Feelgood 25-03-2011

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Feelgood Friday, March 25, 2011

Life line

Vital work undertaken by nurse Mags Naughton from the Jack & Jill Foundation is under threat as donations dwindle: 8,9

TAKE CONTROL

Strategies for living with chronic pain: 6

NON STOP

Mum of triplets gets to grips with hectic routine: 4,5

Picture: Eamon Ward

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GOOD NEWS

I got cancer at 11 and want to give others hope: 11

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2 News front Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON ■ GROW YOUR OWN: Michael Brenock, horticultural advisor and author of The Irish Gardener’s Handbook, will talk on growing your own vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers, followed by a question-and-answer session, tonight at 8pm in Blackrock GAA club, Church Road, Blackrock, Cork. Admission is F10 and proceeds will go to Cork Simon Community. Ring Mary Morrish on 021-4929410 or Declan O’Grady on 087-9971963.

■ VEGETABLE PATCH: Want to grow vegetables? Get Growing is a free, eight-week course for beginners. Introduction on Tuesday, March 29 at 8pm, room six, SMA Hall, Wilton, Cork. Call 087-7556619 or 086-2318420.

■ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: An ‘introduction to personal development’ is being run by The Social & Health Education Project in Ballincollig, beginning on Monday, March 28. It is an eight-week (20-hour) evening course exploring emotional well-being stress communication and relationships. F50 (or F25 unwaged). Phone 021-4666180.

■ ONE in 1,000: CF Ireland has launched its annual ‘1 in 1,000’ campaign to recruit 1,000 women to run for cystic fibrosis in the 2011 Flora women’s mini marathon. Rose of Tralee Claire Kambamettu, nutrition expert Paula Mee and TV3 Apprentice winner Michelle Massey have signed up for the campaign, which will raise funds to build CF isolation units and a new-born CF-screening information service for parents. New-born screening for CF is being introduced in June. Every week three families are told their child has CF or is a genetic carrier of CF. Registration for the mini marathon is now open. To be part of the ‘1 in 1,000’ team, call 1890 311 211 or email runningforcf@cfireland.ie.

■ CANCER TALK: ‘Cancer: alternative and complementary approaches to coping’ is a free evening talk to be given by Phil Young, past president of the American Polarity Therapy Association on Wednesday, March 30. Young will explore the approaches to dealing with this disease, at The Teaching Rooms, Wellington Road, Cork, from 8.15 until 9.45pm.

■ TAI CHI: Phil Young is also a Chi Kung and Tai Chi instructor and he is inviting people to experience Chinese yoga and moving meditation. These are a stress reliever and have numerous health benefits. A free class is on Monday, March 28 in The Teaching Rooms, Wellington Road, Cork, from 7.45 to 9.15pm. Contact Phil on 086-3252645.

■ OPEN NIGHT: The College of Naturopathic Medicine Ireland offers diploma courses and training in nutrition, acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy and naturopathy. Part-time courses are available in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick. The college is holding an open night on Monday, March 28 from 7 to 9pm in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork. Call 01-2353094; www.naturopathy.ie.

Items for inclusion in this column can be sent to koreilly8@gmail.com

FeelgoodMag

Feelgood

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Forget the quick-solutions, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise are the best ways to tackle cellulite, says Arlene Harris

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Fat chance

ELLULITE is the bane of many women’s lives. The dimpled ‘orange peel’ skin is prevalent in females of every shape and size and no-one seems to be immune from it — even super-slim models like Kate Moss, 37, have been spotted with the unforgiving condition. Although it is a naturally occurring problem, experts claim the unsightly condition can be cured with technology.

“Researchers in Texas and New Jersey recently reported a beneficial effect with laser therapy, while others in Switzerland have observed improvements in cellulite with radio frequency treatment,” says Dr Daniel McCartney, lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at DIT. “Other techniques such as suction and massage have also been suggested to be effective. However, Dr Margaret Wanner’s 2008 review of all of these treatments concluded that none was particularly effective in treating cellulite,” he adds.

This may be disappointing news for those with cellulite but Dr McCartney says maintaining a healthy weight is the most beneficial treatment. “Cellulite occurs in about 90% of women, mainly around the hips and thighs and the abdomen,” he explains.

“While oestrogen is thought to play a key role, other hormones such as adrenaline, prolactin and insulin may also contribute.

“No single food or nutrient has been

identified to be effective in the treatment of cellulite but the most effective remedy seems to be the prevention of weight gain. This requires a diet high in fruit and vegetables, rich in wholegrain cereals and low in fat, sugar and salt, in addition to plenty of exercise and fluid intake.”

Fitness expert Karl Henry agrees. “Cellulite can be tackled with a few simple tips,” he says. “The first is to look at your food intake and cut out additives and preservatives — the best model to follow is the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruit, vegetables and fish.

Next, you need to increase your fluid intake to ensure that you are drinking at least two litres of water a day — add a little lemon to help cleanse out the system.

“Exercise is the next big step. Take time to work on the areas most affected by cellulite — usually legs, arms, stomach and buttocks and lastly, but probably most important is massage. A deep tissue massage to the affected areas will make a huge difference and if you can’t afford to have one done professionally, just use a rolling pin to help break down the hard tissue.

“Like most aspects of health and fitness, there is no quick fix, but if you eat well, drink plenty of fluid and take regular exercise, you will see great results.”

■ For advice on healthy eating, visit www.indi.ie ■ www.karlhenry.ie

ORANGE PEEL: Even supermodel Kate Moss is prone to cellulite.

Picture: Getty Images

HEALTH NOTES 74% of soups served in cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and pubs contained more than a third of consumers’ recommended daily salt intake, according to research published by safefood.

The research also found the soups marketed as “homemade” contained as much salt as other varieties of soup served.

“We would tend to think of soup as a healthy option but many of us don’t consider the salt content in soups we eat outside the home,” says Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, of safefood. “There is also a misconception that most of our salt is added at the table but in reality, the majority of salt in our diet is from eating processed foods.”

The launch of the research findings coincide with World Salt Awareness Week, March 21-27.

O’Connell on 087-792 8579 for more details.

A free, six-week course for sufferers of anxiety and panic attacks will begin in Wilton, Cork, next week.

The course is being run by the Out and About Association a self-help group for anxiety and panic attack sufferers, partly funded by the HSE. The aim is to offer a dedicated anxiety resource centre in Cork providing resources, information, education, helpline, web information, meetings and self-help groups for sufferers of anxiety, agoraphobia and social phobias.

The six-week workshop will be available as a day and evening course. Call Robert

A positive approach to wellbeing is the theme of counsellor Fiona Hoban’s presentation at Inchydoney Lodge on Wednesday April 6, as part of a health and wellbeing evening organised by the National Dairy Council, Carbery, Clóna Dairy Products and the West Cork Co-ops.

Dietitian Paula Mee will also speak at the event which includes a cook-off challenge with local chefs. RTÉ news anchor Sharon Ní Bheoláin will be master of ceremonies.

The COPE Foundation will receive the proceeds from the event.

To book contact: Cope Foundation

www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com

087-2034666; Carbery 023-8822210; or Clóna Dairy Products 023-8833324, or www.ndc.ie.

SALT FAULTS: Research shows high levels of salt content in soups.

Picture: Brian Thompson

www.irishexaminer.com feelgood@examiner.ie

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

Even mild stress can lead to people being unable to work, research suggests.

Mild stress increases by 70% the chance somebody will be on disability payments for physical problems, and more than doubles the likelihood they will have a psychiatric condition. The study, involving 17,000 people, by experts at the University of Bristol and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The authors said the link between stress and a diagnosis of a physical problem may be down to the way stress affects the body.

However, it could also be that stigma surrounding mental health issues leads some doctors and patients to prefer a physical “label” for the problem.

To Russia with Love, the Irish based charity working in Russian orphanages in the Bryansk region, has appointed Max Zhivanitkin, 25, to its Moscow board of directors. This is the first time a graduate of one of the orphanages supported by To Russia with Love has been appointed to a senior management position in the charity, founded by Dublin woman Debbie Deegan in 1998.

Editorial: 021 4802 292

Advertising: 021 4802 215

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In profile

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Veronica Dunne

THE SHAPE I'M IN

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In fine voice

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CONSTANT presence on the Dublin opera scene, Dr Veronica Dunne plays Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler On The Roof, which is at Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre until Saturday, April 2.

Veronica made her operatic debut in 1950 with the Dublin Grand Opera Society and by the time she married Peter McCarthy in 1953, she’d won a prestigious competition in Milan, allowing her to sing in La Bohème at the Teatro Nuovo. She’d also been invited to join the Royal Opera Company, Covent Garden.

“I’ve always had great energy, ever since I was a child.

My father used to say I’d wake the birds. When the holidays would come, I’d knock on my pals’ doors wanting them to come out and play. The parents would be coming to the door in their dressing gowns,” says the now 83 year old.

As mum to two young children — Peter and Judy — balancing family and career wasn’t easy in the 1950s and ’60s.

“I tried to the utmost of my ability to keep my career going but it was difficult because I was singing in London. I succeeded until the children were in secondary school. I was very lucky until then to have a good nanny and housekeeper. After that it wasn’t possible to find the staff. And my husband was still a bachelor

even though we were married.”

A dedicated advocate of vocal music education, hundreds of singers owe their success and careers to Veronica’s gifted teaching.

What shape are you in?

