Minkyweasel World

One Girl's Outlook On Life

Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Not well again

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 6, 2012

Common cold

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It must be the time of year I guess but over the last few days I haven’t been very well, sore throat and catarrh combined with a little listlessness kept me indoors and for the most part seated. I managed a session on my treadmill and was amazed that I could find the energy. It did make me feel good for a couple of hours. On Wednesday I had been doing some electrical work for a guy all of it outdoors except for a small amount in his garage which was just as cold as it was outside. The weather was cold (0-1 C) but dry and I was wrapped up but my toes began to feel it after a while. Now I know people cannot catch a cold because it is cold, it has to be through contact with the virus but I suppose the low temperature lowered my resistance enough to catch it. Yesterday, Sunday, I couldn’t stop sneezing and felt as weak as a kitten. I have been eating well trying to keep my energy levels up but any stored energy I might have isn’t going anywhere. Now it is Monday and I am not feeling much better and certainly not well enough to do any work. My bottom lip and right hand side of my face is swollen and I am seeing the doctor around ten o’clock. I went to bed feeling somewhat better than of late but seeing my face this morning I think I need some medication. One good thing about it though was that I couldn’t stop laughing at my self whilst applying my make-up! Anyway I am off work for a day or so now, I always take the time off whenever I am not feeling well, which fortunately hasn’t been often. I think it is unwise not to. My clients, should I get any, will have to wait a while.

Update: I have seen the doctor who reckons I have an allergic reaction to something and has accordingly placed me on a course of steroid tablets together with anti-histamine tablets for a few days. The thought of taking steroids I do not like but as it is only for a short while I have to put up with it I guess. On the brighter side I had the doctor laughing his head off by the things I was telling him. My usual doctor, a female, retired last year and as yet I have not been allocated another. I have stated my preference for a female doctor when they get round to allocating one for me. When I took my prescription to the chemist (drug store) I had them laughing their socks off too! Well you’ve got to laugh haven’t you?

I’d post a pic to show you what my face looks like but you already know what the elephant man looks like! LOL. I’m still laughing…

Shirley Anne

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Exercising the day after

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 19, 2011

A woman on a treadmill (Original caption: &quo...

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Having enjoyed a lovely afternoon on Friday and having consumed a fair amount of red wine I wasn’t particularly interested in having some exercise on my treadmill the morning after, which was Saturday. During last week I had not been able to exercise for a couple of reasons, not least of all was the fact that I had been suffering with back pain so I really needed to exercise even if I didn’t feel like it. As it happened I didn’t get to bed until two o’clock in the morning and didn’t fall asleep straight away as usual but when I did I had a good night’s sleep. I awoke at seven, a mere four and a half hours after falling asleep, very much what I do nearly every day and dressed for a session on the treadmill. Forty minutes later I felt great, had a quick light breakfast then bathed and dressed for the day. Nothing to do on Saturdays I caught up with some reading and played around on my guitar. I always find that when I am not in the mood to exercise I do it anyway and never regret it. It is all about discipline of course and I suppose if I were to give in to laziness rather than exercise I would be in a sorry state.  What professional footballer remains so if they refuse to exercise? How long would a boxer last in the ring if he decided not to prepare himself because he didn’t feel like it? I sometimes don’t like the idea of exchanging a comfortable bed for a stint on the treadmill but I force myself to do it. A few years ago I would be up and about at two-thirty in the morning and out on the street at three o’clock running a few miles come rain or snow. That takes dedication and determination and it didn’t do me any harm, in fact quite the opposite! I therefore make a special effort to exercise the day after some self-indulgent eating and drinking when it is time for me to do some exercise.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Exercise, Health, Lifestyle | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Truly an amazing God

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 15, 2011

English: Illustration of the pain pathway in R...

