Dr Kathleen Thompson shares some excerpts from her enormously helpful book, From Both Ends of the Stethoscope

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Frost asked Dr Kathleen Thompson if she felt like sharing some excerpts from her enormously helpful book, From Both Ends of the Stethoscope.

Here is the first in a series of excerpts, and an invaluable read for everyone. Who knows, after all, when we will need to support someone with cancer, or even face a diagnosis ourselves. I can remember standing outside Ascot races one day last year with Kathleen, rattling collecting tins for three cancer charities. Many people stopped, and gave, because they had relatives with the disease or indeed, were, or had been sufferers themselves.

Since her brush with the disease Kathleen has lived life to the full, and perhaps with even greater gusto before. She has climbed Kilimanjaro, cycled for charity in southern India, and taken up ballroom dancing with a vengeance, (she has recently qualified for Blackpool – be still my beating heart. I intend to try and go to cheer her on). All this as well as continuing in her profession in medical research, writing a regular medical column for Frost, and best of all, writing about her own journey with cancer – From Both Ends of the Stethoscope which is full of sensible advice. The woman is a powerhouse, an inspiration, and the most amazing fun.

However did this happen to me? by Dr Kathleen Thompson

The nurse asked me to lie on the couch by the ultrasound machine.

‘The doctor will be here soon.’

A tall man with white hair walked through the door and smiled. He sat down next to the machine.

Looking straight into my eyes, he spoke. ‘The problem is, we’ve seen a lump on your mammogram. So I need to look at it with this ultrasound.’

Very gently, he pulled down my blue gown and exposed my breasts. I flinched as he squirted a blob of cold gel onto my skin. He pressed the ultrasound probe onto the blob, and moved it slowly over my right breast for a few minutes. He pointed to the fuzzy image on the small screen.

‘This is the lump — it’s about 2cm wide.’ His voice was quiet but firm. ‘Do you see the irregular shape, and these little bright flecks? These are worrying.’

He looked at me as he said this. His blue eyes offered sympathy and strength.

The screen looked like an ancient TV with a lousy reception. I couldn’t make out any lump—but I understood ‘irregular shape’ and ‘worrying’ well enough.

‘I see you’re a doctor. Where do you practice?’ he continued.

‘I was a paediatrician, but now I work in drug research.’

‘Oh? Interesting.’ His smile morphed into a serious expression, ‘I need to take a biopsy of this lump. We have these neat little things now.’ He held a small black box between his finger and thumb.

‘I’m going to press this box over the lump, then push this button, and a needle will shoot out and take the sample. It’ll make a loud click, but it won’t hurt, because I’m going to numb you first.’

I lay on the couch in the semi-darkness, watching him fill a small syringe with local anaesthetic. The cold wall, pressing against my left arm, forced me to concentrate. Everything was unreal — surreal. What was I doing here? I’d only come in for a check. My left hand gripped the coarse material of the hospital gown as if it was a survival rope. My right hand was visible to him and the nurse, so I forced it to relax.

Lifting the small syringe towards me, he injected the anaesthetic into my breast. It stung, but I hid the pain with a smile. ‘No, it doesn’t hurt. It’s fine. It’s a lovely day outside. I don’t expect you’ll have much chance to enjoy it, stuck in here.’

Somehow I controlled my voice — but tears were streaming down my face. I hoped the darkened room would hide them.

Then, a loud click shattered the quiet. He’d taken the biopsy, and he was right, it hadn’t hurt.

‘Well done. All finished. Nurse will pop a dressing on for you. Then she’ll take you to see the breast surgeon. Good luck with your research work.’ And he was gone.

On an otherwise unremarkable spring day, my life had just changed forever.

Excerpt from:

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9935083-0-1

E book ISBN: 978-0-9935083-1-8

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q

Frost Editor Catherine Balavage In Best Of You Magazine Talking About Blogging

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Frostie

Frost founder and editor Catherine Balavage has been interviewed by Best of You magazine about blogging and her new book, The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger. You can read the interview here or buy the print issue here. It is a great interview with lots of tips on blogging and becoming a successful blogger. Check it out.

Take A Trip To Serendip By Wendy Breckon

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Margaret Graham

If I wasn’t spinning my latest yarn or chasing the words across a page of A4, I’d love to be scurrying behind the counter, in a cosy Indie bookshop. Peeping into the latest best seller or admiring the rows of vibrant coloured children’s books with quirky titles and sometimes cheeky rhymes. Aah… if only!

