Search

Placeholder Content Image

Surgery won’t fix my chronic back pain, so what will?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-lin-346821">Christine Lin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-maher-826241">Christopher Maher</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fiona-blyth-448021">Fiona Blyth</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-mcauley-1526139">James Mcauley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-hancock-1463059">Mark Hancock</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a></em></p> <p>This week’s ABC Four Corners episode <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-08/pain-factory/103683180">Pain Factory</a> highlighted that our health system is failing Australians with chronic pain. Patients are receiving costly, ineffective and risky care instead of effective, low-risk treatments for chronic pain.</p> <p>The challenge is considering how we might reimagine health-care delivery so the effective and safe treatments for chronic pain are available to millions of Australians who suffer from chronic pain.</p> <p><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/10434b6f-2147-46ab-b654-a90f05592d35/aihw-phe-267.pdf.aspx">One in five</a> Australians aged 45 and over have chronic pain (pain lasting three or more months). This costs an estimated <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/10434b6f-2147-46ab-b654-a90f05592d35/aihw-phe-267.pdf.aspx">A$139 billion a year</a>, including $12 billion in direct health-care costs.</p> <p>The most common complaint among people with chronic pain is low back pain. So what treatments do – and don’t – work?</p> <h2>Opioids and invasive procedures</h2> <p>Treatments offered to people with chronic pain include strong pain medicines such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30561481/">opioids</a> and invasive procedures such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36878313/">spinal cord stimulators</a> or <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/imj.14120">spinal fusion surgery</a>. Unfortunately, these treatments have little if any benefit and are associated with a risk of significant harm.</p> <p><a href="https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-021-06900-8">Spinal fusion surgery</a> and <a href="https://privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/consumers-urged-to-be-cautious-about-spinal-cord-stimulators-for-pain/#:%7E:text=Australian%20health%20insurance%20data%20shows,of%20the%20procedure%20is%20%2458%2C377.">spinal cord stimulators</a> are also extremely costly procedures, costing tens of thousands of dollars each to the health system as well as incurring costs to the individual.</p> <h2>Addressing the contributors to pain</h2> <p>Recommendations from the latest <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/clinical-care-standards/low-back-pain-clinical-care-standard">Australian</a> and <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240081789">World Health Organization</a> clinical guidelines for low back pain focus on alternatives to drug and surgical treatments such as:</p> <ul> <li>education</li> <li>advice</li> <li>structured exercise programs</li> <li>physical, psychological or multidisciplinary interventions that address the physical or psychological contributors to ongoing pain.</li> </ul> <p>Two recent Australian trials support these recommendations and have found that interventions that address each person’s physical and psychological contributors to pain produce large and sustained improvements in pain and function in people with chronic low back pain.</p> <p>The interventions have minimal side effects and are cost-effective.</p> <p>In the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2794765">RESOLVE</a> trial, the intervention consists of pain education and graded sensory and movement “retraining” aimed to help people understand that it’s safe to move.</p> <p>In the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37146623/">RESTORE</a> trial, the intervention (cognitive functional therapy) involves assisting the person to understand the range of physical and psychological contributing factors related to their condition. It guides patients to relearn how to move and to build confidence in their back, without over-protecting it.</p> <h2>Why isn’t everyone with chronic pain getting this care?</h2> <p>While these trials provide new hope for people with chronic low back pain, and effective alternatives to spinal surgery and opioids, a barrier for implementation is the out-of-pocket costs. The interventions take up to 12 sessions, lasting up to 26 weeks. One physiotherapy session <a href="https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1122674/Physiotherapy-chiropractic-and-osteopathy-fees-practice-requirements-effective-1-February-2023.pdf">can cost</a> $90–$150.</p> <p>In contrast, <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/chronic-disease-individual-allied-health-services-medicare-items">Medicare</a> provides rebates for just five allied health visits (such as physiotherapists or exercise physiologists) for eligible patients per year, to be used for all chronic conditions.</p> <p>Private health insurers also limit access to reimbursement for these services by typically only covering a proportion of the cost and providing a cap on annual benefits. So even those with private health insurance would usually have substantial out-of-pocket costs.</p> <p>Access to trained clinicians is another barrier. This problem is particularly evident in <a href="https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/15nrhc/sites/default/files/B2-1_Bennett.pdf">regional and rural Australia</a>, where access to allied health services, pain specialists and multidisciplinary pain clinics is limited.</p> <p>Higher costs and lack of access are associated with the increased use of available and subsidised treatments, such as pain medicines, even if they are ineffective and harmful. The <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/publications-and-resources/resource-library/data-file-57-opioid-medicines-dispensing-2016-17-third-atlas-healthcare-variation-2018">rate of opioid use</a>, for example, is higher in regional Australia and in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage than metropolitan centres and affluent areas.</p> <h2>So what can we do about it?</h2> <p>We need to reform Australia’s health system, private and <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/12/taskforce-final-report-pain-management-mbs-items-final-report-on-the-review-of-pain-management-mbs-items.docx">public</a>, to improve access to effective treatments for chronic pain, while removing access to ineffective, costly and high-risk treatments.</p> <p>Better training of the clinical workforce, and using technology such as telehealth and artificial intelligence to train clinicians or deliver treatment may also improve access to effective treatments. A recent Australian <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38461844/">trial</a>, for example, found telehealth delivered via video conferencing was as effective as in-person physiotherapy consultations for improving pain and function in people with chronic knee pain.</p> <p>Advocacy and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37918470/">improving the public’s understanding</a> of effective treatments for chronic pain may also be helpful. Our hope is that coordinated efforts will promote the uptake of effective treatments and improve the care of patients with chronic pain.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227450/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-lin-346821"><em>Christine Lin</em></a><em>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-maher-826241">Christopher Maher</a>, Professor, Sydney School of Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fiona-blyth-448021">Fiona Blyth</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-mcauley-1526139">James Mcauley</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-hancock-1463059">Mark Hancock</a>, Professor of Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/surgery-wont-fix-my-chronic-back-pain-so-what-will-227450">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Princess Kate's post-surgery pic ignites even wilder conspiracy theories

