О язве двенадцатиперстной кишки-About duodenal ulcer

A very common sight in the parks of China and Hong Kong is people practising the graceful routines of T’ai chi. It is becoming increasingly popular in western countries as well, as a wholistic means of engendering body awareness and reducing stress and anxiety. The slow, continous movements of T’ai chi have their roots in the martial arts but the aggressive, tactical aspects of karate or kung fu were removed by Taoist monks and replaced by a greater contemplation of the flow of energy though the body and self expression. Many of the movements, of which there are more than 100, are derived from the behaviour of animals and birds and are identified by names such as ‘the birds beak’ and ‘the stalk cools its wings’. It is always recommended that T’ai chi be practised in the open air and that the movements be properly taught by an experienced instructor.

Its meditative, relaxing aspects are well understood, but T’ai chi is also beneficial for posture, breathing control and circulation. As a preventive therapy it works on the principle of balancing the yin and the yang forces in the body, calming the mind and promoting good health.

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Gabrielle, aged 62, has had many roles during her life: wife to a foreign diplomat, mother of five, indefatigable fund-raiser for her favourite charities, and formerly a public relations consultant for the fashion industry. But none of these roles prepared her for the role that many of us dread and for which none of us is truly prepared: the role of cancer patient.

In retrospect, warning signs had extended back for many months but, as is often the case, they were missed both by Gabrielle and her doctors. She had previously suffered from colitis, so the typical bowel symptoms of cancer were easily explained away. But after her symptoms had continued for five months, she underwent a colonoscopy and a large tumour of the colon was diagnosed. This was removed at surgery but unfortunately the cancer had already spread to the liver by that time.

Gabrielle had never previously been depressed even though depression runs in her family. Her mother had been affected by the condition, as had three of her four sisters, two of whom spent lengthy stays in psychiatric hospitals and one of whom committed suicide. After the surgery Gabrielle could understand how this third sister had been driven to such a desperate act as she herself was overcome by a ‘tremendous’ depression. She felt sad and tearful much of the time. Riddled with guilt, she blamed herself for not having attended to the symptoms of her tumour more promptly. She couldn’t eat and felt like being sick almost all the time. Normally a very sociable person, she didn’t want to talk to anyone or answer the phone. Gabrielle spent much of the day lying in bed, looking at the ceiling. Her legs were heavy and she was unable to walk, which was perhaps just as well because she had thoughts of running into the street and putting an end to it all.

Her doctor prescribed Lustral, which she took for three days but stopped because it suppressed her appetite, made her feel nauseated and interfered with her sleep. Another anti-depressant was prescribed but she was reluctant to take it as it came with warnings against going into the sun and she and her family were on the verge of taking a trip to Puerto Rico to see one of her children. In Puerto Rico Gabrielle’s husband told her about St John’s Wort and she felt there seemed to be little harm in trying the herbal remedy. Even though the setting was lovely and she was with family, she still felt very down and ‘like a drag on everybody’.

Gabrielle bought some St John’s Wort in a health food shop in Puerto Rico and began by taking one capsule twice a day. It worked ‘like magic’ and after a week she felt wonderful. She has been on it now for two months and all symptoms of depression have left even though she needs to go for chemotherapy once a week. ‘I go out, I talk to people again and I don’t think of my physical illness.’ Gabrielle attributes some of her recovery to the loving support of her family and holidays they have taken together, but she is sure that none of this would have been possible without the power of St John’s Wort which, to her relief, has been without any side-effects whatsoever. So excited is she about the herb that she suggested that her daughter, who was also depressed, start St John’s Wort at the same time as she did. According to Gabrielle, ‘my daughter is very happy with its effects.’ Gabrielle has been told that the prognosis for her cancer is good and she is determined to live her life as fully as possible. Now that her depression is better she is able to make good on this resolution.

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Meryl Avery suffered from depression, with occasional seizures of panic, for six years. Before that she had had a long history of physical and mental-like problems, although she was still in her twenties.

As a baby she had thrown up easily, and she had wet her bed until she was fourteen. As a child, she would sometimes hold her breath until she turned blue in the face and passed out. She had many mysterious «infections.» By the time she entered college, however, she seemed to be doing fairly well.

The long drive home from college during her freshman year triggered her ill health once again, however. She became acutely ill during the trip, and when she reached home, she could not walk but had to crawl up the stairs to her bedroom, crying all the way. She had a severe headache, was sick all night, and had residual symptoms on the following day.

The other passengers in the car also got headaches, but only Meryl became so desperately sick. In retrospect, her friends figured that there was a leak in the exhaust system of the car and that some of the fumes and carbon monoxide had gotten into the passenger compartment. None of the passengers could recall smelling any exhaust odors, however, or noticing anything unusual about the trip. The car was checked out and was not found to be defective.

While the other people recovered, Meryl’s health started a precipitous decline. She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness at school. She started getting headaches again, a problem she had had frequently as a teenager. She took stimulatory drugs—»White Crosses,» or «uppers»—and alcohol to relieve feelings of weakness and mental exhaustion.

Because of these problems she was unable to attend most of her classes and lost credit for the term. The trip home was again traumatic, and she arrived in tears. To be closer to home, Meryl transferred to another college, but her problems became worse. She cried almost continually, threw temper tantrums, and was soon depressed most of the time. Her eating habits deteriorated: she practically lived on «instant breakfasts.»

Her reading comprehension declined. Her memory was poor; she was unable to handle taxing situations and «froze up» on examinations. During the next summer she visited relatives in the rural South and, simultaneously, contacted a nutritionist who was familiar with clinical ecology. The combination of relatively pure air and a partial diagnosis of her food problem worked wonders. «I discovered what it was like to feel good,» she later said in reference to this time. For the next six months she remained on a Rotary Diversified Diet and avoided some incriminated foods. But on Christmas day, at a family party, she began cheating on this diet and continued to slip downhill all week. The binge ended in a marathon cookie-eating session, in a room with a gas fireplace.

The next morning Meryl was, as she says, «totally freaked out.» Although she kept taking alkali salts, which can often ameliorate allergic symptoms, and ate what she thought were her compatible foods, she could not regain her previous feelings of health. She screamed and hit the walls, the furniture took on odd shapes, and she became severely depressed. Her sister had to come and calm her down.

Finally, she sought help at the Ecology Unit. After an initial period of headaches and itchy eyes, she felt well again. She reacted to several of the waters tested, but one was found with which she was compatible.

The worst reactions were as follows: Eating corn was followed by blotchy face and itchiness; cod brought hot feelings, tingling in the neck and shoulders, panic which came on quickly, and headache. Red snapper brought severe depression, crying, panic, and a «spacey» feeling. Eggs were followed by aches and pains all over and panic after two hours. After eating rabbit she fell asleep and then awoke in panic, crying and depressed. Avocado brought sleepiness, after which she awoke depressed and angry. Cauliflower was accompanied by an immediate depression. Between such tests, or when given compatible foods, she was pleasant and cheerful.

