W. Gifford-Jones, MD and Diana Gifford-Jones

It’s Like Being Trapped under Water

A man sentenced to death by the King was granted a reprieve of one year. He discovered that the King was a lover of horses and promised that within a year he would teach the King’s horse to fly. His friends laughed at him. But the man explained, “Within a year the King may die, or the horse may die, or I may die. Besides, who knows? The King’s horse may learn to fly”. I recently told this story of hope to a friend who was becoming increasingly incapacitated by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a disease with no known cure.

What Did I Learn This Week at the Harvard Medical School?

What’s the most beautiful sight in the world? Some say it's India’s Taj Mahal. To me it’s what greeted me years ago, the night I arrived in Boston. It was the glistening white marble buildings of The Harvard Medical School on a moonlight night. This past week its grandeur impressed me again when I attended a reunion. But soon my classmates and I were distressed by what has happened over the years to its idea of medical care, too much cold technology, too little common sense and too little “care”.

Testosterone for Sexually Frustrated Women

Several weeks ago my column, “Do you want better sex?” struck a resounding note with female readers. But also with many husbands who want their wives to have fewer headaches! The general response was, “Please write more about testosterone and how it can increase female libido”.

Do You Really Need a Colonoscopy?

Is there any way that you can avoid having a colonoscopy? A survey showed that many believed the test isn’t needed until symptoms occur. Others said their doctor never suggested one, or they were too embarrassed to discuss it. Still others said it was too painful. If you’re thinking this way, think again, it may cost you your life.

Immuno-Care To Fight Seasonal Allergies

Why do so many people suffer from seasonal allergies? Some cough and wheeze, others fight joint pain and stiffness. Is it due to just too much pollen in the air? Or is it also the result of a badly stressed and depleted immune system? Studies show that a natural remedy, Immuno-Care, that contains plant sterols, can be the answer to seasonal allergies and other disorders when the immune system is running out of gas.

Ten Ways to Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Here’s the bad news! Nearly half of today’s North American men and one-third of women will develop cancer, making it the second leading cause of death after heart disease. To some people, fate deals a bad hand when they inherit genes that increase the risk of cancer. But here’s the good news. Drs. John Swartzberg and Jeffery Wolf at the University of California say that lifestyle changes can help people reduce the risk of at least 65 percent of cancers.

What’s The Diagnosis?

How would you like to save a life this week? After all, it’s not only doctors who are involved in life or death situations. So all you have to do is remember this column.

Do You Want Better Sex?

“How is your sex life?” I often ask patients. It’s amazing how often I get the response, “Finally, someone I can trust will discuss this matter with me!” So what can be done to make the bedroom a happier place? It’s important, even though good sex may be only five percent of a relationship. But I stress to patients that it’s the first five percent! Besides, it can also affect physical health.

I Could Hear The Sawing and Hammering!

When does a doctor fully realize the nature of a disease? Sir William Osler, distinguished Professor of Medicine at McGill, Johns Hopkins and Oxford University, remarked that a doctor only fully understood a disease when he suffered from it himself. Having just recovered from a hip replacement operation, I couldn’t agree more with Osler. So what did I learn and what did I fear?

Can A Fart Kill?

Ig Nobel prizes are prestigious awards given each year at Harvard University to those engaged in strange scientific research. For instance, Canadian researchers received the award for showing that small farts, known as fast repetitive ticks (FRTs), can be lethal. But why would the Vatican receive one?

TA-65, Ponce de Leon’s Anti-Aging Pill

Would Albert Einstein’s genius have discovered the secret of life if he hadn’t died at 76 years of age? We will never know. But for years, in an endeavour to extend life, scientists have searched for Ponce de Leon’s “fountain of youth”. Now, their discovery of a unique molecule, TA-65, which is not science fiction, has opened new doors to this goal.

Financial Justice For All Disabled Canadians

“Do you know there’s financial help for your child?” I recently asked a friend. Like many new parents he and his wife had expected a healthy child. But the fickle finger of fate had ordained otherwise. Now, several years later, they were struggling with the medical, financial and emotional burdens of caring for a child with cerebral palsy, a lifetime disability. Unfortunately, many families are unaware of the new government project providing financial security for all disabled Canadians.

Re: Chopping Wood In Northern Canada

I recently suggested the best treatment for OxyContin addicts was Course 101, Chopping Wood in Northern Canada. I asked for a reaction and got it, a ton of e-mails!

Will I Get My Wish on The Second Post-Operative Day?

What do I do when I arrive home after seeing patients all day? I have a pre-dinner drink with my wife. This week I’ll wish I could still do it. But on March 22 I’m scheduled for a hip replacement at The Toronto Western Hospital. So today, a column dealing with alcohol is appropriate. And will my surgeon recall Sir William Osler’s wise remark?

Rx For OxyContin Addicts: “Chop Wood In Northern Canada”

What will happen to the 200,000 or more Canadian OxyContin addicts now that this opioid narcotic is no longer available? For years these people have embarked on a willful act of self-destruction. Isn’t it about time for society to get its priorities straight? To care more for those who have lived a good lifestyle, paid their taxes, and when dying of cancer, suffer needless agony because there’s no money for more palliative centers in this country.

What Vitamins Do I Take?

Should I take vitamin supplements to prevent illness? Do I need them if I eat a balanced diet? What is the best dosage of vitamin D or C?

Why Couldn’t This Woman Go To Church?

Several years ago I landed at Nairobi airport in Kenya after many hours in the air. It was an uneventful flight, but one elderly traveller had encountered an embarrassing problem. On arrival, she could not put on her shoes due to swelling (edema) of her feet. So why do legs and feet swell in flight, and when is it dangerous? Also what prevented one woman from going to church?

Neo40; Another Way to Treat Sexual Dysfunction

Who hasn’t heard by now of the prescription drugs, Viagra and Cialis for erectile dysfunction (ED)? Huge numbers of males are now happier campers than in days bygone when this medication was not available. This week, a unique approach for those who are not quite ready to admit they need ED drugs.

Try the Kitchen Experiment to Protect Your Vision

It’s been said that, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”. But wherever you are, good eyes are a priceless possession. Today, tens of thousands of North Americans are struggling to read fine print, worrying about driving at night, or suffering from dry eyes or eye fatigue. Now, there’s a natural remedy “Vision Essentials” to help prevent these degenerative problems of aging.

Which Do You Prefer, Heart Attack or Diabetes?

Is it getting easier for patients to make the right health decision today, compared to 50 years ago? It should be, considering the huge advances in medical knowledge since that time. But unless you’re blessed with the Wisdom of Solomon, these advances may merely help you exchange one disease for another. Or, as one wise sage remarked, “Life would be easier if there were no ‘buts’.”