I’ve just had a hip operation and I should be walking more. I was in London with my daughter recently and we walked two miles to Kensington Gardens. I love swimming too. I don’t feel old. I love Who Wants To Be A Millionaire or Mastermind because they keep the mind going.

Do you have any health concerns?

I had the hip replacement in November. It was a big operation but it was very successful — I came through it fine.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I eat a good breakfast, which includes brown bread. I’d have two bananas for lunch. I eat a very good dinner in the evening. I vary it a lot. I eat plenty meat but I have fish three times a week.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

I love a skinny latté. I always add three sugars as well, which is something I shouldn’t do.

What would keep you awake at night?

Nothing because I’d be so tired by the time I get to bed.

How do you relax?

I love going to the National Concert Hall to hear a symphony. I watch opera on Sky which is great. I just love music. I like to listen to Gay Byrne’s Sunday Serenade every week because it brings me back to my youth — those were wonderful days.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

I’d love to invite economist Ken Whitaker. I think he has a wonderful brain.

When did you last cry?

I cried when my dog died recently. She was with me for 15 years and I had to put her down. It was a very difficult decision to make. My gardener used to take her for a walk every day — he cried too.

What is your favourite smell?

I love to walk the woods up in Glencree and smell the pine trees.

What would you change about your appearance?

I don’t think I’d change anything. The lines on your face — they’re your whole life.

What trait do you like least in others?

I focus on the good in people — I always tell my children to look for the good in everybody.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

I don’t think there’s anything I don’t like in myself.

Everybody makes mistakes — it’s how we learn.

Do you pray?

When I was a child, Daddy would have us all say the Rosary together in the evening. I still say my Rosary at night — I’d be lonely without it. Even if I’m out late, I always say it.

What would cheer up your day?

I love a good joke. I love teaching. I’m a very happy person — I believe life is for living.

Helen O’Callaghan

GRAND DAME: Veronica Dunne plays Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler On The Roof at the Gaiety.

Picture: Anthony Woods

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FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

THE FEELGOOD PERSONALS

FOR COST EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING

Phone LORI FRASER Tel. 021-4802265 Fax 021-4273846 lori.fraser@examiner.ie Every Friday

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Three is a magic number Colette Sheridan gets an insight into the hectic life of Katherine McCarthy, a mother of five — including baby triplets

Even super-fit young athletes can have their lives threatened by blood clots.

Lisa Salmon discovers why they form

SUPER MUM: Katherine McCarthy at home near Minane Bridge, Co Cork, with Oliver, Ben and Charlie; above, Katherine and Cian McCarthy on From Here to Maternity.

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ITH five children under the age of three, Cian and Katherine McCarthy have barely a moment to call their own.

The Co Cork-based couple had a treble surprise when Katherine, now 38, was told she was expecting triplets. The progress of the three boys (born on July 29, 2010) from gestation to birth is one of the highlights of the RTÉ One television series, From Here to Maternity, which ends next Tuesday. The documentary series has been following expectant mothers, nervous fathers and busy staff at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH), with unprecedented access to the labour and neo-natal wards.

Katherine says she and her husband are “quite shy, private people”. But they gave their permission to be filmed “to help the public understand more about multiple pregnancies and the hospital itself ”. The camera crew followed their progress until the triplets were four months old.

“I never felt that it was invasive or intrusive. The people from the programme were a lovely team, and on the day of delivery it was great to have their familiar faces in the delivery room.”

Katherine and Cian agreed with the TV crew that they would be given the unedited footage of the pregnancy and birth. “It will be a great record for us. It’s such a gift for the boys. They will know exactly what happened before they were born and immediately afterwards,” she says.

The boys were delivered by caesarean sec-

Main picture: Dan Linehan

MULTIPLE BIRTHS

tion at 30 weeks — 10 weeks before they were due. Now seven months old, they have started eating solids. Ben weighed just one pound, nine ounces at birth; Oliver weighed

FULL HOUSE: Isobel, Charlie, Ben, Oliver and Finn McCarthy.

Feelgood

Random strike

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Picture Dan Linehan

three pounds four ounces and Charlie clocked in at three pounds seven ounces.

Their delighted siblings are two-year-old Isabel and three-year-old Finn.

“I was delivered early because Ben had stopped growing. It was a case of carrying on with the pregnancy and potentially losing Ben, or stopping things and delivering early. There was a huge amount of people involved; four medics per baby and altogether about 20 people in theatre, including the camera crew,” she says.

Since the boys’ births, Katherine says she and Cian assumed Ben would be the baby to give them a scare.

“But it was actually Charlie who was at risk after he was born. As well as being ventilated, he had to be given various antibiotics and check-ups.

“He was the biggest at birth, but is now three pounds behind Oliver.”

Soon after coming home last October, Ben had to undergo an overnight admission at Crumlin Hospital for a hernia operation.

Oliver had to be treated for an infected finger. “But apart from that and routine injections, the boys haven’t had to go to the GP,” she says.

The triplets have dramatically changed the lives of the McCarthys. “Suddenly, we need three of everything. We had to change our car and buy a mini bus. It’s all unbelievably expensive. We were lucky enough to conceive the triplets naturally, but the consequences have been phenomenal,” she says.

Katherine, an occupational therapist, is now a stay-at-home mother.

“Logistically, going back to work would be

It was actually Charlie who was at risk after he was born. As well as being ventilated, he had to be given various antibiotics and check-ups

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a nightmare and the cost of childcare for five children wouldn’t make sense. Cian has his own construction business. He’s normally gone from 7.30am to 6pm, but some days he picks up the older two from their playgroup,” she says.

The children are put to bed at 7pm. The triplets wake at different times, from 2.15am to 4 or 5am. They sleep in the same bedroom and initially shared a cot.

A woman who provides night care for twins and triplets works for the McCarthys two nights per week. “Mary, who is a mother herself, is brilliant. But we don’t know how much longer we can employ her from a financial perspective,” she says.

Mary allows Katherine and Cian to give time to their older children.

“Finn and Isabel are reacting well to the babies. When they want to help out, there’s one for each of them and one to spare,” Katherine says.

Though life is chaotic, she is grateful. “It’s a great privilege to have triplets. When we’re out and about, people tell us we’re very lucky. You have to realise it’s a blessing, but it

Feelgood

● Triggered, in part, by immigration, the number of multiple births is increasing as women wait until they are older to have a baby and use fertility drugs to conceive. ● Multiple births occur more commonly in older women; women who have had at least one previous pregnancy; women who have a family history of multiple births on the mother’s side of the family and women who use fertility drugs. ● There were 53,969 births in Ireland in 1998 compared to 73,996 births in 2008. ● In 1998, 742 sets of twins were born compared to 1,297 in 2008 — an increase of 75%. ● 22 sets of triplets were born in 1998 compared to 29 sets of triplets in 2008. ● There was one set of quadruplets born in 1998 and one set born in 2008. ● A spokeswoman for the Irish Multiple Birth Association (IMBA) says medical care for multiple pregnancies births has progressed considerably, increasing survival rates.

■ The IMBA is a voluntary organisation that provides support for parents who have experienced multiple births. For more information, go to the website www.imba.ie. Telephone: 01-8749056.

does have its down sides. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. The babies are going to start crawling in different directions.

Everything takes much longer, such as changing three nappies. When the babies were born, I initially talked about having another baby. But I’m well over that now,” says this very busy mum.

■ For the final episode of From Here to Maternity, tune in next Tuesday, 8.30pm, RTÉ One and watch Katherine at home with her brood. Also, viewers will see Marie and Brian O’Callaghan. After seven attempts at IVF, their dream of starting a family has finally come true.

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ENNIS ace Serena Williams has faced many ferocious opponents on court, but none so deadly as the off-court foe that struck her down this month.

It was a pulmonary embolism — a blood clot which had travelled from elsewhere in her body to her lungs, and could have killed her.

The 29-year-old former world number one got emergency treatment and is now recovering from her health scare. She describes the moment the clot was found in her lungs as “the scariest moment in my life”.

The embolism could have been lethal because, by stopping blood travelling through her lung to collect oxygen, it was putting a dangerous strain on her heart.

While a potentially deadly blood clot forming in one so young and fit may seem surprising, Williams was actually at risk from clots because she’d been out of action after cutting her foot on broken glass last summer, and had undergone surgery on the foot.

It’s estimated that one in three surgical patients can develop a venous blood clot — also known as a venous thrombosis — if no preventative measures are given.

Consultant haematologist Dr Trevor Baglin explains that the highest risk group for blood clots are patients who are hospitalised, particularly those undergoing surgery, especially to the legs.

“I know Serena Williams had a recent foot injury, although in her case I’m surprised she had problems, as what she had doesn’t sound like a very high risk procedure,” he says. “It’s usually older people who have hip replacements.”

WHO’S AT RISK? While blood clots do occur more commonly in the elderly and non-athletic, overweight people, they can clearly form in anyone.

They can develop in any vein deep within the body, but are most often found in the deep veins of the leg and are known as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Parts of these clots may break away and travel to the heart and then the lungs, causing

Blood clot symptoms Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): ■ Pain ■ Swelling ■ Discolouration (bluish or red) ■ Warmth Pulmonary embolism: ■ Shortness of breath ■ Chest pain ■ Unexplained cough (may cough up blood) ■ Unexplained rapid heart rate

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Serena Williams: Potentially deadly clot found in her lung.

