Weymouth beauty therapist nails cancer fundraising campaign

3:00pm Friday 16th March 2012 in News by Emma Walker

Kaleigh Harler, left, is supporting Teal Tips, a campaign to raise awareness and vital funds for ovarian cancer suffererers, like her aunt Gill Harler, right

A BEAUTY therapist is raising awareness and money for sufferers of ovarian cancer.

Kaleigh Harler, who works at Zen Hair & Beauty Centre in Weymouth, is supporting Teal Tips, a campaign to get women to paint their nails in teal-coloured polish during March.

For every £10 file and polish in teal she carries out £5 will go towards ovarian cancer charity Ovacome.

this fundraising effort is taking place throughout March which is the nationwide Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

she will be using the OPI Teal the Cows Come Home shade, with supplier Lena White agreeing to donate £1 to Ovacome for every £11 bottle sold during March.

Kaleigh said she was inspired by the campaign after her aunt Gill Harler, 62, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Kaleigh said: “With marine or mermaid colours hitting the fashion pages teal is a great on-trend colour to wear.

“Being so striking it is bound to get women to talk about the main symptoms of the disease, which still frighteningly few are aware of.”

she added that she came across the Teal Tips campaign while reading one of her aunt’s ovarian cancer advice magazines.

mrs Harler, who lives in Weymouth, said: “It is amazing what Kaleigh is doing, “I am just so proud of her.

“I think people aren’t aware of the symptoms so awareness is really important.

“Girls as young as 16 can get it and a lot of people need to know more about it.

“The campaign is a national one so it is vital local people get involved and help in any way.”

Tracy Ironside, who owns Zen Hair & Beauty Centre in Dorchester Road, was happy to support Kaleigh by letting her donate part of the profits.

Kaleigh added her thanks to everyone who supported her and encouraged anyone who can to support the campaign.

Ovacome research has found that 90 per cent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer were unaware of its symptoms.

To purchase a bottle of OPI’s Teal the Cows Come Home varnish call 01923 240010.

The depression and anxiety experienced by many women after a miscarriage can continue for years, even after the birth of a healthy child, according to a study led by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers and published online today by the British Journal of Psychiatry.

“Our study clearly shows that the birth of a healthy baby does not resolve the mental health problems that many women experience after a miscarriage or stillbirth,” said Emma Robertson Blackmore, Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychiatry at the Medical Center and the lead researcher. “This finding is important because, when assessing if a women is at risk of antenatal or postnatal depression, previous pregnancy loss is usually not taken into account in the same way as other risk factors such as a family history of depression, stressful life events or a lack of social support.”

“We know that maternal depression can have adverse impacts on children and families,” Robertson Blackmore said. “If we offer targeted support during pregnancy to women who have previously lost a baby, we may be able to improve health outcomes for both the women and their children.”

Pregnancy loss by miscarriage or stillbirth affects more than an estimated one million women in the United States annually. Between 50 and 80 percent of women who experience pregnancy loss become pregnant again.

The researchers studied 13,133 pregnant women in the United Kingdom who were taking part in a long-term study known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The women were asked to report the number of previous miscarriages and stillbirths they had experienced. They were assessed for symptoms of depression and anxiety twice during their pregnancy and four times after giving birth, at 8 weeks, 8 months, 21 months and 33 months. The majority of women reported no miscarriages. But 2,823 women, or 21 percent, reported having one or more previous miscarriages, while 108 reported having one previous stillbirth and three women had two previous stillbirths.

“We found no evidence that affective symptoms associated with previous prenatal loss resolve with the birth of a healthy child. Rather, previous prenatal loss showed a persisting prediction of depressive and anxiety symptoms well after what would conventionally be defined as the postnatal period,” the researchers concluded.

Of the women who had one miscarriage or stillbirth before giving birth to a healthy child, for example, almost 13 percent still had symptoms of depression 33 months after the birth. of those with two previous losses, almost 19 percent had symptoms of depression 33 months after the birth of a healthy child.

Prenatal loss is not routinely considered a risk factor for antenatal or postpartum depression in the same way as, for instance, personal or family history of depression, exposure to stressful life events or lack of social support, according to the study. Routinely assessing loss history would be valuable as a predictor of current and postpartum risk and as a possible marker for intervention, the researcher.

“Given the adverse outcomes of persistent maternal depression on both child and family outcomes, early recognition of symptoms can lead to preventive interventions to reduce the burden of illness, provide coping strategies to reduce anxiety and depression and promote healthy adjustment of the mother, family and child,” the researchers stated.

more information: Robertson Blackmore E, Côté-Arsenault D, Tang W, Glover V, Evans J, Golding J and O’Connor TG. Previous prenatal loss as a predictor of perinatal depression and anxiety. British Journal of Psychiatry, ePub ahead of print 3 March 2011, doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.083105

Provided by University of Rochester Medical Center (news : web)

Eleanor Farquharson in her bifocals, with mum Emma and sister Isobel

For months on end, Emma and James Farquharson would approach the weekends with dread.

while most families look forward to the break, the Farquharsons knew they were heading for a by now familiar storm as their daughter Eleanor, then nine, would refuse to do her homework.

