Host: We have a couple of topics we want to talk to Dr. Ahluwalia about but the truth
is, we want to get to Maria because he did the surgery last Monday.
Maria: I'm stalking Dr. Ahluwalia now!
Just so you know, I am obsessed with him!
Dr. A, thank you so much by the way, for all the awesome work that you did on my knee,
and we're going to get to that in a second.
But I do want to talk about those interesting topics, Steve.
We're talking about the flu season and it's almost December, it's still a good time to
get your shot.
You now some interesting things about the flu shot?
People are turning to drugs like Tamiflu to stave off the symptoms and maybe even not
get the flu shot because of this drug.
What's the latest on it?
Dr. Ahluwalia: The reason we heard about Tamiflu was because of the swine flu, the bird flu,
all these things that were spreading across the world, and there was a fear that there
was going to be a pandemic, right?
That means across continents.
And so we bought this medicine in stockpiles.
We have millions of dollars that we spent on buying the Tamiflu believing that if you
took it, it would minimize the symptoms of the flu.
But there's some new concern in Europe not that perhaps it's not as effective as we thought
it was.
The British Medical Journal which is a very prestigious journal and the Cochran Review
which is an independent body that reviews literature has really put forth to Roche,
which produces this medicine -- Maria They're saying, "Hey, give us the numbers,
give is the data."
Dr. A: Give us the data because the thing is, perhaps just taking Tylenol or taking
Advil is as good as taking the Tamiflu where we are spending hundreds of dollars buying
each dose.
Maria: That's really not the case then.
Dr. A: Well, we don't know but what we'd like is to see all the data to really understand,
because in future there may be more of these and we want to know what protects us.
Our armed forces, they carry a lot of these things and if they're not going to working
you don't really want them thinking that they're safe.
Maria: And again for parents, it's really a good idea to get the flu shot, right?
Dr. A: Absolutely.
Everybody should get it because it's selfish not to; because if you don't get it, you're
exposing more people who are more susceptible to getting the flu.
Maria: Now as a parent, teens are doing these crazy things, doctor A. Parents, you need
to really pay attention to this.
Teenagers are turning to the gym to build more muscle but they're also leaning towards
steroids to help them bulk up.
Dr. A: Right.
We always knew that teenagers emulate their adults, right?
They have heroes, the hero worship; they want to be like their idols, right?
But what's interesting is, this is the first time we've found out how prevalent this is.
Our teens are using protein shakes, steroids, Kriatin, all these other --
Maria: they can just go to the store and buy this stuff?
Dr. A: Yeah, it's available, except for the steroids, it would be a little harder but
kids know how to get things.
They get all kinds of things.
But you know, even energy things, these are things we have to be careful of and kids take
chances.
And we have to be the ones to really counsel them, the doctors have to talk to the adolescents
and let them know that some of these things are dangerous.
Maria: Obviously it's not a good idea.
Some of the side effects for teems and these steroids.
Dr. A: Exactly, especially when they're growing.
You really don't want them to be exposed to these things early in life.
Maria: Parents, talk to your kids, please, about what they're doing to bulk up.
Dr. A: Exactly.
Maria: I want to again thank Dr. Ahluwalia.
Where's your doctor bag?
Because he's going to take off the stitches.
This is all I have to show for that little surgery that I had last Monday/ I don't know
if you guys...
Host: There it is!
Maria: There it is, see?
Host: Where is that meniscus now, doctor?
Maria: What happened?
Ebay?
Where is it?
Dr. A: We don't have it, it's gone.
It's in the pathology lab.
The surgery went really well.
Maria: This is me right after the surgery, which loves on my FoxLA.com by the way.
Host: Truly feeling no pain Maria: I'm just loving the pudding!
The staff at La Peer medical surgery center really took care of me and my knew, and I'd
never heard of the word meniscus until just a few weeks ago.
I asked, "How did I get this, doctor?"
It's really kind of one of the functions of -- I hate to say it; this is one of the reasons
why I wear this now, too.
It's partly age, right?
Dr. A: It could be multiple things.
It's sometimes just an acute injury, you twist or injure yourself in a bad way and we see
this in sports people all the time.
Sometimes it's wear and tear.
We don't like to say old; we just say wear and tear.
But sometimes it happens with wear and tear, where the meniscus frays and it tears.
The symptoms are just like you had.
It hurts all the time, it comes and goes, and people suffer for a while before they
get it treated.
But we'd like people to know that it's fairly straightforward.
Maria: You know what?
I have not felt that pain so I'm really excited to be wearing my high heels again.
Host: Doctor, tell her not to wear those stupid heels.
I believe that's part of why she had a meniscus problem.
Maria: No way!
I disagree.
Dr. A: I'm not going to get into that.
Maria: You're going to give me the okay in a few weeks, right?
I'll probably have a little physical therapy and then...it's feeling really, really good.
Dr. A: Yeah, she's back to work in a week.
Host: Excellent work.
Thank you.
Dr. Ahluwalia.