Summer 2011 by The Waiting Room Magazine

UR PY ME YO E CO HO E E FR TAK TO

FR EE

PUPPIES & KITTENS

TWO GIRLS ON A STRANGER’S COUCH

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

22| DANGEROUS

34| LOW COST TRAVEL OR

ANIMALS?

LOW COST TROUBLE?

25| MEDICAL EXPERTS: DETECTING SKIN CANCER

Summer 2011 * Issue Eight

PADRAIG HARRINGTON 14| GOLFING CLOTHES, WILD WEATHER AND HIS FAVOURITE COURSE

BELOW THE BELT 27| DR MARK HAMILTON ON MAN MATTERS

WWW.WAITINGROOM.IE

THE HEDGEHOG 30| LOW-MAINTENANCE

PEST-CONTROL

ADDICTION 17| WHAT ARE YOU HOOKED ON?

DrQuinn HeartSpecialist? JANE SEYMOUR on her family history of Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke |10

SAVE Are the Irish y? avvPOSAY unLASROCHE OUR SWIN SUN PROTECTION SKIN PACKS WORTH h150 INSIDE! |24

side us InOF PRIZE Pl€2000 LUXURY

HOTEL BREAKS AWAY |16 GRAB YOURSELF A PAIR OF SPRINGBOOST |9 PRIZE CROSSWORD AND PUZZLES |36

ummer is here again, officially, and with it, long hours of sunshine. As with everything good, we can get too much of it, and we need to be always on our guard against overexposure, especially with children, because sunlight’s harmful ultra violet rays cause skin cancer, a condition to which pale-skinned, blue-eyed Celts, i.e. most of us, are particularly prone. In this issue, we offer much expert advice on skin cancers from doctors who deal with them every day. Our editorial staff have had a field day this time round, interviewing celebrities like Jane Seymour (on family health issues), Pádraig Harrington (not only golf!), Amanda Brunker (on why she would tell her 16 year old self that life does work out beautifully – lucky her!) and TG4’s Áine Goggins who had a hard job convincing us that the very risky-sounding practice of sleeping on the couches of total strangers in foreign lands is safe. Claire Greene, veterinary surgeon and cellist extraordinaire, gives some sound advice on why we should be careful of overly intimate contact with pets that may not have been properly wormed or deflea-ed, while TV’s Dr Mark Hamilton addresses some male health issues which effect men many but which very few will discuss, thus attempting to answer the old conundrum: if hypochondriacs are people who think they’re sick when they’re not, are most men hyperchondriancs, people who think they’re not sick, when they are? And that’s only for starters... I hope you enjoy this, our second birthday issue, and, as always, wish you a speedy recovery and continued good health.

in ide SUMMER 2011

HEALTH

22 Zoonosis

Are kittens and puppies dangerous pets? Vet, Claire Greene, says they can be.

25 Spot the Difference

FEATURES

TV’s Dr Mark Hamilton, answers health questions from a few men who take their heads out of the sand for long enough to ask them.

28 Eat to Beat Cancer

Cover Story

Dr Quinn, Heart Specialist? Jane Seymour on her family history of Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke.

TRAVEL

12 A Forgotten Death

Clareman, Dr Fergus Glynn’s ten months in Niger with Médecins Sans Frontières.

14 Padraig Harrington

Ireland’s legendary golfer, steps off the course to talk to us.

17 Hooked

Addictive behaviour is becoming more and more common. What’s yours?

33 The Beara Way

Grounded by the Icelandic ash-cloud last year, walkers Anne Marshall and some friends discover the delights of their alternative.

34 Two Girls on a Couch

Is Couch-surfing, the internetbased worldwide network of free accommodation, a brilliant idea or a risky business?

30 The Hedgehog

REGULARS

38 Famous Last Words

Panic Attacks by ICGP’s Dr Iain Morrison; Galway’s legendary Marathon Man; Great Survivors and more.

Common in most of the country, why did it disappear from Connemara thirty years ago?

Maurice O’Scanaill EDITOR

27 Below the Belt

Our regular nutritionist, Jess Keane on eating healthy and helping to beat cancer.

10 Affairs of the Heart

Know your spots and when they change. Doctors Jack Kelly and Eugene Curtin discuss the relation between sun-exposure and skin cancer.

Amanda Brunker. Blonde Bombshell Party Animal, or Renaissance Woman? She’s not just a pretty face.

5 Notebook

36 Puzzle Place

Enjoy the puzzles and win prizes.

WIN WIN WIN...

5 Win SpringBoost Footwear / 16 Win Hotel Breaks / 22 Win €150 of Sun Protection / 36 Prize Puzzles Spring 2011 Winners: SpringBoost Competition: Tina O'Sullivan, Clonmel, Co Tipperary; Antonia Onovo, Bantry, Co. Cork Wordsearch: Gerardine Walsh, Callan, Co Kilkenny Crossword: Marie Flanagan, Monaghan Town, Co Monaghan

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SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

notebook HEALTH

Panic Attacks are extremely traumatic incidents, one of the most scary experiences you can have ICGP’s Dr. Iain Morrison, talks us through the distressing phenomenon. These are among the most horrible experiences patients can suffer, with terrifying shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, pounding heartbeat, pins and needles, sweating, dizziness, dryness in the mouth and other symptoms suggestive of a heartattack or stroke. Some patients report feeling that they are about to collapse or that they need to get outside for air. Different patients report different combinations of these symptoms initially, but fear leads to an escalation, so it’s a very vicious circle. Adrenaline primes us for flight or fight when we are scared so, when we can see no outside threat, we fear a threat from within, which only increases our adrenaline levels and so on.

ANXIETY Panic attacks can occur as isolated one-off events or they may be part of an underlying anxiety disorder. And, as with any traumatic experience, patients often feel stressed, shaken and tired even the day after recovery. When patients suffer from recurring panic attacks to the point that their lives are affected, they are deemed to suffer from Panic Disorder. Presented with these symptoms, especially if it’s the patient’s first panic attack, the GP has to decide on whether or not to rule out a serious underlying medical condition, like a genuine heart problem. This is often not an easy call and a prudent referral to A&E for a second opinion may be the doctor’s route of choice. As panic attacks have a significant psychological input, the patient’s regular GP, being familiar with the patient’s history and family history, will have a distinct edge when making this judgement call. Factors that may lead the GP to suspect panic attack: • Sudden onset – especially in young, otherwise fit patients; less so in older or people with underlying health issues. • Symptoms commencing when patient was at rest, with mind idle. People whose minds are occupied have less panic attacks. Some patients report waking up at night convinced they are dying. • Patient subconsciously ‘fearing’ a heart attack or stroke because of family history of sudden death. Of course, family history also makes them more likely candidates for real heart attacks and strokes. YOUR FREE COPY

• Underlying depression/anxiety disorder. Sometimes there may be a history of poor sleeping, chronic tiredness, low mood/sadness, chronic tension and a feeling of ‘being on edge all the time.’ • Some ‘body-aware’ people are oversensitive to ‘minor’ body changes, which may trigger a panic attack. • Some ostensibly strong patients may have been leaned on to such an extent by others during a crisis or bereavement, that their own physical and emotional reserves have been depleted to the point that they ‘crash’ months later. Despite the fact that finding out that they have suffered neither a heart attack nor a stroke ought to be very good news indeed, many patients are not pleased to be told they’ve had a panic attack; it seems to smack of a ‘mental’ condition. But actually there is major psychological involvement. Certainly, the same underlying neurochemical problems encountered in depression and generalised anxiety illnesses are also associated with panic attacks, and panic attacks often respond well to medications used for

depression. Psychologically, a traumatic experience may be lodged in someone’s subconscious and the fear of this can be triggered randomly and lead to a panic attack out of the blue.

INVESTIGATION

THE GP HAS TO DECIDE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO RULE OUT A SERIOUS UNDER-LYING MEDICAL CONDITION

There is no single treatment for panic attacks as their causes are so varied. Simply telling the patient not to panic is rarely effective as panic, by definition, is not under anyone’s command, neither patient’s nor trusted doctor’s. Controlling breathing where the patient is hyperventilating is vital and the first priority; some may respond to an instruction as simple as blowing slowly into a paper bag. Once the panic levels decrease – and it is vital to reassure the patient that they always do, a fact which in itself gives some relief – discussion and exploration of the reasons why may give lasting relief. On a longer term basis, relaxation therapies like Yoga can be very beneficial, provided they are kept up. Recurrent panic attacks and Panic Disorder need deeper investigation and may need psychotherapy and/ or medication.

AWARENESS

Man to Man We all have worries, right? Health, relationships, work, no work, peace of mind, depression, lifestyle, finances... There’s a long list and there’s not even one single post-puberty guy in Ireland today who doesn’t have to tick a few of the boxes if he’s being honest with himself. Men’s Health Week – this year from Monday 13th to Sunday 19th June (Father’s Day) – is the ideal time to take stock, along with thousands of other men countrywide. Coordinated by The Men’s Health Forum in Ireland.

Check out mhfi.org and facebook.com/MensHealthWeek SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

notebook FACT SCIENCE

Great Surviors When Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot through the head in Tucson, Arizona on January 8th 2011, doctors were surprised that she did not die. But, despite the bullet having passed through her brain, her progress since has been remarkable. The truth is that being shot through the brain is not necessarily always fatal. Matthew Gross, shot by an elderly Islamic extremist in 1997 in a gun attack in New York’s Empire State Building, survives relatively unscathed, even though the bullet went in one side of his head and out the other. But many years before, America’s most famous survivor of a horrific brain penetration achieved great notoriety. Phineas P Gage (25) was a young foreman working on railroad construction. In 1848, as he was using a tamping iron (an iron bar 1.25” in diameter,

Liquid Explosive Microwaved water can superheat.

Phineas P Gage with ‘his’ tamping iron

3’7” long and weighing 6 kg) to tamp explosive into a hole drilled in a rock, the explosive went off and blew the iron right through his head, enter-

ing through his left cheek, emerging from the top of his head and landing, according to reports, some 25 feet away, covered in blood and brain matter.

It can boil quicker than the steambubbles can form. Therefore when it is taken out and suddenly disturbed, all the trapped steam bubbles suddenly come together and blow out the super-heated water with an explosive force, scalding everything around. This is like opening a fizzy drinks bottle or can that has been shaken. Superheating is more likely to happen with small volumes (less than a half cup) and in new cups. A friend also had her face and kitchen ceiling ‘decorated’ when she poked a knife through the skin on top of dark chocolate straight from the microwave – luckily there was no lasting damage. • Beware of placing water on its own in the microwave – put something like a wooden spatula in it • Never microwave liquids for more than two minutes per cup • Always let microwaved liquids stand for 30 seconds before disturbing them.

Remarkably, he survived, recovered and worked at various jobs for the next 12 years. Then, following several seizures and convulsions he died.

FOOD

Are you a home-cook hero? Easy Food magazine is looking for Supermoms, Superdads, Superkids or someone who is just plain Super!

Enter your tried and tested recipe into the Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Cookery Competition and be in with a chance to win some recognition for all that hard work you do in the kitchen, in addition to some fantastic prizes! See easyfood.ie for details of how to enter.

HERO HOME- COOK AWARDS

Salmon and spinach salad Courtesy of Easy Food, Ireland’s number one food magazine.