It did not matter what negotiations took place, or the lengths her parents went to, the outcome was always the same  -  uncharacteristic tears and tantrums, a very upset child and an absolute refusal to cooperate.

For Emma, 46, an interior designer, and James, 49, who runs an education business, it was both distressing and frustrating, as it was for Eleanor’s seven-year-old sister Isobel.

Little did they suspect that Eleanor, who had been diagnosed with severe astigmatism andgiven glasses at the age of five, was suffering from terrible problems focusing  -  literally.

‘We knew Eleanor was struggling with homework and to keep up in class, but we didn’t know how to help,’ says James.

‘We would read instructions in her homework book and make suggestions, but Eleanor would insist we were wrong.’

The school arranged special-needs one-to-one lessons for Eleanor but were equally confused why such a bright child was having difficulties. Her confidence suffered as she slipped behind the standards of her peers and Emma and James decided to consult an educational psychologist.

It was, for all, a revealing experience. When Eleanor was asked to do one particular comprehension test she froze and then became upset, which enabled the psychologist to experience some of the frustrations that had been going on at home.

Until then, no one quite knew if Eleanor had mild learning difficulties or if her symptoms were indicative of something else. There was even a worrying suggestion that she could be dyslexic.

‘The whole area is slightly grey,’ says Emma, ‘but the psychologist assured us she was not dyslexic.’

With dyslexia out of the question, they were no closer to finding an explanation, so a hearing test and a new eye examination were recommended.

the hearing test, at London’s Charing Cross Hospital, revealed perfect hearing, so Eleanor was referred to Ken Nischal, consultant paediatric ophthalmologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Mr Nischal uses a technique called dynamic retinoscopy to measure the eye’s ability to look at a faraway object with detail in it, such as a cowboy cartoon, and then to refocus on an object close at hand.

What mr Nischal discovered was that while Eleanor could focus on objects at distance, she then struggled to switch to see items clearly close up.

‘It is as if the autofocus on your camera has gone a bit wonky,’ he explains.

‘A lot of children who are referred to me are described as “poor readers” or, “they don’t concentrate well”,’ he adds.

‘Sometimes these symptoms can be confused with dyslexia when, in fact, they are actually having a problem focusing.’

In the 12 years mr Nischal has been using dynamic retinoscopy  -  a test that takes just 20 minutes to complete  -  he has helped more than 100 children lose their diagnosis of dyslexia.

As Eleanor was already wearing glasses, she needed a solution that would correct her astigmatism as well as assist when focusing close up.

The answer came in the shape of a ?400 pair of virtually indestructible pink bifocal glasses, more commonly prescribed for older people, which have transformed school life for Eleanor  -  and her academic results.

‘Very few people ever think a child might have that problem,’ explains

Mr Nischal, ‘but bifocals, in a situation like this, are great for children.’

Eleanor explains: ‘The bottom half is like a giant magnifying glass. I use that to read things on my desk. the top half is so I can read things a long way away, like the whiteboard.’

And in the ten months since Eleanor has had her new glasses, her ability to switch between long and short-distance focusing has improved dramatically.

‘They are quite easy to use,’ Eleanor says, ‘and sometimes I forget I’m wearing them.’

As for Emma and James, some moments of tranquillity have returned to their Fulham home, particularly around weekend homework time. and a new event now occurs on a regular basis.

When mrs Farquharson goes upstairs to check on her daughter at night, more often than not she’ll see her face in the pillow, book to one side and glasses still on her face.

‘It is,’ she says, ‘a huge pleasure.’

Mr Nischal: eyedoc.org.uk

• Newborn babies are tested for eye conditions such as cataracts, corneal abnormalities and glaucoma. Their eyes are tested again at eight months and three years of age as part of a general health check and, in most areas of the UK, when they are four or five before they start school.

• NHS eye tests are available free to anyone aged 18 or under and in full-time education. It is advisable to have a sight test every two years.

• Regular headaches, sitting very close to watch the TV, not making eye contact, eye poking and rubbing, poor attention at school and reading difficulties are all signs that a child may be struggling to see.

When Emma Shaw decided she wanted to start a family, she knew she faced a battle. Having been diagnosed with blocked fallopian tubes in her mid-20s, it was likely that IVF was her only option.

With her partner Tony Bailey, 40, supporting her she began a journey which around 36,000 women undertake in Britain every year.

She used her savings to fund the ?6,000 IVF cycle having discovered there was a two-year waiting list for NHS treatment in her area.

