Well, I much prefer the German word “gut” (pronounced “goot”) meaning “good”.
But what is a good question about the gut?
Apparently, Hippocrates (the good old “Father of Western Medicine”) said something along the lines of:
All disease begins in the gut.
(Around 4BC)
So I think the good question is:
Does all disease begin in the gut?
And if so:
How do we keep our guts, and therefore ourselves, healthy?
This blog is written by a nurse and a doctor, one of whom is currently undergoing NHS treatment for breast cancer, and both of whom feel strongly about a holistic approach to healthcare, taking into account individual diversity, whilst using common sense rooted in evidence-based principles (if at this point you are thinking “what on earth does all that mean?!” please bear with me…).
Sometimes it is difficult, even for healthcare professionals, to know what to believe and to put into practice, in terms of medical treatments and ways of preventing disease; how to interpret guidelines and policies; how to weigh up articles in scientific journals versus the tide of media claims; and, perhaps most importantly, how to make these relevant to the person in front of you.
And who has the time to research it all? Well, as anyone who has ever worked with Helen or myself will verify, we are always running so far behind, trying to deliver that holistic care we believe everyone deserves, that the idea of having time to do anything else feels like “pie in the sky”. But we know that others find it overwhelming too, and as a non-healthcare professional, where do you look for answers you can really trust?
In this case, we want to explore the subject of the gut microbiome and its relevance to health and disease, particularly in relation to breast cancer.
We want to look at it from both personal and professional perspectives and to share our journey of learning in such a way that we can help to make sense of some of the confusing facts and “fake facts” out there. As Helen loves to say:
Every day is a school day!
We want to share, on a personal level, Helen’s journey through the battle-ground that is cancer and its treatment, and to offer solidarity, information and support to others going on a similar journey.
Helen, in particular, would like to share her faith, and the huge part this also has to play in her healing process.
However, unfortunately we can’t do all this without an important disclaimer. Another quote attributed to Hippocrates, but actually written some time in the 17th Century (according to Wikipedia), is:
First do no harm.
(“primum non nocere” for the Latin scholars out there!)
We therefore want to encourage people to seek advice from their own specialists in their own personal circumstances and, by all means, to use any information here as a way of starting a conversation with them, but not to use it as a basis for any therapy.
With all that said, we welcome you to our little corner of curiosity and hope, and look forward to you joining our adventure together.