but have maxed out leaving me short on energy, wit and stability. No big deal except that according to Michael J. Fox’s new book the fun has just begun. If Nancy lingers I may catch up with her. She is now almost completely dependent and defenseless. According to literature dementia for both of us comes late in the dying process. Nancy is sharper than most give her credit. We make decisions together constantly. She worships, exercises, plays games (occasionally winning) and can still out-spell me. One example of her lucidity is that we discuss life and death often. She is not afraid to die. She has made statements to suggest that she wants to die. She knows that I want to be with her when she dies if possible. I tell her that I do not want her to die but nor do I want her to live the way she is now. She understands. I am the only one who completely understands her because I am the only solid link she has with an outside world. Nancy and I have an indeterminate amount of time to share from the day that you read this until one of us passes. The question then is how shall we use it? Is there a plan to address our circumstances? Our life care residence advisers orchestrated Nancy’s move from independence into skilled nursing. for which we are grateful. Her move, although laden with an ugly fi nality like the sound of locking a heavy door behind her, was inevitable. For two years now we have lived separated. But what next? With my condition becoming shaky, are the ingredients to address our forthcoming needs in place? With independence gone what mechanism will be in place to counsel us? And others? What about the possibility of us two “dependents” being together again? That would be nice. As Nancy and I approach 60 years of marriage, it seems like a reasonable question.

Bill Atkinson is the former 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.

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Noah

t’s hard to believe that 2012 has ended and we are ushering in 2013. This truly has been a remarkable year. I always fi nd it helpful to take a step back and look at what accomplishments and progress has been made. I’m not sure about you, but I know I can instantly rattle off the things that still need to be done or corrected. Instead of applauding what has been done, the unfi nished is usually at the forefront of the mind and most focused on. Last week, as I sat in the doctor’s offi ce for our last appointment of 2012, I couldn’t help but to refl ect on the events: the ups, downs, changes, regression, progression, hurdles and accomplishments that we made this year. I looked back at the articles I wrote this year with excitement and awe at what all transpired. I started the year out talking about raising my greatest fear and having audacious and, to many, unrealistic goals. I’m happy to say that Noah and I have become running machines! We both completed our fi rst half marathon in February, as well as fi nishing many other 5k and 10k races throughout the year. We started potty training. Although Noah isn’t ready for big boy underwear at this time, we will try it again and see if we can transition out of diapers. In the spring he endured an unexpected yet major surgery which required being in a body cast that covered three-fourths of his body. It was a long six weeks, but he came out well and is doing better than expected. One of the goals last year was to reduce the number of specialists that we have to see. Although I didn’t get rid of as many as I had hoped, I was able to cross a couple off of the list. And for the remainder

of the specialists we’ve progressed to just two or three visits a year. We lightly ventured into what it would be like to live in Noah’s world and I shared how he has taken me to Holland.

I anticipate a lot of changes in the new year; some I’m aware of and ready for, some I’m aware and scared of yet trying to prepare for, and then there are the other changes that I have no idea of what they are, but I know they are coming. Parenting a child who is differently-abled is not easy, but is very rewarding. No two days are the same. It’s awesome hands-on training and the ultimate situation for character building, along with professional and personal development. I can’t answer why certain things

happen to certain people, but I can say from fi rst-hand experience that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. As Noah and I move into the next phase in life, I have been confronted with new systems and rules that I have to learn and navigate. This phase is more diffi cult than I imagined it to be and I feel my ability to articulate our experience in a constructive manner has been compromised. As a result, this will be my last article in the Medical Examiner for a while. I hope the Exceptional Living column has assisted in helping each of you to view and treat differently-abled persons the same way you would like to be treated. Be blessed and create the New Year that you want!

Naomi Williams is a health educator by training, an entrepreneur by nature, mom, and advocate of the best kid ever, Noah Samuel.