<p>In a recent revelation that has the internet buzzing, Kensington Palace released a brand new photo of the Princess of Wales alongside her adorable brood, but it seems like the royal family might be playing with more than just thrones and crowns.</p> <p>The picture, meant to express gratitude to the public for their support during Catherine's recovery from abdominal surgery, quickly became a subject of speculation, leaving royal enthusiasts scratching their heads and raising eyebrows faster than you can say "corgi".</p> <p>The image, which features Catherine sitting and embracing her children – Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte – in the scenic backdrop of Windsor, seems like a wholesome Mother's Day tribute at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, the cracks in this picture-perfect façade begin to show.</p> <p>Social media erupted with theories faster than a racehorse at Ascot. Some eagle-eyed observers speculated that the photo might have been the handiwork of artificial intelligence, citing suspiciously green grass and leaves in the dead of winter, a rarity even in England where the weather is as unpredictable as a teenage royal's romantic interests.</p> <p>"AI is that you?" asked one astute commentator on Instagram, voicing the suspicions of many.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4U_IqTNaqU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4U_IqTNaqU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Ummmmm, this photo looks doctored…" wrote another astute reader. "Catherine’s right hand around Louis is entirely blurry but the left hand around Charlotte, at the same distance to the camera, is not, and either is Louis’ jumper around the hand blurry. Also Charlotte’s dress, which is clothing her torso behind her arm, impedes on the sleeve at the wrist… the cardigan sleeve shows the dress in front of it, when it should only be behind. And Louis’ middle finger must be awfully long to be entirely wrapped around the next finger without being able to see the finger nail… it’s also blurry. I’m a keen photographer, and those are not true elements of a photo as taken."</p> <p>But wait, there's more! The absence of Catherine's wedding ring did not escape the notice of keen observers, prompting questions about the state of her marriage. "WHERE'S YOUR RING??!" demanded one fan, while another pondered, "no ring, tree in full bloom in winter, jeans after major abdominal surgery, face shape completely different from car photo."</p> <p>And if that wasn't enough to fuel the royal gossip mill, Prince Louis's peculiar finger-crossing gesture sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive. Is he sending secret messages? Or is it just further evidence that we're all living in a simulation run by an eccentric royal fan with a knack for Photoshop?</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Additionally, a subtle misalignment in Princess Charlotte's hand compared to her jumper sleeve raised clear suspicions of digital manipulation. As the speculation grew louder, four of the world's largest photo agencies – The Associated Press, AFP, Getty Images and Reuters – issued a "mandatory kill notice", on the image, effectively retracting it from circulation.</span></p> <p>The reasons cited varied slightly among the agencies, with mentions of "editorial issues" and inconsistencies in the photograph's details. The decision to retract the photo wasn't taken lightly; it's a standard protocol for picture agencies to withdraw images that have been significantly altered.</p> <p>The reaction on social media was swift, with royal watchers and media personalities dissecting the image for clues. Chris Ship, ITV News's royal editor, shared close-up sections of the photo, highlighting apparent discrepancies in Charlotte's sleeve, Prince Louis's jumper, and the background behind him. His commentary underscored the seriousness of the situation, questioning Kensington Palace – the source of the photo – about the authenticity of the image.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’ve never been much of a conspiracy theorist but if <a href="https://twitter.com/AP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AFP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reuters</a> &amp; other picture agencies are concerned enough to remove it and ask clients to delete it, there are serious questions for Kensington Palace - which was the source of the photo.<br />These appears to be the issues 👇 <a href="https://t.co/ifcSB9mUzu">https://t.co/ifcSB9mUzu</a> <a href="https://t.co/bH5gN9fJtJ">pic.twitter.com/bH5gN9fJtJ</a></p> <p>— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisshipitv/status/1766947758529822803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>Amidst the fervent speculation, Kensington Palace remained silent, neither confirming nor denying the allegations of photo manipulation. The lack of clarity has only fuelled the fire, leading to further conjecture about the intentions behind the controversial image.</p> <p>In a world where every pixel is scrutinised and every detail dissected, the royal family's attempt at a heartwarming family photo has turned into a comedic saga worthy of a Shakespearean farce.</p> <p>As the internet continues to buzz with speculation, one thing is for certain: when it comes to the royals, truth is often stranger than fiction. Or in this case, more digitally manipulated than reality TV.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Kate Middleton spotted for the first time since surgery