We next took some of Meryl’s safe foods and fed them to her in their chemically contaminated form, just as they came from the supermarket, presumably contaminated with residues of pesticides and preservatives. Within ninety minutes of her first meal, she developed a severe depression which lasted for several hours.

Food reactions are not always traceable to commonly eaten foods. Often a person will react, or rather cross-react, to less frequently eaten foods, if those foods «remind» the body of other, allergy-causing substances. In Meryl’s case, however, there was a clear link between her reactions and her eating habits.

She had previously reported a craving for sweets and a severe reaction to cookies. These usually contained corn syrup, and thus it is not surprising that she had a strong reaction to corn and corn sugar in her hospital diagnostic test. People with such allergies, as explained in Chapter 10, also frequently are allergic to alcoholic beverages, which often contain corn in some form. Meryl had reported severe reactions to alcoholic beverages of all sorts and was on the verge of becoming an alcoholic. She had a serious reaction in the hospital to yeast, which is an ingredient in all alcoholic beverages. After the nutritionist had diagnosed some of Meryl’s food allergies, she had switched to fish as a supposedly safe food, but she had eaten it in an addictive way, having it for breakfast every day. Thus it is not surprising that she should have had very severe reactions to cod and red snapper.

Many of Meryl’s problems seemed in retrospect to have been related to her chemical-susceptibility problem (which was demonstrated by her reaction to contaminated food). Her initial experience returning from college was probably related to car exhaust fumes. These could have been relatively «normal» amounts of exhausts which often seep into cars traveling at highway speeds. The other people in the car were apparently less susceptible to this influence, and suffered either transient headaches or no symptoms at all. By adhering to a new diet, and minimizing her exposure to chemical pollution, Meryl was able to finish college and begin a successful career.

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Not wishing to be dependent on pills, many people who have difficulty sleeping take a drink of liquor, beer, or wine before going to bed, a remedy that, Geriatrics (41#6:81) reports, can be counterproductive.

While alcohol is definitely a sedative and can be counted upon to make one quickly fall asleep, this effect can wear off after just a few hours and be replaced by a phase of stimulation and irritability that keeps one awake. It is also true that while small to moderate amounts of alcohol are sedative in effect and make one feel drowsy, larger amounts taken over a prolonged period can, in some cases, actually interfere with sleep.

Alcohol at bedtime may also increase the effect of other medications, such as those that lower blood pressure, antihistamines, heart medicines that relax the arteries, sedatives and tranquilizers The combined effect may produce dizziness and falls, with the risk of a fractured hip or other broken bones, when the person gets out of bed during the night. Alcohol as a sleep aid, therefore, is not a very good idea.

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AND TREATMENT

Signs and symptoms

Characteristic symptoms of rubella are swollen, tender lymph nodes in front of and behind the ears, at the base of the skull, and on the sides of the neck. In a day or two, a fine or splotchy dark-pink rash appears on the face; the rash spreads over the rest of the body within 24 hours. The rash usually lasts about three days and may or may not be accompanied by a low-grade fever (37.8°C-38.3°C), slight reddening of the throat and the whites of the eyes, and slight loss of appetite.

The patient is contagious for the period from seven days before the onset of the illness until four or five days after the appearance of the rash. Infants born with rubella may be contagious for as long as a year after birth.

No other disease causes both a rash and tenderness and enlargement of the particular lymph nodes involved in rubella. The diagnosis of rubella can be confirmed by culturing throat secretions, blood, or urine to identify the virus, or by blood test results that show an increased level of the antibodies, protective substances that the body has produced to fight the infection.

Home care

Give aspirin or paracetamol to reduce fever or discomfort. Do not let your child come in contact with pregnant women.

Precautions

• Before becoming pregnant, a woman should either be immunized against rubella or should receive a blood test to find out if she is immune to the disease. If she is not immune, she should be immunized at least three months before trying to become pregnant.

• All children should be immunized against rubella.

• A pregnant woman who has been exposed to rubella should consult her doctor immediately.

• Be aware that a pregnant woman who is immune to rubella (having had the disease earlier or having been immunized) will not pass rubella to her unborn child by being exposed to the disease.

Medical treatment

Because it is so mild, doctors do not need to treat rubella in children. However, the doctor will establish the diagnosis by means of a physical examination and laboratory tests.

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So far there have not been any studies to show that statin drags reduce death rates from heart disease in women. The University of British Columbia Therapeutics Initiative has stated that statins offer no benefit to women for the prevention of heart disease. Yet more and more women are being put on these drags, and women are more likely than men to experience their negative side effects. In the vast majority of controlled, randomized clinical trials done on statins, there has been no improvement in survival rates in women.

According to Dr James M. Wright, PhD, of the University of British Columbia, «combined results of all trials do not support the use of statins by women without heart disease». High blood cholesterol has never proven to be a risk factor for heart disease in women. At every age, women usually have higher blood cholesterol levels than men of the same age, yet women are around 15 years older than men when they have their first heart attack. The General Accounting Office of the US Government has recognized the lack of thorough clinical trials by stating «the trials generally have not evaluated the efficacy of cholesterol-lowering treatment for several important population groups, such as women, elderly men and women, and minority men and women. Thus, they provide little or no evidence of benefits or possible risks for these groups «.

As well as not reducing the risk of heart disease, statins can increase the risk of cancer. Three clinical trials have shown women who take statin drags to have higher rates of breast cancer. In one trial, people with heart disease took 40mg of Pravachol (pravastatin) or a placebo daily. The study found that 12 out of 286 women taking Pravachol developed breast cancer, and only one out of 290 taking the placebo did. This result is claimed to be «not statistically significant», so you don’t hear about it. Only the positive results are published because much of the research is funded by the company that makes the drug. Medical research is extremely expensive to carry out, therefore the drug companies have to make sure they recoup their money.

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Ionising Radiation

This type of radiation – which gives off charged particles called ions – is produced from X-rays. It has the power to change cells and can cause infertility and miscarriages.

The male testis is one of the most radio-sensitive tissues and must be carefully protected during routine X-rays. Studies have shown that even low doses of X-ray delivered directly to the testes can reduce the sperm count temporarily to zero. If the same dose is split up over time, instead of being given in one recovery of the sperm can take up to ten years. Clearly, men exposed to X-rays through their work are likely to have reduced sperm counts.

Non-ionising Radiation

This does not create ions and is produced naturally by the sun. We are exposed to it every day through microwaves, radar, mobile phones, radio waves, televisions, computers, electric blankets, etc.

