Health Article

Grandmother forced to become a ‘ health refugee ‘ and move to England to get …

May 22, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Maureen Fleming, 63, was diagnosed with bowel cancer six years ago
Has been refused the life-extending drug cetuximab in Scotland
If she lived in England she would get the £10,000 treatment free on the NHS
She and husband Ian are now considering relocating to Newcastle

By
Anna Hodgekiss

PUBLISHED:

12:14 EST, 16 May 2013

|

UPDATED:

13:14 EST, 16 May 2013

A grandmother is being forced to become a ‘health refugee’ and move to England to get the cancer treatment she needs to extend her life.

Maureen Fleming, 63, was diagnosed with bowel cancer six years ago and was refused the drug cetuximab in Scotland.

She and her husband Ian are now considering relocating to Newcastle where
consultants say she may get the life-prolonging treatment on the NHS.

Cancer sufferer Maureen Fleming and her husband Ian are seriously considering moving from Scotland to England to get the life-extending cancer drugs she needs

Their plight was raised directly with Alex Salmond during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood.

The couple watched from the public gallery as Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont described them as ‘health refugees’.

They agreed to come to Parliament once all avenues were exhausted.

While cetuximab is free in England, cancer patients in Scotland have to pay about £3,000 a month for it.

Cetuximab was approved for use on the NHS by the Scottish Medicines
Consortium but the ‘decision to restrict its use’ was made as a result
of an application by the drugs company, said Mr Salmond.

Mrs Fleming, a retired secretary from Bonhill, West Dunbartonshire,
later said: ‘If you can afford to pay for the treatment, you get it. If
you can’t, you don’t. An option for us is to relocate down south or to
another area where we can get this drug.

‘I would just like to know why you can’t get it on the NHS when others get it.’

Paying for the treatment privately costs about £10,000, she said. When the money runs out, the couple feel it is ‘probable’ they will have to move.

They are already searching for suitable rented accommodation.

Mr Fleming, a 65-year-old retired shipyard supervisor, said: ‘We feel as
if the NHS is letting us down. I’ve worked all my life, I’ve worked
right up to when I retired last year.

Mrs Fleming was diagnosed with bowel cancer six years ago, and was refused the drug cetuximab in Scotland

‘We’ve three children with families of their own. They’ve all got that
work ethic that’s been instilled in them from their mum and I. Maureen
only stopped working to have kids, then back to work again.

‘So we feel as if we’ve contributed our NHS for 50 years and we can’t
get the drug that Maureen needs. We think it’s very unfair that as
citizens of here we have to move to England.

“We’ve got families and it would involve a bit of upheaval because we
do, like most grandparents, nursery runs, picking up the kids, school
runs, so our children can go to work. There’s that aspect too, that we’d
be giving up that to move to England.’

The couple, who have 10 grandchildren, approached Labour MSP Jackie Baillie more than six months ago to raise their concerns.

Mrs Fleming was described by her consultant as an ‘ideal candidate’ for the treatment.

The couple’s plight was raised directly with Alex Salmond during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood. The couple watched from the public gallery as Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont (left) described them as ‘health refugees’

‘To pretend to people that there is a solution to these hugely difficult
questions that are being faced by every health service across the
world, in terms of efficacy of what drugs can be approved for use, is
misleading people entirely,’ Mr Salmond said.

Asked what Ms Fleming thought of the First Minister’s responses, she said: ‘Not a lot.’

She continued: ‘The drug is there, the treatment is there for anybody
that needs it. You’re not getting it because you’re not in this wee box.
If you can pay for it, it’s there for you. It seems unfair.’

In the debating chamber, Labour leader Ms Lamont said prescriptions for
aspirin and paracetemol can be free while cancer treatment can be
denied.

‘Scots with hayfever can get their prescription for free but Scots with
cancer may have to leave their homeland for treatment to save their
lives.

Cancer sufferer Maureen Fleming and her husband Ian are seriously considering moving from Scotland to England to get the life-saving cancer drugs she needs

‘The
Flemings are a proud family. They are struggling to get together the
£10,000 needed for the first three months’ treatment. But they can’t
afford to pay for any more after that, so they are planning to leave
their home of 27 years and rent a flat in Newcastle because in England
they can get the drug for free.

‘Time
is short, so Maureen Fleming has come to this chamber today to hear
first-hand what is the First Minister’s advice to her and cancer victims
like her.’

A spokesman for the First Minister later criticised her assertion,
arguing that painkillers are frequently prescribed to long-term
sufferers of conditions such as heart disease or chronic pain.

Ms Baillie, the Flemings’ local MSP, said her party would ‘absolutely’ find the cash to offer more cancer drugs to patients.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

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Very very sad situation that Scotland would not support this cancer victim however I do not support them moving to England and claiming NHS! Err if I moved to Scotland could I have free university fees paid…err no! Lets see which way the vote for their referendum. I vote that England have a referendum as to whether we keep Scotland lol bet I know the answer to that one! I hope this cancer victim gets her treatment but NOT at our expense being as blatantly rude the Scottish are about the English.