The wonderful Serendip on Broad Street in Lyme Regis, is in a prime, perfect location down on the right, above the peeping sea. With flapping seagulls overhead and the crashing of the stormy, January waves I amble down to one of my favourite places.

The huge window is bursting with books! All shapes and sizes, from best sellers, to the offerings of local authors, and reflects the different seasons and celebrations. Whether it’s Christmas or Easter, Mother or Father’s Day or the popular Fossil Festival, Serendip offers every reader something and one or two surprises.

One of the biggest sellers of 2015 was the unusual book called ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Lars Mytting.

Another popular buy, were the little Penguin books for adults, with titles such as the ‘The Husband’ ‘The Wife’ and the ‘Hangover’.

Meeting Chris Painton, the owner of Serendip with his wife Bee, and Angela, who enjoys working in their book shop three days a week, was a delight. Our engaging conversation, a welcome eye opener into the fascinating world of books.

Chris enjoys general fiction, although he doesn’t tend to read books by the same author all the time, his preference being mainly for biography and history. On his wish list to meet would be Paddy Ashdown, the writer of ‘Cockleshell Heroes’, an intriguing story of a life before politics, and the fascinating David Starkey the eminent historian.

Bee’s preference is for biographies of interesting people such as Gertrude Bell. Angela is drawn to creative nonfiction rather than novels. She read ‘The A303: Highway To The Sun’ by Tom Fort and subsequently planned her own trip with her husband, to visit some of the places. She enjoys reading about real life journeys and adventures, and how they came about, wanting to experience what the authors have, for herself.

The children’s book section on the right at the back is stunning. Favourites such as the Gruffalo or other stories by Julia Donaldson, Judith Kerr’s the ‘Tiger Who Came To Tea’ and Michael Murpurgo tales fly off the shelves. Here I buy books for my grandson Finn, before I sail over to Ireland.

Chris and Bee are so dedicated and passionate about the world of books, that they only close one day a year… Christmas Day. They offer a brilliant hand sell service… something Indi bookshops do so well. Everyone who works there is bursting with suggestions and ideas if you need any help with choosing a title. As Chris says, ‘good service is always the key’.

Serendip has been in their ownership for over five years. The couple changed the interior in 2010 because they wanted to brighten it up. Before then, the original gold lettering and black signs of the shop facade were created in 1980 for the film ‘The French Lieutenants’ Woman’. The arches above the shop that appeared in the film were kept. The much loved name Serendip was the original name for Sri Lanka and translates as ‘a treasure trove’, which of course it is, from the moment you walk in through the door. As someone who loves to potter inside, that is the perfect description for this delightful bookshop, just up from the sea.

Home Idea Hacks

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Frostie

Schlafzimmer : Modern bedroom by Die HausManufaktur GmbH

Schlafzimmer by Die HausManufaktur GmbH

The beginning of the year is usually met with the best of intentions, even if we don’t always stick to them. But there are a few home ideas that can have a lasting impact. The latest obsession with decluttering is a good one, getting rid of unwanted stuff makes things clearer and lets us know what is really needed. Replacing older items with good quality pieces, that will last, is also a great investment.

In the bedroom it is best to not have too much stimulation. Here are some great bedroom ideas

Keep it neutral.

Keeping the bedroom in a neutral colour makes the bedroom a calm environment. You can add touches of colour and personality with furniture, bedding and cushions. A colourful lamp or bedding will add a pop. Some artwork is great but nothing too angry.

by saudade muebles

Keep your work out.

The bedroom should be a place where you sleep or relax. This may not always be possible. Especially in cities where many people live in house shares and rent a room in a house. I know when I lived in a house share I got irritated by all of the ‘the bedroom is only for sleeping’ advice in magazines. And what about weekends in bed? The bedroom should be a place of relaxing, sure, but also for fun and chilling out in general. Try to think of it as a place for recuperation. I often make the mistake of taking work to bed but it always leaves me stressed out. In my opinion the bedroom should be your safe haven from the world.

If the bedroom is all you have.

If you live in a house share then it is even more important that your bedroom is a place that makes you happy. You won’t really be able to separate work from relaxing time but you can still make sure your bedroom is a calm place. There will be a lack of space so invest in storage. Under bed storage is great and you can also invest in shelves and colourful boxes to put your stuff in.

Invest in good quality furniture.

Buying the best you can afford is a worthwhile investment. We still have some furniture that my husband was bought when he was a boy. The furniture still looks amazing today. Maybe we will even pass it down to our son.

Do you have any home hacks to share?