Mobile Phones

There have been lots of scary stories in the media about the dangers of mobile phones. It has been claimed that they can cause a harmful rise in blood pressure. Other research has found that regular users have more headaches. And there are concerns that mobile phones can cause ‘hot spots’ in the brain, with a possible link to brain tumours. But investigators have stressed that more research needs to be done.

Meanwhile, scientists at the University of Montpellier in France have found that chick embryos can be damaged by electromagnetic signals sent out by VDUs and televisions. When chick embryos were exposed to mobile phone radiation during the 21-day, incubation period there was a five-fold increase in chick deaths, which suggests that there might be an increased risk of miscarriage in humans. The possible increased risk of miscarriage and the effects on human male and female fertility have not yet been investigated.

Microwave Cooking

The first microwaves went on sale in the UK in 1974 and now almost three-quarters of British households own a microwave oven. A microwave oven heats food by using high-frequency electromagnetic waves, similar to television. The molecules of the food agitate at over 2,000 times per second so that the food heats itself. The idea is that the metal oven is a sealed unit: microwaves cannot penetrate metal so they cannot escape. However, most of the health concerns have centered on the possibility that radiation could be leaking out during cooking and affecting fertility. There are also worries that food cooked in a microwave may be inherently changed in ways we are not yet aware of.

Because microwaving does not use water, vitamins which are water-soluble (like vitamin C) are conserved in the food. For example, potatoes keep 82 per cent of their vitamin Ñ when they are microwaved, as compared to 40 per cent when they are boiled.

But microwaving tends to destroy the fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamins A, D and E. Pumpkin seeds, which have valuable amounts of essential fatty acids, lose 46 per cent of these oils after 10 minutes of irradiation. These essential fatty acids are vital for both male and female fertility.

Microwave cooking also seems to destroy the cell walls of plant foods like vegetables. Studies on microwaved carrots and broccoli show that the molecular structure is deformed, whereas in conventional cooking the cell structure stays intact.

What this means is that the microwave process seems to encourage the production of free radicals (highly reactive chemical fragments which have been linked to cancer, coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and premature ageing).

At a time when you are aiming to increase your fertility by optimizing your health, anything that may compromise your health should be looked at carefully.

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Don’t wait for a stroke before you swing into action. In addition to quitting smoking (another huge risk factor), there are several ways you can fight back against brain attack.

Get a neck check. If any of those stroke symptoms sound vaguely familiar, visit your doctor and have him warm up his stethoscope. But after he checks your chest – heart disease, you know-ask him to listen for a bruit (BREW-ee) in your neck. When the carotid arteries on either side of your neck are narrowed by plaque, they make a rushing sound doctors call a bruit.

«It’s not foolproof, but when a general practitioner suspects stroke, he’ll perform one of these. If he doesn’t like what he hears, he’ll send you to a neurologist for a closer look,» says Dr. Penix.

Bring down your blood pressure.

Since guys who have high blood pressure before age 45 are 10 times more likely to suffer a stroke later in life, it’s vital that you bring yours down. «Regular aerobic exercise and weight loss are two of the best ways to begin to lower your blood pressure,» says Dr. Sacco. Try to get 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise at least three times a week. Here are the numbers to shoot for: A reading of 120/80 millimeters of mercury (pronounced 120 over 80) is considered normal. Experts say a reading above 140/90 should be of concern. And when your blood pressure is higher than 160/100, it’s definitely too high.

Play anyway. You don’t need to be diagnosed with high blood pressure to get active, but you can still cut your stroke risk. The Northern Manhattan Stroke Study at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City found that the risk of stroke is 2 1/2 times greater among people who do not exercise. «What impressed us was discovering just how little exercise it took to get these spectacular benefits,» Dr. Sacco says. People who walked 20 minutes three times a week were 57 percent less likely to suffer a stroke. Exercise such as bicycling, swimming, hiking, and tennis reduced stroke risk by nearly two-thirds.

Take a sip-occasionally. Alcohol can increase or decrease your stroke risk, depending on how much you drink. In this same study, occasional-to-moderate drinkers who consumed from one alcoholic drink a month to two drinks a day had a 50 percent lower risk than nondrinkers, according to Dr. Sacco. Alcohol-even grape juice, if you abstain from drinking-is thought to make blood less sticky, reducing the risk of clotting and increasing the «good» cholesterol. But don’t take this as a license to binge. Drinking more than two drinks per day raises your stroke risk and leads to other health problems.

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More than 60 percent of adolescent girls in our society believe they are «too fat.» The difference for the anorexic, however, is the degree of distress this feeling causes, compounded by her inability to perceive her body accurately.

Ironically, her «realization» that she is fat, though distorted and incorrect, produces a tremendous sense of relief. At last she feels she has identified the problem. Now she can begin to manage it: She will diet.

The snowball has begun to roll. Any success at dieting -»Hey, I’ve lost two pounds in five days!»- provides a sense of accomplishment. Feelings of insecurity fade, replaced by a sense of mastery, competence, and self-control. Such emotions reinforce themselves. The greater the feeling of competence, the more she wants to feel competent. Success (weight loss) breeds the desire for more success (more weight loss).

Relief! No longer is she a passive, helpless victim of her inadequacy. Now she’s regaining control over her life.

What’s more, she feels relieved because weight loss reverses maturity. Menstruation stops. She becomes like a child again – physically, at least. Now she can «legitimately» avoid entering into more adult relationships. She reduces the risk of rejection and thus prevents damage to her fragile psyche. Preoccupied with her body, she focuses inwardly, avoiding the need to grow outwardly through interaction with other people.

The devastating effects of starvation are usually obvious. Sometimes, though, parents may be too close to the problem to see what is happening to their daughter until an outsider brings it to their attention.

Even if they fail to notice her weight loss, parents may find their daughter’s eating behavior becoming increasingly strange. She dawdles over her meal for an hour, poking at her food, creating meticulous piles of peas or mashed-potato sculptures. She cuts her food into tiny pieces, nibbles one bite, and then claims she is full. She puts herself in charge of all food shopping and preparation. She bakes cakes and cookies and insists that the family eat every bite, yet eats nothing herself. Eventually her preoccupation with food absorbs every waking moment. She may exercise compulsively for three, four, even five hours a day.

Starvation, though, is an unstable state. Besieged by hunger signals from her body, the girl must constantly resist the desire to eat. The longer she goes without food, the greater her hunger and the greater her preoccupation with eating.

In a weird way, this need for vigilance perpetuates the illness. Each victory over her appetite reinforces her sense that she is at last in control of her destiny. The thinner she gets, the higher her self-esteem; the higher her self-esteem, the greater her desire to be thin.