Picture: AP a pulmonary embolism. Estimates suggest half of those with a DVT will go on to develop a pulmonary embolism. Clots can be caused by several factors, including damage to blood vessel walls, for example during surgery, or as a result of age-related changes.

There may be inherited clotting problems, and illnesses such as cancer, heart failure or stroke may put people more at risk, as will smoking.

The hormonal changes of pregnancy, HRT or the contraceptive pill can also increase the tendency of the blood to clot.

The slowing of blood flow through the veins can lead to the formation of a thrombosis, possibly occurring when a patient is bedridden by illness or surgery, or sitting down for a long period, as in long-haul air travel.

However Dr Baglin stresses: “The risk of dying of a blood clot associated with travel is one in hundreds of thousands, if not one in a few million.

“The risk of dying from a blood clot acquired in hospital is much greater.

“Hospitals are dangerous for blood clots, aeroplanes are not, is the message I give to people.”

Patients admitted to hospital are increasingly risk-assessed for blood clots, as treatment can be given to significantly reduce the risk.

This includes compression stockings and anticoagulant therapy. Such therapy, which is also given after a thrombosis has formed to reduce the risk that it will grow or spread, includes heparin injections or warfarin tablets.

Around a third of people who develop a blood clot have a genetic predisposition, according to Dr Baglin.

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Take control

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Constant suffering

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HEN her GP uttered the words “fibromyalgia” and “myofascial pain”, they were like magic to Laura Woods’ ears.

Eight years earlier, aged 15, she’d been in a minor car accident. Since then the pain — which in the immediate aftermath of the accident she experienced in her right shoulder and neck and which A&E consultants said was due to tissue damage — had gradually risen to a crescendo.

Laura’s one of 13% of people in Ireland, who suffer from chronic pain, defined as “there all the time and lasting more than three months”. It can vary in intensity, from mild and niggling to being like the worst pain ever, 24 hours a day, all-year round.

“I started having pain in my lower back.

By the time I got to college I had pain in my chest if I carried books. I’d automatically scan a room to see where I could sit so I wouldn’t put pressure on my neck.”

For the first four years, the pain was bearable but when her dad was diagnosed with a terminal illness, stress exacerbated Laura’s pain. “Driving even a short journey, I’d have to pull over because of severe pain in my back and chest.”

Laura, now 25 and working full-time in a car rental business at Cork Airport, had been to chiropractors. She’d seen two physiotherapists — one said she’d damaged her ribs, the other said the muscles under her shoulder blades had stopped working. She’d had X-rays and MRI scans. Nothing showed up, so in January 2009 when she consulted a GP she’d never been to before about feeling down, she didn’t even tell him about the pain.

“I knew it was real but I felt there was nothing broken that I could show him. Then it got so severe that pretty much all my body was in pain. I went back and told him. He

LAURA WOODS: Diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2009.

Picture: Denis Scannell

Feelgood

Helen O’Callaghan speaks to a chronic pain sufferer about the difficulty of getting a diagnosis and learning to live with the crippling condition

CONSTANT ACHE: 29% of people with chronic pain can’t work because of the condition.

PIcture: Getty

asked if I’d heard of fibromyalgia or myofascial pain. He said it sounded like what I had — pain in the muscles that wouldn’t show up on MRI. I looked it up and it was like a weight lifted off. I finally had a name for what was wrong and it was real.”

Since her summer 2009 appointment with a pain consultant, Laura has made great strides. A TENS machine, worn three times a day, helps fight neck pain. Steroid and local anaesthetic injections made a big difference.

She’s on anti-depressant drug Lyrica to relax the muscles. “I’ve gone from having pain on a scale of 80% or 90% to 20% or 30%.”

But her relief is due to more than just medical intervention. “One of the hardest things about chronic pain is the tiredness. I’ve learned to pace myself, to adjust my lifestyle.

I realise my limits. It’s better to get three things done and be able to do something tomorrow rather than overdoing it today and suffering for days after.

“Pain has stolen a lot from me. I’m still young. I shouldn’t have to be thinking ‘I don’t have the energy to do this or that’.

“People know so little about chronic pain.

They say ‘you don’t need the tablets’ or ‘if you did this or that, you’d be fine’. You wouldn’t say that to a person with diabetes.”

For Gina Plunkett, chairperson of Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI), not being believed is a major difficulty faced by patients.

“GPs aren’t trained in chronic pain. They think ‘we’ll cure what’s causing it’ rather than seeing pain as the problem. It’s why CPI is lobbying for chronic pain to be recognised as a disease, a leading healthcare problem.”

Gina, who gave up her job as a barrister due to chronic pain, has suffered for 14 years since she had a car accident. (29% of people

with chronic pain can’t work because of the condition). It took seven years before she had a rhizotomy — ablation of peripheral nerves in her neck and lower back.

“That gave me a window to draw breath so I could function like a normal human being.

Until then I felt I couldn’t bear another minute. It was torture. I felt if I could only get rid of my left limbs, I’d gladly do so.”

Another big obstacle for chronic pain sufferers is the two-year wait to see a pain specialist.

“There aren’t enough pain management specialists or programmes. I’d like a medical care road map so that years don’t pass by from when chronic pain patients first present to their GP — so they don’t feel so alone and unsupported,” says Gina Plunkett.

It’s a real pain ...

DR Brian McGuire, joint director of the Centre for Pain Research in NUI Galway, says patients who attend pain-management clinics have had chronic pain for years and have exhausted all treatments.

“Often, they’re wondering is the pain in their heads. The first thing is to reassure them that it’s real, which they find very affirming,” he says.

Medical interventions include injections, nerve blocks and spinal-cord stimulation — electrical signals sent around the spinal cord to dampen pain signals.

Helping patients develop coping strategies is essential. Self-management techniques include: ■ Accepting your chronic condition. This doesn’t mean giving up. It’s about realising it’s important to get on with life — rather than waiting for a cure — and to do valued activities despite still having pain.

■ Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help people view pain differently — focus on what they’re able to do rather than on

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what they’re not. The aim is to gradually build up activity levels.

■ Relaxation, visualisation and meditation can all help dampen pain sensations.

■ Chronic-pain patients are five times more likely to suffer from depression, which can be treated with a mix of anti-depressants and CBT. “There’s great individual variation in how people respond to pain. Some become depressed, bed-bound and disabled. Others try to keep active and stay at work. Both reactions are understandable.

“You try to help the active ones develop strategies to maintain activity. Those who reduce their activity, for fear of exacerbating symptoms, need to be encouraged to overcome that fear — exercise does help combat chronic pain,” says Dr McGuire.

Chronic Pain Ireland runs pain management workshops. Visit www.chronicpain.ie.

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Psychology

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There is no such thing as a dysfunctional family, it is individuals who perpetrate neglect

Relative values

The

Feelgood Personals Contact: LORI FRASER Tel. 021-4802265 Fax x 021-4273846

lori.fraser@examiner.ie

FAMILY SYSTEMS WORKSHOP As developed by

Bert Hellinger

A Path to Healing

Date: Saturday & Sunday nd 2 & 3rd April, 2011 Venue: St. Dominics, Ennismore, Cork Enquiries: Riona Dunlea, (MIACP)

021-4892133

Tony Humphreys

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HEN I wrote the book The Power of Negative Thinking in 1996 several journalists interviewed me and, subsequently wrote articles on the theme of the book and my own personal experiences as a child, teenager and adult.

After publication, a number of individuals whom I vaguely knew approached me and exclaimed: “I never knew you came from a dysfunctional family.” Regrettably, at the time I was not quick enough to do two things: state that in my view there is no such phenomenon as a dysfunctional family and return the statement to the person who said it: “How is it that you need to make such a comment?”

With regard to the first omission, the term “family” refers to a collective of individuals — parent(s), children and the term “extended family” refers to the collective of grandparents of both parents, aunts, uncles and relations through marriage. The notion a family is dysfunctional is inaccurate because a family is a social system and a system has no head and no heart, no hands, no feet, no body, cannot feel and think and cannot engage in neglectful actions. To call a family dysfunctional is an unconscious but clever way of masking the deeper reality that it is individuals who perpetrate neglect, not a system. A family cannot change, only an individual can.

I believe the decision to bring a child into the world or, even more so, to adopt a child is one of the most unselfish actions a couple or lone parent can take. However, such a decision cannot be taken lightly because parenting a child is “rocket science”. A parent is not only responsible in a “good-enough” way, to provide unconditional love, but they also need to create the opportunities for the physical, emotional, intellectual, behavioural, sexual, social, creative and spiritual mature development of the child. However, parents, though well-intentioned, cannot do that unless they have examined and resolved or are on the path to resolving their own inner insecurities.

There is nobody I know who does not carry doubts and fears. These insecurities are largely masked and manifest themselves in unconsciously formed defensive behaviours such as passivity, aggression, anxiety, dependence, manipulation, competitiveness, impatience, depression, perfectionism, illness, work addiction and substance addictions.

These defensive responses can threaten the wellbeing of children and so it is the parent and/or significant other who perpetrates the threatening action or is absent or passive in their parenting or relating, not the family.

Of course, no parent ever deliberately wants to be a source of threat to his or her child’s wellbeing, but the interiority of the parent determines the kind of parenting practiced. Unless parents have some degree of emotional and social safety in their relationships with other adults, it is unlikely they will be in a solid enough place to notice and examine how they interact with their children, with each other (in a two-parent family) and, indeed, with members of their family.