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Over the last few days I had been suffering with severe pains in my back. The pain was so bad I couldn’t turn to the left or right without a sharp reminder. In bed I found it difficult to turn and indeed it was more painful lying down than standing up. During the day I found I couldn’t bend forward without feeling a pain which circled my torso and if I managed to straighten up it was immensely difficult to do. Picking up objects from the floor was a terrible experience and yet through it all I had to continue to work. In the early hours of this morning whilst still in bed I was at my wit’s end with the pain and I cried out to God to rid me of it. I had to visit the toilet and then returned to bed for an extra hour before I had to get up. I had no pain anywhere. It had gone completely. No fading away gradually, it just disappeared like a light being switched off. During all of this I took no medication whatsoever for I do not like taking medicine unless it is absolutely necessary. Now I am totally pain-free. Praise the Lord for He is good.

Shirley Anne

 

Posted in God, Health | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

When does it become an intrusion?

Posted by Shirley Anne on November 19, 2011

Warning: This Area Contains Tobacco Smoke

Image by tbone_sandwich via Flickr

Recently it has been proposed my the Medical Council that there should be a complete ban on individuals smoking in their vehicles. The reasons given were that the confined spaces give rise to the build-up of dangerous chemicals to the detriment of those present, especially children. Whatever your own personal views on this becoming law, do you think it is an unwarranted infringement on the personal rights of individuals or do you think it is a reasonable request for a civilised society in which the majority consensus is to be agreed with? Apart from the hazards just mentioned there is also the danger of possible accidents occurring because of a dropped cigarette. In recent years we have seen smoking being banned in places where people congregate and this was put in place to protect those who do not smoke from the atmosphere produced by those who do. Recognising the danger to the non-smoker made sense to remove the smokers from those places whenever they wanted to feed their habit. More people do not smoke than those who do. At present I think the figures quoted point to a 20% to 80% ratio. It seems only right then to enforce such a law. Despite the objections that this would cause a drop in custom for those in the catering industry, pubs and clubs and similar places the law was passed. I don’t think it has made any difference at all to the retail industry. However, banishing smoking from public places is one thing but to extend that ban to the privacy of one’s vehicle and even private homes (which has also been suggested as a possibility), is another. How far can government intervention go and what would be the  resultant backlash if they decide to follow these suggestions and legislate in favour of them? These propositions have already been made law in some parts of the world, like Australia and elsewhere I believe.

I might add here that I am a non-smoker but I am in favour of such legislation for vehicles but not necessarily in people’s private residencess.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Environment, Government, Health, Law, Society | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Feeling rather ill

Posted by Shirley Anne on November 17, 2011

Gastroenteritis

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On Monday morning I was feeling fine. I took the brief walk to the post box to post a letter and came back home. I had no work scheduled so I remained indoors for the day. After lunch I began to feel stomach pains and thinking it was simply trapped wind I thought it would pass soon enough. During the whole afternoon and into the evening I was bringing up wind but it seemed that I had a bacterial infection because of the aches and pains I was experiencing in my arms and elsewhere. I ate nothing in the evening for fear of aggravating the condition and went to bed a little hungry. Whenever I suspect that I have a ‘tummy bug‘ I cease eating and just drink water. This allows the infection to work its way out of my system without ‘feeding’ it. On Tuesday morning, yesterday, I was hoping to be feeling better as I had work scheduled for the day and when I got up I was glad to be feeling much better. I had a small breakfast, one banana, for I didn’t want a recurrence of what happened the day before and then went about my business as usual. The first job was simply to assess what would be needed for when I go to do it, probably next week but the second was to wire to and fix an extra power point which meant work! I started off with no problems but as the morning wore on I began to feel so weak and tired. I was hoping that it was just a matter of getting something to eat but I had to wait until I arrived back home before I could test that theory. I was right, I needed some fuel for my furnace! So now all is well again. I generally don’t suffer with bad health but once or twice a year something gets the better of me.

Shirley Anne

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Do you tire of it all?

Posted by Shirley Anne on November 7, 2011

heredity and cancer, breast cancer, inherited ...

