Winter 2010

While you’re
Yours to take home

Men’s health
© iStockphoto.com/daniel rodriguez

Organ donation – Alcohol – when one Nutrition – Skiing – staying

what it means and more drink is one healthy winter safe on the slopes
why it’s important too many warmers

While you’re waiting…
Publisher
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Managing Editor
Denese Warmington
denese.warmington@racgp.org.au
Editor
Nicole Kouros
nicole.kouros@racgp.org.au
Features Writer
Rael Martell
Publication conditions
The authors and editors are not responsible for the results of any actions taken on the
basis of any information neither in this publication, nor for any error in or omission from
this publication. The information contained in this publication has been compiled using
information from other sources. Any person having concerns about the contents of this
publication should refer to those sources for more specialist information and advice.
The publisher is not engaged in giving medical or other advice or services. The publisher,
authors and editors, expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person,
whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of anything, and of the consequences
of anything, done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance, whether wholly
or partially, upon the whole or any part of the content of this publication.
Published by:
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
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Foreword
Welcome to this Winter edition of While you’re waiting… the
magazine that aims to educate and inform you about important
health topics while you’re waiting to see your GP.
Often, underlying areas of health and wellbeing are overlooked
in favour of immediate health problems. For example, the
adverse effects of being overweight, smoking and excessive
alcohol intake are often ignored until the health problems that
stem from these areas becomes a problem.
GPs provide ongoing care to people over time, and play an
essential role in health promotion and providing preventive
counselling and advice. It is crucial that you give your GP the
opportunity to discuss health related topics with you in order to
help you get on the right track.
An example of this is the way GPs can assist with helping
patients to change patterns of excessive alcohol consumption.
They can assist patients by discussing the consequences of
drinking too much, talking about their options, and referring
them to a counsellor or psychologist if necessary.
Although GPs can provide advice and support when it comes to
lifestyle health factors such as drinking, prevention begins with
the individual. The role of your GP is to help you understand the
ways in which you can change your lifestyle in order to combat
ill health. We have gone one step further with this notion by
developing the M5 HEALTH ONLINE tool, which is aimed at
getting men to take an active role in focusing on their health
and wellbeing. This tool is designed to engage men with a
personalised experience that includes targeted health information
and interactive risk assessments, coupled with professional
ongoing support and advice.
In practical terms, small changes in behaviour can make a world
of difference. A 30 minute walk around your neighbourhood with
your family or friends is a great way to exercise. Make simple
changes to your diet such as cutting down on fatty foods and
snacks and eating fruit, vegetables and grains instead. Another
easy tip is to limit your take-away meals. Weight loss is a gradual
process, one that is supported by healthy eating, a balanced diet
and moderate exercise.
In this edition of While you’re waiting… you will find stories
about everyday health issues that give practical information you
need to know about topics such as men’s health, alcohol intake,
exercising when the weather gets colder and much more. I hope
you enjoy this Winter edition of While you’re waiting… and
remember to talk to your GP about any health related questions
you might have.
Dr Chris Mitchell
President, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
 2 Men’s health – easy online...
A new online health tool – M5 HEALTH ONLINE– is helping men
to assess and address their health issues. This new service is
confidential and easy to use. It is part of The Royal Australian
College of General Practitioner’s M5 Project.

6 The gift of life

We all know that organ donation can save lives and give quality of
life to those who are desperately ill. So why is Australia’s donor rate
so low? We discuss organ donation; the myths and facts surrounding
donation; and why it is important to let your loved ones know of your
wishes regarding organ donation in the event of your death.

9 Winning ways
Read about a mother-to-daughter kidney donation and how the daughter
went on to win a gold medal at the Australian Transplant Games.

6 10 Drinking – are you at risk?

Do you need to look at your drinking habits? We discuss safe drinking and
where to go if you think you need help?

10 16 Pulling teeth – ouch!

Going to the dentist might scare you, but spare a thought for those in days
gone by. We look at a very strange dental instrument.

17 Staying safe on the piste

Preparing your body for a skiing holiday can help you avoid
unexpected injury. We give advice on staying safe on the slopes.

18 What’s for dinner?

Keep your family content with these wholesome, tasty winter recipes.

20 Give your mouth a sporting chance

Many people who play sport in Australia are lazy about wearing a mouth
guard – we tell you why it’s important to wear one.

17 22 Book reviews
We present a range of both fiction and non-fiction book reviews.

Winter 2010 While you’re waiting… 1

 Men’s health – easy online...
The new online men’s health tool, M5 HEALTH ONLINE, is giving men
the opportunity to assess their health status and lifestyle risk factors, and
if necessary to act to improve their health. The service is confidential
and easy to use. It is part of The Royal Australian College of General
Practitioner’s (RACGP) M5 Project, which in the latest phase of its
development is urging employers to recognise that the workplace is an
ideal location for men to learn about their health.

Here’s a brief autobiography from Also, I used to smoke a lot more – a

someone you have never met, but
try not to quit reading. It could be
relevant to you.
I have a sedentary job – I’ve been a
journalist for almost 20 years, but never
of the adventurous or glamorous kind.
I don’t risk my life reporting in war
zones or spy on the rich and famous to
furnish the front pages of the tabloids
with news of their infidelities.
Most of my working time is spent sitting
at a desk in front of a computer – either
in an office or at home writing.
I’m 45, I exercise most days, the scales
packet and a half a day throughout
my teens – and I used to exceed
the two standard drinks per day
recommendations. In fact, I don’t
believe I have ever been to a pub in
my life and drunk fewer than, say, four
standard drinks. Going back to my
university days I suspect I would have
easily doubled that.
I take tablets to keep my cholesterol and
blood pressure levels down; I will have
to do so for the rest of my life. My terrific
GP, who makes sure I get regular check
ups thinks it’s probably genetic, as both
my parents have these conditions.
© iStockphoto.com/daniel rodriguez

tell me that while I’m not overweight I
am hovering on the margins. I love my
fruit, veg and fish and I don’t eat food
like red meat, chocolate or junk food
takeaway. I haven’t drunk alcohol for
around 6 months after my partner and
I decided on a period of abstinence at
Christmas last year when it dawned on
us that we couldn’t remember the last
time we’d had a ‘drink free’ evening.
However, I’m not a goody two-shoes
either. I’m a smoker (three or four
cigarettes most days – one after breakfast
and a couple in the evening, and for
me life without ripe, full fat camembert
cheese oozing out of its rind would
barely be worth living.
While I swim a mile most days, I am
no Eamon Sullivan. I swim breaststroke
at a sedentary rate, prompting such
comments from fellow swimmers as,
“Mate, you swim like a nun.”
I suspect I am also one of what I
believe are sometimes called the
‘worried well’. I have led a relatively
trauma free life, I don’t believe I have a
stressful job or life outside work, but I
can allow day-to-day banalities to prey
unnecessarily on my mind.
I would hazard a guess, although I
should emphasise that I have no clinical
background whatsoever and am no
public health expert, that I am pretty
average in my lifestyle – a mixture of
good and bad. In short, I weigh 73 kg
and am 1.71 m of ordinariness.
Oh, one other thing I forgot to
mention. My gender. I am a man. It’s
a predicament I share with 49% of the
world’s population.
One of the consequences of ‘being a
man’ is that there is a strong likelihood
you don’t think a great deal about your
health.
Put bluntly, men are pretty bad at
looking after themselves and they need
all the help they can get. This is why
the Government recently launched
the first National Male Health Policy
and the RACGP launched the men’s
M5 Project. Readers of While you're
waiting... may remember reading about
the M5 Project before (March 2009
edition) but there have been a few
developments since then.
Now the M5 Project is out not only to
educate men about their health and
lifestyle but to actively encourage them

