DEAR DR. GOTT: Sometime in early 2005 or late 2004, I read an article in our paper concerning the use of mothballs and the effects they have on our lungs.
The reason I'm writing is because my brother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2005, and he passed away on Oct. 14, 2005. He had smoked years ago, but not in a long time. Less than a month later, his wife was diagnosed with lung cancer and brain cancer; she passed away Jan. 11, 2006. My concern is she was a big user of mothballs. Their clothes and house reek of mothballs. That's the first thing you smell when you walk in the door.
My husband and I are concerned because their daughter, also a user of mothballs, is staying at the house and will be for a few months. She has a cough that seems to linger. Could it be the mothballs? I would hate to have something bad happen to her if it could be avoided.
DEAR READER: Although mothball vapor can lead to cough and chronic lung and upper-respiratory irritation, I am not aware that it leads to lung cancer. Nonetheless, she might benefit from avoiding prolonged exposure to naphthalene.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Pulmonary Disease." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been sexually abused by my gynecologist, but my options are limited. He is the only OB/GYN in our small Midwestern town. Please advise me.
DEAR READER: This is a family newspaper, so I can't print your experiences because they are too graphic. However, it is clear that you have been abused repeatedly in the doctor's office.
Ordinarily, I'd recommend that you change doctors immediately and share your experiences with the new specialist. But this is not something you are prepared to do. Consequently, I urge you to report your abuses to the county or state medical society. This action will lead to an investigation, probable legal consequences and cancellation of the abusive doctor's license. Other options include reporting your abuse to the police or hiring an attorney to help you file charges of rape and sodomy. In any case, you should move ahead to stop the doctor's illegal and unprofessional behavior.
DEAR DR. GOTT: Please tell the reader with Sjogren's syndrome that there is a wonderful prescription medication, Evoxac, which stimulates saliva production. It's only been on the market for about five years or so. I, too, have Sjogren's syndrome, and before my ENT doctor diagnosed the condition, I was plagued with dry mouth and coated teeth. I had been going to ENT doctors for years about a persistent cough and dry mouth. It took about 15 years, living in three different cities in two states, to be diagnosed, finally, with Sjogren's (and acid reflux) and get some relief. I know the desperation that writer feels. Evoxac is like a miracle! Please pass the information along.
DEAR READER: Done. This information is new to me, so I am sharing it with other readers.
Doctor Gott is a practicing physician and the author of the new book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet." (Quill Driver Books, www.quilldriverbooks.com; 1-800-605-7176).
The reason I'm writing is because my brother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2005, and he passed away on Oct. 14, 2005. He had smoked years ago, but not in a long time. Less than a month later, his wife was diagnosed with lung cancer and brain cancer; she passed away Jan. 11, 2006. My concern is she was a big user of mothballs. Their clothes and house reek of mothballs. That's the first thing you smell when you walk in the door.
My husband and I are concerned because their daughter, also a user of mothballs, is staying at the house and will be for a few months. She has a cough that seems to linger. Could it be the mothballs? I would hate to have something bad happen to her if it could be avoided.
DEAR READER: Although mothball vapor can lead to cough and chronic lung and upper-respiratory irritation, I am not aware that it leads to lung cancer. Nonetheless, she might benefit from avoiding prolonged exposure to naphthalene.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Pulmonary Disease." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been sexually abused by my gynecologist, but my options are limited. He is the only OB/GYN in our small Midwestern town. Please advise me.
DEAR READER: This is a family newspaper, so I can't print your experiences because they are too graphic. However, it is clear that you have been abused repeatedly in the doctor's office.
Ordinarily, I'd recommend that you change doctors immediately and share your experiences with the new specialist. But this is not something you are prepared to do. Consequently, I urge you to report your abuses to the county or state medical society. This action will lead to an investigation, probable legal consequences and cancellation of the abusive doctor's license. Other options include reporting your abuse to the police or hiring an attorney to help you file charges of rape and sodomy. In any case, you should move ahead to stop the doctor's illegal and unprofessional behavior.
DEAR DR. GOTT: Please tell the reader with Sjogren's syndrome that there is a wonderful prescription medication, Evoxac, which stimulates saliva production. It's only been on the market for about five years or so. I, too, have Sjogren's syndrome, and before my ENT doctor diagnosed the condition, I was plagued with dry mouth and coated teeth. I had been going to ENT doctors for years about a persistent cough and dry mouth. It took about 15 years, living in three different cities in two states, to be diagnosed, finally, with Sjogren's (and acid reflux) and get some relief. I know the desperation that writer feels. Evoxac is like a miracle! Please pass the information along.
DEAR READER: Done. This information is new to me, so I am sharing it with other readers.
Doctor Gott is a practicing physician and the author of the new book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet." (Quill Driver Books, www.quilldriverbooks.com; 1-800-605-7176).