<p>Kate Middleton has been seen for the first time in over six weeks, as she continues to recover from a "planned abdominal surgery". </p> <p>The Princess of Wales was last seen by the public attending mass on Christmas Day before being admitted to hospital in early January for the procedure. </p> <p>Despite Kensington Palace sharing that the princess wouldn't be returning to royal duties until after Easter, <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/kate-middleton-s-disappearance-sparks-bizarre-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rumours</a> began to swirl online over her whereabouts. </p> <p>Now, the 42-year-old royal has been <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/kate-middleton-finally-spotted-after-disappearing-for-more-than-two-months/news-story/d1ca1f9c54e1526ba2ba69a605af7811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photographed</a> in a car alongside her mother Carole in Windsor. </p> <p>As rumours continued to run rampant online about Kate's wellbeing following her surgery, Kensington Palace was forced to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/palace-responds-to-bizarre-conspiracy-theories-about-kate-s-whereabouts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interfere</a> and debunk the wild accusations. </p> <p>After "Where is Kate Middleton?" was trending worldwide on social media, due to her not being in the public eye for an unprecedented amount of time, the Palace reiterated their original statement following Kate's surgery, saying she was simply at home recovering.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; background-color: #ffffff;">“We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant,” the statement read. </span></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"That guidance stands."</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">The Palace also added that Kate is well on the road to recovery as she is "doing well", and with all things going to plan with her health, she can be expected to be seen in public after Easter, as they originally made clear. </p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Two senior royals undergo surgery

<p>King Charles and Kate Middleton have postponed their public duties following news that they are both being admitted to hospital for surgery. </p> <p>The news of both procedures were announced within hours of each other, with the Princess of Wales first announcing that had been admitted into hospital for a planned surgery. </p> <p>“Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery,” the statement from Kensington Palace read. </p> <p>The surgery was successful and the princess is expected to remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days before returning home to recover. </p> <p>No other details regarding the surgery were given, but a palace spokesmen has revealed that the condition was non-cancerous. </p> <p>“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the statement added. </p> <p>“She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.” </p> <p>The palace added that they will “only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2NDoYrN-9r/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2NDoYrN-9r/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Based on the medical advice, the royal will be out of public duty until after easter, which falls on the 31st of March. </p> <p>They also added that Prince William will also postpone several engagements while his wife is recovering. </p> <p>Less than two hours after the shock announcement, Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles will also head to hospital next week for a “corrective procedure” on an enlarged prostate. </p> <p>“His Majesty’s condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement read. </p> <p>“The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.”</p> <p>Benign prostate enlargement is not a sign of a cancer or a risk of cancer occurring, with one in three men over the age of 50 having symptoms of an enlarged prostate. </p> <p>While few details of Kate's condition were made public, His Royal Highness was keen to share information and encourage other men experiencing symptoms to get their conditions checked. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Our Jimmy made it": Barnes' happy message from the ICU

<p>Iconic Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes has emerged victorious from a challenging battle with a bacterial infection that led him to undergo emergency open heart surgery. The Cold Chisel frontman, at 67 years young, faced a sudden health setback but is now on the road to recovery in the ICU.</p> <p>The journey began at the end of last month when Barnes was <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/jimmy-barnes-hospitalised-with-major-health-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospitalised with pneumonia</a>. His wife, Jane, has now provided a heartening update on Instagram, sharing a photo from the hospital and revealing that the surgery was successful. Gratitude poured out to the dedicated medical team who played a crucial role in his recovery.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0yULk4hvT6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0yULk4hvT6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I’m happy to let you know that our Jimmy has made it through his surgery and is now recovering in the ICU," Jane wrote. "We are so grateful for the incredible medical team looking after him. Thank you for all the love and support."</p> <p>Earlier, Barnes bravely shared the news that the bacterial infection had <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/bad-news-jimmy-barnes-rushed-into-emergency-open-heart-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spread to his heart</a>. Despite this unexpected challenge, he faced the situation with courage and underwent open heart surgery to clear out the infection and replace a valve. The infection had affected a valve replaced years ago due to a congenital defect.</p> <p>Barnes, who was set to headline the Rock the Boat 2023 cruise festival before falling ill, reflected on his recent peak fitness just weeks prior. The sudden turn of events required adjustments to upcoming shows, causing some frustration for the singer. However, his son, David Campbell, reassured fans on the <em>Today</em> show, emphasising his father's frustration for the fans and passion for supporting the music industry.</p> <p>"He is in wonderful hands," Campbell said, expressing confidence in the medical team. Barnes' son also encouraged fans to reach out to him on social media, assuring everyone that the rock legend would make a great recovery.</p> <p>As the music community rallies around Barnes, sending waves of positivity and healing energy, we look forward to a speedy recovery and many more years of rock and roll from the indomitable Jimmy Barnes!</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Bad news": Jimmy Barnes rushed into emergency open heart surgery