2 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010


to change their behaviour. Not having
regular GP check ups, having a poor
diet, drinking too much, not exercising
enough and smoking are all risk factors
that can be tackled. It may not sound
easy but it is doable and men should
not be inhibited about seeking help to
help themselves.
That is why the M5 Project has
launched M5 HEALTH ONLINE: so
that men can carry out a personalised
health check followed by access to no
nonsense, practical advice on where to
go and what to do if lifestyle changes
Winter 2010
What is body mass index?
Body mass index (BMI) is used as a guide to a healthy body
weight. For adults, it is calculated using a formula of weight in
kilograms divided by height in metres squared. For example, I
weigh 73 kg and my height is 1.71 m. If I square my height I get a
figure of 2.92. If I divide 73 by 2.92 I get a figure of 25. Opinions of
the threshold figure for what constitutes being overweight, obese
or underweight vary. I looked at a wide range of statistics from
various reputable sources including the World Health Organization
and the figures I found most commonly cited are these:
• BMI above 25 for a diagnosis of being overweight
• BMI above 30 suggests obesity
• BMI below 18.5 indicates someone is underweight.
If you measure your own BMI using this calculation it may well
be accurate but it is important not to accept it as the gospel truth
of your weight status. There are variables. Your muscularity, your
age and the size of your frame can all affect your BMI reading. If
you are worried about being either overweight or underweight it is
important you discuss this with a health professional.
While you’re waiting… 3
 are needed. It delivers a number of
programs that address stress, exercise,
weight loss and smoking cessation. The
assessment stays online, meaning it
doesn’t end up as waste paper and get
thrown away with the exercise bike you
were given last Christmas.
While M5 HEALTH ONLINE is not
currently available to the general
public, the RACGP is very keen for
employers to subscribe to the service,
allowing their employees to get a
picture of their health and lifestyle
risk factors – the workplace is where
the RACGP believes men’s health can
really be turned around.
“The good health of employees is in
the interest of employers,” says Dr
Robert McCartney, an occupational
physician who advises on M5 and
works for Prime Health, an organisation
specialising in occupational health.
“Healthy workplaces have lower rates
of absenteeism and better records of
health and safety.”

So what can you expect

from M5 HEALTH
ONLINE?
I had a trial run and was very
impressed with its simplicity – even for
© iStockphoto.com/mammamaart

a technological dunce like me it was

extremely user friendly.
First off I clicked on the left hand bar:
‘How Healthy Are You?’ This took
me to my personal details: date of
birth, weight, height, measurements,
occupation, marital status and the like.

 Did you know…? 

The Medicare Benefits Schedule Item 717 is a health check for men and women of
45–49 years of age and is available as a once only service for those who have one or
more identifiable risk factors that can lead to chronic disease. It should help your GP
detect and prevent chronic disease and decide upon health intervention strategies
to help you. Speak to your GP about health checks.

4 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010

Next I was asked about any medical
conditions. It is only because I take
medication that my blood pressure
and cholesterol levels are fine so Dr
McCartney suggested I acknowledge
that I have high blood pressure and
cholesterol because these need to be
managed.
I then filled in my family history – I
included elevated cholesterol, high
blood pressure, and coronary heart
disease and allergies.
I was then asked about my smoking
status. It is worth pointing out here
that tempted as I was to lie to the
questionnaire I entered the 2–10
cigarettes per day category. There
is, after all, no point in taking part
in M5 HEALTH ONLINE unless you
are honest with yourself – and the
program. Therein lies another of its
virtues: the service is completely
confidential so no one else needs to
know about aspects of your lifestyle
that may carry a stigma, such as if you
drink too much.
On the lifestyle questions you are
also asked whether you are planning
to change at all and, if so, within
what time frame. For example, I said
I intended to quit smoking within
1 month which (keep your fingers
crossed please) I do.
Having said I was a non-drinker I filled
in the exercise question and said I
do 5 hours per week and that I had
no intention of either increasing or
decreasing my time spent exercising
– I don’t aspire to becoming a panting
gym junky and am realistic about my
chances of ever having Brad Pitt’s body.
When it came to diet I explained that
I ate breakfast daily (you are not asked
what you eat for breakfast but it is
important to stress that M5 HEALTH
ONLINE is an ongoing project and
by the time you read this it may have
evolved), have five or more serves of
vegetables, two or more serves of fruit,
more than eight glasses of water and
that I rarely eat in restaurants or from
takeaways.
Now time to fill in my stress levels. I
hazarded a guess that on a scale of
1–10, where 1 is ‘not stressed’ and 10
Winter 2010
Useful websites
beyondblue
The national depression initiative addresses issues associated with
depression, anxiety and related substance misuse disorders in Australia
www.beyondblue.org.au
Andrology Australia
The Australian Centre of Excellence in Male Reproductive Health
www.andrologyaustralia.org
National Heart Foundation of Australia
Funds cardiovascular research and provides guidelines for health
professionals, as well as informing the public and assisting people with
cardiovascular disease www.heartfoundation.org.au
Foundation 49
An organisation dedicated to improving the health status of men across
each decade of life www.49.com.au
Cancer Council Australia
Advises on the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer, and
advocates for rights of cancer patients www.cancer.org.au
is ‘extremely stressed’, I would hover is that I then clicked on the ‘next’
variously around the 5 or 6 mark. button and was given a list of programs
I took the plunge and keyed in 6, on stress management and quitting
figuring that I would fill in everything smoking.
on a ‘worst case scenario’ basis. I As far as the former goes, well, it’s my
answered that I slept fine (I sleep decision but I think I’m ok. As far as
trouble free and find seven hours a smoking goes, I’ll try and go it alone
night plenty) and explained that I had but if I find myself in trouble at least at
seen my GP in the past 12 months and the touch of a button I know where to
had a blood pressure test reading of go for help.
130/72. If you are an employer and want a
All that was left was to answer were the healthier workforce why not provide
questions about any interests I have in your staff with access to M5 HEALTH
wellbeing – I listed mental health (I have ONLINE? Email m5healthonline@
a close friend who has bipolar disorder) m5project.com.au
and care of the elderly (I do some
voluntary work with older people).
It was then just a question of clicking
on the submit button and holding my
breath. The assessments that appear
on the screen are accompanied either
with a ‘smiley’ face or a ‘frowney face’.
I got more smileys than frowneys but
 Want to know more? 
For information on the RACGP’s M5
was warned about my smoking and Project visit www.m5project.com.au
stress levels. Also, my BMI is 25, which For the Government’s National Male
is fine but I need to keep an eye on Health Policy visit www.health.gov.au/
it – above 25 is officially overweight. malehealthpolicy
The magic of M5 HEALTH ONLINE
While you’re waiting… 5
 The gift of life
We often hear about the heroics of
public servants such as firefighters
and police officers who risk
everything to save others. However,
there are other, ordinary Australian
lifesavers who allow their organs
and/or tissue to be transplanted
either during their life – live donors
or after their death – deceased
donors, giving seriously ill people
the chance of a future.
Last year in Australia there were at least
1300 people who could have potentially make them viable as deceased organ low number of donors in Australia,
benefited from an organ transplant, but donors. For someone who dies after a “substantial numbers of people die
fewer than 250 of these people received diagnosis of cardiac death, only tissues while waiting for suitable donated
an organ from a deceased donor. (which do not generally require a organs to become available.”
While Australia can pride itself on constant blood supply as a prerequisite
Data from last year shows that in a list
having one of the world’s highest for successful transplant) can be
of 32 countries, Australia is number
transplant success rates, it is donated for transplantation.
22 in the rate of deceased donors per
considerably behind comparable To put this in context: in Australia, a million of the population. Australia
countries in numbers of donors. person is 10 times more likely to need has 11.3 per million, compared with
Less than 1% of people die in hospital an organ or tissue transplant than to countries such as Spain, which tops the
each year in an intensive care unit become a donor. list at 34.4, and the United States which
under circumstances (brain dead and The Department of Health and Ageing comes third with 21.9.
being kept alive on a ventilator) that says that as a consequence of the The number of living donors per
million of the population is 14.9 in
Australia, putting it sixth in a table of 27
countries.