In collaboration with homify

Power through the New Year with Whitworths Shots

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Kesh

So January’s finally over and how many of those resolutions have you stuck to thus far? In a study conducted by leading healthy snack brand Whitworths, nearly 10 million Brits wave goodbye to their diet plans as we enter into the month of February due to faltering willpower. So what is the solution and how do we claw back our start of year “New Year, New Me” mindset?

Frost had the pleasure of experiencing a workout of a very different kind hosted by the brains behind Whitworths called The Willpower Workout. The workout is the foundations of what will help us to turn our healthy eating patterns into habits. So why do so many of us struggle to keep and maintain healthy eating patterns? The study showed that the population is set to lose willpower due to things like boredom of healthy food, with 26% of us claiming a lack of low calorie snacks are easily available, 19% feeling down about the bad weather and 9% of us a lack of sleep Karen Cox, Brand Controller at Whitworths comments; “As a brand that promotes healthy snacking, we believe that working on maintaining willpower is the key to succeeding in losing weight. Our ‘Willpower Workout’, which launched this month, is a little different to classes you’ll find in your local gym – featuring experts in the fields of hypnotherapy and sleep therapy as well as fitness and nutrition.”

Want to have a go…? Check out this video to try the very first and exclusive Willpower Workout.

So who are Whitworths? They are the brain-child of the award-winning shots range, not the alcoholic kind ahem, but the kind that will give you a satisfying and healthy snack boost throughout your day. In this day and age where the demand for healthy-snacks is through the roof, Whitworths are committed to providing us with something a lot tastier than your average rice cake or salad. Whitworths Shots have it all covered with eight incredible flavours to choose from;

Berry and White Chocolate Shot: An indulgent mix of cranberries, extra juicy, plump and large Chilean flame raisins and creamy white chocolate pieces (93 calories per pack)

Toffee Pecan Shot: A sweet and satisfying collection of juicy sultanas, dried chopped dates, toffee pieces and crunchy pecan nuts (99 calories per pack)

Fruity Biscuit Shot: A fruity blend of sunshine sultanas, cranberries and rich white chocolate-coated shortcake biscuits (93 calories per pack)

Orange and Chocolate Seed Shot: A classic mix of orange flavour cranberries, golden, succulent raisins, milk chocolate-coated and natural pumpkin seeds (95 calories per pack)

Raisin and Chocolate Shot: Plump golden and crimson raisins paired with rich dark chocolate balls make this the perfect simple-but-satisfying treat (91 calories per pack)

Blueberry and Seed Shot: A delicious juicy jumble of raisins, pumpkin seeds, yogurt-coated sunflower seeds and dried blueberries (98 calories per pack)

Cranberry and Almond Shot: A super-saintly mix of juicy, succulent crimson raisins, little jewel cranberries and toasted, crunchy almond slices with no added refined sugar (97 calories per pack)

Apricot and Seed Shot: A ‘clean eating’ blend of chopped, tender apricots, tangy cranberries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds with no added refined sugar (88 calories per pack)

All at under 100 Cals per shot. So turn your healthy eating patterns into habits with Whitworths Willpower Workouts and let us know how you get on. Remember, it only takes 21 days to make a habit.

Shots are available now in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and WHSmith from 49p per pack.

https://www.facebook.com/WhitworthsUK/
www.whitworths.co.uk

Gillian Holmes, (aka The Editor) Responded to Frost’s Request for Help Writing a Synopsis

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Synopsis: A brief summary of the plot of a novel, motion picture, play etc. by Gillian Holmes

A very talented friend of mine sent me the synopsis of the novel she was writing for her Creative Writing MA. Her tutor had sent her away with a flea in her ear, and she came to me with no real idea of what she’d done wrong.
As a veteran of synopses of nearly twenty years standing, I saw immediately that she had made a very common error. Namely, she’d forgotten what a synopsis is. She thought she needed to show her thinking behind the book, and give the reader a flavour of what was to come. Consequently, she had managed to give far too much information, while also giving too little.

How is that possible?

She wrote a lot about her main character, while neglecting the plot.
She had included lines from the book, but with no context, they were irrelevant.
She had tried to illustrated the themes in the book, but neglected the plot.
She had tried to illustrate the humour in the book by describing the occasional amusing scene. But she’d neglected the plot…

Do you see where I’m going here? So when you sit down to write your synopsis, always remember that this is not a creative work, so don’t try to be too clever. Clarity is everything.

So what do agents and editors want from a synopsis?