Sometimes, though, hunger becomes overpowering. The result: an eating binge. Horrified that she has failed, burdened by guilt over her weakness and loss of control, she resorts to drastic measures to purge herself of food.

Briefly, I want to mention that at some point the body, robbed of a supply of nutrients, begins to steal from itself. That is, it «confiscates» essential chemicals stored in certain tissues, such as the protein required keeping muscles strong. Metabolism slows down to conserve dwindling fuel. Usually the anorexic begins to feel very cold; she may experience fainting spells.

Despite these warnings, the girl persists in her behavior, ignoring the pleas of family and friends and resisting the need for treatment. She sees as her enemy anyone who wants her to eat. I can’t count the number of times I have confronted a patient with anorexia-a skeletal figure, pale, trembling with cold – who gazes at me through empty eyes and says, in effect: «Why do they want to take away the one thing that makes me special-my ability to be thin?»

How hard it is to convince these people of the one fact that everyone around them knows: Without treatment, they may die.

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As the head certified athletic trainer at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Stephen R. Nemes Jr. has made a career out of getting student athletes into top shape for their respective sports. Sometimes, that means helping them lose a few pounds, an assignment with which Steve has had plenty of personal experience.

In 1975, Steve, then a college sophomore, reached his top weight of 247 pounds. «I had been heavy even as a child, but I really let myself go once I got to high school,» he says. «I ate a lot of junk, and I didn’t exercise nearly enough.»

At 5 foot 5, he couldn’t conceal his girth. Yet he remained un-fazed by his portliness until one of his professors confronted him about it. «He told me that I might have a hard time finding a job as an athletic trainer because I was so overweight,» Steve says. «Employers wouldn’t view me as a credible candidate.» The professor’s comments left Steve shaken. His dream was to train athletes. He wasn’t about to let his weight get in the way.

Of course, slimming down in a college environment, where junk food is plentiful and watching TV is a popular pastime, presented its own challenges. «My problem was that whenever I had some downtime, I’d sit in front of the tube stuffing myself with whatever I could | 3 get my hands on,» Steve says. «I was overeating and underexercising.»

He made an effort to fill his free time with other activities, like working out, shopping for healthy foods, and studying. «As my weight went down, my grades went up,» Steve says. By the time he j § graduated in 1977, he was 82 pounds lighter.

In the years since, Steve’s weight has fluctuated between 165 and 175 pounds. He tries to stay fit to set a good example not only for the student athletes he trains but also for his family. «I have a little girl whom I want to see grow up,» he says. «She has become my biggest motivator.»

WINNING ACTION

Fill up your downtime. All of us have moments when we just want to lie back and watch the world go back. That’s fine… once in a while. There are plenty of ways to relax without even thinking about food. Get a facial. Play fetch with your dog. Take a class in wreath making or bird-watching. Buy a telescope and watch the stars. You get the idea. Eating is often a response to boredom. If you aren’t bored, you won’t eat.

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1. Hold your head up—you are brave. What has happened is not your fault.

2. Do your ‘homework’—breathing exercises, diet, exercise, relaxation, cultivating optimistic thoughts.

3. Remember it has taken you a long time to get into this state. Recovery won’t come overnight.

4. You are the only person who knows what it feels like to be in your body. Ignore the person who says you should be well after two weeks.

5. Smile—the real you is still there!

Holistic Healing

Often great emphasis is placed on the physical, emotional, and mental health of the individual. Spiritual well-being is ignored. ‘How can that possibly affect the way I am feeling?’ Some believe that this is the most important area to explore.

Many have discovered or renewed their faith in God by the experience of nervous illness.

In the search for inner peace and relief from ‘disease’, some people have found spiritual healing the answer. Following the discipline of yoga or meditation has been the way for others.

Suffering Is Not All Bad

It can be a time for learning, and because of new insight, a time for reaching out to those in distress around you.

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Aching muscles, cramps, and joint pains are very common. The drugs have artificially relaxed them for so long that they have forgotten how to work efficiently. The stiff, sore heavy limbs will recover. Some people say they feel as though someone is pulling them back when they are walking. Massage, yoga, swimming and warm baths are all helpful. Accept that your muscles need to be reeducated and work hard by slowly building up movement.

The muscles of the neck and shoulders are particularly troublesome. You may find yourself walking around with your shoulders almost touching your ears. Ask your family to gently press your shoulders down when they see you doing this, or pretend that you have a heavy weight in each hand. Sitting on a hard chair, pushing down on your hands and slightly raising your buttocks may help to exercise neck muscles. Sitting up in a chair with a covered hot water bottle between the shoulders can be helpful.

Some doctors prescribe quinine for the muscle spasm. Perhaps the joint pains can be explained by the strain resulting from abnormal muscle action.

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If you feel that the lack of sleep is seriously holding you back, your doctor may prescribe a sedative (just to give you a rest) for a short time. Check to make sure that it is not in the benzodiazepine group—i.e. Valium, Librium, Ativan, etc. (See tables on pages 100-104).

The dreams and nightmares that you are flooded with during withdrawal are just your mind doing work that it should have done months or years before.

The dreams are often described as evil. They include: violence; disaster; disturbed sexual behaviour. People who are distressed by incestuous or homosexual dreams feel greatly comforted when they learn it is a common experience in withdrawal, and will soon pass.

Recounting your dreams or writing them down when you wake sometimes helps to make you less anxious about them. Trust your mind to do the work. Your normal dreaming and sleeping pattern will return.

Those who suffer withdrawal insomnia say it is the most difficult symptom to cope with. So often it is said ‘If only I could get a good night’s sleep, I could cope with the days’. Sleeping only a couple of hours a night in early withdrawal is not uncommon. Although it is very hard to bear, try not to become too anxious about it. Withdrawal insomnia is a particularly severe form of insomnia—time is the only cure.

Lying in warm water or in a warm bed can give your muscles the rest they need. Listen to relaxation tapes, and practise abdominal breathing. Try to quieten your racing thoughts by concentrating on feeling the breath entering and leaving one nostril. Every time your concentration wanders away to your jumbled thoughts, just gently bring it back again to concentrating on your breath. Do not get angry with yourself for not even being able to do this simple task, just keep going for five minutes, then try later. This simple meditation is helpful if you can discipline yourself to do it regularly. Some people have found a radio with headphones very helpful; it cuts out external sound and helps to slow down racing thoughts.

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If you consider what the drugs do, i.e. control anxiety, relax nerves and muscles, help you sleep, and slow down heartbeats and breathing, it is understandable that your body will complain loudly when they are cut down or stopped.

The opposite of the desired effect can be expected (in some people) for a time. This is called the rebound reaction.

