GALLSTONES – TREATMENT
At times, it is necessary to open and explore the common bile duct, as when there is a history of jaundice or if there are indications at operation that a small stone may lie within the duct.
When the duct is explored, it usually extends the stay in hospital to 10 to 14 days.
In the past, quacks often gained a reputation for themselves by claiming to cure gallstones. Their potions usually consisted of one part of oil and another of alkali. These reacted in the bowel to form a soap which collected as one or more pellets.
When these were passed in the motion, the quack claimed he had rid the person of their stones.
While researchers have long sought to dissolve stones, rather than operate, it is only recently that this has become possible.
Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC) is a naturally occurring bile acid which can be given by mouth in large quantities and can both prevent and dissolve the cholesterol stones.
It only works for these rather than the pigment or mixed stones and, even then, is only effective in about 20 per cent of cases, although up to half the stones may be reduced in size.
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General Health
EXCESSIVE BODY HAIR – GENERAL INFORMATION
Shaving is probably the most used method and can be done by a blade or an electric shaver. While most women seem happy to shave their legs and under their arms, they have a reluctance to shave their faces, perhaps because it seems unfeminine.
Many still believe shaving tends to increase hair growth and to make it coarser. Tests have shown that hairs cut across by shaving have a stubbly appearance and feel, but do not become thicker or harder.
Chemical means of removing hairs are available and effective. They may irritate sensitive skins and have little benefit over shaving, except that the regrowth does not feel as rough as after shaving.
Plucking the hairs is the most popular means of reducing the number in the eyebrows and is effective elsewhere. It is painful and may lead to irritation of the follicles.
Electrolysis or burning out the hair follicle by an electric current is a popular method of treatment. If the hair follicle is destroyed, there should be no regrowth and permanent cure results, but this is not easy to achieve.
Repeated treatments are usually necessary and some hairs in their “resting” stage may not be destroyed. This method may lead to inflammation and even to scarring or an increase in pigmentation.
So there is no one satisfactory method of clearing those unwanted and unsightly hairs.
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General Health
EXPRESSIONS USED TO DESCRIBE EFFECTS OF TREATMENT – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS (PART 3)
What can we conclude now? You have cancer and that is bad news, whichever way you look at it. There are probably difficult times ahead of you, whatever you do. If you meekly accept all your practitioner’s recommendations, it is likely that life will be much less pleasant for you than it could be. If you try to make your own decisions, it is likely that you will have difficulty getting the cooperation and information you need from your practitioner. Seek support from family, friends, nurses, social workers, or other practitioners. Trust your own judgement and gut feelings about what is right for you. Don’t let your practitioner talk you out of your decisions with medical jargon, scientific explanations, bullying or sweet-talking. These are techniques that authority figures such as fathers and teachers use with children. Switch to a practitioner who doesn’t do this, if possible. If not, just remember that you are not a child and that they can only hold a position of power and authority over you if you let them.
Here is a thought that might help you a little. Every time you refuse to let a practitioner treat you like a helpless child, you make it that tiny bit easier for the next patient to do the same. It is only through pressure from patients like you that doctors and other practitioners will be forced to change their approach, I believe this is the most important way in which you can use your disease to help future patients.
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Cancer
