Tag Archives: Health

The 1 Health Advantage Dogs May Give Their Owners

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Ah, dogs. We love them so much at HuffPost UK that we can’t stop writing about ’em ― we’ve already shared, for instance, the annoying behaviour all dog owners should encourage when taking their furry friend for a walk.

We’ve revealed the non-tail-wagging signs your dog is really happy, too.

But what about what your canine does for your health?

On a recent episode of gut health company ZOE’s podcast, co-founder Jonathan Wolf interviewed Dr. Gideon Lack, a professor of paediatric allergy at King’s College London.

He said that though they’re absolutely not definitive, “there are two studies now showing that babies who are born into a home with a dog have about a 50% reduced chance of developing food allergies.”

Does having a dog definitely halve my kid’s chances of getting food allergies?

No, and Dr. Lack doesn’t claim it will.

Jonathan Wolf had the same question, to which the professor responded, “No, that is an observational association. It’s not evidence.”

To get true evidence, you’d have to randomly give half of a group of pregnant women dogs and not give the other half one.

That would be a “randomised intervention,” meaning scientists would add dogs into participants’ lives at random rather than simply looking at those who already have one.

Those who own a dog already could do so for external reasons that might affect the results (like having a bigger house and maybe being richer, or being more rural, etc.).

Dr. Lack says a true scientific trial on the topic is hard to do, though he hopes to run a randomised “Bow Wow study” one day.

However given the data we do have, Dr. Lack says, “At the moment, we just have observation, but they’re pretty compelling observations.”

One such study found “that exposure to dogs and farm animals during the first year of life reduces the risk of asthma in children at age 6 years.”

“This all goes back to the hygiene hypothesis, getting in contact with a whole host of bacterial flora,” the professor added.

Is there any other way to reduce the risk of allergies?

Seemingly, yes (good news for those of us in small apartments or with dog allergies).

We’ve written before about an extensive study that found that giving children who are at risk of developing a peanut butter allergy the offending food regularly, especially when very young, seems to reduce allergy rates by 71%.

In the ZOE podcast, Dr. Lack talked about the same idea.

“I would say in babies with eczema as early as three to four months of life, start introducing them to peanut, egg, milk, the common food allergens,” he said.

“Regularly, frequently, not large amounts of time, small amounts of time, but so that they get enough over a week and continue that every week,” he added.

So, more dogs and more peanut butter sandwiches… sounds good to me.

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The WHO Just Declared Mpox A Global Health Emergency — Here’s All We Know

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Yesterday, the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the growing rates of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries “constitutes a public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC).

This is the WHO’s highest level of alert and can speed up research, funding, and global cooperation. A PHEIC is not a pandemic; it’s more of an international call to arms to prevent one.

The announcement comes as a new strain of the disease has started to spread which seems to be more easily transmissible than the previous mutation.

“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying,” Dr. Ghebreyesus said.

“On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

The WHO had previously announced a PHEIC warning for mpox in 2022 which has since ended.

That was for strain IIb; this is strain Ib, from clade 1, which is typically more deadly (up to one in ten can die from it).

Where has it spread so far?

The new variant, clade Ib, has spread from the DRC to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda for the first time.

Over 100 cases have been confirmed in countries outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Its detection in countries neighbouring the DRC is especially concerning, and one of the main reasons for the declaration of the PHEIC,” the WHO says.

This year’s total reported cases is already higher than the total of last year’s, with 15,600 cases and 537 deaths so far.

There are currently two WHO-approved vaccines to treat mpox.

The WHO’s director-general has released an Emergency Use Listing “which will accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries which have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval.”

Should I be worried?

The new variant (Ib) hasn’t been spotted in Europe, the UK, or anywhere outside of Africa yet.

The PHEIC is designed to keep it that way.

WHO Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina said: “The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the mpox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe.”

“Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.”

The NHS says mpox is transmitted through touching blisters and scabs, having sexual contact, touching the bedding, clothes, or towels, of an infected person. Someone with mpox can also spread it through coughing and sneezing.

The strain of mpox that triggered the PHEIC is more transmissible than the previous one, however.

What are the symptoms?

If you’re infected with mpox, symptoms usually appear within five to 21 days and typically improve on their own in two to four weeks.

Common symptoms include a blistering rash, which often starts one to five days after other symptoms, and can spread from the face or genital area to other parts of the body.

Other symptoms may include proctitis (inflammation of the rectum), fever, headache, flu-like symptoms, and swollen glands.