They want 1500 words or fewer.
They want an elevator pitch – a couple of lines that outlines the concept. The concept is a very strong consideration for all agents and editors, so make it snappy and memorable. For example, let’s take a recent bestseller – The Husband’s Secret. A happily married woman with three children discovers that her husband murdered a young girl when he was a teenager.
A brief summary of the plot, key moments, key events, and main characters so they can see the arc of the story and judge whether the structure seems sound – leave out complicated sub plots, it will only bog you down in unnecessary detail.
The end – and that means the end. Don’t hold anything back, this is not a cover blurb.

And that’s it. Easy peasy.
If you’re wondering about my friend, I sent her back to rewrite her synopsis several times. But it was worth it. She got an A for it in the end.

Gillian has been an editor for mainstream publishers for twenty years. Now she runs her own editorial agency.
To contact Gillian: gilliansholmes@hotmail.com

Frost Editor Catherine Balavage Writes Ultimate Guide To Blogging Book

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Frostie

The Ultimate Guide To Blogging is Launched.

The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger by Catherine Balavage is now published.

ISBN 978-0-9929639-8-9

It’s all here, just take your time, and let the expert take you by the hand, and save you zillions of hours of stop and start mistakes.

Bravo, a book that needed writing …

Bestselling author Margaret Graham

Catherine Balavage, editor and founder of Frost Magazine, has published a new blogging book based on over ten years worth of blogging experience. Catherine founded Frost Magazine six years ago and in that time has made it into a successful online magazine. She first started blogging eleven years ago when she was a teenager with a LiveJournal blog. She is also one of The Huffington Post’s signature bloggers. Blogging has become huge in recent years and is only becoming more popular. The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger has everything anyone could want to know about being a successful blogger.

From design to advertising, social media and publicity, the book is everything you need to start your blogging career. The book is packed with hundreds of useful tips and invaluable information which will save you hours of time and give you essential information to develop your blog to its full potential. It also covers vlogging and how to market your blog. The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger is an in-depth and thorough book which covers every aspect of being a success in digital publishing. It covers various revenue streams, how to write the best content, how to take the best pictures, social media and SEO. Perfect for beginners or those who already have a blog but are unsure of how to take it to the next level, the book has a chapter on interviews with essential advice from other successful blogger, including beauty blogger Really Ree.

This is Catherine Balavage’s third book. She has also written an Amazon bestseller on Acting, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, and a wedding planning book, The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity.

The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger is available on amazon.co.uk and is included in Amazon’s Kindle Countdown Deal. It is only £1.99 for another six days.

Hakkasan Chinese New Year 2016 Review

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Paloma Kubiak

Hakkasan exudes elegance, sophistication and charm from the moment you step in to its Mayfair arms and its style translates seamlessly into the signature dishes.

As part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, Hakkasan’s launched a special ‘year of the monkey’ menu priced at £88.88 per person, available until 22 February.

Each dish has been beautifully crafted by executive head chef Tong Chee Hwee and each symbolises luck, joy and prosperity for the year ahead.

Once settled, diners are greeted with a fabulously smooth and refreshing cocktail with Eldorado 3yrs rum, Amontillado sherry, banana, guava, lime, agave syrup and walnut.

Our starter of double boiled fresh ginseng and chicken soup with bamboo pith and wolfberry, was delicate with knotty cubes of tofu and the wolfberry was similar to cranberry.

It was soon followed by the Japanese wagyu beef with pine nut in a golden cup – delicious, crispy dices of meat which glistened in the crunchy shells.

As the har gau scallop shumai, Chinese chive dumpling, duck and yam bean dumpling was brought to our table, I couldn’t wait to sample them all.

The scallop was fresh and chewy and the duck dumpling was tender and more-ish.

Our table among the London business-types was decked with the main dishes, including wok-fry lobster in spicy truffle sauce which filled the palette with a trio of textures of crispy onion, slippery exotic mushrooms and leathery-like feel of the distinct flavour of the crustacean.

The pipa duck had a crusty skin and the meat was beautifully tender and flavoursome.

My favourite dish of the evening was the grilled Chilean seabass in honey – it melted in the mouth leaving a sweet and smoky aftertaste.

As we alternated between the main dishes of meat and fish, we also enjoyed the stir fry hericeum mushroom with lotus root asparagus and lily bulb in black pepper.

It was pleasing to the eye and the asparagus was lightly salted and cooked perfectly while the mushroom was surprisingly hard compared to the normal fungi we’re used to.

All the dishes were accompanied with a dried scallop and crabmeat fried rice.

The evening concluded with a soy caramel banana delice with chocolate and peanut. It was beautifully presented, sweet, cooling and a light touch to end our dinner experience.

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