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Sunday, 22 June 2014
Breast Cancer - The Power of Choice
Grantchester Tea Gardens - Summer Lectures
Grantchester Summer Lectures
Philosophy has been discussed beneath the trees of the Orchard at Grantchester for over a century from many including Wittgenstein, Rupert Brooke, Virginia Woolf and Bertrand Russell. The Summer lectures still draw those interested in finding meaning and truth every year to this magical place.
Protecting Your Heart 28 June
‘Growing old’ is a challenge that we will all face at some time (hopefully). Developing a philosophical attitude as we grow older can help to address that challenge. This talk will develop that theme.
Speaker: Richard Edmunds
The Greek Philosophers 26 July
What do the ancient Greek philosophers have to say to us in this day and age? This talk will attempt to show that their writings still resonate today and can provide a practical guide to life for each and every one of us.
Speaker: Stephen Silver
Aggression and Submission 30 Aug
Television, computer games and the internet have all recently been linked to a rise in bullying and aggression. This talk will look at the roots of human aggression and the way that the teachings of the wise can help us to deal with it.
Speaker: Ranko Pinter
Atheism and the Divine 13 Sep
‘Of any two possibilities choose the third’. The clash between militant atheism and fundamentalist religion can be seen playing out in the daily press and other media coverage. Is there a third way which is not just a ‘fudged compromise’?
Speaker: John Davis
For more information please call 0845 450 3688
The Orchard Tea Rooms can be reached by taking Junction 11 off the M11, following the signs to Grantchester and turning left off the road to Trumpington. Be careful; the entrance is very easy to pass. Alternatively, it can be reached by cycling or walking the riverside from Cambridge. Do try the wonderful home-made scones!
Monday, 12 May 2014
Cancer - get informed!
I know that anyone that has lost someone close to them will,like me, be haunted by dates. The day they died etc. They are never far from our thoughts of course at most times,but then significant dates come along and it gives a time to see it all from a slightly different angle, albeit none less painful.
It is 3 years today that my sister got a 'death sentence' from the hospital, when she was given the news that far too many receive, 'it's terminal cancer' 'we're sorry,there is nothing we can do'
Even more of a shock as she only went in for a hysterectomy - cancer was never on the cards.
But 7pm on Friday 13th of May in room 13 on this ward will be a scene that will never leave my head.
Even now I find it hard to think that I won't see her again and I can't just call her up for a chat or head out for the day.
We talk about cancer as being a cruel illness, like there are kindly ones out there - well maybe it's not the illness but the way it is treated or not treated that is the cruelty.
The choice, one quickly realises, on just what the NHS will offer, is limited, it is no different than 70 years ago. It is still surgery,radiotherapy and chemo....the drugs may have changed, but then again - even there, not that much.
All those years on, people still dying from it in ever increasing numbers, diagnosed with it in ever increasing numbers and yet still we persist with the same basic approach.
Across the globe innovative methods are showing results, methods that are cheaper in many cases, more effective but ignored.
There are various experts out there with documented studies and strong case study evidence to show how different approaches can work.
We held our own conference a year after my sister died, 2 months later, a similar conference and later next month Back to Health in Exeter, UK, have a fantastic line up of speakers, all sharing the knowledge of what is out there and working to restore to health for those with cancer.
At the moment, those wishing to follow a different route need to have the finances behind them, but how much does it cost to fund that same patient through the set route. What if doctors can explore other methods for patients, what if you had a budget for your treatment, i wonder where you would spend it.
Cancer was an illness I wanted nothing to do with, I didn't want to have to think about it, so how quick a learning curve for me, when I watched my sister being given the news and that look of disbelief on the face of her husband. The coldness and matter of fact of the delivery from the doctor.
My single biggest regret was not having enough knowledge at the time and playing catch up with the limited time we had
Don't let lack of knowledge be a regret......in terms of health and treatment, get informed and keep updated. Some people watch their stocks and shares more than what's going on with their health. There are no pockets in shrouds as they say! They keep a look out for the best interest rates, but not the latest innovations in health. They vote on X-factor but not in an election. Press the MP's to review the outdated 1939 cancer act and untie the hands.
