Essex teen who cannot eat or drink wants to make the most of life
"Sometimes it gets me down when I'm in pain, but most of the time I try not to let it bother me."
Isla's condition is so rare that it does not have a name. She has infusions into her bloodstream for 18 hours a day.The teenager also has issues with her immune system, liver and kidneys and has contracted sepsis several times.Isla was attending high school until last year when she got sepsis and has not yet been able to return. "It hasn't been easy. I was doing so well at school, but the sepsis was a major setback, and I haven't been well enough to go back," she said.
Isla loves going to music concerts and is looking forward to learning to drive when she turns 16.A recent Tate McRae concert was one of the best nights of her life, she said, even though she ended up crying herself to sleep with back pain.She also managed to go on a cruise with her family this year, after a battle to get insurance, but was in excruciating pain with her back throughout it.
Her mother, Ashlee, gave up her job as a support worker for adults with learning difficulties when Isla was a baby, so she could care for her.Ashlee's friend recently created a GoFundMe page, which has seen donations of more than £3,000 towards a specialist wheelchair, instead of her current basic NHS one.Isla said she was "so grateful" and "overwhelmed" by the support.Ashlee said: "I would love Isla to get a bespoke wheelchair, which could mean she can just feel like a normal teenage girl for a bit and give her some independence."Isla doesn't realise how amazing she is. She is exceptionally brave and resilient."I look at her and I just beam with pride. I don't know how someone can go through so much and be so caring and kind and happy."
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Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Telegraph
I have helped more than 300 people reverse their diabetes – here's how
'The traditional view of type 2 diabetes is that it's chronic and progressive,' says registered dietitian Helen Gowers. This will be a recognisable characterisation of the condition for the 4.1 million people in the UK who have it and, upon diagnosis, were swiftly put on to a lifetime course of medication, typically metformin and then insulin, to keep their blood sugar levels at bay. 'However, our approach is to undo insulin resistance by removing the visceral fat that's clogging up key organs – the root cause of type 2 diabetes – so everything starts working normally again,' Gowers says. 'You can't achieve that with medication, it has to be done through weight loss and diet.' Doctors now recognise that reversing type 2 diabetes through diet is a very real possibility for many patients. A study, published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health in 2023, showed a diet low in carbohydrates (found in bread, potatoes and pasta) helped 51 per cent of the 186 type 2 diabetes patients involved achieve remission within three years – meaning their blood sugar levels were below the type 2 diabetes range and they no longer needed medication. To spread this method to the masses, Gowers joined the charity Public Health Collaboration in 2021, offering an eight-week diet and lifestyle course called The Lifestyle Club (TLC) for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes patients to help them reverse the condition. So far, more than 1,340 people have completed the course, and based on a recent TLC service evaluation in collaboration with the University of Surrey, she estimates 308 of them will have achieved remission or reversed prediabetes. Their study found a 23 per cent remission rate for a TLC cohort in Guildford after six months, which will have reduced their risk of developing diabetes-related complications, such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. What causes type 2 diabetes and how can it be reversed? Scientists are still trying to unpick the exact mechanism behind type 2 diabetes. However, it is known that a build-up of fat in the liver and pancreas are major contributors. We all have a personal threshold for being able to store body fat, Gowers says. 'Once you've reached that level, the only place you're going to be able to store extra calories is in your abdominal area as visceral fat, which surrounds the liver and pancreas.' Eventually, the liver and pancreas then become clogged up with fat, which contributes to insulin resistance, meaning that the cells stop responding to insulin – a hormone vital for bringing down blood sugar levels. 