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Woman diagnosed with rare form of kidney cancer is now helping patients at the hospital that treated her 

A woman whose kidney cancer was diagnosed at the height of the pandemic and was left so traumatised she developed PTSD symptoms has turned full circle and is helping patients with their psychological health at the hospital where she was treated.

Life was going brilliantly for recruiter Laura Wilkinson, 30, when the March 2020 lockdown hit, as she decided to move her long-term boyfriend, electronics technician Ashley Wilson, 27, into her home in Lancaster, Lancashire, only for him to propose the following day.

Her only niggle came in June when the urinary tract infections (UTIs)  she had experienced back to back in 2018 returned, soon accompanied by a nagging pain in her left side, prompting her doctor to send her for scans – leading to a diagnosis of stage one chromophobe renal cell carcinoma within weeks.

Told it was a rare form of kidney cancer that forms in the cells lining the tubules of the organ Laura, who is now in remission, said: “I was extremely lucky.

“My doctors – right through from the GP to the hospital – were fantastic and my cancer was found early when it was stage one and the tumour measured just 3.5 cm.”

While UTIs are not a common symptom of kidney cancer, Laura believes that, in her case, their persistent presence in 2018 and return in 2020 was a sign.

She said: “Ironically, in June 2020, I was sat in my parents’ garden and saying to my mum, ‘I haven’t had a water infection for a year. How good is that?’

“Then, that evening, I came down with another one.”

Not wanting to take any more antibiotics, as they made her “feel rubbish,” Laura avoided visiting the doctor until she developed a pain in her left side days later.

Sent for an ultrasound, she was still concerned in case she was causing a fuss over nothing at a time with the NHS was stretched because of the pandemic.

She said: “I walked in to my ultrasound appointment and felt really bad.

“I thought I was wasting their time as, even since the GP appointment, my symptoms had eased. It was Ashley that told me I had to go.”

She added: “When the ultrasound technician ran her scanner over my left kidney I could feel something there. It was so painful. That’s when I knew something was wrong.”

The technician confirmed that Laura had a mass on her kidney.

But, with the NHS stating that kidney cancer usually affects adults in their 60s or 70s and is rare in people under 50, she still was not worried.

She said: “Cancer didn’t cross my mind.” 

But a subsequent CT scan five weeks on confirmed the mass was indeed a rare, early stage kidney cancer.

And in December 2020, Laura had keyhole surgery using a da Vinci surgical system – a robotic-assisted form of surgery – to remove the tumour.

But, despite surgery being a success, Laura, who is now deemed in remission and has six monthly check-ups, says the whole experience – even though her treatment was “excellent” – left her with deep psychological wounds.

She said: “When I was diagnosed and told I’d need surgery I went into survival mode.”

She added: “The emotional impact only really hit me after surgery. I was really anxious. I reached out for support and was told I had post traumatic stress symptoms.”

She continued: “I had therapy and that was key to getting me back to a normal life.

“I was cancer free, but I was so traumatised by what had happened, I felt really anxious and would have flashbacks.

“Even going into hospital for my check-up scans was really difficult. The smell of the hand soap was enough to trigger flashbacks.”

Not only is Laura now back to her physical peak, but she is also feeling strong enough to help others.

Back to running and hiking with her dog, Leo, and planning her wedding to be held at a hotel in Lancaster in July next year, she said: “Life is really good now but it wasn’t always easy.”

Keen to give back Laura, who was taking a masters degree in clinical psychology as well as being a recruiter when she was diagnosed and continued her education throughout her treatment, is also working at Lancashire’s Royal Blackburn Hospital, where she was a patient.

© P

She started there in March 2022 as a trainee associate psychological practitioner, providing psychological support for patients in intensive care or who have been discharged after suffering critical illness.

She explained: “I can really empathise with my patients, as I’ve been in one of those exact beds and I know how hard it is. I love my job.”

Not content with planning a wedding, working and continuing her studies, Laura is also helping Kidney Cancer UK to raise awareness of the disease.

And she is campaigning for specific evidence-based recommendations on treatment for clinicians for her rare type of cancer to be issued by NICE, the body providing national guidance and advice to improve health and social care.

She said: “I think it’s really important to get specific NICE guidelines in place for treatment of kidney cancer.”

She continued: “Though the subtype I had was rare, kidney cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK and there are no NICE guidelines.”

My consultants have been brilliant. However, there isn’t any guidance and the progress of treatment isn’t concrete.

“I want to advocate to get guidelines established for kidney cancer as a whole and more research into the rare subtypes.

“I was very lucky as mine was caught early, but for anyone who progresses to stage four with my rare type of kidney cancer, things can be very uncertain and that needs to change.”

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Reference: Independent: Miyo Padi  

Doctors find hundreds of coins and batteries in man's stomach

Doctors in Turkey were left baffled after finding hundreds of coins and batteries in a man's stomach.

Burhan Demir took his younger brother to the hospital when he complained of abdominal pains and the medics were astonished to discover 233 items in his stomach after performing an endoscopy.

The patient, named only as Z, had coins, batteries, magnets, nails, pieces of glass, stones and screws inside his body.

One surgeon - named as Dr. Binici - said: "During the surgery, we saw that one or two of the nails had passed through the stomach wall.

"We saw that there were two metal pieces and two stones of different sizes in the large intestine.

"We found that there were batteries, magnets, nails, coins, pieces of glass and screws. We cleaned his stomach completely.

"It is not a situation we see in adults, it is mostly in childhood and unconsciously swallowed foreign bodies." 