<p>Jimmy Barnes has shared a major health update with his fans, just hours before heading into an emergency surgery. </p> <p>The iconic musician took to Instagram to share that he is set to undergo open heart surgery, after a dangerous infection was unable to be controlled. </p> <p>The 67-year-old, who has only recently recovered from pneumonia, announced the news from his hospital bed on Wednesday. </p> <p>"Unfortunately I got some bad news yesterday….despite everyone's best efforts the bacterial infection I've been battling over the last fortnight has apparently now spread to my heart," Barnes wrote.</p> <p>"It's infected an otherwise healthy valve that was replaced some years ago due to a congenital defect, so l'll be getting open heart surgery over the next few hours to clear out this infection and put in a clean valve."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0xKOuBhSpS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0xKOuBhSpS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>After announcing the news himself on social media, Barnes' son David Campbell spoke about his father's condition on <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/jimmy-barnes-undergoes-open-heart-surgery-after-bacterial-infection-spreads/f4c56d1e-cd25-4a2d-8b24-11b592a4aae8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Today Extra</a></em>, saying his dad was more frustrated at letting his fans down than anything else.</p> <p>Just before being struck down with the infection, Barnes was due to headline the Rock the Boat 2023 cruise festival.</p> <p>"I am here to allay everyone's fears, he is in wonderful hands," Campbell said.</p> <p>"He loves to work and he is frustrated for the fans who have been booking tickets and coming to his shows, he is passionate about getting crews back up and running in Australia and performing with his band, but is grateful for the nurses and doctors and if he hadn't got bacterial pneumonia, he wouldn't have had this picked up."</p> <p>Campbell said the family were confident in the medical staff looking after his dad and said "it was a blessing" that the infection was picked up when it was. </p> <p>"He is in great hands and he will make a great recovery, so reach out to him on social media because all the love in the world will be good for him," he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Losing his speech": Home Alone star's major health update

<p><em>Home Alone</em> star Ken Hudson Campbell's daughter has shared a health update for fans after the actor underwent surgery to remove a tumour in his mouth. </p> <p>Speaking to <em>People Magazine</em>, Michaela revealed that her father is  "doing well" after his 10-hour surgery last week, but there are still a few challenges their family will have to face, as Campbell will need to have radiation treatment five times a week. </p> <p>"I think the hardest part of this is going to be him losing his speech and his ability to talk. So speech therapy is going to play a big role in it," she told the publication. </p> <p>"We're kind of playing it one step at a time, depending on how debilitated he is.</p> <p>"If he needs extra help, we might put him into a nursing home for a little while, but if not, we're going to take him back home and we still will be hiring post-op care help with that."</p> <p>This comes after Michaela and her family managed to raise $102,000 USD ($AU 152,000) for their father's treatment through crowd-funding, after the actor lost his SAG-AFTRA health insurance in January last year. </p> <p>Campbell, who played Santa Claus in <em>Home Alone</em>, "burst into tears" when he saw the messages and well wishes on the crowd-funding page.</p> <p>He was diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma - or oral cancer, on October 27. </p> <p>His family are hoping for a full recovery for the actor who they described as "a loving father of two children with an admirable lust for life, and a passion for acting, writing, &amp; sports." </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Squats and lunges might help you avoid knee surgery

<p>Whether it’s another round of squats and lunges, or a longer wall sit, researchers say working those quads could help lower your risk of a knee replacement.</p> <div> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/musculoskeletal-conditions/contents/arthritis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about 9% of the population</a> has osteoarthritis, a condition known to lead to hip and knee surgery in severe cases. About 14 million Americans suffer from knee osteoarthritis, about half are expected to face knee replacement surgery. </p> <p>But new research offers hope, finding stronger quadricep muscles could play a role in avoiding knee replacement surgery.</p> <p>A study presented to <a href="https://press.rsna.org/timssnet/media/rsna/newsroom2023.cfm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual meeting</a> of the Radiological Society of North America, offers hope to people with arthritis, finding stronger quadriceps could help in avoiding a knee replacement.</p> <p>The two most important muscles in the knee are the extensors or quadriceps, and the hamstrings. Quads are the strong muscles located at the front of the thigh, which play a key role in gait. Hammies at the back of the thigh, are essential for hip and knee flexibility.</p> <p>The two muscles act as opposing forces, allowing physical activity while also protecting the knee. An imbalance can change the body’s biomechanics, and may progress to osteoarthritis.</p> <p>Using MRI scans – from the time of surgery as well as 2 and 4 years prior – researchers analysed thigh muscle volume in 134 participants from a national study called the Osteoarthritis Initiative. </p> <p>Using artificial intelligence to compute muscle volume from the MRI scans, the researchers compared 67 of the cohort who had a total, single knee replacement with 67 control participants who had not undergone knee replacement surgery.</p> <p>They found patients who had a higher ratio of quadricep to hamstring volume had significantly lower odds of a total knee replacement. Higher volume hamstrings were also associated with lower odds of surgery.</p> <p>The results suggest strength training – focusing on the quadriceps – may be beneficial, both in people with arthritis as well as the general population.</p> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <em><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=289325&amp;title=Squats+and+lunges+might+help+you+avoid+knee+surgery" width="1" height="1" loading="lazy" aria-label="Syndication Tracker" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" />Image credits: Getty Images</em></div> <div> </div> <div><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/squats-and-lunges-might-help-you-avoid-knee-surgery/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock/">Petra Stock</a>. </em></div>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Former beauty queen dies after cosmetic surgery