As the weather brightens and evenings get longer, a delicious salad is the order of the day. Packed with omega-3 goodness, iron, protein, vitamin C and a wealth of anti-oxidants, this tasty recipe is perfect for weekdays, or for entertaining. Serves 4

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

4 skinless salmon fillets; 285g baby spinach leaves; 120g cherry tomatoes, halved; 75g goat’s cheese, crumbled; 60g pecans; Salt and pepper. For the dressing: 2tbsp olive oil; 4tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 garlic clove, crushed; ¼tsp dried rosemary. Preheat the grill. Line a baking tray with tin foil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper, then grill for 7-9 minutes, until cooked through. Leave to cool slightly, then use a fork to flake the fish. To make the dressing, combine together all the ingredients and season well. Fill a serving platter with the spinach leaves and cherry tomatoes, then top with the flaked salmon, crumbled goat’s cheese and pecans. Drizzle with some of the dressing, serving the rest on the side. YOUR FREE COPY

notebook HISTORY

TECHNOLOGY

Mick Molloy, Mighty Marathon Man Unassuming Galwayman, Mick Molloy, held the world record for the 30miles for four years in the mid seventies.

COVER Jane Seymour, wearing some of her own jewellery, the Open Heart collection. Inspired by her mother, the motto behind the design is: 'If your heart is open, love will always find its way in.'

At Walton-on-Thames, he took 2mins 47secs off the previous record while finishing a whole 4 minutes before the next runner home. But, a few weeks before that, in Belgium,

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE is produced and printed in Ireland EDITOR Maurice O’Scanaill maurice@waitingroom.ie MEDICAL EDITOR Dr Sophie Faherty PRODUCTION Helen Gunning helen@waitingroom.ie ADVERTISING Alex Xuereb alex@waitingroom.ie CONTRIBUTORS Dr Iain Morrison, Dr Fergus Glynn, Claire Greene, Dr Jack Kelly, Dr Eugene Curtin, Dr Mark Hamilton, Jess Keane, Anne Marshall and Maureen Corbett PRINT Boylan Print Group DISTRIBUTION An Post

CONTACT US The Waiting Room Magazine Northampton, Kinvara, Co Galway 091 638205 | info@waitingroom.ie Discover more at www.waitingroom.ie

Mick ran his fastest marathon to date – despite going off course! “At about 17 miles, I had just gone into the lead. There was a TV van ahead of us, filming the leaders. Seemingly they ran low on petrol and, when they left the course to find some, I followed, assuming that was the right course. They turned around after about 300 yards and led me back to the right road but, at that stage, I was back in 6th place, about half a mile behind the leader. I just fought back and gradually overhauled the leaders. By the 23 mile stage I was back in the lead, and I won by over 3minutes. My time was 2 hrs 18mins 41 seconds.” Mick Molloy’s feats are even more remarkable when you consider that he suffers from a blood disorder. His haemoglobin levels, absolutely vital to any athlete, are only 80% of normal!

HEALTH

For news, updates, offers and competitions, join us on facebook.com/TheWaitingRoomMagazine

Electronics cut both ways

Cause of the problem also prompts action to cure it! Playing MP3s through ear-buds at too high a volume is causing an alarming amount of early hearing loss, while, at the other end, a Hidden Hearing survey finds that it is difficulty in hearing the TV and radio that prompts 40% to seek a cure!

1,700 clinics already get Ireland’s FREE magazine for waiting patients. Published quarterly, The Waiting Room Magazine is free to medical clinics and free for their waiting patients to take away CLINICS... Furnish your waiting area with The Waiting Room Magazine For your FREE delivery, call 091638205 READERS... Save yourself the trip to the doctor’s, and have The Waiting Room Magazine delivered to your door! Annual subscription e12 (free delivery) for four issues, visit www.subscribe.ie AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS Total Average Net Circulation 83,002 (JUL-DEC 2010)

Q. When is A Rash Move a Wise One? A. When the rash is psoriasis and the wise move is downloading the free app, MyPsoriasis iPhone App With approximately 100,000 Irish people affected by psoriasis and only about 50% of them diligently carrying out their treatment, this app is a very handy tool indeed to help track and manage this troublesome condition. The MyPsoriasis iPhone App gives valuable information which is important to the many people who are reluctant to seek help. It facilitates access to support groups and enables people to photograph lesions at regular intervals to enable them to record progress. The diary allows people to keep track of their treatments and to record exposure to triggers. This Irish-developed resource is complemented by a website www.mypsoriasis.ie.

COMPETITION

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Springboost

We have two pairs of Springboost to giveaway! To claim your pair, simply tell us:

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A/ leg muscles only B/ Leg and back muscles or C/ Leg, back and body core muscles The Waiting Room Magazine will not be responsible for, nor will it return, unsolicited manuscripts. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Waiting Room Magazine. The entire contents of the magazine are the copyright of The Waiting Room Magazine and may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publishers.

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HOW TO ENTER: call 1515 415 462 or text TWR1 followed by your name, address and answer (A, B or C) to 57000 Terms: 18+. €1 per entry incl VAT. Network charges vary. Competition closes midnight 20 July 2011 Entries made after the close date do not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100.

SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

CAMPAIGN JANE SEYMOUR

Affairs of theHeart J

What is Atrial Fibrillation (AF)? AF is the most common sustained heart rhythm abnormality worldwide One in four adults over 40 develops AF AF causes the heart to beat irregularly, either too quickly or too slowly People with AF are FIVE times more likely to suffer a stroke AF-related strokes tend to be more severe and disabling than non AF-related strokes Many AF-related strokes can be prevented with correct management Many patients are not aware of their risk and are, therefore, not adequately treated

ane Seymour phoned me the other evening from Madrid. That’s right, the Jane Seymour – Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman herself, the gorgeous, Tarotturning Solitaire of Live & Let Die, the eighth Bond film, the delicate Emma Callon from The Onedin Line: for some reason, as soon as she spoke, the swelling theme music from that series came into my head. I wish I could close here and leave you all wondering, but actually the reason Jane called was that she was spearheading the launch of 1 Mission 1 Million – Getting to the Heart of Stroke, an International Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Campaign backed by major health NGOs around the world and by Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. “I'm involved for very personal reasons; my mother had AF and in fact she had a stroke,” she said. “Anyone who's been a caregiver for someone who's had a stroke, will know how debilitating and horrendous strokes can be. There is an urgent need for people to learn more about AF and how it relates to stroke. Through 1 Mission 1 Million, the public can actively help to prevent one million AF-related strokes by doing something as simple as voting online.” By this stage my own heart, usually a fairly reliable old pump, was doing funny things: that voice and, though we weren’t on a video-link... Jane’s phone call did not come out of the blue. It had, in fact, been arranged, so I’d had ample time to research her off-screen background. I learned that both her parents had been in the medical professions, that she was involved in all sorts of charities, projects and foundations that deal with children – some abused, some underprivileged, some sick. I viewed a 20 minute documentary on a trip she had taken with a band of US High School students to Kenya where they helped with the huge effort to vaccinate all that country’s children against measles, a disease that has been all but eradicated in the west but is a major child-killer in the third world. It was clear where her concerns lay – children, health – so had she ever considered being a real doctor? She

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

was, she told me, lousy at maths so it had never arisen. But I also knew that she had been bitten by the acting bug early on in life and, as someone who once played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady to the thunderous acclaim of my immediate family, I can well understand how other careers might very well lose their allure. I told her I was relieved to find that there was something that she was bad at – maths – because she seemed to excel at everything else, all her other careers: acting, bearing and rearing six children, being so active in so many health initiatives, writing, designing jewellery, her painting... I thought I felt a wistful sigh wafting up the line from Madrid when I mentioned painting. My earlier browse through her website had showed me that Jane Seymour is a very accomplished painter indeed. It is also, she informed me, her main recreational activity, how she relaxes, that and the odd round of golf. Thinking of other celebrities who have taken up political causes, I asked if the yawning gulf between rich and poor, between the realities of her own daily life and the charities she championed didn’t move her to become a political activist. No, she replied, she preferred the hands-on voluntary approach and expressed certain reservations about politics. I’d like to have discussed that more but our allotted time didn’t allow it. We chatted back and forth a bit more about her favourite roles, how she handles accents (she did a very good Dublin one for me to show how easy it came), what her children were up to – acting, singing, as you might expect – and then it was time to go. I thanked her, she told me it had been a pleasure and Jane Seymour passed out of my life. Just as I was hung up, I could have sworn I heard the dying bars of the theme music from The Onedin Line replace the dead line burr. #

“I'M INVOLVED FOR VERY PERSONAL REASONS. MY MOTHER HAD AF; IN FACT SHE HAD A STROKE.”

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CAMPAIGN JANE SEYMOUR

Jane Seymour launches Boehringer Ingelheim’s €1 million drive to fund projects working to prevent 1 million strokes from Atrial Fibrillation Help to prevent one million strokes worldwide by voting for your favourite AF awareness project on

www.heartofstroke.com where you can also see The Irish Heart Foundation's entry, The Truth about A Fib. Voting closes on 22nd June 2011 and the projects with the most votes will be awarded funding.

The website also features useful information about the risk factors for AF-related stroke and offers support and advice for people who have been diagnosed with the condition. YOUR FREE COPY

SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

CAMPAIGN MSF

Dr Fergus Glynn, MSN doctor, administers to a sick child.

A Forgotten Death called Hunger

Niger, a landlocked country in West Africa, is in the grip of a severe food and nutritional crisis. Dr. Fergus Glynn, a GP from Corofin, Co. Clare, spent 10 months working in MSF’s paediatric hospital in Zinder, in the east of the country last year. Here he shares one child’s story.

is name was Mourtala. I found out later that he was 20 months old but he was so small and under-developed that he looked 6 months at most. Early that morning, well before sunrise, Mourtala’s mother had left her village to walk the 17km to the nearest feeding centre with Mourtala fastened to her back in a colourful cotton throw. From there they endured a two hour journey over flood-ravaged ‘roads’ packed into a makeshift ambulance – along with nine other mothers and their critically ill kids – to reach our hospital. Mourtala ticked all the wrong boxes that morning, boxes that, by this point, I was able to tick automatically after having seen thousands of children like him in the 7 months I’d been in Niger. He had a dry, racking cough, his breathing was laboured and to make matters worse, he was unable to keep down even small sips of fluid, a very dangerous sign in this mercilessly hot environment. His immune system was so weakened by malnutrition that his body couldn’t produce the normal high temperature you’d see in healthy children in response to infection. While most Nigerien kids tended to be noticeably surprised the first time they met me – a tall, white, freckled creature – Mourtala’s eyes were sunken and listless. His chest, rising and falling at a rapid pace, was the only evidence of life struggling within. We needed to do something, quickly, or watch him die before our eyes.