'The pancreas then churns out more and more insulin as the insulin resistance gets worse to try and overcome it, and it's only when it finally can't produce enough that blood sugar goes up and remains high,' Gowers explains. It is at this point that type 2 diabetes is diagnosed. 'Diabetes is literally just the end of the show.' While needing to pass urine frequently, being very thirsty and feeling very tired are all symptoms, a lot of people experience no symptoms. 'The body's so incredible in the way that it manages all of this quietly,' Gowers says. Is remission possible for everyone? When it comes to putting type 2 diabetes into remission, the goal is to drain the liver and pancreas of fat, so their function can return to normal, reversing insulin resistance – meaning that people can come off their medication. 'For people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the last year, that remission rate shoots up to 77 per cent,' Gowers says. 'For prediabetes, it's 93 per cent. The earlier in the journey that you find people, the better.' However, there are cases of patients who had type 2 diabetes for decades being able to reverse it. Even if you're unable to hit remission, there are still benefits of following a low-carb diet in an attempt to reverse it, she notes. Weight loss is one of them. 'We've had people who have had diabetes for 20, 30 years and they make phenomenal progress,' she says. 'They'll reduce their medication, their blood pressure will come down, they'll lose a bit of weight, they'll feel more energetic. There will always be improvements, even if we don't call it remission, so it's definitely worth a go.' How to reverse type 2 diabetes Reduce your sugar and carb intake Cutting out sugar and dramatically reducing your intake of carbohydrates, both of which cause surges in blood glucose, are the main changes needed to reverse type 2 diabetes, Gowers explains. 'You want to reduce them as low as required to achieve your goals, and this varies from person to person,' she says. The reason is that these foods raise insulin levels, and when these are high, you can't lose body fat, Gowers says. A low-carbohydrate diet means having no more than 130g per day. When you do have carbs, it should be whole-grain varieties, such as brown rice, pasta or bread. In practice, this means cutting out food including white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, crackers and cereal. Patients are advised to cut out added sugar – found in sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate and fizzy drinks – and avoid foods that are high in natural sugar, such as honey and certain fruit. While blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are allowed as they are lower in natural sugar, it's recommended not to have some tropical fruit, such as bananas, oranges, grapes, mangoes or pineapple, because their sugar content is very high. It's also key to ditch low-fat foods, which are typically high in sugar. 'Go for full-fat dairy, fish, meat and eggs,' Gowers says. 'The natural fat that comes with those foods is fine. It's turning the current dietary guidelines on their head, really.' Consider options such as coleslaw for a tasty, low-carb side, and cheese, avocado and mayonnaise can also be enjoyed, she notes. Breakfast is a good place to start, when it comes to adopting the low-carb diet. 'People tend to consume a lot of carbs at breakfast, whether it's bread, cereal or pastries,' Gowers says. 'The human body only needs one teaspoon of glucose in the bloodstream at any one time and if you're having toast, cereal and orange juice for breakfast, that's going to break down into about 16 teaspoons of sugar. 'Full-fat yogurt and berries or eggs won't cause spikes in blood glucose and they're really nutrient-dense, meaning they will fill you up for the rest of the morning.' Fasting, which can be done by pushing back your first meal of the day until lunchtime, can also be a helpful tool in sticking to the low-carb diet, Gowers notes. You don't need to be worried about skipping a meal, she says. 'You're not starving – your body is going to be using fat stores, which is great. Think of it in terms of, I can either fuel my body with food or I can use my own fat stores as fuel.' However, she recommends anyone taking medication to seek advice before changing their meal patterns. Rather than a quick fix, the idea is that low-carb and low or no sugar are diet principles that you carry forward for life, she says. 