Все о мигрени &#8211; All about migraines

Often heart disease runs in the family, and sometimes large numbers of family members die at a relatively young age of this condition. Our genes affect how high our LDL cholesterol is because they determine how fast LDL is made and removed from the blood. You are two to five times more likely to have a heart attack if a first degree relative has died of coronary heart disease before the age of 60.

There is a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). It is an autosomal dominant disorder that produces severe elevations in total and LDL cholesterol. The DNA in our cells is packed into chromosomes, which occur in pairs. Autosomal comes from the word «autosome» which means all chromosomes other than the sex chromosomes. Dominant means that only one parent needs to contain the defective gene to pass it on to their offspring.

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia occurs in approximately 1in 500 people worldwide, and it causes an approximate doubling in LDL cholesterol levels.

Heterozygous means that only one defective gene is present for a condition, so it usually produces a less severe case of the disease. In other words only one parent passed the condition on, rather than both parents. FH is especially common in French Canadians, Lebanese, South Africans and Ashkenazi Jews.

In FH the LDL receptors are either missing or deformed. These receptors are required in order for the liver to take up LDL that has been floating in the bloodstream, process it and remove it from the bloodstream. If the liver can’t take up LDL particles, blood levels quickly rise. Also, if LDL is not able to get into liver cells, it can’t suppress the production of more cholesterol, therefore greater amounts of cholesterol are produced, and blood levels rise. In people with heterozygous FH, only half the normal number of LDL receptors is present. Commonly, levels of LDL cholesterol will be between 5.1 and 10.3 mmol/L. In normal healthy people LDL cholesterol should be no higher than 3.5 mmol/L. People with heterozygous FH typically develop premature coronary artery disease; men typically in their forties, and women 10 to 15 years later.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a much more severe case of the disease, as both genes are defective. It affects approximately one in one million people. In people with this condition sudden death due to a heart attack occurs as early as age 1 to 2 years.

High blood levels of LDL cholesterol in people with FH means that various cells in the body that do not require LDL receptors, take up and absorb cholesterol. This includes monocytes and macrophages, which can turn into foam cells and lead to the production of fatty plaques in the arteries.

People with familial hypercholesterolemia often display telltale signs on their bodies called xanthomas. The word xanthoma is derived from the Greek word xanthos, which means yellow. Most xanthomas have a yellowish appearance, but this isn’t always the case. They are basically deposits of fat, connective tissue and blood vessels in and under the skin which grow on various sites of the body. People with familial hypercholesterolemia typically develop xanthomas on their Achilles tendons and tendons on the hands. Sometimes a xanthoma develops on the inner side of the eyelid; this is called a xanthelasma. An iridologist looking in the iris of a person with FH will usually see an arcus senilis, this is a cloudy ring on the outer border of the iris. There are several other genetic conditions besides FH which produce severely elevated levels of LDL cholesterol.

*12/53/5*

Tags: Men’s Health
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PREMENSTRUAL TENSION (PMT -PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME – PMS)

The premenstrual syndrome is a collection of symptoms and bodily and mental changes that occur, usually regularly, anything from a few days up to two weeks before the onset of a woman’s monthly period. The problems stop with the onset of bleeding.

The syndrome has tended to appear a somewhat woolly collection of symptoms and signs (more than a hundred have been reported) and this has led many, mostly male, doctors to question its existence as a real entity. To the women who suffer from it, though, it is real enough, and although there is undoubtedly a psychological element to many cases it is by no means a problem that is ‘all in the mind’.

The most common complaints are of anxiety, nervous tension, mood swings, irritability, weight gain, breast tenderness and headaches.

Between 30 and 35 per cent of women of childbearing age suffer from it. Almost 5 per cent of women are severe sufferers and become suicidal, accident-prone or very difficult to live with when they have PMT.

Recent research has shown that there are several fairly clear-cut sub-fractions of the condition which respond to different treatments:

ÐÌÒ-Ë women complain mainly of nervous tension, anxiety, irritability and mood swings occurring as much as two weeks before the onset of their period. The symptoms get worse and are sometimes followed by mild to severe depression, improving with the onset of bleeding. These symptoms have been found to be caused by too much oestrogen-research indicates that oestrogens act as stressors to the nervous system. Progesterone, on the other hand, has a calming effect. Research shows that the liver is unable to de-activate these raised levels of oestrogens without adequate supplies of Â vitamins.

PMT-C women find their appetite increases two weeks before a period and they crave sweet, sugary things. The craving is especially bad if the woman is under stress. An hour or two after eating the sugar-rich foods the woman feels low, tired and shaky. If you are under stress and eat a lot of refined sugar several things happen. Stress changes the levels of certain brain enzymes, which creates a relative deficiency of a substance called dopamine. The highly refined sugar eaten forces the amino-acid tryptophan into the brain cells where it is converted to serotonin. An excess of serotonin causes palpitation, nervous tension and drowsiness, among other things. The refined sugar triggers the release of too much insulin and this reduces blood-sugar levels. A deficiency of a hormone called prostaglandin E (PGE) may also be involved. PGE suppresses the insulin response to sugar and reduces the nervous system’s responses to a decreased blood sugar. The following nutrients are needed for the formation of PGE from cislinoleic acid, which is its dietary building block: magnesium, zinc, and vitamins B3, B6 and C. Perhaps the craving for chocolate so many PMT-C sufferers have is really for the magnesium and phenyl-ethylamine (related to dopamine) that chocolate contains.

PMT-H women mainly complain of weight gain during the last few premenstrual days. Their body weight goes up, their breasts, hands, feet, faces and ankles swell. Rings become tight, shoes and skirts are tighter than normal, contact lenses feel less comfortable or even cannot be worn, and the breasts and lower abdomen are tender. Most women in this group gain only 3 lb or less in weight but it seems to be all in sensitive places. Some gain as much as a stone.

Such women often have normal oestrogen levels but have elevated levels of hormones produced by the adrenal glands that control salt and water retention by the kidneys. High brain levels of serotonin stimulate the release of ACTH-a brain hormone that makes the kidneys retain salt and water. Excess carbohydrate consumption makes the body produce too much insulin, as we saw above, and insulin is known to make the kidneys retain more salt than they should. Stress also makes the kidneys retain salt and water.

PMT-D women have premenstrual depression, are withdrawn and confused, cry easily, can’t sleep, are forgetful, and may even be suicidal. Many such women, if they have no other signs, are not diagnosed as PMT sufferers and end up with psychiatrists. Some of these women improve with oestrogen supplements.

*7/72/5*

Tags: Women’s Health
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THE AGE EXTENDERS ARSENAL: VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS YOU NEED

Linus’s Legacy

Though the Daily Value for vitamin Ñ is only 60 milligrams, esteemed researcher Linus

Pauling took thousands of milligrams of this powerful antioxidant every day, convinced it would fend off everything from the common cold to cancer. Though Pauling himself lived to be 93, clinical evidence is still inconclusive about what vitamin Ñ can and can’t do.