ILooking back

Exceptional LivingEditor’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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n the 60s sitcom Green Acres, a New York attorney

decides to leave the rat race of the corporate world for life on the farm. His wife, a city girl who loves all the trappings of Manhattan, pleads to stay with her penthouse view. After each states their point of view in a comical banter of rhythms – “the chores, the stores, fresh air, Times Square – the debate concludes with his proclamation of being the man of the house (“you are my wife”) and her conceding to the move (with, “goodbye, city life”). What ensues is a comical tale of a life on a farm in desperate need of renovation by a man who hasn’t a clue where to begin. Most of us can probably identify pretty well with the farmer from the city: we know a carrot comes from the ground and an apple from the tree but we might not have a clue about much else. After all, we don’t buy our food from the farm; we buy it from the grocery store. But what if we had a compromise available where we could actually have the benefi t of “the stores” without the hardship of “the chores”? It is already possible in the CSRA through an organization called Augusta Locally Grown Augusta Locally Grown is a modern day farmer’s market which supports small farms and gardeners by making their all-natural, locally-grown, fresh foods available for sale in the Augusta-area. Even better is the fact that you can shop from your “penthouse” because the market is internet based. Each week farmers and growers list their seasonally-available products on the website. Depending on the time of year, this can include a wide variety of traditional and heirloom varieties of vegetables, fruits,

meats, legumes, milled products, dairy products, fresh fl owers, mushrooms, eggs, herbs, honey, fi rewood, live plants, soaps and artisan goods. Everything is fresh, local and naturally-grown. Unlike co-ops, buying clubs, or Community Supported Agriculture groups where everyone gets the same box of stuff, with Locally Grown you order what you want, in the quantities that you want, from growers and farmers you’ll come to know as neighbors and friends (although I don’t think you will fi nd any talking pigs). Every Friday around noon, a list of available products is sent by e-mail to everyone with an Augusta Locally Grown account. Customers may place their order for the week at any time before Sunday at 8:00 p.m. via the website. Farmers and growers receive their “harvest reports” by email each week, in time to harvest the goods and deliver to the market on Tuesday afternoons. You simply indicate at which of the three conveniently located city markets you wish to pick up your goods (Evans: Augusta Jewish Community Center, 4-6 p.m., Downtown: Tire City Potters, 5:30-7 pm, Riverwood: Riverwood Barn, 6:30-7:30 p.m.). Besides supporting your local community, you also reap the benefi t of farm fresh goods which have superior taste and nutritional content compared to their grocery store counterparts. An added benefi t is the variety of unusual goods which are often unavailable in local stores. For instance, have you seen duck eggs in the grocery store lately? How about a fresh turkey, handmade soap, alpaca wool art, or microgreens? I’ve seen frozen turkeys and packaged soap but these pale in comparison to fresh. I’ve never

seen alpaca wool art in the grocery store, but I did see

it at the Augusta Locally

Grown Market and it was beautiful. The market also offers culinary and soap-making classes, and even — just in case you too need an escape from the rat race but aren’t ready for a full out move — afternoon tea on a farm! So if Augusta is where you’d rather stay or perhaps you get allergic smelling hay (with apologies to Green Acres) just log on to Augusta Locally grown for the best of both worlds and a fresh start to the New Year.For more information:• http://augusta.locallygrown.net/welcome• www.evanstownefarmersmarket.com

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].

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Pharmacy 411Pharmacy 411Very 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.

ECOLD AND FLU SEASON IS UPON US

ach year we have the cold and fl u season about this time of year, and each year we have a team of scientists in Atlanta that makes projections on the three

predominant strains of fl u that will be present the following year. This year the formula for the fl u shots was not exact, but does that mean the fl u shot is not worth getting this year? No! Fifty to sixty percent protection is far better than zero percent protection. The fl u shot contains three strains of fl u virus, present in a killed version so as not to trigger a case of the fl u after you receive the shot. Each strain will provide total protection from that one strain of the fl u and partial protection from other strains of the fl u depending on how similar the two strains are. The three strains chosen are from various families of fl u strains. One could be a swine fl u while another could be infl uenza type B. This year we are seeing a lot of patients who received the fl u shot coming in with the seasonal fl u that is currently going around. So the present seasonal strain may be defying the fl u shot, but that doesn’t mean that the next round won’t be a swine fl u that the fl u shot will provide protection from. Also the current fl u we’re seeing may be similar to a strain that is in the fl u shot. That could translate to reduced symptoms compared to no fl u shot. So the choice again rests with each individual patient. The fl u shot may help more down the road, but can still be of some benefi t right now. Remember that it takes two weeks for the immune process to provide immunity after the shot is received. So if you want the possibility of immunity from the fl u that may show up a month from now, then getting your fl u shot now would be a good idea. Remember that what is going around now may not be what goes around one to two months from now.