Basically, their defensive behaviours were developed when they were children in response to their own parents’ defensive behaviours, so when a parent is defensive, a child will in turn creatively and intelligently forms his or her own defences.

What is sad is the child’s defensive responses become the troubled and troubling behaviours that threaten the wellbeing

Feelgood

FAMILY FORTUNES: Being a parent is rocket science and demands a depth of maturity and self-awareness.

Picture: Getty Images

of parents and teachers. Nevertheless, it would be dangerous for a child to engage in a behaviour that would challenge the defensive behaviour of a parent or teacher and so the child learns governorship of the tongue.

For any change to occur, the parent always needs more help than the child who is manifesting defensive behaviours such as temper tantrums, hyperactivity, rebelliousness, shyness, poor emotional expression or receptivity, school phobia, lack of motivation, illness. What typically happens is the child — albeit, unconsciously — becomes a scapegoat for the inner turmoil of the parent so that the parent is protected from having to face his or her own unresolved inner pain.

Depending on the healthcare professional from whom parents seek help to cope with the “difficult” child, they may encounter professionals who label the child,or label the family as “dysfunctional” and recommend family therapy or, in some cases, label the parent as inadequate.

None of these responses will resolve the sad family context because it is what happens within each individual in the family that leads to conflict between family members. And so it is the conflicts within the adults responsible for the children that need to be the focus of compassionate understanding.

It’s often the case that each parent may have to rear their own inner child before her or she is ready to effectively parent their own offspring. This is not an easy process, particularly for those parents who have become protectively addicted to what others think. However, it is harder when parents don’t find the support to look inwards and realise their own sacred, unique and powerful self.

Being separate from what another person says makes it possible to calmly and politely return what he or she said. What was said belongs to the person who said it, not the person to whom the comment was addressed. In returning to sender, an opportunity is provided for that person to go within and source what gave rise to, for example, the sarcastic comment.

All sorts of possibilities may explain what led to the comment — only the person himself can provide the answer, but only when he has the consciousness to examine what happened within.

When a person stays separate from the words and actions of another they walk away from the situation with their dignity intact and carry no bitterness towards the perpetrator. If they walk away with revengeful thoughts or their “tail between their legs”, they are back on the defensive trail.

Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author and speaker. His recent book with co-author Helen Ruddle, Relationship, Relationship, Relationship: The Heart of a Mature Society is relevant to today’s topic.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

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Think of it as a blank canvas Have your say in shaping your newspaper at www.irishexaminer.com/readerpanel

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Arlene Harris spends time with a Jack & Jill Foundation liaison nurse for families with sick children — a vital service now under threat due to a falloff in funding

Home help heroes W

HEN Beau Barry turned one at the beginning of the month, she didn’t celebrate with chocolate cake and balloons. Instead the Limerick child endured her daily dose of medication, seizures and pain.

Due to a complication at birth the only child of Deirdre and Alan Barry has been left blind, in constant pain and with severe neurological difficulties. She needs round-theclock-care and despite their obvious love for their daughter, her parents are emotionally and physically drained.

Caring for a sick child is utterly exhausting and due to lack of official services, the family would be left to cope on their own if it wasn’t for the intervention of The Jack & Jill Foundation.

Set up in 1997 by Jonathan Irwin and his wife Mary Anne O’Brien, following the illness and subsequent death of their son Jack at 22 months, the charity offers home-respite to families like Beau’s across the country.

Forced to rely on fundraising, the foundation is perilously close to nearing its end as the recession has seen donations dwindle. It costs almost F1.5 million to run the foundation each year. The Government pays 19% of its costs.

The loss of this service would be devastating for hundreds of parents who rely on Jack & Jill to provide them with a few hours of normality each week — whether it’s time spent with their other children, a stress-free trip to the supermarket or even a couple of hours in bed, the respite they receive can be the lifeline that keeps many of these families afloat.

To find out what support the charity offers, I spent a morning with liaison nurse Mags Naughton.

Although she is based in Ennis, Mags cares for 21 families in the west — covering Clare, Limerick, Mayo and Tipperary. I joined her at 10am on Tuesday for her first session of the day which was with the Howard family just outside Ennis, who live in a secluded rural area.

With four other children — aged from 14 to six — Roisin and John already had their hands full when their youngest daughter, Taylor arrived in August 2009. Diagnosed early last year with hyperglycinaemia an extremely rare neurological condition, the little girl has severe developmental delay and suffers seizures on a daily basis.

When Mags first visited the family, she could see that home respite was desperately needed to give everyone a break from the exhausting strain of caring for a sick child. As is often the case, family members are the preferred choice and Roisin’s sister in-law Deirdre stepped into the role of home help.

The Jack & Jill foundation pays for Roisin to have 12 hours of respite each week and Mags has ensured that Deirdre is trained to deal with feeding, basic dressings and emergency medication. And it is Mags’ role to visit all of the families in her area to ensure they are receiving their respite, are up-to-date with hospital appointments, to liaise with doctors on their behalf and crucially, to offer emotional support.

The sun is shining when we arrive at Taylor Howard’s house and the little girl is sitting outside in her buggy enjoying the early

Feelgood

HELPING HAND: Mags Naughton of the Jack & Jill foundation with Deirdre and Alan Barry and their seriously ill one-year-old daughter Beau.

Picture: Eamon Ward morning breeze. She is oblivious to her mother’s exhaustion.

Roisin has had a long night, her husband John has just come off night shift (he works as a security guard) and the older children have just gone to school. She is delighted to see her liaison nurse.

“Mags is a godsend,” she says. “She offers so much support to me, some days I am in bits when she arrives and she will take over the reins and calm me down. She’s my sounding board and although sometimes I just spend the time crying and giving out, she always makes sure that I am smiling before she goes.

“I don’t know what I would do if it wasn’t for Jack & Jill. I literally don’t have five minutes to myself — I used to love reading but I haven’t touched a book for years and I haven’t even looked at the television for at least a month,” she admits.

“Taylor can’t do anything for herself — she can’t crawl or sit up so has to be carried or entertained all the time, it can be very tiring,

especially as my eldest son has special needs and my youngest son is being monitored for ADHD and learning difficulties.”

This scenario is not unusual for Mags and obtaining time out for each family is a priority. “When I visit a family for the first time, my main objective is to get them some practical help,” says the Clare-based nurse, while unstrapping Taylor from her pram and taking her up for a cuddle.

Changing nappies and preparing feeds while answering Roisin’s queries about her daughter’s condition, Mags is calm and relaxed. Taylor is unable to swallow so has to be fed from a machine through her stomach and Mags hooks this up and checks whether the tube peg needs to be cleaned or dressed.

Roisin offers us tea, but as she was enjoying a few precious moments of peace in the sunshine, we declined her offer. Instead I kept her company while Mags played in the garden with the smiling 18 month old.

“Taylor loves Mags and always seems happy to be around her,” says Roisin as she watches

About Jack And Jill The Jack & Jill Foundation was established in 1997 in memory of Jack Irwin.

There are currently 11 home liaison nurses working with almost 300 children with neurological difficulties under the age of four around the country.

The main aim of Jack & Jill is to provide home nursing care and respite to the families of children who are born with or develop brain damage and who suffer from severe intellectual and physical developmental delay.

“They deserve the best possible care at home where they belong,” says founder Jonathan Irwin.

Jonathan Irwin and his daughter Lily.

wearily from the doorstep. “I don’t know what the future will bring for her and I try not to think too far ahead as it will only get me down, but I would definitely say that if I didn’t have the home respite and the visits from Mags, I would have cracked up by now.”

Brushing off the compliments, Mags (who has two young children of her own) checks the little girl’s progress and reassures her mother that she will be calling around again soon. And after saying goodbye we take to the road once again.

Next stop is a Limerick city quiet estate where Beau Barry has been keeping her parents, Deirdre and Alan up all night with heart-wrenching wails as she tries to cope with her illness and make sense of the dark world around her.

Severely brain-damaged and blind from birth, the one-year-old looks angelic as she sleeps in her father’s arms, but he knows that the peace will be short-lived as Beau is dogged with pain and anxiety during her waking hours which causes her to cry incessantly.

“I have had to give up my job to help look after Beau as it is so hands on,” says Alan, who worked as a satellite dish installer.

“She wakes up about 5 or 6am each day and often doesn’t go to sleep until 2am. We would regularly survive on just a couple of hours sleep and then throughout the day, she needs constant care — changing her feeding tube, giving her medication and helping her through her seizures — it’s never ending.”

Mags takes the sleeping baby and expertly cradles her while her parents tell me about their daughter and the difference Jack & Jill makes to their lives.

“When Beau was diagnosed we were told about the foundation but we refused help,” admits Deirdre, who used to work as a hairdresser. “We were convinced that we could look after her on our own but Mags insisted that we get some respite and kept coming to see us until we agreed.

“We really had no idea how exhausting it would be, we are constantly shattered and always on edge. No-one else understands what it is like, so it is great to be able to turn to Mags for support. She is always at the end of the phone and whenever she comes around, will help us with medical queries, advice and getting appointments with specialists.”

Alan’s sister, Sharon looks after Beau’s home respite and the petit baby has recently spent the night with her.

“Sharon is brilliant with Beau and it makes it so much easier to know that when we have time off, she is being looked after by family,” says Deirdre. “But the really sad thing is that Beau never gets a break from her illness — she shouldn’t have to suffer like this.