«We have found that high levels of vitamin Ñ seem to protect against cataracts as well,» says epidemiologist Paul F. Jacques, D.Sc, associate professor of nutrition at Tufts University. «But we still need more research to understand what levels are beneficial for most people. So far, it looks like more than two times the Daily Value.»

Until we know more, a study at the National Institutes of Health indicates that we need 200 to 500 milligrams of vitamin Ñ a day to keep our systems vitamin C-saturated (we lose vitamin Ñ when we urinate). But since it’s easy to get vitamin Ñ from food, experts recommend looking for a supplement with about 200 milligrams.

Folic Acid Frenzy

A once-overlooked Â vitamin, folic acid has been shoving its way into the spotlight during the past several years-first as a protective agent against life-threatening birth defects of the brain and spine, then as a potential defender against heart attack and stroke.

The U.S. Public Health Service recommends getting the Daily Value of 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, which can be tough unless you eat a lot of greens, drink fortified orange juice, or eat fortified foods. «Food manufacturers are soon going to be fortifying flour and flour products with folic acid much in the way they add thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin today, which should lead to improvements in heart disease rates,» Dr. Tucker says. But until you see folic acid appear on food labels, a multivitamin/mineral supplement containing 400 micrograms of folic acid may help keep your heart healthy.

While you’re supplementing folic acid, you may also want to add vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 into the mix, Dr. Tucker says. «There’s a concern that by taking a lot of folic acid, you can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency, a potentially debilitating condition that becomes more common as we age and our bodies stop absorbing vitamin B12 as well as they should,» she says. In addition, people who have diets low in folic acid also tend to run low in vitamin B6, another Â vitamin that lowers homocysteine levels. So if you’re going to supplement one, you might as well supplement all three. Dr. Tucker recommends looking for a multi with up to 10 milligrams of vitamin B6 and with 6 to 25 micrograms of vitamin B12.

*77/36/5*

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EATING DISORDERS: ANOREXIA INVENTORY. QUIZ

12. Do you take very small bites while eating, or do you count your bites?

1. Do you feel fat, even though you know (or others have told you) that you are thin?

2. Have you lost a significant amount of weight, especially recently?

3. Have you restricted food intake through dieting or fasting?

4. Do you burn off energy through excessive exercise?

5. Do you have urges to binge?

6. Have you «purged,» either through vomiting or laxative or enema abuse?

7. Do you set dieting «goals,» then reach them, only to set yet another goal?

8. Do you think about food constantly?

9. Do you feel uncomfortable eating in front of others?

10. Do you turn down spontaneous invitations to eat in places other than your home, say, in restaurants or at parties?

11. Do you have set routines you feel you must follow during a meal? If you don’t follow them do you get angry or tense?

13. Do you insist others eat while you resist eating?

14. Do you make a point of weighing yourself or looking in the mirror several times a day?

15. Does your mood depend on how much you have eaten? Are you happy if you eat nothing, sad if you eat anything at all?

16. Are you more socially isolated than you were, say, three months ago?

17. Are you a perfectionist? Are you overly critical of yourself?

18. Do you ever feel depressed or sad for a long time for no identifiable reason?

19. Are your menstrual periods irregular-not occurring every 25-30 days, or occurring an average of fewer than ten times a year for the past two years?

20. Do you feel cold all the time, or need extra layers of clothing?

21. Have you experienced low blood pressure, dizziness, or fainting spells recently?

You can use this test to raise your awareness about the possibility of serious problems.

Remember, eating disorders can only be treated successfully if they are detected early, and the earlier the better.

*9/35/5*

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END EMOTION-DRIVEN EATING: SHE UNLOADED HER EMOTIONAL BURDEN AND 268 POUNDS

When Sandra Youse was 23, her doctor told her that she would not live to see 50. At the time, she weighed 400 pounds.

«Everyone in my immediate family is overweight,» says the Salisbury, North Carolina, resident. «And in my extended family— among grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—there are lots of health problems. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are pretty common.»

Even with her doctor’s dire warning, Sandra didn’t get serious about slimming down until 10 years later. By then, she had gained almost another 100 pounds, reaching her top weight of 491 pounds.

«In those 10 years, I had made some halfhearted attempts at dieting, but they weren’t successful,» Sandra recalls. «I reached a point where I was tired of being so heavy. And because of an inheritance, I finally had the money to do something about it.»

In February 1997, she entered Structure House, a weight-loss facility in Durham, North Carolina, about 90 minutes from her home. «I went there on the advice of friends who were familiar with the Structure House program,» she says. «They really believed that it could help me.»

Sandra stayed at Structure House for 11 months. While there, she received individual counseling to help her confront and cope with some painful issues from her past. «I learned that many people use food to avoid dealing with their problems and that I was one of those people,» she says. «I had been overeating since I was a child.»

As Sandra began to address her own issues and learn more positive ways of handling them, she was better able to control her eating habits. «Through counseling, I learned that eating couldn’t solve my problems—that I had to find other ways of coping,» she says. «I started talking with friends, telling them what I was thinking and feeling. If a friend wasn’t available, I’d write down my thoughts instead.

«The ultimate goal of counseling is to resolve the underlying problem,» Sandra continues. «That actually makes things harder for a while. There were times when I got so overwhelmed with my issues that I had to step back and take a break. But eventually, I’d move on.»

By the time she left Structure House in January 1998, Sandra had lost 138 pounds. She continued to follow the eating-and-exer-cise guidelines that she had been given, and once a week, she made the 90-minute drive to Durham to meet with a Structure House counselor. «Losing weight was tougher on my own than at Structure House,» she says. «It definitely wasn’t a straight line. I’d make some progress, then take a couple of steps backward.»

But Sandra was determined. In a little more than a year, she took off another 130 pounds, dropping to 223 pounds.

Sandra, now age 36, would like to lose another 70 or so pounds. To that end, she continues to eat healthfully and exercise regularly, and she sees a counselor every week. The therapy is excellent, she says, and it has helped her tremendously in dealing with the issues that contributed to her weight gain in the first place.

«People constantly tell me what an inspiration I am and how I give them hope,» Sandra adds. «But I couldn’t have done what I did if I hadn’t learned to face my problems.»

*63\89\8*

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PAIN MANAGEMENT: DIAGNOSTIC

EMG ( electromyographic testing)

CT scanning

Computerised Axial Tomography or CAT scanning, also known as CT scanning, is a highly sophisticated X-ray technique which literally uses computers to take X-ray slices of parts of the body.

This technique is specifically indicated in the assessment of damage to the spinal column. It is particularly useful in assessing damage to the intervertebral discs. It also establishes whether there is pressure on the nerve structures relating to the spinal cord.

The value of such studies is at times questionable because up to one-third of patients without pain have abnormal findings with such tests.