Do not be alarmed by this list of symptoms. You may only experience a couple of them, particularly if you reduce carefully:

increased anxiety, increased depression: insomnia: panic attacks: suicidal feelings: agoraphobia: outbursts of rage flu-like symptoms: hyperactivity: craving for tablets hallucinations (seeing and hearing things): confusion headaches: dizziness: sweating: palpitations: slow pulse tight chest: abdominal pain: nausea: nightmares: restlessness: increased sensitivity to light, noise, touch and smell: sore eyes: blurred vision: creeping sensation in the skin, loss of interest in sex: impotence: pain in jaw or face: sore tongue: metallic taste: pain in the shoulders and neck: sore heavy limbs: pins and needles: jelly legs: shaking. Fits have been reported but only where drugs have been stopped abruptly.

Remember that some people don’t get any of the above symptoms and also that there is now much more help than in previous years for those who do have discomfort.

Why some people become physically dependent on tranquillizers (or any other substance), and others don’t is unknown. It is possible that people who become addicted to benzodiazepines are those who are also allergic to them. Dr Richard Mackarness, in his book A Little of What You Fancy, describes masked allergies in alcohol and cigarette dependence. When even small doses of the substance are taken the masked allergy is under control. There are certainly many allergic-type symptoms in withdrawal, and they appear after complete withdrawal.

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Animal skin (danders) and feathers Don’t keep furry or feathered pets. If you already have pets which you cannot bear to get rid of, consider housing them outside or in part of the house that the affected person can easily avoid. Do not allow pets into the bedroom of the person affected. If they sleep on furniture or carpets, clean up after them with a vacuum cleaner.

For very sensitive individuals it may be necessary to avoid people and clothing that have been in contact with animals.

For those sensitive to feathers, eliminate all bedding stuffed with

feathers, also cushions, armchairs and sofas. If you are also sensitive to synthetics, then duvets filled with wool or silk are available (p335).

For those sensitive to horses, check that you do not have any old items of furniture stuffed with horsehair.

Pollen

This is the most difficult allergen to avoid. Keeping windows closed on warm, sunny days can be helpful. When driving or travelling by train, avoid opening the window.

Keep away from meadows, parks and other grassy areas when it is warm and dry. Alternatively, move to an area with less traffic and other sources of air pollution. It seems that air pollution – from factories, lorries and cars – sensitizes the membranes in the nose, making them more reactive to pollen. Diesel fumes have been shown to have this effect. So moving to a less polluted atmosphere and keeping away from traffic may be of more benefit – and a lot easier – than trying to avoid pollen.

For very sensitive individuals, a stay at the seaside during the height of the pollen season is recommended – the sea breeze brings in pollen-free air. Alternatively, air filters can be used (p335) and are usually effective -as long as the patient stays indoors.

*82\180\8*

Not everyone knows that a worker bee’s busy life is over after twenty-eight working days. Or did you know that the egg cells that normally produce worker bees can, when fed with a special substance develop into queens? There is something mysterious about this wonder of nature. For one thing, the queens are considerably bigger than the other bees, and, what is more, they live sixty times longer. A very special nutritive fluid is collected by the workers for those cells which ultimately produce queens. Although this phenomenon has been the subject of extensive scientific investigation, the understanding of its exact nature still eludes the researchers and only some of the jelly’s constituents have been isolated. The ancients perhaps knew more about it than we do, as we frequently find references to ‘ambrosia’, ‘nectar’ and other wonder foods in their writings and it is not unreasonable to assume that they were referring to what is now called ‘royal jelly’.

Unfortunately, no reference as to how this ambrosia was obtained is to be found, so our assumption must remain speculative. There is no doubt, however, that royal jelly possesses biological qualities of the highest order, for it enables the queen to lay as many as 2,000 eggs daily, and this with a single fertilisation. This is, indeed, a marvellous biological achievement, which stands unrivalled in nature.

*889/28/1*

The curative properties of cabbage leaves are becoming more widely known now, even though the use of crushed medicinal plants on diseased parts of the body is by no means a new idea. Dr Blanc has written a booklet on the subject and many people have benefited from this inexpensive treatment. Many years ago I started to apply crushed St John’s wort leaves and flowers in the case of inflammations of the nerves, with wonderful results. Whenever I used to get blisters from walking barefoot in the mountains in search of herbs, I always found some goldenrod, bruised it and put it, raw and fresh, on the sore spot, covered it with a leaf of lady’s mantle and bandaged everything with a handkerchief. This enabled me to carry on walking and go about my business. The blisters did not bother me anymore and soon began to heal. In the case of kidney trouble it is a good thing to crush or mince fresh birch leaves and goldenrod and apply the raw pulp over the kidney area. Wrap them round with warm towels and place a hot water bottle on top for added warmth.

*853/28/1*

In order to improve the body’s metabolism it is necessary to stimulate the bowels as well as the liver, gallbladder and kidneys. The normal activity of these organs can be achieved by a treatment that helps to cleanse the blood and which has been put together according to an Oriental ‘cure’ or formula. Known as the Rasayana Programme, it cleanses and purifies the blood, normalises the metabolism and helps the organs to function properly. This programme is outlined in detail in the next section.

It is important to point out that no drastic or extreme measures should be taken in any such treatment. Years ago, some people in the country would use arum, a strong plant, to cleanse the lungs in the spring, but their view was based on the principle ‘the more the better’. However, this is not true, nor is it sensible, for much harm can come from it. Rather, be reasonable in following a spring-cleansing programme. Consider your general health and take sufficient time to allow your body to gradually adjust to the change. If you are sensible in carrying out the treatment, and follow it through successfully, the result will be better health and increased efficiency and vigour. The care and effort required will certainly be worthwhile.

*817/28/1*

If your teeth hurt when you eat, if they feel a bit loose, or if the enamel becomes brittle and chips off easily so that bacteria can enter through the crevices, causing tooth decay, then it is high time for you to remember Calcarea fluorica, a biochemical remedy to counteract mineral deficiency. At the same time, silica (see page 401) should also be taken because it is equally important for the construction of the teeth and bones.

Incidentally, it is not surprising that the mountain peasants of the Swiss canton of Valais possess such beautiful teeth, because the famous whole rye bread they consume is a rich source of calcium fluoride.

This mineral is important for the connective tissues and for this reason should be taken before and after operations so that granulation, such as scar formation, can take place more quickly and without interruption. It has also been suggested that a deficiency of calcium fluoride in the system must play some part in the tendency to hernias.

*778/28/1*

Then Black Eagle showed me this highly prized plant, or plants to be more exact. I discovered that it was the coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea. One of the two varieties, Echinacea angustifolia, has a tap root, and I still remember how deep I had to dig to get it out. The other variety has a rootstock and does not penetrate quite so deep into the earth.

