The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2012 10:20 PM PDT A man dedicates his life to good deeds after surviving prostate cancer. IT all started with a kind gesture in 2001. A friend came by Dass Santhanam's house to hand him a coupon for an annual blood test. Upon his friend's insistence, Dass decided to get tested at the healthcare centre two weeks later. At the healthcare centre, another young healthcare professional advised Dass to take the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, as an add-on to the blood test he was taking. He agreed, and 10 days later, that single decision changed his life forever. Dass had a high PSA reading of 77.5 (PSA levels of 4.0 and lower are considered normal), and after several consultations, he was officially diagnosed with T2-3A (Stage 2) prostate cancer. He was 63 years old. "I still remember telling my son's father-in-law one evening that my PSA reading was 77.5. He was so shocked at the revelation, he dropped the glass he was holding – shattering it to pieces. I lost a nice piece of crystal glass that day," said Dass. At 63 years, Dass was a healthy, newly-retired civil servant. He was looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren and traveling, and was definitely not expecting a battle with cancer to be his next challenge. His first hurdle was to decide on the treatment for his disease. Dass swiftly went into action, going for a biopsy at the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, before being referred to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for a second opinion. The diagnosis confirmed that he had Stage 2 prostate cancer. But the good news was that prostate cancer is a slow-growing disease, and more importantly, is treatable. After undergoing an MRI and a bone scan, Dass was presented with three different options: 1. A radical prostatectomy, which would require an operation to remove the prostate gland and some of the tissues around it. 2. Watchful waiting, which will not require any treatment, but instead, require both the patient and doctor to observe how the cancer progresses before medical intervention or therapy. 3. Radiation and hormonal treatment, which will require the patient to undergo radiation treatment that specifically targets the tumour, combined with short-term hormonal treatment (usually two to three years) to suppress the growth of the tumour. Choosing the third option, Dass underwent intensive radiation and hormonal treatment at a private medical centre. He was administered a monthly dose of goserelin acetate (3.6mg). This was followed by hormonal injections once every three months. He experienced some adverse reactions, including hot flushes, sweating, weight gain, and urinary tract obstruction. But he stuck through it, persevered, and after three years, he managed to beat the cancer into remission. With the new lease of life came the opportunity for Dass to pay it forward. In 2002, a fateful meeting at the National Cancer Society of Malaysia's (NCSM) library paved the way for him to help found NCSM's first Prostate Cancer Support Group for men. "I was kindly referred by my doctor to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, to take a bone scan that was offered at the centre. While waiting for my turn, the people at the National Cancer Society were very kind to me. They gave me the option to wait comfortably in their library, where I could read some books until my name was called. It was in the library that I had the chance to meet someone who worked for NCSM, and who was in charge of their Resource and Wellness Centre," Dass shared. He, with other like-minded prostate cancer patients at NCSM, pioneered the Prostate Cancer Support Group that provides both emotional and mental support for patients who are diagnosed with the disease. It also functions as a support group for families of cancer patients – advising them on how they can be a strong care team for the patient. The group, consisting of both prostate cancer patients and survivors, meet once every two months on the third Thursday of the month, sharing their personal experiences battling the cancer, going through treatment, and staying positive despite the challenges. Dass was also recently involved with the Penang Adventist Hospital's Charity Go Bald and Food Fair. He was one of 363 participants who volunteered to shave their locks and help raise RM600,000 for charity in August. It was his first time going bald! On top of being a cancer survivor, Dass is also a heart bypass survivor. He suffered a heart attack in 2005, and opted for open heart surgery for three blocked arteries. He was still undergoing his cancer treatment at the same time. Surviving this harrowing experience only strengthened his resolve to help others, and Dass joined the Rakan IJN programme post-surgery. He is now part of a team of survivors who take time to meet other patients every two weeks to encourage and boost their confidence facing their heart disease challenges. Here are some tips that Dass has for men who have yet to take the first step to get a health check: 1. If you are 45 years and above, do make the effort to get your health checked at least once a year, and it may be a good idea to include the PSA test. 2. With prostate cancer, the earlier you detect the disease, the higher the chances for survival. 3. Don't ignore key symptoms – get checked if you identify key issues such as difficulty urinating, urinal bleeding or loss of bladder control. 