Electromyograms are tests of nerve conduction to assess how well the nerve does its job. Together with physical examinations they are sometimes useful to pinpoint organic causes of pain complaints.

Such tests can be useful to find damage to nerves, muscle problems, joint inflammation, and imbalances of fluids in the body.

Many pain syndromes, however, are difficult to define and are not well described in medical textbooks. Some of these problems include the pain associated with inflammation of muscles or myofascial pain syndrome, temporo-mandibular joint or TMJ syndrome, and some of the severe pain syndromes caused by damage to the autonomic nervous system.

*87\37\8*

Tags: Pain Relief
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CHRONIC BACK PAIN TREATMENTS

Treatments which should certainly be considered prior to surgery, except in emergency cases, include TENS, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and psychological methods of gaining coping skills.

The ultimate treatment may be surgery to clear away obstructing bone — laminectomy, or to remove the discs — discec-tomy, or to join bones to prevent movement between the vertebrae — fusion. However these procedures should only be carried out if there is overwhelming evidence that severe damage or pressure is occurring to the spinal cord or the nerve roots.

Medications used in the treatment of back pain include antiinflammatory drugs, antidepressants to modify pain awareness, tranquillisers and other muscle relaxants and some simple pain relieving medications.

*66\37\8*

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THE PAIN PATIENT

• A cordotomy — a division of pathways in the spinal cord to give relief from intense pain.

Some people begin to think of themselves as ‘chronic invalids’ punished by occupational disability and a ruined social life. They may become housebound, adopting a sick role and believe their pain is a warning signal and that they have a significant amount of physical illness despite all medical reassurance. The combination of sick role, health anxiety and resistance to reassurance makes these patients difficult to treat and to rehabilitate.

The pain patient typically uses a number of pain-killing drugs simultaneously, and often a bewildering array of other medication. Chemical dependence is frequent — particularly with the use of pain-killers containing narcotic derivatives such as codeine and propoxyphene such as Digesic and Codral Forte. They have had usually more surgical procedures, often without success, and are constantly searching for a physical cure. Because the patient’s income is usually less than he or she would have earned, the standard of living is often reduced, which puts additional strain on the family.

The pain patient often uses their affliction to tyrannise the family, playing the role of a chronic invalid and arousing guilt feelings.

Pain’s toll in terms of human suffering is remarkable. Of course, there’s no way to price misery. But billions of dollars are spent on medical care or on lost productivity. The chronic pain patient has had medical and surgical costs ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.The record perhaps goes to a 40-year-old labourer, ‘Hector B’, who had 40 pain-operations costing $450,000 — all originating from an injured back which eventually led to:

• An amputated leg.

• Phantom limb pain.

• Cingulotomy — a brain operation that cuts nerve tracts in an attempt to control pain.

*43\37\8*

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THE PUZZLE OF PAIN

Despite all this knowledge, we are left with the conclusion of what a great puzzle pain is. Physicians too readily claim that pain is a reaction of defence — a fortunate circumstance which puts us on our guard against the risk of disease. There is a variable link between pain and injury. It is widely believed that pain is always the result of physical damage and that the intensity of the pain is proportional to the severity of the injury.

In general, the relationship between injury and pain holds true — a pinch of a finger produces mild pain while a door slammed on it is excruciating! But there are many instances where the relationship fails to hold up. For example, about 65 per cent of soldiers who are severely wounded in battle and 20 per cent of civilians who undergo major surgery report feeling little or no pain for hours, even days, after the injury.

In contrast, no apparent injury can be detected in about 70 per cent of people who suffer from chronic low back pain. The importance of pain for mankind’s survival becomes clear when we consider what happens to people insensitive to pain. They learn with difficulty to avoid damaging themselves severely. But they survive because they develop a language to communicate a problem. Many of them sustain extensive burns, bruises and lacerations during childhood. These injuries ultimately lead to the loss of limbs or joint function simply because they have no pain defence to injury or accident. It has long been known that if the nerves in a joint are missing, or defective, a condition develops in which the joint surface is damaged and the ligaments and other tissues are stretched. This particularly happens to joints such as ankles, knees, wrists and elbows. But there is still a puzzle. Even with normal people, injuries sometimes occur without pain. How is it that a finger can be chopped off in an accident and no pain is felt? Those who have experienced the passing of a kidney stone describe it as painful beyond any expectation that pain could be so intense. Similarly, there is the pain after the healing of an injury.

*20\37\8*

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ALLERGIES: WHAT TO DO ABOUT ASTHMA

Понедельник, Апрель 20th, 2009

A balanced approach is advisable in the case of asthma. Firstly, medicinal drugs may be necessary to control the immediate symptoms and make life bearable for the patient. Secondly, an effort should be made to identify airborne allergens. Some careful detective work, may help to pinpoint the culprits. Skin-prick tests can also be useful here, although they are not always accurate. Once airborne antigens have been identified they can be eliminated as far as possible from the home, using the methods described on p66. If something in the workplace is responsible for the asthma, either as an allergen or an irritant, every effort should be made to change to a different working environment. The asthma may get worse as the years go by, and as the bronchi become more sensitive they react to lower and lower levels of irritant – and they may begin to react to other, milder irritants as well.

After 6-8 weeks, the effect of eliminating airborne allergens and irritants can be assessed, and if there are still serious symptoms then it may be worth trying an elimination diet. Continue with the basic measures for avoiding airborne allergens while the diet is in progress. Where foods provoke asthma, it seems that skin-prick tests are not all that useful in identifying the problem food. So a diet – such as that described in Chapter Fourteen – is the only reliable means of diagnosis. In the case of babies and young children. Remember that children should not be put on an elimination diet without medical supervision. This is particularly important for anyone who has ever had a very severe attack of asthma, because there is a risk of death if a serious reaction occurs when a food is reintroduced. If you are testing foods at home, your doctor should be able to give you a supply of suitable medicine for use in a severe asthma attack.

If foods do turn out to be instrumental in the asthmatic attacks, then avoiding those foods entirely is the simplest solution. Where this proves too difficult or dull, then the drug, sodium cromoglycate, taken by mouth, may be of benefit.

Asthma is a complex disease which may not be entirely due to allergy. For this reason, not all asthmatics will be able to track down the source of their problems using the methods described, and some will have to rely mainly on drugs to control their symptoms. For this group, and indeed for all asthmatics, avoiding exposure to irritants such as smoke and fumes will help greatly. Certain jobs carry a very high risk of asthma because they involve exposure to particular chemicals – these are described on p63- Anyone with a history of asthma, even if they have been free of symptoms for many years, should try to avoid such occupations, because of the likelihood of precipitating asthmatic attacks once more.