 Did you know…?  The reasons for the low number of

deceased donors are complex. The
‘tyranny of distance’ has a particular
• More than 30,000 Australians have received impact on the practicalities of organ
transplants in the past 60 years transplant procedures in Australia,
says Chris Thomas, CEO of Transplant
• For the past 10 years organ donation rates have Australia, the transplant advocacy,
fluctuated at around 200 donors per year awareness and support organisation.
To be classified as a potential deceased
• The first ever heart transplant took place in organ donor, a person must be clinically
Cape Town, South Africa, in 1967 brain dead, with their body being
sustained by a ventilator. Not everyone
• The organisation, Transplant Australia offers the in such a vast country is likely to die in
seedling of a specially bred rose called ‘Reflection’ such circumstances, in close proximity
to the necessary medical provision.
to families of donors to grow in memory of their
Chris also says that until recently, with
loved one and as an acknowledgment of the the establishment of the Australian
generosity of those who have died and donated. Organ and Tissue Authority, each state
and territory was doing things ‘slightly

6 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010



In Australia,
a person is 10
times more
likely to need
an organ or
tissue transplant
than to become
a donor

differently’ in coordinating transplant
donation.
The new authority has a specific remit
to establish a nationally coordinated
approach to organ and tissue donation
and to improve consent rates for organ
donation.
In addition, people have misplaced
ideas about organ donation which make
them reluctant to register as donors (see
‘Organ donation: myths and facts’ in
this story).
Chris says one positive reason that there
are fewer donors in Australia is that
here we have a relatively low rate of
injuries from road trauma accidents and
weapons – injuries which can lead to a
worst case scenario of someone being
brain dead and kept on a ventilator.
Winter 2010
While the reasons for Australia’s low
donor rate may remain speculative,
what is not in doubt is the dramatic
impact organ donation can have,
whether from a living donor (see our
interview with live donor Amy and
her daughter Tamaryn who received
her mother’s kidney) or a deceased
donor. “Put simply, organ donation
saves lives,” Chris Thomas told While
you’re waiting...
Organs commonly transplanted include
the heart, kidney/s, lung/s, liver and
pancreas. There are many reasons why
someone’s only hope for an extended
lifespan or improved quality of life is
a transplant.
Someone could have been born with a
bile duct that has failed to develop and
need a new liver, or a congenital heart
defect requiring a new heart, or they
might develop a disease that causes
organ failure.
Even when a person is considered
a suitable candidate on the grounds
that they have a condition for which
transplantation is considered a viable
treatment, there are other criteria that
must be met.
A potential organ recipient must be
willing to accept the risks presented
by surgery and the medical treatment
that will follow, and be physically and
emotionally capable of handling the
procedure and subsequent treatment.
Tissue donation
• Organ transplants are the form of
donation which seem to receive
most publicity but tissue donation,
which also usually occurs after
brain death, has a vital role to
play in giving people with serious
or life threatening illnesses a
second chance of survival and
prolonged life
• Tissue donation can include heart
valves, bone tissue, skin tissue,
corneas, bone marrow and blood
• The majority of donor bone is
obtained from living donors and
is needed for reconstruction
following trauma or cancer and
as a consequence of failed joint
replacement surgery
• Skin tissue is vitally important in
helping the healing of people who
have sustained burn injuries
• Eye tissue is used in corneal
transplantation to replace the clear,
dome shaped surface on the front
of the eye and can preserve the eye,
treat painful diseases or trauma, or
improve visibility
• Replacing heart valves can
help people when their valves
malfunction. For example, their
valves may not have developed, the
valve opening may be too narrow or
unable to close completely. This can
have serious implications, such as
preventing the blood from pumping
properly throughout the body
• The most commonly transplanted
tissue is blood. People who need
blood transfusions include accident
victims, patients undergoing surgery,
organ and bone marrow transplant
recipients and those undergoing
treatment for leukaemia
• Although only 1 in 30 people give
blood, 1 in 3 of us will need the aid
of a blood donation at some stage in
our lives.
 Want to know more? 
For more information on donating
blood or to find out your nearest
blood donor centre visit the
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
at www.donateblood.com.au or
call 13 14 95
While you’re waiting… 7


If you are
considering
becoming a
donor it is vital
to discuss this
with your loved
ones
 cards have not told their family or
When successful, it is hard to overstate
the dramatic impact that an organ
transplant can have on a recipient’s
life and while donor rates may be
low, Australia can take pride in its
success rates – one of the highest in the
world. “If I was going to have an organ
transplant, Australia is where I would
want it done,” says Chris Thomas.
In Australia kidney transplant survival
rates are around 90% in the first
Organ donation: myths and facts
• Organ donation is not inconsistent with
most religions, including Catholicism,
Protestantism, Islam and most branches
of Judaism. However, if you are
uncertain about your faith’s position on
donation you may want to discuss this
with a member of your clergy
• Health professionals are not
permitted to facilitate the
introduction or meeting of donor
families and transplant recipients.
Health professionals are bound
by law to forbid the disclosure of
identifying information
• If you are treated in a medical
emergency, the doctor in charge of
your care will have nothing to do
with your potential status as a donor
• You cannot register your legal
consent to donate an organ before the
age of 18 but you can register your
‘intent’ if you are 16–17 years of age
8 While you’re waiting…
year and more than 75% in 5 years.
Patient survival rates for heart and liver
transplantation are 90% in the first
year and 85% after 5 years. Pancreas
transplants have the highest survival
rate of 94% in the first year and 87% at
5 years.
Chris Thomas explains that if you are
considering becoming a donor it is vital
to discuss this with your loved ones.
Some research suggests that as many
as 78% of people carrying organ donor
friends they have registered.
Next of kin play a crucial role in
allowing a transplant to go ahead.
If your family members have no
knowledge of your wish to become
a donor they may decide against the
transplant if it is not be something they
are comfortable with.
It is also important to think about the
circumstances of your family should
you die and wish to donate. This will
be a painful and difficult time for your
loved ones when they will be grieving
and not predisposed to making tough
decisions about a part, or parts, of
• If you donate an organ or tissues,
professional expertise can ensure
that your appearance after death be
arranged in order for an open casket
funeral to take place. For example,
in the case of an eye donation, an
artificial eye is inserted and the
eyelids are shut, disguising signs
of donation
• There is no age limit on organ
donation – people in their 70s and
80s have donated their organs.
Medical criteria are what determine
donor suitability
• It is not enough to assume that if you
have written in your will your desire
to become a donor, or indicated
this on your driver’s licence, that it
will suffice. You must register your
consent to become a donor on the
Australian Organ Donor Register
your body being removed. Discussing
donation before your death is likely to
make it easier for them. “It’s important
that this isn’t the first occasion that your
family are having a discussion about
you donating,” explains Chris Thomas.
Discussion is key and while if you
register as a deceased donor you will
never know of the consequences, the
opportunity is open to make, quite
literally, a life or death decision.
 Want to know more? 
www.transplant.org.au
If you have discussed becoming a donor
with your family and friends and have
come to the decision that you want to
become a card carrying donor you
can do so by visiting the Australian
Organ Donor Register at
www.donorregister.gov.au or
by calling 1800 777 203
• Brain death is not the same as a coma:
a failure to recognise this distinction
leads to the misconception that there is
a danger that transplant will take place
among people who are in a coma from
which they may recover
• Donating organs and/or tissues is a
different issue from donating parts
of the body for medical research.
Separate and specific permission is
required for donated organs/tissues
to be used for research purposes.
Donations will not be used for medical
research unless explicit written
permission is given by the next of kin
or family.
For more information visit www.health.
gov.au and go to ‘Organ and tissue
donation’ on the ‘Select a topic’ bar
Source: www.transplant.org.au/Myths.html
Winter 2010
Winning ways
Every 2 years transplant patients
from around the world demonstrate
their athletic skills while raising
awareness of the importance of
organ donation. At last year’s
World Transplant Games on the
Gold Coast, Victorian GP and live
organ donor Dr Amy Rothfield
witnessed the gold medal winning
achievements of her 18 year old
daughter Tamaryn, to whom she
donated one of her kidneys.
Dr Amy Rothfield
“Tamaryn was 13 years old when she
received my kidney, which she needed
as a consequence of focal segmental
glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a scar tissue
that forms in parts of the kidney called
glomeruli.
“Initially she saw a paediatrician and then
a kidney specialist who took a biopsy.
When FSGS was diagnosed Tamaryn was
put on medication. This was unsuccessful
and doctors tried chemotherapy but
within 18 months Tamaryn had lost all
native kidney function.
“She then went on to dialysis. Her diet
was severely restricted and her fluid
intake restrictions were such that it was
unbearable for her. Her quality of life
became very poor.
“Eighteen months later she was
considered healthy enough to receive
my kidney. The effect was a dramatic
improvement in her health.
“The minor discomfort in donating my
kidney was nothing compared to the
joy of seeing my daughter just get better
and better.
“Tamaryn had always been a normal,
healthy, active individual and after
the transplant she took up cycling,
badminton and swimming. She took
part in the badminton tournament at the
World Transplant Games in Thailand
in 2007 and it was then that she was
encouraged to take up cycling. Later she
Winter 2010
Dr Amy Rothfield and daughter Tamaryn Stevens
won a gold medal in the 20 km cycle
race at the Australian Transplant Games
in Perth in 2008.
“Then, last year at the World Transplant
Games she won gold in the 15–17 years
female category for the 20 km race.
“The main aim of the games is to
promote public awareness of organ
donation. Australia has a poor record
of organ donor registration and we
need this to improve. It is impossible
to overemphasise the new lease
of life that an organ can give to a
transplant patient.”
Tamaryn Stevens
“I started getting ill when I was around 10
years old. The night before the transplant
I was feeling very cold. When you are on
dialysis you really can’t do very much.
Immediately after the transplant I was so
much better. I was able to do everything
that anyone else can do.
“Winning the 20 km cycle road race on
the Gold Coast was great. I also got a
medal in the backstroke swimming but
in a way all that is secondary. It is the
event itself and the occasion that makes
it such an experience.
“Even when you are in situations when
someone is passing you in a race they
encourage you and say ‘well done,
great job’.
“It’s great taking part in a competition
where you are part of a community that
knows what you have been through and
what it’s like to have had a transplant.
“People taking part have had all sorts
of transplants... like me some have
received a kidney, others have had
liver, heart transplants, bone marrow
transplants... everything.
“In the competition there is a great
sense of togetherness. We eat together,
sometimes we party together. It is not
about winning. It is about meeting each
other, going to the games. It’s about
having fun.”
 Want to know more? 
The Department of Health and Ageing
publishes a list of frequently asked
questions on the subject of organ and
tissue donation. Visit www.health.
gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/
Content/health-organ-faq.htm
While you’re waiting… 9
 Drinking – are you at risk?
Drinking alcohol in moderation can be a harmless pleasure – many
of us enjoy a glass of wine with a meal or a beer after work with
friends or colleagues. However, drinking to excess can result in
serious problems for an individual’s physical and psychological
health and can also be damaging to loved ones. Alcohol misuse
constitutes a major public health problem in Australia. If you or a
loved one has a drinking problem it is important to recognise the
warning signs and seek help and advice.