In times like this, it’s best to go into autopilot mode and follow the protocols that MSF has set down do deal with emergencies. I carried his weightless body into the resuscitation room. I couldn’t get a drip into his collapsed veins so my only option was to place a metal cannula into the larger bone in his lower leg so we could begin administering the treatments which we hoped would save his life. For nearly two weeks in our intensive care unit, Mourtala fought many desperate battles against this forgotten death called hunger. To my great surprise, he at last pulled through. Mourtala was so grateful for this victory that he embarked energetically on another offensive - to win the hearts of all of us involved

and build up their immune system. From their village they attend an outpatient feeding centre for reassessment and to receive further rations of therapeutic food until Mourtala reaches his target weight at which point he will be finally discharged, to everyone’s relief. I’m so glad that Mourtala’s story has a happy ending, and of the thousands of kids who arrive at MSF’s hospital in Zinder, most do recover. But I still saw too many children arriving in a critically ill condition, and despite our best efforts, it was just too late. These children died from complications of malnutrition. Simply put, they died from hunger. These kids are loved and cherished every bit as fiercely by their parents as Irish

From his first beaming smile, we all gladly wrapped ourselves around his little finger. in his care, as if to chide us for having ever doubted him. From the moment he mustered his first beaming smile, immensely proud of himself after devouring his first food by mouth, we all gladly wrapped ourselves around his little finger. Finally, some four weeks after his emergency admission, Mourtala and his mother were on their way back to their village with a week’s supply of a specially developed nutritional food that contains the extra calories and the essential micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and especially animal proteins) for kids to reach their target weight

kids are; just because a child dying before their fifth birthday is more common in Africa doesn’t make it any less harrowing. MSF is working with the Nigerien Ministry of Health to break the vicious cycle of malnutrition which has stalked the country year after year. We are distributing therapeutic food to 100,000 children to prevent them becoming malnourished, and responding to cholera epidemics, measles and meningitis outbreaks. This way we can have a greater impact beyond the confines of our hospital in saving more young lives. #

If you are interested in supporting MSF through volunteering overseas, or donating, please call 01 660 3337 or visit www.msf.ie

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

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INTERVIEW PADRAIG HARRINGTON

Padraig Harrington

Since it was first played in 1860, only an elite handful of golfers have won the Open Championship in successive years. Padraig Harrington joined that august group in 2008. So who better to answer some of the puzzlers that perplex our non-golfing readers!

Some golfers of my acquaintance tell me they play dream golf for 35 holes, then blow a three shot lead on the last hole, only to lose the captain’s prize – again. Is this Murphy’s Law or just nerves, and what can anyone do about it? It’s certainly not Murphy’s Law! Realistically the only way to deal with this is to have the understanding and experience not to let the nerves get to you – to understand the process of what you want to do is important rather than just thinking of the outcome of what you want to do. Why do many golfers wear such odd-looking clothes? It is very important for any sportsman’s clothing to allow the necessary movement and our clothes are also a way of creating a brand and allowing sponsors good exposure. I know you donated valuable equipment to charity last year and that Goal benefited enormously. Do you feel that, with the big money involved in pro golf, the sport, as opposed to individuals, could do more for the poor? Everybody can always do more for the poor. Golfers are extremely privileged and would probably play for less money than we do, but I do think golfers on the whole are very active with helping charities. The PGA & European Tours contribute millions to charities and most players are involved in their own and a number of other charities.

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

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INTERVIEW PADRAIG HARRINGTON

I’ve heard the same friend – he’s a pretty basic guy – suggest that a beginner should practice his swing with his backside against a medium-sized hedge. Any comments on that, other than that I should choose my friends more carefully? It’s definitely not the worst tip in the world but it is still only a tip! What do you think is the silliest rule in golf? The rules of golf are continuously being revamped; some rules sound silly but they’re all there to do a job. Over the last 10–15 years, I think most of the ‘silly’ rules have been looked at. Years ago, a penalty was given to a player because his caddy lifted the flag out of the hole before his opponent’s ball had stopped moving – this rule has since been changed which is good! I believe that golf has the best set of rules and the most adhered to in sport. The European Tour and its members support charities at, and away from, tournaments, giving back nationally or to the local communities. A good example being the Make A Wish foundation at the Irish Open last year; not only was money raised for the charity during the week, but I was able to grant the wish of one of their ‘Wish Children’ which, as a Make a Wish ambassador, was a wonderful thing to be part of at my National Open. The PGA Tour also has a positive impact in communities where PGA Tour tournaments are held. In 2010, tournaments on the three Tours generated more than $120 million for local charitable organisations, bringing the Tour’s all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.6 billion!

GEORGE POWELL / CAMERA PRESS IRELAND

What age were you when you first became a scratch player? I think 17! A friend of mine, a vet, tells me that playing good golf is a natural thing, like pigs peeing: they don’t know how they do it, but they’re very good at it. Can you comment – on the truth behind it, rather than the analogy? There is no doubt that people who struggle with golf struggle because they believe golf is a different and unnatural sport compared to other ball/racket sports that they’ve played. But really it’s the same rotation and pivot that is used in skimming a stone on water, or your forehand shot on a tennis court. If golfers went back to what they naturally did as a child and used their natural ability to swing a golf club like they were swinging a stick, it would be better than doing what people perceive they should do – swing slowly, head down, long back swing etc., as really all these ideas are opposite of what you would naturally do! YOUR FREE COPY

“TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS IMPORTANT RATHER THAN JUST THINKING OF THE OUTCOME.” Above: A very relaxed member of the European Golf Tour in 1996. Right: Padraig and Caroline at the Welcome to Wales 2010 Ryder Cup dinner.

What do you think of the practice of marking an ‘equator’ on the ball, to help the putting line? It would definitely help people line the ball up on a putt, but it’s time consuming and not for everyone – I wouldn’t have the patience to do it, but some players are successful doing it.

in Abu Dhabi and snow and gale force winds at other tournaments, but you would only play 1 or 2 holes before you are told to leave the course due to unplayable conditions. Do you have an all-time favourite golf course? Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. I know you’ve had melanomas – non-malignant, thankfully – removed. As May is melanomaawareness month here, what advice would you give to people about checking their ‘spots’? My first advice to anyone playing golf as a junior would be to wear more sun cream and to wear sun glasses. Everyone who has been in the sun should get their ‘spots’ checked out – for a small inconvenience of time it’s a nice relief when you get the all clear. With all melanomas it’s better to be safe and catch them early; if you do need treatment, the outcome will be better if you found out early. #

No names mentioned but do you think that true professionals can leave personal problems in the locker room and concentrate 100% on their game when out on the course? It is possible and it’s also possible not to – it really depends on the individual. You’ve played tournaments on courses in the west of Ireland. Presumably then, you’ve played in Atlantic gales. Have you ever met weather conditions as testing on the tour? Very, very rarely would you play in weather as extreme as the West of Ireland as, in a tournament, it would be deemed as unplayable. I’ve played in hail stones

SOS Save Our Skin May is Melanoma Awareness Month – a global initiative promoting the early detection and prevention of skin cancer. In Ireland, La Roche-Posay is driving the campaign, alongside the Irish Cancer Society and the Melanoma Trust, with SOS Save Our Skin, encouraging people to

get their moles/suspicious lesions checked and to adopt safe behaviour in the sun. www.sossaveourskin.ie is a public health website dedicated to the early screening of skin cancer. It enables each individual to learn more about skin cancer, safety in the sun and to assess their personal risk level, self-check moles and make a mole map. It is a tool to support dermatologists in their effort to educate the wider public. La Roche Posay is urging the

Irish public to be vigilant about monitoring moles, and any observed changes of moles should be discussed with a dermatologist or GP without delay. These may be the early signs of skin cancer and early detection is vital for successful treatment.

SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

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Terms and conditions: 18+. €1 per entry incl VAT. Calls from mobile cost more. Network charges vary on SMS. Lines close midnight 20 July 2011. Entries made after the close date do not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100. By entering this competition you may be contacted in the future regarding other promotions.

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OUR BODIES ADDICTION

Dr Leonid Rogozov,

SMETEK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Do-it-yourself Surgery

It’s only in cases of absolute necessity that such drastic measures are undertaken and the operator would need to be very cool and skilled. Or, so you would think. Like Dr Leonid Rogozov, who, as the only doctor on a 1961 Russian exploration party in the Antarctic, managed to remove his own dangerously inflamed appendix with several of his 11 expedition mates helping in a minor way by holding a mirror for him or wiping his brow. It took him nearly two hours and he lived for another 39 years. There were reports also of another Russian surgeon who did the same operation in a submarine in the pacific. But how about non-medics? Perhaps the greatest feat of all was that of Ines Ramirez (40) of Oaxaca region in Mexico who, in 2004, safely delivered her son, Orlando, by Caesarean section, using only a kitchen knife and without the benefit of any anaesthetics or painkillers. Her previous baby had been stillborn and when Ines began to experience difficulty in giving birth in the remote area, five hours from any help, she was determined not to lose another. Miraculously, both mother and baby survived. Another case born of desperation, though for far less noble purposes, was the DIY plastic surgery that Tatsuya Ichihashi carried out on his face in an effort to disguise himself; he was being sought by Japanese police for the murder of his English teacher, Lindsay Ann Hawker. He managed to evade capture for over two years by cutting pieces out of his lower lip to change its shape and removing telltale moles on his face. As they say with all dangerous acts – Do Not Try This At Home!

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Hooked T

What’ll you have? here’s nothing like a philosophical barman. He was cleaning a spot on the counter in front of me, rubbing a cloth around my daily half shandy, and looking across at a local couple who were all but passed out in a stupor in a booth across the room. It was only three in the afternoon, dead quiet, time to chat. ‘If it’s for our own individual survival, we do it automatically: breathing, keeping warm or cool, taking in food and water, excreting [my term] and sleeping... But, if

it’s an action that’s vital for the survival of the tribe rather than the individual, then the individual’s cooperation needs to be guaranteed, so nature put a pleasure centre in our brains and designed certain actions to reward it, like mating [my term]. The trouble with some of us is: we get the link going both ways.’ His eyes flicked again towards the comatose couple. ‘It’s supposed to go: vital action leads to pleasure, like that. But some of us are reverse wired: whatever stimulates the pleasure centre becomes, by definition, a vital action.’ And then, f

• Addiction is a repeated desire to partake of a substance or behaviour despite knowing it is against your best interests. • Even if the desire is not indulged, the addiction remains as long as the desire remains. • Addicts never claim to be ‘cured’ because that supposes they have reached a state where they can partake sensibly of the substance to which they are/ were addicted.

SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

having given me his theory on the evolution of addiction, he moved on. I wondered if this ‘reverse wiring’ was at the root of all addictions, alcohol, nicotine, other drugs and even non-chemical addictions like gambling, shopping, internet gaming and sex. I had reservations about that last one as, out of the list I’d come up with, sex was the only pursuit not confined to humans. So where do you draw the line with sex? At what point does doing what comes naturally cross the line from being ‘a lot’ to ‘too much’? I went back to safer ground, musing about the addictions that affect humans only. I was trying to figure out the difference between my brain and those of the couple in the corner, why I could take or leave alcohol while they were enslaved to it, when the male part roused himself and wobbled back to the bar to order another two double vodkas, stressing the brand, demanding to see the label, casting doubts on the previous two. Having completed the task, grim-faced and in silence, the barman paused before me again. ‘And of course, us being humans, we have to go and overdevelop our pleasure centres. I mean whoever saw a lion in the Serengeti demanding Fillet of Baby Impala only, or a vulture turning his baldy, wattley

areas, the ones that could work out the consequences and apply the brakes. And of course, after the first few shots, in the case of chemical addictions, the ‘stuff’ would dull the thoughtful areas and ‘away we go. Full speed ahead.’ Sometimes there was permanent damage done to the higher areas but they usually recovered. He had read about some professor who could predict with 90% accuracy, just by looking at their brain scans, which ‘cured’ addicts would relapse within a year. He knew that, to a cocaine addict, even the sight of castor sugar or flour could awaken their craving, just like Pavlov’s dogs hearing the dinner bell. He informed me that stress made it harder to stay away from ‘your particular poison’ because stress lowers the higher thought brain centres – ‘you need to concentrate on what’s stressing you, right? So your guard drops.’ According to him, it took about three substance-free months before the brain began to recover and that, during those three months, you needed to be in therapy, whether in AA or in a centre. Full recoveries, he told me were depressingly low, about 20%, but that could be doubled if the therapy was kept up. It took ‘at least a full year on the wagon’ for the brain to return to its

beak up at anything other than Haunch of Organic Gnu?’ I wondered if his accurate but derogatory description of the vulture had anything to do with the baldness and wattle-jowls of the man who was now tacking unsteadily back to the booth bearing his precious cargo. The barman, it transpired, had a thing about addictions. I’d have thought it was job-related but he didn’t confine himself to alcohol. It was all, he said, to do with a power struggle in the brain between the lower pleasure centres and the higher thoughtful

pre-substance-abusing state. He had just begun to tell me how certain substances can ‘sneakily increase’ the number of pleasure receptors in the lower brain areas, ‘so that they increase their ‘reward value to the addict,’ when my wife arrived to pick me up, an hour late – shopping. On the way home I quizzed her on my barman’s facts. The upshot seemed to be that I had received, for the price of a glass of shandy, a remarkably accurate summary on addiction, a lecture for which she would have charged me a small fortune. She’s a psychiatrist. #

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peer group of those selected friends, especially best friends, which matters most.

ALCOHOL: A GUIDEFOR PARENTS

Young People and Alcohol, can parents have an Influence? by Mark Morgan and Thérèse Hegarty The purpose of this article is to help parents to discuss drinking with their children. Although it is mainly aimed at the parents of teenagers it may also be useful for parents of younger children and, generally, for all adults concerned with the development of children. This article has been prepared by professionals who have expertise in the area of young people and alcohol but it does not set out to tell parents what they must or must not do. Instead it tries to provide useful information, which may help parents to openly discuss the issues with their children. • Parents have an important influence on their children’s behaviour. Many parents may be surprised by this – but it is true! • A key guiding idea is that alcohol consumption requires maturity and responsibility. For this reason postponing a first drink to an agreed age has a lot of merit. The exact age will need to be negotiated between children and parents and we take the view that the age of drinking by many young people is too young. • Better information can help parents to make the right decision. We often think that we know about our children’s drinking but many parents tend to underestimate the scale of consumption. • In Ireland, drinking patterns differ from, for example, wine producing countries – where children are introduced to alcohol in the home. We also differ in where alcohol is drunk, what we drink and in many of our attitudes.

INFLUENCES Many factors influence the drinking patterns of young people. FAMILY Families are of major importance in children’s drinking. Your example is important. We are not saying that all parents who

abstain from alcohol will have children who are abstinent r temperate. Nor are we suggesting that the children of heavy drinkers will necessarily have drinking problems. What is clear however is that parents who drink moderately have children whose use of alcohol is quite different to the children of those whose drinking is problematic. How you react to their drinking is also important. The research shows that a moderate and balanced approach to underage drinking is most likely to bring about positive outcomes. In other words if parents take an indifferent attitude it does not produce positive results and a very strict and authoritarian attitude can also cause problems. Many recovering alcoholics remember their childhood as one where love was not communicated and where they felt they were not valued. The research indicates that children who feel loved and valued are less likely to abuse alcohol. We often worry that alcohol problems ‘run in families’ and will be inherited by the children. This is not necessarily true – alcohol problems develop over several years – and we should focus on those conditions in the individuals lives which give rise to problem drinking. FRIENDS Parents identify peers as the most important influence on their children’s decision to start to drink. This is understandable – young people who drink regularly are likely to have friends who drink, while those who do not are likely to have friends who do not drink. Whether to drink (or not) is one of the most central decisions during adolescence and influences the selection of friends. Many of us worry about ‘peer pressure’, which is often considered to come from all the peer group in the locality and school. The reality however is that it is the

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

USEFUL CONTACTS Your school’s Parents Council Your school’s Home Liaison Officer Your Health Board's Health Promotion Officer Your local Residents Association VISIT DRINKAWARE.IE for information on alcohol and drinking, from fascinating facts to practical tips. DOWNLOAD FREE guides including: the essential ‘No Nonsense’ guide for students, ‘Festival Survival Guide’, ‘Alcohol, Sport & You’, ‘Alcohol –A Guide for Parents’ and our ‘Christmas Survival Guide’.

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY You may know about the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, which is now running in most schools in the country. This focuses on the health, personal development, decision making and self esteem of young people and it also deals with the use of alcohol. However we cannot leave it all to the schools and, as parents, we can influence our children’s attitude to school and to participation. ‘She will be taught about alcohol at school soon enough – maybe I should leave alcohol education to the experts. Besides, I don’t want to put ideas in her head before she’s even a teenager.’ When a young person drinks too much it is usually part of a broad set of behaviours. Here are some suggestions that can help prevent these behaviours: • Encourage commitment at school – either to study or sport or other activities; • Find out about your school's policies on alcohol. Partnership between parents and schools is likely to bring about a better outcome than any effort made by either on their own; • Encourage children to read or to take up a hobby that does not involve drink. Moving from Primary to Secondary school is a stressful time – new subjects, new teachers, possibly new classmates and making new friends. If the transition isn’t smooth young people are more likely to become involved in underage drinking. Our children may want to appear ‘grown up’ at this time but in fact they are very vulnerable and we need to be alert to any changes and be available for a chat. Teachers have insights into our children which we may not have. Many are parents themselves and they all play a significant role in our children’s formation. Do talk to them if you have concerns about alcohol abuse.

HOW YOU CAN HELP drinkaware.ie was developed by MEAS (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society Limited) MEAS is a drinks industry initiative against alcohol misuse MEAS, Merrion House, 1/3 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 611 4811 Email: info@meas.ie www.meas.ie

Alcohol abuse is not confined to any particular sector in society. You can be sure that your teenager (or preteen) will be offered alcohol. You cannot be sure that your children will not make silly mistakes with alcohol (You probably did too!) Young people who come through all this with responsible drinking habits often share many of the following characteristics: Healthy Self Esteem. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and have the confidence to know they are liked and to like themselves. Because of this they are unlikely to harm or abuse themselves. Parents YOUR FREE COPY

ADVERTORIAL can encourage self-esteem by being supportive of their children’s efforts from an early age and being willing and interested listeners to their ups and downs. They can make decisions. There are many influences on young people, often with conflicting messages. These young people can make up their minds without worrying too much what others think. Parents walk a fine line here. Too much control and children have no opportunity to think for themselves – too little and they may feel that decisions are not important. What young people need is encouragement to think on their feet, follow their own advice and resist following the herd at times.

YOUNG PEOPLE & ALCOHOL QUIZ: ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE?

YOU CAN BE SURE THAT YOUR TEENAGER (OR PRETEEN) WILL BE OFFERED ALCOHOL

5 All young people do not start drinking in the same setting.

TRUE There are three broad

locations for the 'first drink'. Own home or home of a friend (sometimes when parents are 1 The average age of begin- away), pubs/off-licences ning to drink is 14-15 years. (sometimes bought by a 'friend' who is overage), and TRUE Traditionally in Ireland parks/beaches/waste-ground. young people began to drink at age 16 or older, in the last 6 The changes in Irish 20 years the age came down Society are part of the and more recently it is around picture that influence the drinking of young people. 14-15 years. TRUE Childhood is shorter 2 The number of young in modern Ireland than it was people who have never tried alcohol has decreased even 20 years ago. Young people are independent minded over the years. at an earlier age, are sexually TRUE A generation ago up to active, and make decisions 1 in 4 of young people leaving about their lives earlier. post-primary school had not tried alcohol even once. Today 7 The amount of money the number reaching 18 with- earned by young people in out having tried alcohol is quite part-time work is a factor small, but there is still a minor- in under-age drinking. ity who never try alcohol. A TRUE The money earned 2007 survey (ESPAD) showed was quite substantial in the that 42 percent of Irish 16 year past. While part-time work has olds were not regular drinkers become harder to get, it is – an increase of 15% (from now possible to buy more 27%) on the previous (2003) alcohol for less money. survey results. 8 The best time to talk 3 Under 18's know that they to your children about will not be able to buy alco- alcohol is when they enter hol, even if they want to. the early teens. FALSE Young people aged FALSE Children often ask from 16 upwards say that they about alcohol and drinking can get access to alcohol if when they are very young. they want to. (We are not sug- When this happens a positive gesting that alcohol is always response is better than duckeasily obtained – what is cru- ing the issue. Many parents cial is that young people see it do not see the need to raise as easy to obtain). the subject until their children 4 There is more drinking in reach their teens – when they apparently start drinking alcocities than anywhere else. hol. Ideally you should speak FALSE People from all back- to your child before he or she grounds begin to drink at is likely to start experimenting roughly the same age. with alcohol. YOUR FREE COPY

They understand that some rules are necessary. Through learning to live with clear and reasonable rules young people develop personal responsibility. Parents can help by having a few clear rules at home and by explaining the values behind the rules. A rule about telling those at home where you are going and what time you will be home is a great protection. They appreciate the value of money. They realise that they must manage on a limited amount of money. Parents can limit their children's pocket money or control the amount available from part-time jobs – by, for example, requiring a contribution to collective household expenses from income earned outside the home. They are busy with interesting lives. Some are involved in school, others in sport, dancing, music or youth clubs. They do not have much time to be bored. Boredom is one of the greatest causes of alcohol abuse. Try to spot their talents early and give them every encouragement to develop them. Their families either drink moderately or are open about their problems. They have seen their adult relatives drink in a moderate way, and have seen them choose not to drink when driving. They may have had an occasional drink in the safety of the home with their parents. Alternatively, if there are problem drinkers in the family, these issues have been openly and frankly discussed with them. Children of alcoholic parents can use the lessons from frank and compassionate discussion of the issue to help protect themselves and their friends. Children are not taken in by appearances – they are more influenced by what we do than by what we say. Teenagers in particular are rarely fooled at home and honesty is certainly the best policy.