Melissa
,

UK, United Kingdom,
18/5/2013 18:17

Oh dear… is not independent yet.

Thinkpositive
,

here, United Kingdom,
18/5/2013 18:08

Presumably this kind of practice will be against the law if Scotland get their independence?

John Preston
,

Stoke on Trent,
17/5/2013 12:26

All paid for by ENGLISH tax payers!

Pardonmeforbreathing
,

Durham,
17/5/2013 12:13

As sad as it is, this is not recipricol is it. I wonder how the Scots would view an English patient going there for free prescriptions and treatment.

Happy Whammer
,

London,
17/5/2013 12:12

AND THEY WANT INDEPENDENCE !!!

Tanis
,

Marlow,
17/5/2013 11:53

A common story should they get their independence…..

DWW
,

Abergele,
17/5/2013 11:16

I read that while prescriptions are free in Scotland doctors were far less likely to prescribe the ones needed. Sadly the media uses the free prescription issue and the benefits ‘data’ to cause division but Scotland is a net contributor to the UK. Irrespective of the politics I hope the woman gets to spend many more years with her family.

Ms Hmmm
,

London, United Kingdom,
17/5/2013 10:38

I think with these super drugs there has to be some cut off ….- michelineb, uk, 16/5/2013 18:56 There is! It’s based on research – she’s an “ideal canditate” so therefore she should have the drugs. FYI I have cancer and get drugs from the NHS to extend my life by months or years based on scientific research. The median is 8 months. They test the type of cancer in order to ascertain whether there is a chance of it working. They give me a CT scan every 3 months to see if they are working and only 1 months supply in case I die in the meantime. DM probably won’t post this as they like to make trouble for the NHS – there is a system to prevent waste but most importantly extend life. Let’s face it I won’t get my pension or my bus pass so I don’t see a few thousand now as too much given I’ve paid my taxes. Also the pills replace traditional chemo which comes at a cost. Perhpas you’d like to tell my 3 children, 10, 7 and 3 my life isn’t worth extending.

biffa11
,

Guildford,
17/5/2013 10:34

Fair enough. As long as the english get free prescriptions, tuition fees and old age care if they move to Scotland.

dave
,

kent, United Kingdom,
17/5/2013 10:18

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Article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2325641/Grandmother-forced-health-refugee-Scotland-England-life-extending-cancer-drug.html

Filed Under: health article

Fat yoga studio welcomes all sizes

May 22, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

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Anna Ipox (center) teaches a class at her Fat Yoga studio in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Fat Yoga via Flickr)

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American Anna Ipox named her studio Fat Yoga, and she’s not shy about why.

“I say I’m fat cause, guess what, I know I’m fat,” Ipox told KPTV. “Our American script says, ‘No, you’re not fat, just some other euphemism, thick, fluffy, big-boned, portly, whatever.’”

“Fat is simply a descriptive word,” she explained on her company’s website. “We believe that a person should not be judged by the amount of fat they have, and that there is no “right” amount of fat. A person’s physical health cannot be determined from simply looking at their shape or weight.”

Ipox, who has practiced yoga since 2011, said that some traditional poses are too difficult for fat people to manage.

“Child’s pose is impossible of you have belly fat or thick thighs,” she said. But most yoga instructors “just have no idea what it is to have a big body.”

“I remember teachers pushing on my hips to make it happen,” she continued. “It’s not a flexibility thing and I couldn’t articulate any of that.”

Related: Yoga moves for work

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate exercise every week (think brisk walking) and try to do “muscle-strengthening activities” for all major muscle groups twice or more each week. The activity can be spread throughout the week, as long as you’re being moderately to vigorously active for at least 10 minutes at a time.

Still, the people who most need to exercise are often the ones who are most likely to avoid it, simply because working out in public is too intimidating.

“You just have to do a little Google searching to see all the fat hate,” Ipox explained to KPTV. “Fat girls shouldn’t wear stretch pants, they shouldn’t wear white, they shouldn’t wear yoga pants and you’re not allowed to let your fat jiggle.”

Struck by society’s resistance to people who want to be fit but aren’t afraid to be fat, she decided it was time to open her own studio.

“I just realised I’m gonna make the place I want to go,” she said.

Related: Yoga for great sex

Fat Yoga opened in Portland in January, and drew a devoted following right away.

“We come here to have that space and hold that space and be healthy and get our sweat on and laugh and have a good time,” class member Melissa Brown told the TV station. “I really think she nailed it right on the head. Yoga for fat people. Fat Yoga.”

“I love the laid back and friendly atmosphere,” another student, Jennifer W, raved on Yelp. “I love the encouragement. I love that I can laugh while I do yoga and that I can already feel myself becoming stronger and more confident.”