The mpox rash progresses through four stages: flat spots, raised spots, blisters, and healing by scabbing or crusting over.

Because the rash can resemble other conditions like chickenpox, it’s crucial to seek medical assessment and testing for an accurate diagnosis.

If you notice symptoms, consult a healthcare professional for appropriate testing and care to confirm if you have mpox.

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This NHS Doctor’s Sleeping Hack Can Make You Fall Asleep Within Minutes

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If you suffer from insomnia or even just have occassional bouts of being unable to sleep, you’ve likely tried every trick in the book.

From sleepy girl mocktails to magnesium supplements, sometimes the sleep just isn’t coming and you’re left wide awake in bed counting down how many hours of sleep you’d get if you fell asleep riiight… now.

It’s unbearable and knowing the health impacts of losing sleep such as mental health problems and even diabetes doesn’t do much to make you feel more rested.

However, according to one NHS surgeon, there is something we don’t do enough and it actually works as a ‘biological power off button’.

How to fall asleep faster, according to a health expert

Dr Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon, social media creator and all-round health expert revealed that there is a sort of ‘Spotify shuffle’ we can do to help ourselves doze off faster.

In a recent Instagram reel he said: “If you’re struggling to fall asleep, this is the biological equivalent of holding down the power button.

“When you’re in bed, it’s easy to get into repetitive, disrupting thought patterns. This can trigger a stress response which keeps you awake, the more you’re awake, the more unwanted thought patterns you get, meaning less sleep.”

However, he revealed that a sleep hack named ‘cognitive shuffling’ can break this cycle by taking away your active cognitive effort (overthinking.)

Dr Rajan said: It’s the human brain version of pressing shuffle on your mind Spotify playlist.”

How to do cognitive shuffling

First, choose a word. The word that Dr Rajan chose was aptly “bedtime”.

From there, for each letter of that word, think of another word starting with that letter and visualise it.

So, for example, for the letter ‘B’, you could choose words like bear, brace, bones, bench.

Keep doing that until you’re out of words or bored and then move on to the next letter.

Dr Rajan urges that you visualise these words too as it simulates micro-dreams.

He said: “This trick helps to calm racing thoughts, so if your sleep software is malfunctioning, it’s worth giving it a go.”

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I’m A Doctor ― This Common Gut Health Buy May Be A Waste Of Money

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It’s well-known that if you’re going on antibiotics, you’ll need to supplement the tablets with probiotics to protect your gut’s microbiome, right?

The medication wipes out the “good” bacteria along with the bad, and you need something like a specially-designed probiotic drink to restore it, the common argument goes.

But Dr. Karan Rajan, who’s known for spreading his medical know-how on TikTok, recently shared a video explaining that the relationship isn’t as straightforward as that.

Why not?

“Whilst there are some strains of bacteria known to have a protective effect at reducing the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, there’s no guarantee your average supermarket probiotic [drinks] contain these strains, even if they claim to,” he says.

“And even if they do contain it, are they even alive or present in sufficient concentrations to have any effect?” he asked.

He’s not alone in doubting the supermarket supplement.

Women’s Health writes that “the benefits [of supermarket probiotic drinks] are negligible,” with or without antibiotic use; dietitian Sophie Medlin told Which?, ”[the effect of probiotic supplements] depends on what bacteria is already present in your gut. This is why it’s hard to prove probiotics offer the same benefit to everyone.”

Medlin and Women’s Health both agree that research into the effectiveness of probiotic drinks is thin on the ground.

It’s not that nobody thinks any probiotic drink can help; it’s just that proving they do can be harder than you’d think.

“The jury is still out about which strains and which dosages are the most effective,” Dr. Karan Rajan says.

“So instead of spending your money on [probiotic drinks], there is something more evidence-based and effective that you can do during and after taking antibiotics.”

Which is?

I hate to be this person, but; plain ol’ fruits and veggies, apparently.

“Add more prebiotic fibres to your meals,” the doctor advised. “These plant fibres feed and encourage the growth of the existing good bugs.”

He added that “you can get these prebiotics in the form of supplements like psyllium husks or fibre-rich plants ― fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses.”

The doctor went on to say that brightly-coloured plants “tend to have a higher concentration of polyphenols, which our good gut bugs love.”

“Instead of these store-bought probiotics, go for the stuff naturally found in food ― they’re more likely to contain live bacteria in the form of lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which happen to be two of the most researched strains of probiotics,” Dr. Rajan ended his video.