PARENTS’ WORRIES “How do I explain the dangers of drink?” Most adults in Ireland take a drink when relaxing and socialising and it is helpful to acknowledge the enjoyable aspect of this. It is also helpful to discuss with young people the harmful aspects such as losing control, taking risks and wasting money. A good time to bring up these discussions is when watching TV when the issue arises. We can talk to our teenagers, listen to their views and convey information and guidance in a distanced way that is not too threatening for them. This has proven more useful than scare tactics or punishment, which can turn young people off. “I worry about the friends they are with.” The ‘best friends’ have a lot of influence in the development

of a pattern of drinking. Parents are wise to be aware of the pattern of drinking among young people in the area. It is also helpful to get to know the ‘best friends’ and make them welcome at home. Often parents criticise friends when they fear their influence. This can lead to a young person feeling torn between parents and friends and this is not helpful in maintaining good communication. It is better for parents to convey their worries about the safety of the young people than to run down the friends themselves. “Will they end up in a fight?” We also need to discuss the increasing trend towards rowdy and violent behaviour, often under the influence of alcohol, and to clearly state that violence at all levels is unacceptable. Parents can help teenagers to think about places that are dangerous and how levels of alcohol consumption can leave them vulnerable to involvement in fights. Young people need the older generation to be clearly concerned with their safety. “I’m so worried I can’t sleep.” Parents often worry when their teenagers begin to drink. Often that fear is not so much about the drink itself as the consequences of drinking. At its worst the fear can be about drink related violence or poor decision making around sexual activity. “Are they having sex?” We all worry about pressure on our children as they enter puberty and the confusion and anxiety that can follow. The age of sexual activity has fallen and peer pressure along with media pressure can make decision making difficult. Sometimes young people drink in response to this pressure and alcohol consumption can lead to inappropriate decisions. Parents can make it clear to their sons and daughters that sexual activity is always their choice and it is always OK to say "NO". Once again TV and films can provide us with opportunities to discuss this with our young people. “I just don’t know how to begin. I know she drinks sometimes when she’s out with her friends. She’s usually quite a sensible girl, but I just hope she doesn’t take any stupid risks. “Should I have drink in the house?” Most households do have drink at home and will often offer a drink to visitors. Drink however needs to be kept in a place where younger children cannot access it by accident. It is unfair to teenagers, especially if parents are away for a night, to leave them in a situation where they have access to a large supply of drink at home especially during the years when they are likely to experiment. #

SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

HEALTH ZOONOSIS Animals are known to have health benefits: pet owners suffer less stress, fewer allergies and are generally more fit. But animals can carry many diseases and vet, Claire Greene, looks at some of the more common ones.

Zoonosis:

a disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals confined to farmers as it’s caught from affected lambs and kids.

DOWN THE HATCH

All wounds inflicted by animals should be thoroughly scrubbed to remove any bacteria. Animals’ mouths are very dirty; they’ve never brushed their teeth and just imagine the last place they’ve licked! Scratches must also be thoroughly cleaned. Cat scratches can lead to Bartonella infection (Cat Scratch Fever.) If, after an animal wound, you experience unusual symptoms, especially fever or sore joints, contact your doctor. Thankfully we don’t have rabies in Ireland but if you are bitten by any animal while travelling abroad, have it seen to immediately. Though we associate rabies with dogs, it can be carried by most animals. One unfortunate researcher in Scotland died in 2004 from a rabies-type infection following a bite from a bat. Reptile bites can be particularly nasty as their saliva contains mild venom, but the worst bites are from primates; they can carry scary diseases, including HIV and tuberculosis. Get screened for them if you are bitten. And don’t pat the monkey! But you don’t have to be bitten or scratched; just ordinary contact can be enough. Animals and humans share several skin conditions, like ringworm. Cats, especially, can be carriers without showing any signs themselves. Ringworm survives quite well in the environment so it can also be contracted indirectly from bedding, scratching posts, etc. Fleas can feed on humans but not breed on them and some animal mange mites can cause rashes which become intensely itchy when the body is hot, such as lying in bed or taking a shower. Fleas and mites are generally spread by affected pets sleeping with their owners. Another nasty skin disease is Orf, a patch of angry pustules, but it’s usually

In case you had any doubts, eating faecal matter is not good for you. Magnified images of Flea (above), Tick (below) and Tapeworm head (right) showing hooks and suckers by which it anchors itself to gut wall.

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

In case you had doubts, eating faecal matter is not good for you. The average 2 year old toddler tends to disagree but, every year, many adults do just that, albeit inadvertently, via the hand to mouth route. Washing your hands after touching animals or their environments is the best defence. Food poisoning is the most common consequence and indeed this is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. All animals can shed nasty bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli but be particularly careful after touching fish or terrapin water as these are prime sources. Faecal ingestion is also the surest way to contract worms. The worst is Toxocara, whose eggs are found in dog and cat faeces. Toxacara forms cysts, often in the brain or eye, which can cause blindness or other serious problems. Keep sandpits covered when not in use, so cats don’t treat them as a giant litter tray. Cat faeces also contain another parasite, Toxoplasma, which can cause pregnant women to miscarry. Mothers-to-be: never clean the cat’s litter tray. Back on the farm, pregnant women must avoid the lambing season as sheep foetal fluids can also carry Toxoplasma. Most worm infections however lead to less serious consequences such as diarrhoea, abdominal bloating, weight loss and an itchy bottom, the latter a cause of disrupted sleep in children – the causative tapeworm is more active at night! Some creatures are mere delivery agents: fleas spread the Black Plague in the Middle Ages which killed millions. Ticks pass us Lyme Disease when they feast on us after feasting on an infected deer, so tuck your trouser cuffs into your socks when walking in the country. Still others pass on disease at a distance, like Weil’s disease, a nasty condition caught by contact with the urine of infected rats, so be careful about swimming in stagnant water. Worm your pets (and your children) regularly. Be merciless about handwashing. Don’t let your pet lick plates or give ‘kisses’ – even the best behaved pets spend much time licking their own bottoms! #

Worming Your Pets ADVERTORIAL

Your pet may look the picture of health but here are some factors you need to consider: 1 All pets need regular worming 1 Pets that run loose outside need it more frequently 1 During grooming, worm eggs and tapeworm segments are transferred via the pet’s tongue to all parts of its coat 1 Puppies and kittens can be born with heavy worm burdens as their mother’s worms can cross the placenta 1 Nursing puppies and kittens can receive larvae through their mother’s milk 1 Sometimes puppies can have so many worms that they block their intestines

1 Some tapeworms pass through fleas so it is doubly important to keep both pet and environment free of fleas 1 Some tapeworms, even in small pets, can reach up to 15ft in length! 1 Not all ‘wormers’ kill both roundworms and tapeworms so choose carefully and use a really broad spectrum wormer Drontal® Plus* is the broadest spectrum canine wormer available *Do not use in puppies under two weeks of age or in dogs weighing less than two lbs.

For more information on worming your cat or dog, visit www.stopwormsdead.co.uk or www.drontal.com

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AWARENESS

Early detection is key to preventing Osteoporosis Did you know Osteoporosis is the leading bone disease in the world today, with over 50% of women and 20% of men over 50 developing the disease during their lifetime? Only 15% are diagnosed and usually only after fracturing a bone from a fall or trip. In most cases, Osteoporosis is very treatable if diagnosed early. Some risk factors include: • Family history • Low Calcium intake • Low levels of Vitamin D • Excessive consumption of alcohol • Smoking • History of eating disorders

The Secret of Eternal Youth and the Stay-Young Plant Vichy Laboratories claim to have isolated, from plant sources, a product (Rhamnose) that can reactivate the Derm Source which is responsible for keeping skin looking youthful. According to a Vichy spokesperson, their new product, LiftActiv Derm Source (5% Rhamnose), delivers ‘unprecedented antiwrinkle & firmness results.’ NEW Vichy LiftActiv Nuit Derm Source RRP €32.50

People with sleep problems lack the amino acid, Tryptophan. Now there are RestBites™, caramel, chocolate-covered treats, laden with natural Tryptophan. Designed by a doctor, RestBites™ are safe for pregnant and nursing mothers and ideal for stress times like exams. One, 20 minutes before bedtime, will give a great night’s sleep! See perfectnightssleep.com

UP TO 80% OF MUMS-TO-BE SUFFER FROM HEARTBURN* – IT MAY BE THE CHANGING HORMONES OR THE GROWING BABY PRESSING ON THE STOMACH AND SQUEEZING ACIDIC STOMACH CONTENTS BACK UP INTO THE OESOPHAGUS

A DXA scan is the most common method used to diagnose Osteoporosis. DXA scans are available at Euromedic Ireland centres from €75. Visit euromedic.ie for more information or visit irishosteoporosis.ie

Sleep tight

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

Rennie is one of the gentlest remedies for your heartburn and indigestion, that you can take during your pregnancy and while breastfeeding.** *References available on request

**Always consult your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking Rennie while pregnant and breastfeeding.

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HEALTH CANCER

Skin cancer. The most common of all human malignancies, accounting for 27% of cancers in Ireland. by JACK KELLY, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Senior Lecturer at University Hospital Galway and The Galway Clinic, and EUGENE CURTIN, Registrar in Plastic Surgery in the Irish Basic Specialty Training Scheme.

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

ltraviolet (UV) light exposure, most commonly from sunlight (as well as tanning beds), is overwhelmingly the most frequent cause of skin cancers. Fair skinned people with light colour hair and blue/ green eyes (i.e., many Irish) are also at high risk of developing skin cancers. Like many others, skin cancers start as precancerous lesions, changes in skin (dysplasia) that are not malignant but could become so over time. A nevus is a mole, and dysplastic nevi are abnormal moles. These can develop into melanoma over time. It is worth noting, however, that moles are common growths on the skin and very few develop into cancer. A mole that looks different from the others or has recently changed should be examined by your doctor. There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. BCCS AND SCCS The vast majority of skin cancers are BCCs or SCCs. While malignant, these are unlikely to spread to other parts of the body. They are most commonly found on sun-exposed areas of the body, such as the face and back of the hands. They may be disfiguring if not treated early, and tend to grow slowly over time. They are more common in older people. A BCC is often mistaken for a sore that does not heal. A squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is commonly a well-defined, red, scaling, thickened patch on sun-exposed skin. Both BCCs and SCCs may ulcerate and bleed. Left untreated, SCCs may develop into a large mass. f YOUR FREE COPY

Right: Pointing to a suspect mole on the back, detected during a routine examination. The mole will be photographed and the image analysed by a computer and given a Melanoma Risk Score, which is about 94% accurate. The higher the score, the greater the risk of melanoma. Photographed at The Mole Clinic in the UK.

SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

f Skin Cancer continued... Surgical removal of BCC and SCC is about 95% successful. They can sometimes recur, but almost always at the same location. They can cause significant tissue destruction. Less than 5% of SCCs metastasize (spread to other parts) and turn into dangerous cancer. MELANOMA Melanomas are a small but significant group of skin cancers. They are highly aggressive cancers that tend to spread to other parts. In fact, though it is far less common than BCCs and SCCs, melanoma accounts for more than 75% of deaths from skin cancer. It is also comparatively more common in younger people and is the most common cancer in people aged between 25 and 29 years. The majority of melanomas are brown to black pigmented lesions (moles). Warning signs include change in size, shape, colour, or elevation of a mole. The appearance of a new mole, or new pain, itching, ulceration or bleeding of an existing mole should be checked by your doctor. Melanoma can also be found in unusual areas like under fingernails and toenails. Do not ignore any dark spots there. In most cases, the outcome of melanoma depends on the thickness of the tumour at the time of treatment. This means the earlier it is noticed and treated, the better the prognosis. Successful melanoma treatment may require several approaches, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, but the majority can be managed with surgery alone. One or two centimetres of normal-appearing skin surrounding the tumour is also

removed to ensure excision of the entire lesion. Depending on the thickness of the melanoma, neighboring lymph nodes may also be removed and tested for cancer (sentinel lymph node biopsy). Because of the complexity of treatment decisions, people with melanoma may benefit from the combined expertise of a plastic surgeon, dermatologist, oncologist and radiotherapy specialist. PREVENTION • Limit sun exposure, particularly when the sun is strongest, between 10am and 2pm. • When outside, use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 • If you are likely to sunburn, wear long sleeves and a widebrimmed hat. • Avoid artificial tanning booths • Conduct periodic skin selfexaminations on a monthly basis. Learn where your moles, birthmarks and blemishes are, and what they look like. Check these areas for changes in size, texture and color. # If you are concerned that any of these have changed, show them to your GP. Watch It! A = Asymmetry One side of the lesion does not look like the other B = Borders Notched or irregular borders of the mole C = Colour Mixture of colours in the mole (or recent darkening of colour) D = Diameter Larger than 6mm (or recent increase in diameter)

Close-up of skin cancer on the shoulder of a 46 year old male patient, a superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) showing its nodular evolution and spread. This is a highly malignant tumour of the melanin (skin pigment) cells.