'Some people might go all out for eight weeks to reverse their diabetes and then think, 'There's no way they can be as strict in the long term,' so make concessions to keep their diabetes status within the range they're happy with,' Gowers notes. This may mean that they are able to reduce their medication or put themselves into the prediabetes category, rather than fully reversing it, she says. Base meals on 'real' foods If you begin cutting out carbohydrates and sugar, you may naturally find yourself gravitating towards whole foods, such as protein, vegetables and dairy, Gowers says. 'Make sure you have a good amount of veg to fill you up – it also offers lots of fibre,' she notes. A large portion of broccoli, courgette or green beans can substitute mash, pasta or rice – and they can still be covered with gravy, Bolognese or curry. Thinly sliced cabbage that has been lightly boiled is a great low-carb option instead of tagliatelle, she notes. 'The idea is that the fewer carbs you're eating, your body shifts to burning fat, so you're going to be able to utilise your stored fat to fuel your body, rather than the sugar you were eating before,' she explains. 'The note of caution is that you don't want to add loads of extra fat when you're trying to lose weight – but it will fill you up. It's just eating real food and the fat that comes with that food.' It's also recommended not to eat too much processed meat, which includes ham, bacon and sausages. Snacking is generally not recommended, though some crudités with full-fat hummus, a couple of squares of dark chocolate or a few plain nuts won't spike your blood sugar or leave you feeling hungry, she says. 'But people find that they don't need all of those extra snacks that they were used to having before.' Have enough water and salt In the early stages of following the low-carb diet, it's important to make sure you're drinking plenty of water and having enough salt, Gowers says. 'When you switch over from having a diet that's very high in carbohydrates to low-carb, you may initially become dehydrated and get headaches or constipation,' she says. 'Insulin disrupts the way you process salt so you're releasing a lot of the salt and water that your kidneys were holding on to,' she explains. 'One of the reasons that people lose weight quite quickly is because you're losing all of that water retention.' As a result, you need to make sure you're replacing the lost salt, which you can simply do by adding salt to your meals as you cook them or adding an extra stock cube to your meals, as these are high in salt, she says. 'Having sufficient water and salt means you're not going to be dehydrated and you're less likely to get headaches, cramps and feel a bit lethargic as you transition to using fat as your fuel.' Have a support network When overhauling your diet, it's vital to have a support network around you to help you stay on track, Gowers says. 'Long-term support is what makes the difference,' she notes. It's especially important that it's available when people feel like they've drifted off their diet and are trying to get back on it again. On the eight-week TLC course, there are weekly 90-minute Zoom sessions overseen by a health coach. Once the course is finished, people are invited to monthly catch-up meetings, where there are guest speakers, such as consultants and chefs. There are also Facebook and WhatsApp groups for people to chat to each other or suggest low-carb meal ideas, and some meet for coffee or go for walks together, she says. 'It's keeping the momentum going,' she says. If you don't join the course, you can enlist the help of friends and family to keep you on track. It's initial intensive support, as well as the long-term support after the course, that is vital to ensure patients stick to the healthy changes they've made, Gowers explains. 'People can dip in and dip out; it's not that everybody needs the support all the time but you've got to be there so that when someone needs it, you're there to help and get them back on track.' Prioritise diet over exercise While exercise is excellent for health, diet is the focus when it comes to reversing type 2 diabetes, according to Gowers. 'It's what's going to give you 70 per cent of the benefits,' she says. However, you're much more likely to maintain your dietary changes if you bring in some exercise as well, so it's important to be more active, even if it's not straight away when you first try the diet, she notes. 'Once you've regained some metabolic health, you've lost a bit of weight, you're feeling so much better, you are much more likely to want to do some exercise. 'Don't beat yourself up trying to go to the gym three times a week at the beginning; start with diet and naturally you will feel more like moving about as time goes on.'
