Martha B. Boone, MD, LLC - Urologist, Atlanta, GA, Roswell, Alpharetta, GA

Martha B. Boone, MD, LLC, female urologist in Atlanta

RECENT NEWS

March Newsletter

Dear Wonderful Patients,

January was a difficult month at our office. I diagnosed more patients with bladder cancer during the first two weeks of January, than I usually diagnose in 7 months! To my great horror, I diagnosed a 19 year old with a large bladder cancer. Previous to finding this cancer in this very young adult, the youngest person that I had ever diagnosed with bladder cancer was 34 years old.

This surprising diagnosis has caused me to rethink what I have learned in 24 years of treating bladder cancer.

Subsequently, I have spoken to two very well known uropathologists (one is from the Mayo Clinic) who have told me that "they have seen bladder cancer in people as young as 11"! But, bladder cancer in people younger than 40 remains a "rare" phenomenon.

I am writing to you, to remind you that the ONLY warning that we get of bladder cancer is a little bit of blood in the urine. This is usually found by your doctor on your yearly urine analysis. Please make sure that you and your loved ones get your urine checked every year with your yearly physical. The blood would be found under the microscope, by your doctor. As urologists, we check everyone's urine for blood on every visit.

Please remember that 95% of people who have blood in their urine, do NOT have cancer. And, please remember that you need to be checked by a urologist if you ever have blood in your urine.

Let's focus on PREVENTION. What can you do?

DO NOT SMOKE. Do not allow people to smoke around you. The number one cause of bladder cancer is exposure to Cigarette smoke. Please, Please, stop smoking!! If you have ever smoked for more than five years, even if it was 25 years ago, you will carry a higher risk for bladder cancer, your whole life. So, blood in the urine (hematuria) in a current or past smoker should be carefully evaluated by a urologist.
Since I am diagnosing more and more people with bladder cancer who have never smoked, there must be other factors. I have found evidence that taking vitamins and supplements can help decrease the reoccurrence of bladder cancer in people who have had them. So, it may be worth your while to consider taking those supplements as a preventative.
I am recommending that all of my bladder cancer patients and any of my patients who have smoked at any time in their lives ( for over five years), consider taking the supplement, Bladder 2.2 which is produced by the Theralogix company. You can go to our website www.femaleurologists.com and access their website to read about the supplement. Please use my doctor number when ordering the supplement, so I can track which patients are taking it.
Also, if limiting red meat is very helpful with other types of cancer, maybe it might be helpful with bladder cancer. If you have been diagnosed with bladder cancer, you might wish to consider limiting red meat in your diet.

I have had three patients who have ovarian cancer make a couple of recommendations of things that were helpful to them.

Dr. Bernie Siegel's CD "Meditations for Enhancing Your Immune System". There is evidence that meditation increases the powerful chemicals that heal our bodies of disease.
"Love is Letting Go of Fear" by Gerald Jampolsky has been recommended to decrease negative emotions which creates "stress" reactions in the body.

As always, early detection is the key to curing cancer. And as for preventing it, I am a big believer in managing your stress, exercise and excellent nutrition.

On a positive note, rarely do we have to do any invasive surgery for bladder cancer. Most of our patients are detected early and can be treated with "out patient" and minimally invasive procedures.

Of our many patients diagnosed in January, only one person will have to have a major surgery. Everyone else was detected early and appears to be "cured".

Please check our website for new videos on blood in the urine (hematuria) and please send them to your family and friends!

Have a great spring,

Dr. Martha Boone

February Newsletter

News from the world of urology!

Dr. Boone has reviewed the meeting from the latest International Continence Society meeting for you.

Researchers have found:

Young women with poor bladder emptying (Fowler’s syndrome) are responding well to sacral neuromodulation. So, if you are between 18 and 40 and are having trouble emptying your bladder, there may be new help for you. Go to our website and read about the Interstim device.
Botox to the bladder continues to show efficacy in patients who have failed all conventional over active bladder treatments. So, if you have "tried it all" and are still going to the bathroom too frequently, Botox to the bladder may help you.
The latest overactive bladder drug, Toviaz was shown to work better for urge incontinence than does the drug Detrol-LA. A large study of >1700 patients showed this finding. So, if you are on an overactive bladder drug and are not completely happy, please come in, as you may be a candidate for the new drug.
For more information, go to Toviaz.Com
An Italian group of researchers has shown that patients with interstitial cystitis (IC) have a very interesting phenomenon known as central sensitization. Essentially, this means that the brain "turns up" the pain receptor response in these patients. (IC patients are more "sensitive" and prone to heightened pain response than other people) This finding is exciting, because it can help explain the connection between IBS, fibromyalgia, and IC.This is also very exciting for the possibility for new research on the IC patient.
Finally, the National Cancer Institute has definitely shown a link between volume of red meat eaten and PROSTATE CANCER. In a ten year study of over 175,000 men, there was definitely an increased risk for prostate cancer based on red meat consumption.
SO, PLEASE HAVE ALL THE MEN YOU LOVE DECREASE THEIR RED MEAT CONSUMPTION!! (They have not yet determined how much you can safely eat. So, the less, the better.)
HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2010.
WARM REGARDS,
Dr. Martha Boone

January Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO OUR WONDERFUL PATIENTS!!
I am not one to make "New Year’s Resolutions". I am already "doing the best that I can".
But, the end of one year and the beginning of another has always been a time of reflection and gratitude for me.
This past year, I have seen an unpatrolled level of "fear" in my patients. The job market, the healthcare bill, the economy, and international politics have really had many of my patients very concerned, all year long. I share your concern and we are most definitely "not out of the woods" yet.
But, "worry" over these things will not improve our health. And our health is the "well spring" of our lives.
So, without making any sweeping resolutions, what can we do to be "younger next year"?
1. Let’s really make an effort to MOVE MORE. Let’s not let those skinny Europeans get the better of us. Let’s work towards not being the fat, overindulgent Americans that we have been in the past. Get out there and walk. Take the stairs when you can. Park the car, well away from the door. Take a ten minutes stroll in the neighborhood after dinner. MAKE SOME COMMITMENT TO MOVING MORE!!
2. OK, GANG, IT IS TIME TO DECREASE THOSE PORTIONS! Supersizing everything has given us a nation of obese children who are on "dialysis" more than any country in the world. Let’s decrease our portions. You can do it. Eat on a salad plate for a while. You can only "pack" a small plate, so full. Get out a deck of playing cards and realize that the size of a card is the size of a portion of protein! Your steak or your chicken should fit into the area of that playing card. Split your usual meal in half and eat the other half at lunch the next day. Or, share one meal between two people. And, all of us knows that the less animal protein, the better. EAT MORE BEANS!!! In my family, I replaced two "meat meals" per week with beans. There was a great deal of complaining from my husband, the carnivore, but one year later, he does not miss it at all. Our food budget is less and our blood fats are lower.
3. Cut out the snacks. If you cut out one snack per day, you would lose ten pounds in a year, from that alone. The sugar and crabs are killing us!
4. DRINK WATER! If you are urology patient, chances are you should be drinking plenty of water. Unless your internist has told you otherwise, you should drink about your body weight divided by two in ounces. (If you weigh 150 pounds, you need 150/2=75 oz. per 24 hours of water)
5. If you are a patient with kidney stones or interstitial cystitis, follow your diet. If not, put more fruits and vegetables in your diet. When you have a choice to make, choose the fruits and vegetables. Our lives are made up of all the little choices that we make every day. Make better choices and you will have a better life and better health. Most people do not need to make big sweeping changes. Most people can make many small changes per day and see great improvement in their health, over a year.
6. Do your preventative care. Make a list of all that you need to do and make it your top priority. My list looks like this:
  1. Clean teeth= January and July
  2. Pap smear=October
  3. Mammogram=August
  4. Eye exam=September
  5. Bone density=July
  6. Routine Gynecology evaluation =October
  7. Dermatologist=February
  8. Blood work =January and July
  Nothing is more important than your health. Plan for it. DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. EVERYONE HAS PAID THEIR DEDUCTIBLE AND IT IS JUST CRAZY AFTER NOVEMBER 15TH. DON’T DO THAT TO YOURSELF. PLAN WELL FOR GREAT HEALTH.
7. Your mind controls your body. Like it or not, that is the truth. Try to find some peace. Watch the news less. Email less. Read the news less. ALL of these things are full of fear based information and HORROR. Try to limit your exposure to these things. Constantly scaring yourself raises your "stress hormones" and can decrease your health. Learn to quiet your mind. Things like yoga, meditation, tai chi, swimming, walking (long and slow) .I do ballroom dancing to quiet my mind. Just trying to get my body where it is supposed to go, takes everything that I have! I can’t worry about that healthcare bill while trying not to bust my butt! LOL.Try to find some quiet time in every day. It will be hard at first, but persist and I promise that the health benefits will amaze you. There are tools for this on our website www.femaleurologist.com
8. Whatever your spiritual beliefs, cling to them. Sometimes, our world seems that it is crazy. I can’t tell if the fear mongers and 24 hour news agencies make it seem that way, or if everything really is "much worse" than it used to be. But, what I know for sure is that there is something bigger than us and it (he or she) has bigger and better ideas than I do. I have patients of all types and I deeply enjoy the diversity. Whether you are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist, prayer will work for you. I pray for my patients everyday. I believe that quiet desire for a better life is heard by God (whatever you deem god to be) and answered. Try it. It surely won’t hurt you.
9. Practice gratitude. No matter what is going on here, we are still "better off" than 90% of the world. If you find yourself feeling fear or anger, try to think of things about which you are grateful. With my stepdaughters, if they are complaining, I will make them name things that they are grateful for and it always gets them going in the right direction. The mere "threat" of the gratitude list will "straighten them right up".
10. Plan for your health. I have read all of the health care legislation. We still don’t have a final bill. But, what I am sure of is that all of the middle class Americans will be spending more on healthcare. I can promise that. So, don’t drive yourself crazy when it starts. Go ahead and plan now. Put some money aside, out of every check and create a little savings for whatever they do end up sending our way. Know that taxes are going up. (Even though they say that they are not, I am sure that we can’t cover more people and not spend some tax money. It does not make sense) Know that premium costs are going up. Know that out of pocket expenses are going up. Try to carve out a small portion from all of your other budget items for additional healthcare costs. I truly do not see any other way to do it, in the current climate. NOTHING that I have seen in either bill is going to make healthcare cheaper for the middle class. I am sorry for the bad news, but it is affecting me too. Planning well can keep it from turning into an emergency.
11. Take your vacation time. Use every single bit of it and spread it out over the year to give yourself breaks. A change of scenery is so good for your soul.
12. Try to create harmony everywhere that you go. Try to make all of your relationships as peaceful and harmonious as you can make them. Guard your thoughts and be sure that you send love to those people around you. It will come back to you, multiplied abundantly.
I am so happy to have each of you as my patient. I hope that 2010 is your best and healthiest year ever!!!
Dr. Martha Boone