Have colleagues at work commented
on your frequent drinking, or friends
expressed concern about you and
your alcohol use? Do you find it
hard to relax, or to cope with stress
without alcohol? These are some
of the warning signs that you may
be drinking too much or ‘misusing
alcohol’.
Alcohol misuse is a serious problem in
Australia. Its effects can range from a
hangover that impinges on a person’s
work or personal life, to fatal road
accidents, violent assault and terminal
medical conditions such as irreversible
liver damage.
In Australia, alcohol related harm has
been estimated to lead to as many as
65,000 hospital admissions and 3000
deaths annually.
One way of assessing whether or not
you are drinking safely is to use the
internationally accepted concept of
a ‘standard drink’. This represents a
measure of alcohol and allows for ‘safe
drinking’ to be assessed according
to the number of standard drinks
consumed.
Australian guidelines, endorsed by the
RACGP, suggest that both men and
women consume no more than two
standard drinks per day.
For one standard drink, think a can or
stubbie (375 mL) of a mid strength beer
(3.5%). A can or stubbie of full strength
beer (4.8%) contains 1.4 standard
drinks, an average restaurant serving
of red wine is about 1.6 standard
drinks, and a nip (30 mL) of spirits such
as whisky, gin or brandy equals one
standard drink.
A person’s gender, size, metabolism,
and whether or not they have eaten
can all have an effect on blood-alcohol
concentration.
There are many consequences for
an individual’s health if alcohol is
misused. Drinking a large amount on
 Do
you find it
hard to relax,
or to cope with
stress without
alcohol?

a single occasion can be toxic, leading
in a worst case scenario to seizures,
respiratory failure and death.
Long term alcohol misuse can lead to
cirrhosis of the liver, which involves
scarring of the vital organ. For people
with cirrhosis, it is vital to quit drinking
completely, rather than just moderating
their alcohol consumption.
It is important, however, to realise that
alcohol misuse and alcoholism (in other
words, an addiction to alcohol – see
Daniel’s story) are treatable.
People addressing their problem with
drinking tend to go through several
stages which include contemplating

 Did you know…? 

Evidence exists of drinking vessels for beer dating as
quitting drinking, or moderating
drinking to safe levels, taking action,
and maintaining sobriety or safe
drinking. Some people who misuse
far back as 10,000 BC and alcohol was ceremonially alcohol may, in spite of all their best
offered to the gods by the Ancient Egyptians. Warnings efforts, relapse but succeed after
of the importance of drinking in moderation also go repeated attempts.

back thousands of years. If you are worried about yourself, or you

think a loved one is misusing alcohol, a
GP can be your first port of call.

10 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010


© iStockphoto.com/VMJones
Mark Harris is Professor of General Practice
and the Executive Director of the Centre
for Primary Health Care and Equity at the
University of New South Wales.
“People should feel able to talk to their GP in
confidence. The GP may want to discuss the
consequences of drinking too much, without
making a moral judgment about the patient.
“These consequences could be, for example,
the effect of drinking too much on blood
pressure. General practitioners are good at a
problem solving approach and talking about
the options. However, a person may feel self
conscious talking to their GP and there are
anonymous helplines that people can call.
“It may also be that if someone is drinking
very hazardously with a problem that is out
of control, a GP can refer them to an alcohol
counsellor or psychologist.
“It is really important that people with a
drinking problem know that there are effective
treatments and things that can be done.”
Where to go for help
Turning Point
Promotes the health and wellbeing of individuals and
communities living with and affected by alcohol
www.turningpoint.org.au. For 24 hour, 7 days a week
counselling and information call 1800 888 236
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Australia
A fellowship of people seeking to help themselves and others
recover from alcoholism www.aa.org.au. Call the national
office on 02 9599 8866 for information about local AA services
Winter 2010
Daniel’s story
Daniel (not his real name) is a university lecturer in Western Australia and is
39 years of age. He misused alcohol for around 20 years.
I began drinking when I was 18 and by my early 20s I had a fully fledged
problem with alcohol. Outwardly, not much seemed a problem. I was a hard
working student who got excellent grades and was in a loving relationship,
but every evening without fail I was getting sloshed. Throughout my 20s I was
averaging a bottle and a half of wine a night and often more, much more.
My girlfriend and friends had commented on it and I was aware it was a
problem but something I thought I could deal with later in life. It was only
when I was around 33 that things got out of hand. I was knowingly driving
over the limit, and my relationship broke down. I was an addict, drinking
four bottles of wine a day. I couldn’t function without a drink and hid bottles
around the house.
Without a drink I would sweat and shake and be mentally all over the
place – really disoriented. I used all sorts of excuses for my behaviour. For
instance, I would reassure myself that I was never aggressive and could
loosely be called a ‘cheerful drunk’ but I was embarrassing other people who
cared about me.
I only took action when someone very close to me said, “Daniel, unless
you do something our friendship is over. I’m not going to watch you drink
yourself to death.”
I saw my GP who was very sympathetic. To cut a long story short when a
biopsy was taken I discovered I had sustained liver damage but thankfully,
not cirrhosis. I was referred to a liver specialist and a psychologist, and
with enormous help from friends and health professionals I eventually quit
completely. I realised that for me moderation was not an option. Giving
up was a really hard experience and I went through appalling withdrawal
symptoms.
Now I am a different person. Recent tests show my liver is in recovery. I
exercise regularly, I eat properly – I used to drink rather than eat. I look like
a healthy person and a stranger probably wouldn’t guess my past. If it wasn’t
for the help of health professionals and friends who never made me feel like
a ‘loser’, I think, without a shadow of doubt, I would have been dead within a
couple of years. I either would have died from organ failure or been in some
kind of accident.
I would encourage anyone with a problem to deal with it as early as
possible – don’t leave it as late as I did. And, while there is a stigma
surrounding alcohol misuse and alcoholism it is important to remember that
you are not in a minority of one. Recovery can sometimes feel like a lonely
road but it is one worth taking. I feel human again.
Lifeline
A support service for people in crisis with valuable links to
alcohol support agencies www.lifeline.org.au. Call the 24 hour
counselling line on 131 144
beyondblue
Works to address issues associated with depression,
anxiety and related substance misuse disorders in Australia
www.beyondblue.org.au. Call beyondblue information line
1300 224 636
While you’re waiting… 11
Smarter Diabetes Management
for a Digital Lifestyle