YOUR FREE COPY

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

E = Elevation Recent raising off the surrounding skin

Below the Belt

HEALTH ASK THE EXPERT

Despite having left the cave thousands of years back, some men still see themselves as fearless warriors, hunters, protectors and providers. That was fine in a world full of nuts and berries to be gathered and hairy mammoths to be hunted, when nobody lived beyond the age of forty anyway. But times have changed, so why are men still reluctant to show a sign of ‘weakness’? Dr Mark Hamilton answers questions from a few warriors who were fearless enough to ask.

I’ll be 47 next birthday. My father and an uncle on my mother’s side both had prostate cancer. Does this give me a higher chance of developing it and what steps should I take? What signs should I watch out for? Henry, Waterford If you have a close male relative who has had prostate cancer then there seems to be a slightly increased risk of you developing it, but the exact nature of this genetic link is not fully understood yet. Lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and obesity also play a part as well as age – it’s rare below the age of 40 and most cases are seen in men over 70. Symptoms to which you should pay attention include increased frequency or hesitancy in passing urine, a weak flow of urine and a sense that the bladder hasn’t emptied. These symptoms can also occur with a benign, non-cancerous swelling of the prostate that occurs in about 1 in 3 men over 50, so don’t be alarmed – just get it checked. Pains to the pelvis, back and testicles can also be symptoms if a prostate cancer has spread. Many cases of prostate cancer develop very slowly and may not need treatment, yet others can be quite aggressive –exactly why this happens is still to be discovered. Screening for prostate cancer is controversial as the test, for a protein called PSA, is not reliable enough to give a yes or no answer to the diagnosis, but I’m sure your GP would be happy to discuss this with you if necessary. I sometimes feel a slight discomfort in my right testicle. It doesn’t happen often, doesn’t last long and it’s not really a pain. I can’t feel any lumps or swelling. I’m 36. What do you reckon, Doc? Philip, Ranelagh. I reckon that the mild, brief symptoms you describe do not sound like something to be concerned about, however it is always a good idea for a guy to “know his nads”. Testicular cancer is rare but is still the most common form of cancer in younger men (20 – 35yrs), so any new lump, swelling or pain in that area should prompt a visit to your doctor. There are a number of

different causes for these symptoms so you don’t have to fear the worst. A friend of mine recently confided in me that he’d had a testicular swelling for a few months and was really worried, but too embarrassed to go to his doctor. I talked him through it, he went, was investigated and treated for a benign problem, all within a matter of weeks. The relief he felt afterwards made him realise how pointless it had been to delay just because of a little embarrassment. I sometimes see red spots on the toilet paper, not always, but I check. As far as I know, I don’t have piles, but I don’t have any pains or cramps either and don’t suffer from diarrhoea or constipation. What should I do? I’ve just gone 40. Seán, Castlebar Quite simply Seán, you should see your doctor. Blood on toilet paper is very common, and is often due to haemorrhoids (piles) which cannot always be easily self diagnosed. There are other causes, of course, so don’t prolong the guessing game and get it checked out. For the past year or so, our sex life has taken a bit of a downturn. Literally. And it’s becoming more frequent. I’m 52 and I feel it’s a bit early to develop Erectile Dysfunction. I have friends (all much older) who are on Viagra or Cialis but my wife insists I go to the doctor first. Jackie, Limerick Drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra have really advanced the treatment of erectile dysfunction in recent years, but they should only be used in certain circumstances. There are quite a few causes for this problem so I have to agree with your

Dr Mark Hamilton and Dr Nina Byrnes will present a six-programme series of Health of The Nation on RTÉ1, commencing in June 2011 YOUR FREE COPY

IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA FOR A GUY TO "KNOW HIS NADS."

wife that you should visit the doctor first to discover the reason before exploring any potential treatment. At 52, it’s certainly not too early to develop erectile dysfunction and it could be due to a problem with blood vessels, hormones or nerves. Sometimes it can be due to a psychological cause or it may be the side effect of a number of medications. There are a variety of treatments available, depending on the cause, so please don’t hesitate in seeking help – this is a really common problem that can have a significant impact on your life and there’s every chance it can be corrected if approached in the right way. I have six sisters and our husbands are all aged 58-66. All of them have various problems but refuse to go the doctor. Can we talk to the doctor about these problems or can the doctor call them in for a check-up? They’re all good men, but why are men so stubborn? Greta, Thurles.

You can talk to their respective doctors about them Greta, but if the guys don’t want to go, there will be very little, if anything, the doctors can do. A man’s stubbornness to attend the doctor may be partly due to the historical image of the strong independent male or even the fact that they may just not want to face the consequences of what may be wrong with them. Whatever the reason, I see plenty of blokes come into our Emergency Department as a result of their partners’ pleading with them to go. They seem to have reached a point where they’d have an easier time if they came to see me, just to get their good lady off their case. So, I reckon there’s a lot to be said for the power of the ‘nagging effect.’ # SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

HEALTH FOOD

Eat toBeat Cancer

HOW TO SPROUT

Soak seeds overnight in a jar Rinse seeds well and return to a jar (with perforated lid) or sprouting tray Leave the seeds in the light Rinse them twice a day Watch them germinate Continue until the seeds have grown good, healthy shoots

Good health requires us to exercise regularly (30 minutes a day) to maintain our proper body weight. Eating well is one way to help with this and some foods are reckoned to have particular benefits in reducing levels of certain conditions.

WHAT TO SPROUT Adzuki; Alfalfa; Broccoli; Chickpeas; Clover; Lentils; Millet; Mung beans; Quinoa; Radish and Sunflower seeds.

by JESS KEANE, NUTRITIONIST

Traditionally, people have ascribed cancer preventing qualities to certain foods, so let’s take a closer look at some of these:

$ Cruciferous vegetables contain

indole-3-carbinol. This has been shown to covert cancer-promoting oestrogen into a more protective form of oestrogen. Everyday, ensure one portion (90g) of your 5-a-day is broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or kale. Steaming is the best method to cook them.

Add sprouted seeds to your salads. Sprouted seeds contain heaps of nutrients. Try sprouting broccoli or alfalfa seeds, see how above.

Green tea’s claim to fame is a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate, which may slow the growth of cancer cells.

Avoid sugary foods and drinks. Check the label; if the words sugar, dextrose or syrup appear high up on the ingredients list, choose a different food. As a general rule foods with more than 10g of sugars per 100g contain too much sugar.

Avoid eating too many processed meats such as sausages, salamis and cured or packaged ham.

$ Limit your alcohol intake and have

a few days free of alcohol each week.

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

Eat the rainbow: purple, red, orange and green fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients that help ward off cancer. The deepest colours have the highest concentration of nutrients. Add beetroot, berries, apples, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, butternutsquash, spinach, watercress, broccoli and cabbage to your shopping list.

$ Use garlic, onions, leeks, chives,

parsley, thyme, rosemary and turmeric to flavour your food. #

Jess gives essential, practical advice on food and nutrition – helping you to take control of what you eat to speed up your recovery to feel healthy, strong and energised. Visit www.jkn.ie YOUR FREE COPY

Grilled Red Pepper and Almond Dip GLUTEN-FREE DAIRY-FREE

WHEAT-FREE LOW GI

Sweet, delicious and a great way to hide anchovies. You can’t taste them I promise! This dip is best eaten the next day. Eat with raw vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli or cauliflower. 3 large red peppers 3 semi-dried figs (if using dried figs, presoak in cold water for 1 hour until plump) 2 fillets of anchovies 10 whole blanched almonds 1tbsp olive oil 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 small red chilli (optional) ½ lemon, juiced Grill the red peppers until the skin blisters. Place in a plastic bag, zip it up and leave it for about 10 minutes so that it is easy to peel the skins off. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz for a few minutes until texture is still just slightly rough.

Shitake, Tofu and Cabbage Spring Rolls GLUTEN-FREE DAIRY-FREE

WHEAT-FREE LOW GI

Shitake mushrooms provide great support for the immune system. These rolls can be adjusted in size to provide a light meal for 2, a starter for 4 or a canapé. Rice papers olive oil water shallots, finely sliced garlic cloves, finely sliced shitake mushrooms, rehydrated (if necessary), finely sliced 1 handful green cabbage leaves, stalks removed, finely shredded 170g smoked sesame tofu, finely sliced 1tsp Tamari sauce Sesame oil

1tsp 1tbsp 3 3 6

Gently heat 1tsp of oil and 1tbsp of water in a small frying pan. Add the onions and garlic and sweat slowly for 5 mins. Add mushrooms, cabbage, 1tsp of water and 1tsp of Tamari sauce. Sweat for a further 2 mins, until cabbage is softened slightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Soften rice papers as per packet instructions. Lay out on a tea towel or sushi bamboo rolling sheet. Add 2tsp of softened vegetables and 2 pinches of tofu to the edge of the rice paper nearest to you. Gently mould the mixture into a sausage shape leaving a space between both side edges of the paper and the mixYOUR FREE COPY

ture. Gently fold the side edges of the rice paper in towards the centre. Then, starting with the edge of paper next to you, gently fold it over the top of the mixture and roll the mixture into a tight sausage shape. Roll the mixture towards the edge furthest from you. Before reaching the end rub sesame oil on to the paper. This will help the paper to stick together. Then finish shaping the roll. Repeat until all the vegetable mixture is used up. Serve on a plate with a small bowl of mango dipping sauce.

Borlotti Bean, Alfalfa and Avocado Salad LOW GI GLUTEN-FREE (REPLACE BULGHUR WHEAT WITH QUINOA)

Cooking reduces the quantity of enzymes, vitamins and minerals in our food. Whereas fruits and vegetables stop growing when plucked from the plant, sprouts continue growing up until they are digested, making available to our bodies the maximum amount of vitamins, minerals (which they are packed with) and protein. If you don’t have time to sprout seeds yourself then look for Good4U which are available in some Tesco and Supervalu stores. The Good4U range has a whole host of healthy ingredients which include, alfalfa shoots, deliciously peppery Brocco shoots and Lentil and Bean Shoots. Transform a salad, sandwich, snack or stir-fry into a super meal. 150g 375ml ½ tsp 20g 150g 220g 1 50g

bulghur wheat boiling water vegetable bouillon broccoli, alfalfa, radish sprouts sprouting broccoli, blanched borlotti beans (soaked overnight and boiled gently until cooked) avocado, sliced spinach, rocket and watercress leaves

For the dressing: 2 lemons, juiced ½ lemon, zest 4tbsp natural yoghurt 1 tbsp flaxseed oil 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp cumin seeds (optional) 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional) 1 handful of mint, finely chopped (optional)

In a small saucepan, simmer the bulghur wheat in 375ml of boiling water with ½ tsp of bouillon. To make the dressing: add all the ingredients to a jar and shake. In a large bowl, mix and arrange the leaves, add the bulghur wheat, arrange the avocado, broccoli, beans and sprouts on top. Dress the salad.