<p>Former beauty queen Jaquelin Carrieri, 48, has sadly passed away following complications from cosmetic surgery. </p> <p>The mother-of-two from Argentina suffered a blood clot and passed away at an unnamed clinic in Los Angeles, California on Sunday October 1st. </p> <p>A post on her Instagram page confirmed the tragic news. </p> <p>"We want to inform our followers today of some sad news," the post began. </p> <p>"Jaquelin Carrieri, who was Queen of Punta del Agua District and Deputy Queen of San Rafael Department in 1996, has passed away.</p> <p>"From Reinas de San Rafael, we want to extend our condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time." </p> <p>According to another statement posted on Facebook the following day, Carrieri passed away from a "stroke" caused by cosmetic surgery.</p> <p>"Jaquelin Carrieri has passed away," the statement began.</p> <p>"She was a woman of great talent, an actress in one of our department’s plays that was being performed at the Roma Theatre until just a few days ago.</p> <p>"Jaquelin also owned a high-end fashion store called Jaquelin Carrieri Boutique, which unfortunately had to close its doors during the pandemic.</p> <p>"She was well known for dressing the San Rafael pageant queens for many years, making their dresses shine during the Vía Blanca and Carrusel Vendimial parades.</p> <p>"In her youth, she was also Deputy Queen of the San Rafael en Vendimia festival.</p> <p>"She passed away in Los Angeles, California, due to a stroke that may have been caused by cosmetic surgery". </p> <p>Carrieri was just days away from celebrating her 49th birthday, and grieving friends have taken to social media to share their heartache. </p> <p>"Dear Jaqui yesterday I sent you a message for your birthday and I was surprised you didn't answer. Today on TV I heard this terrible news. I will always love you and I'm broken. Lots of light and love to you," one friend said. </p> <p>"All of us who had the pleasure of knowing you and sharing moments of our lives with you know what a wonderful person you were, a beautiful woman in every sense, always with your smile and your glamour," her close friend Jorgelina Olivera said. </p> <p>"Honestly your departure has taken me by surprise and I still can’t believe it.</p> <p>"Thank you, a thousand thanks for coming into my life and painting it with so much joy and happiness.</p> <p>"It was a pleasure to share moments with you, and I will be eternally grateful.</p> <p>"May God welcome you into His glory. It’s not a goodbye but a see you soon, my beautiful and dear Jaquelin".</p> <p>Carrieri leaves behind a son, Julian and daughter, Chloe. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Sarah Ferguson’s post-surgery update

<p dir="ltr">Sarah Ferguson has shared a post-surgery update on the latest episode of her podcast, following her shock <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/sarah-ferguson-s-devastating-cancer-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancer diagnosis</a> last month.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess of York had a mastectomy at the King Edward VII's Hospital in late June after doctors discovered that she had breast cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I am so lucky, so lucky and I feel really supported," the Duchess said on <em>Tea Talks with the Duchess &amp; Sarah</em>, which she hosts with her close friend and entrepreneur Sarah Thomson.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also shared how grateful she was and the life-changing impact the surgery has made.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There is so much kindness out there. I feel so grateful to this extraordinary operation.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's with me every day and I am really grateful because it keeps reminding me to do what I wish to do which is to bring more joy, more kindness, more positivity to the world, through this podcast."</p> <p dir="ltr">Her positive thinking did not fade as she opened about recovering at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, where she lives with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Every time I think to myself, 'Oh my goodness, this is kind of wonderful, soon I might be able to wear a dress without a bra – that would be a first, I'd love that',” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think to myself, 'Make the most of today, Sarah. I live every minute of the day, I take mini-steps, mini-steps to heal."</p> <p dir="ltr">Doctors found the cancer after a routine mammogram, and the Duchess almost immediately took action by undergoing a single mastectomy and a breast reconstruction, just days after the diagnosis.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said that the diagnosis and operation has "made me more bold, it's made me more courageous, to do this podcast, to say what I feel".</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Sarah Ferguson's devastating cancer diagnosis

<p>Sarah Ferguson is recovering at home after undergoing surgery to treat breast cancer. </p> <p>The Duchess of York was diagnosed with the cancer following a routine mammogram screening, with a spokesperson confirming the 63-year-old had undergone surgery.</p> <p>They went on to say her "prognosis is good", though it is unclear if the Duchess will require further treatment. </p> <p>In a statement shared early Monday morning, the spokesperson for the Duchess said she is resting in the Royal Lodge following her surgical intervention. </p> <p>"Sarah, Duchess of York was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening," the statement reads. </p> <p>"She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully."</p> <p>"The duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good. She is now recuperating with her family."</p> <p>The Duchess was treated at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in central London, where royal family members have been treated for many years. </p> <p>Fergie's spokesperson shared that the Duchess wanted to express her "immense gratitude" for the medical staff who helped her through her hospital stay. </p> <p>"She is also hugely thankful to the staff involved in the mammogram which identified her illness, which was otherwise symptom free, and believes her experience underlines the importance of regular screening."</p> <p>Fergie has previously spoken about how cancer has devastated her family, sharing how her late father and melanoma and prostate cancer. </p> <p>She said, "I didn't know what to do to really fight for other people so they didn't have to go through cancer."</p> <p>"People around my age group don't talk about it… we are from a different generation where you don't express your feelings and you just get on with it, you know, stiff upper lip."</p> <p>"It's so crucial to get the message out that we are all listening… they are here to help you."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Get my voice back": Kathy Griffin's intense pre-op drama