Why do we trust decisions on our health provisions ultimately to MP's a Secretary for Health one minute and Trade and Industry the next.....So we need to press for better provisions and greater choice in heath care and train our doctors far wider than the MERCK manual.
How many people will hear the same words today my sister heard 3 years ago and how many through conventional and blinkered approaches will be dead in 6 weeks.
I will never forget my sister being told she was too ill for chemo, so we had to try diet and supplements and natural medicine, so much so she got stronger and well enough to have chemo offered - her fear lead her to accept it and just one bout lead to her death along with increased so called pain relief.
She regretted the chemo instantly, her instinct over taken by fear, yet there is no going back after a chemo infusion.
Cancer patients rarely have an autopsy of course, after all, who wants to put a body through that they say....I wonder what the real cause of deaths would be if autopsies were carried out?
Get informed and don't act out of fear.
As Philip Day (Health Journalist) writes....Cancer, why are we still dying to know the truth?
It is 3 years today that my sister got a 'death sentence' from the hospital, when she was given the news that far too many receive, 'it's terminal cancer' 'we're sorry,there is nothing we can do'
Even more of a shock as she only went in for a hysterectomy - cancer was never on the cards.
But 7pm on Friday 13th of May in room 13 on this ward will be a scene that will never leave my head.
Even now I find it hard to think that I won't see her again and I can't just call her up for a chat or head out for the day.
We talk about cancer as being a cruel illness, like there are kindly ones out there - well maybe it's not the illness but the way it is treated or not treated that is the cruelty.
The choice, one quickly realises, on just what the NHS will offer, is limited, it is no different than 70 years ago. It is still surgery,radiotherapy and chemo....the drugs may have changed, but then again - even there, not that much.
All those years on, people still dying from it in ever increasing numbers, diagnosed with it in ever increasing numbers and yet still we persist with the same basic approach.
Across the globe innovative methods are showing results, methods that are cheaper in many cases, more effective but ignored.
There are various experts out there with documented studies and strong case study evidence to show how different approaches can work.
We held our own conference a year after my sister died, 2 months later, a similar conference and later next month Back to Health in Exeter, UK, have a fantastic line up of speakers, all sharing the knowledge of what is out there and working to restore to health for those with cancer.
At the moment, those wishing to follow a different route need to have the finances behind them, but how much does it cost to fund that same patient through the set route. What if doctors can explore other methods for patients, what if you had a budget for your treatment, i wonder where you would spend it.
Cancer was an illness I wanted nothing to do with, I didn't want to have to think about it, so how quick a learning curve for me, when I watched my sister being given the news and that look of disbelief on the face of her husband. The coldness and matter of fact of the delivery from the doctor.
My single biggest regret was not having enough knowledge at the time and playing catch up with the limited time we had
Don't let lack of knowledge be a regret......in terms of health and treatment, get informed and keep updated. Some people watch their stocks and shares more than what's going on with their health. There are no pockets in shrouds as they say! They keep a look out for the best interest rates, but not the latest innovations in health. They vote on X-factor but not in an election. Press the MP's to review the outdated 1939 cancer act and untie the hands.
Why do we trust decisions on our health provisions ultimately to MP's a Secretary for Health one minute and Trade and Industry the next.....So we need to press for better provisions and greater choice in heath care and train our doctors far wider than the MERCK manual.
How many people will hear the same words today my sister heard 3 years ago and how many through conventional and blinkered approaches will be dead in 6 weeks.
I will never forget my sister being told she was too ill for chemo, so we had to try diet and supplements and natural medicine, so much so she got stronger and well enough to have chemo offered - her fear lead her to accept it and just one bout lead to her death along with increased so called pain relief.
She regretted the chemo instantly, her instinct over taken by fear, yet there is no going back after a chemo infusion.
Cancer patients rarely have an autopsy of course, after all, who wants to put a body through that they say....I wonder what the real cause of deaths would be if autopsies were carried out?