December Newsletter
Recent events of mass murder and berserk behavior make us wonder why a person would act this way...
What is happening in this country? The evidence of emotional dysfunction and personal discomfort is apparent on every level from the school room to the board room of major corporations.
Most people believe that emotions are caused by events. They are in fact caused by our interpretations of events, sometimes so fleeting and fast as to be beneath the level of consciousness. Our pre-conscious, split-second thoughts give rise to automatic emotional reactions. We then have a choice as to how we behave, what we say, and how we handle a situation. The appropriateness of our actions and the effectiveness of our communications make up our emotional intelligence. A person who is highly-developed emotionally becomes sensitive to pre-conscious thoughts, questions their validity and appropriateness, and is able to directly influence feelings, thoughts and behaviors.
Most people have trouble managing situations that are emotionally charged, especially when the emotions aroused are anger and anxiety. When this difficulty is accompanied by, or causes, poor communications skills, then people really do get into trouble. Those individuals who are able to handle their emotions, not just the expression or regulation of them, but who are also able to generate the kinds of emotions that are productive and efficient, are indeed emotionally intelligent.
Social scientists have long been aware that IQ tests are inadequate for predicting success in life. IQ scores account for as little as 25% in predicting future success in college. In the work environment, technical savvy and knowledge may contribute as little as four to ten percent towards performance effectiveness. Over ninety percent of effectiveness at work is attributed to one’s emotional intelligence. EQ, a term coined to express the measure of one’s emotional intelligence, has been proposed as the answer to why some people with average IQs end up more successful in life than some with brilliant IQ scores.
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
There is no way yet to accurately measure one’s emotional intelligence, and all tests purporting to do so are really measuring one’s self-perception. Nevertheless, such information can be useful in designing coaching programs and planning goals for personal and professional growth.
Tests that propose to measure EQ allow an individual to chart strengths and vulnerabilities on emotional intelligence components, including:
- Emotional self-awareness and managing one’s own emotions
- Using emotions to maximize intellectual processing and decision-making, including self-motivation, developing empathy, and the art of social relationships and managing emotions in others.
- Adaptability (Problem Solving, Reality Testing, Flexibility)
- Stress Management (Impulse Control)
- General Mood
Ten Steps for Improving Your Emotional Intelligence
1. Know yourself well through the use of assessment tools to understand your strengths and vulnerabilities.
2. Work with a mentor or personal coach to improve your EQ.
3. Identify the causes of feelings: become aware of split-second, preconscious thoughts and their possible distortions.
4. Become aware of your emotional style: what do you do to avoid discomfort?
5. Learn to differentiate between emotion and the subsequent need to take action.
  1. The need to promote action in response to avoidance, withdrawal, and sadness.
  2. The need to inhibit action in response to anger and hostility.
6. Acquire the skills of "learned optimism". What is your personal explanatory style? How do you explain events to yourself, both good and bad? Increase your optimism when appropriate and beneficial.
7. Listen for the "lessons" of feelings: turn mistakes into energy.
8. Use "somatic markers" in decision-making: trust your gut and use it.
9. Develop listening skills and in asking open-ended questions: "listening is the best way to get your point across."
10. Increase positive feedback to yourself, to others. Learn to reframe negatives. Increase your appreciation of yourself and others.
For more about Emotional Intelligence, download the full article pdf for free by clicking here.
Remember, we are here to serve you and your life goals, whatever they may be! Warmly,
Jacquie A. Damgaard, Ph.D.

