Veggy may beat radiotherapy?

The Professor who had specialised on cancer and nutrition had agreed to give a talk on nutrition the the local breast cancer support group. He normally spoke at learned international conferences, where he used technical jargon, talked about risk, probability, and produced scientific charts of his results. How was he to convey such a message to a group of local ladies? He hit on the idea of usinga simple visual aid.

He had four key points he wanted to make, don't drink, don't smoke, don't eat fat but eat healthy vegetables. To put this into a visual aid he hit on the idea whilst gardening of putting four worms, one each into four jars.

The first jar had a worm put in it, and he then poured in some Russian Vodka, to the initial delight of the worm. The second jar was prepared, he dropped in the remains of his still smoking joint. He was after all a university professor! The worm initially looked ecstatic. The third jar was prepared, into which he dropped pork crackling. And for the fourth jar he put the worm into a little soil in which was growing a baby carrot.

The next day he gave his talk, and produced the four jars for all to see. The first three all had dead worms in them, just as he expected. But the fourth had worm casts all over it, obviously the worm was happily enjoying his new environment. What does that teach us he asked the audience, hoping for an expected answer of keep a healthy lifestyle.

Quick as a flash a lady at the back raised her hand. When asked she responded "If you smoke, drink, and eat plenty of fat you won't get worms"!

We still wait test results and expect radiotherapy. The hospital have been so dismissive or useless when we chase them that were it a commercial arrangement we would go elsewhere. Remember the surgeon failed to attend the after surgery consultation, we still await test results, and when we expect to plan radiotherapy the hospital say Jan is not on their computerised system! Maybe as a protection measure I convince myself that we could do better by feeding Jan a diet high in vegetables than having radiotherapy. More later on the argument for vegetables.

So I carefully steam an evening meal with fresh carrot, potato, onion, cabbage, runner beans alongside a vegetarian mousaka. I am devastated that Jan refused any of it, maybe she is even more hurt by the hospital's callous handling of her case, and wants nothing to do with them or my diet.

But I am sure we will "recover" in time! Just when mental state is part of the cure why do our NHS do so much harm?