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The latest findings from ‘experts’, if we believe them is that there is an increased risk, to the tune of 50%, of getting breast cancer if we drink wine. Arguments against these findings point to the numbers of French women who have drunk wine all their lives show no such increase in the likelihood of getting cancer or have proven to have it. Over the years we have been bombarded with all sorts of findings from experts warning us of one danger or another to our health and well-being. Sometimes the results of these findings are subsequently reversed when apparently some anomaly has been discovered which exposes the incorrect original assessment to re-evaluation. Almost always though there is no admission of error. Did you know that butter, eggs, white bread, cheese, full fat milk, red meat, wine (any alcohol) and many other things are bad for your health? Well of course they are if over-indulging in their consumption. Everything in moderation but keeping a healthy respect for the things we know border on the risky should be a common-sense attitude and philosophy. I for one am tired of all these ‘findings’ and for being treated in such a patronising way by those who deem themselves the keepers of the nation’s health. Let me make the decisions based on sensible information but don’t keep pounding into my head.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Community, General Chat, Health, Philosophy, Politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

My date with the scanner

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 22, 2011

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Image by Marc-John Photographic via Flickr

Yesterday as you will have gathered from my previous post was the day I went to have my breasts scanned, X-rayed to be precise. The third time I have been for such a scan only this time it was much nearer home. I drove into town but not wanting to search for a parking place or feed a parking meter for such a short time I parked a quarter-mile from the centre and walked back. I discovered to my dismay that there had been plenty of free parking places within the grounds of the facility! Typical! Under normal circumstances I would wager that parking area full most of the day. I went up some steps and into the large trailer to the small reception desk inside and gave the receptionist my details. One other woman was waiting but there was seating for at least a half-dozen. There are two machines in separate rooms at either end of the trailer so at any one time two women can be scanned. I waited for five minutes before it was my turn and the nurse went through the official course of explaining the procedure and asking me to sign a declaration absolving the NHS of any liability subsequent to damage to my implants. A routine question but I suppose necessary. The reason the question is asked is because the machine has to apply some pressure on the breasts in order to get a good photograph. It is slightly uncomfortable but it takes only a few seconds. Getting each breast in the right position together with my arms, head and feet took up most of the time! On my previous visits I had one photograph taken for each breast but this time they took two for each breast, one from the top and the other to the side. This is because they now have a machine which can be swiveled instead of one that is static. For anyone undergoing this experience for the first time it can feel a little embarrassing but the whole procedure is done in a professional way and always with female operatives. I have found no such problems in exposing my body for medical or any other reason (LOL). I was back with my vehicle within a half hour. I now must wait for about two weeks to learn of the results through my own doctor.
On the evening news there was a report about an older gentleman who had developed breast cancer. He had a mastectomy and is in good health. I hadn’t realised until a few years ago when I had my first scan that men can be prone to breast cancer too but it is impossible for men to have a breast scan in the same way as women do. I wonder then if it is possible at all for men to be screened.

Shirley Anne

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It’s scan time again

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 21, 2011

Today, Friday, I shall be having a breast scan once again. This will be the third one since my operation but my first was when I reached 60 years of age. I am sent an invitation to attend the hospital every three years but this time I don’t need to attend a hospital as there is a mobile scanning unit in my town. I say mobile but it is actually parked in a car park outside a public building and has been there for some years. For my first two visits I had to travel into Liverpool city centre to the Liverpool Womens Hospital and it is a rather awkward place to get to. So I shall be visiting the mobile unit this afternoon for the first time. The whole procedure takes but a few minutes and it probably takes longer to undress and dress again. I am not sure whether I will be invited again at my 69th birthday but most probably I will. They cease inviting those who are 70 years old or more I think.

