Woman’s Own – 02 September 2019

Is it more

than just

misbehaving?

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A

No.Everywoman’suterusis

tilted.Mostaretiltedforwards,

butaboutonein fourtiltbackwards

(alsocalledretroverted).It can

sometimesmeanthatfindingthe

uterusis moredifficult.I oftenask

womentoplacetheirhandsunder

theirbuttockstotiltthe pelvis and

this usually helps.

Losingweightfor

anoperation

Q

I’minsuchpainwith

arthritisinmykneeand

mysurgeontellsmeI needa

kneereplacement.However,he

is refusingtooperateuntilI lose

atleast3st.I’mprettymuch

houseboundwiththepain,so

exercisingis impossible,

andI havetriedeverydiet

inthebook.Nothingworks

forme.WhatdoI do?

A

Iseethishappening

a lotI’mafraidand,

althoughit mayseemcruel,

yoursurgeonis justtryingto

reduceyourrisksofpost-

operativecomplications.

Peoplewhoarevery

overweightaremore

likelytohaveproblems

withtheanaestheticand

woundhealing.Youmay

bea candidateforreferral

toa weight-managementplan

viayourGPandpossiblyeven

a gastricbandtohelp with

your weight loss.

What’sup

withmycervix?

Q

WhenI washavingmy

recentsmeartest,thenurse

struggleda bittofindmycervix

andtoldmeit wasbecausemy

uterusis tiltedbackwards.I didn’t

thinkanythingofit atthetime,

butit hasbeenplayingon

mymind.Is thissomething

I shouldbeworriedabout?

Q

Mydaughter’seight-year-oldis under

threatofbeingexcludedfromschool.

I’mconvincedshehasADHD,butthe

schoolsayssheneedsa referralfromher

GPandthedoctorsaysit’sbetterarranged

byaneducationalpsychologist through

theschool.HowcanI help?

A

Sadly,thisscenariois notuncommon.

AssessmentforADHDinvolves

severalspecialistsandit maybeusefulto

asktheschoolandthedoctortodiscuss

thingstogetherfirst.Theywillneedyour

daughter’sconsent,butwillthenhopefully

be able to work out the best way forward. 

Q

I’VEBEEN

ITCHING

DOWNBELOWFOR

SEVERALWEEKS.

I THOUGHTITWAS

THRUSH,BUT

CREAMSHAVEN’T

MADEANY

DIFFERENCE.

I HADA LOOKLAST

NIGHTANDTHERE

ARESEVERAL

PATCHESOFWHITE

ONMYINNERLIPS.

IS THIS CANCER?

I’MSCAREDOF

GOINGTOMYGP.

A

Themostlikely

diagnosisis

lichensclerosus,not

cancer.Asdifficult

asit is,trynotto

scratch,wearloose

underwearmade

ofnaturalfibres

andwashwithan

emollient,notsoap.

See your doctor, as

DoctorDawn

Harper

answers

allyour

questions...

TO ASK?

Afraid

Askthe

DOCTOR

youmayneed

somesteroidcream.

Thereis a verytiny

increasedriskof

cancerassociated

withthiscondition,so

keepaneyeonit and

if youdevelopa lump

orulcer,askyour

GP to take a look.

PHOTOS: GETTY

COULDMYITCH

BE CANCEROUS?

Losingweight

willhelpwith

recovery