From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope  by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch
Frost was exceptionally pleased to be invited to the launch of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson. Yes, we had champagne, and yes, the eats were fantastic, and most of us wore masks, but it it was the occasion. It was such fun, and the ideal way to launch a book – a book which after all, could be life changing.

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope  by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch4
Frost’s Margaret Graham, duly masked meeting those waiting to buy a copy of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope

If you haven’t yet readthis guide which Dr Thompson wrote to help those with breast cancer, you should do so. She  explains the ins and outs of treatment, the questions to ask, and includes wise words on helping to prevent a recurrence. All this alongside her own journey to recovery from the disease.
From Both Ends of the Stethoscope  by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch1 From Both Ends of the Stethoscope  by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch2
Dr Kathleen Thompson signing copies of her books.

Frost is proud to include a further excerpt from this truly fascinating book.

Chapter 1

Let’s face it, cancer is what happens to other people. Poor souls, with the sword of Damocles swinging on a fraying thread over their heads, these are people who are inevitably going to die, and soon. Of course we feel sorry for them — we’ll send them a card, a basket of fruit, some flowers, but we certainly don’t have plans to join their exclusive club.

Well guess what? All of us have cancer cells in our bodies on a fairly regular basis, and more than one in three of us in the western world will experience some form of cancer during our lives. So I’m afraid there’s a fairly high chance of ‘us’ becoming ‘them’. Maybe you’re reading this because you’ve already joined the ‘club’.

The good news is, our bodies are very capable of fighting cancer. Indeed, most of the time cancer cells are destroyed as soon as they develop, much in the way that our immune system hunts down and destroys bacteria or viruses. Other times, the cancer sneaks through our defences, but even if it does, it can still be overcome. I say ‘can’ because despite all efforts, some people do succumb. To keep things in perspective though, many cancer sufferers live to a very respectable old age, and eventually fill up completely different columns in the ‘cause of death’ statistics.

Cancer is on the increase, and there are many theories as to why. So, what steps can we take to reduce our chance of getting cancer, or to help fight an existing cancer? I have some ideas for you inside this book.

But first, who am I? What qualifications do I have that would permit me to offer you advice in what could be an extremely traumatic time? I’m a medical doctor. I’m on the wrong side of fifty and divorced. I have two fabulous children, a loving extended family and some good friends. I’d always worked hard, but I was starting to ease off, take up more hobbies and enjoy myself — when my life changed.

Like you, I never thought I would get cancer.

As a doctor, I would sympathise with cancer patients and offer them encouragement from within my armour-plated white-coat. They were the patients, I was the doctor. Simple.

Even when my developing cancer crept into my consciousness, I ignored it, and my own advice.

Maybe it would just go away.

But it didn’t, and I had to face the realisation that my life might be cut very short. Then, on top of that, I had to negotiate my way through complicated highly-specialised medical treatments and, on occasions, challenge medical decisions. I found this extremely hard, even as a doctor, because I was also a vulnerable patient, and I was depending on other doctors for my survival.

Cancer taught me a great deal. Primarily it taught me that diagnosis is not a death sentence. People can and do survive cancer, most of the time. However, being forced to face the possibility of my imminent demise, I gradually learned not to fear death either. I also learned to appreciate every day of this wonderful thing called life.

I have a lot to share with you, so welcome to Cancer Club —whether you have cancer yourself or you know someone who has.
From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson

Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Both-Ends-Stethoscope

 

 

 

The Socrates Project Book Launch

More than 90 influential members of the media, outdoor sports, environmental agencies and the publishing world joined explorers, adventurers, politicians and senior business men and women at the launch of The Socrates Project.

mark beaumont. The Socrates Project

We drank amazing Blue Cocktails (Blue Gold Cocktail Recipe: Equal measures of blue curacao and vodka poured over plenty of ice, top up with lemonade and stir.) mingled and talked with the author, Daron Sheehan and Mark Beaumont amongst others. All in all, it was an amazing night and we are looking forward to reviewing the book.

The Socrates VIP launch.

The event, held between 6pm and 9pm on June 25th 2013 at Artemis, St. James Street, London, was described by guests as a “massive success” and “an important starting point to spread the word about The Socrates Project and its optimistic, thrilling and at times terrifying vision of our future”.

 

The event attracted a wide range of guests from different backgrounds including the leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett and journalists from The Guardian, Frost Magazine, Daily Mail, Sunday Mirror and Friends of the Earth. Guests heard from the author, Daron Sheehan, about the inspiration behind the creation of the sicads, “the robotic creatures created by humans to save us who are the main characters in this story” (more info about the sicads – http://the-socrates-project.com/hope-vs-greed/). As Mark Beaumont, ambassador of The Socrates Project, pointed out: “This is a book that doesn’t happily sit in any one genre. In truth, when Daron told me about the idea for The Socrates Project I had concerns; that it would be too sci-fi for me, and that it could come across as Daron preaching. I’m happy to say my concerns were not founded, in fact, this is a fantastic story but it also made me stop to think and reflect on some of the news stories that had recently caught my eye.”

 

Influenced by his vast experiences while travelling the world (during a three-year sabbatical from his successful investment career spanning 16 years), the author, Daron Sheehan, was encouraged to create the story with a view to turning it into a film, something the Nautilus Media team (responsible for publishing the book) is currently working on.

 

Blue Gold cocktails were served and guests were given a goody bag complete with a copy of The Socrates Project, nibbles for the train journey home, a recycled paper notepad and pen set and a TSP-themed Oyster card wallet. Following a Twitter competition, run by Literally PR (@literallypr), David Fuentes (@theperformer) won two free VIP tickets to attend the launch. Fuentes said: “It is great to be able to come along to an event such as this, particularly one that is so busy and full of interesting people”.

 

Music was provided by the incredibly talented Fergal O’Connor and Catriona Lightfoot, who performed the first live version of a song created in honour of The Socrates Project.

 

This book is for anyone who loves outdoor sports, adventure and travel, who wants to preserve our environment, conserve nature, and reduce the threat of pollution on our wildlife, for those of us who are prepared to put our heads above the parapet and discuss what could happen when civil unrest hits our streets even more regularly and more violently than it already is, when water is known as ‘blue gold’ and becomes more valuable to millions of us, including in the West, than ‘yellow gold’. The Socrates Project is fictional, but it presents a shocking account of what could be…
Synopsis

The Socrates Project is a secret attempt by the United Nations to avert the predicted collapse of our civilisations. Simon Oceandis heads up the sicads, who must blend modern science and ancient wisdom to find the solutions before time runs out.

 

Not everybody welcomes the Project. An influential secret society plots to discredit and destroy the sicads. Torn between the love of a beautiful scientist and a fiery tribeswoman, Simon discovers an exotic world of adventure and wonder. To find the answers to save humanity, he must undergo a deep inner journey, yet his life becomes a frantic race for survival…

 

Is it happening? Could it happen? Should it happen? Decide for yourself! Live the story…

 

“Michael Crichton meets George Orwell” – Ross Leckie

“A masterpiece of storytelling…a gripping tale of adventure…” – Mark Beaumont