The chief explained that both plants were equal in their effect. But having heard so many marvellous things about what this plant could do I began to think it was almost too good to be true. Still, I took some seeds back home with me and began to grow Echinacea in the Swiss lowlands as well as at an elevation of 1,600 m (4,500 feet); that was in Teufen and in Brail (in the Engadine), where I used to have a house with a large garden. At first, the plants were quite sensitive to the cold in the mountains, but I persevered for ten years until they became acclimatised and began to produce flowers.

*741/28/1*

However, contraceptive decisions involve all the facets of a person’s life, not only as individuals in their personal relationships, but also within the wider context of their culture, religion and society. In current western society where sex is presented as a spontaneous, hot-blooded activity, thinking consciously about using contraception may be seen as cold, dampening the fires of passion. Sexually explicit scenes on the television, for example, rarely if ever mention the possibility of pregnancy or the use of contraception. The fact that many contraceptive consultations are straightforward can deceive the unwary doctor into thinking that they will all be simple. Where the consultation is not straightforward, it may be all too easy for the busy doctor to get caught up in the patient’s internal conflicts. If this happens he may become irritated and impatient, reacting to the patient’s behaviour, which on the surface appears unreasonable and inexplicable, rather than trying to understand what is behind it. The temptation will then be to suggest a change of contraceptive pill or a change of method, in the hope (usually forlorn) that the problem will be solved. In these situations the woman will either not return, or may return later with an unintended and possibly unwanted pregnancy.

*1/197/1*

During these weeks you should be addressing all the stresses in your life and seeking to minimise them by:

• getting adequate sleep, rest and recreation;

• taking adequate (but not excessive) exercise in the fresh air;

• driving the car within the speed limits;

• cut ting back on work, social and sporting commitments—many of my allergy patients are so tired from playing squash two nights a week, tennis another and netball or football on the weekends that they can’t get well;

• using cortisone creams and puffers to keep eczema and asthma at bay while the programs are taking effect.

• avoiding lying on the carpet to read or watch TV. This is a significant stress to the mucous membranes of the nose, throat and windpipe due to the close proximity to dust, dust mite, wool fibre, nylon fibre and formaldehyde.

Stay on the combined Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program for a minimum of three months—longer if under supervision and it’s deemed necessary to do so. Then go back on the Metabolism-Balancing Program for the rest of your life. Those with acne should stay on the Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program until no new pimples break out on the skin—however, if longer than three months your doctor or naturopath must OK it.

*57\18\9*

Angela is typical examples of how a Candida albicans infection can sensitise the body to chemicals and produce spin-off allergic reactions to less noxious substances.

Angela (15) was brought to me by a distraught mother who was having trouble coping with her antisocial behaviour. As a child Angela was moderately, though not seriously, hyperactive. She was fairly clumsy and lacked the co-ordination needed to be good at ball-handling sports. Her concentration span was less than most of her peers and she had a low tolerance to frustration. She was below average in her schoolwork.

At puberty she became cranky, irritable, argumentative and aggressive. The bouts of aggression would alternate with bouts of depression which would see her become sullen and withdrawn to the point of spending hours at a time locked in her bedroom. She was a lover of junk food which she justified by her continuous craving for sweets. A craving for sweets is as much a symptom of Candida infection as it is a symptom of allergy addiction. The Candida plants live on sugar and white flour and call out for them when hungry.

The white spots on her fingernails indicated a definite zinc deficiency and she was immediately put on the Metabolism-Balancing Program for six weeks. She improved significantly on all levels but was by no means completely cured. Allergy tests revealed her to be allergic to malt, brewer’s yeast, eggs, milk, MSG, dust mites, mould and a number of grasses. The appropriate Anti-Allergy Program (which was the Metabolism-Balancing Program minus the things she was allergic to) was prescribed and within six weeks there was a vast improvement.

Her schoolwork had improved so much she was pulling away from the middle pack and moving into the top ten bracket. Her concentration, memory, retention of details and sociability at school had improved out of sight. She had more energy than ever before and was experiencing such good physical co-ordination that her handwriting had become neat and legible without any concerted effort on her part. Her teachers and headmaster were thrilled.

Her parents were not so thrilled. They couldn’t understand why, when she was sticking so rigidly to her program, she could be sociable every morning at home and all day at school yet so antisocial at home each evening. The problem seemed to hinge around Angela’s allotted evening chore of washing the dishes. (Her younger brother dried them.) Dishwashing had always been the major hassle of the evening for the family as Angela would always throw a tantrum over it. At first, I tended to agree with Angela’s mother, that she was just an intractable teenager, but after a long talk with Angela one day, I could see that she really did want to improve herself and was quite genuine when she said she didn’t know why dishwashing made her so upset.

Further delving into her history revealed that Angela’s mother had a mild case of thrush during her pregnancy with Angela. Angela had been born with a mild case of oral thrush. Her infancy had been marred by colic and a nappy rash which was focused mainly around her anus. The latter two were overt symptoms of a Candida yeast infection situated in her gut. Clearly she still had the infection and the fact that her bloated tummy hadn’t completely reduced following the Anti-Allergy Program was confirmation of this.

The sudden mood swings that assailed Angela when she reached puberty were at last explained. The sudden release of the hormone progesterone from her ovaries at puberty had encouraged the growth of the small yeast colony in her gut into a large yeast colony which was filling her system with the chemical acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde, being a toxic chemical, had sensitised her to dishwashing chemicals which began to vaporise when put into hot water. Not only that, the heat from the sink caused the vaporisation of the dishwashing liquid in its container, as it was stored directly below the sink. The vaporised chemical released from the dishwashing liquid was formaldehyde, a close cousin, of acetaldehyde.

Was it any wonder that by the time dishwashing was over Angela was cranky, aggressive and often crying? She would storm out of the kitchen and into her bedroom slamming the door so hard the house would reverberate. She would spend the rest of the evening sulking. Often in the dark.

Substituting soap for dishwashing liquids solved the problem. No more tantrums and no more withdrawing socially after dinner. What was most interesting though was that after three months on the Anli-Candida/Anfi-Allergy Program, plus Nystatin powder, Lactobacillus acidophilus capsules and Formula Six multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, Angela was able to wash up with dishwashing liquid again without experiencing her usual massive mood swings and withdrawal from the family.

By removing the acetaldehyde from her blood the liver enzymes repaired themselves to the point where they could cope with limited exposure to formaldehyde. Evenings were no longer the bane of Angela’s day and she made good use of the time to do some extra study which improved her position in class even more.

It is debatable whether Angela could have coped with exposure to large sustained quantities of formaldehyde but 1 was not prepared to risk the return of her symptoms in an effort to find out.