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Grandmother, 57, dies after ‘trapped nerve' mistakenly blamed for her back pain and headaches
A GRAN passed away after her back pain was initially dismissed as a 'trapped nerve'. Helen Arthur, 57, first became unwell on Good Friday in April 2019, experiencing persistent back pain and visual disturbances. 6 6 6 Her GP put it down to a trapped nerve but Helen's condition didn't improve. After developing headaches, Helen had an eye test, and her optician thought she may have suffered a minor stroke, so sent her to hospital. A CT scan revealed a mass on Helen's brain and she was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable brain tumour. In May 2019, Helen underwent surgery to remove the tumour, followed by six months of combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy. But a routine monitoring scan in 2021 showed the tumour had grown back and Helen underwent another course of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Another MRI scan revealed Helen had multiple inoperable tumours and her condition deteriorated too quickly to treat. Helen, from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, died in May 2022, three years after her initial surgery. Her husband Brent Arthur said: "We were told Helen had a brain tumour which was a complete shock. "The doctors said most people survive just two to three years. "Words left me, I was speechless. "We were told there would be a recurrence, but it took us by surprise, we thought we had more time." It comes after the NHS launched a new immunotherapy trial to treat glioblastoma and is seeking people to take part in it - after one patient saw his disease vanish. After Helen's first CT scan, at Prince Charles Hospital in Wales in Merthyr Tydfil, which revealed a mass, she was transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Brent recalled getting the awful phone call from his son, revealing the devastating news in May 2019. He said: "I wasn't feeling well so I went to bed and expected our son Benjamin and Helen to be home within a couple of hours. 6 6 "I got a call from Benjamin saying I needed to go to the hospital. "Confused as to what could be wrong, I went. "That was when our lives changed." Helen's initial surgery and six months of combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy were thought to have been a success. She was monitored with quarterly scans as she continued to live an active life, and spend time with her family and her grandchildren. In late 2021, one of these scans showed the cancer had come back. Helen underwent another course of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy but an MRI scan in April 2022 revealed multiple inoperable tumours had developed. Just a week later, Helen's original pathology results showed she had a one-in-three million genetic mutation, which might respond to targeted medication. She never got to enjoy the role she was so excited for. All she ever wanted was to be a young nan, but this cruel disease robbed her of that Brent Arthur Sadly, by this point, Helen's condition had deteriorated, and treatment was not possible. Brent said: "We were all shocked and devastated. "We spent as much time together as possible, with the children and grandchildren. "Seeing Helen decline was difficult for us all." Helen is survived by husband Brent as well as children Emily, 35, and Benjamin, 33, and grandchildren Penny, six, Nora, four, Isaac, three, and Rhoda, one. Brent said: "Helen lived for her family. "She was looking forward to reducing her work hours so she could help care for our grandchildren. "That's what hurts the most, she never got to enjoy the role she was so excited for. "All she ever wanted was to be a young nan, but this cruel disease robbed her of that." Push for a cure Brent and his family have now raised more than £5,700 for Brain Tumour Research, enough to fund two days of research at one of the charity 's Centres of Excellence. On Father's Day on June 15, Brent completed a 10,000-foot skydive in Helen's memory. Brent said: "Our family has been robbed of a wife, mother and grandmother, and more funding is desperately needed for research. "Without it, other families will continue to face the same heartbreak we've been going through." Each year in the UK, around 3,200 people are diagnosed with glioblastoma, yet just 160 will survive five years or more. What are the symptoms of glioblastoma and how soon do they show? Glioblastomas are the most common brain tumour in adults, while also being very aggressive and deadly. Brain Tumour Research says tumours increase pressure in the skull, causing headaches. Symptoms to look for are: Headaches Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Loss of balance Mood swings Problems speaking Problems with memory or concentration Seizures Impaired vision The symptoms can initially be quite non-specific, meaning they could be mistaken for lots of other conditions- even stress or a hangover. The brain controls so many different functions that symptoms can vary greatly depending on where in the brain the tumour is. Glioblastomas are very fast growing. Once found, experts can see them double within seven weeks. But, according to Dr Stephen Bagley, assistant professor of medicine at Penn Medicine, the first spark of glioblastoma in the brain remains something of a mystery to medical experts. One study concluded that a glioblastoma starts growing 330 days on average - almost a year - before a diagnosis. Another found that there are changes in immune function up to five years before a diagnosis, with markers in blood samples - but symptoms only occur three months prior. Glioblastoma accounts for one in three primary brain tumour diagnoses, and current treatment offers little in the way of long-term hope. Letty Greenfield, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Helen's story is heartbreaking and all too common. "Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer with limited treatment options and a devastating prognosis. "We are incredibly grateful to Brent and his family for honouring Helen's memory through their fundraising. "It's support like this that helps us push for better outcomes and ultimately a cure." 6
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Slash your risk of bowel and colon cancer with these very surprising foods: They contain the key nutrient proven to help - and which most overlook. Now doctors reveal exactly what to eat
A fibre-rich diet is important for our gut health and helps to keep our bowel habits regular. And more recently, research has suggested it can lower cholesterol, improve heart health, reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes and – because it can help you feel fuller for longer – it's even good for weight management.