*67\180\8*

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MUGWORT (ARTEMISIA VULGARIS) – INTRODUCTION

Pliny, writing in ancient Rome, as well as Gmelin in modern times, noted that Artemisia derived its name from the ancient practice of lining the shoes with the leaves to prevent tiredness. It is also said that Roman soldiers put mugwort in their sandals in order to ease their march into Helvetia.

People who have spent their holidays in the canton of Tessin, Switzerland, must be familiar with mugwort, for it is one of the toughest and most widespread weeds in that district. It is easily recognised because it reaches a height of almost 2 m (5-6 feet). Anyone not well acquainted with the various members of the Artemisia family might mistake mugwort for wormwood, as it resembles the latter in taste and smell.

The claim that mugwort relieves tired legs can be proved quite simply. After a long walk, bathe your feet in an infusion of mugwort and discover for yourself its soothing effect.

*725/28/1*

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ALPINE PLANTS AND LOWLAND PLANTS – WHICH ARE OF GREATER VALUE? (OBSERVATIONS AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE) 2

Not every high elevation has the same merits. The southern Alps enjoy many more hours of sunshine than the northern range. For this reason plants do much better in the more southern areas than in the northern regions. In some of the latter areas they have only stunted growth before dying. Naturally, medicinal plants are also affected by these regional and climatic differences. For example, Solidago that has been grown in the higher Engadine has a better and stronger effect on the kidneys than that grown in the lower region of Teufen and, interestingly, that grown in Teufen is still better than any grown in the districts below an altitude of 500 m (1,500 feet).

*681/28/1*

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THE SKIN – WRINKLES AND SKIN WITH LARGE PORES (INTRODUCTION)

As a rule, smooth skin is a sign of youthfulness and good health and it is not surprising that women in particular make a great effort to maintain this desirable condition for as long as they possibly can. But it is not simply a matter of giving nature a helping hand by applying plenty of powder, make-up and creams. In fact, the liberal use of such products may achieve just the opposite of what is desired. The real answer lies in taking care in one’s youth, living in a natural way and not worrying too much or constantly giving in to anxieties, for we know that stressful problems are wearisome and undermine the body’s reserves and well-being. They do indeed age us prematurely and foster the formation of wrinkles. Of course, constant tiredness on account of overwork or pursuing pleasures night after night can also harm one’s health and impair one’s youthful looks. It is understandable why so many people want to cover up these flaws in their faces by using all kinds of cosmetics.

What is less understandable is why some girls plaster their young and radiant faces with make-up. Make-up is supposed to hide what is ugly, but what could be more beautiful than glowing health, smooth and youthful skin, red cheeks and lips as nature coloured them.

*637/28/1*

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NATURE DOCTOR – OUR TEETH – DEAD TEETH

Unfortunately, it is possible to have dead teeth, and these could be likened to turrets without a crew. Their defences are gone and the enemies from outside are able to invade. No one is left to carry out repairs; no one is there to replace the damaged calcified tissue of the dentine or to take care of regenerating what becomes defective. Such a tooth may be repaired and closed up from outside, but if the dentist does not sterilise everything properly, bacteria may spread again inside the tooth and sooner or later cause its destruction. The only protection still left is the cementum around the root. Also surrounding the root is a network of nerves and blood vessels.

*593/28/1*

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THE COMPLEX NATURE OF THE CAUSES

In spite of all the new views about cancer, I am sure we are not mistaken in taking the cause to be a combination of factors, including nutrition, housing conditions, occupation, lack of oxygen and necessary exercise, as well as the mental state and attitude of the person. What is more, it can no longer be denied that an inherited predisposition contributes to cancer. The empirical fact that it is possible for therapies to be useless even if employed in the early stages of the disease, according to personal disposition and the reaction of the body, is a reason for sadness on the part of all therapists. No other illness presents more surprises to the doctor, even the specialist, than cancer. He may be successful in treating a severe case, but a seemingly mild one can suddenly take a turn for the worse against all expectations.

There is a practical lesson to be learned from this. It is absolutely necessary to take certain precautionary measures, particularly once you have reached the age of forty. You should be sure to avoid all carcinogenic influences. This means primarily tobacco, most chemical medicines, also colourings and flavourings in food and drinks. Another thing to avoid is constant or prolonged overtired-ness. Mental and emotional stress and strain, worries and constant feelings of depression are equally dangerous. They should be com-batted right away and every endeavour made to overcome them.

*549/28/1*

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SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS: HUMAN AND WATER

The human body is 65 per cent water in males and 55 per cent in females (females carry more fat than males and fat is a waterless tissue). All the chemical reactions that give rise to all life on this planet take place in water. Water is the universal trigger substance of life.

Any high school student will tell you that water is a chemical compound (H20) made up of two simple elements, both of which are gases: hydrogen and oxygen. And yet there’s still so much the scientists don’t understand about water and how it works. There are so many anomalies. Water is one of the few substances that is more dense as a liquid than a solid. This is why ice floats. Water is unique in that heating it from its melting point of 0°C to 4°C makes it contract even further. Water can act as both an acid and an alkali, causing it to actually react chemically with itself under certain conditions.

The clue to some of water’s strange behavior lies in the tenuous link the ‘hydrogen bond’ forms between the atoms of oxygen and hydrogen. This bond makes water tremendously flexible yet very fragile. Very little external pressure is necessary to break the bonds and destroy or rearrange its pattern. Because all the chemical reactions of life must occur quickly and with little expenditure of energy, flexible water is the ideal go-between. Its fragility however can cause these normal biological reactions to go awry at times. Significant for us is the fact that wafer is most unstable between the temperatures of 35°C and 40°C. The daytime temperature of an active healthy body is 37°C.

Water’s instability means that different people will react slightly differently under similar circumstances to a given program. For this reason some people get well sooner than others on a given program and some people will experience a steady improvement over a given period while others will experience a waxing and waning of symptoms during their progression towards improvement—the classic two steps forward, one step back pattern. Some people experience a significant improvement suddenly with a tapering off of the rate of improvement as time goes by, while others can be on the program for weeks with no improvement only to find it comes suddenly, all at once, towards the end.

There is significant scientific data to indicate that electro magnetic fields can destabilise water. The two Italian chemists S. Bordi and F. Vannel demonstrated that the electrical conductivity of water could be altered by exposing it to a very small magnet. Scientists of the Atmosphere Research Center in Colorado have demonstrated that water is very sensitive to electromagnetic fields. I have certainly seen evidence of this in my own practice. Sleeping on magnet-containing pillows has helped some of my patients overcome intolerable headaches and sinus problems that the anti-candida/anti-allergy and chiropractor/osteopath treatment regime was only partly able to cure. Magnet-containing knee, ankle, elbow and hand pads have helped arthritic patients while magnet-containing necklaces have helped those with asthma as have magnet-containing inner soles. I’ve witnessed improved responses to dietary treatment when patients have stopped wearing battery-operated and luminous wrist watches, have stopped sleeping on water beds and have moved away from high-tension electricity transmission wires.