Shirley Anne

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More exercise

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 17, 2011

A garden with a lawn

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I got up around ten in the morning on Saturday having been out the night before and not getting to sleep until around five-thirty in the morning! It is just as well that I don’t seem to require much sleep each night although I do like to have a ‘top-up’ now and then! So it was that I got up and had an early lunch for it was too late for breakfast. My son went out to see his mates and to watch his favourite football team, Manchester Utd playing my favourite team, Liverpool. I am not really that much bothered about football but I do like watching the occasional game. The result was a draw at one goal each but it did serve to knock Utd off the top spot in the Premiership.
E was going out too so I knew I would have the house to myself. When they had gone I got my act together and set about mowing the lawn whilst the weather was good. It was very good on Saturday, bright sunshine and blue skies all day long but knowing the weather might change I thought it best to mow the lawn whilst I had the opportunity. I last mowed it a couple of weeks ago when it had grown so long I found it a struggle to cope. The grass had been damp too which kept clogging the blade and it took me ages to complete the cutting. The weather had been wet and I hadn’t really the chance to mow the lawn then but this time the weather was fine and the grass, although damp in places, was easier to cut and was shorter too. All the same it served as a great way to exercise because I had missed out on using the treadmill which I prefer using first thing in the morning. I did go on the treadmill the following day, Sunday though. I have been very disciplined these last few weeks and have religiously kept myself exercised as I had promised to do following a visit with the district nurse. My visit with her reminded me to keep up my exercise regime when I had let things slip a little. Exercising is healthy and it is enjoyable, it’s just a matter of getting into the habit!

Shirley Anne

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Nothing worse I feel.

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 3, 2011

An image from 1300s (A.D.) England depicting a...

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There are many ailments that we can suffer but none in my estimation compares to toothache. Two weeks ago, well to be precise a couple of days before I began to suffer from a toothache therefore two weeks ago today I had the offending tooth removed. It had been filled at one point many years ago but had now deteriorated and had also started to crumble thereby exposing the nerve. Ouch! At the same time my dentist prepared an adjacent tooth for capping and it was a week ago today she capped that tooth and did some other minor work elsewhere in my mouth. The following evening, Tuesday, I began to suffer ‘toothache’ pains but they ceased after a short while. However the following evening the pain returned and kept me awake throughout the whole night. In the morning the pain disappeared and although I had gotten no sleep I managed to do some shopping but by late morning the pain had returned with a vengeance. I telephoned the dental surgery who slotted me in an hour or so later. My dentist tested my teeth for sensitivity but got no response from any of them. She and I agreed that it might be an infection so she prescribed an anti-biotic to be taken over the next three days or so. I took my last pill this morning. I still get pains every so often though and now I am thinking that somehow there is a break in the gum allowing the exposure of a nerve ending because liquids are sometimes triggering the reaction. I have suffered many kinds of pain during my lifetime but nothing compares to toothache. I may have to make another appointment with the surgery if things do not improve.

Shirley Anne

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Nothing to do

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 21, 2011

A woman on a treadmill (Original caption: &quo...

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Over the last few days I have not had much to do, my work isn’t coming in and although I could find things to do at home I don’t wish to do so at this time. After my visit to see the nurse on Monday I decided to restart my exercise regime yesterday after neglecting it over the last couple of weeks. That being the case I got up early and went downstairs into the cellar where I have the treadmill. It is in the same room as the boiler so the room is quite warm and that is a blessing in the Winter months. It isn’t so comfortable in the warmer months though so I leave the doors open if I am exercising on the treadmill. After my thirty minutes of mostly running I went back upstairs to my room. I spent the next half-hour colouring my hair then off to the bathroom to rinse it out and have a bath. Whilst I was dressing and applying my make-up my eldest son and my daughter-in-law came to pay us a flying visit. When they left I had lunch and then took out the washing I’d put in the washing machine earlier. The rest of the day was spent doing practically nothing! I am going to find retirement so boring unless I get my act together!

Shirley Anne

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Appointments

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 20, 2011

Aneroid sphygmomanometer with stethoscope, use...