You have the fl u —now what? With or without a fl u shot, what if you have the fl u? At this point it doesn’t matter if you got the fl u shot or not, so let’s

talk about treating the problem. The fl u is a viral infection but unlike many other viral infections there is a drug to shorten the duration and control the symptoms. This drug is called Tamifl u and is subject to sporadic shortages but is normally available to drugstores. To provide relief it must be taken within twenty-four hours of symptom onset. The dosage is

twice a day for fi ve days to treat active fl u cases or once a day for ten days to prevent transmission to an exposed

family member. Other than Tamifl u, the rest of the treatment options

are for symptom relief. Take acetaminophen for fever and cough and cold medicines for

congestion and cough. Be careful with the congestion meds because where the

congestion is will determine which medicines are good for you and which ones are not. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist if you aren’t 100% sure about which over-the-counter medicine to choose. Always remember that congestion in the chest should be treated with an expectorant that will help loosen

the congestion so that coughs become productive and the congestion is expelled. Antihistamines should not be

used in this situation - chest congestion - since these meds will dry up congestion and that can be dangerous and lead to worse problems in the case of chest congestion. Let’s talk about head and sinus congestion. This is where antihistamines are used here to dry up congestion. For sinus pressure and pain a decongestant can be added in some cases. These are not appropriate for small children and people with blood pressure and heart problems. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information about what is right for you. For everyone, a good vitamin program may help prevent all this from being needed. Most people can benefi t from extra basic vitamins and minerals. So good luck and stay healthy!

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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IDENTITY THEFT: FOR MEDICARE RECIPIENTS, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY

MEDICARE MATTERS

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mericans receiving Medicare are at high

risk for identity theft. Scams through use of the telephone, mail and computer are on the rise. Billions in taxpayer money is wasted every year in fraudulent claims made against both Medicare and Medicaid. Those receiving these government benefi ts are in a front line position to help stop the waste and abuse which continue to increase. Many scam artists will call claiming to be affi liated with Social Security or Medicare and ask for information. Social Security and Medicare are not going to come directly to the home or call to ask for information they already have

on fi le. If anyone calls and asks for a Medicare or Social Security number, they are most likely committing fraud. Some will make a “free offer” and say they need the information to process whatever it is they are giving away. If it is truly free, there is no need for personal information. A newer variation on this growing problem is medical identity theft. This occurs when someone uses another person’s information for the purpose of obtaining medical care for themselves. This can result in the victim being billed for equipment, supplies and medical services that were never received. This information may be entered in medical records as items

NEW COLUMN!MEDICAL EXAMINEREXCLUSIVE!

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having already been received and causes a delay or denial for services the victim needs. Pay attention to quarterly Medicare Summary Notices. Look for double billing and other discrepancies. If you notice durable medical equipment, supplies, medical tests or doctor visits you are unaware of, immediately contact Medicare and report it. The government sends a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) four times a year to all Medicare recipients. This MSN is a recap of every doctor visit, equipment purchase and test received during the last quarter. These statements should be looked at very closely for errors. If a mistake is found, the proper procedure is to call and report it. Sometimes honest mistakes are made and are easy to correct. Fraud and abuse are often the case and reporting is the best weapon. GeorgiaCares educates seniors about protecting themselves from becoming a victim of identity and medical

Please see MEDICARE page 10


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GET HELP. GIVE HELP.

You’ll be glad you did.There’s always interesting and informative information

posted at the Medical Examiner blog:

www.AugustaRx.com/news

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fraud. If people remember to follow the steps below, billions can be saved in fraud and waste, ultimately lowering the cost of medical care in general.

PROTECT: Guard your Social Security and Medicare numbers. Be suspicious of “free” offers soliciting personal information.

DETECT: Read your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) and any Explanation of Benefi ts (EOB). Look for any charges for services you did not receive. Pay attention to any bills from medical providers and make sure you actually received the service before you pay the bill.

REPORT: For problems on your MSN, EOB or a bill for a service not received, call Medicare: 800-633-4227 or GeorgiaCares: 866-552-4464.

