Natural Health and Herbal Remedies Blog – information on herbal medicine

Normal sexual responses to a gynecological cancer include:•    Post-treatment obsession with body image and self- acceptance as a sexual being•    Inability-to accept that the surgical scar is a badge of ‘survival•    Concern that you will never have another orgasm. You will – all orgasms start in the mind!•    Difficulties in discussing intimacy and other issues with your partner•    Grieving over loss of fertility•    Extreme tiredness and loss of interest in sex in the early stages, and even after treatment•    Pain with penetrative intercourse, especially after surgery and radiation . . . medication and lubricants can help overcome this•    Early onset of menopause•   Anxiety over resuming sex, or discussing sexual concerns•    Fear of infection especially with decreased blood counts•    Fear of pain•    Fear that having intercourse will flare up cervical cancer, because symptoms often first appear with intercourse.Most concerns resolve themselves with time, patience, understanding, open honest communication and sometimes medical and psychological intervention.These concerns become abnormal when it creates depression and an inability to resume intimate activities of any type. Make sure you talk with your doctor right from the start.*36/144/5*

Various occupational hazards are known to cause cancer when exposure levels are high or exposure is prolonged. Overall, however, workplace hazards account for only a small percentage of all cancers. One of the most common occupational carcinogens is asbestos, a fibrous substance once widely used in the construction, insulation, and automobile industries. Nickel, chromate, and chemicals such as benzene, arsenic, and vinyl chloride have definitively been shown to be carcinogens for humans. Also, people who routinely work with certain dyes and radioactive substances may have increased risks for cancer. Working with coal tars, as in the mining profession, or working near inhalants, as in the auto-painting business, is also hazardous. Those who work with herbicides and pesticides also appear to be at higher risk, although the evidence is inconclusive to date for low-dose exposures. Several federal and state agencies are responsible for monitoring such exposures and ensuring that businesses comply with standards designed to protect workers.

Radiation: Ionizing and Non-ionizing   Ionizing radiation (IR) – radiation from x-rays, radon, cosmic rays, and ultraviolet radiation (primarily UVB radiation) – is the only form of radiation proven to cause human cancer. Incidents such as the Chernobyl accident in the 1980s focused attention on the potential risks of ionizing radiation. Evidence that high-dose IR (x-rays, radon, etc.) causes cancer comes from studies of atomic bomb survivors, patients receiving radiotherapy, and certain occupational groups (for example, uranium miners). Virtually any part of the body can be affected by IR, but bone marrow and the thyroid are particularly susceptible. Radon exposures in homes can increase lung cancer risk, especially in cigarette smokers. To reduce the risk of harmful effects, diagnostic medical and dental X-rays are set at the lowest dose levels possible.
Although non-ionizing radiation produced by radio waves, cell phones, microwaves, computer screens, televisions, electric blankets, and other products has been a topic of great concern in recent years, research has not proven excess risk to date. Data supporting claims of such risk are inconclusive.
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Even when all possible care has been taken, something unexpected may still be found during an operation. This happens especially with emergency operations, when there is not enough time to completely evaluate the situation before operating. However, it can happen with any operation. This means that you need another safeguard. You need to know what might still be found that would make the proposed operation inadvisable or impossible. Ask directly. You need to know how your surgeon would want to deal with each possible situation. Again, ask directly. You have the right to set limits on what you will permit. For example, you may not be prepared to have your breast removed (mastectomy) or to have your bowel ending in an opening on the abdominal wall (colostomy) or to have both ovaries or both testicles removed. Before making a final decision, try to find out what would be likely to happen if you refuse a certain procedure. In other words, try to make a really informed decision when setting your limits. Horrified as you may be at the idea of a colostomy or mastectomy, it is possible that the consequences of not having these procedures could be worse.

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