Reference: Bangshowbiz.com 

Everyone should know that learning disabilities and mental health problems aren't the same

Provided by Metro People need to know what’s happening behind closed doors (Picture: Mencap)

Before the pandemic, I loved going to my local pub every week. 

I’d order a whiskey and Coke and sing along to my favourite Whitney Houston classics on the karaoke machine. 

When I was there, I felt accepted and valued. People listened to me, and they gave me the time I needed to express myself.  

Nothing made me happier.

As someone with a learning disability, it means a lot that people see me as the passionate, positive person I am. But life isn’t always like that, and as we return to normal after the Covid-19 crisis, I’m worried that people like me are still being left behind. 

There are over 1.5million people living with a learning disability in the UK, but many people still don’t understand what a learning disability is, let alone what life can be like for someone who has one.  

I was two years old when I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which affects my movement and my communication. Then, two years later, I was also diagnosed with a learning disability. 

I try to live as independently as possible, but sometimes I need support with daily living, and it might take me a bit longer than other people to understand things.  

I live in a supported living care home, where I get one-to-one support from care staff in the morning. I also have supportive family and friends. Life isn’t always easy, but I try my best. 

Before Covid, I was a bit of a celebrity in my local area of West London. People recognised me because of my electric wheelchair, and they all knew my name. It felt like a lot of people wanted to help me.  

I like doing my own thing and staying busy is what keeps me focused – whether that’s going out to bars, nightclubs or to watch football – so you can imagine how it felt to suddenly be plunged into lockdown and have all those things taken away from me. I became lonely and upset. 

© Provided by Metro I can only work for 16 hours or less per week (Picture: Brendan)

I know the pandemic was a difficult time for many people, but it left people with a learning disability feeling more isolated than ever. As someone who was clinically vulnerable, I was advised to stay home and shield from the virus. 

No one could visit me so my mum, my brother and my dad would come to my window a few times a week. They’d ask how I was coping, and it was difficult because they could still spend time together without me.  

I was lost and frustrated. I felt so alone that I’d look at family photos on my phone all the time. One morning, I woke up at 5am and went to the bathroom mirror to find tears streaming down my face. I asked myself what I’d done wrong, and I didn’t know what to do.  

It was like I’d been forgotten, and I’m not the only person living with a disability who feels this way. When it comes to understanding and supporting someone with a learning disability with their mental health, the conversation goes quiet.  

Research from the learning disability charity Mencap shows that in the aftermath of the pandemic, people with a learning disability are still struggling with their mental health and there isn’t enough support available.  

In a survey of families and carers of people with a learning disability, 88% of people said their loved one always or very often felt sad, and 82% of people felt lonely. Nearly a third of people said they were struggling with their mental health – a problem that’s made worse because some people still wrongly believe that learning disabilities and mental health problems are the same thing.  

I get really angry when people get these things confused. Anyone can experience struggles with their mental health and people shouldn’t write off my feelings. Depression and anxiety are about what’s going on in your mind, not whether someone needs a bit of extra help or time to do things.  

 Provided by Metro I’ll always speak up for everyone who has a learning disability (Picture: Mencap)

I’m a funny, exciting and caring person. I’d like to meet someone, settle down and have children. I’d also love to set up my own charity to support people with disabilities in my home country of Zimbabwe and find a job where I can make a difference. But since I finished education in 2019, there’s been nothing for me to do.  

I try to fill my time. I go out every day for some fresh air and I’ll arrange to see family and friends. I also attend meetings with my local Mencap organisation to talk about campaigns and how to fix inequalities for people with learning disabilities. 

When you have a job, it keeps your mind busy and it gets you out of the house. Currently, I can only work for 16 hours or less per week, otherwise I risk my benefits being cut. My care costs have also increased recently, and food shopping is getting more expensive.  

The money I get is never enough, and I ask myself if the Government cares. In the pandemic, I was eventually able to see an NHS counsellor to talk about how I was feeling, but the support was only available for six weeks. How can you tell someone everything you’re going through in such a short period of time? I also can’t afford to go private.  

This week is Learning Disability Week. It’s a time to educate others, to end discrimination and to fight for a fair society for people with a learning disability. I want the world to understand the impact the pandemic has had on our lives, and on our mental health.   

That’s why I’m also campaigning with Mencap to make a difference and to help people understand what’s on my mind. People need to know what’s happening behind closed doors and realise that our mental health matters, too. 

I hope the Government will provide the support we need and deserve. I’d like to see more specialist mental health professionals who are trained to help people with a learning disability and more services in the community to promote accessibility and independence.  

I never give up and I’ll always speak up for everyone who has a learning disability. Please don’t leave us in the dark.   

Reference: Metro: Brendan  

Magic mushrooms should be given out in care homes

Psychedelic drugs should be given out in care homes.

Expert Dr. David Luke has suggested that substances found in magic mushrooms could "revolutionise" treatment for older people and reduce their fear of death.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Science Festival, Dr. Luke - an associated professor of psychology at Greenwich University -said: "I think there's a good argument for psychedelics in palliative care."

Psilocybin, the compound found in magic mushrooms, has shown promise in studies for reducing depression and people who consume it reported an "opened mind" which can lead to belief in the afterlife.

Dr. Luke has argued that those given psychedelic drugs towards the end of their lives could have an "epiphany".

He explained: "It often relates to a sense of their own existence, they get a glimmer of something which reduces their fear of death, and it's often that maybe death isn't the end or something like that."

Reference: bangshowbiz.com