A fashionable sport-linked trend is for 'cupping'. Our daughter's partner is a keen body-builder and recently tried cupping. He's allowed us to show you these photos. Whatever I may think of the medical reasoning behind it, (and I'm about to tell you!), I think he was amazingly brave! Cupping is the revival of an ancient practice where suction to parts of the skin, … [Read more...]
Weekend reflection – Broken Places
Today’s reflection is inspired by Kintsugi; a Japanese technique for mending broken pottery by emphasing the cracks with gold and making it even more beautiful. The photo is of a kintsugi teabowl by Morty Baker Lakeside Pottery Studio. Kintsugi is a reminder that we do not have to hide our history and pretend that hard times never … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – Appetite for blood-related foods?
Have you tried any of these foods? I'm not sure if reading this will make you more or less likely to have a go! Roasted Bone Marrow Bone Marrow produces most of our blood cells and haematologists care for many patients with bone marrow disorders such as myeloma - a cancer of the bone marrow. But eating it has never appealed to me. Our daughter-in-law feels differently though. … [Read more...]
Book Review – Coping with the Psychological Effects of Illness
Coping with the Psychological Effects of Illness: Strategies to manage anxiety and depression Fran Smith – counselling psychologist specialised in helping people adjust to living with health problems. London Carina Eriksen – counselling psychologist worked at Institute of psychiatry, London Prof Robert Bor – lead clinical psychologist in medical specialties at the Royal … [Read more...]
Pharmacy Fashion – could you make this dress?
On our recent visit to Copenhagen for the European Haematology Association conference, I visited the Copenhagen medical museum. This was an amazing place, but what impacted me most of all was the dress that was displayed in the foyer. The dress is composed of 27,774 tablets and capsules, representing the pills a woman with metabolic syndrome might take over 10 … [Read more...]
ECG – What and Why?
Why would I have an ECG? An ECG is a fairly routine test so it may just be used to check you have no major heart issues. On the other hand it may be used to look for atrial fibrillation (AF) or a heart attack (blocked blood supply to some of your heart muscle). If you attend the hospital with chest pain of any sort, including a pulmonary embolism, you are likely to have an … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – Book Reviews – Clotting for Kids
If you want to explain blood clots to your kids or grandkids, we've found two helpful children's books. Curious Ross discovers How Blood Clots by Gill Stelzer - a research scientist with a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology as well as a BSc in Computer Science This is part of a series he's written called 'Educational science while you play' About the book … [Read more...]
5 reasons why it was a good hospital appointment
Our youngest two boys have kept us very busy with hospital appointments; Isaac has two sets of very fat medical notes, Noah has three and has had 81 hospital appointments in his time! So I guess you'd say we're quite experienced! Today's paediatric clinic with Isaac was one of the most straightforward and enjoyable. So, afterwards, I thought of five reasons for this, most of … [Read more...]
Weekend reflection -the Rock that is higher than I
We're posting an occasional series that's rather different to our usual educational posts. It will cover quotes that may help when you're facing adversity or finding your new normal. You may have discovered your DVT is linked to a diagnosis of cancer, you may have suffered a life-threatening PE or heart attack. Whatever the reason, many of our readers go through difficult … [Read more...]
Book Review – Next Breath – PE memoir
The Next Breath – New Life after Near Death Joseph Fisher – writer (4 books, 3 book chapters, 20 scientific papers) and medical researcher his website- www.the-next-breath.org contains information about the book and sample pages from it Bottom Line A brutally honest memoir about having a PE and resultant complications (of which there were … [Read more...]