August Newsletter
SEPTEMBER IS PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

What do you need to know about your prostate,
(or the prostate of your loved ones)?
IF YOU ARE A MALE OVER THE AGE OF 45, Dr. Boone recommends a PSA (blood test for prostate specific antigen) and a DRE (Digital rectal exam), EVERY YEAR! (The American Urologic Association and The American Cancer Society recommend that you do it after age 50) But, Dr. Boone has seen some devastating deaths in young men with prostate cancer and recommends, for her family, and her patients that they begin evaluation at 45. African American men with a family history of prostate cancer should definitely be evaluated at 45, as prostate cancer can be more serious in Black males.
There is a modicum of controversy in the medical literature about these tests and their validity. But they are the best tests available, currently, for the detection of Prostate cancer and should be utilized until something better is developed.
FAQ:
What should I eat to ensure my prostate health? In general, two diets have been shown to improve longevity. The "Northern Mediterranean" and the "traditional Japanese" Diets are very healthy for most people.
1. Decrease your intake of red meat, full fat dairy products and animal fats of all types!
2. Add Soy to your diet. Dr. Boone puts tofu in her morning smoothie. For the recipe, see our website www.femaleurologist.com
3. COMPLETELY remove all trans fats from your diet. They promote cancer growth of all types!
4. Either eat cold water fish (salmon) three times a week, or take Omega-3 oils in a supplement
5. Add soybeans and tofu and soy products to your diet
6. Drink more green tea
7. Eat red grapes or drink red wine (in moderation of course!)
8. Eat more green leafy vegetables (cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower)
9. Add ground flaxseed to your diet. (I put it in my smoothie and in yogurt)
10. EAT MORE TOMATOES!!!! YOUR PROSTATE LOVES THOSE LYCOPENES!
11. Use olive oil in salads and cooking.
12. Eat ¼ cup of almonds per day
Most of these foods are recommended because they are "anti-oxidants". What is an antioxidant?
Oxidation produces free radicals which can damage cells. An "anti-oxidant" can hinder this process and prevent cell damage.
EXERCISE - Sorry, but you must do it!!
30 MINUTES OF MODERATE CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE, FOUR TIMES A WEEK CAN DECREASE THE INCIDENCE OF PROSTATE CANCER BY 30%!!!
And, in men who already have prostate cancer, being overweight is a big risk factor for cancer reoccurrence.
Supplements:
The BEST website that I have found for this information is the following website: www.theralogix.com
Dr. Boone has read the medical literature on supplements and has found scientific evidence to support the following:
If you don't eat a lot of cold water fish, omega-3 (Theromega) is very helpful.
- Vitamin E at 50-100 IUQD
- Selenium 70-100mcg per day
- Prostate 2.3(full of E, D-3, Lycopene and selenium)
- Prostate SR (saw palmetto)
- Prosteon is a great supplement for men who have prostate cancer and are on androgen deprivation therapy.
Please remember to have all of your male family and friends tested after age 45. If you wish to donate money for prostate cancer research, the American Foundation of Urologic Diseases (AFUD) does a great job!
Enjoy Football Season!
Dr. Boone