<p>Kathy Griffin has shared footage of her pre-operation appointment before she undergoes vocal cord surgery in an effort to save her voice.</p> <p>The American comedian took to TikTok to show fans the process of her surgeon sticking a camera scope up her nose and through to her vocal cord to get a clearer view of the damage.</p> <p>"First step is the numbing spray. Then the scope goes up the nose, down into the vocal cords!" she explained with captions.</p> <p>"As you can see, the left chord is paralyzed.”</p> <p>After she was instructed to make noises to test the cords, Griffin is seen following the doctor’s orders and watching her vocal cord movement on the screen.</p> <p>Griffin reflected post-operation in the same clip, with the 62-year-old lying in a recovery bed following the surgery.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7242029180651687214&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40kathygriffin%2Fvideo%2F7242029180651687214&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F202ea4a9813e435c92a1c6996f018c11_1686166329%3Fx-expires%3D1686236400%26x-signature%3D%252Bk5fTTtG0O6jMWR7Pnky9ekvIlw%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>"I just had my latest surgery on my left vocal cord, because I want to be in good shape for my big Vegas show," she said.</p> <p>"This is just part of my recovery post-lung cancer surgery," she added. "I'm cancer-free, so anyway a little scratchy today, but I'll be in good shape.”</p> <p>"I so appreciate you guys following along on my journey to get my voice back after lung cancer,” Griffin captioned the video, also sharing it to her Instagram.</p> <p>Griffin had part of her lung removed in 2021 after being diagnosed with lung cancer and was in remission four months later.</p> <p>Her latest hospital visit comes after she revealed her diagnosis of “complex PTSD” in early 2023.</p> <p>Griffin shared her diagnosis in a TikTok in April, asking her followers for recommendations on how to cope with anxiety and depression.</p> <p>"Let's talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly," she said. "You can laugh or whatever, but I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD, and it's called an extreme case."</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

“It pains me”: Tennis star shares sad news

<p dir="ltr">Emma Raducanu has revealed that she will have to miss the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, as she undergoes three “minor” surgeries on both of her hands and left ankle.</p> <p dir="ltr">The twenty-year-old posted the update to Instagram on Wednesday, revealing that she has kept the severity of her injuries private for some time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Raducanu shared a snap from her hospital bed with a cast on her right hand, after undergoing the first of her three planned procedures.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is safe to say the last 10 months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands,” she wrote in the handwritten statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try heal it, unfortunately it’s not enough.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m disappointed to share that I will be out for the next few months and while I am at it will have another minor procedure that is due on my ankle.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It pains me that I will miss the summer events and I tried to downplay the issues so I thank all my fans who continued to support me when you did not know the facts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looking forward to seeing you all back out there,” she ended the note with a hand drawn heart.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 2021 US Open champion has been struggling with a string of injuries as she tried to adjust to the demands of being a professional tennis player.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her most recent hand injury forced her to withdraw from the Billie Jean King Cup finals at the end of the last year. At the beginning of this year, she rolled her ankle mid-match in a tournament in Auckland.</p> <p dir="ltr">Raducanu is set to have the operation on her left hand this month after getting surgery for her left ankle in the coming weeks.</p> <p dir="ltr">She hopes to train on the tennis court again by the end of the summer, but her team has refused to predict an exact return date.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many fans and fellow tennis players have commented their support and well wishes for the star.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Rest up, Emma, and come back stronger 💜💚,” commented the official Wimbledon Instagram account.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Speedy recovery ❤️,” wrote Ukrainian tennis player, Marta Kostyuk.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Surgery is never nice, always a little scary, well done,” commented one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get well soon Emma and you have many fans around the world supporting you and having your back,” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get well soon Emma!, we will be waiting for you when the moment is right, wishing you the best,” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Critics slam "botched surgery" of Roald Dahl rewrites

<p>Roald Dahl’s children’s books are a staple on bookshelves across the world, and their subject matter is often a topic of conversation for students. </p> <p>This time around, Dahl’s books have garnered attention over publisher Puffin’s move to bring in censorship readers, and the subsequent decision to remove certain terms and phrases from certain works in a bid to make them more appropriate for modern audiences. </p> <p>“Words matter,” reads the notice on the copyright page of Puffin’s latest editions of Roald Dahl’s books. “The wonderful words of Roald Dahl can transport you to different worlds and introduce you to the most marvellous characters. This book was written many years ago, and so we regularly review the language to ensure that it can continue to be enjoyed by all today.”</p> <p>The changes made to <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</em> reportedly reach the hundreds, but most notable are those made to the character Augustus Gloop. In the original text, published in 1974, Augustus is described as being “enormously fat”, but in Puffin’s edits, he is simply “enormous”. </p> <p>In <em>The Witches</em>, women are no longer limited to being a “cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a business man”, but instead can be a “top scientist or running a business”. Additionally, an explanation of the witches’ baldness now concludes with a line about how “there are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.”</p> <p>Of such edits, the Roald Dahl Story Company have said “it’s not unusual to review the language” during new print runs, and that any changes made to Dahl’s works were minimal, and that they had to be “carefully considered”. The changes were made in conjunction with Inclusive Minds, which is described as being “a collective for people who are passionate about inclusion and accessibility in children’s literature.”</p> <p>However, not everyone is on board with this move towards a more gentle and kind reading experience for children. </p> <p><em>Sky News</em> host James Morrow claimed the edits have made the books “boring”, and went as far as to describe one sensitivity reader as an “Orwellian political commissar”. </p> <p>“They were so much fun, and they made fun of people’s appearances,” James said of his passion for the original texts, “so many people loved them. Now apparently, you know, they have been transformed.”</p> <p>James then took to Twitter, where like minded critics voiced their outrage, with many blaming the “woke police” for what had occurred. </p> <p>One even posed the question “I wonder how many 10 year olds will be able to think for themselves in 10 years time?” </p> <p>“These masterpieces should never be edited," wrote another. “Reading these as a kid was a gift and the woke police should not take that away.” </p> <p>Author Salman Rushdie took to his Twitter account to offer his take on the matter, telling both Puffin and the Dahl Estate that they should be ashamed of their actions. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed. <a href="https://t.co/sdjMfBr7WW">https://t.co/sdjMfBr7WW</a></p> <p>— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) <a href="https://twitter.com/SalmanRushdie/status/1627075835525210113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Dahl passed away in 1990, and despite his enormous success with writing, he was - as Salman Rushdie put it - “no angel”, having made antisemitic comments throughout his life. </p> <p>In 2020, The Dahl family acknowledged the “lasting and understandable hurt caused by Roald Dahl’s antisemitic statements” and issued an apology. </p> <p><em>Sunday Times</em>’ deputy literary editor Laura Hackett also shared her thoughts, and while she recognised that Dahl was “a very nasty man - a racist, misogynistic, antisemitic bully”, she wouldn’t let that stop her from sharing the original texts with her children. </p> <p>“The editors at Puffin should be ashamed of the botched surgery they’ve carried out on some of the finest children’s literature in Britain,” she stated. “As for me, I’ll be carefully stowing away my old, original copies of Dahl’s stories, so that one day my children can enjoy them in their full, nasty, colourful glory.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Books

