What did the ill-mannered sexist NHS consultant say to the female patient recently diagnosed as having Breast Cancer?

Well, almost unbelievably now we are living in the 21st Century, he said, "You're a big girl, aren't you?" - This is the language of the Carry On films. It should not be the language of a health professional to a woman patient in her fifties, especially one trying to come to terms with a diagnosis of a serious illness, with particularly sensitive emotional overtones for a woman.

I heard from my friend, Jane, recently, telling me of the breast cancer. She already has a bad back problem she was born with and a bad leg from a motor accident years ago, and osteoporosis, and has been a wheelchair user for many years. But despite her usual brave struggle with the daily difficulties experienced by a disabled person in our country, this casual, uncalled-for impertinence had upset her very greatly and she dreads the prospect of seeing this guy again. She has made a complaint about his rudeness, but the NHS is notorious for not taking complaints seriously and for doing nothing about them.

Fortunately I was, at any rate, able to offer some positive suggestions for her. I've been reading from several sources recently that sugar feeds cancer, and of course it has no nutritional value anyway, so I suggested that she try cutting down on sugar. I also suggested that she change to using pastured butter (see my previous entry about this, posted on Sunday, 8 August 2010) and that she get hold of some delicious probiotic whole milk organic yoghurt so that these healthy dairy products can improve her bone health at any rate. She already avoids salt and takes calcium and vitamin D3 as a result of my recommending them to her in the past.