July Edition
To our Wonderful Patients,
We are seeing many patients with Kidney stone "attacks" in our practice. Please remember to drink your water during this hot weather. Nearly all kidney stones could be PREVENTED if everyone would just drink enough water.
During the cooler months, "enough water" means your body weight divided by 2 in oz. If you weigh 150 lbs., you'd benefit from 75 oz of water every 24 hours.
(150 divided by 2=75)
During the hot months, I suggest that you add another 8-10 oz. to that number. If you weigh 200 pounds, you'd want 100 oz +10 oz.=110oz of water every 24 hours. THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT APPLY, IF YOUR INTERNIST HAS SUGGESTED WATER RESTRICTION, FOR ANY OTHER HEALTH REASON!
Please remember, also, that you can have any beverage in moderation. Any caffeine or alcohol beverage will cause you to lose more water than you take in, due to the diuretic effects of caffeine and alcohol. So, if you drink these beverages and you are a kidney stone former, chase them with water.
On our website www.femaleurologist.com there is a recipe for lemonade that is particularly helpful for patients with low citrate as a cause for their stone formation. Citrate helps to keep the stone crystals from forming into an actual stone. High urine citrate is a good thing for stone formers.
Please, also remember, that excesses of animal protein can greatly increase stone formation too. 3-4 ozs per meal is considered a "portion". So, all you gentlemen who like that 10 oz. steak, beware! Your kidney stones LOVE that big protein load! Eat your meat, if you must, but try to decrease the portions.
If you have made more than one kidney stone in your life, you'd benefit from having a Litholink study. This is a 24 hours urine study to determine exactly what elements are showing up in your urine that might be contributing to your stone formation. This information would lead to our changing your diet to decrease the incidence of stone formation.
The Litholink is a fabulous way to manage your stone formation and to decrease healthcare dollars! If we can stop the stone formation, you can keep your vacation days for "fun", instead of visiting me!
And, less kidney stone surgery is better for your body and for our health care crisis.
If you have not had a Litholink study and have had more than one kidney stone in your life, please contact us and we'll help you to get it!
As always, I deeply appreciate the opportunity to be your urologist and hope that you find my "nagging" helpful.
Respectfully,
Dr. Martha Boone