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WILDLIFE THE HEDGEHOG

cover when they hear a truck approaching are much more likely to survive to pass on their genes than the ones that just roll up nonchalantly in the middle of the road. The hedgehog is undeniably cute, but cuddly it most definitely is not. Its many thousands of spines are very sharp indeed and just having a curled-up hedgehog lying on the palm of the hand can draw pinpricks of blood.

LOVE

Organic Pest Control on (short) Legs The hedgehog, once also called the hedge-pig, is probably not native to Ireland. t doesn’t appear in the literature until the 13th Century so I reckon it can’t be: had it been here from the beginning, it seems to me that it would have been the perfect candidate for inclusion in one of those famously unlikely tests, the passing of which was compulsory for induction into the legendary Fianna. One test required an applicant to cast a spear south-westwards from Howth Head, then sprint the two hundred miles to the top of Mount Brandon in Kerry, arriving in time to catch it, and I can’t imagine the recruiting sergeants who came up with that one missing out on the fairly obvious refinement of stipulating a cargo of twenty five fully grown hedgehogs lodged in the candidate’s loin cloth. So it is likely that hedgehogs came later, perhaps with the Normans. They may even have been brought in as a food source as hedgehog meat is eaten in many places. A gypsy recipe suggested baking the hedgehog in clay so that, when the hardened clay was cracked away, the spines went with it. Nowadays people view the hedgehog as a cute, helpful and very busy little garden assistant, as its favourite food is what we consider pests –

slugs, snails, beetles, caterpillars and other creatures that eat our plants. Despite the universal popularity of the hedgehog, mankind continues to be its main predator, albeit inadvertently. Cars, and a diet of garden pests laden with pesticides, are regular causes of death, and it is also not uncommon for hedgehogs to be burned alive when they choose to sleep away the day in that large heap of brush, leaves and grass clippings destined for burning at the bottom of the garden. To them, it’s an irresistible resting place so it is a good idea to check through the pile before torching it. Apart from man, the hedgehog has almost no natural predators, though it is said that badgers can prise open the tight, spiky ball and attack the soft underbelly. Some foxes are said to have perfected the trick of rolling the hedgehog into water so that it has to uncurl in order to swim, but these accounts may be apocryphal. An interesting theory has it that the playing field of evolution is being tilted significantly by motorised man. ‘Unnatural’ hedgehogs, i.e. those inclined to run from danger rather than roll into a protective ball, are gaining ground faster than would be natural: those that head quickly for

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

IT IS SAID THAT, IF YOU SEE A HEDGEHOG DURING THE DAY, IT MUST BE SICK.

The old joke ‘How do hedgehogs make love? (Very carefully!)’ is not really true. They can make love with the same joyous abandon as other species because the anatomical arrangement of the reproductive organs in both sexes allows for mating without mounting as such. One or two litters are born in summer, with up to seven in a litter. Needless to say, the spines are not present at birth but are represented by pimplelike bumps in the skin. The young are weaned at about 6 weeks. There have been reports of adult males killing baby males and also of startled, nervous mothers abandoning or even killing their brood. Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures. It is said that, if you see a hedgehog during the day, it must be sick. In late summer and autumn, they forage voraciously for food: they need rich fat deposits in their bodies to survive their winter hibernation. They are reasonably hardy creatures, though something wiped them out from the whole of Connemara in the 1970s. It is unlikely that they will make their way back in by natural spread, because the ideal habitats along the west coast are separated from the rest of the country by large tracts of bogs, rivers and lakes, terrain that is definitely not hedgehogfriendly. Efforts are now being made to reintroduce them to the area in which they once flourished and people wishing to release a hedgehog they have reared or nursed back to health are urged to consider sending it to the many ideal and pristine habitats that await it in the west. Releasing it locally in their own area can be dangerous because of possible aggression from resident populations and competition for food and resting places. If you do have a hedgehog that you need to release, contact mosclifden@gmail.com # YOUR FREE COPY

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ACTIVE RETIREMENT IRELAND

TRAVEL THE BEARA WAY

On 14th April 2010, Eyjafjallajokull, the unpronounceable Icelandic volcano, erupted, sending out a huge plume of tiny ash particles that grounded airlines all over Europe. People already on holiday found themselves stranded abroad, while would-be holiday makers had to make sudden adjustments to their plans. Anne Marshall, initially disappointed, soon discovered that...

Every Ash-Cloud has a Silver Lining

TheBearaWay

“It’s an ill wind...” And ours blew Icelandic volcanic ash over Ireland last April. Instead of our planned walk in France’s Central Massif we (Alex, Breandan, Catherine and myself) headed for the Beara Way on the CorkKerry border. Leaving Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff, we started out on a perfect morning towards Adrigole. Eight kilometres into the walk, a farmer informed us the route had recently changed and that we were going in the wrong direction. He obligingly loaded us into his car and drove us to the new starting point. The route offered spectacular views and was a mixture of cross country, track and third class roads. We picnicked on a hanging rock overlooking a fast flowing stream. At 7.00pm we reached Peg’s XL Store in Adrigole. It boasts a Bridgestone Award for Atmosphere and sells everything from Sunlight soap to takeaway coffee. The next day we crossed a fence outside Adrigole and walked the lower slopes of the Slieve Mish mountains, enveloped in a silence rarely found today. We crossed streams with rock pools ideal for a swim, and views stretching out to Bear Island. Another day we spent walking Bear Island. While taking a break at Ardnakinna Point, a helicopter landed just below us, leaving its

In Eyeries, Pachamama’s Restaurant was the gourmet highlight of our walk. The waitress was from Patagonia, the chef from La Coruna, and the food from Heaven. The houses in Eyeries are painted in bold primary colours - an uplifting sight when the winter gales sweep in along Coulagh Bay.

crew to service the lighthouse. Everyone waved. At the end of the day we had to run to try and catch the ferry. A driver took pity on us and, sprawled among his fishing nets and petrol cans, we were delivered to the boat for Castletown Bearhaven. Next morning, coffee and cakes in McCarthy’s Bar were a must before setting out. Halfway through the morning, I regretted that second bun as I trudged the slopes of Knockgour well behind my three intrepid friends. Fortunately, from there it was downhill all the way. Opening the curtains next morning at Windy Point B&B near Dursey revealed sparkling seas way below. We set out for Eyeries via a coastal route, and at times appeared to be walking on carpets of primroses. The path led us to Allihies for lunch plus a visit to the fascinating Copper Mine Museum. The mines closed in 1885 and many of the miners emigrated to the Butte, Montana mines.

ISLAND If you have any problem with heights don’t take the cable car to Dursey Island. Swallowing our fears, we stepped on the swinging cab. Gannets rained like arrows around us as they dived for breakfast. We rocked and rattled about 50 meters above churning seas. Upon arrival, low clouds swept in, and we stumbled from marker to marker up to the signal tower at 252 meters. We never saw the precipitous cliffs nearby, though we could hear the roar of the sea. As we descended, the cloud lifted and the two small villages of Killmichael and Ballynacallagh appeared, with their wellmaintained houses. People commute from these villages by boat or cable car. We shared our return trip off the island with a massive tractor tyre; the day before, a cow had hitched a ride. We had walked through five and a half days of sunshine and outstanding scenery, enduring a few blisters and very little rain, covering about 125 kms. We have not finished the Beara Way. An arc from Eyeries to Lauragh, Kenmare and Glengarriff remains. Volcanic ash or no volcanic ash, we will be back! #

If you have any problem with heights don’t take the cable car to Dursey Island. YOUR FREE COPY

SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

Sofa, So Good?

TRAVEL COUCH SURFING

While the internet has made cyber-travel a reality, it has also facilitated real travel and there are whole web communities around the world offering and availing of free accommodation amongst their members. Couch-surfing is a growing phenomenon. But is it safe? ’ve been watching Ó Tholg go Tolg (From Couch to Couch) on TG4 and it has fascinated me. Though it’s been a popular phenomenon now for nearly a decade and has up to 3m members on various websites, I’d never even heard of Couch-surfing before and I wasn’t really comfortable with the idea. As a writer, and therefore the proprietor of a vivid imagination, I immediately conjured up a scenario: Hansel & Gretl, a couple of young and wholesomelooking couch-surfers from somewhere in MittelEurope arrive at the home of their trusting, unsuspecting host, all smiles and thank yous, then proceed to butcher family, dog, cat and budgie during the

night, before moving on next day to the next welcoming ‘couch’. Couchsurfing seemed to me like a magnet to every weirdo, schyster, con artist, pervert and psycho-at-large on the planet. Of course, it cuts both ways, excuse the pun: Hansel & Gretl could be as wholesome as they looked, with their host being the predatory spider, his/her couch the fatal web. ‘Visiting America? Short of cash? Contact Lecter, H. for free couch. Just bring own Chianti and fava beans.’ It was all very well for Áine Goggins, the very attractive coucher/presenter: she had Maeve with her, her (also very attractive) camerawoman, so everyone knew that any attempted funny business would be captured on TV and broadcast to the world. But still...

IT SEEMS THAT COUCHSURFING IS FAR LESS CHANCY THAN WOULD INITIALLY SEEM POSSIBLE

I contacted Áine. What was it all about? First, she listed the advantages. • Couch Surfing is free: charging for accommodation is an absolute no no, though you may be expected to undertake some light task, like babysitting; you may also bring a small gift and repay kindnesses, like taking your hosts for a meal if you’ve been fed by them. • You generally stay with people you find interesting: your initial choices will have been based on what you read on their profile page on the website – even though full name, address and language are the only pieces of obligatory information, most people give more, like age, gender, interests, what ‘duties’ they expect in return, etc. And, before the agreement is finalised, there is usually a confirming phone or email contact during which further information is exchanged. • You are with people who speak the language, know the area and have lots of contacts and local knowledge, so you gain a deeper insight into local life during a brief visit than you would in a week in a hostel or hotel. • For hosts, it may be that they can’t afford to travel and wish to meet people from distant lands, or may wish to expose their children to different cultures.

HOW ABOUT SECURITY?

