HEALTH
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For m ny women, the mere
thought of bre t cancer' enough to
freeze th m with nxiety nd prevent
them from king hlp. But medi-
cal expe gree early detection
the ey to b ting the di
While women need to rem in
vigil nt bout th ir bodi nd the
consequence of b t cancer, they
o should be ware of their righ
in dealing with medical profe -
ional. Indeed, because of the im
perfection of mammogram
machine and the occa ional
negligence of phy ici ns, the burden
increasingly fall on women to be
their own advocates.
Even before a wom n find
uspicious lump or pects he may
h ve breast cancer, regular examina
tions and mammograms are recom
mended. At this tage, women have
th right to thoroughly qu tion a
mammography center to determine
if its equipment i reliable. Women
hould confirm that the facility'
machine is accredited by the
American College of Radiology, that
the equipment is certified by the state
health department, that it is specifi
cally designed for mammograms and
is calibrated by a certified radiologi
cal physicist, that the mammograms
re revie ed by a board-certified
iolo . t and that mmography
Is p rt of facility' regular practice.
Women who h ve que lion
bout the reli bility of p rticul r
m mmogram m chin can 11 the
American Cancer Society hotllne t
1-800-227-2345 between 8: .m.
nd 5p.m. weekd y. The hotline
receive monthly mammogram
m chine upd te from the tate
health department.
If, after an examination and mam
mogram, the doctor diagnose can
cer, women h ve the right to
cond opinion.
"MANY EOPLE ARE in
timidated by doctors and don't think
they can question a diagno i ," ay
Kenneth A. Stem, an attorney who
Southfield-based law firm of Stern,
Cohen & Stern pecializes in bre t
cancer malpractice cases. "But doc
tors and their equipment are fallible,
and many unnece ry surgeries are
avoided each year because patients
take the time to seek out a econd or
third opinion."
In the event that breast cancer is
diagnosed and found to be present,
women have the right to question
SIZE OF TUMORS FOUND BY
MAMMOGRAPHY AND BRfAST SELF-EXAM
Average-size lump found by
women untrained in SSE
Having healthy children
How stress can ;3ffect
your unborn child .
Women once believed that If a
pregnant woman was scared by a
snake in the forest, her baby would be
born with a nake-Uke mark on her
.skin, The days of old wives tales and
mystical beliefs about pregnancy are
now long past. Surprisingly, in some
ways, we're finding that the old wives
weren't all that far off.
The events which occur in a
mother's life while she is pregnant,
and her response to them, can have
lifelong effects on her child's physical
and mental well-being.
Alan F. Gumnacher, M.D., has
written about � effects of a pregnant
mother's tress on her child, says in
Life Before Birth that "There is solid,
scientific evidence that a strong emo
tion in a pregnant woman can produce
a reaction in her child. "
The pioneer in studying the effects
of stress on the chqd in the womb �
L. Ron Hubbard, who said in 19S<) iri
the best selling book Dianaics that "it
is a remarlcable fact, a scientific fact,
that the healthiest children come from
the happiest mothers .. .A happy mother
has very little trouble."
Through a stimulu -response
mechanism of the mind which H�
bard describes in detail, events dunng
ptegnancy can lay in mental patterns
which can later cause inational fears,
compulsiom, other �xplainable be
havior and even psychosomatic illness
in the child's life.
For an expectant mother the
removal of these irrational mental
recording through Dianetics counsell
ing. can mean a hi�r capacity for
handling stress, and a beUCr cbance of
a happy, healthy baby.
To find out more and get a free
booklet 011 prellatal life, call the
Dianetics Hotline at I-BOO-FOR
TRU11I, or 1-800-367-8788.
In a modified radical m tee
tomy, urgeon remo th entire
breast, ome of the kin and ome
underarm lymph nod • In a lum
pectomy, urgeonremove only the
breast lump, and the woman follows
up the urgery with r diation
therapy.
Studie h ve hown that
Southeast Mi�higan women with
early tage of bre t cancer un
nece sarily are 10 ing their bre t to
rna tectomie. In many of the e
c es, th t's because Michigan doc
tors haven't yet adopted the national
tandard oflumpeetomy, and are c
tually increasingly the number of
mastectomies they perform. While
mastectomies are sometimes neces
sary, the tudy show this radical
olution isn't always the best option.
At any tage in the process, the
possibility of medical malpractice i
a reality, ay Elliot Stern, Kenneth
Stern's physician brother and law
partrer. And while reputable attor
neys avoid frivolous lawsuits,
women have the right to ue if
malpractice occurs. Legitimate
cases demand lega! action.