Placeholder Content Image

Madonna takes aim at "ageist" critics

<p>Madonna has spoken out against wide-spread criticism of her appearance after presenting at the Grammy Awards.</p> <p>The 64-year-old musician introduced Sam Smith and Kim Petras' performance of their hit song <em>Unholy</em> at the annual music award ceremony, but rather than focus on the "history making" performance, many were quick to comment on Madonna's appearance. </p> <p>Following her moment on the stage, Madonna's social media was flooded with comments calling her scary, unrecognisable and denouncing her supposed "obsession with plastic surgery", despite the singer never confirming having cosmetic enhancements.</p> <p>Hitting back at online trolls, Madonna took to Instagram to condemn the "ageism and misogyny" of her critics, while refusing to apologise for her "creative choices".</p> <p>In a lengthy post, she wrote, "Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim - Many people chose to only talk about close-up photos of me taken with a long lens camera By a press photographer that Would distort anyone’s face!!"</p> <p>"Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45, and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous."</p> <p>She continued, "I have never apologised for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I’m not going to start. I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career but I understand that this is all a test and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come."</p> <p>She concluded the post by saying, "I look forward to many more years of subversive behaviour, pushing boundaries, standing up to the patriarchy, and most of all enjoying my life."</p> <p>While her post was flooded with support from her celebrity friends, she also welcomed a new wave of criticism with many commenters thinking her anger was misdirected. </p> <p>One person said, "Ok but there's an elephant in the room here - This is not ageism - it is plastic surgery and filler! How is this ageism when YOU did all this to yourself in order to prevent looking old? Give yourself a break from those fillers and stop blaming ageism for what you choose to do to yourself."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Placeholder Content Image

Jimmy Barnes shares details of his recovery journey

<p>Jimmy Barnes has shared the gruelling details of his recovery journey after undergoing major surgery. </p> <p>The 66-year-old underwent major hip and back surgery in December, after explaining to fans that after nearly 50 years of “jumping off PAs and stomping around stages has “caught up” with him and he needed to do something to fix the “constant and severe pain.”</p> <p>Now, just three short weeks after the procedure, Jimmy is back on his feet and sharing his recovery process with his fans.</p> <p>The iconic singer said he was forced to be "patient" as he navigates his recovery, but this week hit a major milestone by being able to cycle on an exercise bike for 10 minutes a day. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_IUDyO_lU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_IUDyO_lU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Jimmy's update comes just days after he shared a photo of him walking with a walking stick, saying he has been "sticking to the recovery program to the letter", while thanking his fans for "cheering me on".</p> <p>He joked that his wife Jane was acting as his personal physio, while sharing that he was off heavy pain medication and has "turned a big corner". </p> <p>On New Year's Day, Barnes shared he was able to walk to the top of a flight of stairs and back down again while unaided, saying "what a great start to the new year".</p> <p>Fans have been delighted by Jimmy's updates, with his posts being flooded with words of encouragement.</p> <p>One fan wrote, "Good on ya mate! We’re all cheering you on, Jimmy!"</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Jimmy Barnes’ light-hearted surgery update

<p dir="ltr">Jimmy Barnes is back on his feet after a gruelling surgery. </p> <p dir="ltr">The iconic singer has shared an update with his followers on Instagram, as he grinned and stood in his hospital room with the help of a walker. </p> <p dir="ltr">As Barnes smiled ear to ear while standing straight, he added the song Walk This Way by RUN DMC, showing he is in good spirits as he continues his recovery. </p> <p dir="ltr">This is the second update fans have been given in the last 24 hours about Barnes' health after the Aussie rocker's daughter Elly-May Barnes <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/jimmy-barnes-daughter-issues-sweet-health-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> that her dad was "out of surgery and awake".</p> <p dir="ltr">In an adorable Instagram post on her father’s account, Elly-may shared an update with a photo of her dad smiling as well as an X-ray of his hip post-surgery.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmGYzIIrYYT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmGYzIIrYYT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Hey everyone it’s @ellymaybarnes, my dadda is out of surgery and awake,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The doctors are very happy. Thanks for all the well wishes”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barnes, 66, was due to perform multiple shows around Australia in 2023 but was forced to cancel the gigs to have surgery on his back and hip to relieve chronic pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been jumping off PAs and stomping around stages for nearly 50 years, but it’s finally caught up with me,” Barnes said in a statement in November. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve had niggling back and hip issues for years, but things suddenly got a lot worse over the last few weeks and I’m now in constant and severe pain.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“As everybody knows, it’s against my religion to blow out gigs but the doctors tell me I need an operation as soon as possible and it will really limit my movement for a few months.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As much as it kills me to inconvenience everyone, I have to get this fixed so I can jump around onstage for another 50 years.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Jimmy Barnes' daughter issues sweet health update