Get informed and don't act out of fear.
As Philip Day (Health Journalist) writes....Cancer, why are we still dying to know the truth?
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Good Health Needs Effort and Sometimes an Innovative Approach
April seems to have flashed by in an instance and here we are in May.
It is national walking month here in the UK and there are so many beautiful walks. In much need of getting my own legs going, I took myself off to Paxton Pits,which if you have never been and live near by, is well worth a visit, especially at this time of year where the cormorants are nesting. It has the biggest inland colony of cormorants in the UK and watching them sweep across the lakes carrying huge sticks for nesting is a joy.
Watching them do what they do without an architect or planning permission and not bound by the man made rules and social nonsense makes you envy them their freedom. I'm guessing there is no 'jobs worth' cormorant giving instructions!.so having done the flat walk of the reserve and woods, the legs needed a hill and so of to Sandy. Where half way up the winding hill to the Hill fort, I met an 83 year old on her way down, which obviously meant she had done the worst of the slow steep climb in the other direction. I was more the impressed, she looked slightly concerned but it was all down hill for her walk wise. It is no mean feat if you take the steep path way which she had....if at 83 i still have the will to do it, i'd be pleased. The view is worth the climb and the reward of the cuckoo at the top was certainly a bonus. My first one in spring. Having watched the cormorants nest build, this hill was once home to an Iron age fort and with various info boards showing how they lived and built there homes.....well we have just learnt how to complicate matters with so called progress. They were true environmentalists without having to invent how to do it.
It's never far from my thoughts that at the basis of enjoying life is good health, it is certainly true that without it,life is much more difficult and I'm sure that 83 year old enjoyed excellent health to have the desire to do it. All of which leads me on to Patrick Kingsley's talk.
We were delighted to have Patrick come and speak to our group in Cambridge
I'm sure those that attended would agree what a font of knowledge and more importantly the practical experience to back it up, he is. As some of you said after, you could listen to him for ages. I don't think i have ever heard Patrick speak, where he finishes before his time.
He focused of course mostly on cancer and touches slightly on MS. I think he would be great to ask him back in the future to cover other aspects of health. If any of you purchased a copy of the New Medicine book, you'll find it an excellent read and a generous sharing of knowledge.
He was a head of his time in many ways and you wonder just who will be the maverick doctors of our day...they are few and far between of course.
Yet still the 'free' treatment that is the prescribed route for NHS patients with a cancer diagnosis is based in the dark corners of 1939...we have technically not moved on from that time...the format is now 75 years old and we call it modern medicine! It is only the drugs that have changed but the format remains the same - yet the problem is worse than ever.
Health shouldn't be dictated by influential financial lobbying!
Interesting article in the Times and the Telegraph today on Lord Saatchi's bill to allow Dr's to be less tied to these conventional approaches and this appalling act. It seems a large study has been carried out on the public to see if there is an appetite for this and it seems there is - well what a surprise! It's good to know the general public would like a more innovative approach to health as the reality is what they have isn't always the best of what's out there.
According to Andy Lewis from the quackometer website, he thinks this will open the door to charlatans etc - clearly the guy thinks doctors need laws to apply thought! Or that we have medicine according to Andy Lewis and our health remains in the hands of the closed minded.........
A talk i really recommend is called Survive and Thrive and delivered by health journalist Philip Day. There are 2 dates near us. The first is Saturday 5th July 10.30-4.30 in Norwich at the Holiday Inn, Cromer Road. Norwich or the other one is slightly nearer at the Suffolk Golf and Spa Hotel, Fornham St Genevieve, Bury St Edmunds - on the 6th July 10.30-4.30. The cost being £25 if booked in advance. Details on the website www.credence.org and click on events.
Well worth it and will stir the health passions i'm sure. If you check out the website, you'll find a date for a talk near you.
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Have You Got Your Statins Yet?
Recently we had yet another story on Statins and how millions more need to take them.