Author Trisha Whisenhunt is a Certifi ed Medicare Counseler at the Area Agency on Aging

MEDICARE… from page 9

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HOSPITAL


Not as freaky as originally believed The media shapes our perceptions of the news. Granted, that isn’t exactly an earth-shaking declaration. But in the context of the Medical Examiner’s editorial focus (three words: health, wellness, medicine), the way articles are worded can have a key impact on readers’ viewpoints. Specifi cally, a Johns Hopkins team of researchers used LexisNexis to search selected media for the term “freak accident.” The study found the term was regularly used to describe eminently avoidable accidents. In one instance, a pro athlete’s performance in a game was analyzed in the aftermath of a “freak accident” he had experienced the day before: after cutting an apple in bed, he later rolled over on the knife and slashed his arm, resulting in a wound that required ten stitches. Given the circumstances,

the injury was in fact far from freak; it was foreseeable and preventable. Freak accidents should be unexplainable, bizarre, unpredictable The study’s authors suggest that labeling preventable situations as “freak accidents” defl ects responsibility away from the victim, and has a negative public health impact. Newsworthy events so labeled represent a missed opportunity to present safety and prevention information to a wide audience.

Get milk? Yes. But not too much milk. A Canadian team of researchers published a study last month (in Pediatrics) looking into the question pediatricians probably hear as much as any other: how much milk should my kids drink? The answer, in a nutshell — strike that — in a cupful, is two of the aforementioned cups per day is the optimal dose. The study found that drinking

milk increases the amount of vitamin D in children’s bodies, but also reduces iron levels. The more milk consumed, the more iron levels can drop. Two cups per day, at least for kids between ages 2 and 8, offers enough D and only small decreases in iron levels. Signifi cantly more milk per day beyond two cups could have a negative effect. Researchers theorize that the more milk kids drink, the less iron-rich foods they eat.

The power of negativity A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed the radical ideas put forth by Seneca of ancient Rome. If a person feared losing their wealth, Seneca would advise them to play the part of a desperate pauper for a prescribed period. The result was often, “Is this the condition I feared?” Research suggests that facing the prospect of something negative head-on is more effective than positive mantras. Some call it “the negative path to happiness.”

theClipping File

From THE Bookshelf

+

— Posted by Paul Levy Dec. 21, 2012 at thehealthcareblog.com

THE PAIN INDEX A recent report by The New York Times contained an excellent graphic showing the current percentage of uninsured people in each state. The range is from a high of 24.6% in Texas to a low of 4.4% in Massachusetts. I have combined this rate with the most recently reported CDC rate of obesity in each state to create what I call The Pain Index. It is a simple sum of the two numbers. The theory behind the total is that obesity is a rough guide for the level of unhealthiness in the population. My hypothesis is that, when insurance is made available to [everyone under ACA], they will use it, roughly in proportion to the degree they are unhealthy. Yes, I know this is a crude metric, but I think it will be a relatively good predictor of the rate of increase in health care costs in each state over the coming years. This will show up in the insurance premium rates offered in the health care exchanges and will also affect the need for state appropriations to pay for newly eligible Medicaid subscribers. States with a Pain Index in the top decile are: Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Others with scores over 45 are Nevada, Florida, New Mexico, Georgia, Alaska, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, and West Virginia. My advice to policy-makers: Get ready! My advice to health care CEOs: This would be a really good time to focus on quality, safety, and front-line driven process improvement as the most effective way to reduce your costs and improve effi ciency.

The blog spot

+

As you may have noticed, this is not a place where we review books, at least not in the traditional sense. We’re not here to say, “don’t waste your money on this pathetic excuse for a book.” Instead, we’re usually here to say, “Here’s a book you may fi nd quite interesting.” (Your results may vary, we realize.) Having said all that, if you go out and buy the book under discussion today, you’re probably going to fi nd it’s a yawn-inducer of the fi rst rank. That’s not to say we’re breaking with tradition and panning this book. We’re just trying to say that the average person can’t read two dozen pages on yawning (as contained in this book) without yawning at least a few times. Yes, yawning is highly contagious. Just typing that sentence, to tell you the truth, made me yawn. Does that strike you as curious? Then you’re just the sort of reader who might enjoy this book. Author Robert Provine has examined a number of everyday habits of those strange creatures called human beings. There’s even a chapter about fl atulance,

