All medicines are potentially poisonous if not taken according to directions. Always keep medicines out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard.

If your child is taking medicine, give it to him at the specified times and he accurate with the dosage (amount). Use a measuring spoon or cup — do not guess the amount. If you forget to give your child a dose, give it as soon as you remember, and give the following dose at the correct time. Give the medicine for the exact period of time advised by your doctor — this advice is based on scientific research, not on a whim. Do not suddenly stop giving the medicine when the child is feeling better, unless it is on the doctor’s advice.

Any particular medicine should only be used by the person for whom it has been prescribed. It is not safe practice to borrow medicines from other people, not to give them to others. Do not give your child’s medicine to his brother or sister without consulting your doctor. This can be life-threatening. Some children can suffer serious side effects from even a small amount of a seemingly harmless substance.

Some medications interact with others, that is, they are not compatible with each other and may produce serious side effects. Always check with your doctor if your child is taking more than one medication at a time. All medicines have generic, or common, chemical names but are marketed under various brand names, which vary from country to country. The one medication may be marketed under different brand names. The brand names are usually printed in larger letters. Check the small print for the generic name.

Always discard medicines that are past their ‘use by’ date. This expiry date is always written on the container. Do not dispose of them in the rubbish. Take them to your chemist for disposal, or flush them properly down the toilet.

Remember that if you need to take any medication during pregnancy or when breastfeeding, this should be monitored by a doctor. Most medications should be avoided at these times, no matter how innocent they may seem, as they can be harmful to the baby. Always check with your doctor before taking any medication.

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Looking after yourself during pregnancy is the best start you can give your unborn child. This chapter does not try to be a complete guide to pregnancy and childbirth. It focuses on those aspects of pregnancy that are important to your child’s health.

Pregnancy is the ideal time to prepare for your baby’s arrival and for your approaching parenthood. After your baby is born you will be busy looking after both of you, as well as the rest of the family, in many cases. Take advantage of the time you may have before the baby is born to read about childbirth, babies and parenting. Talk to other parents, relatives, your doctor and your maternal and child health nurse to familiarise yourself with both the emotional and practical aspects of parenthood. Do some research and find out in advance what sort of services are available in your local area such as nappy wash services, creches, babysitters and home help.

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You have traced the courtship ritual in our culture, and have learned that vulnerability has received a bad name. Instead of learning to value people because they are vulnerable, fragile, open, and disclosing, we learn to think of them as foolish and immature. We see them trying too hard and showing too much of themselves. A key lesson for super marital sex is to be able to open it all up, to share every feeling as you feel it. The real outside world doesn’t allow this openness, but it is available to you in the privacy and safety of your own marriage place. The young adult must resolve this conflict, take the risk, get hurt, bounce back, and eventually learn that only through vulnerability will lasting love and fulfilling sex be possible.

Adulthood: The Saneness of Sameness vs. the Quest for Newness

From early childhood, we learn that new is always better than old or used. Same is not as good as different, unique, or unknown. We learn that variety is the spice of life. At this adult phase of development, we must learn to countermand these cultural orders, to learn to value sameness, reliability, predictability, history, and a long-lasting, predictable sexual relationship.

Somehow a cultural myth evolved that people must “sow their wild oats” before they can “settie down.” Sexism has translated this myth to males doing the sowing and females avoiding the reaping. Finding someone to love, to have sex with over a long time does not have to follow anything else. Those people who negotiate through this stage learn the lesson that movement toward love does not have to include a sally into promiscuity.

Mature Adulthood: Us vs. Me

The term “inclusivity” refers to sharing activities and life endeav¬ors. This phase of sexual development requires striking a balance between autonomy and individual identity and finding such identity with someone while he or she is finding his or her own. Watching a lovely sunset can be a strong individual, almost spiritual experi¬ence. It can also provide for a sharing, a mental, emotional sharing or telepathy. The balance of independence and interdependence is the challenge of mature adult sexuality.

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If your surgeon says this within a day or two of the operation, it means only that he or she has removed all the cancer that was detected before and/or visible during the operation. If your surgeon says it after receiving the pathology report, it probably means that, when it was examined under the microscope, cancer cells were not seen extending right out to the edge of the removed tissue.