Is this really right? Surely the question should be why do doctors believe more are at risk from heart problems? What is going on to get to that stage? and How can we reverse that?
The tests can be devised to show what they like, the range that indicates the so called need for statins can be set to 'sell' more drugs. I think we need to stop being naive about the behind the scenes health decisions that get taken on our behalf and then applied to us. Flawed studies, as the clips below will show.
The number of people that get blood tests and take the pills not knowing what the tests were for or what the pills are doing is frightening, yet the same people know exactly what the mechanic did for their car and what the problem was. They will even give you a print out along with the bill.
May be we should start getting that print out from our Dr's. A big rumpus at the moment about our medical data being shared with 'others' Isn't it time it was shared with us! Why don't we have access to our own medical records online or held within our hands...I digress....
How committed to good health is our government? Why would they rather pay expensive drug costs for Statins rather than look at some of the major culprits of heart health and deal with it at cause?
Who pulls the government strings...we know there is no money in good health for certain companies, but our health is not part of a corporations profits and neither should our government be using our health in its corporation dealings.
Isn't it time that the government slapped a tax on high sugar foods and encouraged lower prices on veggie. But if you go into any supermarket...the offers are rarely on vegetables, but the 2 for 1's are on biscuits, cereals, processed foods, high sugar foods. What would the big suppliers of this food do,such as Nestle, if governments slapped higher taxes on this type of food.
Every budget sees a little more go on cigarettes and alcohol, but not enough to make them really prohibitive, just enough to take a bit more tax revenue from them. The odd logic is to add a little more tax to help the NHS cope with the effects of them.....ugh!!! So it's ok to have a sick population then and keep them just a little under optimum health...why? remember no money in health for certain organisations....did we vote in a corporation or a government?....I digress again, but it is all linked.
We all know these are contributing factors in heart health.
Take the money that is being ploughed into drugs and plough into promoting health and helping people make good choices. Support the healthy food options with that money. Offering drugs like statins does nothing to alter the mindset.
We all need to eat...make the better choices cheaper.
The heart health story has laid all the blame on Cholesterol...cholesterol is only doing its job, if we have healthy arteries, cholesterol isn't needed to plug the gaps and cause plague in the arteries.
I have blogged on cholesterol and statins before but the best I've seen on this are contained in the links below.
I have blogged on cholesterol and statins before but the best I've seen on this are contained in the links below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAq7Sxyp-JQ Dr Sinatra
Integrative Cardiologist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdvtp40QmIY Cholesterol – Johnny Bowden
Then just for balance, here is the BBC report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26132758
If nothing else, it will hopefully show how poor the science is in the tests we get. But also it might even start the right questions being asked when you are in the Dr's.
If a nurse or Dr tells you that you are a ticking time bomb if you don't take the statins....that is fear based medicine and that i'm going to write about later...the nocebo effect! but it's amazing what people will do or take if a man or woman in a uniform or white coat tells you that you should and back that up with fear.....don't die of fright!
If nothing else, it will hopefully show how poor the science is in the tests we get. But also it might even start the right questions being asked when you are in the Dr's.
If a nurse or Dr tells you that you are a ticking time bomb if you don't take the statins....that is fear based medicine and that i'm going to write about later...the nocebo effect! but it's amazing what people will do or take if a man or woman in a uniform or white coat tells you that you should and back that up with fear.....don't die of fright!
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Where is this road leading?
The End of America - not just America!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqRyUQzokYs
“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—
and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
― Martin Niemöller
Is this the way citizens should be living in 2014
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
Substance then style or is it just style over substance?
Life does present with some odd experiences.
For 2 hours a week I teach at a local further education college - trust me, you do this for the love of it and not for the finances! As any teacher will tell you, the amount of time spent preparing and then marking is almost as great as the time in the room. Well yesterday the faculty I work in had been selected for a teaching inspection....and so I found one of these designated chaps in my class.
I have to say it really must be up there as one of the biggest waste of time of one person we currently operate. There sits this person with his notebook in hand, tapping away as I'm trying to deliver the lesson. It takes no account of what went before and absolutely no account of my true knowledge of the subject.