which calls to mind that kids sometimes say “human beans.” Ah, but we digress. Take sneezing, for example. It’s something we’ve all done, but why? “Simple,” you say. “It’s the body’s mechanism for forcibly expelling something from the respiratory system that’s considered undesirable.” Ok, fair enough. Based on your description then, why do we sometimes sneeze when we walk out into bright sunlight? Curious behavior. We have all coughed. If I were to ask you why you would probably give me recitation

of your reason for sneezin’ above. If that’s true, then why do audiences hearing boring lectures cough more than those hearing fascinating ones? It has been studied and observed enough times to be fact. Some people can sit quietly for hours, but will involuntarily cough practically every time they open their mouth to speak. Curious behavior, indeed. Another of our curious human behaviors: the hiccups. Where does that word even come from? And not to mix curious behaviors, but have you ever sneezed, and then immediately, within one second, hiccupped? Curious behavior? Indeed. Personally, I could have done without a few of the author’s references to our allegedly evolutionary past. When I read that yawning is contagious because millions of years ago we were beasts operating in a herd mentality, I yawned. But because I was in public, I yawned with my mouth closed. Curious behavior? Of course. Curious Behavior by Robert R. Provine, 288 pages, published August 31, 2012 by Belknap Press of Harvard University

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Carolina is #2

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THE EXAMiNERS+

by Dan Pearson

The Mystery Word for this issue:PITHALOS

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


PUZZLE

THE MYSTERY WORD

All Mystery Word fi nders will be eligible to win by random drawing. We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

VISIT WWW.AUGUSTARX.COM TO ENTER!Click on “Reader Contests”

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

+

About half of my 81 mg. low dose aspirin

are marked 18.It happened to you too?What happened?

What’s wrong with you? I’ve been cheated,

that’s what’s wrong.

© 2013 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.

And let me guess... half of your M&Ms have a W on them.

1 2 3

1 2

SAMPLE: 1 2 3 4 1 2 1 2 3 4 5L O V E B L I N DI S

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

WORDSNUMBER

BY

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

Solution p. 14

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EXAMINER

SUDOKU

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

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

QUOTATION PUZZLE

DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fi ll the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may only be used once. Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto

a second line. Solution on page 14.by Daniel R. Pearson © 2013 All rights reserved

by Daniel R

. Pearson © 2

013

All rights reserved

DOWN 1. Mr. Barnard 2. Sea eagle 3. Kilocalorie 4. Consume 5. Atlanta team 6. Terrorist poison 7. Hyper letters? 8. Churchill’s sign 9. Candidate for ordination 10. Sac in which bile is stored 11. Hip bones 12. Bereft 13. Heavy metal 18. Warming drink 23. Have dinner 24. Amused 25. Bad golf shot 26. Lead-in to 22-A 27. City in Nebraska 28. Overturn 29. Word with shot or atomic 30. Tolerate

31. Norwegian dramatist 32. Mother-of-pearl 34. Owner of Masters record for lowest 18-hole score (along with Greg Norman) 37. Fragments, splinters 41. ______ Football (as in the Augusta Stallions) 43. Fish eggs 44. Fellow castaway (with Gilligan) 46. Bean type 47. Heart of Augusta activity? 48. Wife of Jacob 49. Similar 50. Jeweler’s magnifi er (var.) 51. On the... (in Augusta) 52. Golfer Isao 53. Crack partner 56. British slang for lavatory 57. Twitch

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1 2 3

1 2H

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ACROSS 1. Augusta CEO to friends 5. Symphony cheer 10. Respiratory organ of fi sh 14. Killer whale 15. NBHA participant 16. Soothing lotion 17. Single 19. Pre-Euro Italian bread 20. Mousse 21. Roman poet 22. Companion to 26-D 24. Paradise 25. Rebuff 26. Out of____ 29. Hospital minister 33. Vacant 34. Scheme 35. Title of respect for God 36. Relaxation 37. Palm leaf 38. Flat circular plate 39. “Moonstruck” star 40. Pass tongue over 41. Snake 42. Nifty Lynx feat 44. Olde Town street 45. First-class 46. Dock 47. ______ Health (school at GHSU) 50. Waterfall 51. Possesses 54. Restraint 55. Lengthening 58. Word before fi ve or over 59. Path 60. Each, every (Scot.) 61. Storage shelter 62. Lethargy, stupor 63. Follower of paper or video