The Diabetes Management Online
Service is a new healthcare capability
being offered by Telstra throughout
Australia. The Diabetes Management
Online Service uses the MyGlucoHealth
Wireless meter in combination with a
real-time online data collection network
to upload and manage patient blood
glucose readings using a mobile phone.
Test, Upload, Manage… Live
The Diabetes Management Online Service connects with the
MyGlucoHealth Portal at www.myglucohealth.com.au so patients can
wirelessly upload and evaluate their daily readings while communicating
those same results automatically to their clinician. This allows the
clinicians to stay up-to-date on their patients and intercede if needed.
The heart of the solution is the highly accurate MyGlucoHealth
Wireless meter, the world’s first integrated Bluetooth®-enabled
blood glucose meter. With rapid testing results available in 3
seconds, smallest blood sample size (0.3µL) and automatic coding
of test strips, MyGlucoHealth is the most technically advanced
diabetic patient care product on the market today.
Part of a Connected Care Community
The Diabetes Management Online Service is more than just an
advanced meter, with convenient operation and rapid results, it gives
patients direct control over their care and enables clear lines of
communication with their care providers.
The MyGlucoHealth Portal is an extensive communication and data
management web site that provides an easy-to-use interface for
automatically collecting test results from the meter. Stored results
are transmitted by mobile phone using Bluetooth to the secure
Portal for posting. The direct upload process eliminates manual
logging of results, improving accuracy, providing better access to
critical data and removing the opportunity for inaccurate entries.
Advertorial
What do Patients say about
MyGlucoHealth Wireless
Telstra User:
“This BSL (blood sugar level) system is simply excellent.
I am testing myself much more often as the lancet prong
is painless, and the device is simple and easy to use - but
a little bulky. I enjoy transferring the information via
the phone online, and the website is easy to navigate
and very functional. Although I was only diagnosed
with diabetes nearly a year ago, I have not managed to
get a handle on the BSL’s until recently. It’s a constant
learning process, working out what affects me and how
badly. MyGlucoHealth has inspired me to be much more
vigilant with my self-testing and in turn has enabled me
to get a better handle on the disease. Everyone I have
told about this system immediately grasps the benefit
and ingenuity of this product.”
Teenage Patient:
“There are so many simple things I love about this meter. I
love only waiting 3 seconds for the result, especially when
I’m exercising. I also love, love the strip release button and
how little blood is needed on the strip. The lancing device
is really cool, because it looks like a pen and I don’t have to
pull anything back. I just have to click it.”
Parent Of Teenage Diabetic:
“… even if she (the patient) were on a trip away from
home and was having difficulty with control, as long as
her mobile phone had coverage, she would be able to
send the data to the web and call her normal doctor from
across the country to make adjustments and help her
manage her condition. This would keep her from having
to go into a new doctor or an emergency room where
they know nothing about her health history.”
Visually Impaired User:
“The MyGlucoHealth meter requires such a small
sample that I am able to test easily without multiple
needle pokes. I am able to test and upload the results
independently, without the aid of another person. My
doctor is very impressed with the ability to look at my
records from his office and make recommendations.”
Active Mother of Two:
“Results in 3 seconds! I really like the strip release and ability to
download and have all of my data so neatly recorded.”
Advertorial

Take Ownership of Your Disease

On the Portal, readings are charted and interpreted in a number of
ways to best analyze and evaluate blood glucose data so the patient
can feel confident that they are effectively managing their day-to-
day care. The Portal is designed to help patients take “ownership” of
their disease, so they can make healthy lifestyle choices.

Reminders, Messages & Alerts –

You’re Not Alone in Managing
Your Health
MyGlucoHealth allows patients to send themselves or their
caregivers alerts and reminders about their changing condition.
It can also remind them to test or take medication. Alerts and
reminders automatically are sent by SMS text message or email.

Each patient can create personalized high or low “threshold”

settings for blood glucose. The Portal monitors results and sends
an alert to the patient, their family, clinician or caregiver when the
threshold is exceeded. In addition, patients can send related health
information and secure messages directly to their physician and
schedule appointments online using the Portal.
How to Subscribe to the Diabetes
Management Online Service
Telstra provides and supports MyGlucoHealth and the Diabetes
Management Online Service across Australia to mobile phone
subscribers. To use the service, each patient must have a supported
compatible Telstra Next G mobile handset. These are listed on the
MyGlucoHealth web site.
The MyGlucoHealth Wireless meter and other consumables are available
online at myglucostore.com.au and at premium retailers throughout
Australia. Test strips are available from the National Diabetes Services
Scheme (NDSS) for registered participants. The test strips are listed on
the current NDSS order form under code 02. More information about
MyGlucoHealth is available online at www.myglucohealth.com.au.
Diabetes - The Statistics
In Australia the number of new cases of diabetes
each year would fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground:
approximately 275 people develop diabetes every day.
• The average weight of Australian adults (aged 18-70)
has increased by 0.5-1kg per year for the last 20 years.
• It is currently estimated that 1.5 million Australians
are living with diabetes. It is thought that half of these
people are living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
• By 2031 it is estimated that 3.3 million Australians will
have type 2 diabetes.
• Nearly one in four Australians over the age of 25 years
has either diabetes or prediabetes.
• The total number of Australians with diabetes and
prediabetes is estimated at 3.2 million.
• The cost of diabetes to the Australian community
and the individuals affected is significant –
government health budgets are impacted to the
extent of an estimated $6 billion each year, while
people living with diabetes are hit with greatly
increased personal health costs.
• There are over 950,000 people diagnosed with
diabetes registered on the National Diabetes Services
Scheme. *
*Source: Diabetes Australia
 What is that?
Pulling teeth – ouch!
In a room rich with an antiseptic aroma,
under the control of a drill-wielding figure in a
white gown. What will happen once you’re in
‘the chair’? A visit to the dentist has become
synonymous with dread...

