Surgical scar tissue can be painful
Dear Dr. Gott: A few years ago I had a bilateral mastectomy and am now having pains in the muscle of my right arm, across my shoulders and in my left arm. Why would this occur?
Dear Reader: Depending on the amount of tissue removed at the time of your original breast operation, scarring that may have taken place is now causing pain. Return to your surgeon and review your symptoms with him or her. If, indeed, you are suffering from painful scar formation – an uncommon but recognized complication of mastectomy – the use of anti-inflammatory pills (such as Motrin) or cortisone injections might relieve your discomfort.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Breast Cancer and Disorders.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
Dear Dr. Gott: I’ve been taking GH3, an anti-aging combination, for three months now and haven’t felt any change one way or another. Is there any truth to the claims that are presented by this mail-order group?
Dear Reader: Nope. You’re being taken for a glorious ride on the roller coaster of perpetual youthfulness.
GH3 (gero-vita), superoxide dismutase and other similar quack products do not affect the aging process, prolong youthfulness or have any health benefits whatsoever. The entire anti-aging scam, like any other get-rich scheme, is aimed at separating the sucker from his or her buck.
I have an order form for the products offered by Vita Industries Inc. of Topeka, Kan., and the stuff is expensive. Snake-oil salesmen were as much a part of the Old West as prairie dogs; I think Vita is merely continuing an American tradition.
No reputable scientific study has shown any benefit whatsoever from nonprescription anti-aging substances, which promise more energy and fewer wrinkles. And, really, think about it. Do you believe for a moment that doctors wouldn’t rush to get on the bandwagon for any effective rejuvenation chemical? We would be using the goop ourselves, slathering in on while talking to our stockbrokers about how to invest in the company. Can you honestly conclude that an obscure company in Topeka has found the answer to youthfulness, whereas NO ONE else has? C’mon, you need to take a reality pill.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Vitamins and Minerals.” 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.