Ipox says classes at Fat Yoga are open to everyone, no matter how much (or how little) they weigh – and, in fact, weight loss is not the point. “Fat Yoga has no objective or claim towards weight loss,” she says on her company’s website. “Frankly, we are not interested in it. We focus on strength building, flexibility, balance, self-acceptance and peace of mind.”

Article source: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/health/fitness/article/-/17277802/fat-yoga/

Filed Under: health article

Phuket leads the way in healthy holidays

May 21, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Island holidays are usually about relaxing, departing from routine and indulging yourself at a luxury retreat. “Healthy” they generally are not, as sunset cocktails, seafood buffets and hours lazing in the sun become the daily regime. But as concerns about our well-being grow, even our breaks are becoming infused with healthy alternatives. And Phuket, in Thailand, is leading the way.

Offering your not-so-ordinary holiday is Thanyapura, one of the province’s new hotels, just 15 minutes from the airport. From the outside, there is little to suggest that it is a dedicated sports hotel where guests receive free access to a 50-metre pool, six tennis courts, running track, full-sized multipurpose pitch, boxing ring, state of the art gym and a Powerplate studio.

Typical guests range from weekend warriors to the athletic elite – Hong Kong’s triathlon team trained there in December, attracted by the opportunity to do intensive workouts in a relaxed environment.

“People come to prepare for races. We have swim training, track training and cycle camps on offer from experts,” says hotel president Robert Huack.

Families seeking an alternative holiday have also been flocking to Thanyapura, which hosts an integrative health centre where guests can enjoy the latest anti-ageing treatments, and even a fully equipped kids’ club. Think healthy holiday village meets a top-notch sports club.

“We recently had a top Hong Kong executive stay here for two weeks with his wife just to get healthy,” says Huack. “Most of our food is organic and he and his family worked out in the morning and then spent the afternoon at the beach.”

Thailand’s tourism authority predicts the country will become the world’s leading health and wellness destination, generating a significant portion of the total expected tourism revenue of US$67 billion in 2014.

Phuket is leading the way, thanks to its accessibility (there are daily flights from Asia and Europe), infrastructure, and a growing pool of expatriate expertise attracted by the opportunity of building their careers in paradise.

Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket, Phang Nga is one resort jumping on board the burgeoning health movement on the island.

Situated on the secluded Natai beach, 20 minutes north of the airport, on the main island just over Sarasin bridge, the small luxury boutique hotel has started offering personalised yoga classes to guests. It also offers detox, or a least a form of it.

“We offer a luxury variation of the detox, yoga and spa buffet,” says Paul Counihan, director of sales and marketing for AMHS Hotels. The hotel has an in-house yoga teacher who offers free yoga to guests before breakfast on the sand three mornings a week.

If guests elect for an Aleenta detox, they will be nourished with fruit juices and fresh, locally sourced vegetarian dishes throughout the day, while being cleansed and massaged at the hotel spa. Five national parks within a 45-minutes radius offer rafting, mud-biking and trekking – the resort does tours for those looking for a dash of adventure.

In the hills above Patong beach, alternative therapy is being combined with five-star pampering at Avista Hideaway Resort and Spa. The luxury hotel offers authentic Ayurvedic treatments by trained Ayurveda doctor, Alvin James. On arrival, guests are offered a complimentary Ayurvedic assessment after which they choose from a tailored treatment package of several days up to a few weeks.

Hailing from Kerala in India, where Ayurveda began, James explains that the popular style of Indian remedy, offered by many spas these days, involves more than simple massage.

“There are three stages to authentic Ayurvedic treatment: massages, cleansing through specific processes and then a diet regimen,” he says. “It is this combination of therapies which cleanses the body.”

The resort is the brainchild of Ramesh Khendry, who spends more than a third of his life travelling.

“I wanted to create a space where busy executives could enjoy a holiday while also creating more balance,” he says. “A kind of place I would like to take my family and unwind, and look after my health amid beautiful nature.”

Wider health issues are being tackled on the island. Phuket’s revitalising geography inspired its choice as a location for Bhavana Phuket, Asia’s first internationally certified rehabilitation centre, says founder and CEO Dr Kai Goh. Operating since August 2011, Bhavana is the only rehab and detox centre to receive an official Thai government hospital licence to dispense medication.

A registered psychiatrist who specialises in addictions, Goh was inspired to establish an Asian clinic several years ago, after he discovered that many of his patients in Britain and the United States were travelling to Asia to receive treatment. He chose Phuket as a location because he felt it had a lot to offer, he says.

“All the different boxes that you need to tick are in Phuket,” says Goh. These include world-class medical professionals, infrastructure and an internationally recognised standard of service.

As a destination, Thailand is cheaper than other countries in the region.

“The Bhavana centre gives people a proper timeout from their enabling environment in an idyllic destination.”

As health and wellness gain greater importance in our lives, it seems they will become more prominent in our holidays, too.

Besides, what better way is there to address the needs of your body, mind and soul than in an exotic location, with a cocktail still in close reach?

life@scmp.com

Article source: http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1242062/phuket-leads-way-healthy-holidays

Filed Under: health article