Mens Health Blog. Medical Blog

Brenda is 51, married, with two children aged 14 and 19, and works as a nursing sister in an operating theatre at a large hospital.

A year ago she attended her first routine breast screening, and a week later received a letter asking her to return for a repeat mammogram. Brenda had had no breast problems, and was unable to feel a lump, but although the letter stated that the request did not mean that she had cancer, this was, of course, her overriding fear. She went immediately to talk to a surgeon at the hospital where she works, and he examined her breasts, finding no abnormality. Despite his reassurance, she found the next few days traumatic, and was unable to eat or sleep properly.

Brenda rang the breast screening clinic to cancel her appointment as she was sure there was nothing wrong, but was persuaded, rather unsympathetically in her opinion, not to do so.

At her second appointment, several mammograms were taken of both her breasts. She found the process uncomfortable, and felt that little was done to reassure or cheer her. After waiting a short time at the clinic while the X-rays were developed, she saw a doctor who explained that what had been detected on the original mammograms were tiny areas of calcification in her breasts which, on further examination, did not appear to be a cause for concern. The doctor thought they had probably been there for some time, and were likely to be quite a ‘normal’ aberration.

Brenda was very upset to discover that she had spent a week worrying about something that, as an experienced nurse herself, she would have been able to understand if it had been explained in the letter. She felt that the doctor was unsympathetic, and that the entire experience had been an unnecessarily distressing one.

Brenda was asked to return a year later for further mammograms and the doctor she saw immediately after these had been developed was very helpful and understanding. She explained to Brenda that the areas of calcification had not altered at all in the previous 12 months, and that she had nothing to worry about, but should return for further mammograms every 2 years.

Brenda’s relief at finding there was nothing wrong was tempered by her frustration about the difficult and anxious time she had had to spend. Although she appreciates that breast screening can play an important part in the early detection of breast disease, she does feel that there must be a better way of recalling women for further investigation.

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Comments (0) Apr 22 2009

A hysterectomy for endometriosis is surgery which involves the removal of the uterus and as many remaining endometrial implants and adhesions as possible. It may also involve the removal of one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes.

A hysterectomy is often said to be the only cure for endometriosis apart from the natural menopause. However, it does not always cure endometriosis, especially if the ovaries are not removed.

A hysterectomy in which the uterus and cervix are removed is known as a total abdominal hysterectomy (often abbreviated to a TAH). Sometimes all or part of an ovary and/or fallopian tube will be removed at the same time if they are diseased but at least part of one ovary is always left.

Following a total abdominal hysterectomy a woman will no longer menstruate but she will continue to ovulate until the time of her natural menopause.

A hysterectomy which involves the removal of the uterus and cervix as well as both fallopian tubes and ovaries is known as a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy and oophorectomy (often abbreviated to a TAH and BSO). It is also sometimes known as a radical hysterectomy.

Following a radical hysterectomy a woman will no longer menstruate or ovulate and she will undergo the menopause almost immediately.

To simplify matters and avoid confusion we will refer to a total abdominal hysterectomy as a total hysterectomy; and a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy and oophorectomy as a radical hysterectomy. We will use the term hysterectomy if we are referring collectively to both types.

Hysterectomy is usually only used as a last resort to treat women whose endometriosis is so chronic and their symptoms so severe that their quality of life is intolerable. The most common reasons that women with endometriosis have a hysterectomy are the persistence of intractable and incapacitating pain or severe and persistent heavy bleeding. It should not be used, except in a few rare life threatening situations, until a range of other hormonal and surgical treatments have been tried without success.

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Comments (0) Apr 22 2009

Anxiety, loneliness, and anger are common emotions, feelings that are part of being human.

What is a feeling? It’s a response that occurs on a non-intellectual level. Feelings are subjective experiences that can’t be verified by someone else.

Feelings can spur us into action, usually some form of self-preservation. If we touch something hot, we draw back our hand. Similarly, if something makes us unhappy, we may act by changing the situation or pulling away from it -whatever it takes to save our psychic skins.

Unpleasant feelings can actually serve a healthy purpose: They may prompt action that attacks a problem directly. Yes, an oral final in history can be terrifying, but one way of handling that feeling is to study. Someone who knows everything about the War of 1812 can walk into the exam with confidence. That person conquers anxiety by confronting it. The same with loneliness, or anger, or fear, or any of the dozens of other emotions we experience every day. Emotions can also help guide future actions. A student whose heavy course load causes anxiety may be more careful in planning her schedule the following semester.

Easy to say. But for some people with eating disorders, not so easy to do. Emotions spur them into action, sure, but sometimes in twisted and unhealthy ways.

For years now it seems as if everyone has been running around trying to “get in touch with their feelings.” The phrase has been the psychobabble cliche of the last two decades.

Cliche or not, for the person with an eating disorder, getting in touch with her feelings is exactly what she needs to do.

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Comments (0) Apr 22 2009

Being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives was great for congressman Matt Salmon’s political career. But it was lousy for his health, not to mention his waistline.

The 41-year-old congressman from Arizona had been active for most of his life. Tennis, racquetball, and basketball were his favorite sports. But once he took office in 1994, his exercise program ground to a halt. Instead, he spent most of his time sitting—on airplanes, on the floor of the House, and in legislative hearings.

His eating habits went downhill, too. All of those political fundraisers and charity events provided ample opportunity for consuming all the wrong kinds of food. Between legislative meetings, he’d nosh on whatever was within reach—usually cookies or a piece of cake. “And I ate more than my share of Big Macs while waiting for flights between Washington, D.C., and Arizona,” he says.

Within 2 years of his election, Congressman Salmon added 70 pounds to his post-high school weight of 165 pounds. But it wasn’t only his waisdine that suffered. He developed back pain, and he had frequent nighttime bouts of heartburn. A visit to the doctor revealed that his cholesterol was too high.

Congressman Salmon hated the way that he felt. And he hated the way that he looked. As much as he loved being a public official, he wasn’t about to let it ruin his health. He committed to changing his lifestyle for the better.

His first step was to make time for exercise in his daily routine. Because his schedule was so hectic, he decided to get up earlier to work out first thing in the morning. He began his days at 6:00 A.M., with a 20-minute walk. Within a month, the walk became a run. Within 2 months, he dropped 40 pounds, and his physical symptoms all but disappeared.

Encouraged, Congressman Salmon looked for ways to improve his eating habits. He found out that he could request low-fat meals at most political dinners and fund-raisers, so he did. He carried an apple or a banana in his briefcase so he wouldn’t binge on junk food between meetings or during long congressional sessions. And if one of his frequent flights included meal service, he ordered a vegetarian or low-fat entree in advance.

Congressman Salmon’s renewed commitment to a healthy lifestyle paid off. Within 12 months, he lost 70 pounds. He decided to celebrate with a victory run in the grueling Marine Corps Marathon. After 7 months of training, he succeeded.

WINNING ACTION

Think in terms of permanent changes, not temporary fixes. Congressman Salmon believes that the key to weight-loss success is to acknowledge that you’re making permanent lifestyle changes. I couldn’t agree more. You can’t go back to your old, unhealthful ways once you achieve your goal weight. Eating healthfully and exercising regularly are for life. That may seem like

a tall order. But keep in mind that over time, the lifestyle changes that you make now will become second nature to you—so much so that you won’t think of them as new anymore.

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Comments (0) Apr 22 2009