Author Archives: Maureen
In sickness and in health: living with illness
When serious illness strikes there’s often just one thing that stops sufferers from crumpling – the unwavering support of their partners
Lyndsay Mitcheson, 43, had her left leg amputated above the knee in August last year after contracting MRSA during a knee replacement operation for arthritis. She lives in York with her two teenage children. Her partner of two years, Paul Adams, 43, a graphic designer, lives in Leeds
LYNDSAY When I met Paul I was walking with sticks and in a lot of pain from the MRSA. We didn’t talk about what was going to happen with my leg but in the back of my mind I knew I was going to lose it. We had grown so close I felt I had to give him the chance to do a runner. I vividly remember the night we discussed it. I told him, ‘This leg is going to go,’ and he just said, ‘OK.’ Paul is the easiest end of easy-going but there were still dark moments when I thought he would leave.
Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability: Marini’s Story
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87iLa8g6H_E[/youtube]
Marini McNeilly is a patient at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London. She has been receiving specialist care and rehab by the hospital’s staff after suffering a stroke.
Simple test to save 3,000 from bowel cancer every year
3,000 lives could be saved through bowel cancer test
Millions of people are to be allowed to take a simple test that could significantly lower their risk of developing bowel cancer.
As many as 3,000 lives could be saved every year and many diseases could be detected earlier, saving the NHS money, by the decision of the UK National Screening Committee to recommend the procedure for all those aged between 55 and 59.
Figures suggest that using a short one-off test for bowel cancer among middle-aged Britons could reduce incidence rates by 33 per cent and death rates by 43 per cent.
Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “Recent trial results of this method of detecting and removing polyps before they develop into bowel cancer can truly be called a breakthrough.