There are other easily recognised effects the sun can have on chemical reactions and in particular those that take place in humans. Sunstroke results from a massive loss of water and salts from the body by dehydration through the skin and sometimes sunburn as well. The old Australian bush remedy of taking a large glass of water with a teaspoon of salt for a headache gains credence in the light of this. But what of the more subtle influences? Russian scientists have shown that our blood is directly affected by the sun. Over 120 000 people in a Black Sea resort had the number of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) in their blood measured. All showed a significant drop in the number of these protector cells during times of great solar activity. The number of people suffering from lymphocyte deficiency diseases doubled during the tremendous solar explosion of February 1956.

That many of the body’s functions seem to be influenced by sun-induced changes in the earth’s magnetic field is given further credence by a study case of 5580 coal-mine accidents in the Ruhr that showed most occurred on the day following solar activity. Traffic accident studies conducted in Russia and Germany show an increase, by as much as four times the day after a solar flare. Further evidence that humans’ nervous systems are sensitive to cosmic influences can be found in a survey of 28 642 admissions to psychiatric hospitals in New York. There was a marked increase in admissions on the days when the magnetic observatory reported strong activity.

John Newlson demonstrated that the positions of the other planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and so on) in our solar system either influence, or are at least an indication of, the sun’s magnetic field. Certain planetary configurations coincide with stronger and lesser sunspot activities. Does this mean that astrological equations touch life here? I have often wondered why a Virgo mother (for example) can react slightly differently to the same diet as, say, a Leo daughter, given that their body chemistries would be so similar after many years of living together and eating the same meals. I’m always explaining to family members that the nuances of difference in their reaction patterns are the result of their biochemical individuality. Could their individual horoscope (planetary alignment chart) be contributing to their chemical uniqueness? I’ve often wondered.

Chemical reactions within the body are certainly affected by the concentration of chemicals in the cells. Chemical concentrations increase when wafer levels drop, which underscores the importance of keeping (he body properly hydrated at all times. Interfere with the trigger substance and you interfere with life.

Given the enormous influence the moon exerts on the contraction and expansion of the earth’s oceans (that is, the ebb and flow of the tides) and given that the human brain is 80 per cent water, it’s reasonable to assume that the moon has an influence on the way we respond to diets and indeed express ourselves mentally and emotionally.

From my own observation I’ve noticed that a patient is more likely to break a program at or about the full moon. It’s interesting to note that in its report on the effect of the full moon on human behavior the American Institute of Medical Climatology noted that crimes with a strong psychotic motivation, such as kleptomania, arson, alcoholic homicide and destructive driving, show marked increases at the time of a full moon. This of course doesn’t happen to everybody and not everybody breaks his or her program at the full moon. From my observations it’s those who have significantly distorted metabolisms from a lifetime of wrong dietary and living habits that are prone to doing so.

Such metabolic distortions can make their mental balance precarious to start with and changes in the earth’s magnetic field wrought by the forces behind the moon and sun can precipitate varying degrees of crises in these people. Happily though, as the programs are adhered to and the metabolism of the body balances, extraneous forces have less effect. A metabolically balanced person has greater control over his/her life and bodily functions.

Whatever else we, as individuals, may claim to be, we are electric machines whose vulnerable energy reserves may be mobilised and destabilised readily and by many different factors. The vulnerability of our energy reserves is inextricably bound up with the fragility and variability of our medium of electrical conduction—water.

For this reason you should not expect to react to a given program in exactly the same way twice, or as a friend or another member of your family. Don’t be disappointed if they seem to be making better progress than you or you’re not responding as well to a program the second time around. By accepting the uniqueness of your body chemistry and metabolism and by persisting with the program you will ultimately achieve good results. The journey might be different, the arrival will be the same.

*231\18\9*

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SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS: CARBON DIOXIDE

This gas is one of the major waste products of cellular respiration. The burning of carbohydrate foods (bread, potato, pasta, rice, muesli, porridge, breakfast cereal, beer, Scotch) for energy, produces carbon dioxide (C02). Because cellular respiration never stops, carbon dioxide is continually building up and can make blood dangerously acid if not removed.

Breathing out is the major vehicle for carbon dioxide removal. Like oxygen, this gas also diffuses down a pressure gradient. The same blood that picks up oxygen from the lungs brings carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Because the concentration (pressure) of carbon dioxide in the blood is so high it readily diffuses into the lung to be blown off in the next ‘out’ breath. Because most of the blood vessels that serve the lung are found around its lower lobes, carbon dioxide tends to build up and sit there for extended periods when shallow (upper lobe) breathing is habitual.

Deep breathing reaches down to the lower lobes and draws the stale carbon dioxide out, leaving us feeling fresh and bright. At the end of each exhalation a holding period of three seconds is observed before inhaling again. The three second negative pressure of the empty lungs allows for maximum diffusion, or drawing off, of carbon dioxide from the blood. The lower lobes begin to fill once more. The positive pressure created by the next deep inhalation of air does not force the carbon dioxide back into the blood as so much of it is produced by cellular respiration that the blood concentrations of it are always higher than the lung concentrations.

One interesting side effect of excessive carbon dioxide build-up in the blood is its effect on thyroid gland function. The thyroid hormone, thyroxine, is responsible for the rate at which the cells burn carbohydrate food (which has now been digested down to glucose) for energy. The more thyroxine, the faster they burn carbohydrate and the more heat and energy they produce.

One of the body’s compensatory mechanisms for normalising carbon dioxide levels in the presence of shallow breathing is to slow down its production. By reducing the production of thyroxine it slows the rate at which carbohydrate is burned to produce energy and although less carbon dioxide is produced, body weight tends to increase if food intake (particularly carbohydrate) is not decreased. Food that is not burned for energy is stored as energy reserve in the form of fat.

Just as carbon dioxide slows the metabolic rate, oxygen increases it and it’s not uncommon to raise a sweat while doing the deep breathing exercises described in the chapter on stress.

The advantage of the deep breathing exercises over vigorous physical exercise is that vigorous exercise stimulates the burning of carbohydrate for energy with the attendant build-up of carbon dioxide in the tissues. The deep breathing associated with vigorous exercises manages only to contain carbon dioxide build-up.

Carbohydrate metabolism is not as vigorously stimulated by deep breathing. This enables these exercises to draw out excess carbon dioxide from the blood. The slow rythmic movements of yoga and Tai Chi don’t stimulate carbohydrate metabolism to the degree that football, tennis, jogging, aerobics, weight training and swimming do. As a result, they too have the net effect of normalising blood carbon dioxide levels when combined with their appropriate deep breathing exercises.

*213\18\9*

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: ABOUT CHOLESTEROL

Q. I don’t eat eggs because I don’t want a cholesterol problem.

A. The humble egg has been much maligned by the cholesterol issue. Eggs are very nutritious as only healthy hens can lay eggs, and although they contain cholesterol, they also contain lecithin, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12 as well as the minerals calcium, magnesium, sulfur, selenium, zinc and phosphorus. These nutrients keep egg cholesterol soluble in the blood and prevent it sticking to the artery wall.