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

— Spanish proverb

MEET

IA

OHI

TNST

NEH

ESCT

EHE

MCI

EINR

GESA

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TET

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1.GAWWBAWWTC 2.HOWIEEEEAC 3.TANCATH 4.YOHAT 5.RV 6.ED 7.I 8.N 9.G

Use the letters provided — one per dash — 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 short words and entering unique and minimal choice letters (such as 5 thru 9 in this puzzle). A sample is shown. Solution on page 10.

1 2

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

OP


The Patient’s Perspectiveby Marcia Ribble

ow that the holidays

are over, I’m back to the pre-surgery routine,

getting ready to have my total knee replacement. One of the questions which came up at my knee replacement class was “What kind of prosthetic will my doctor use?” Thus begins the keeping of the list of questions to ask the doctor and the pre-op folks, including the person doing anesthesia. All prosthetics are not created equal. Some are better than others. They are made from different materials. Some have longer than normal usage times before revision is required, because they don’t wear out as rapidly. The choice of prosthesis is based on lots of things. How old is the patient? Will the patient live an extremely active lifestyle or be easier on the knee? How much does the patient weigh? These and still other factors like the degree of existing damage to the underlying bone structure will help your doctor make that decision. But it’s our right as patients to be informed about those decisions and to weigh the many options available to the doctors. We’ll probably still defer to the doctor’s opinions, but we’ll do that with information, not as people helpless in the face of the doctor’s expertise. This alone, this absorption of real knowledge is to our benefi t and also to the benefi t of those hospital folks who will be working with us, of whom there are a whole lot! For example, there is a difference between this question, “Can I have someone stay with me in my room after surgery until I go home?” and this one: “Does someone need to be there with me to help me during the day and night?” That is the kind of question I want resolved before I go in for surgery so any necessary arrangements can be made. The class I went to with my daughter at University Hospital began to help us as patients come up with those and similar questions. What kinds of equipment will I need at home? What kinds of clothes should I bring? What kinds of exercises will I have to do? Do I need a bath chair? A reacher? The reachers in

stores are long and not well designed to handle picking up objects nearby and getting them into our hands — unless, that is, we have really long arms. I have discovered that often times a shorter grabber can be improvised from a pair of kitchen tongs which come in various sizes and shapes. I normally use one with slightly fl exible ends and I use it to get the clothes from the back of the dryer, pick up papers I’ve dropped on the fl oor, etc. However it will simply refuse to pick up a dropped coin, and for that I have a pair of metal tongs with a thin edge that can scoop up a coin. My daughter fi nds it somewhat embarrassing, but my rollator comes equipped with bags for things I want, like a fl yswatter, my tongs, and my back scratcher, which is also useful for pulling things toward me so the tongs can pick them up. Dropped pills happen all the time and they inevitably scoot under my desk or the kitchen table. I grab my back scratcher, pull them close enough to reach with the tongs, and pick them up. A new toy I plan to get is a long strap that goes over the foot and can be used by the patient to lift the operated leg up into the car or over the side into the tub once baths and showers are permitted. I’m sure I’ll fi nd other uses for it too. I know there are times in the last year or so when getting my bad leg up into the car has been quite challenging and I could have used 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.

Nha... ha...

THE BEST MEDICINE

hile attending a marriage retreat weekend, Walter and his wife, Mary

listened to the instructor declare, “It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.” He then addressed the men: “Can you name and describe your wife’s favorite fl ower?” Walter leaned over, touched Mary’s arm gently, and whispered, “It’s Gold Medal All-Purpose, isn’t it?” And thus began Walter’s life of celibacy.

Doctor to patient: “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you are not a hypochondriac.”

A little girl climbed into her grandfather’s lap and studied his white, balding head. She ran

her fi ngers along the deep wrinkles and road mapped his face and neck. “Did God make you?” she asked. “He sure did,” he answered. “Did God make me, too?” she wondered. “Yes, you too,” he replied. “Well,” she pondered, “Don’t you think he’s doing a better job now than he used to?”