“We are so glad that Mags came into our lives — she is always there for us and has taught us to take one day at a time. If we thought about the bigger picture, I know we would break down completely.”

After an hour in their company, we leave the hospitable but extremely exhausted Barry family and head back to Clare.

“Every one is going through their own hardship and I do what I can to help. But in order for the charity to survive, we really need people to help. Donating old phones and crutches costs nothing and could make the difference to hundreds of families around the country.”

How you can help ■ Donate old mobile phones.

■ Register your school for Jack & Jill’s Phones for Boards appeal in schools.

■ Dig out your old crutches and recycle them at designated Bring Centres nationally.

■ Participate in Up the Hill with Jack & Jill in Kenmare on April 23.

■ Encourage readers age eight to 15 years to participate in the SPAR Great Ireland Junior Run in the Phoenix Park on Sunday April 10 in aid of Jack & Jill.

NURSING HOPE: Mags Naughton, liaison nurse with the Jack & Jill Foundation, with Taylor Howard, 18 months.

Picture: Eamon Ward

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

■ For more information on how to save the Jack and Jill Foundation visit www.jackandjill.ie or call 045-894538

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10 Medical matters

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Q

I have painful wrists, which are worse in the evening. I spend at least eight to 10 hours a day on the computer and have been under stress at work. Could this be causing it?

Dr Niamh Houston

FAMILY

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Dr Niamh Houston is a GP with a special interest in integrative medicine. If you have a question about your child’s health email it to feelgood@examiner.ie or send a letter to Feelgood Irish Examiner City Quarter Lapps Quay Cork

A. It sounds as if you have repetitive stress injury, which results from any activity that involves repetitive wrist motion — from hitting a tennis ball, playing a cello, knitting or cutting hair — which can inflame the tissues around joints, especially when you repeat the movement for hours on end without a break.

Wrist pain can happen to anyone — whether you’re sedentary, active or somewhere in between. Because so many factors can lead to wrist pain, a proper diagnosis is crucial. Delay in treatment can lead to poor healing, reduced range of motion and long-term disability. In many cases, the precise reason why RSI develops is not clear.

There is no test or objective way to diagnose RSI. Most people with this condition have no swelling, inflammation or other obvious problems that develop in the muscles, joints or tendons, and yet symptoms such as pain, tightness, dull ache, throbbing, numbness, or tingling develop. Some research suggests that stress at work can contribute to RSI. It may be that stress increases muscle tension, and/or affects how the body feels pain in general.

Your risk of developing wrist pain is increased if you have diabetes, underactive thyroid or lupus. Some women develop carpal tunnel in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, in part because of hormonal changes that can cause the body to retain more fluid, which increases swelling in the wrist’s carpal tunnel.

Other causes of wrist pain include osteoarthritis caused by wear and tear on the cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones.

Pain that occurs at the base of the thumb may be caused by osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, is common in the wrist also.

For repetitive strain injury, pay attention to ergonomics — you can get ergonomic keyboards, which may help to take the stress off your wrists when you’re at the office.

Using some of these devices, taking regular

AGAIN AND AGAIN: repeat wrist activity can cause repetitive strain.

Picture: Getty breaks, keeping your wrists in a relaxed, middle position when you type and improving your posture can make you more comfortable and help protect your wrists. A change of task, or changes to work environment may help.

Talk to your employer, if possible. Some people find treatments such as yoga, regular exercise, relaxation techniques, or acupuncture helpful in easing the symptoms. Ask your doctor also to refer you to a physiotherapist who can give advice to help with posture, and how to strengthen or relax the muscles involved.

Q. My three-year-old son was treated for threadworms a few weeks ago, but has started to have an itchy bottom again. Is it possible to get them so quickly again and is it safe to give him the same medicine he got the first time?

A. Threadowm medication kills the worms, but not their eggs, which can survive for two weeks. What you’ve described is common, especially in children. Threadworms live about five to six weeks in the gut, and then die. Before they die, the female worms lay tiny eggs around the anus (back passage).

This occurs at night and causes itching around the anus. Scratching relieves the itching, but the eggs get transferred on to fingers and under nails.

The eggs can then be swallowed, when fingers are put into the mouth and so the lifecycle starts again. Also, threadworm eggs can survive for up to two weeks outside the body. They fall off the skin around the anus and onto bedding, clothes etc. The eggs can also get wafted in the air as you change clothes, sheets and become part of the dust in a home. Some eggs may settle on food or toothbrushes.

Initially, children may swallow eggs by playing with other children who have eggs on their fingers, or from food, drink, toothbrushes, or dust that has been contaminated with threadworm eggs. Any eggs swallowed then hatch and grow into adult worms in the gut.

As some children and adults with threadworms do not have any symptoms, all household members need to be treated. If one person in the house is infected, it is common for others also to be infected. A second dose of medication, such as mebendazole or peperazine, can be taken two weeks after the first dose.

Hygiene measures are needed to clear any eggs from the body and home, and to prevent any eggs being swallowed. This will then break the cycle of “re-infection”. Wash sleepwear, bed linen, towels, vacuum the home and damp-dust the house. All members of the family should wear underwear to bed, and change every morning.

Wash around the anus in the morning to get rid of any eggs laid overnight. Thoroughly wash hands and scrub under nails in the morning, and after using the toilet, changing nappies, and before eating or preparing food.

Discourage your child from biting nails or sucking fingers. Avoid sharing towels and keep toothbrushes in a closed cupboard and rinse well before use.

NOTE: The information contained in Dr Houston’s column is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor first

N

Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD Feelgood

EW parents beware: the only thing children go through faster than shoes is your wallet.

While the world and his mother know what a pricey business child rearing is, few would guesstimate the cost at quarter of a million.

Yet the Cost of a Child report published in Britain calculates that by the age of 21 our offspring will have cost, on average £210,00 or F242,892.30.

Guaranteed to dim the rosy glow of the first born and put a chink in the clink of the champagne flutes, the figures beg the question — when planning a family, should we get out the spread sheets? Could there be an argument for pre-event cost benefit analysis if every child we create is a drain on our resources the size of the new millennium’s average mortgage?

Let’s look at the figures. Firstly, the cost has risen 50% since 2003, mainly due to childcare and education, set at a staggering F77,848.99 and F64,263.16 respectively, over your offspring’s childhood. Factor in school uniforms, tracksuits, sports equipment, books, extra-curricular activities and school field trips and prepare yourself for an epic bill at the end of a 13 or 14-year period. And that’s pre-university, before they come looking for the kind of windfall necessary to sustain an expensive student

lifestyle in a range of out-of-town accommodation where partying is at a premium, and where trips home coincide with funds running dry.

In any event, the spend begins before your child arrives estimated at F10,571 in its first year and taking in cots, stair gates, GP fees, sterilizers, breast pumps and so forth. Between the ages of one and four, a child costs on average F15,500 a year.

Break it down further, and the daily outlay is F31.80 taking into account food, clothing and personal care, two decades of holidays, recreation and leisure, hobbies and toys, pocket money, not to mention driving lessons, first car, birthday and Christmas presents — bringing to almost F1,000 the monthly investment in what we can only hope is not a rapidly degrading commodity.

In light of the price tag, and short of avoiding procreation, there are a number of ways to make savings, including not asking what he or she wants unless they’re buying. Otherwise, seek out car boot sales, get surfing on eBay and focus the mind of your child on winning scholarships. And never forget the need to preserve intergenerational harmony because when your savings are gone and you’re reliant on them, it’s important they remember your generosity.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

Guaranteed to dim the rosy glow of the first born and put a chink in the clink of the champagne flutes, the figures beg the question — when planning a family, should we get out the spread sheets?

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Fundraiser

Flower power Helen O’Callaghan meets a cancer survivor who wants to give hope to others and raise vital funds for Daffodil Day

Cancer factfile ■ One in three will get cancer.

■ ICS specialist cancer care nurses responded to 21,000 enquiries to the Cancer Information Service in 2010, up 10% on 2009.

■ Approximately 41% of enquiries were from newly-diagnosed people aged over 40, seeking further information on treatment options, treatment-related side effects, emotional support and how the health system works. Other key issues for people who’d already gone through cancer treatment related to survival and living with long-term side effects of treatment.

■ Financial worries represent the fifth most common reason for calling the National Cancer Helpline. In 2010, the society provided over F900,000 in financial aid to more than 1,600 people with cancer who had experienced hardship arising from cancer diagnosis/treatment.

■ Daffodil Day 2011 is on Friday, March 25. The target: to raise F3.8 million to meet increasing demand for patient care services. “We appreciate every donation, no matter what size. Cancer is on the rise. We need every euro to help the thousands diagnosed every year,” says ICS chief executive John McCormack.

■ Freefone 1800 200 700 for National Cancer Helpline (open Monday-Thursday 9am-7pm, Friday 9am–5pm).

T

ERESA Morrissey was helping out on Daffodil Day — the Irish Cancer Society’s major annual fundraiser — when she was 12 years old. By then, she’d already been diagnosed with and treated for cancer.

The summer before, when she wasn’t yet quite 12, she got a pain in her stomach — not uncommon for a pre-teen, she admits.

“But, after a week or two of constant grumbling about this pain and feeling very tired and run-down, my mum brought me to the doctor.”