Of course, listen to your doctor first, and if you’ve noticed benefits from drinking probiotic drinks then continue enjoying them.

Though some argue there’s not much proof for their effectiveness, there’s no definitive proof they don’t work, either.

But as dietician Kaitlin Colucci told Which?, while they “can be beneficial” for people who are unwell, “For healthy people without symptoms there’s no need to take probiotic supplements.”

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The 1 Thing That Will Make Your Bathroom More Dementia-Friendly

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According to the NHS, research shows there are more than 944,000 people in the UK who have dementia, and this is only increasing as people are lving longer.

The NHS also state that in the early stages of dementia, sufferers may be able to live at home, continuing to enjoy doing the things they have always done and having an active social life.

However, there are steps you or a carer can take at home to make the condition easier to manage and offset the more difficult days of dementia.

Now, Dementia UK have shared tips for making bathrooms more dementia-friendly

On their TikTok channel, a specialist dementia nursing charity have shared their tips for making bathrooms more dementia-friendly, and they’re really simple.

Most notably, the charity recommend using brightly-coloured towels which, as well as just making your bathroom a little more colourful, will stand out more on the towel rail and make spotting them easier.

Additionally, the experts recommend that if you have a fabric bathmat, this should be rolled up when not in use to prevent trips and falls.

While this is probably just good practice in general, NHS Inform urge that dementia sufferers are at a higher risk, saying: “There are different personal risk factors that cause people to fall, however, people with dementia are at greater risk because they: are more likely to experience problems with mobility, balance and muscle weakness.”

Dementia UK offer more tips for making bathrooms accessible

On their website, Dementia UK recommend the following steps for making bathrooms a safer place for dementia sufferers:

  • Stick a written sign or a picture of a toilet to the door to help the person identify the bathroom
  • Leave the bathroom light on at night to help the person find their way
  • Fit a toilet lid and seat in a different colour from the toilet itself to make it more visible
  • Use a free-standing toilet roll holder. These are easier to see than wall-mounted holders, and putting it right next to the toilet means the person does not have to stretch and potentially lose their balance – but if the person is prone to falls, be aware that they may be a trip hazard
  • Install rails or handles at useful points such as in the bath/shower and next to the toilet
  • Provide a bath or shower seat if the person has mobility or balance problems
  • Use flood and scald prevention plugs in the basin and bath
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This Olympic Athlete Schooled A TikTok User Who Commented On Her BMI, And It’s Deliciously Satisfying

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In a recent TikTok, US rugby player Ilona Maher shared a comment she’d gotten on a previous video.

It read, “I bet that person has a 30% BMI” (it seems she was referencing a BMI of 30, which is the point at which a person is officially classed as “obese” by the index).

“Hi, thank you for this comment. I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact,” Ilona began her video in response to the remark.

“I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be even more exact. I’ve been considered ‘overweight’ my whole life,” the professional athlete explained.

The rugby player broke down how BMI works

After sharing that she had been classed as “overweight” as the result of a physical she’d completed in high school, the rugby star said, “I was so embarrassed.”

Since then, though, things have changed.

“I chatted with my dietician, because I go off of, you know, facts,” she explained, “and we talked about BMI. And we talked about how it really isn’t helpful for athletes,” she said.

That’s because muscle is denser than fat, meaning a square inch of muscle will be heavier than a square inch of fat; you can have a very low body fat percentage (the thing doctors tend to worry about) while maintaining a high weight, especially as a sportsperson.

“BMI doesn’t tell you much. It just tells you your height and weight and what that equals,” Ilona shared. “I’m 5′10″, 200 pounds ― and I have about, and this is an estimate, but about 170 pounds of lean muscle,” she added.

That puts her body fat percentage at 15% (that’s at the lower limit of the Royal College of Nursing’s recommended body fat percentage for women aged 20-40, which is 15% to 31%).

Maher added, “BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do… So, I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered ‘overweight.’ But alas, I’m going to the Olympics, and you’re not.”

BMI has long had its faults

Not only is BMI not very useful for athletes, but it wasn’t even devised to measure people’s health.

Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet came up with it in the 1830s as a part of his measure of the “average” man, which he saw as aspirational. (“Average” to Quetelet was, of course, exclusively Western European men.)

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, have published an article in the journal Science which shared that BMI “is an inaccurate measure of body fat content and does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, and racial and sex differences.”