Dr. Boone tries to e-mail any patient who wants to be on our e-mail list (about 3000 people) on a monthly basis with "news" about urology. The following e-mail received a multitude of appreciative responses from our patients. So, we've decided to include a copy of the e-mail on our website.
"To our wonderful patients,
I am writing to you in response to a great deal of fear and concern that I am hearing from my patients.
NONE OF US KNOWS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO OUR HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!
I SAY, LET'S GET INTO THE "SOLUTION" AND STOP BEING AFRAID. LET'S USE OUR WONDERFUL MINDS TO HELP OURSELVES!! COME ON, WE ARE AMERICANS………WE CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS!!
PLEASE KNOW THAT WHAT I SUGGEST HAS NO POLITICAL MOTIVATION. WHETHER YOU ARE DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN OR "OTHER", THESE SUGGESTIONS CAN HELP YOU.
YOUR BODY IS A BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT THAT CAN HEAL ITSELF OF 75% OF ALL DISEASE. SEEK TO MAKE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY SO HEALTHY THAT YOU PUT THE DOCTORS, HOSPITALS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, AND INSURANCE AGENCIES OUT OF BUSINESS!!
You might ask "and how exactly can I do this, doctor?"
I will tell you how I got off of three of my medications.
1. Eat smaller portions. I did not stop eating my favorite foods. I just eat MUCH less of them. My husband and I started eating on a smaller plate until we could get our portions under control.
2. Move more. You don't have to become some huge jock, but get up and move. Get away from that TV and that computer. Go for a walk.
3. Learn to meditate. Whatever your health issues are, meditation will help them. I lowered my blood pressure by 15 points by quieting my mind. If you have trouble considering this option, then get the CD by Deepak Chopra entitled The Soul of Healing or the CD "The Healing Waterfall" or the Mind spa system. It takes practice, but you will be very much rewarded.
4. Eat more beans!! Our family replaced two meat meals per week with beans. They are cheap and they are so good for your body. We bought an ethnic cookbook and have experimented with a different bean every week.
5. Take some news holidays. Every station is full of fear and negativism. Instead of helping us find good solutions, they are trying to create villains and fear. Just say NO to the news. Decrease your news input by 10-20% and I promise you, you will feel better!
6. Try being more grateful. Honestly, we are the most spoiled people on the planet. Try focusing on the gifts that we have in this country. They are far greater than our burdens, I promise you!
7. Do something for someone else. In my most dire moments in life, I have sought to comfort someone else. And, it NEVER ceases to amaze me, how much pleasure that brings to me. There are opportunities everywhere, just open your heart.
I will list for you some of the things that I would have you contemplate. Of course, I don't have all the answers, and neither does anyone else. But, the following thoughts have struck me as pertinent.
1. The doctors and the patients "need" each other. So, we'd best stick together and try to understand each others needs.
  I don"t see the insurance industry, or Pharma, or Medicare, or the government as truly understanding what goes on between the doctor and the patient. It is a sacred relationship built on trust and mutual respect. It can't be legislated or controlled. It is ours.
  What all the "hoop-la" is about, is the MONEY. Everyone is trying to get their piece of the money. So, most of the people involved in the decision process are motivated to get their part of the money. They don't really care about us.
  Some how, we have to rise above that. Your doctor has to run a business. Your doctor has rising costs of running that business every year. Your doctor is being paid less and less every year, by the Medicare and insurance folks. So, how is your doctor responding to this scenario?? Many practices are doing "high volume"= "running them in and running them out". That seems to be working for many. The doctor gets a small amount for seeing many patients.
  I am unable to participate in that kind of scenario. I don't want that, as a patient, for myself, and my family, and I sure don't want it for my business.
  So, what to do?
  My family has accepted that a bigger portion of our family's budget is going to have to go to health care. Three years ago, we bought a 1/3 less expensive home so that I could see 20 patients per day instead of 40. This year, we are shopping at the Farmers market instead of whole foods to decrease our food budget. And, next year, we are shopping for less expensive cars.
  We have decided that housing, food, and medical care are our top priorities as a family. We have a savings account just for "medical surprises".
  All of those actions have decreased our "angst" about what is happening in health care.
  Many patients have asked me the following questions: 1.Why are doctors doing "concierge" medicine? This is an attempt to try to see fewer patients and give better service. These doctors have realized that seeing 40 people a day is not good for the patient or the doctor.
  So far, I have resisted doing this because many of my patients could not stay with me. I have chosen instead, to go "out of network" on the really poorly paying insurances. That way, I collect a little more from the patient without having to over burden my many patients who could not pay a $2000 "retainer" fee per year. I continue to hope to not have to join the concierge medicine group. I really enjoy my police, teacher, clergy and Medicare patients, many of whom could not do the concierge system.
2. Why are so many doctors not taking Medicare? Again, it is the economics of medicine. Medicare pays so poorly and the paperwork is so exhaustive that many times when we see Medicare patients, we actually "lose" money on the visit. I have tried to pass some of the costs onto the Medicare patient, when the law allows. I also try to educate the Medicare patients about the system, to better serve them. I have nine relatives between 85 and 95 and certainly hope that their doctors continue to take Medicare, but I am a little worried about how all of that will "play out".
I deeply enjoy the older segment of the population. I love the folks who have lived a long time and enjoy the wisdom and humor that they bring with their visits. I would be deeply saddened to have to stop seeing them, to keep my business afloat.
So, what else can you do besides taking really good care of yourself and budgeting for ever increasing heath care costs?
Contact your congressmen and senators! Tell them that you want an insurance industry that you can understand. Tell them that you want your insurance company to be easier to navigate. Tell them that instead of your insurance company paying gigantic "campaign contributions" to the politicians, you want them to pay your medical bills!!! Ask them to reform the Medicare system to be more patient and doctor friendly. Tell them that you care about this issue and that you won't vote for them if they don't address it.
Make your voice heard.
I am asked everyday if I "support a national health service"? I can't really answer that question because I don't really know what is meant. What I do know is that health care should not be such a burden for our country and interfacing with the insurers should not be so horrible for the patients and their doctors.
I also see how poorly the government has managed Medicaid and Medicare and I wonder why they would do any better with another government run health agency???
So, I don't know. But, I am encouraged that there are things we can and should do. If we focus on what we can do, there will be little time to spend "worrying" about what we can't do. By the time you finish walking, meditating, doing for others less fortunate, cooking those beans and practicing gratitude, it will be time to go to bed!!!
Forgive the diatribe.
I hope this helps some of you.
Much fondness and respect,
Dr. Boone
NOTE: Our office will be closed Friday, June 5th for Employee Appreciation Day and a Staff Retreat."