The GP advised getting out in the fresh air and prescribed iron supplements to build up her energy. But he also ordered tests and one routine exam showed up the helicobacter bug. “That was the big moment from which everything else snowballed,” says Clare woman Teresa, now 24. “This bug showing up in a child’s stomach was highly uncommon.”

Teresa had an endoscopy, which revealed a tumour. Inside a week — at Crumlin’s Children’s Hospital — her parents were told their only girl (she has an older brother) had

HELPING OUT: Teresa Morrissey had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 11, and is now a Daffodil Picture Ray Ryan Day volunteer. non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells.

“I was brought to the oncology ward. I’d never heard the word ‘oncology’. I hadn’t a clue what it meant.”

But Teresa began to put things together when she realised she was in a ward “with sick children who had no hair”.

“I said to my mother: ‘Why do all the children in this ward have no hair? That means they have cancer — sure I don’t have cancer.’

Mum said: ‘Actually, you do.’ She was calm — she’d known for two days.”

It was a calmness Teresa felt too. “I’d been so ill for the previous two months and nobody could tell me why. Now I felt this was the end of feeling ill, that I was going to get better.”

Thankfully, Teresa’s optimism wasn’t misplaced. “There was talk of surgery. But I took to the chemo straightaway. Initially, I was in hospital for three weeks. At the end of that time, it was clear the treatment was beginning to work.”

EXPERT ADVICE: Teresa Quinn, Cancer Information Service Nurse.

Picture: Karl Burke

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There was more to come. Chemotherapy was administered every three weeks in week-long stints over a period of four months. “It wasn’t bad. It knocked me down sometimes, made me feel tired and nauseous.

“I’m a big GAA fan and I’d played football before all this happened and now I couldn’t. I resolved I’d play again. I was going into sixth class that year and I missed a bit of school. I was getting all these letters and cards. My classmates were of an age to understand what was going on but — with no hair, you stand out a mile — and the younger ones would ask ‘why have you no hair’ and I’d be trying to explain.”

Now living in Galway, where she works at the Marine Institute, Teresa describes her health as “perfect”. She was given the “official all-clear” four years ago.

“Back when I was diagnosed, everything was very formal. If you had questions, you had to ask the nurse or doctor. Accessibility to other survivors wasn’t as prevalent as now.”

For 10 of the past 12 years, Teresa has sold daffodils on Daffodil Day. “As a cancer survivor, I want to give hope. A former patient being involved raises the profile of what Daffodil Day’s all about.”

Teresa recalls the questions she had as a

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

child cancer patient. “Can I be cured? Can I play football again? What can I eat? Can I go to school?”

The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) recognises people’s vital need for information. Its Cancer Information Service (CIS) offers advice, information and support to anyone worried about cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and care.

In 2009, the society decided to bring cancer information to the centre of the cancer patient’s world — the hospital — where the need most manifests. The first Daffodil Centre opened in Galway University Hospital in June 2009, the second in Beaumont Hospital in October 2010 and a third this month in the Mater. It has planned to open four more this year — two in Munster, one in the Midlands and another in Dublin.

“It’s probably taking longer than envisaged — there’s quite a lot involved,” says Joan Kelly, nursing services manager with the ICS. “You have to find the right location and there may be established services that you don’t want to disrupt.”

The concept also needs explaining to hospital management. Centres are managed by ICS nurses, supported by trained volunteers.

“There may be fears about the volunteer’s role — about their level of training, about professionalism and boundary management.

We explain about the screening process, the Garda vetting, interviews and training, which is ongoing.”

Teresa Quinn, CIS nurse at the Beaumont Daffodil Centre says callers to the centres range from students wanting to know how to avoid cancer to women worried their children are smoking or that their husband won’t go for prostate-screening.

In 2010, over 900 people used the Galway Daffodil Centre, while between October and December 2010, 800 people availed of the Beaumont centre.

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Roz Crowley visits the famous Tabasco factory in the heart of the Mississippi delta

Some like it hot

R

ICH in vitamins and good for our metabolism, fiery chilli peppers are a useful addition to our culinary armoury. We can use them fresh, dried, chopped, ground or in a sauce from the Tabasco company.

Based in Louisiana in the heart of the Mississippi delta, I visited the Tabasco factory recently to see the operation. Impressed with the artisan feel and environmental awareness, I was even more surprised by the time — three years — that goes into the production of the small iconic bottle of what is a simple, unadulterated product.

For many of us, our first taste of Tabasco was in our first Bloody Mary. The chilli pepper gave the sweet tomato a kick and cured whatever ailed us. Today Tabasco is becoming fashionable and being used in top restaurants to give a wide range of dishes an easy lift.

The base of Tabasco is vitamin-rich red chilli peppers which also contain carotenoids which help age-related macular degeneration.

The heat of the peppers stimulates digestion and helps expel mucous, so for the end of the cold season, handy to have at the ready.

Peppers of the capsicum frutescens family are grown in Louisiana to produce seeds for the peppers grown in Africa, Vietnam and South America. The peppers are then delivered to one quite small production unit on Avery Island on the coast in the middle of the bayous, the slow-moving small rivers which form the delta of the vast Mississippi river. All 150 million bottles of Tabasco sold every year in 160 countries are produced here.

With roots in Scotland and Co Donegal, Edmund McIlhenny invented the sauce in the 1860s and Paul, a descendent, now owns and runs the factory on Avery Island in the delta. The hot red peppers are the base of the sauce, fermented in local salt for three years.

As fermentation takes place the mixture bubbles up, and a hole is drilled in the lid of the barrel to release excess fumes.

A layer of salt on top ensures it is sealed just enough to allow fermentation to continue. The salt layer is removed and the mash blended with distilled vinegar and stirred gently for four weeks before straining and bottling. It’s a simple, pure, unadulterated product, and in 142 years the iconic little bottle with its diamond shaped red and green label has never changed.

The heat of spices is measured in Scoville units. A bell pepper registers zero heat units, while a jalapeno registers 1,500, a cayenne pepper 30,000 units and the habanero a scorching 200,000 units. The capsicum frutescens pepper used in Tabasco registers over 50,000 Scoville heat units. A little goes a long way.

Foolishly, I tasted one chilli pepper which was 10 times hotter than the regular pepper sauce. It took 20 minutes for my mouth to come back to life. I was given a shot of Bourbon to cool the palate. It didn’t work and not to be recommended while working, though the day looked less grey and rainy for a while.

Hamilton Pope is in charge of the maintenance of the bourbon barrels which are imported from the Honduras. He works in the calm, slightly musty, near darkness of the cellar.

Modern production after fermentation, along with bottling is high tech, and the facility is a mass of stainless steel tanks and banks of temperature controls, gauges and gadgets all ticking and swishing calmly, the rich red and orange colour swirling like an oil painting in progress.

A huge advantage for Tabasco is the peppers can be harvested all year round. The sauce is made in small batches 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

Little goes to waste. The leftovers of seeds and skins are sold for capsicum flavouring in the food industry, some even blended into cheeses. The pepper mash is also used in large cauldrons of boiling water for cooking local blue crabs.

Bees are kept on the island and sugar plantation mulch from local farmers is used to fertilise the oak trees. It’s an eco-friendly development.

There are competing pepper sauces in the marketplace, but none I tasted match Tabasco for depth of flavour. This comes from the long fermentation and care in using peppers at their perfect point of ripeness. The peppers are measured against a stick called a “petit baton rouge” to judge their ripeness.

Try Tabasco as a condiment instead of pepper, especially in burgers and tomato sauces and look up the internet for some Creole recipes. They will give your early spring repertoire a lift.

“Foolishly, I tasted one chilli pepper which was ten times hotter than the regular pepper sauce. It took 20 minutes for my mouth to come back to life. I was given a shot of bourbon to cool the palate”

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CHILI OUT: Hamilton Pope at the Tabasco factory in Louisiana with the vats in which the peppers ferment for the distinctive hot sauce.

Check it out ■ THE Cork Free Choice Consumer Group’s next meeting will focus on the story of Cork butter. Dr Colin Rynne, senior lecturer in archaeology, UCC, will explore the history of butter processing in Cork, a major industry that was started in a recession and ask what are the lessons for now. The venue is Crawford Art Gallery Café. Thursday, March 31 at 7.30pm. Entrance F6 including tea and coffee.

■ Opened since just before Christmas, Rohu’s Country Market on the main street of Inishannon, Co Cork, is testament to positive anti-recession thinking. Open seven days a week, it has an excellent range of fresh, locally grown vegetables, smoked fish, jointed fresh rabbit, various speciality foods, along with delicious cakes, tarts and ready meals. Enquiries 021-4775107.

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Male health

At 37, I had a stroke O

NE sunny morning last July, Gary Smith happily loaded his golf clubs and packed his bag for a day’s golfing. Within hours, he was in Wexford general hospital where brain scans showed he had a major clot in his brain. He had just turned 37.

“There’s no history of stroke in my family and doctors have no idea why I had a stroke,” says Gary, who’s married to Claire and lives in Boolavogue, Co Wexford with their son, Ciaran, seven.

“Two minutes from my house, the chap I was with knew something was wrong. I couldn’t lift my right arm, my speech was slurred and my face had sunk. He turned around and drove me home.”

There, Gary’s wife, Claire, suspected he had suffered a stroke. She rang 999 and after confirming over the phone that Gary couldn’t speak clearly or couldn’t hold his arms up — his right one dropped immediately — they went to hospital.