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Yesterday, Monday, I had an appointment with the nurse at the doctors’ surgery. It was a routine check on my health because of the medication I am taking, estrogen. This time it was simply to check my blood pressure. It appears that the systolic pressure reading is too high. It’s my own fault really because lately I have to admit to not exercising as I should and of course being a little ‘lax’ with my diet. I will get it all under control before my next appointment in one month’s time. Whilst I was waiting in the surgery with my tag in my hand I noticed the guy sitting nearby had a black coloured tag, mine was silver. The system they use in the surgery is to give each patient a tag depending on which doctor or nurse they are seeing. That means nine different coloured tags. A display board shows the colour associated with each doctor/nurse and when the buzzer sounds and the relevant light is illuminated then the next patient makes their way to the appropriate room. The tags are numbered so that the patient will know if it is their turn. When it is your turn you place your tag on the relevant hook beneath the board and proceed to the room. It sounds complicated but it is very easy and almost fool-proof. I smiled to myself when I saw the guys black tag because the colour is assigned to the Midwife! LOL. I still can’t figure that one! About an hour and a half later I had another appointment with the dentist 21 miles away but before I drove there I had to buy some flowers and pay a visit to a woman I know who has just returned home after having a brain tumour removed. She works in the kitchen as a chef in my local pub. It was less than two weeks ago when I last saw her and when I was in the pub on Saturday night I learned about her illness for the first time. She lives about two and a half miles from my house in the direction I was travelling to get to the dentist so it wasn’t out of my way, not that that would have made a difference but I had an appointment to keep. Anyway she was up and about and let me inside for a few minutes to speak with her. When she told me what they did to get at the tumour I was horrified! It appears that they peeled the skin down from the top of the head to gain access to the skull and then replaced it as if pulling back a blanket on a bed! Absolutely amazing and the only real damage is temporary bruising and water retention swelling. She looks remarkably well after such an operation but she is still weak. I left after five minutes so that I could make my appointment with the dentist.

Last week I had a tooth removed and this time I was to have preparatory work to ‘cap’ another tooth which I will get done next Monday. Although the dental work is covered by the NHS I am still having to pay £204. Just imagine what it would cost if done privately! So that is another appointment for next week. As the journey to the dentist is over 21 miles I was beginning to need the toilet on my arrival there. Another woman beat me to it and was waiting outside the only toilet’s door. We stood there laughing at our predicament along with an old guy who was sitting nearby. After an embarrassingly long wait the old guy said,’Did you try the door’? The other woman was reluctant to do that so I stepped over and discovered the room was empty! I had assumed that she knew that someone was inside. What a laugh!

Monday evening saw me at the pub having a good time. Not many ‘regulars’ there but I wasn’t bothered (where have you heard that one before?). I spent time reading the newspaper whilst sitting on the most comfortable leather couch. Later I had a meal and then some more drinks, actually I had purchased a bottle of red wine so I finished the bottle. Naughty girl I am sometimes and that won’t help my blood pressure but  I am not worried about that, I will get it under control as I said I would. I met with a couple of people but by and large spent most of the time alone. I sometimes welcome that.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Fun, Health, Life, People | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Oh the pain!

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 14, 2011

Aching tooth: This guy is in the window of a d...

