Dr. Sampson Davis Takes His Talents Back to the 'Hood

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Published on Tuesday, 05 March 2013 23:18

Written by Jackie Jones, BlackAmericaWeb.com

Have a question for the doctor? Text it to "646464" (OHOHOH).

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Dr. Sampson Davis often says too many people wait until it’s time to visit the emergency room, but for a lot of conditions, it’s too late for treatment.

Davis, perhaps best known for making a pact with high school friends Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins to leave the mean streets and become doctors, has chronicled his experiences as an emergency room physician in Newark, N.J., but also that of those who treat the ER as a primary care facility.

The trio’s experiences leading up to and after their successes were detailed in “The Pact” and “The Bond.”

In his book, “Living and Dying in Brick City: An E.R. Doctor Returns Home,” Davis details some of his more compelling encounters with patients who remind him of a time in his life when he was poor and vulnerable. Davis also offers practical health advice for everyone.

Davis did not have a smooth and easy path to becoming a doctor. In fact, it wasn’t until Davis had served time in juvenile detention for an armed robbery that he decided to change his life. All of his associates, however, didn’t make it out of the cycle of violence.

Early in residency at a Newark Hospital, Davis recognized a name among a list of patients on a chalkboard and quickly realized it was the friend with whom he committed the armed robbery. The young man had been shot several times and died just before Davis arrived at the hospital that day.

Davis also had to contend with the rise in prescription drug abuse in poor neighborhoods, not just victims of recreational drugs like cocaine and heroin. He had to face the mental health crisis that often drives people to attempt, and sometimes succeed at, suicide. Many in the African American community refuse to seek help for mental health issues because they fear being labeled crazy or think their issues are simply a result of weak spiritual faith. Many families don’t contend with the issue until the patient’s behavior reaches a crisis stage or they act out by committing a crime or attempting suicide.

But most commonly, Davis discovered, it is the routine, silent killers that most afflict the black community: heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity, as well as the toll that sexually transmitted infections among women take. After his own sister died of AIDS, Davis vowed to use his platform to get the message out to young people, especially young women, that they have the power to protect themselves from preventable sexually transmitted infections.

Davis, Hunt and Jenkins founded The Three Doctors Foundation to help young people get the care, concern and guidance that helped them keep their commitment to become medical professionals.

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If you don't have insurance, is there a place where we could go to get
health screenings for free or low cost?
I would assess the medical clinic in your area. Most major cities have FQHC - federal qualified health centers. Also, most major hospitals have charity care programs. With the implementation of the affordable health care act most of us will be able to acquire health insurance.

Is there a home remedy to cure feet fungus?
Buy fungus powder from your pharmacy.

What is blood spots in your hack up cough?
Most likely small ruptured capillaries from the force of the cough.
If it persist you will need a chest x-ray.

I am 40-years-old, I have no desire for sex at all and vaginal dryness; is that  hormonal?                                                                                                                                         Certainly sounds like it.  Follow up with your gynecologist.

I just came off my monthly 2 weeks ago and for the last three days I've been having a medium flow. I'm 30-years-old and a friend of mine said it's because of my age and my body is changing. Is this true?
Not true. It could be a transient situation and most likely will resolve.  If not make an appointment with your gynecologist.

I am a Type 2 Diabetic, can I ever be taken off the pills and control it with diet and exercise?
Yes.

How close are we to a cure for Lupus?
More research is required.  Need more patients and advocates to draw attention to LUPUS.

My alkaline phosphate is 430 and I got denied for life insurance. My primary doctor has done blood work checked my blood for bone diseases and he can't find anything nor can he tell me why it's high or how to get it down. Any recommendations?
I would repeat the test.  This could be a false reading or lab error.

What is a good pain medicine for bad knees?  I love to play basketball.
Ibuprofen is best. Would take the medicine prior to playing basketball.

My niece is about nine weeks pregnant, she's having really bad headaches. The hospital has her Motrin 800, she said,  since she was seven weeks pregnant, is that really safe for the baby?
It is safe for the first two trimesters. It is not safe in the last trimester.

Can you please tell me what I can do to come down off of my high blood medications because it makes me cough all the time.                                                                                                                    You may need a different category of high blood pressure.  You are most likely taking an ace inhibitor blood pressure.  Have your doctor prescribe a different blood pressure pill.

I was told by my personal care physician that my bones are degenerate. I am in pain every day. I have tried working with a chiropractor, therapy, and exercise. They all help but it is costly, even with insurance. Is there anything else that I can do to minimize the pain?
If you have see a Rheumatologist. You may need to take vitamin d and calcium supplements.

I just recently started working out and I notice that when I finish with my floor exercise and standing up, I feel "unsteady" or a "heaviness" at the top of my head. This only happens when I complete my floor exercise (working on thighs and core) I'm in good health. I only have hypothyroidism.
Make sure to rise slowly. This is common. The blood as you stand up has to reach your brain and may take few seconds to do so.

My daughter has been experiencing break through bleeding for Six Weeks. She is on Birth Control Pills. How can this quickly come to an end ?
She need her birth control pill adjusted

I have suffered with heartburn for over 20 years. I have taken every medication possible. It can get so bad that I end up throwing up and have a nose bleed. What can I do?                                                                                                                                                           You may need an adjustment to your medication regimen. Do not eat trigger foods. Make sure to eat 4 hours prior to lying down. Stay away from caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods.

What can be done for a sciatica nerve?
There are a few options: pain medication, physical therapy, core strengthening exercise, an Epidural and the last option - surgery.

I am a 53-year-old male, homeless-lately, I suffer with symptoms of dizziness, fast heart beating and I almost passed out. I have not been drinking water or eating properly daily. what's the possible problem?
Poor diet and dehydration. As we age our bodies must have the required daily nutrients.

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