The cholesterol the body makes from junk food is the big problem. Junk food/fast food doesn’t have the vitamin and mineral content needed to keep cholesterol soluble and off the artery walls. When eaten in association with junk food, eggs get the blame for rising cholesterol levels and cholesterol build-up on artery walls. Junk food/fast food never rates a mention. The facts are that two eggs per day raise the blood cholesterol levels by only 2 mg per cent (not enough to contribute to atherosclerosis) in non-smokers, and by 27 mg per cent in smokers. (Smokers inhale the toxic heavy metal cadmium from the smoke of their cigarettes. Cadmium negates the cholesterol-lowering and -dissolving effect of zinc, selenium, and calcium. This can also happen to passive smokers.) Non-smokers on the programs in this book will not see their cholesterol levels rise from eating eggs.

Eggs are close to being a complete food. They are one of the few foods that food manufacturers haven’t adulterated. Their high sulfur content builds strong joints, nails, hair, skin and brain cells. Eggs are good for arthritis and slow the ageing process.

Try to have eggs at least two or three times per week. However, if your cholesterol levels are high, you should wait until they have normalised. That way you won’t have well-meaning family and friends badgering you and spoiling your egg meal. Vegetarians will enjoy good health if they include eggs in their program.

A teaspoon of vitamin C powder in a glass of juice or water, taken daily, is excellent for normalising cholesterol levels and keeping them normal. Remember only 30 per cent of the cholesterol in our blood comes directly from the food we eat. The rest is manufactured from the liver, mostly from fats and oils. However, any food eaten over and above the body’s calorie requirement can be converted to cholesterol. Junk food/fast food is very high in calories.

Q. I’m a breastfeeding mother, what program should I be on?

A. The only program to be on while you are breastfeeding is the Metabolism-Balancing Program. This will keep the nutrient content of your milk high. The Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Programs are too food restrictive for breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding, and the broken sleep that goes with it, is too stressful for these programs. However, if you have severe reactions to certain foods, stay off them. It could turn your baby off your milk, and the stress of such a reaction could affect milk production.

Recently the British medical journal. Lancet, reported that babies breastfed beyond seven months had stronger immune systems than formula-fed babies. The crux of allergy prevention and treatment is strong immunity. Wean the baby at ten to twelve months, then start the Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program. The Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program is OK during pregnancy.

Q. I don’t eat fish as I’ve heard it’s polluted by the water?

A. Only fish caught from the shallow waterways around major cities and industrial areas are polluted. All the others are fine. Before buying, ask where the fish were caught. There’s no species that is considered completely clean as a group, as those that can be caught in clean waters can also be found close to cities.

*195\18\9*

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THE ANTI- CANDIDA PROGRAM: BEVERAGES AND DESSERT

You should drink fresh spring water (those delivered to the home and office are good) or mineral water from a spa—not commercially made. Deep Spring and Taurina are good spa waters. No more than five cups (combined) per day of tea and coffee (no whitener of any sort, no sweetener of any sort). Diet Coke or diet lemonade may be used as a treat for adults and kids—no more than two to three times per week. Raw lemon or lime juice may be squeezed into water to give variety of taste. No alcohol.

No fruit juices on this program—they are too concentrated in natural sugars and many have mould growing in them.

No tea or coffee for one hour before taking the supplements or for three hours after. The acids in tea and coffee block the absorption of the minerals. No cocoa or hot chocolate.

Raw fruit, fresh fruit salad (only from the low and negligible amine and salicylate list for the first four weeks) or stewed fruit are the only permissible desserts and they can be had for eight of the twelve weeks of the program. No dried fruit, yoghurt or sweetener of any sort (including honey) is to be added to the dessert. Have the dessert thirty to sixty minutes after the main meal. This time span is important if the water in the fruit is not to dilute the digestive juices and interfere with the digestion of the main meal.

Only one fruit salad per day is to be eaten on this program. If you have one for breakfast or lunch, you must go without dessert at dinner.

*177\18\9*

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THE METABOLISM-BALANCING PROGRAM: FIRST STEP

Immediately on rising, before you do anything else, drink from two to five 230 mL (8 oz) glasses of fresh spring, mineral or filtered tap water (warm water in winter). If these are not available you will have to have straight tap water either boiled for ten minutes (no lid on it) or left to stand overnight to evaporate the chlorine and settle the sediment. Have another glass about an hour later. The following is a guide to how much water to drink on rising:

Lean body weight

63 kg (10 st) and under 2 glasses

63-70 kg (10-11 st) 3 glasses

70-76 kg (11-12 st) 4 glasses

Over 76 kg (12 st) 5 glasses

Lean body weight should be calculated. This is your optimum weight before you started putting on weight. This is most important for kids.

You may, at first, find it hard to accommodate this much water first thing in the morning. Don’t be put off by this. It only takes ten to fourteen days to get used to it. If your abdomen is bloating to the point of discomfort, add l/4-l/2 teaspoon of glucose powder to each glass of water. Glucose powder is obtainable from chemists, health stores and supermarkets. Glucose speeds the rate of absorption from the gut into the blood, reducing abdominal distension and the feeling of fullness. Switch to warm water if you are having trouble getting it all down; warm water has a relaxing effect on the stomach and gut muscles.

The early morning fluid is important for:

(a) flushing toxins from the liver;

(b) flushing the kidneys, especially of calcium oxalate, the major cause of kidney stones;

(c) cleansing the bowel: all the swallowing required to get the water down sets up peristalsis, the rhythmic contractions of the bowel muscles that move wastes along and out.

Try to fit fifteen minutes of deep breathing exercises in between the drinking of the water and the eating of breakfast. Don’t eat for half an hour after the water.

Do not eat unleavened bread while on this program. Eat only those whole meal breads that have been raised with yeast.

*159\18\9*

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COPING WITH DAILY LIFE IF YOU HAVE A CANCER: MOBILITY

Mobility is important because it affects your sense of control and independence. Whatever your circumstances – whether you are in bed or using a wheelchair much of the time or simply not as energetic as usual – you need the right level of support to ensure a good level of comfort and the ability to do as much as you reasonably want to for yourself.

If you experience more difficulty than usual getting around the house you might consider making up a temporary ‘bedroom’ downstairs, as climbing stairs uses a lot of energy. If your bathroom is upstairs, then this may be less practical although you may be able to borrow equipment to solve this problem. The district nurse at your doctor’s surgery will be able to advise you, perhaps in conjunction with an occupational therapist (who will know about specialist equipment or useful aids to make practical tasks easier for you).