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Today, Monday, I had an appointment with my dentist. My dentist’s surgery is over twenty miles from my home. It is in Liverpool. I really must try harder to find one closer to home but in the past that has proved difficult, all local practices have not been able to accommodate me because they had too many patients on their books. Anyway for the past week or more I have been suffering with toothache which also resulted in aches and pains elsewhere, headaches, pain behind my left eye etc. My original appointment was for Thursday last week but my dentist was unable to leave Egypt where she had been on vacation. I consequently had to put back my appointment to Monday. I could have been attended to by another dentist in the practice but my dentist is a good dentist and I decided to wait. When she examined me she took an x-ray picture to see what the problem was. The tooth had been filled several times over the last few years but unfortunately this time it was beyond repair. I have a few fillings and by and large they have been alright. This tooth needed extracting and she suggested I make another appointment. When I told her that I lived more than twenty miles away and asked why she couldn’t extract the tooth there and then she said it was a matter of time. Well how long does it take to extract a tooth? About two minutes! She agreed to do it and gave me an injection to numb the area. Whilst that was taking effect I waited outside and another patient went in. After ten minutes I was back inside and the tooth was duly removed. I was given post-op instructions for after-care. The main problem was stopping the wound from bleeding. It actually took about four hours to cease bleeding but by that time I had arrived back home, had my lunch and was now in the pub! I deliberately bought a couple of glasses of neat whisky and used them to keep the wound clean by sipping every few minutes. Well nothing cleans like an alcoholic spirit and it tastes nice! My other drinks were cider. Most people would have told me to keep off the alcohol after having a tooth extracted but I know different! As I sit here in the early evening my wound has healed completely and there is no pain whatsoever! So who is right? Because the appointment was 11.30 it meant that I couldn’t take on any work for the day but around 9.00 I received a request to do a very small job for someone I have worked for many times. She lives less than a mile from my house and I had enough time to pop over and accommodate her. I wasn’t however dressed for work as you can imagine but the job didn’t entail getting dirty in the least and my fee helped pay for my dental treatment! It’s funny how things work out. In case you were wondering, I don’t mind going to the dentist in the least.

Shirley Anne

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Happy?

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 6, 2011

The hunter of happiness

Image via Wikipedia

I have a little rubber room
I play in every day,
I’d have a chair to sit on
But they carted it away.
I sit on polystyrene
My bed is made of sponge,
The food I get is wobbly
Just like a cold blancmange.
I used to have some clothing
I used to have some shoes,
They used to come and speak with me
And tell me all the news.
One day I’ll get my freedom
One day they’ll let me free,
Then we can be two nuts together
You and crazy me.

Copyright Shirley Anne 29 Feb 2004

The above poem was written in fun and is one of a few I have here in my poems pages but when I read it recently I got to see the more serious side of being in a condition of mental turmoil, insanity or many other kinds of what are commonly referred to as ‘mental illnesses‘. As healthy well-balanced individuals we moan about life from time to time but generally speaking most of us would say that we are happy. Without knowing the figures though I couldn’t say what percentage of a population are really happy with their lives. That brings me to this question, ‘Are people who have a form of mental incapacity, happy’? I have often wondered about this question. What makes people happy anyway and how much of an influence does a person’s life have over their happiness? Well we could say their financial situation, their home, their job, their relationships, their family, a host of different things perhaps have an influence on happiness but how do these things relate to someone who is mentally ill? Are they aware of their situation, can this have an effect on them? It must be difficult to know whether a person is happy if they have some form of mental incapacity especially if we don’t know what they are thinking. I try not to admit my feelings if I am unhappy, I have that control but some may not be able to do that, they may not even know whether they are unhappy or not.

Shirley Anne

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Quite amazing really!

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 4, 2011

James Parkinson

Image via Wikipedia

I was watching a magazine program on tv a day or so ago and they were talking about one man’s problem with the onset of Parkinson’s disease and how it was affecting his speech. One of the effects people suffer from with Parkinson’s disease is stammering. It was mentioned that an effective procedure was available to alleviate that problem but it would cost the guy about £1000, a sum he couldn’t afford to spend. However there was a much less expensive alternative which hopefully would do the same thing and the cost was a mere £10! Evidently there was a phone application or ‘app’ as it is more commonly known. Used with a ‘Bluetoothearpiece the phone receives what is spoken and immediately sends it back through the earpiece which has the desired effect of halting the stammer on the speaker. It works so well it is as if the speaker has no problem with speaking at all. Now I am not one for gadgetry as my regular readers will have gathered but even I have to admit to this being a really useful application of a mobile phone! I can see how some gadgets really can be useful. It is awful to see people suffering from afflictions  and unfortunately many afflictions cannot be treated but some can be eased with the aid of technology. I cannot see a day though where all ailments find a cure but I can see better times ahead in many fields of medicine and hope for those who find themselves at the mercy of Nature gone wrong.

Shirley Anne

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