Nick Trefethen, Professor of Numerical Analysis at Oxford University’s Mathematical Institute, also told The Economist in a letter that the calculations of the index are off.

“We live in a three-dimensional world, yet the BMI is defined as weight divided by
height squared. It was invented in the 1840s, before calculators, when a formula had to be very simple to be usable.”

“As a consequence of this ill-founded definition, millions of short people think they are thinner than they are, and millions of tall people think they are fatter,” he wrote.

Take THAT, Wii Fit circa 2008…

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Thousands Of Women Are Being Failed Every Year Thanks To These Symptoms Being Misdiagnosed

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New research has revealed that misdiagnosis of symptoms women are experiencing is exacerbating debilitating conditions and leaving thousands untreated.

In a survey of 500 women who have experienced a misdiagnosis, Higgs LLP found that 86% of women have had at least one symptom related to periods misdiagnosed.

For example, despite the condition impacting 1 in 10 women, the most frequently misdiagnosed condition was endometriosis, which can cause chronic pain, heavy periods, and fatigue, just to name a few symptoms.

Symptoms that are most often misdiagnosed in women

The top ten most common misdiagnosed symptoms found from the survey were as follows:

  1. Fatigue

  2. Lightheadedness and dizziness

  3. Irregular periods

  4. Painful periods

  5. Heavy periods

  6. Stomach cramps

  7. Achy joints

  8. Headache

  9. Migraines

  10. Nausea/vomiting

With so many of these being tied to menstruation, it’s hard to not see this as widespread medical misogyny.

Health expert and founder of healthcare company Maxwellia, Anna Maxwell said: “On average women will experience 480 periods in their lifetime, which means they bleed for around 7 years of their lives.

“The normalisation and dismissal of period problems can potentially be really damaging for women, both physically and emotionally. Early intervention is key for managing chronic menstrual conditions; it’s so important that women feel heard and that they are being taken seriously to help improve women’s quality of life.”

This research correlates with long waits women have for diagnosis. Endometriosis alone takes around 7 years to diagnose.

The conditions that women were mostly commonly misdiagnosed with were anxiety and depression, irritable bowel syndrome, stress, and skin conditions.

Clare Langford, Medical Negligence Expert at Higgs LLP commented: “The issue of misdiagnosis is not just a failing among medical professionals but a deeply concerning gendered problem that desperately requires reform.

“We must recognise that these misdiagnoses are a trend. They are not just mistakes but symptoms of a larger, systemic problem within the healthcare system where women’s symptoms are too often dismissed or misunderstood.”

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Brits Are Seeking Fertility Treatment Abroad Due To Soaring Costs In UK

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According to the NHS, around one in seven couples in the UK may have difficulty conceiving. Despite this, experts are saying that fertility treatment in the UK is inadequate.

Additionally, research from Fertility Family has found that one in three couples trying to conceive have sought treatment abroad.

In their Infertility Awareness Report, the fertility experts have found that not only are people struggling to conceive naturally but when they speak to a specialist, they often don’t feel like they are even being taken seriously.

Costs of UK fertility treatments has resulted in prospective parents seeking treatment abroad

Fertility Family said: “The cost of fertility treatment has had a huge impact on the way people are seeking help.

“According to the results of the survey, the high cost of fertility treatment in the UK has driven over one in four people to spend over £10,000 on both treatments and investigative procedures.”

This has led to people considering going abroad for fertility treatment thanks to the allure of lower costs. However, of those seeking fertility treatment in a foreign country, only 14% believe that clinics abroad have a higher success rate.

The attitudes of health professionals don’t help either. Over 50% of the respondents said that they felt dismissed by medical professionals when they discussed fertility problems, and only a third felt listened to.

This desperate situation, which seems near-impossible to navigate, has had a huge impact on people’s mental health. Half of the respondents admitted that they feel ashamed due to their difficulties in trying to conceive.

Others admitted that they believe those around them think ‘less’ of them because of their infertility, which further highlights the need for more mental health considerations within fertility support.

Dr Gill Lockwood, Consultant at Fertility Family, said: “Although the psychological struggles of infertility can be overwhelming, many patients ultimately reach some type of resolution.

“Some of the alternatives include becoming parents to a relative’s children, adopting children, or deciding to adopt a child-free lifestyle. Needless to say, this resolution is usually psychologically demanding, and patients may feel forever impacted by the experience of infertility.”