4. For men who have been diagnosed with stage four, don't panic! Take the bull by the horns and seek professional medical help. Before taking any medication, it is important for all patients to speak to their doctor to determine if the treatment option is suitable for their needs. Lastly, stay positive! Take all challenges thrown at you one day at a time. |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2012 10:19 PM PDT WITH all the misleading portrayals of hypnosis that we see on TV or at the movies, you can't blame me for being slightly apprehensive about trying the Hypno-Band Weight Loss System, which uses hypnotherapy to convince the mind that one has had a gastric band fitted. The touted benefits, supposedly similar to gastric band surgery, were no doubt impressive; you would eat smaller portions, feel fuller faster, and ultimately, lose weight, all without any invasive surgical procedures. Nevertheless, my mind worked overtime imagining various negative (and mostly implausible) side effects: would I wake up in the middle of the night wracked with pain in my stomach, convinced I was bleeding internally? Or would I perhaps have memories of a surgery I never actually had? Reality, thankfully, was far more prosaic. My hypnotherapist, Joyce Hue, talked me through what would happen during our sessions. The idea was simple: over the course of five sessions (roughly 40 minutes each, over a six-week period), she would use hypnosis to prepare me for the "surgery", perform the "procedure", and finally, follow up on my progress. Along the way, she would also plant suggestions for ways in which I could live a healthier lifestyle. Our first meeting did not involve any hypnosis. Instead, Hue had me identify practices that were contributing to weight gain, such as skipping breakfast or snacking while watching television, and then simple "substitute" habits that would prevent me from doing so. This process also helped me identify particular social settings or emotions that I associate with eating. Then, I was sent home with reading material on healthy eating and exercising, and told to start a food diary. The first actual hypnosis session was mainly to get me used to the process, and to plant suggestions in my subconscious mind that would encourage me to practice a healthier lifestyle. As a total newbie to hypnosis, the experience was fascinating. Hue had me lying on an easy chair with my eyes closed, and started with the steps of hypnosis we are most familiar with: telling me to relax, asking me to imagine myself somewhere peaceful, and counting backwards. While it sounds simplistic, it actually worked, and she soon had me in a hypnotic state. The feeling is similar to when you may lie down to relax without actually intending to fall asleep. You feel extremely relaxed and tend not to focus on external stimuli, but at the same time, you're still aware of things. The best way I can explain it is, it feels like those few minutes right before you actually fall asleep are prolonged – a pretty enjoyable feeling, actually. Once I was in this state, Hue began to give specific suggestions on weight loss. These were both emotion-related (such as, you don't need to view eating as a way to socialise) and activity-related (take the stairs instead of the elevator), based on my specific issues with eating and exercising. However, because of my state of consciousness, I couldn't remember a lot of what Hue said, which she assured me is normal. She said my subconscious mind would absorb the suggestions, even if my "waking" mind doesn't remember them. After the session, I was given a hypnosis CD to listen to at home, which I had to listen to in between each of the sessions. I noticed several small changes in my daily routine after the session: I started making a conscious effort to eat breakfast, take the stairs, and drink water with my meals instead of other drinks. I also noticed that I felt fuller after eating less than usual. The second session was similar, with Hue reinforcing the suggestions from the previous week. She also asked me which aspects of weight loss I struggled with specifically, and tailored her session around those. I continued with the changes I had started making to my routine, and I did notice that, while I didn't lose any weight, my pants felt slightly looser. I also found myself thinking consciously about what I was eating, and trying to make healthier choices. At our third session, Hue "prepped" me for my upcoming Hypno-Band surgery, by putting me under hypnosis and introducing me to what would happen. This involved her talking me through the process of what an actual gastric band surgery would do. As this involved shrinking my stomach down to size of a golf ball, I was given an actual golf ball to hold in my hand during the session, presumably so that my mind would associate the size with how much I could consume. Hue further asked me to keep the ball with me throughout the week, as reinforcement for my mind. Finally, it was time for the actual "surgery". Under hypnosis as usual, I don't remember a lot of what was said, though I do recollect Hue talking about me being in a surgery room, and doctors preparing me for the procedure. What was notable was that, after I was awoken from hypnosis, I actually felt a slight discomfort in my abdominal area, which Hue assured me happens with quite a few people (she had mentioned in an earlier session that I was quite easily suggestible under hypnosis). Our next session would be in two weeks, so that I could observe the effects of the "surgery", and decide if I needed the gastric band to be tightened. I have to say, while I continued the healthy habits I had adopted, my food portions did not decrease dramatically. I did find that I didn't feel as peckish in between