He observed a lesson on a subject he knew nothing about and watched a demo on a subject he knew even less and watched the students practise a routine that to be honest he also wouldn't have a clue if I had taught them correctly or not.
I could have stood up and delivered a lecture that was a complete load of rubbish, taught a routine that I made up in my head as I went along and 'winged it' through out - but as long as I had done it in the preferred style of the moment with the focus on the current craze/fad of teaching methods with plenty of change in pace and student involvement that's ok.
I'm not one for convention and would rather respond to the needs of the group as we go along. That is something you can only do when you are confident in the subject knowledge and that what you are teaching is current/relevant and meets the need. If some one had come along and randomly asked me questions on my subject to see that I hopefully knew what I was talking about and perhaps went around the room and asked students about their learning experience in the classroom, even testing the knowledge that by now the teaching should have given them - surely that would be a better test of teaching skills and abilities.
So now one waits for the feedback....In all honesty, the only feed back that matters to me, is that from the students.....Have they enjoyed it, did they get what they needed and expected, has it expanded their thoughts and knowledge and are they confident with their new skills. These should be ongoing questions throughout a course, a constant dialogue. Not whether one has ticked the boxes for this years methods/standardisations.
Had the joy of attending a great workshop on Matrix Energetics at the weekend....really enthusiastic trainer, followed no teaching rules at all, yet we all came away with a great experience and all took from it what we needed.
One little moment struck my love of irony.....The trainer wanted a volunteer and asked people to raise their hands if they were someone who had issues about putting themselves first....The irony of it I love. Should he perhaps have picked someone who kept their hands down as they didn't want to put themselves first and ignore those whose hands shot up, as they clearly did. Tricky one and delightfully ironic.
For 2 hours a week I teach at a local further education college - trust me, you do this for the love of it and not for the finances! As any teacher will tell you, the amount of time spent preparing and then marking is almost as great as the time in the room. Well yesterday the faculty I work in had been selected for a teaching inspection....and so I found one of these designated chaps in my class.
I have to say it really must be up there as one of the biggest waste of time of one person we currently operate. There sits this person with his notebook in hand, tapping away as I'm trying to deliver the lesson. It takes no account of what went before and absolutely no account of my true knowledge of the subject.
He observed a lesson on a subject he knew nothing about and watched a demo on a subject he knew even less and watched the students practise a routine that to be honest he also wouldn't have a clue if I had taught them correctly or not.
I could have stood up and delivered a lecture that was a complete load of rubbish, taught a routine that I made up in my head as I went along and 'winged it' through out - but as long as I had done it in the preferred style of the moment with the focus on the current craze/fad of teaching methods with plenty of change in pace and student involvement that's ok.
I'm not one for convention and would rather respond to the needs of the group as we go along. That is something you can only do when you are confident in the subject knowledge and that what you are teaching is current/relevant and meets the need. If some one had come along and randomly asked me questions on my subject to see that I hopefully knew what I was talking about and perhaps went around the room and asked students about their learning experience in the classroom, even testing the knowledge that by now the teaching should have given them - surely that would be a better test of teaching skills and abilities.
So now one waits for the feedback....In all honesty, the only feed back that matters to me, is that from the students.....Have they enjoyed it, did they get what they needed and expected, has it expanded their thoughts and knowledge and are they confident with their new skills. These should be ongoing questions throughout a course, a constant dialogue. Not whether one has ticked the boxes for this years methods/standardisations.
Had the joy of attending a great workshop on Matrix Energetics at the weekend....really enthusiastic trainer, followed no teaching rules at all, yet we all came away with a great experience and all took from it what we needed.
One little moment struck my love of irony.....The trainer wanted a volunteer and asked people to raise their hands if they were someone who had issues about putting themselves first....The irony of it I love. Should he perhaps have picked someone who kept their hands down as they didn't want to put themselves first and ignore those whose hands shot up, as they clearly did. Tricky one and delightfully ironic.
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