Help and support:

  • Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
  • Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
  • CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
  • The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
  • Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.
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Why Is The New Government Facing Backlash From Its Own MPs Over Puberty Blockers?

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Just ten days after being elected, the government is already facing some internal turmoil over its stance on trans rights – specifically, over its restrictions on puberty blockers.

Here’s why Labour MPs are calling out the health department, why it matters, and how health secretary Wes Streeting has responded.

What has happened?

Streeting has decided to extend a ban – first implemented by the Conservatives – on puberty blockers prescribed to children for gender-related issues.

Puberty blockers are used to help children who start puberty very early.

And, for the last 30 years, they have also been used for those under 18 who are unsure of their gender identity and want to delay reaching sexual maturity.

It prevents physical signs of puberty appearing, like facial hair.

But, then-health secretary Victoria Atkins announced using puberty blockers for young people experiencing gender-related problems would be banned in both in the NHS and the private sector.

She announced the news in May, just before the dissolution of parliament – the emergency ban was implemented in England, Wales and Scotland.

That decision is now being legally challenged in the High Court by The Good Law Project and pro-trans group, TransActual.

The campaigners say the ban did not undergo sufficient parliamentary scrutiny before it was passed, and a statutory committee was not consulted.

According to the government’s legal department in the ongoing case, the government “is minded to renew the emergency banning order with a view to converting it to a permanent ban, subject to appropriate consultation.”

Why did the Conservative government – and now its Labour successor – ban the puberty blockers?

Atkins’ decision came after the Cass review – by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass – into the NHS services for trans children and young people was published earlier this year.

The review said the evidence for the long-term safety of using puberty blockers was weak, and called for more research into its use.

Who within the Labour Party has criticised this?

Labour, which has struggled to unite the party over its stance on trans issues in the past, is now facing internal backlash over its decision to extend the controversial Tory ban.

Stella Creasy – a frontbencher under Ed Miliband – said: “Cass review recommended caution, not exclusion, for any treatment and drew attention to shortcomings of previous GIDs service.

“To those asking will always be MP who listens to demand for better research & evidence base for help for those with gender dysphoria, not abandons them.”

Backbencher Zarah Sultana lashed out at Streeting on X, saying their party’s manifesto vowed to “remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition & acceptance”.

She added: “That entails ending the Tories’ ban on puberty blockers. Young people – cis & trans – must have access to healthcare they need. I’ll always stand with the trans community.”

Fellow backbencher Nadia Whittome said: “Only a small number of young people are prescribed puberty blockers.

“Those who are often describe them as lifesaving. I know the distress the puberty blockers ban is causing them. No matter what happens in court, I will continue fighting for the government to scrap it.”

Clive Lewis, who ran in the 2020 leadership contest, wrote on X: “I’ve met young people who’ve been prescribed puberty blockers. Some told me they’d helped lift them from depression & probably saved their life. A blanket ban is wrong & not what Cass recommended. Careful, clinical provision is the way forward, not this politicisation.”

LGBT+ Labour also wrote to Streeting, saying the Cass review also called for a cut in waiting lists for trans youth and long-term staffing issues to be addressed.

It demanded “comprehensive training for NHS staff on how best to support and work sensitively with trans and questioning young people, and better address the current toxicity of public debate which is actively harmful to young people”.

The group called for Streeting to set out a timeline of a clinical trial for the puberty blockers, adding: “We hope that, under this new Labour government, progress can be made to reset the public discussion on trans rights, centring on the humanity of, and compassion for, each individual trans person.”

Campaigners protesting the ban on puberty blockers
Campaigners protesting the ban on puberty blockers

How has Streeting responded to criticism?

In a thread on X (formerly Twitter), Streeting acknowledged there’s “lots of fear and anxiety” around the decision he has made, but the “safety of children must come first”.

He argued the Cass review did not find enough evidence about puberty blockers’ long-term impact, adding: “The evidence should have been established before they were ever prescribed.”

The health secretary said the NHS is setting up a clinic trial with National Institute for Health and Care Research so the effects can be “safely monitored” to prove the evidence required.

He said puberty blockers’ use in children who start puberty much too early has been “extensively tested” and met safety requirements – but the same is yet to be said for gender dysphoria.

Streeting explained: “This is because the puberty blockers are suppressing hormone levels that are abnormally high for the age of the child.

“This is different to stopping the normal surge of hormones that occur in puberty. This affects children’s psychological and brain development.”

He added: “I am determined to improve the quality of, and access to, care for trans people.”