meals, but the change didn't seem significant enough to measure up to the touted effects of the procedure. It should be pointed out, however, that as this was a very busy period in my life, I didn't have the time to incorporate a proper exercise plan into this process, which may have made a difference. At my final session, I did ask for the band to tightened, since I wasn't seeing a big change. I ultimately lost about two inches off my waist, and I am more mindful of habits and emotions that lead to overeating, but I wouldn't say these were things I didn't already know. Like any other weight-loss method, hypnosis is a tool; you need willpower to make it work. The kilogrammes will not melt off on their own; you need to start planning meals, working out, and resisting temptations. Perhaps what hypnosis could do is boost your resolve to do these things. Like every hypnotherapist tells you, hypnosis can't make you do something you don't want to. Related story: |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2012 07:32 PM PDT Good sexual health is a very important part of most people's general wellbeing. IT was reported recently in the Durex Sex Survey that Malaysian women are the third most unfaithful in the world. A whopping 39% of our women confessed to being unfaithful, behind only Ghanaian (62%) and Thai (59%) women. Even the Russians (33%) and Singaporeans (19%) are more faithful. The same survey also reported that Singaporean and Hong Kong men are the most promiscuous in Asia, with an average of 16 bed partners in their lifetime. Malaysian men have sexual relations with an average of only three women, which is way down the list. Just a decade ago, Hong Kong and Singaporean men were among the least sexually active in the region, but something drastic must have happened since then. If we are to believe these statistics, we have a situation here where the women are having affairs, and the men are most likely busy watching football. One major reason why women would be unfaithful is sexual frustration. In general, women are reluctant to vent out their frustration to their doctors, so whatever we hear is actually only the tip of the iceberg. For every woman who shares her frustration, there are probably another nine suffering silently. Or, for every woman who confronts her husband or partner about it, another nine just find the satisfaction elsewhere! We know that poor health, especially being diabetic and/or having heart disease, correlates with poor sexual function in men. We also know that Malaysian men are generally unhealthy. Heart disease is the top killer, and 15% of our adults are diabetic. Over 75% of men over 40 have one or more of these problems – obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and central obesity. Over 50% of our men smoke, while most (men and women) also do not exercise enough. As a result, a high proportion of our men cannot satisfy their partners. Many have erectile dysfunction (inability to achieve and sustain penile erection for satisfactory sex) because of their poor health. Fortunately, in the last 15 years or so, these men can rely on drugs to help them achieve erections. Those who can afford it can even go for shock-wave therapy to reverse their impotence. But the drugs do not work all the time, and can be expensive for the poorer guys. In order to have satisfactory sexual function, men have to be physically fit, and have healthy levels of sex hormones. To be fit is not a necessity for women to have sexual satisfaction (although it is desirable), but she also needs healthy levels of hormones. Sexual satisfaction and fulfillment go beyond just erections and penetrative sex. There are many other aspects of sex that ought to be mastered by partners if they want a really satisfying sex life. It is beyond the scope of this article to describe in detail what these are, as it may not be appropriate for some readers who are too young. However, I will discuss some, which are more general in nature, that will be helpful to all. Kegel exercises For many years, women were taught to do the Kegel exercise (tightening of pelvic floor muscles) to help prevent uterine and vaginal prolapse, prevent urinary incontinence, and improve their sex life. The benefit of regular tightening of the vaginal muscles in improving the enjoyment of penetrative sex is immense, especially for women who have given birth vaginally, as each delivery is bound to loosen the vagina. The exercise is simple and can be done anywhere, anytime, whether you're standing, sitting or lying down. If you do not know what the Kegel exercise is, you can try now – just tighten the muscles around your anus and urethra (urine outlet), and keep it tightened for a count to five. Release for a few seconds and repeat. Do this at least 10 times per session. You can do as many sessions in a day as you want. As you get used to it, you can also increase the number of repetitions up to 60 per session. In recent years, there has been more understanding about the benefits of Kegel exercises for men. Studies have shown that after doing Kegel exercises for three to six months, 40% of men with erectile dysfunction reversed their problem, 35% had some improvement, while 25% did not report any improvement. This is a significant result that men should not ignore – that for good erections, their exercise regime should also include the pelvic floor muscles. Just as in women, Kegel exercises also improves urinary incontinence in men They also help men improve on premature ejaculation, reduce symptoms of prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland), and help them recover from the problems