IN A MEDICAL malpractice
case, the victim must be able to prove
that a physician, nurse or ho pital
acted negligently; that the victim
suffered a significant, long-term
physical inj ury; and that the
malpractice caused the injury. If all
three of these conditions are met,
Elliot Stem says, the victim may be
able to collect monetary compensa
tion.
"A breast cancer diagnosis is
probably one of the most traumatic
things a woman can experience
during her lifetime," says Kenneth
Stem. "But for her own good, a
woman should be aware of her rights
throughout the diagnosis and treat
ment process. In this way, she can
be sure that the difficulty will be
minimized as much a possible.
GLAUCOMA
DISCRIMINATES
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• Runny noM
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• Itchy. MIery eyes
By JOH c. • D.O.
QU 0 iu
hi h blood P e. My doctor
Juu pr cMbed medication that I .
every day, 0Nl it my
re in the 110 Y
10 cOIICe my COlIS
n of olt. y doctor • 't ay
tilly/lain about 11 ictin 'Dlt, b
my wife ins that I Should
I use alt or IIOt?
• I m frequently
ed que toby my patten
bout the reI tive Ith benefi
nd problems iated with It
consumption. It would be e ier If
I could give Imple"y "or "no"
wer, but that' not po ible.
Let me provide a little b c -
ground inform lion before I
answer your question. Table t i
made of the chemical odium
chloride. Once salt is swallowed,
almost all of it i bsorbed into the
blood by the digestive tract
odium io nd chloride ions,
which pi y a ey role in the life-·
ustaining chemical reactions that
occur in our bodies' cells.
In order to keep the e life
proce e functioning moothly,
the body regulates the concentra
tion of odium within very tight
limits. As blood circul tes to each
cell in the body, the bloodstream
cts as a reservoir of odium. Each
cell can draw extra odium from
the blood or give up exce odium
to it.
The sodium level of the blood
i controlled by the kidneys.
In a heal thy person, a diet that
is abundant in odium d.oe n't
o co
portionoftbole bo
hypertc ion I r
normal level of a bormone called
renin in their blood.
tance used by the body 10 re -
late blood pre ure, Thele
"low-renin hyperte lves" are
more likely to be It itive.
While thi type of high blood
pre sure i common amOD
African America, older
th n 60 nd the obese, an io
divldual of any race, or Ize
can be a low-renin hypcrteDlive.
SO, AFTER ALL that, I'm
finally ready to dbectly n=apood to
your t question with an impreciae
answer: I don't know if you need
to. restrict your salt co umpdoD.
If you are African American,
obese or over 60, you probably
should. If you don't fitintoat t
one of these categorles, you
probably will have no ttouble if
you consume It in reasonable
moun . Talk to your doctor.
Ask if you have high-renin or
low-renin hypertension and
whether or not you should follow
a restricted It diet.
To submit quutlolLf, write to
John C. Wolf, D.O., 250 GrtM
venor Hal, Ohio University Col
lege of Osteopathic Medicllle, .
AthDrs, Ohio 45701.
SINCE 60 ILLIO
america have high blood pres
sure, thi It consumption recom
mendation affects m [or part of
the population. In recent years
some doubt been cast on the
sweeping generalizatio made
from the earlier tudi .
About 10 percent of the time,
we actually know what ca es a
person's high blood pressure. In
orne of the e cas - like tho e
cau ed by kidney di e e or
Cushing's Syndrome (an adrenal
gland disorder) - we know that
It consumption m t be carefully
mOnitore<!, to control high blood
pressure.
Unfortunately, in the order 90
percent of high blood pres ure
cases, we don't know the cause.
We doctors tbe label "essential
Average-size lump found by getting regular mammograms �
Average-size lump found by first mammogram
Average.- iz lump found by women practicing
regular breast self-examination (BSE) .
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Now there are two ways you can plant a tree for Global
Releaf You can dig in and do it yourself. Or, you can pick up the
phone and dial 1-900-420-4545.
You see, trees playa critical role in the kind �f world w�
live in and the kind of future we leave behind. That s why we ve
made it easy for you to make a difference. When you call our
special Action Line, the $5.00 charge ac.tually pays for planting a
tree while supporting Global Releaf action across the country.
And we'll also rush you detailed infonnation on Global Releaf
So pick up the phone and start planting. Earth needs all the trees
you can plant And that's why we need you.
1-900-420-4545
'C BAL
�I£AJJ
. A."... of '!be AarDa. try AIIodadoa
CIIIMII �Jw ,,_ &- ftnJII '*" 1m P.O. 2000, " ..... IID, DC 20013
Average-size lump found by women
practicing occasional SSE
Source: The Breast Health. Program of New Yor1c
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