Of course this vision fits an unfair Such is the unusual appearance of

stereotype of the dentist’s surgery and
the work of oral health professionals
who fill a vital role in keeping
Australians’ teeth, gums and mouths in
good working order.
However, this was not always the case.
Consider the instrument pictured on
this page. Known as a ‘toothkey’ and
probably dated around 1820, it was
used to grip onto and remove a tooth.
Dr John North, a retired GP and curator
of the RACGP’s archive of medical
instruments, explains that during this
period in history dentists as we know
them, with their years of training and
expertise, simply did not exist.
He admits that even he is not entirely
sure how such an instrument would
have been used. What he does
know is that it comes from an age
when anaesthetics would have been
nonexistent or, at best, primitive.
“The procedure of removing the stump
of a tooth using this instrument would
have required providing the patient with
a lot of whisky,” says Dr North.
the toothkey, that Dr North originally
speculated that it may have been used
during a period such as the Crimean
War (1853–1856) as a bullet remover.
Alternatively, he says, upon inspecting
the toothkey, it could feasibly have been
used to reduce a dislocated finger.
However, having established that it
was used for removing teeth, Dr North
points out that it would only have had
the facility to do so if there was room Toothkey dated around 1820
within the mouth for the end of the
instrument (the semicircular part of the “Of course, I am speculating as to how
instrument that you see pictured here) this toothkey would have been used.
to surround the tooth. Perhaps patients reading this magazine
It is this that prompts Dr North to in the waiting room may want to use
speculate that it would have been used their own imagination as to how it
to remove the isolated stump of a tooth, worked!” says Dr North.
whether this was an incisor, a canine or Now, there’s a challenge. But if it is one
any other kind of tooth. you would rather not take up, we quite
Once surrounded with the end of the understand.
instrument the handle would have been Elizabeth Bennion’s fascinating book
turned and the root or stump fixed. Antique Medical Instruments, published
And then, rather like a corkscrew, a by Sotheby’s Publications 1979 and
swift pull would have withdrawn the University of California Press 1980, was
unwanted remnant of the tooth. a useful source for this article.

 Did you know…? 

In the famous Western Gunfight at the OK Corrall, Kirk Douglas plays John Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday.
It is no coincidence that the character was nicknamed Doc because in real life, Holliday first
studied and successfully qualified as a dentist in Philadelphia before he became a professional
gambler and famous gunslinger.
Often considered the first and one of the greatest novels ever written, Don Quixote contains
many knowledgeable references to dentistry and oral health and has led critics to speculate that
the father of its Spanish author, Cervantes, was a 16th century dentist.

16 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010

 Staying safe on the piste
© iStockphoto.com/Shawn Gearhart
With the arrival of winter some of us may be
heading for a well earned break to ski country
to enjoy the outdoors and engage in some
invigorating exercise.
Most of us are aware of the hazards
of skiing when it comes to falls and
collisions, and the bruising, breakages
and worse that can be a consequence
of skiing.
However, like all sports, a lack of
preparation can lead to other ailments
and injuries such as muscle soreness
and cramp.
Not only will adequate preparation help
you to avoid injury but it will make your
holiday all the more enjoyable.
The health club group Fitness First
warns that skiing can be an extremely
taxing sport and take its toll on
your body.
Preparation is key and it is necessary
to start getting your body ready for a
skiing holiday with a training program
beginning 6–8 weeks before you set off.
• Improving your cardiovascular fitness
boosts your endurance levels and
allows you to ski for longer
Winter 2010
 What is…? 
borborygmus
bor-buh-RIG-muhs
noun: A rumbling noise caused by
the movement of gas through the
• Lower body conditioning will prepare
intestines
you for the specific type of dynamic
movement that is involved in skiing idiopathic
id-i-o-path-ic
• Balance is a key element of skiing and
adj: Used to describe a disease or
to ensure that this is up-to-scratch use disorder that has no known cause
swissballs or dura discs to improve
your balance and stability megalopodia
meg-al-o-po-de-ah
• Use weights to build up your muscle noun: Abnormally large sized feet
strength if you want to ski for lengthy
oögamy
periods of time. You can’t expect
o-o-gam-e
your body to cope without a struggle
noun: The process of union of
if you don’t prepare and want to dissimilar male and female sex cells
comfortably ski all morning and be
back on the slopes after lunch acritochromacy
uh-KRIT-o-kro-muh-see
• Interval cardiovascular training will noun: Colour blindness
mimic the on/off activity that skiing
trichotillomania
involves
trik-o-til-o-ma-ne-ah
• Remember to rest while you are adverb: Compulsive hair pulling
undertaking a training regimen – you
myiasis
need time to recover even during mi-as-is
your preparation noun: Infestation of the body by
• Last, but not least, ski safely and have larvae of flies
a great holiday!
While you’re waiting… 17
 Nutrition

What’s for dinner?

Nutrients per serve

Tomato and butter bean soup with toast Energy 824 kJ
Energy 197 kcal
Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes
Total fat 7.2 g
Saturated fat 1.5 g
Monounsaturated fat 3.8 g
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a
1 red onion, peeled and finely medium heat then add the onion and cook Polyunsaturated fat 1.1 g
chopped for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic Protein 8.4 g
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely and chilli powder (if using) and cook for a Carbohydrate 24.4 g
chopped further minute. Fibre 6.9 g
1⁄2 teaspoon chilli powder Pour in the canned tomatoes and add the Sodium 728 mg
(optional) sugar and black pepper and cook for 5
2 x 400 g can reduced-salt Cholesterol 3.1 mg
minutes uncovered.
chopped tomatoes
Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to
2 cups salt reduced chicken or
the boil then reduce the heat and allow to
vegetable stock
simmer for 15 minutes uncovered.
1 x 400 g can butter beans,
drained and well rinsed To make the toast heat a barbecue or grill pan
1⁄4 cup basil leaves until very hot. Lightly spray the bread slices
with olive oil spray and place on the grill for
2 tablespoons parmesan shavings
2–3 minutes on each side or until golden and These recipes from Real Food are printed with permission
1 teaspoon sugar from the National Heart Foundation of Australia. For
grill marks are visable. Place the toast on a
freshly ground black pepper plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
more information or resources, please contact the Heart
Foundation’s Health Information Service at 1300 36 27 87
Toast Add the butter beans to the soup and cook for (local call cost) or health@heartfoundation.com.au.

2 small multigrain rolls cut into 3 minutes to heat through, then stir in the basil Healthy food need not be boring. Real Food, the
8 slices leaves and serve in bowls. Top with shaved inspirational cookbook from the Heart Foundation, has 55
stunning recipes from fresh ideas to family favourites and
olive oil spray parmesan and serve with the toast.
also provides practical heart health information.

18 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010

 Tuscan apple cake
Serves 12 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 45 minutes

2 large eggs Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly

1⁄4 cup caster sugar spray a nonstick, 22 cm springform tin with oil.
Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess. Set
200 g plain flour
aside.
2 teaspoons baking
powder In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until pale, add the
1⁄4 cup of caster sugar and beat in well. Whisk
2 teaspoons grated
lemon zest in the flour, baking powder and lemon zest, then
slowly whisk in the milk. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2⁄3 cup low fat milk
Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then arrange
800 g golden delicious
the apples on top, pressing down so all the apples
apples, peeled, cored
Nutrients per serve fit. Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar and bake
and thinly sliced
Energy 698 kJ for 45 minutes or until a testing skewer comes out
1⁄4 cup demerara sugar
Energy 167 kcal clean.
Total fat 1.3 g Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run
a knife around the edge and release the spring.
Saturated fat 0.4 g
Place on a platter and serve warm or at room
Monounsaturated fat 0.5 g temperature. Dust with icing sugar.
Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g
Protein 4.1 g
Carbohydrate 35.2 g
Fibre 3.0 g
Sodium 37.4 mg
Cholesterol 94 mg

Baked meatballs
with mozzarella
Serves 12 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 45 minutes Nutrients per serve
Energy 1800 kJ