<p dir="ltr">Jimmy Barnes’ daughter has given an update about her father’s condition following surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 66-year-old rocker was <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/jimmy-barnes-to-undergo-urgent-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced to cancel a series of shows</a> after suffering from pain in his hip and back from five decades rocking on stage and being bent at the waist.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an adorable Instagram post on her father’s account, Elly-may Barnes shared an update with a photo of her dad smiling as well as an X-ray of his hip post-surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hey everyone it’s @ellymaybarnes, my dadda is out of surgery and awake,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The doctors are very happy. Thanks for all the well wishes”</p> <p dir="ltr">Just a day before surgery, Jimmy was in good spirits as he performed a song for his fans with his wife Jane playing the guitar.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Here’s a beautiful song for you all. ‘Have a little faith in Me’ by John Hyatt,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ll be on the operating table tomorrow so thanks for all your encouraging wishes.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmGYzIIrYYT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmGYzIIrYYT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Jimmy announced late in November that his last performance would be the first weekend of December.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been jumping off PAs and stomping around stages for nearly 50 years, but it’s finally caught up with me,” Barnes said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve had niggling back and hip issues for years, but things suddenly got a lot worse over the last few weeks and I’m now in constant and severe pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As everybody knows, it’s against my religion to blow out gigs but the doctors tell me I need an operation as soon as possible and it will really limit my movement for a few months.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As much as it kills me to inconvenience everyone, I have to get this fixed so I can jump around onstage for another 50 years.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barnes joked that his family would have to deal with him playing his record Blue Christmas during his recovery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The operation will keep me cooped up over summer and I’m a notoriously cranky patient, so I probably need to buy noise cancelling headphones for my family too – that way they’ll hopefully still be talking to me when I’m back on my feet,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Jimmy Barnes gets candid about surgery

<p dir="ltr">Jimmy Barnes has given a bit more insight into how he found out he <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/jimmy-barnes-to-undergo-urgent-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needed urgent surgery</a> and for how long he’ll be out of action.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 66-year-old rocker shared a video on Instagram explaining how about five decades of jumping off PA systems and bending over at the waist has caused severe pain to his back and hips.</p> <p dir="ltr">He revealed that it was about two months ago before announcing the shocking news that he knew he would have to have surgery…but he just kept putting it off despite having a history of back pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been having back troubles for about eight years,” Barnes said on Sunrise.</p> <p dir="ltr">“About eight years ago, I had a whole bunch of surgeries that actually got quite serious and it was sort of filling the gap - keeping me moving, keeping me sane.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clhaq9ghZdX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clhaq9ghZdX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve got to realise that after 50 years of jumping off PAs... running like a lunatic, all that sort of stuff has finally caught up with me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Two month prior, Barnes underwent a MRI and other tests before the surgeon told him that his back is “shot” and he would require surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I said ‘I’ll put it off, I’ll put it off’,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But for the last two months, I’ve actually been in excruciating pain and you know, I’ve done lots of shows but people don’t know this because I scream so much anyway.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barnes said he may be out of action for about four months but will take six months in order to completely heal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That is my plan, to try and actually do the right thing, and hopefully then when I come back I’ll be ready,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The singer is hoping to write a book during his time off and maybe even a new rock and roll album.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Jimmy Barnes to undergo urgent surgery

<p dir="ltr">Jimmy Barnes has been forced to cancel his upcoming tour to undergo urgent surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 66-year-old said the five decades rocking on stage and being bent at the waist will see him under hip and back surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">His final performance will be held the first weekend of December at Valo Adelaide 500 before he goes in for surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been jumping off PAs and stomping around stages for nearly 50 years, but it’s finally caught up with me,” Barnes said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve had niggling back and hip issues for years, but things suddenly got a lot worse over the last few weeks and I’m now in constant and severe pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As everybody knows, it’s against my religion to blow out gigs but the doctors tell me I need an operation as soon as possible and it will really limit my movement for a few months.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clhaq9ghZdX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clhaq9ghZdX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“As much as it kills me to inconvenience everyone, I have to get this fixed so I can jump around onstage for another 50 years.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barnes joked that his family would have to deal with him playing his record Blue Christmas during his recovery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The operation will keep me cooped up over summer and I’m a notoriously cranky patient, so I probably need to buy noise cancelling headphones for my family too – that way they’ll hopefully still be talking to me when I’m back on my feet,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He thanked The Hoodoo Gurus for stepping in and covering his shows as it means “other bands will still get their chance to rock”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Over 60

© Copyright 2024 OverSixty.All Rights Reserved.