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About Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2021)
Columbia Gorge News www.columbiagorgenews.com Wednesday, June 2, 2021 B3 Educate yourself before taking ‘wonder drugs’ Senior Living Often as we age, we settle into our familiar routines. They are comforting and provide a sense of Scott have to think, it’s control: we don’t McKay automatic. H OW MANY DRUG ADS can you tolerate during the evening news? Boniva, Celebrex, Fosamax, Lunesta, Nexium, Paxil, Eliquis — all describing how they will improve your health and well-being. And hidden at the end are the possible side effects: Nausea and diarrhea; incontinence and constipation, sleeplessness and drowsiness; bad dreams and bad luck. But what do you really know about these wonder drugs? Before you take any medication be a smart consumer and edu- cate yourself first. Check out the website MedlinePlus hosted by the National Library of Medicine where you can find trusted health related information. But the best option is to ask your primary care provider, dentist or pharmacist so you can get the most benefit and prevent dangerous drug interactions. But what should you ask? Here are 10 questions from “Educate before you Medicate” created by the Medication Safety Project. 1) What is the name of the medication and what is it sup- posed to do? Basic stuff but often overlooked. 2) When and how do I take it? Make sure you understand the instructions. 3) How long do I take the medi- cine? Always finish your medicines unless otherwise advised by your healthcare provider. 4) Does this medicine contain anything that can cause an allergic reaction? Don’t forget to describe any past reactions you have had to medications. 5) Should I avoid alcohol, any other medicines, foods and/or activities? You don’t want any unexpected reactions. 6) Should I expect any side effects from this medicine? Also find out who you should call if you experience any of the symptoms or have questions. 7) What if I forget to take my medicine? For some medicines missing even one day can be important. And never double your medication without consulting your healthcare provider. 8) Is there a generic version of this medicine that can be pre- scribed? A way to save money when the cost of prescription drugs can be prohibitive. 9) How should I store the medi- cine? Always keep medicines away from heat, light and moisture. 10) Is it safe to become pregnant or breast feed while taking this medicine? Probably not a problem for anyone reading this column! No drug is without risk. It is always a balance between the benefits and the side effects. But it is your body, so do not hesitate to learn more about the medications you are taking. Now how do you pay for these medications? Well, it’s complicat- ed, as Sue Ann Arguelles points out in this month’s “Through the Eyes of an Elder” on page B14. Sue Ann is the area coordi- nator for the SHIBA program in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties that pro- vides free Medicare counseling by trained volunteer counselors. For your Medicare questions call 541-288-8341. ••• The name of the comedian, sing- er, and pianist who frequently in- terrupted his performance with the line, “STOP--da music, everybody!” and invariably ended his show with “Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wher- ever you are,” was Jimmy Durante — the Great Schnozzola. (For those who are wondering, the best guess is “Mrs. Calabash” was his late wife Jeanne Olson.) I received correct answers from Susan Elllis, Clare Zumwalt, Gene Uczen, Rhonda Spies, Mike Carrico, Lana Tepfer, Kim Birge, Dave Lutgens, Tina Castañares, Jim Stager, Doug Nelson, Tiiu Vahtel, Margo Dameier, and Kathy Vukelich, this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And I’ve missed Steve Nybroten. Actor Jim Backus is probably best known for playing Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island, but he was also the voice of a popular cartoon character. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the wealthy, short-statured cartoon character who gets into a series of comical situations because of his extreme near-sightedness and made worse by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem. E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail. com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a picture of W. C. Fields one of the inspirations for the character. ••• Well, it has been another week living in the now because I can’t re- member the past and the future is too far away. Until we meet again, I’ve found if my wife asks if I could take out the trash, she is just giving me the illusion I have a choice. ••• “When we age, we shed many skins: Ego, arrogance, dominance, pessimism, rudeness, selfish, un- caring … Wow, it’s good to be old!” — Stephen Richards ••• Nutritious home-delivered meals and pick-ups are available for anyone over 60. For more infor- mation, you can call the meal site in your area. Hood River Valley Adult Center at 541-386-2060; The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels at 541-298-8333; Sherman County Senior and Community Center at 541-565-3191; Klickitat County Senior Services — Goldendale office at 509-773- 3757 or the White Salmon office at 509-493-3068; Skamania County Senior Services at 509-427-3990; Seniors of Mosier Valley at 541- 503-5660 or 541-980-1157. Sun ‘as far north as it gets’ on summer solstice What’s in the Sky Jim White Here comes summer! The summer solstice comes on June 20 this year, when the Sun is as far north as it gets. Nights will be warmer, but you need to stay up later to see the stars! Sunset does not come until around 9 p.m. in June, and skies are not completely dark until much later, about 11:45 p.m. on June 20. Don’t let that stop you though, as stars and constellations are visible much earlier. That time after sunset, when the sky is still partly il- luminated, is called twilight. The corresponding term for the morning is dawn. Astronomers divide twilight into three periods. The first is called “civil twilight,” when the Sun has set but is less than 6 degrees below the horizon. Civil twilight ends at about 9:40 p.m. in June. During civil twilight, there is enough natural sunlight that artificial light is not need- ed for outdoor activities, and you can only view the brightest objects in the sky, like the bright planets and bright stars (and the Moon, of course). Nautical twilight comes next, when the Sun is between 6 and 12 degrees below the horizon. In June, nautical twilight will end at about 10:30 p.m. Artificial light is usually needed for outdoor activities, and most stars can be seen with the naked eye. The term comes from times when sailors used the stars to navigate. The final stage of twilight is called astronomical twilight, when the Sun is between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon. Most objects can be viewed with a telescope during astronomical twilight, although a small amount of sunlight still scattered in the sky may make faint objects difficult to see. Astronomical twilight ends at around 11:45 p.m. in June. In the morn- ing, the three twilight zones are reversed. Astronomical dawn comes at about 2:30 a.m., nautical dawn at about 3:45 a.m., and civil dawn starts at about 4:30 a.m. Venus and Mars continue to be the visible planets in the evening sky. Last October, when Mars was at opposition, the red planet was about 39 million miles from Earth. At the start of June, Mars will be about 209 million miles away, and will be some 225 million miles from us at the end of June. It is easy to see why the Mars Rover Perseverance was launched in the fall of 2020! Venus is much closer at about 150 million miles in June. Venus is easy to spot after sunset, as the bright “evening star,” low in the west. If you are up before sun- rise, you can see Saturn and Jupiter as bright “stars” low in the southern sky. On June 1, the waning gibbous Moon was right below Jupiter. On June 27, the Moon will be just below Saturn, and will be below Jupiter again on the 28th. June’s new Moon will come on June 10, with full Moon following on the 24th. On June 10, there will be an annular eclipse of the Sun. Alas, it will not be visible in our area, occurring from about 2:30 a.m. to 4 a.m., when the Sun is below the horizon. “Annular” eclipses occur when the Moon is slightly farther away from Earth, and the appar- ent size of the Moon is a bit smaller than the Sun. The Sun appears as a bright ring around the dark disk of the Moon. Another term for a ring is an annulus, hence the name. It does not mean it occurs annually! Last month I mentioned the bright star Vega, the fifth brightest star in our sky. I also briefly mentioned near- by Arcturus, which comes in at No. 4, slightly brighter than Vega. You can locate Arcturus by following the “arc” of the Big Dipper’s han- dle to a bright star, Arcturus. The star was an interesting focus for the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. A previous World’s Fair in Chicago had occurred in 1893, 40 years before. Arcturus was about 40 light-years from Earth, so light arriving in 1933 would have left the star in about 1893. Telescopes were used to focus the star’s light on photovoltaic cells, and the resulting electric current was used to flip a switch, turning on the lights for the Fair. We’ve since refined the dis- tance to Arcturus to be about 37 light-years, but it was a unique use of technology for the time. Enjoy June’s skies! 401K Life Insurance Annuities NEWS TIPS? info@gorgenews.com SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY: Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must containthe numbers 1 through 9 without repetition. Need exposure? Reserve this ad space one week in advance, and support this popular feature. Sales@GorgeNews.com Serving your Individual and Business Financial needs. Gary Akiyama, CPIA AKIYAMA FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC AKIYAMA FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC Call 800-620-0950 or email gary@akiyamafinancial.net. Call 800-620-0950 or email gary@akiyamafinancial.net.