2 slices Italian-type bread, crusts Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and spray an Energy 431 kcal
removed, soaked in low fat milk 8-cup ovenproof dish with olive oil spray. Total fat 13.9 g
500 g minced lean beef Squeeze the bread to remove milk and combine Saturated fat 4.9 g
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped in a bowl with the mince, garlic, 15 g parmesan, Monounsaturated fat 6.1 g
15 g freshly grated parmesan, plus lemon zest, oregano and eggs. Season with pepper,
Polyunsaturated fat 1.2 g
15 g extra, for the top make a little patty and fry to check seasoning.
Protein 31.7 g
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Shape the mixture into balls and refrigerate to firm
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Carbohydrate 44.3 g
up, if time permits. Heat a heavy based frying pan
oregano leaves or casserole over moderately high heat, add the oil Fibre 7.1 g
2 large eggs and when hot but not smoking, add the balls. Cook Sodium 311 mg
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil until golden brown on all sides, shaking the pan Cholesterol 125 mg
400 g can reduced-salt diced roma frequently.
tomatoes, with juice Add the tomatoes and cook until the sauce slightly
2 cups fresh basil leaves, roughly torn thickens. Stir in half the basil. Transfer the mixture
50 g shredded reduced fat mozzarella to the prepared dish and cover with the mozzarella.
500 g steamed savoy cabbage Tuck in the basil here and there and scatter with
wedges, to serve the extra parmesan. Bake 20 minutes, or until the
6 cups cooked risoni (rice shaped cheese is golden and the filling is bubbling.
pasta), to serve Serve with steamed savoy cabbage wedges.
freshly ground black pepper

Winter 2010 While you’re waiting… 19

 Give your mouth a sporting chance
Every year people suffer a range of
injuries to their teeth and jaws because
they do not wear mouthguards when
participating in sport.

Research in Victoria shows that 2000 mouthguards should be mandatory in

dental injuries were treated in the
state’s emergency departments over 2
years with those under 25 years of age
most at risk.
Some of these included dental injuries
from taking a knock to the head or face
when playing sport.
The Australian Dental Association
(ADA) says that wearing a custom fitted
mouthguard when playing contact
“any sport where the mouth or face
could be injured.”
“Be smart on the sports field by wearing
a custom fitted mouthguard. Investment
in a properly fitted mouthguard, made
to suit an individual’s mouth, is a smart
choice when you look at the associated
cost of repairing damaged teeth,” says
Dr Hewson.
He also emphasises that custom fitted

© iStockphoto.com/Kolbz
sports can reduce the risk of injury to mouthguards should be worn both in
the mouth. training and in competitive matches.
Such injuries can leave a person with For information and fact sheets on
tooth loss or a damaged tooth which can mouthguards and tooth protection visit
lead to a lifetime of expensive dental care. www.mouthguardawareness.info
Research suggests that with the
exception of hockey players, those
taking part in sports in which a risk of
injury to the mouth is likely, are bad
at wearing mouthguards. President of
the ADA, Dr Neil Hewson says that

 Did you know…? 

© iStockphoto.com/Lew Robertson
Topping your morning cereal with raspberries or
choosing kale over spinach as a vegetable side
dish for lunch or your evening meal could have
health benefits.
We all know how important it is to have a diet rich in fruit in vegetables and it is easy to focus on widely
available fresh products such as oranges, grapes, carrots, tomatoes and other healthy old staples.
But while researchers emphasise the health benefits of including these staples in our diet, they point out that some
other less widely consumed fruit and vegetables provide a more concentrated source of nutrients contained within
plants – sometimes called ‘phytonutrients’.
For example, sweet potatoes, fresh papaya, kale, raspberries and blueberries have more of certain nutrients than
carrots, oranges, spinach, strawberries and grapes and there can be health benefits to eating a variety of phytonutrients.

20 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010

 Work And mentAl heAlth
Mental health conditions affect one in five Discuss these issues with your GP. Your GP may be able
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condition (including stress and depression) Assistance available
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an early return to work. mental health employment matters. Visit www.
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recovery. You may need to make a decision about your
www.jobaccess.gov.au
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There are a number of things to think about when you
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For more other helpful
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 WYW book reviews…
The Hidden Journey
– Melanoma up
Close and Personal
Christine Lister
Melbourne: Brolga Publishing,
2008, $24.99
This story is taken
from Christine
Lister’s personal
journal, recounting
a period of turmoil
and upheaval
when her
husband Rex was
diagnosed with
melanoma. Over
a period of a few
years, Rex goes
through many
operations, gets
better, and gets
sick again. Their story is very personal
and emotional, and it sometimes feels
as if you are prying into the couple’s
privacy.
It is also informative and factual.
Lister uses descriptive medical terms
for melanoma and its symptoms so
that the reader can understand what
Rex’s illness means to his health and
wellbeing. This is a sad tale that draws
the reader into both Christine and
Rex’s pain. Despite Listers’ attempt to
be humorous and honest, at times the
book is almost too sad and repetitive
with the cycle of pain.
Christine and Rex’s love for each other
is strong – making the journey that
much sadder. Christine struggles to stay
brave and not drown in misery and fear.
This book is informative and purposeful,
it will certainly appeal to your emotions
and takes more than few sittings to
read – it is quite intense.
Rebekah Prendergast, Brisbane,
Qld
Reading by
Moonlight
Brenda Walker
Hamish Hamilton, 2010, $29.95
When Brenda Walker, Professor of
English and Cultural Studies at the
University of Western Australia, was
diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s
she experienced ‘uncontrollable waves
of dread’, and felt ‘demolished, stupid
with grief and fear’.
In Reading by Moonlight, she describes
how crucial literature was during her
illness. “Write, my books were telling
me. Live,” she says.
When preparing for surgery she chooses
to take with her Samuel Beckett’s
Malone Dies – the title of her novel is
a reference to the character of Malone,
who seeks comfort in the constancy of
the moonlight as he slowly dies.
For Walker, books provided such
constancy. Dante, Tolstoy, Nabokov,
Poe and Dickens take their place
alongside Beckett as companions during
her illness.
However, this is far from a morbid
book. Walker has a laconic sense of
humour, and uses her reading and
meditation upon her illness to point out
human denial of death’s omnipotence.
Walker’s account of her illness remains
optimistic despite the honesty about her
brutal experience with breast cancer.
Ultimately, however, hers is a message
of hope.
Rael Martell, Melbourne, Vic
fighting Cancer with
Knowledge & Hope
A guide for patients, families
& health care providers
Richard C Frank
Melbourne: Black Inc, 2009
$29.95
The term cancer
engenders great fear,
and when I learnt
of my cancer it was
totally unexpected
and discovered by
chance.
Many books later
I have found a
book that simplifies
the medicine and
science related to
cancer, allowing patients and families
to make informed decisions about
treatment and care. Reading this
book, one comes to understand that
no two cancers are exactly alike. The
author’s goals include introducing an
appreciation of what cancer is and how
it grows, how oncologists determine
treatment for each patient and what
different treatment strategies may be, as
well as how to visualise treatments at
work in the body. He also writes about
how to cope with a poor prognosis,
facing fears of chemotherapy and the
distinction between chemotherapy
and newer targeted medicines. Some
detailed explanation of the behaviour
of cancer in the body, how different
cancers are staged and how oncologists
estimate curability is given earlier in the
book.
This book is written with a great
amount of compassion and I would
recommend it to patients, family,
friends, and cancer support groups.
John Field, Adelaide, SA

22 While you’re waiting… Winter 2010

Towards Parenthood
Preparing for the changes and challenges of a new baby
Jeannette Milgrom, Jennifer Ericksen, Bronwyn Leigh, Yolanda Romeo,
Elizabeth Loughlin, Rachael McCarthy, Bella Saunders
Australia: ACER Press, 2009
$34.95

Being pregnant has definitely been one
of the most exciting times of my life.
Reading everything and anything about
pregnancy, I have been overwhelmed
by how much there is to learn, but I
have found that only a few books deal
with the emotional changes and issues
you need to address when becoming
a parent.
Towards Parenthood is more than
a book, it is a ‘workbook’. As well
as many of the ‘hot’ topics for new
parents: sleeping, feeding, settling and
crying, it helps upcoming parents to
think about many of the emotional and
practical issues they are about to face.
It guides both mother and father through
thinking about the changes, the feelings
and the possible stresses. You are helped
to identify the sort of parents you want
to be and to look at how your own
childhood influenced your attitudes.
The book provided a great ‘at home’
counselling session, helping us talk
about the way we both want to bring
up our child and by doing this we also
learnt things about each other that we
probably would never have thought to
talk about.
I loved the chapter ‘Caring for yourself
is caring for your baby’. There were
techniques to help reduce tension and
to reassure new mums that it’s okay to
feel worry and stress.
Other chapters look at keeping balance
in your life and how to maintain a healthy
point of view. The book asks you to use
a six step process of problem solving and
the lists and tips reminding couples how
to help each other were great.
Towards Parenthood is the sort of book
you can use as a reference tool. It’s
a great way for parents to get closer
emotionally.
Emily Jenkins, Viewbank, Vic