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After Years Of Trying To Conceive, I Fell Pregnant As My Husband Discovered A Brain Tumour

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Everything had always gone well in my life.

I think, on the balance of probability, I would probably even be called lucky.

Aged 33, I had a well-paid job, house in the country, fabulous friends and family, one relatively well-behaved spaniel and, to cap it all, a sporty, good-looking husband who was six years younger than me.

David and I had moved to Devon about a year after getting married and all we needed to complete our perfect unit was a baby. We had commenced trying for a baby in the same way we did everything: with enthusiasm, enjoyment, and commitment.

However, after months of trying our carefree attitude was replaced by ovulation strips, schedules and more than my fair share of having my legs propped up against our headboard!

‘Fun’ had definitely left the building.

Eventually we concluded that we might need intervention and sought out our local GP, who was extremely supportive. She told us that quite a lot of the time, as soon as people sought help, it all seemed to happen naturally but she agreed to refer us on for further investigations.

What happened next was not part of the plan.

One night, around 2am, I woke to find David having a seizure in bed. One of those scary ones you see on the television. I watched the person I loved most in the world contorted, shaking, grey foam laced with blood where he had bitten his tongue streaking the bedclothes. Then I watched him lose control of his bladder. Despite calling out, shouting and pleading with him, I couldn’t get through to him. He couldn’t hear me. I called for help.

The paramedics were amazing and being able to abdicate all responsibility for caring for the one that you love to a highly trained specialist was something that I never grew complacent about. I thanked them from the bottom of my heart.

Waking up the next morning was a slightly surreal experience. David didn’t understand why he was on a towel and why there was blood on the bedding and the carpet. It appeared that he had no recollection of what had happened.

What followed was over three weeks of tests, scans, appointments and follow ups which led us to a final consultation one early spring day. We were told that David had a brain tumour and that it had been the cause of the seizure. David now had epilepsy.

The tumour was the size of a small orange and it was sitting in the speech and memory part of David’s brain. What do you do with that information? How on earth are you meant to process that? Later we were given options: do nothing, do nothing then have surgery, have surgery. We opted for surgery. After all, if you take as much as you can away then there is less tumour to spread. It seemed logical.

But life continued. A couple of weeks later, David was out playing golf and I was painting up a ladder listening to the radio. ‘Stand by your Man’, a song I’m not particularly fond of, was playing and I was wailing along with Tammy Wynette at the top of my voice and somehow I knew all the words…how does that happen? What part of your brain stores the words to all the songs that you knew before you were sixteen? I digress. The wailing wasn’t strange, but the crying was. I put it down to the tumour news.

The next day I woke with sore breasts. Crying? Sore breasts? Surely, in amongst all this hideousness, we hadn’t forgotten the possibility that I might be pregnant. I did a test and yes, there were clearly two blue lines. We worked out the day that we conceived. It was a week before David’s seizure. It seemed miraculous.

Our happiness knew no bounds, there was no-one that I didn’t want to tell. David urged caution but there was no waiting the obligatory twelve weeks for me – I wanted the world to know we had joyous news. I needed a reason to be happy, to smile again.

The edge was taken off the tumour and life was rosy again. We put off surgery: we wanted to wait until the baby was born, just in case.

But the start of the pregnancy didn’t run as smoothly as expected, possibly because of the level of stress hormones that had been coursing around my body. About eight weeks in, I started to bleed and I was sent to our local hospital for tests. I remember saying to the nurse: ‘I can’t lose this baby, my husband has got a brain tumour’.

And reality struck.

My husband has got a brain tumour.

I’m pregnant and my husband has got a brain tumour.

A life for a life.

That was the start of our journey: in the space of a month I had received the best and worst news. I learned that I could cry with bone shattering grief whilst my soul soared with happiness. I was introduced to the tightrope I would balance on for the next twelve years of my life.

Seven months later we had our only son George. Nine months later David had his first craniotomy; an operation to remove as much of the tumour as possible. Nine months and one week later we were told that David’s brain cancer was terminal.

And then I was faced a choice: to go down or to go up; to be fearful or to have faith; to drown or to float. I chose to float.

David’s brain tumour progressed to a glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain tumour, in July 2020 and he died in May 2021 when his son, George, was 12 years old.

Clare Campbell-Cooper’s new book Choosing to Float is out now, priced at £8.99 and available from Amazon.co.uk. Clare will be giving at least 10% of her net royalties to Brain Tumour Research.

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