*51\18\9*

It is significant that the very foods that predispose us to allergies (refined, junk, tinned, frozen and packaged foods) are the every ones that favour the growth of Candida yeast colonies. As Dr Weston G. Price in his book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, discovered: ‘Nutrition is the key to preventing the onset and perpetuation of allergies.’

Candida sufferers like sweets. Some have profound cravings for sweets. This is because they have large colonies of the yeast growing in them that are calling out to be fed on sugar, honey, fruit and white flour. If you have a sweet tooth the thought of going on the Anti-Candida Program may daunt you. Don’t let it. Resolve to go on the program and tough it out. Resolve not to let anything stand in the way of achieving your goal of optimum health. If you do this you’ll be well rewarded for, after the program, you’ll notice an amazing thing—your sweet tooth will have disappeared. Your taste for sweets won’t go entirely as it’s perfectly natural but you’ll only be eating 10-20 per cent of the amount you were eating before. You won’t be able to cope with any more. Your tastes will have changed so much that any more than 20 per cent will taste sickly. This lack of desire for sweet things is confirmation that the size of the Candida colony is so small, it’s having a negligible effect on you.

*45\18\9*

1. Have you ever taken any type of cortisone drug for more than two weeks at any time in your life?

2. Does exposure to perfumes, tobacco smoke, insecticides, household cleansers or fabric shop odours (some fabrics are treated with fire retardants) aggravate your symptoms?

3. Have you taken any antibiotics for acne for a month or longer?

4. Have you ever taken broad spectrum antibiotics for throat, respiratory, urinary or ear infections for two months or longer or in shorter courses four or more times per year?

5. Are you on the contraceptive pill or have you ever taken it?

6. Do you crave sugar, white bread or alcoholic beverages?

7. Do sugar-containing foods (sweets, cakes, biscuits, soft drinks), while bread or alcoholic beverages cause your abdomen to distend and/or give you wind?

8. Do these foods give you a foggy, spaced-out, detached, off-the-planet feeling in the head?

9. Do you suffer from premenstrual tension, vaginitis, menstrual problems or lack of sex drive?

10. Are your symptoms worse on a clamp day or in a mouldy environment?

11. Are your symptoms worse on a cloudy (dry) day and disappear on a sunny clay? (Cloudy days hold in city pollution and most Candida victims are chemically sensitive.)

12. Does walking into new buildings (such as office blocks and department stores) make your symptoms worse (formaldehyde)?

13. Does the smell of newly laid carpet make your symptoms worse (formaldehyde)?

14. Does getting into a new car aggravate your symptoms (formaldehyde)?

15. Did you have oral thrush as a baby or did your mother have vaginal thrush while carrying you?

Successful treatment of yeast infections is not much different from successful treatment of bacterial infections. Seven basic ingredients are needed:

1. The Candida must be starved of the food it normally lives on.

2. A substance must be used to kill the Candida.

3. Adequate rest must be taken during the time of treatment to give the white blood cells the time and strength they need to do their share of the organism killing.

4. A nutritious diet with supplementary vitamins and minerals to boost energy levels, white blood cell vitality and resistance must be strictly adhered to.

5. Stress levels must be reduced.

6. A positive attitude needs to be adopted.

7. As many chemicals as possible must be removed from your living and working environment and from the food and water you consume.

*40\18\9*

The best way to disinfect a cut or wound is to bathe it in a sterile solution of salt (saline). The easiest way to do this is to take a cup of boiled, cooled water and dissolve a teaspoon of salt in it, then wash the wound gently with a clean or sterile dressing. This is a very effective antiseptic.

For convenience, you can buy from a pharmacy sterile saline solution in sachets (Normasol or Steripod). These are handy for first aid kits, for workplace or school, or for travelling.

Be careful to use water (for solutions or for drinking) which you tolerate well. You can be sensitive to tapwater, and this may make you react when you use it for medicinal purposes. Use filtered, mineral or distilled water if you are not sure.

Boric acid, dissolved in boiled, cooled water, can be used as a stronger antiseptic. It should not be used on young children, nor on broken skin. You should consult your doctor or pharmacist before using it.

Calendula, a homeopathic ointment or tincture, is antiseptic. Some allergy sufferers tolerate it well. Patch Test or use with care, to see if you tolerate it.

If you have a persistent infection or sepsis in a cut or wound, you should always consult a doctor.

*347\117\8*

You can relieve the effects of a strong reaction by taking alkali salts. This works for food intolerance and chemical sensitivity, as well as for allergy. In a reaction, the environment in the body becomes acid; alkali salts neutralise the reaction and can relieve its effects, or even stop them dead. The simplest way to take these is to dissolve a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in a glass of water and drink it.

Some people find that sodium bicarbonate on its own does not suit them as well as other mixtures of alkali salts. You could also try the following mixtures; ask your pharmacist to mix them for you:

• Sodium and potassium salts

Mix two parts sodium bicarbonate to one part potassium bicarbonate. Dissolve one teaspoonful in a glass of water.

• Tri-salts

Mix three parts sodium bicarbonate to two parts potassium bicarbonate and one part calcium carbonate. Dissolve one teaspoonful in a glass of water.

The salts mixtures can be laxative. Do not take more than three times a day, and preferably only once a day. Consult your doctor if you are on a low-salt diet before using.

Vitamin C also helps relieve reactions. Take a teaspoon in a glass of water. You can also add a teaspoon of vitamin C to a glass of any of the alkali salts mixtures above. Ask your pharmacist for pure vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid).

Some people find that taking a salts mixture regularly each day helps to deter and control reactions. This could be worth trying as a controlling measure.

If you have an attack of nettle rash (hives or urticaria), or other local skin reactions, bathing the area in an alkaline solution will help relieve the discomfort. Use Boots Cream of Magnesia Liquid; Boots own brand does not contain flavourings, or bathe the skin with a solution of alkali salts.

To help control reactions, avoid extremes of heat and cold, or sudden big swings in temperature, as these can trigger reactions. Also avoid getting too hungry, as this can trigger reactions. Avoid swings, or excessive highs or lows, in blood sugar levels.

*346\117\8*

Activated carbon masks come in various designs but all combine a fibre layer or web which will trap particles, and activated charcoal which absorbs a wide range of gases and vapours. They are designed to fit well around the nose, mouth and cheekbones to seal the areas where air can enter. They will protect against both small particles and chemical vapours.

3M make one which is made of a dense synthetic fibre web which traps particles effectively, and activated charcoal filter media within the fibre web. It is one of the most effective, and light and relatively comfortable to wear. It will not protect 100 per cent against chemicals and particles, and if you are extremely sensitive to synthetic fibres, you may react to the fibres of the mask, but reactions of this kind are rare and most people find it useful. The mask will need replacing every six months, or more often if you use it intensively. The 3M mask costs around £5-6 at 1992 prices and is available by post from Allerayde or The British Lung Foundation. A similar mask by Pirelli is available from Safety Equipment Centre.