There may be other equipment or small changes at home which would make a big difference to you. An adapted lavatory seat, a special cushion to sit on, the installation of handles to help you out of the bath, a new stair-rail or a walking frame to give you extra confidence are some examples. These may all be temporary measures, but can help you to feel less physically confined.

Experiencing reduced levels of energy is very common, and it will make a big difference if you are able – and willing – to rely on others more than usual. Getting up to fetch a book or make a cup of tea or prepare a snack may be more difficult than before, and although you may hate to feel like an ‘invalid’, it is often a relatively short-term problem. This does not mean that others will be constantly running around for you, nor that you should worry about ‘being a burden’ to them. Remember that you are undertaking this journey through your treatment together, and by working together you can vastly improve the quality of your life. Small measures can make a big difference.

Driving may be another activity you have always taken for granted. It is obviously foolish to drive if you are not fit to do so, and you also may need to consider the implications of any physical limitations caused by your cancer on your motor insurance. This may make no difference at all, but again, it would be foolish to be caught out.

If driving is not possible for you for a while, you may need to arrange for someone else to be available to drive you to your hospital appointments. Taxis or public transport may be a possibility for you, but you are likely to find that friends or family members are more than happy to save you the money or the time and trouble by driving you. Don’t be afraid to ask! After all, you’d do the same for them.

*60\118\2*

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PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AT THE TIME OF CANCER: CHANGES IN RELATIONSHIPS

Even if you normally regard yourself as a ‘strong’ person, it is natural in these circumstances to turn to your wife or partner or a member of your family for extra support. At heart you will want to remain in control as much as possible, but you are unlikely to want to handle all the practical details of, say, hospital appointments and your treatment single-handed. You may look to, for example, your wife to be strong and capable in communicating with your hospital and doctors. Initially, this can present difficulties on two counts. First, it can be hard to accept that you want to opt out of a degree of control of your situation. Second, it may be that the person from whom you are seeking that support finds it difficult to give because they are also profoundly affected by your diagnosis. They too may want to be strong for you, but simply feel incapable of taking charge in the very early days. Tensions can result from the resulting sense of helplessness you might feel at first, but do allow yourselves time to absorb what has happened before trying to adapt your lives to include your cancer treatment.

Frustration can also arise from your own wish to be physically strong, while knowing that this is not possible all the time. This can be hard for your family and friends too – you may feel that people are walking on eggshells around you, trying not to offend you by treating you as an invalid while at the same time making sure you have all the support you need. It is a difficult balance to strike, and there will inevitably be times when you or other people make the wrong judgement. There will be moments when you will feel like shouting, ‘Why doesn’t someone help me?’ or at the other end of the scale, ‘I really don’t need your help with this.’ Similarly, those around you will be wondering whether an offer of help will be welcomed or considered an insult. The only way to find out is to keep all the lines of communication open and to be as flexible as you can. It will take time to reach the right balance – and just to make matters more complicated, the balance may change, from day to day or week to week or gradually over time.

It will be tough for your close family to adjust too, however supportive they are. While they will be doing their utmost to help you practically and emotionally, those who are closest to you will also be going through a period of shock and fear for the future. If you have previously taken pride in your emotional strength and ability to support others, remaining calm and strong at times of crisis, you may feel that it is incumbent upon you to do so now. And yet you may feel unable to, and need to draw on the support of others. Your family will not look to you to be the ‘strong’ party, but it can be difficult to shake off old habits. This can lead to a sense of emotional confusion for all concerned, and you will all need to allow time for relationships to reach a new balance.

This will have different effects for different people, some practical and some emotional. For example, there may be certain tasks which you have always carried out but which you are not capable of at the moment. Handing over responsibility for these can feel like a failure on your part, and might initially cause some upheaval as your family or friends adjust their own routines to accommodate you. It is sometimes more difficult to be the recipient than the giver of help, and you may find it hard to sit on the sidelines and take a less active role, especially if people don’t do things ‘your’ way.

After my first four-week stay in hospital, it was wonderful to be home but difficult at first to accept that I had had no part in tying up the loose ends following the sale of our business nor in dealing with any domestic matters which had cropped up. Helen had been keeping me up to date with what was happening, but had obviously had to take complete control, make decisions and deal with things on a day-to-day basis herself. I would probably have done things no differently, but needed to quibble at times just to feel that I still had an opinion which mattered! My parents too had been very supportive in helping us sort out practical issues at home, and I’m sure I was less than gracious at times in accepting their help simply because it was so hard to accept that we needed it. I desperately needed to feel part of all that was going on around me and to assert my independence in some way – it was as if after being in a relatively helpless state as a ‘patient’ for so long, I needed to regain my status as a functioning human being with a brain.

It is not easy to be a spectator while other people continue with their lives, and this can emphasize your situation painfully. Allow time and keep talking – relationships do reach a new state of equilibrium.

*48\118\2*

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DEALING WITH YOUR MEDICAL TEAM: COPING IN THE EARLY STAGES

The hours and days immediately after your cancer diagnosis has been confirmed are in some ways the most difficult because it is now that your world is turned upside-down. This is the point at which the transition into new and frightening territory begins and the time when the sense of shock is at its most raw. You may already have experienced the considerable stress of tests to establish whether or not you have cancer and the sense of being in limbo as you await the results. Receiving a cancer diagnosis, however sensitively the news is given to you, represents the confirmation, of your worst fears. You may be unwell and in pain or you may be physically able to continue your normal life. In either case, the period between diagnosis and the beginning of treatment can be a time of great upheaval, both practically and emotionally. Everybody reacts differently, but gradually you will need to find your own way of coming to terms with your cancer and working out how to live with it.

In the early days, the overwhelming emotion experienced by many people is shock. It can leave you feeling numb and dazed and can make absorbing information or taking decisions difficult. Some people start to feel that dealing with anything practical is completely superfluous, and just want someone to magic away their cancer and return their life to normal. Others are galvanized into action, and want to sort out the aspects of their life which will be affected by their cancer and treatment, such as their job or other regular commitments. Shock affects everybody differently, and there is no ‘right’ way to react to your cancer diagnosis. It will take time to accept it and the changes it will bring to your life, and this process cannot be rushed.

Neil’s diagnosis had been made during the course of a single day, and he made an immediate and conscious decision not to allow this momentous event to impose on him the passivity which is often associated with being a hospital patient.

So that was it then. I was now back at home in a physical state which was exactly the same as when I left home to visit the hospital some eight hours earlier. There was the knowledge however that I had cancer and we had better start thinking about getting a few things sorted out. I think that this is probably the moment at which it is easiest for the patient either to empower themselves by becoming totally involved in the ghastly process or to abdicate responsibility by letting events run away from you. The decision is very often in the hands of the patient and his family and friends. Do not underestimate the importance of this point!