The doctor had been seeing an 80 year-old woman for most of her life. He fi nally retired.At her next checkup, the new doctor told her to bring a list of all her medications that had been prescribed for her. As the young doctor looking through her list, his eyes grew wide as he realized she had a prescription for birth control pills. Pointing to that item on her list, he asked, “Mrs. Smith, do you realize these are birth control pills? Are you taking them?” “Yes, they help me sleep at night.” “Mrs. Smith, I assure you there is absolutely nothing in these that could possibly help you sleep.” She reached out and patted the young doctor’s knee. “Yes, dear, I know that. But every morning, I grind one up and mix it in the glass of orange juice that my 16 year old granddaughter drinks, and believe me, it helps me sleep at night.” +

W

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AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER

by Caroline Colden

he world did not end on Friday, Decemeber 21, 2012. It seems we had

the opportunity not only to complete the year 2012, but perhaps also see the years 2013 and beyond if our luck continues to hold out against Mayan calendars. My thoughts for this fi rst “Short White Coat” article of 2013 are simple. The past year in retrospect has had many high points and many low points. While many may argue as to which points were high and which were low – the re-election of President Obama, for example, or perhaps the closing of the Hostess factories – I will refrain from their discussion right now. One minor tangent, however – I will defi nitely say “GO DAWGS!!” both in response to UGA’s win against Florida and to UGA’s tough fi ght against Alabama at the Championship game. UGA’s demonstrated prowess on the football fi eld will always be a high point in my book. On a more serious note, though, there are many more events worth mentioning that marked the year 2012 besides UGA wins and losses. Topics such as ObamaCare, the Benghazi Scandal, the recent legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage in several states, NASA projects, the dynamics and legislative decisions of Congress and all the “fi scal cliff” debate, and the US military situation in the Middle East have all sparked monumental debate across the nation this past year, and will continue to do so in the new year. Other truly horrible tragedies like Hurricane Sandy, the Aurora, Colorado, shooting, the destruction left in regions hit by tornado after tornado, and the still-raw

heartbreak in Newtown, CT are among the most jarring and devastating events of 2012. I hope to God that our country and its people never again witness such havoc wrought against them. I hope with all my heart. In John Donne’s poem quoted here – and I’m not sure whether it is actually a poem or rather just an excerpt from his Meditations XVII – he states that man is not an island, but is part of a larger piece, this giant continent called humanity. And that man’s business is in mankind. And therefore, should one person die, it is a loss for all of mankind and all of its parts. Should a

catastrophe strike, it strikes everywhere, and devastates all of us. And a death knell rings with every death. Therefore, Donne explains, it is of no value to inquire for whom the bell rings, as men are so connected; it rings for us all. I include this excerpt from Donne’s

Meditations not only because I really like it, but also because I feel its message is a good one to bear in mind at the turn of the year. At the risk of sounding like a cheap imitation of A Christmas Carol – and I am indeed an energetic enthusiast of Dickens – I will still give my two cents. As we bid adieu to 2012 and greet 2013, let us keep in mind that we are all in the business of mankind. Whatever New Years resolutions we formulate, let us stick to at least one that will help us focus on this tenet, and remember one man’s loss is a loss for us all. In a similar theme, a life that is saved will save us, too. We are all forever linked on our journeys, which all have the same ultimate destination. Our links can be chains around our necks, or they can be our lifelines to keep us tethered together for safety. Let us celebrate the victories of 2012 and mourn all of its losses. The highlights and tragic moments of the past year should never be forgotten. The problems are for all of us to address because we are all in the business of mankind. Let us keep in mind our true business and the lifelines that will pull us all to safety. For no man is an island, entire of itself. Happy New Year to everyone.

Caroline Colden is a 2nd year medical student at GHSU’s Medical College of Georgia. She may be contacted at [email protected].

T

The Short White Coat

A med student’s notebook

No man is an island,Entire of itself.Each is a piece of the continent,A part of the main.If a clod be washed away by the sea,Europe is the less.As well as if a promontory were.As well as if a manor of thine ownOr of thine friend’s were.Each man’s death diminishes me,For I am involved in mankind.Therefore, send not to knowFor whom the bell tolls,It tolls for thee.

John Donne +

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