One solution, if you react to contact with the materials of a face mask, is to line the inside of the mask with a pure cotton handkerchief or cotton muslin nappy, or with a silk scarf if you are sensitive to cotton. This helps protect skin in contact.

More expensive versions of charcoal filter masks are made by Respro. One version, the Respro Bandit (£10-12), is a 100 per cent cotton scarf with a nose clip, which incorporates a charcoal filter, laminated into the scarf. It is chemically treated to be fully washable; if you are exceptionally sensitive, you may react to the treatment. Wash it before use to try and avoid problems. The scarf looks more attractive than a nose and face mask, however, and may be more comfortable.

Respro also make the City Pollution Mask at £20 with a replaceable charcoal filter, which has a stretchable fitting to fit comfortably around the face. This fitting is made of neoprene, with a lycra lining, which again may upset you if you are exceptionally sensitive to synthetic rubber and elastomers.

Both Respro products are available from The Green Catalogue and Renaissance Design.

*345\117\8*

Face masks come in three basic kinds:

• dust masks

• activated carbon masks

• respirators

which give varying degrees of protection against inhaled particles and chemical fumes.

You can use face masks to protect you in situations where you are unavoidably exposed to things which upset you – doing dusty tasks, vacuuming or household cleaning, doing DIY or car maintenance, at work, riding a bike, or even when driving a car.

Dust Masks

Dust masks are the simplest of all masks. They do not protect against chemical vapours, but will protect to some extent against irritant dusts and particles. The most common type, found in DIY shops, has a pure cotton gauze filter pad held in place across the nose by a light aluminium face-piece. Another type, also found in DIY shops, made of a cotton/synthetic blend, is a moulded white mask.

No guarantee is given of the size or type of particle which these masks keep out. Dust masks are not helpful in protecting against most chemical vapours, but they do offer some (but not total) protection against dusts, and against allergens such as house dust mites, moulds and animal allergens.

They are cheaper than other masks (£1-2 at 1992 prices) and unless you are very highly sensitive to inhalant allergens, such as house dust mites, they will offer you sufficient protection to allow you to do most tasks.

These masks are widely available at DIY stores or by post from Safety Equipment Centre. Safety Equipment Centre has a small-order charge for orders less than £25.

*344\117\8*

Reaching the end of your cancer treatment can bring tremendous relief – but also new and different uncertainties. For the duration of your treatment you have the framework in your life of hospital visits, check-ups and progress consultations. While this can be far from pleasant, it can provide a kind of reassurance, a sense that you are being constantly looked after and that your cancer is being attacked. The check-ups will continue, of course, but some men do find it difficult to adjust back to a life in which the focus of treatment is no longer present. This may be mixed with a huge sense of relief that you have arrived at the end of this stage and that you have coped with this experience.

If you were able to continue a relatively ‘normal’ life during your treatment, then you may feel less impact when it is completed. If you had to stop working or give up your normal routines, and found that your life was largely dominated by your cancer, then you will be facing a further period of transition. Going back to work or looking for a new job or picking up the threads of your life before cancer may feel like a huge task. You may in any case be limited by the advice of your medical team to take life gently for a while.

Some men find that living with cancer has given them a new or different outlook on life. Perhaps your sense of priorities has changed, or issues which previously seemed very important have become less so. Perhaps there have been subtle changes in relationships which cause you to value friends and loved ones more consciously. This does not imply that you have changed for the better as an individual – or changed at all.

You might see the end of your treatment as an opportunity to explore new directions in your life or to change the emphasis. Perhaps you feel that your career has a different significance now and that you want to spend more time pursuing other activities. This does not mean that you will always feel this way, but rather that your cancer has prompted you to reassess certain aspects of your life. If you do feel strongly that your priorities have changed dramatically and that you intend to make significant changes to your life then take the time to think these through, discuss them with your family and friends, and work out how you plan to use your time and energies.

It is not uncommon to experience doubts and fears about how well you will cope. Will you manage to fulfil your role as husband/ partner/father/son/friend as you did before your cancer? Will people regard you differently now? There will obviously be continuing concern for your well-being, and you may feel frustrated that people still dwell on your cancer for some time.

You may also experience fears about the recurrence of your cancer. This is an issue which will not go away, and while doctors would dearly like to give you watertight guarantees for the future, this is just not possible. You may feel that you simply want to put the whole experience behind you, forget about it and get back to ‘real’ life again. You would not be human if you did not have fears and doubts, though. You are allowed to be worried and anxious, but it is important not to bottle up your fears unnecessarily. Talk to those close to you – they are almost certainly sharing exactly the same anxieties, and will welcome the chance to say so and to let you know that they are willing you on to a full recovery. If you find that you are becoming over-anxious or depressed about the future, then do not hesitate to contact your GP or ask at your hospital about counselling. Specialist cancer counsellors often provide continuing support – after all, the end of your treatment does not mean that your experience of cancer simply comes to an abrupt end. If you need to talk further, then allow yourself to do so.

Gary was surprised by feelings of guilt after radiotherapy treatment for his brain tumour proved more successful than was originally anticipated. He felt guilty that the treatment had worked for him, but that others around him were less fortunate, and began thinking, ‘How is it that I have survived when others are dying?’ He had undergone regular counselling throughout his treatment, and found it useful to discuss his feelings with his counsellor.

You may experience an unexpected sense of frustration, as Neil found:

I began to feel intensely frustrated soon after the final chemotherapy session of my initial treatment. It was late in the year, and I decided to give myself to the end of that year to recuperate and decide ‘what to do next’. I had previously been running my own business, practising as a chartered accountant, but sold the practice soon after my diagnosis. The first few days of the following January were not easy because there was no obvious new path to take, yet I was feeling strong and well and wanted to start working on something positive and constructive immediately. I knew, of course, that it can take time for new projects to emerge – which, in fact, they quickly did – and in the intervening period, I felt as if I was treading water when I wanted to be swimming the Channel. All I can say is try to hang on and be patient (I wasn’t, particularly!) – it is frustrating.

Life does go on after cancer. It may have caused big changes in your life or it may have had less impact. There is no right way to view your experience – some men choose to try to find some constructive element on which they can draw in the future and others want to try to forget about it as soon as possible. Returning to ‘normal’ may be a long process, and ‘normal’ may mean something different to you now.

Any journey through cancer treatment is hard, and inevitably it will leave its mark. But it is possible to make a positive difference by resolving to manage with determination and, together with family and friends, to confront and take what control you can of such an unwelcome situation. Above all, be aware of your achievement in coping with your cancer and congratulate yourself on reaching each milestone in your treatment.

*67\118\2*