Richard R. Gandy | Blog

As many of you know, I have been wearing braces to correct my bite following my MMA surgery. My orthodontist, Dr. Moody Williams, says the top braces will probably come off at my next visit. While I have gotten somewhat used to having a mouth full of metal, I can’t wait for them to come off. The lower will stay on for a while longer.

Thirteen months post-mma surgery. Still have the braces.

Kailyn wanted to go see Santa this year, but when we got there, it apparently was not everything she imagined it would be. She got shy and would not sit in the sleigh without her mommy. Santa was a good sport and offered to get out to stretch his legs.

Kudos to the City of McDonough. The town square looked great! After our visit with Santa, we went over to the Gritz Family Restaurant for some good home style cookin’.

It has been just over a year since I had my MMA surgery. Thought I would give a quick status.

• Sleeping quietly and soundly at night.
• No signs of apnea coming back.
• Still in orthodontic treatment to adjust my teeth.
• Teeth fit together better, but still does not feel like they have a home position. This is tiring during the day. My orthodontist, Dr. Moody Williams, says will probably be a few more months.
• Still some minor pain when chewing chips or crunchy stuff. I’m not to be eating that anyway with braces. I think the pain is coming mostly from my teeth still being moved around with the braces.
• Eating regular food now is no problem.

Yes, I would do it all over again.

Sorry for not posting in such a long time. I’ve corresponded via e-mail with many folks considering MMA surgery, and it is always my pleasure to help in any way I can. So, I thought I might post an e-mail response from today.

Dear Jim,

Thanks for the kind words. I have not had a follow-up sleep study. There is no comparison to my pre MMA condition. I thought I would die with a heart attack or stroke in the months leading up to the surgery. I would awaken in the night repeatedly gasping for air with the sensation of a heavy weight on my chest. I sleep quietly and soundly now.

The surgery has been a great success for me. All the swelling subsided within a few months. Amazingly, there was hardly any bruising from the surgery. I am still in braces, and only within the last month or so have my posterior teeth began to meet where I can chew effectively. However, since the teeth are moving because of the braces, I still have pain that prevents me from eating steak. A really tender filet mignon is manageable, but I still mostly eat soft foods.

To someone who does not know me, my appearance probably did not change much. But to me, the minor changes are apparent. The purpose of MMA is to open the airway. As you probably know, to do this, the surgeon, breaks your upper and lower jaw apart where they are attached to the skull, moves them forward and then reattaches with plates and screws. I’ve gotten used to my new appearance, and I know without doubt the surgery was the right decision for me.

There are other causes of sleep apnea other than skeletal, such as problems with the autonomic nervous system. I first consulted a neurologist. He sent me for the sleep study. I next saw an ENT specialist, who recommended I see a maxillo facial surgeon. I settled on Dr. Stephen Roser at Emory after a lot of research.

If you have severe sleep apnea, I encourage you to take action immediately. If it’s like with me, it will take longer than you expect to actually get all the tests done and finally get the treatment. Took me almost a year!

Best regards,
Richard

I get a weekly newsletter from Dr. Daniel Amen, CEO of Amen Clinics, Inc. Check out this recent newsletter by Dr. Amen.

Another Reason To Love Blueberries

If you’ve listened to me speak or seen my writings about brain-healthy eating you’ve probably heard me tout blueberries as the best brain food on the planet! Now, there’s even more compelling reasons to include them as part of your diet.

Blueberries help protect the brain, but the fruit may also have a heart protective effect by significantly lowering cholesterol, Canadian researchers say. Lead scientist Wilhelmina Kalt of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada conducted tests on pigs fed a blueberry-supplemented diet. Blueberry-supplemented diets resulted in a reduction in total cholesterol including both low-density lipoprotein, or LDL (the bad cholesterol) and high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, (the good cholesterol), Kalt said.

“In feeding trials, we found that blueberry supplementation reduced plasma cholesterol levels more effectively when the animals received a mostly plant-based diet than when they received a less heart-healthy diet”, Kalt said in a statement. The soy, oats and barley contained in these diets may have functioned synergistically with the blueberries to beneficially affect plasma lipids.

The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that the greatest reduction in total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels was found in pigs fed a 2 percent blueberry diet equivalent to approximately 2 one-cup servings of blueberries in the human diet. Pigs have levels of LDL similar to humans and are susceptible to diet-induced vascular disease, develop atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta and carotid artery and have a similar blood pressure and heart rate as humans, Kalt said.

What I’ve found through looking at the research and in my own personal practice, is that what is good for your heart is generally good for your brain. Here are some other thoughts about brain-healthy eating…

Fish, Fish Oil, Good Fats and Bad Fats

Fish has been touted as brain food. Omega three fatty acids are the rave. There is good research to support these claims. In a study published in the British Medical Journal, French researchers reported that there is a significantly lower risk of developing brain problems among older people who eat fish at least once a week. Fish contain higher levels of omega-3-fatty acids.

It is hard to get enough omega-3-fatty acids in our diet. The foods that are now considered "mainstream" are often deficient in omega-3. Even if your diet includes several meals of fish per week, you may not be ingesting sufficient amounts of omega-3. This is because much of the fish we consume is now farm raised or does not contain significant amounts of omega-3. When ordering fish in a restaurant or buying it at the store, ask if it was caught in the wild or farm raised. Ideally, your diet should supply at least 650 mg of long chain omega-3 (DHA + EPA) per day, either from food sources or dietary supplementation. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in deep, cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Omega-6 fatty acids are also important, but are usually found in adequate amounts in corn, safflower, sunflower or soybean oils.

Dietary Antioxidants

A number of studies have shown that dietary intake of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables significantly reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment. Here’s a list of the best antioxidant fruits and vegetables from the US Department of Agriculture…

• Prunes
• Raisins
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Raspberries
• Brussel sprouts
• Plums
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Avocados
• Oranges
• Red grapes
• Red bell peppers
• Cherries
• Kiwis

Your diet affects your brain, which affects literally everything you do. It’s something you can take control of to change your life for the better. Isn’t that what we all want? I encourage you to take an honest inventory of what you’re putting into your body and try a test period of 30 days with some healthier changes. Your vital organs, including your brain, will thank you and so will the people who care about you.

To your brain health,

Daniel

Daniel Amen, M.D.
CEO, Amen Clinics, Inc.
Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association

After a weekend of spring cleaning in the yard, raking and pruning shrubs, my back went out and I could hardly walk. I could barely bend over the sink to brush my teeth. Used to be pre 40, I could hang with the best of ‘em.

So, I went to see my chiropractor and found out I had a severe back sprain. It’s going on two months now, and I’m just beginning to be able to bend down to put on my shoes without pain shooting through my lower back.

I’ve seen tremendous improvement since I started following along doing yoga with Peggy Cappy. I first saw her program on PBA30, public television, here in Atlanta. I’m doing stretches in the morning, some of the easier stretches during the day, and I can’t believe the improvement in how I feel.

Check out Peggy’s books, DVDs, and relaxation music here on our shop.