Category Archives: Women’s Health

Pat Cody, Founder of DES Action. My @BBCWomansHour #WHPowerList #charity

Judith Barrow with a superb article about Pat Cody, founder of DES Action. DES (diethylstilboestrol), the synthetic estrogen given to women for 30 years until 1973, was expected to prevent miscarriages. Instead, it caused cancer and fertility problems in some daughters and granddaughters of the women who had taken the drug. I first learned about DES, as well as thalidomide — which caused multiple fetal deformities — in nursing school.  Pharmaceuticals are prescribed too loosely and taken too readily by too many. Given that Big Pharma is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry that cares little about the devastating effects of its products, it’s a wonder so many of us are still alive …

Judith Barrow

pat-codyOver the last few months Woman’s Hour on Radio Four has been showcasing seventy women who have promoted women’s issues or represented women in some way  through the last seven decades that the programme has run. They presented the final seven last week: http://bbc.in/2hvqozr

There was one woman who I think was missed; a woman who, around her own kitchen table, started a charity which has gone from strength to strength in most countries, except the UK.

Pat Cody  started DES Action in 1971 (http://www.desaction.org/)   after she learned that the daughters of women who took the anti-miscarriage drug during pregnancy developed cancer and reproductive problems. Pat had taken the drug while pregnant with her first daughter, Martha. Pat served as program director for the group and edited its newsletter. She passed away in September 2010.

Images of Diethylstilboestrol/ Stilboestrol(DES)

download-26download-28images-22The mission of DES Action groups worldwide is to identify…

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Book Review: Size Matters by Sally Cronin

book-sally-size-mattersPublished  15 August 2016   Amazon

Size Matters is Sally Georgina Cronin’s no-holds-barred, true-life story of her journey from near-death obesity to vibrant health.

I first was struck by the author’s willingness to share so many personal things that most of us would hold to dearly as private; things that would humiliate us; things that we’d be hard-pressed to look in the mirror and admit even to ourselves. I knew that anyone willing to bridge this gap must be someone with integrity and a deep concern for her fellow human beings.

I didn’t have to go far into the book to find the encouragement I needed. The last paragraph of chapter one said it all for me:       “What began as a painful journey into my past became an exciting adventure in the present with expectations of a much brighter future.” Above all else, I wanted a bright future. And Ms. Cronin’s approach proffered that hope.

I’m not going to detail the specifics of this book, because a peek inside on Amazon will show you the table of contents and highlight the details of the program she developed.

What I want to shine a light on is the inspiration she exemplifies and sallyoffers to all those battling a weight problem. She knew that almost any help given by the medical/scientific/etc. communities would offer template approaches to weight reduction, approaches that she and many others have tried and failed at miserably. Because her health was in such jeopardy, she needed not only to urgently change her eating habits, but also to have the results be permanent. Thus began her journey within and her search for a sustainable healthy future.

It’s difficult enough to put one foot in front of the other on a daily basis in this fast-paced technological age. Everyone is multi-tasking and running fast to stand still. So when we find ourselves faced with a life-threatening condition, fear leads us to seek a quick fix. But quick fixes are almost never permanent and almost always detrimental. The author recognized this and strove instead to find her own way back home to herself.

Although despairing and contemplating suicide, she reached deep inside and found a way to kindle her common sense, which provided the ladder needed to climb out of the pit into which she’d dug herself. Admitting her weaknesses and acknowledging her strengths, she put the totality of herself into turning her life around. Plying patience and dogged determination, she climbed out of the suffocating abyss and surfaced into the fresh air of a promising and vibrant life.

sally-10I have never been obese, but I have carried extra weight at different times throughout my life. Taking off 10 or 15 pounds is hard enough. I can only imagine the devastation one must feel when facing the necessity of a 150-pound weight reduction. And I use the word “reduction” rather than “loss,” because I think the mind always seeks to find that which has been lost.

In my opinion, this book is not only a comprehensive text for permanent weight reduction, but also a “how to” guide for breaking the shackles of destructive behavior and tenaciously moving forward.

When asked in grade school to name five people who inspire us, most children look to either their families or noted figures in the world. And yet there are so many working humbly behind the global scenes who seek neither notoriety nor acclaim. I believe they’re referred to as unsung heroes.

sally-sam
This review is as much an acknowledgement of the author’s positive contribution to the world as it is of her all-inclusive approach to weight reduction in this outstanding book, which I highly recommend. Lose an ounce of weight, gain a pound of self-confidence. Sally Cronin is an inspirational example for all.

Sally’s Links:     Website      Facebook      Twitter       LinkedIn                                                          Google+      Amazon

Women’s Health Week Revisited – The progresson of Osteoporosis over 50.

Maintaining bone health can be a challenge, especially as we age. Vitamins K and D3 play a vital role, along with daily exercise. Visit Sally’s blog to learn what you can include in your diet and exercise routine to promote healthy bones…

Women’s Health Week Revisited – Pregnancy Loss by author Karen Power

Karen Power and Sally Cronin talk openly about their miscarriages on Sally’s blog, and Karen details the importance of support by family, friends, and health care practitioners. I applaud the courage of women who speak out on these sensitive issues …