Lobe Yourself

Most of us will be aware of the latest craze: Tumeric. But is there any truth in some of it's claims? The answer is yes and that's why it's recently featured in the UK's Trust Me I'm a Doctor. For those of you that are not aware of Tumeric, it's a slightly yellow tinged spice from the Ginger family that you would most likely recognize from a curry dish. The active ingredient in Tumeric is actually called Curcumin and to have any benefit you need to be having a daily effective intake of 500mg-2000mg per day. Benefits:  Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects - could help subside those nasty headaches Known effect on the treatment of Brain Tumours from recent  studies  including Glioblastoma in the form of cancer cell cycle arrest Apoptosis of cancer cells (death of cells) and beneficial changes in cancer causing genes. Tumeric has been shown to be absorbed into actual Glioblastomas which means it can break the blood-brain barrier  which is...

The journey of cancer is one of identity . Cancer somehow manages to strip you of everything you believe to be, and the real challenge is to once again define who you are. I once described myself as a student, a primary school teacher living in London and chasing her dreams . On the 15th of April 2016 I became a patient, a dying woman controlled by the cancer growing through her very core. I watched my life crumble through my hands. When you battle cancer, you realise just how strong you can be when you simply need to survive. I am now happier than I have ever been and it’s thanks to my cancer. When you are sat at the bottom of the well, there will come a day when you try to get back on to your feet and start climbing. You also soon learn who is truly there to help pull you back up, and those who just came to watch. My journey has been some what up and down and its not over yet. Symptoms: It all started on a night out with my best friend where all good tales do. I ma...

It's the week of your repeat scan and nothing is okay. You feel like you might cry, vomit and spontaneously combust all at the same time. The weather is bad, there's nothing on TV and you're on your fourth KFC. Your emotions are in turmoil, you're trying not to think the worst but you can't help it. You play hearing the results in your head like a video tape. Does this sound familiar? Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid the dreaded scan and they don't feel like they get any easier each time you go.  So is there anything you can do to make the build up easier? Well I could sit here and tell you to meditate harder, check into a Spa and consume a whole bottle of  Rescue Remedy  like a shot. (Please don't.) But the truth is, none of those things will 100% rid you of nerves. This is why I choose humour for my tumour. Nothing works wonders like having a good belly laugh when you least expect it.  I recently joined the  Brain Tumours...

Time to stop just coping and start living! If I can do it so can you. Below are a few things I wish I knew when I was first diagnosed. 1 : There's no right or wrong way to process this.  We are all unique and we are all accepting something monumental in different parts of our lives. In my case, it took about 7 months to truly acknowledge that I needed to start finding ways to improve the daily quality of my life. We walk around subconsciously trying to file away the fact that we're actively suffering with a form of post traumatic stress disorder and we literally don't know what to do about it. We become disinterested, upset and unmotivated versions of ourselves- and that isn't our fault. My advice to you if you're still struggling to accept your diagnosis: find something purposeful and progressive to channel the negative energy into and make it part of your routine. A few examples that I found helped me were: Gentle Yoga once a week Doing a Min...

On the day I learnt my Brain Tumour (BT) was stable, I came away feeling depressed. That day was something to be celebrated, but it was only the champagne that followed that made me feel more relaxed. I couldn't understand why I was so upset when something so positive in my journey was happening... then a study from when I was on a placement in Anaesthetics at Great Ormond Street sprung to mind. Did you know that children feel a heightened sense of pain when you literally say the word “pain”around them? Once you've said it, they wind themselves up something silly, because all they hear in their audio loop is “pain pain pain pain pain”.  The imagination is the single most powerful tool that we possess in healing, and this has been something reiterated throughout my journey: my Spiritual Healer Anna Parkinson has even healed her own BT using her imagination as a key tool.  I came to realise that the reason I continuously feel so upset on the day of my scans is...

Stress is  commonly  experienced to an extremely high degree in those who are affected by Brain Tumours. Over time, it can manifest and present itself in the most bizarre and painful ways. One of the many presentations is  severe  muscle pain and tension. This can be anywhere in the body but is commonly found in: •  Back and side of the neck (one or both sides) •  Shoulders •  B ack •  Calves Something we all have in common is that once we have noticed that small ‘niggling’ pain it can soon be turned into something much more, and suddenly we’re stressing about having pain caused by stress!  It’s a vicious cycle and I certainly have been known to sulk about it. I recommend a good massage every 3-4 weeks on the areas you most commonly find you have pain. In a study from 2011,  regular  massage had been shown to reduce psychological stress and improve quality of life on patients with Brain Tumours, and especially those...

When I was first diagnosed with my Brain Tumour, I stood up in church to ask for healing. Following what was actually just a public meltdown someone recommended I try Mistletoe Therapy- which I thought was absolutely ludicrous. However, it turned out the lady who recommended it worked for a registered Doctor who prescribed it in various quantities and paired it with other complimentary therapies  for maximum effect . According to the  Helixor  (trade name) Website it is thought that Mistletoe Therapy can: o  Activate  the immune system and the production of  defence  cells. o  Stimulate  “programmed cell death” (apoptosis), particularly in tumo u r cells, which have lost this ability and thus multiply uncontrollably. o  Protect  the DNA of healthy cells against damage caused by cytostatic drugs, so the side effects of chemotherapy are reduced.  o  General well-being improvements , as the immune system re...

Many of you will have already had first hand experience of surgery and some of you might be expecting surgery at some point during your journey.  As an Anaesthetic Practitioner, I’d like to tell you what to expect in the anaesthetic room. On your day of surgery, a Doctor called an Anaesthetist will come and speak to you about what they're planning to do and the risks of whats involved. They might even ask you to show them the back of your mouth to see how wide you can open your mouth - they do this with everyone and it's nothing to worry about. They will check your details against your consent forms and make sure you're fit for surgery. Once it is time for your surgery you will be walked to the Operating Theatres. It is here that you will meet me: an ODP who will show you to your anaesthetic room and make you comfortable on a trolley/bed. I will then proceed to check you in to ensure you're the right person having the right procedure on the correct site....

I don't know if it's just me but does anyone have those really bad days when it comes to experiencing pain? I know for people going through chemo it can be achy bones. For me it's either head or neck pain, which is not related to my tumour itself but is related to the stress it causes me. Sometimes, for no reason, my pain can be 8/10 on a scale of 1 (no pain) to 10 (severe pain) and cause me to feel dizzy and exhausted. I've been to the GP; it is definitely directly related to stress and fatigue. Some of the ways that I deal with the most painful days: Drink a 250ml water when it starts and aim to finish another 500ml before the end of the day. Concentrate on good posture or if possible lay down with a hot compress on the painful area. Limit screen time Limit caffeine Take 500mg of paracetamol and wait for 20 minutes to see if Ibroprofen is required Take 20 minutes to have eyes closed (napping) every few hours How do you cope with your pain? ...