associated with prostate surgery (for prostate enlargement or cancer). Prostatectomies (surgical removal of the prostate gland) due to cancer are becoming more common among men as our life expectancy increases. A prostatectomy commonly causes erectile dysfunction, and Kegel exercises after surgery have been shown to be effective in improving, or even reversing it. If you practise the Kegel exercise at least twice daily, you can expect to feel the results in about four to six weeks. For faster results, there is an electrical machine that can induce the pelvic muscle contractions. If you are undergoing pelvic, urinary or prostate surgery, it is best to do the exercise diligently before the operation so that you start with stronger muscles. After the surgery, it would be wise to rest for at least four weeks before starting your Kegel exercise. About orgasms Many men and women do not achieve orgasm. While all men would have experienced it, at least when they are young and healthy, there are many women who have never experienced it, and therefore, do not know what it is all about. For men, the sexual encounter usually does not end until he achieves orgasm, which means ejaculation. The problem for most is that it comes too soon because of premature ejaculation, or it fizzles out because of a poor erection or poor health. And more often than not, he leaves his partner frustrated. However, it is entirely different for women. They are usually disappointed because the encounter is not long enough for them to be sufficiently aroused. It takes longer, sustained stimulation for women to reach their climax, which is also expressed in a blast of pelvic and body muscle contractions, which last much longer than the few seconds of male orgasm, and may even be repeated in rapid succession, unlike the men who go "dead" for anywhere between five minutes to one week before he can have the next erection and orgasm. Those who have experienced orgasm, and then are deprived of it because of aborted sex (ie the encounter ends before he or she climaxes, for whatever reason) become frustrated. Now you can understand why there are so many frustrated men and women walking on our streets. There are many ways to achieve orgasm, and indeed, the techniques are more important than the size of the penis when it comes to satisfying sex, although size still matters! Why sex is important Apart from the many health benefits of the sexual act, the main biological purpose is, of course, procreation and continuation of the species. Indeed, in animals, this is the only purpose, and in many species, sex occurs only during limited periods of "oestrus" in the female (ie when they are fertile). In several species, the males die or are killed by the mates immediately after copulation. Humans are the only species that engage in sex perennially, most of the time outside the female's fertile days. In fact, we have contraceptives to allow sex without having to worry about procreation, and women continue to have sex after the reproductive age (menopause). Note that men may continue to be fertile even after andropause (male menopause, defined as having very low testosterone), provided they can achieve erection and ejaculate. While sex is arguably the highest desire of our animal instinct, it is not devoid of its religious and spiritual values. Kings and presidents have sacrificed their positions for women and sex, so you can surmise how important sex is. If playing golf takes precedence over sex, then the human species is at risk of decimation. And with so many of my friends becoming hooked on golf, I am beginning to get worried! Sex between married partners is not at all "dirty" in religion. That is why, there are many hadiths (records of the teachings) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on sexual etiquette, and even a reminder to men that it is their duty to make sure that their wives are sexually satisfied. Perhaps the most famous religious treatise on sex is the Kamasutra, which is an extensive manual in the context of a religious/spiritual life imbued with love, family life, virtuous living, and appreciating carnal and worldly pleasures in gratitude and as a form of worship. A healthy sexual relationship helps keep the marriage happy and stable, and therefore, the family secure. Workshop on sexual health To help improve the sexual health of Malaysians, we have to start by educating the doctors, who many patients consider as their advisers and experts. If the doctors themselves are not knowledgeable, then their ability to advise is limited. My anti-ageing and sexology mentor, Dr Nick Delgado of the US, has agreed to come and conduct an advanced Workshop on Sexual Health in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 2 (Sunday). Dr Delgado is a researcher and expert on anti-ageing, fitness, hormones and sexual health. He has written 10 books on these subjects. The workshop is only for medical doctors, and will include subjects and techniques that I dare not even mention here. So if you want to benefit, send your doctor to the workshop! For details, please call 012-5387311 or 03-79873399, or email to sumrui@gmail.com Dr Amir Farid Isahak is a medical specialist who practises holistic, aesthetic and anti-ageing medicine. He is a qigong master and founder of SuperQigong. For further information, e-mail starhealth@thestar.com.my. The views expressed are those of the writer and readers are advised to always consult expert advice before undertaking any changes to their lifestyles. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information. |
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