| Locked-in Syndrome When Dr Cival Mills crossed the finish line of a four-day ride on a quad bike, there wasn't a dry eye in sight. This man shouldn't even have been alive - let alone be first to finish a 500km long off-road trip. Ten years ago, a car accident and a resulting stroke left him with Locked-In Syndrome - a condition in which people are fully conscious, but literally trapped in their own bodies, unable to move any muscles, except the eyelids. Carte Blanche first met him when he was undergoing stem cell treatment in Germany in 2006. Now, able to move his head and two fingers on one hand, Cival is an author, motivational speaker and has astonished all by his refusal to give up. read more ... |
| Too Posh to Push It's a phrase used to cast a disapproving light on women who opt for an elective caesarean, rather than pushing, grunting and screaming through hours of natural labour. But in actual fact, many obstetricians favour C-Section because it's considered to be safer - both medically and legally - and perhaps more convenient for a doctor with a busy practice. But natural birth doesn't always mean prolonged pain and suffering, nor is it always riskier for mom and baby. Carte Blanche Medical looks at birthing choices in a fast-paced world where Caesars are as popular as picnics. read more ... |
| Cervical Cancer Three years ago, Angela Ferguson lost her best friend to a silent killer. So-called because cancer of the cervix slowly moves through normal cervical tissue until it becomes an invasive cancer that can spread throughout the body. Angela's best friend - Sharon Humphrey - was a dancer, in peak fitness, but succumbed to cervical cancer before news of a major breakthrough in the form of a vaccine rocked the medical world. Now Sharon's friends are dancing to raise money for this expensive vaccine to reach as many girls and women as possible. Carte Blanche Medical helps break the silence. read more ... |
|