News for Overactive Bladder (OAB) Sufferers!
Dr. Boone is now able to perform Botox® injections into the bladder muscle for people who have urgency, frequency, or urge incontinence!
If you have failed medication and/or physical therapy and/or neuromodulation (interstim or uroplasty) you may benefit from Botox®!
So, if you are not satisfied with your therapy for overactive bladder, make an appointment to see if you are a candidate for Botox®.

New Stress Incontinence "In-Office" Procedure!!
Dr. Boone will begin doing the Renessa procedure this Spring, as a treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
See www.novasysmedical.com for details.
Renessa is a system that uses radiofrequency energy to denature and rebuild your "natural" collagen.
One "In-Office" treatment is done with local anesthetic and very mild oral sedation.
This is the only SUI treatment that will allow you to have no interruption of your Spring and Summer Fun!
Call for an appointment to see if you qualify!
TLGX Clinical Update - Cranberry for UTI Prevention
A recent study compared the effectiveness of a 500 mg cranberry extract with daily low-dose antibiotic in the prevention of recurrent UTIs in 137 older women. Although more UTIs occurred in the cranberry group (25) than in the antibiotic group (14), the authors concluded that the antibiotic had a very limited advantage over the cranberry product.
The time to first recurrence was not statistically different between the groups. The median time to recurrence was 85 days for the cranberry group and 91 days for the antibiotic group. The withdrawal rate was 46% higher in the antibiotic group.
We cannot determine which cranberry supplement was used in this study, nor can we determine whether it provided the optimal proanthocyanidin (PAC) content for UTI prophylaxis. TheraCran provides 1300 mg cranberry powder in a daily dose, and is standardized to provide at least 2.5% PACs (33 mg), which is approximately the amount found in 10-12 ounces cranberry juice cocktail.
Read the PubMed abstract.
Avoiding iced tea can help men lower kidney stone risk…
According to the researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, men over the age of 40 years may want to avoid drinking iced tea in order to lower their risk of kidney stones.
Oxalate, a key chemical in the formation of kidney stones, comes in high concentrations in iced tea. The failure to stay hydrated is a common cause of kidney stones. Summertime heat and humidity, combined with the increased intake of iced tea in the U.S., raises the risk during the Summer. If a patient is prone to developing kidney stones, drinking water with lemon or lemonade can help. Lemons are high in citrates, which inhibit the growth of kidney stones.

Attention: Interstitial cystitis patients!
New chronic pain support group! www.metroacupuncture.com,

New Technology & Treatments
From the American Urological Association Annual Meeting - TriMix Laboratories' TriMix gel is an alternative erectile dysfunction treatment for men who are unsuitable for phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and injection therapy. The gel contains FDA approved active ingredients of prostaglandin, papaverine, and phentolamine, but because it is custom-compounded in a pharmacy, it is not FDA approved for treatment of ED. The mixture does not require refrigeration: The patient carries the product on his person at room temperature. At the time of intercourse, the storage device mixes and applies the medication without injection.
For more information, visit www.trimix-gel.

Dr. Boone attended the American Urological Association (AUA) meeting in May and found some wonderful Natural products to help with urinary tract infections (UTI’s), prostate health and some types of kidney stones!
Please make an office appointment to discuss these options or visit the Theralogix® website at www.theralogix.com.
Theralogix® was created by physicians to formulate safe, effective, evidence-based nutritional supplements which are intended for use under the supervision of a treating health care provider, as one component of a comprehensive health maintenance program.
Theralogix® supplies safe, effective, evidence based nutritional supplements, recommended for use under the supervision of a treating health care provider.

Nutrition & Your Health
Follow the links below to view information regarding nutrition and urologic health.
- For Diet, Lifestyle, and Prostate Cancer information, click here.
- For Herbal Products and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) information, click here.
- For Diet, Lifestyle, and Bladder Cancer information, click here.
- For Diet, Lifestyle, and Kidney Stone information, click here.
- For Cranberries and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) information, click here.
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