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?The IVF was gruelling, both mentally and physically,? says Emma, now 39, from Morden, Surrey. ?Sometimes I?d be elated and other days I?d be scared and emotional.

?I hadn?t expected to feel so ill. I suffered hot sweats and had symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation caused by the drugs I was taking to encourage egg production. It made me feel nauseous and the bloating was so painful.?

Around a third of women undergoing fertility treatment suffer from ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which occurs when the ovaries overreact to fertility drugs causing swelling and sometimes leaking fluid into the abdominal cavity.

Most cases are mild but some women are hospitalised and it can even be fatal. Between 1999 and 2003 there were no adverse incidents of OHSS reported to the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA), an independent body regulating fertility treatment but last year there were 114 cases.

Professor William Ledger, head of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Fertility at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield (jessopfertility.org.uk) and professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, says there are healthier IVF options. He says some women who do not wish to use fertility drugs or those who cannot tolerate them can opt for natural IVF. This was the method which led to the birth of Louise Brown, the world?s first test-tube baby in 1978.

The process involves working with the woman?s menstrual cycle, collecting the egg, fertilising it with her partner?s sperm and placing it back into the womb.

This works well when the male partner has fertility issues such as a low sperm, count rather than the woman.

Another gentle form of IVF, sometimes called mild IVF, involves a low dose of a stimulating hormone used for a shorter time than conventional IVF and works within the woman?s menstrual cycle. there is no suppression of hormones and no menopausal side effects. The aim is to collect between two and seven eggs.

Conventional IVF is the most popular choice. This involves daily injections to suppress hormones and then higher doses of the stimulating hormone to boost the number of eggs. The treatment can last up to five weeks and the aim is to produce as many viable eggs as possible.

Professor Ledger says women should be made more aware of natural and mild IVF. ?We achieve a high pregnancy rate with low multiple-birth rate by using a mild stimulation approach in most patients.

?It?s quicker, cheaper, safer, with half the rate of OHSS and more acceptable to patients. find any patient who has done both and I am sure she will say that the mild approach was better. to me its a no-brainer.?

E mma was devastated when she failed to get pregnant following three cycles of conventional IVF. each time she suffered OHSS.

With bills mounting to ?18,000 Emma and Tony, an IT consultant, were running short of money when they were told about mild IVF. they now have two children, Isabella, two, and Sophie who was born in November, following two cycles of mild IVF.

Professor Ledger says the success rates of mild IVF are similar to the conventional method if compared over the same time frame rather than per cycle. He says more cycles of mild IVF may be needed to achieve the same success but cycles are quicker and cheaper. It costs around ?2,750 for mild IVF and ?1,850 for natural cycle IVF.

Dr Geeta Nargund, medical director of Create Health Clinics in London (createhealth.org) and the president of the International Society for Mild Approaches in Assisted Reproduction (ISMAAR), says taking fewer drugs can suit older women. ?The evidence shows that women with low egg reserve and older women can be successful with a more natural approach using their naturally selected egg, as the drugs used to stimulate the ovaries don?t seem to benefit them anyway.

?Also a lot of women now undergo IVF treatment because their partner?s sperm is the cause of infertility and they are fertile women,? says Dr Nargund. ?These women are also given high doses of stimulating drugs. More are saying: ?why should I be treated as the infertile one? I don?t want all those drugs?.?

However, Adam Balen, professor of reproductive medicine and surgery at Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine, says natural IVF has a poor success rate and many clinics aim to give as low a dose of drugs as possible anyway.

?Mild IVF has become a buzzword,? says Professor Balen. ?But in my view it?s something of a misnomer as in reality, IVF clinics should be aiming to give the lowest dose of drugs that will achieve the desired response of the ovary.?

Former childminder Emma adds: ?I wished I had known about mild IVF before I put myself through three cycles of conventional IVF.

?I did have hot flushes and some hormonal changes but it was far less invasive, quicker, cheaper and it worked.?

• The Juggle examines the choices and tradeoffs people make as they juggle work and family. The site provides readers with news, insight and tips on parenting, workplace issues, commuting, caregiving and other issues busy readers with families face. It is also a place for readers to share and compare their own work-and-family experiences and to seek advice and recommendations. The Juggle is edited by Rachel Emma Silverman (pictured, right), a mother of a 2-year-old and an infant in Austin, Texas, and co-written by Sue Shellenbarger (center), the Wall Street Journal?s ?Work and Family? columnist in Portland, Ore., and a mother of two children and stepmother of three. Another contributor, Michelle Gerdes (left), an editor on the WSJ’s National desk in New York, is the mother of a 2-year-old (and expecting another baby soon). The Juggle also includes regular contributions from other staffers at the Journal. Contact the Juggle with ideas or suggestions at