Comprehensive men's sexual health information, tips and news about men's sexual health.

Many of my male patients confess that they have no idea how to throw a healthy meal together. For that reason, they tend to favour takeaway food as it is easy and requires no cooking apart from reheating in the microwave. Unfortunately takeaway food is often loaded with fat and, when reheated, many of the enzymes so essential for vitality are destroyed.

Over the years I have given the following hints to men, especially those who are bachelors or divorced, to help them prepare and cook a simple meal.

Try and keep some healthy food in your cupboard so you don’t get caught snacking on unhealthy options at midnight when you’re hungry and tired.

Go to the supermarket and buy the following pantry items that can be kept for long periods in your cupboard. These foods mean you won’t need to shop every day, but only every two to four weeks:

• tins of salmon and tuna

• rice (preferably brown)

• cous cous

• pasta

• beans and pulses such as soy beans, baked or tinned beans and lentils.

• cereal

• tomato paste

• fresh snap-frozen peas or some snap-frozen mixed vegetables of your choice

• sea salt, black pepper.

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Chemotherapy is a widely used term for very strong ‘anticancer’ drugs, which are designed to kill off and reduce the cancer cells invading further into the body. Some are given by injection, others by intravenous drip, and some in tablet form. The term, ‘chemotherapy’ implies that all drugs given for cancer are the same for each patient with the same side effects. This is not true.

There are hundreds of different types and combinations of ‘anti-cancer’ drugs. Your cancer specialist will recommend the best combination of drugs to treat YOUR cancer. This may differ from experiences of others that you know, so it is not helpful to think that your reactions will be the same as theirs. The cancer specialist will spend time discussing the length of treatment, possible side effects and ways these side effects can be minimized.

I felt that my best chance of survival was to agree to chemotherapy rather than opting for a purely natural approach. Because I am so much into natural therapies, I never really saw the chemo in a positive way -1 thought chemo was putting toxic stuff in my body and I wanted it out as soon as possible. I just felt totally vulnerable, but deep down knew I really had no choice if I wanted to survive.

Seline

Some drugs are stronger than others and may cause hair loss of the head, pubis, eyebrows, armpits and legs. In almost all cases, the hair does grow back within eight weeks of completing the chemotherapy course. However, despite this, many women find it difficult to cope with the loss of hair as for many it is the first breakthrough of ‘denial’ into the realization that ‘Yes, my cancer is a reality’.

One of the oldest myths is that chemotherapy causes severe vomiting and nausea. Yes – last century it certainly did, but improvements in medication now mean that there is very little vomiting and nausea in most cases.

Nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy drugs are now significantly reduced thanks to extra ‘anti nausea drugs being given at the same time as the chemotherapy to reduce this side effect.

Some drugs may cause temporary mouth ulcers and loss of appetite, extremely dry skin, and brittle nails, reduced sense of smell, constipation or diarrhea.

Most patients having chemotherapy experience tiredness in the first two to three days after each treatment. This is due to a build up of the drugs in the body to fight the cancer cells. It is also nature’s way of enforcing the patient to rest to enable this ‘fight’ to happen in the most effective way. The tiredness may lead to a loss of interest in sexual intercourse and libido.

Some patients experience slight forgetfulness, including the ability to spell, but mental function usually returns to normal after the treatment is finished.

The chemo builds up in your body and by the second, third, fourth I lost my sense of humour. We would go out and meet our mates for lunch and laugh.

They made us feel good and it was most important to stay in touch with friends.

Fran

Most of these side effects are extremely normal despite some patients thinking they ‘were going mad’ as a result of the treatment. Many patients find it beneficial to ‘celebrate’ the half way mark of their treatments, knowing they are nearly finished.

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Hypoglycemia, or insulin reaction: Taking too much insulin, exercising too much without eating, skipping or delaying a meal (or even not eating as much as planned) will mean that there is not enough sugar in the blood to use up the injected insulin. Then the blood sugar level will fall—sometimes to a hypoglycemic level, far below normal. The person may turn pale and feel shaky or dizzy. Arms and hands may feel numb, and there may be a tingling sensation around the mouth. As sensitive brain cells become affected by the lack of sugar, the person may become tired and irritable, feel disoriented, say irrational things, and even act peculiarly. Without prompt treatment, an insulin reaction may lead to convulsions and collapse.

Ketoacidosis (sometimes called diabetic coma): This develops gradually after a number of days of poorly controlled diabetes. Without enough insulin, the body is unable to utilize sugar for energy, so it begins to use stored fats instead. The ketones released when fats are broken down build up in the blood and pass into the urine and breath. These acid ketone bodies act as poisons, and the person may ultimately fall unconscious.

What to do in diabetic emergencies: Both insulin reaction and ketoacidosis are very serious medical emergencies. Their causes are opposite, and they require opposite treatments.

For insulin reaction, immediately provide sugar in the form of two sugar cubes, one-half cup of fruit juice or regular soda (not diet soda!), or the amount of candy equal to six or seven Lifesavers. Within ten minutes the person should feel better. After the insulin reaction is over, additional food such as milk, bread, and crackers should be eaten, and then normal activities can be resumed.

Never try to force any food or drink down the throat of an unconscious person—it might go into the windpipe and cause suffocation. An emergency injection of glucagon can help to bring a person out of a severe insulin reaction. A doctor might also give an intravenous injection of glucose. In any case, speed is important.

Ketoacidosis requires emergency treatment in a hospital. But what if a person with diabetes suddenly collapses, and you are not sure whether the cause is ketoacidosis or insulin shock? What should you do?

When uncertain, treat for an insulin reaction. Hypoglycemia develops so rapidly that quick action may be needed to save the person’s life or prevent brain damage. If it turns out that the person was really suffering from ketoacidosis, a little more sugar is not going to make much difference, and there will be time to correct for the mistake with injections of insulin. Call a doctor if the person does not respond to a dose of sugar within ten to fifteen minutes, or falls unconscious.

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