Gary was one of 10,000 strokes victims in

Deirdre O'Flynn MOSTLY MEN

Ireland each year, according to the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF). He is highlighting National Stroke Week next week, organised by the IHF, supported by Covidien. A simple test can recognise if someone has had a stroke. Facial weakness — can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped? Arm weakness — can the person raise both arms?

Speech problems — can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Call 999 if you spot any one of these signs.

“I couldn’t process the fact that I’d had a stroke, as I thought it was something that happened to older people,” says Gary, who worked as a truck driver before his stroke. “I

Smoker deaths equal toll of 90 bus crashes LIVES lost to smoking in Ireland equal the death toll from 90 double-decker bus crashes, according to the Irish Heart Foundation.

It’s not too late to stop. “Smoking doubles a person’s chances of having a stroke and almost trebles their chances of having a heart attack,” says Michael O’Shea, chief executive of the Irish Heart Foundation. “Using tobacco causes clogging of the arteries, heart disease, sudden death and heart failure. The truth is there is nothing good about smoking a cigarette. Every time a smoker inhales, they are inhaling

TAKE

chemicals such as nail polish remover, car-battery fluid and insecticide.

“But the good news is that stopping smoking is the single biggest thing a person can do to protect their health and their heart. In fact, a smoker will enjoy immediate health benefits as soon as 20 minutes after stopping. In this short time, a smoker’s blood pressure and pulse rate will return to normal and circulation improves in their hands and feet.”

■ See the Irish Heart Foundation Stop Smoking leaflet on www.irishheart.ie

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Feelgood

STRUCK DOWN: Gary Smith was preparing to go golfing when he had a stroke. There is no history of the condition in his family.

Picture: Patrick Browne was in hospital for 16 days — it was tough and scary but doctors couldn’t believe my rate of recovery.”

After, Gary needed just speech and language therapy, despite having been paralysed in his right arm and right leg on the morning of the stroke. “To look at me today, you’d never guess I had a stroke. But it’s scary that there was no cause for it and my wife still rings me frequently if I’m out of the house.”

To mark National Stroke Week, the Irish Heart Foundation is holding free public talks

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by speakers including stroke consultants. Talks will take place in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone on Monday, March 28 at 6pm; the Woodlands Hotel, Waterford on Tuesday, March 29 at 6pm; Limerick Strand Hotel, Limerick City on Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm; and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway on Thursday, March 31 at 7pm.

■ Register on www.stroke.ie, email advocacy@irishheart.ie or call Sarah Horgan, Irish Heart Foundation on 01-6346925.

It’s urgent but where is DId you know... the defibrillator stored? Man bags — carrying gym gear, laptop — weighing over 13lbs can cause back and shoulder pain

FIRST-AID training specialists Southern Safety have launched a website, IrishDefib.ie, to locate and catalogue every automatic external defibrillator (AED) in Ireland.

IrishDefib.ie, the brainchild of Martin O’Brien of Southern Safety, says it allows businesses and communities to raise awareness of their de-

fibrillators’ location. “There are thousands of defibrillators all over Ireland which need to have a greater chance of saving a life by people actually know where they are and how to access them,” he Picture: Getty says. “Irishdefib.ie aims to bring these AEDs to the attention of every person.”

■ Contact IrishDefib.ie; Martin O’Brien at 066-9793702 or 087-9430624.

with Kate O’Reilly

PERFECT BALANCE: Pukka Herbs Harmonise Tea (F2.43 for 20 sachets) is a blend of balancing herbs that support women’s health. Drink it throughout the month to find the perfect balance. The blend contains rose hibiscus and vanilla which help to rejuvenate, chamomile flower to soothe and restore and shatavari, a nourishing women’s herb.

Pukka teas are available in health stores and supermarkets.

See www.pukkaherbs.com

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EXTRA SUPPORT: NHP Tranquil Woman Plus (F20.99 for 90 capsules) is formulated by nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville, who specialises in women’s health. Tranquil Woman Plus is a combination of specially selected nutrients for women who want extra support in managing a busy lifestyle.

All of the nutrients are aimed at helping you cope mentally and physically. The blend includes all the B vitamins with extra B5, magnesium, chromium, curcumin, Siberian ginseng, L-theanine and aloe vera. See www.naturalhealthpractice.com.

(Source: British Chiropractic Association)

Women’s health KEY NUTRIENTS: Nature’s Plus Source of Life Women (F34.95 for 60 tablets) is a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement created to address the unique needs of a woman’s body.

Designed to optimally support women’s health and wellbeing at each stage of life, Source of Life Women supplies finely balanced quantities of key nutrients including soy isoflavones.

Visit www.naturesplus.com for a full list of ingredients.

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HEALING HERBS: The term cystitis can cover a range of infections and irritations in the lower urinary system. Between 20% and 40% of women will get cystitis in their lifetime.

Bionorica Cystipret (F16.59 for 60 tablets) harnesses the healing power of herbs for the treatment of cystitis.

The three healing herbs in the formula are centaury, lovage and rosemary, which together have a diuretic, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory action.

This helps to reduce harmful bacteria in the urinary tract and relieve painful symptoms. See www.bionorica.co.uk.

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Beauty

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The news on...

Wiping up WE have a love-hate relationship with cleansing wipes. We love them because they’re easy to use, and after a long day or a long night, they’re pretty much a no-brainer. We hate them because most of them aren’t biodegradable, and most of the time, they’re not that kind to the skin. New Good Things Total Wipe Out Cleansing Wipes, F4.01, come with raspberry and cranberry extracts, and are quite thick and soft on the skin. Best of all, they’re biodegradable. And they’re not expensive either. We’re happy.

Goodthingsbeauty.com

Emily O’Sullivan

Get ready for some home pampering as 2011 is tipped as a breakthrough year for spanking new spa products

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011 is the year of the tight personal budget, so naturally enough, there are a few things that have to go into the “this is an indulgence we don’t need” box.

Dinners in restaurants fancier than Milano or Wagamama are in the box. Random purchases are in the box. And spa treatments feature too.

Yes, we do love a Hammam massage, and enjoyed a lovely flotation experience when pregnant a few years ago, but more often than not you can end up wondering it was really worth all the fuss.

Spa treatments can be notoriously expensive and, while you usually float out of the treatment room all relaxed and blissful, you can often be snapped back to reality sharply when you come to settle the bill.

But there is a way of getting a spa “feel” as it were, without actually visiting a spa, or indeed a salon. And that’s with spa brands. Spa products have increased their presence enormously in the beauty market over the last few years. And their presence is set to rev up even more. In fact, Spa Finder’s 2011 Spa Trend Report has spa brands down as number four in a top 10 of spa trends for this year, with 2011 tipped as a “breakthrough year for

Take three UV Screens We are big fans of the UV screen. These little babies are excellent for shielding your skin from UV rays and pollution.

Screens from the likes of Clinique have been around for quite a while now, with their City Block almost a modern classic and Nuxe this season’s new arrival.

DIY spas Picture: Getty Images

spanking new spa brand models”.

And it’s happening already. The world-famous Champneys is the latest to go high street, with the launch of a product line in conjunction with Boots. Champneys is the biggest spa group in Britain, with more than enough experience to create a line of products that work a treat. At a fraction of the cost of a spa treatment, the range includes body product lines such as Oriental Opulence which features silk proteins, warming ginseng, ylang ylang, sandalwood and patchouli.

The Body Glow is particularly spa-like with its combination of honey, sea salt, rice bran wax and sesame oil. We know it doesn’t come armed with a beauty therapist to do it all for you, but you can’t have everything — right?

The success of the spa brand owes much to

the reputation the spa comes from — The Sanctuary is the top spa in Britain. After all, if neither you nor anybody else has heard of the it, chances are you’re not going to be mightily impressed. Then again, aspirational spas score quick hits once their brands get out into the market.

Spa brands are a great way of targeting more successfully specific issues to suit your skin type or concern. Elemis is excellent for high-tech formulations, for example, such as the tri-enzyme resurfacing facial wash, while Bliss has got the hip section of the market cornered with products that boast tongue-in-cheek names such as No Zit Sherlock. At the other end of the scale, you’ll find cosmeceutical-style products from high-grade brands such as La Therapie which uses advanced formulations to tackle issues such as acne and scarring.

Olé Henricksen Henricksen’s exclusive spa is located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and this skincare guru has treated famous faces such as Kylie Minogue and Charlize Theron. The range is excellent, with simple products made with natural active ingredients, which are really very effective. Try the Firm Action Mask to tighten those pores.

Decléor THIS French brand is rich with essential oils and their Aromessence products are particularly rich with powerful concentrates. Guaranteed to be 100% natural and 100% effective, the star product in the Aromessence range is Neroli, an award-winning serum with six essential and plant oils. Add two drops to the skin before moisturising.

Elemis A whopping 6.5 million spa-goers use Elemis each year and the brand boasts 1,200 spas and salons worldwide. The products are expensive, and it’s best to try them with a spa treatment. One of their bestsellers is Elemis Marine Collagen Cream. And we’re very partial to the Silk Nourishing Milk. Yum.

La Thérapie La Thérapie’s products are super-expensive and tend to be more targeted to particular conditions.

The brand uses pharmaceutical grade formulas to create products that have high claims for anti-ageing, hyper-pigmentation and acne-scarring.

Champneys It’s the largest destination spa in Britain and now you can find its products in Boots.

