HEALTH , • I 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 •• • & IinuI COt....". • Runny noM • ina • 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