You may feel very alone and isolated after being told you have cancer. Your doctor or GP may try to reassure you with anecdotes about the effectiveness of treatment for your type of cancer or about other patients’ experiences, but these can seem completely irrelevant to your particular situation. You might feel like the only person in the world who has ever been in such terrible circumstances. Some hospitals provide support for patients immediately after their diagnosis, such as a Macmillan nurse (who will be specially trained in helping cancer patients) or specialist counselling. You might think that talking further about your cancer cannot possibly help. After all, talking makes no difference to your diagnosis. In fact, talking to a medical professional other than the doctor who made your diagnosis can help you to start voicing your questions and fears: this in itself is a hurdle to be crossed. If the hospital has no such support system, then your GP should be happy to talk to you at short notice.

For some men, beginning to talk about a cancer diagnosis is not so easy in practice. If you are not in the habit of discussing such personal and private matters, your instinct may be that your cancer is nobody’s business but yours. A temptation to feel that you must be strong and ‘pull yourself together’ is prevalent in many men, together with a sense that the need to seek outside help is a sign of weakness. These may be entirely unconscious reactions, born of habit, and it would be unreasonable to expect any man newly diagnosed with cancer to develop new ways of coping overnight. What is important is for both men and those close to them to be aware of the support available at this stage (it may not be widely publicized), and not to feel reticent about drawing on it whenever it is needed.

After your diagnosis has been made, simply leaving the hospital and getting through the rest of the day can feel impossibly difficult. What are you to do now? It can feel as if your entire world has just collapsed around you. You know that somehow you have to go home or back to work, and that the world around you is exactly as it was before your diagnosis – but for you it has changed irrevocably.

How you react at this time will be driven less by conscious decision than by instinct and the effects of shock. Returning to your normal routine might deflect the impact of your diagnosis for a short time. It is as if the action of going back to work or to the supermarket can push your diagnosis into the background for a while. You might need to spend some time alone to absorb the news and to think quietly about it before telling anybody. If your wife or partner or a close member of your family was with you when you heard your diagnosis, you might spend time alone with them, until you feel able to start passing on the news to others. Neil found he needed time for the news to sink in, but then some issues started to become clearer:

There is a moment which seems to go on for ever on the first evening of ‘C-Day’ which is me and my partner sitting on our sofa just holding hands in absolute silence with nothing that we could possibly say. I do remember that it was that evening that we made what I am certain was the most important decision of this whole ‘voyage’: to take control in whatever ways we could. The need to attempt to regain some control over these events was the secondary emotional reaction after the trauma of the diagnosis.

The need for some sense of control is not uncommon, born of a fear that if you do not actively take control of what events you can, then events will surely take control of you. It is certainly not the only common reaction though; withdrawal into oneself can be hard to avoid too, especially if you are inclined not to talk openly about your feelings. «I really don’t want to talk about it’ may be your overriding feeling, through a combination of shock and the difficulty of seeing a way forward through the treatment and uncertainty ahead.

Getting through the day is tough. Around you, all is normal – but your world has changed. You may be capable of little but sitting at home thinking through your consultation and diagnosis. You might need to use ‘normal’ activities to prevent yourself going over the same ground again and again in your mind, taking refuge in seemingly trivial tasks – walking the dog, cutting the grass, cleaning the car. This may seem odd behaviour to an onlooker, but can feel like the only way to cope with the immediate effects of shock as you try to come to terms with your diagnosis.

It is extremely important to find and use some support at this stage and especially so if you are alone. You may feel that you can cope on your own and neither need nor want to talk to anybody. Maybe you can manage, but you are likely to cope more effectively if you feel able to ask for support, and particularly someone to talk to at this early stage. Sitting at home on your own, worrying about your cancer and treatment and the future is a natural reaction, but ultimately it will not benefit you either physically or emotionally. You need to conserve all your strength to fight your disease and deal with your treatment, so now is not the moment to assert that you don’t need any help from anybody. Even if you don’t feel like talking, just the presence of a good friend or close family member can help to dissipate the sense that you are the only person in the world facing this problem.

Even if your thoughts are not very clear at this time, talking will help you more than bottling up your questions and fears. It may take some time before you can start to think clearly. You might find your thoughts go around in circles, stuck in a loop in which you can’t get your diagnosis out of your mind, and simply don’t know what to do with yourself. Perhaps you can’t stop thinking ‘Why me? What have 1 done to deserve this?’, and want nothing more than for life to go back to normal, as it was yesterday or last week or last month. Talking will help to provide a release.

It is not always easy to find the right person to talk to, and you might feel awkward at first discussing your situation with those closest to you. Some people prefer to talk to a professional counsellor or a nurse or doctor about their disease in the first instance. If you are not offered counselling, your GP or your hospital should be able to help with this – and should also be able to advise you about other forms of practical and emotional support available to you.

*36\118\2*

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RADIOTHERAPY: EFFECTS ON YOUR LIFE

The degree to which radiotherapy affects your daily life will depend very much upon the nature of your radiotherapy and how you respond to it. It is very important to remember that there is no ‘right’ way to live through this process, and that both the emotional and the physical effects will vary from person to person. Some people prefer to continue with as normal a routine as their radiotherapy schedule and physical energy will allow, as this helps them to retain some sense of control over their lives. For others, this may not be physically possible, or they may decide to make quite dramatic changes to their lives so that their time and energy is focused around their treatment. Most people will fall somewhere between the two. It will take time to adjust as the radiotherapy progresses, and you will need the support of family and friends. Don’t be afraid to accept offers of help, either at home or driving you to your hospital appointments, for example.

Following surgery, Gary underwent an intensive course of radiotherapy for a tumour which had recurred in his brain. His treatment was given twice a day, morning and afternoon, as an outpatient on Monday to Friday over four weeks.

As I lived some distance from the hospital, I stayed with a friend for the duration of my treatment, going home only at weekends. The radiotherapy made me very tired and lethargic, and I had to make the journey to the hospital by public transport twice a day -I was not allowed to drive because of the possible effects of my tumour. Friends helped out by driving me to or from the hospital when they could, but it was hard to stay motivated and believe that the treatment would be worth all the effort. I didn’t suffer too badly from other side-effects, although eating sensibly, keeping myself occupied (other than sleeping) and generally looking after myself were hard work. The point of relating this is not to put other people off, but to emphasize that sometimes you need more support and encouragement than you appreciate at the beginning of your treatment. You just have to keep remembering (and it helps if other people repeat it) that it is just too important not to see it through. Against the odds, I have been completely clear of cancer for over a year now.

Coping with your cancer and its treatment is discussed in more detail later in the book.

When your treatment has finished, your progress will be monitored via regular check-ups. It is extremely important for you to attend these appointments, as it is your main means of contact with your doctors. The knowledge that you will be attending check-ups on a long-term basis can be very reassuring. These appointments are a good opportunity to talk about any worries or queries which have arisen and you should never feel afraid to contact your doctor between appointments if you have a specific problem.

*24\118\2*

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URINARY TRACT CANCERS: BLADDER CANCER