The Spa Indulgence range is all about creating the feel of a spa in your own home with product lines including Oriental Opulence and Thai Royale. Spa Indulgence also includes skincare ranges such as Age Excellence and Spa Facial, with the Illuminating Beauty Balm set to become a fave.

Clinique City Block SPF 25, F20.50. There are lots of other contenders on the market right now, but we’re still pretty partial to Clinique’s pioneering City Block. It’s got a very slight tint to it and almost feels more like a very light tinted moisturiser than a city screen. If you want to amp up the UV protection, then go for the Super City Block with an SPF of 40.

Nuxe Ecran Prodigieux F17.50. Unusually for a UV screen, Nuxe claims its Ecran Prodigieux can be used in the city and on the beach — good news for anyone who hates slathering thick suncream all over their face. Like the Clarins product, it’s easy to carry around allowing you to reapply it when you need to.

Clarins UV Plus SPF 40, F36.16. This screen has the kind of texture that doesn’t cause your make-up to slide off once you’ve applied it.

The bottle is quite small, but it’s light and portable and it does glide on to the skin very well. The high factor is also a big calling card for us.

STUFF WE LIKE

Feelgood

The Sanctuary Designed over 30 years ago as somewhere for the female dancers of The Royal Opera House to relax, the Sanctuary Spa in Convent Garden has a reputation that precedes it. A timely collaboration with Boots

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

sent it stratospheric, and it’s one of the most recognisable spa brands in Ireland.

The products are excellent and reasonably priced. Try the nourishing Kyphi Hot Sugar Scrub.

Bliss We love Bliss. It’s an attractive product range because it’s fun, as well as being filled with lots of little gadgety type products that stop you getting bored, such as their Glamour Gloves for dehydrated hands. The Triple Oxygen line is a bestseller, with the Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask being a must-have among beauty editors. Singer/songwriter Rihanna is also a big fan, if you don’t mind.

“The Bliss oxygen mask is great for when I’ve been partying,” says Rihanna, “It wakes my skin up.”

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Natural health

Q

My father has recently been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He is in good health, eats well, is slim and very fit. The diagnosis has hit him hard and would appreciate some tips to help him through his upcoming radiotherapy. He will need 36 weeks of treatment.

Megan Sheppard Do you have a question for Megan Sheppard?

Email it to feelgood@examiner.ie or send a letter to Feelgood Irish Examiner City Quarter Lapps Quay Cork

A. The natural support remedy I would recommend is an Asian adaptogenic herb called schisandra. It works to strengthen the support system, assist the liver in processing the increased toxin load, and to reduce the side-effects associated with radiotherapy.

Your father can either get the berries from a herbalist and make his own infusion, or take a standardised supplement. Viridian’s Schisandra Berry Extract is available from health stores (or visit www.hereshealth.ie) and costs F21.10 for 90 capsules. Take one capsule, twice daily.

The prostate is a small gland located at the neck of the bladder in males. This gland is frequently overlooked or ignored until it starts to cause a problem, so I would appeal to all male readers to take preventative action regarding prostate health. Prostate cancer begins with a single damaged cell which then divides at an uncontrolled rate, eventually forming a lump. Occurring mostly in men over the age of 50, this disease is quite treatable if it is caught early enough — so it makes sense to be familiar with the signs.

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is an important herbal remedy for prostate health — it works by triggering the relaxation of smooth muscle cells in the prostate gland and has been proven scientifically to outperform many commonly prescribed prostate drugs.

Add pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to your diet, as these are high in vitamin E and zinc, which are important for male reproductive and urinary health.

While many men believe the prostate plays a role in urine flow regulation, it is an essential part of the reproductive system. The symptoms of painful, difficult, or frequent urination are in fact due to the location of the prostate — because it is wrapped around the urethra (tube which carries urine from the bladder), it has a profound effect on urinary habits when it becomes swollen.

Men Against Cancer (MAC) is a support group run by men who have been successfully treated for prostate or testicular cancer.

Their aim is to provide reassurance and information for men dealing with any stage of this disease — from diagnosis to post-radiotherapy recovery. Contact the helpline on 1800 200 700 (Monday to Friday), or email support@irishcancer.ie.

This will certainly be a very trying time for your father, and also for you. Do make sure that you take care to nurture yourself physically and emotionally throughout this time as this is of benefit to both of you.

HEALTH CHECK: Prostate cancer is quite treatable if it is caught early enough.

Picture: Getty

Q. I have a burning feeling in my legs and they feel very tired and heavy when I walk. The doctor gave me anti-inflammatories, but they make me sick. I am 60 years old and I still get hot flushes, how long do they last? I don’t take any tablets for them.

A. First, to address the burning sensation: it sounds as if this is related to nerve function. Neuropathy is the term used to describe damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system (the part of the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord), which is why it is typically called peripheral neuropathy.

Pain and numbness, along with a tingling or burning feeling are the most common symptoms. While it is usually located in the hands and feet, it can occur elsewhere in the body. Neuropathy is a common occurrence among people with diabetes (more than 50% of diabetics have neuropathy), however it can

also appear as a result of injury, infection, and exposure to toxins. Many people have this condition with no apparent cause, which is referred to as idiopathic neuropathy.

If you feel you are at risk for diabetes, then please do get this checked as soon as possible. Herbs which may be useful to relieve the sensation and help repair the nerves include oat straw (oats are also a beneficial dietary addition), valerian, vervain, skullcap, lobelia, St John’s wort, ginger, liquorice, and crampbark.

Now for the hot flushes: there is no telling how long they will go for, since every woman is unique when it comes to menopausal symptoms. Sage will certainly help with this problem. Whether you make sage tea fresh from the garden, or opt for a sage tincture, this herb is a miracle worker.

Menosan from A Vogel is a fabulous sage product specifically tailored for menopausal hot flushes, and is available from health stores, F10.50 for 50ml of tincture.

NOTE: The information contained above is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor first

Megan puts the spotlight on:

E

SSENTIAL fatty acids are vital for health in people of all ages, and in the last 10 years health professionals have realised just how essential these fats are. There are many studies, large and small, which show beyond a shadow of a doubt the positive impact that omega-3 fatty acids have on brain health, particularly when it comes to memory and behaviour. In more recent years the focus has been on how important these nutrients are for the growing foetus.

DHA (docosahexanoic acid) is the omega-3 essential fatty acid which is critical in ensuring optimal growth and functioning of the brain. This is why it

Feelgood

is present in breast milk. It not only helps with optimal neurological development for the baby in the womb, it also helps to reduce the incidence and severity of post-natal depression. And for all of those mothers who have experienced what is often termed as “placenta-brain” (forgetfulness, absent-mindedness, and mood swings during pregnancy and while breastfeeding), adding EFAs to your diet will improve your mental and

Omega-3s Essential During Pregnancy emotional wellbeing too.

There is another important benefit for the developing baby while still in the womb — healthy birth weight. Research has shown that inadequate amounts of omega-3s in the diet is linked to low birth weight.

If you choose to source your EFAs from fish, then make sure that you choose deep-sea fish, avoiding those which have a higher risk of being contaminated with mercury (such as swordfish, tuna, and marlin). Good options

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

include mackerel, sardines, Atlantic salmon, and trout. Options for vegetarians and vegans include chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, hempseeds, olives, pumpkin seeds, and leafy greens (these include smaller amounts, but are highly bioavailable). DHA supplements, such as Dr Joel Fuhrman’s DHA Purity, are available in most health stores.

For those who want to get a headstart on the health of their baby, check out Optimum Nutrition Before, During and After Pregnancy, by Patrick Holford (founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition) and Susannah Lawson (practitioner at Foresight, the association for the promotion of preconception care).

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Prevention is better than cure

When 34 year old Kenneth Fallon started losing his hair 4 years ago he went to see the HairClinic and was told about a revolutionary painfree laser treatment that prevents hairloss and helps to thicken existing thin hair.

“The trichologist told me that it was important that I caught my hairloss early as when the hair is gone, it’s gone, and the laser can only work on thinning hair. I cannot grow hair on a bald head. I was

Before treatment

also told that the condition I had, known as Androgenic Alopecia, was an inherited condition and as my dad was bald, as was my grandad, I knew I has to do something as I was heading the same way.

“Unfortunately with my work and the birth of my daughter, I didn’t go ahead with treatment straight away as recommended and my hair just got worse and worse. I kept meaning to do something about it but I just

kept putting it off which I know is the worst thing to do as I know once the hair root is dead, it’s too late.

One evening, after we had been out with friends, a friend of mine posted the evening’s pictures on Facebook and I couldn’t believe how bad my hair looked. I hated seeing myself like that and I knew I had to do something. The next day I made another appointment with the HairClinic which was the original Cork City

clinic I had visited all those years ago and I was told that I has lost some hair around the crown so I would always be a little bit light in that area.

But the great news was that the laser treatment would stop my hair from getting any worse and also thicken my thinning hair.

9 months on and there has been a huge improvement in my hair and I am delighted.

I just wish I had done treatment earlier when I first noticed the thinning!

Stops hairloss and thickens hair in 94% of patients

Totally safe and painfree

Works for men and women

FDA cleared as having no side effects

FREE Consultation

After 6 months laser treatment

No 2 Camden Place, St Patricks Bridge, Cork t: (021) 4552424

OPENING TIMES: Monday to Friday 8am-9.30pm

Please log on to www.thehairclinichlcc.com Feelgood

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011