The fact of the matter, as you and I know, is that no one can be sure that no cancer remains in your body immediately after an operation. You can only be sure that this was true, after enough time has gone by for any remaining seedlings to activate and form detectable tumours.

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Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood inside the arteries which carry the blood from the heart to the tissues.

When the heart contracts and forces blood out into the already filled arteries, the pressure rises. This is systolic blood pressure. When the heart is at rest, the pressure inside the elastic arteries is the diastolic pressure.

The difference between the two readings is the pulse pressure. The normal range varies considerably, being low in children and young women, and tending to rise with age.

The common belief that blood pressure should be 100 plus your age is not really true.

The normal range of systolic pressure is about 100 to 145 and the diastolic 60 to 90. It normally rises with exertion, exposure to heat or cold and with emotion, and these changes are more marked in the systolic pressures.

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Some of the broad spectrum antibiotics are also effective. Pyrimethamine may cause vitamin  and folic acid deficiencies and so these essential food factors may need to be given at the same time.

Cortisone and its derivatives have been used to reduce the inflammation, when the eye is involved.

Because of wide publicity given to this infection, many women are anxious to know if their unborn baby will be at risk. A blood or skin test should reveal whether a woman has come into contact with the parasite.

If she does have antibodies in her blood, it appears her foetus is safe and unlikely to develop the infection, even if the mother again comes into contact with the parasite.

Those women who have negative tests would be wise to avoid contact with cats during their early pregnancy. They place themselves particularly at risk if handling trays that may contain cat faeces or gardening in soil contaminated by the faeces. It appears that the parasite may be able to live in suitable soil for about a year.

Some experts believe that most cases of human infection come not from the cat but from eating infected meat which has not been properly cooked. Those who like their meat rare run a considerable risk from a variety of infections. Freezing is unlikely to kill the parasite, whereas adequate cooking does.

There is as yet no vaccine available for immunisation against this disease.

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Jane: Between us, it’s not the job. Laura’s always in pain . . . she’s got some real problems.

Barbara: What do you mean by problems? Jane: She has endometriosis. Barbara: What’s that?

Jane: For years, Laura had terrible cramps and pain, but no doctor could tell her what was wrong. Now it seems that the disease has done so much internal damage that she can’t get pregnant. Endometriosis spreads!

Barbara: How? Is it some new type of V.D.?

Jane: No, its not a disease you can catch. That’s all I know for sure.

A conversation like this one was exchanged over lunch somewhere in Manhattan, but one could easily find “Barbara” and “Jane” meeting at any coffee shop, discussing the plight of “Laura.” Such conversations are no longer isolated cases, because the subject—endometriosis—has tragically become a widespread topic. Compassionate friends like Barbara and Jane can only begin to describe the extent of the disease’s symptoms and effects. Every day in every city, millions of concerned women who know someone with endometriosis or who are themselves plagued by it are also searching for solutions to this new and growing health problem. Who are these women?

One might be a friend, a boss, a relative—or she might be yon. The facts now tell the story: a conservative estimate counts 20 million women with endometriosis, but realistically, there are more than twice that number of victims at varying stages of the disease. Millions of Lauras face the possibility of infertility and needless Buffering. Millions more are crippled by relentless pelvic pain and its complications, such as debilitating cramps and bladder disorders. Some have lost faith in professional medical care, as one doctor after the other (ailed to diagnose their disease before it grew out of control. More important, vast numbers of women may have endometriosis and not know that they do.

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The first step is the learning of correct breathing; this has particular importance in yoga, and is thought to be essential for adequate control of the mind.

The next important step is a series of exercises known as Hatha Yoga. These exercises lead to correction of posture faults, and increased general fitness. Systematic relaxation is another very important aspect of yoga, and this also involves exercises, both to control and relax each and every part of the body.

Once these things have been mastered, the mind is ready for meditation. This may or may not be an essential part of anxiety reduction. There is no doubt however that yoga not only improves physical fitness, but also endows practitioners with an inner calm and an ability to cope with stresses that they were previously unable to manage.

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