Baby on Board
Understanding your baby’s needs
Other chapters cover how evolution
in the first twelve months
Howard Chilton
Australia: Finch Publishing, 2009
$29.95
Baby on Board is a great practical baby
book for expecting parents. Its topics are
medically technical, sensible, informative
and in some instances inspirational. The
topics cover what a baby needs and the
experiences in the first 12 months of life,
and what parents should know in dealing
with these experiences.
Examples include settling your baby,
breastfeeding your baby, and common
baby medical matters such as nappy
rash and cradle cap. Part two, entitled
‘Interesting Information’ delivers just that.
designed our babies and how babies
subjugate parents – immunisation
is another section of great interest.
However, I would have preferred to see
a more objective approach around this
matter rather then just a straightforward
Western medical approach, especially
in today’s time where immunisation has
become such a controversial topic.
The book’s content is supported by its
design, and the topics inspire wonder,
hope and at times, good humour.
The book is original in style, is distinctive
interest – and not only first time parents.
and expressive, and the presentation is
engaging throughout. This book is easy to follow and should
appeal to many readers.
Dr Howard Chilton has proven that
I’ve become a fan.
even in today’s times, a book about
babies can be written in a fresh new Fay Samaras, Melbourne, Vic
way which will maintain parents’

Winter 2010 While you’re waiting… 23

 WYW news file
Travel sickness in men
and women
New research suggests that men and
women heading for foreign destinations
may be prone to different types of
diseases associated with travel.
Clinics from around the world, including
Australia, contributed to Swiss-led
research that looked at almost 60,000
patients and found that women travellers
are more likely than men to contract
diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome,
upper respiratory and urinary tract
infections, psychological stress, oral or
dental conditions, or adverse reactions to
medicine.
However, they are less likely than men
to get ‘febrile illnesses’ (fevers), malaria,
sexually transmitted infections, viral
hepatitis or noninfectious problems
including cardiovascular disease, acute
mountain sickness and frostbite.
Women are better than men at obtaining
advice before travelling, and researchers
found that female travellers who become
ill are less likely to be hospitalised than
males.
If you are reading this and are planning a
trip abroad, remember to speak to your
GP who can give you advice on health
measures to take for travel.
Medicine doses now
easier for non-English
speakers
If you have a friend or relative who
would have difficulty reading this,
the chances are they would also have
problems reading instructions on
prescribed medicines they receive.
Webster-paks give instructions for
daily doses of medications – ‘two
tablets to be taken daily at breakfast’.
Instructions are now available in 20
languages for patients with low English
proficiency. If you, a friend or a relative
wants a multilingual Webster-pak, your
pharmacist should be able to provide
one. If your pharmacist does not have
access to the language you need they can
call 1800 244 358 to get their hands on
the appropriate multilingual Webster-pak.
24 While you’re waiting…
Incontinence continues
in first time mothers
A recent Spanish study found that among
more than 1100 first time mothers almost
40% reported urinary incontinence or
urine leakage while 10% experienced anal
incontinence, which includes passing wind
or stools during pregnancy.
These women were also more likely to
have symptoms of incontinence 7 weeks
after giving birth than women who did
not display symptoms during pregnancy.
Overall, 16% of women in the study had
urinary incontinence 7 weeks after giving
birth and 7% had anal incontinence.
However, the researchers emphasise
that there are ways to reduce the risk
of incontinence. These include avoiding
disproportionate weight gain during
pregnancy – in other words, gaining only
the recommended number of ‘pregnancy
pounds’. Pelvic floor exercises can also
lower the risk of pregnancy related
incontinence and may be something you
wish to seek your GP’s advice on.
Suicidal people urged
to seek help
The charity beyondblue has used
new figures on suicide rates from the
Australian Bureau of Statistics to highlight
the help available to people at risk.
Suicide deaths have tended to be
underreported in the past but a new
means of analysing data by the ABS
reveals that in 2007 there were 2054
deaths by suicide, an increase of 173 from
earlier figures. In 2008 there were 2191
deaths by suicide, with three quarters of
these accounted for by males.
Leonie Young, CEO of beyondblue, says
every depression related death is ‘one too
many’. “Effective treatments are available
and more services are now accessible
across the community,” she says.
She has called for an end to the stigma
surrounding mental illness and to urge
people who are depressed or suicidal
to seek help, which is available ‘24/7
through national agencies’.
If you are feeling depressed or suicidal
you can discuss this with your GP. Also,
for more information about depression
and anxiety, and related disorders as
© iStockphoto.com/Shawn Gearhart
well as treatment advice and direction
on where to seek help, visit www.
beyondblue.org.au or call the charity’s
information line on 1300 22 4636.
The charity SANE Australia has produced
a practical guide to help people who
sometimes feel suicidal. Drawing on
people’s personal experiences with
suicide, the guide includes information
on creating a ‘crisis plan’ so people
can prepare what to do and who to
contact if they feel they are a danger to
themselves in the future.
The SANE Guide to Staying Alive is
available from the online bookshop at
www.sane.org or by calling the SANE
helpline on 1800 18 7263 (cost $15).
Parents underestimate
children’s weight
Apparently parents’ perceptions of their
healthy children’s weight status have a
high degree of accuracy, but this is not
the case with parents of overweight or
obese children, say Australian researchers.
A study of more than 3040 children
and adolescents of 5–17 years of age
were recruited from the Healthy Kids
Queensland Survey.
Parents’ perception of their children’s
weight status was obtained for the
children under 12 years of age, and the
adolescents self reported their own
weight status.
Using the body mass index (BMI)
measure, just over 20% of parents
underestimated their child’s weight
status – only 1% overestimated.
Adolescent boys were more prone than
girls to underestimate their weight status
– girls were more likely to overestimate
their weight, says the study in the
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Parents of overweight children were more
likely to underestimate their children’s
weight status than parents of obese
children, and less than 50% of parents
identified their obese child as ‘too fat’.
Winter 2010
 M5 HEALTH
ONLINE
M5 HEALTH ONLINE is a new online health and wellness
program designed to encourage men to access relevant
health information and interactive health risk assessments,
supported by professional ongoing support and advice.
This online tool not only educates men about their health,
but also gives them the opportunity to alter their health
behaviours in order to help improve their health status.
M5 HEALTH ONLINE provides clear and concise information
on wellness and lifestyle issues, as well as diseases and
conditions. Interactive programs provide help and support
if men want to lose weight, get fit, quit smoking, maintain
a work-life balance, reduce their stress levels or improve
resilience.

About the M5 Project

The M5 Project is a men’s preventive health initiative,
managed by The Royal Australian College of General
Practitioners. The project aims to encourage men, with
the help of those who share their lives, to take better care
of their health and to see their GP if they have any health
concerns.

The M5 Project encourages men to take five key preventive

© iStockphoto.com/daniel rodriguez

steps to improve their health:

1 Share your family history with your GP
2 Know your healthy weight
3 Check your blood pressure
4 Stop smoking – it’s the only healthy option
5 Maintain a healthy mind and a healthy body.

Talk to your employer or human resources

department to consider offering the M5 HEALTH
ONLINE program to staff at your workplace.
We can tailor a workplace health risk assessment
and employee wellness program to suit the needs of
your workplace, including onsite health checks.

Visit M5project.com.au or call 03 8699 0447 to

request a resource kit.
 Brea
kthr
asth ough
tech ma
nolo
gy

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