Ag tógáil sos i Red Square (Taking a break in Red square). Left: Áine Goggins (presenter) and Maeve Hackett (camerawoman)

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

No system is foolproof but it seems that couch-surfing is far less chancy than would initially seem possible. In fact, most hosts feel secure enough to furnish

surfers with a door-key, though some may stipulate that they will only host at weekends, when they are at home – to keep an eye on the family silver, presumably. But it seems that there is quite an efficient vetting procedure. First off, passport details may be required and a host may ask to see the passport before letting a coucher in – just to make sure it’s the person they’ve agreed to host. References play a large part and both hosts and surfers can, and do, place references on their profile page. In addition, some of the more senior couch-surfers of long standing are authorised (by whom, I don’t quite know) to ‘vouch’ for people; these exalted beings are what one might term I suppose, CVs - Coucher Vouchers. Couch-surfing seems to demonstrate self-regulation at work far more efficiently than it does in the world of commerce and the professions – one or two dodgy references in the couchsurfing world and you’re gone; you’ve blotted your copybook out of existence. I asked Áine how come she’d managed to stay with so many hosts of whom her maiden grand-aunt, if she had one, would probably not approve, people like the transgender town-planner from Dresden who raced Huskies on a sled through the forest, or the gay married couple in Valencia or the male pornstar in Madrid with the unlikely name of Whilly? Was that just to make interesting TV or was it because couch-surfing was topheavy with people who would have met with an immediate disapproving maiden-auntly sniff? It was, she assured me, purely for the TV. Good call, Áine. It worked. #

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PUZZLERS M Y G S X K W M L M T P O L

WordSearch In the recent World Indoor Tiddly-Winks Champinship, the valiant mixed doubles team from the tiny Pacific state of Acuteamnesia incredibly upset the odds to beat twenty of the world’s finest teams to reach the finals. However, there they met their nemesis and, unfortunately, had to be content with the Silver Medal. The list below contains the names of all the countries the Acuteamnesia heroes vanquished on their way to the finals but it also contains the name of the gold medal winners.

V K L

A B A S R U C

W U T

L O C

R S S

A S

A N D

R P D U

F U A O R E Y A

L T

R T M K N

U B T N M G E K A M G A

K E

G H

L E

W R R O R Z D T L N E L U S H A A K F Z E I T I A A D I N A S T A Z N I Q

I A

T S

A N W A

N T A N A D S

H T N M A A W I

D W R L B N N A

R A

N G A W L M T

Australia Ireland England Pakistan Tanzania

run forwards, backwards, horizontally, vertically or diagonally in a straight, unbroken line. Austria Ruritania Iceland Zambia Poland Uzbekistan Khazakstan Greenland Finland Botswana Turkemenistan

A J

For a chance to claim a h50 reward, eliminate the losers in the grid and text the name of the winning country. Words Mauretania Zimbabwe Afghanistan Holland Romania

J A R A

S N W K

O S D R N

G N A T A A

X P G D H

T Q A N D

Y C

Y N X

I M B A B W E R G R E

K K

T S S

T D N

W A A

A P N N Y P E N

L A N D

HOW TO ENTER: Text TWR1 followed by your answer, name and address to 53307 Terms: 18+. €0.60 per entry incl VAT. Network charges vary. Competition closes midnight 20 July 2011 Entries made after the close date do not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100.

SUDOKU 2 1 5

Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 square contain all the digits from 1 to 9

9 5 1 7 7 4 3

7 5 6 9 6 8 2

2 3

5 6 7

8 9 10 12

CROSS WORD ACROSS 1 Dark time of every 24 hours. (5) 5 Word for ‘guide’ or the type of animal a cowboy would herd. (5) 7 A complete set of bones. (8) 8 French word for Goodbye. (5) 10 Untrue stories from the past. (5) 14 In winter, a column of frozen water hanging down. (6) 15 We are 93 million miles away from it. (3) 16 A type of tree or what’s left over after a fire. (3) DOWN 1 The continent shared by the United States and Canada. (5,7) 2 Something of great value, sometimes buried by pirates. (8) 3 What those who are neither slaves nor prisoners have. (7) 4 What we do during 1 Across. (5) 5 Discolouring mark on material that is hard to remove. (5) 6 Female version of bull. (3) 9 The bone between your knee and your ankle. (4) 11 What we do to show we are tired. (4) 12 A buffalo from 1 Down. (5) 13 Annoying things like midges, mosquitoes, horseflies, etc. (5) (answers on page 32)

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2011

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PUZZLERS

QUICK QUIZ Question 1

Which of these cities is NOT on the River Danube a) Budapest b) Vienna c) Prague

Question 2

Sarah Palin was a) Congresswoman for Alaska b) Governor of Alaska c) Senator for Alaska

CROSSWORD 1

9 12

12 15

Question 3

Who wrote the music for Swan Lake, the ballet which is the backdrop for Black Swan a) Prokofiev b) Tchaikovsky c) Stravinsky

Question 6

In which US state is The Grand Canyon? a) Arizona b) Colarado c) Nevada

Question 7

A hieroglyph is a) A mythological creature b) An instrument for measuring the age of rocks c) A unit of pictorial writing

Question 8

Goa, in Western India, was once ruled by a) Britain b) Portugal c) The Netherlands

You are:

1-2: A pea brain 3-5: Suffering brain drain 6-8: A bulging brain box Answers: 1c. 2b. 3a. 4c. 5b. 6a. 7c. 8c

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Question 5

12 12

The musical Evita is set in which country a) Spain b) Chile c) Argentina

Question 4

The Everglades are in which US state a) Florida b) Mississippi c) Louisiana

WIN two nights for two

When completed, the letters in the shaded squares will spell out the winning word: The opossum is the only North American representative of this group of creatures. (10)

The Station House Hotel in Clifden, Co Galway (includes an evening meal)

26 12

HOW TO ENTER: call our hotline 1513 415 049 or text TWR2 followed by your answer, name and address to 53307

NO TIME TO FINISH? NO WORRIES! THIS MAGAZINE IS YOURS TO TAKE HOME! ACROSS 1 The traditional dance of Spain. (8) 5 An Argentine cowboy. (6) 9 Strong feelings. (8) 10 In Greek mythology, the messenger of the sea. Also the planet, Neptune’s, largest moon. (6) 12 Rough-skinned melon with orange flesh. (9) 13 Famous Russian ballet company. (5) 14 The subjects of interest of apiarists. (4) 16 He wrote The Canterbury Tales. (7) 19 Blood-sucking creatures once commonly used to treat illness. (7) 21 Substance, once obtained from deer, now artificially produced, used in perfumemaking. (4) 24 Stupid, gross. (5) 25 One who studies the earth’s structure. (9) 27 Those with parts in crowd scenes in movies. (6) 28 Australian state, capital Melbourne. (8) 29 One who enjoys inflicting pain. (6) 30 Supporters on the losing side in the Russian Revolution. (8)

DOWN 1 Painting on a plastered wall. (6) 2 From which oak-trees grow. (6) 3 Musical based on the life of Señora Peron. (5) 4 Administrative divisions of Switzerland. (7) 6 Language of the Boers. (9) 7 A waterfall or problem with the eye. (8) 8 A creature that eats anything. (8) 11 A long heroic poem or story. (4) 15 St Paul’s epistle to them constitutes the tenth book of the New Testament. (9) 17 Moving rivers of ice that gouge out valleys. (8) 18 Poured from one vessel into another. (8) 20 Wise one who knows Herb. (4) 21 Those who suffer from nearsightedness. (7) 22 Describes lemon, orange, grapefruit etc. (6) 23 Small carnivores found in Ireland and elsewhere. (6) 26 Larger carnivore found in Ireland and elsewhere. (5)

Congratulations

f Solution to the Spring 2011 Crossword won by Marie Flanagan, Monaghan Town, Co Monaghan Terms: 18+. 60c per entry incl VAT. Network charges vary. Competition closes midnight 20 July 2011 Entries made after the close date do not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100.

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SUMMER 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE 37

Crossword is open to readers aged 18 or over, are resident in the Republic of Ireland, except employees and their families of The Waiting Room Magazine, its printers, or anyone connected with the competition. The magazine is not responsible for entries lost, delayed or damaged in the post. Proof of postage is not accepted as proof of delivery. Any number of entries will be accepted. Winner will be the sender of the first correct entry to be drawn at random after the closing date. Winner will be notified by post, and only their name and the county in which they live may be published in the magazine. All personal information obtained through entry into this competition will be destroyed following its completion. Entry implies acceptance of these rules.

The Waiting Room Magazine No.8

FAMOUS LAST WORDS AMANDA BRUNKER

Author, model, TV personality, family woman... Amanda Brunker, is a real Renaissance Woman, and a busy, busy one, at that. But we managed to get her to stand still long enough to answer some of our questions about herself and her less public side.

“You were right... it does work out beautifully”

by MAUREEN CORBETT

The All Ireland Talent Show is highly competitive – are you naturally competitive? Yes, I always have been. I can’t even play a game of Chess or Scrabble with my husband without all-out war breaking out. So I made a conscious decision for the sake of our relationship NEVER to play games with him... because I’d always win and it crushes him!!! I’m so competitive that I actually hate doing things I’m not good at. Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes and no. I’ve fallen in love both ways. Though I must admit I hated my husband the first time I met him. I thought he was loud and brash and didn’t want anything to do with him. I then realised he was the male version of me. What are your personal pet peeves? Same as everyone else I suspect. I hate ignorant people, stupidity. But I don’t let people or things around me bother me too much. If I can alter things for the better I do, if I can’t, I walk away. Life is speeding by and I don’t to waste any of it getting upset by silly little things. Are you religious/spiritual? Spiritual I suppose. I was brought up Church of Ireland but I don’t practice now. Religion is not something I talk about often. Some things are private. Where do you get your inspiration for your novels? Inspiration is never a problem for me. I wouldn’t have to leave the house and I’d easily pop out several more books. I soak up people’s conversations and mannerisms and stick them in my books. Who is your favourite author? I admire all authors. So many people are full of hot air about the book they’re going to write as if it’s easy. As a woman who has written three I can tell you it’s not! I always try and support fellow Irish authors. We’ve so many talented writers in this country. What was the worst chat up line you ever heard? ‘Can I take you for a coffee?’ The answer was ‘No, I’m married...’ Which was then followed by, ‘Bring your husband... He must be a wonderful guy. If you picked him he must be wonderful...’ Pass the bucket, quick!

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

“THE KEY TO SUCCESS (AS IN ALL MATTERS OF LIFE) IS PERSISTENCE.”

What can you not live without? As I got older I’ve realised you can live without anyone or anything but I hope to always have my computer, as that is my secret weapon for feeding my children for a very long time. Did your parents think you were a ‘wild’ child growing up? Yes they did. And yes I suppose I was a little... Not as bad as the stories you hear about kids today though... My wildness was extremely tame by today’s standards... And NO, I’m not offering up tales of rebellion. What would you write in a note to your 16 year-old self? You were right... It does work out beautifully :) Who has been the most influential person in your life to date and why? I suppose my mum has been one of my biggest influences. She’s a strong woman. Has battled many things and many people and at 70, she looks hotter than ever and sports the biggest smile every day. If I could bottle her energy, I’d be a very wealthy woman. You dropped from a size 16 to a size 8/10 within a year (congratulations!) – what advice would you give to people who are currently trying to lose weight? Don’t expect over-night miracles and don’t give up if you fall off the wagon and have a couple of bad eating and drinking nights. The key to success (as in all matters of life) is persistence. That, and a great range of products, the Slender Range.* Do you think your celebrity status has impacted on your family life? Yes, because I had to spend a lot of money on getting a decent security system, big gates and cameras everywhere because I had crazies paying visits to my home. What’s next for Amanda Brunker? I am currently writing my next book Hello Buoys. Also, Hello Buoys the stage play version is almost finished – complete with music that I’ve penned and which has already been recorded. Needless to say, I won’t be dropping off the planet anytime soon. # For more about Amanda, check out her new website amandabrunker.com

The Slender Range consists of Slender Xcellerate PLUS, Slender Sleep and Slender Pu’erh Tea. All are available from pharmacies, health stores and at www.slender.ie

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