Sex a

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THE HERALD, Wednesday, December 4, 1974, PAGE BS

Dr. Lamb —

DEAR DR. LAMB — lama
social. worker. My duties in-
clude, among other things, &”
discussion with family mem-
bers af the patient’s activities

_. after he or she leaves the hos-
pital |

The question of sex rela-

lions has been broached by

some of the spouses, I have

. referred to the literature, but

can find little or no informa-

lion on this subject or such

; unhe/pful comments. as

. although anginal seizures

are al times provoked by sex-

sual: intercourse, complete

abstinence often has a worse
‘effect. upon the patient...He

should be taught to avoid sex-
ual excitement, but when he
feels the need, he shauld have

‘normal sexual relations.”

I have patients in their 30s
as well as 70s, With paralysis
of their extrernities, as well

“as speech difficulties in some
instances, these patients have
already suffered severe

. damage to their: self-image.
To have the wife. or husband
discourage any sexual rela-
tions <would.:only tend’ to
further ‘depreciate the pa-
lient's self-image. 3,

Some physicians have their
taboos relative lo discussing
such subjects, which may
emanate‘lrom their persotial’
feelings: thal. such relations
are_not discussed in polite
company, or because of their
lack-‘of information on such
relationships. One ‘physician

. lodked with horror at the wife
of-a'patient whe asked what
help she might give her. hus-
band, relating she had ‘ob-
served him pently ‘stroking
the body of a seminude
femaie’ in a magazine. The
nurses’ tend to classify the
male'or female patient. who
indicates any. interest in sex
as the.“dirty ald man or oid ~
woman.” | read with interest
your articles in our newspa-
per,and appreciate your con-
ception: of treatment. of -the.
whole. person. Perhaps. you

could give: me some sugges”
tions on haw to cope wit

problem, oN
DEAR READER — Three:

cheers for you. We need a lot

more people like you who are

interested ‘in: helping people -

not only-to recover from the

. immediate effects of illness,

but in being able to return ta
a normal, salisfying life in its
totality.::

_ Vhave been appalled by the
number of patients | have
seen who. havecbeen in-

“structed In detail about all” guide
‘when you can't test patients, |

their: tiving-habils:exeept-
fwhal ‘ta do about their mar-
tried life. A man’ may be told,
} as he leaves the hospital after
+a heart’ attack that he can
: only walk around inthe
house. With severe limita-
ions on his activity and no
* comment about sex in bed by
this doctor, he may then
+ engage in sex requiring much
{ more work by the heart than
“tippy-toeing around the
house in the daytime to pro-
‘tect his heart: so 45 fe:
Stil other -patienls are
afraid to: resume, normal
: marital life, be¢ause they are
: afraid they will drop dead li

the process. [tis.true that this,

‘sometimes ‘accurs, ». bul: the
: isolated instances. get wide
i coverage or dre exaggerated
: by word of mouth white all of
i. those who return, to: normal:
i life get no headlines.” --

=. ‘The original studies by Dr.
i William’ Masters and
wh Virginia Johnson- showed
‘. that sexual activily to-climax
£ caused an. increase. in-heart
; rate to levels between 110 to
*'180 beals per minute,tan op-
* timal resting rate should be
© laser (6.80),"The bload-pres-
¥ sure increased.40 to 80 points
* for the systolic (upper) read-
. ing and the diasio ig: (lower)

, ?

this.

20 lo 50 points above the rest-
ing level. Respirations in-
creased to 90 or 60 breaths a
minute, which is quite fast.
Such data demonstrates
that, among other things, the
sexual act is physical exer-
cise. Increased heart. work
also begins before the act,
resulting from the release of
adrenaline in the rising level
of excitement,So, both emo-
tional. and physical factors

are involved in the increased -

work of the heart.’ .

Dr. Herman Hellerstein.of
Cleveland ‘studied heart pa--
tients lo see -if the Masters
and Johnson data: from nor-
mal-people applied to pa-
Uients wath heart disease. ‘Che
patients had an increase in

eart rale, Loo, but-to peak

levels ‘only. belween 90 and

. 144 beats per: minute. The
duration.of moderately high
-heart rales -was limited to
minutes. Unfortunately the
ability to measure blood
pressure in these cireumstan- -
ces is, not so easy so there is
less direct information about

* blood pressure fesponses. *

_ The Hellerstein studies

show: thal the amount of in-

creased work for the hearl
during. sexual activity is

- equivalent to moderale ,

"physical activily in the
allpark of daily activities;
including driving a-car, dis-
cussing business or climbin
_Slairs. The. Masters an
Johnson data included a
number -of younger in-
dividuals and not those mid-
dle-aged long .marrieds af
-Hellerstein’s data. That ac-
counts in part for the dif-

ferences noted. There seems " 5
_ “Impotence” booklet.

to be some indication thal ex-
tramarilal affalrs or reja-

tions witha new partner may _

he considerably more
stressful. :
_ Ideally, it would be helpful
_ if each patient is tested for
-his jevel of tolerance to
graded levels af mild exer-
cise, and this could then be
used to advise the patient
about his resumption of. sex;
‘+, Wal activity, This’ could be
mild tests measuring. heart
rates and blood pressure
response with even running
in place in the dactor’s office
_ ala very'slow pace while the
heart rate is measured. If this
raised the heart rate too
much or.the blood pressure
“too much,. then activity

“shouldbe. curtailed..until = quite often+-ond it's called a

fter heart attacks >

 halp to minimize the stress on

.cles-can be avoided il may

position’ to talk about’ this

_ Lamb, incare of this newspa-

‘tence, send 50 cents to the -

Bazaar and, :
bake sale _

. be holding a. Bazaar and Bake

. recovery was to the point that ©

Jil didn't, 2i.5 6

For general guidelines |

recommend that gradual ‘in-.
crease in daily walking is a
good means of preparing lo
return to full function. When
the person can walk 15 to 20
minutes a day at # rate of
three. miles an. hour without

‘any difficulty and do it regu- —

larly, then he. is usually able
to tolerale.the effort involved .
in normal sexual activity, as
long.as it isn't too exuberant. «
The patient who cannot walk,

this much without . excess -.

‘fatigue, breathlessness,’ or.
pain is not ready for sexual
- activity, He sHould be certain .
“hisdactor: daes O.K. his:
resumplion ~of sexual rela-
tions. He may need a longer

period of gradual increase in

daily activity. “+ ;
‘-Of ‘course, some patients
scan'l engage -in sex, A mar
who can't dress himself be-.
cause of weakness and shorl-
ness of brealh is nat in shape
for sex. Usually he has.
enough illness that he is not
in the mood, either. ‘
~ Lknow these rules won't be
too useful for those who are
paralyzed because walking is

out of the question.

For those who resume sex-
ual relations, there are some
rules they ean follow that will

Fhe

For And About Teenagers

Ares,

om

the heart. One is to avaid
alcohol preceding the event.
Alcahol increases the heart
rate in most people. Just take
your heart rate before and
after a couple of martinis,
and you will see what I mean.
The other. is don't have a
heavy meal in the preceding
lwo or three hours. A heav
meal will increase the Jikeli-
heod of problems with any
form of exertion far the heart
atient. Don'L smoke for an
our before or after sexual
relations. Smoking should be
stopped entirely, anyway.
inally; technique makes a
difference. There is a tenden-
cy ta contract body muscles,
for example clasping with the
arms. If clenching of the mus-

are venting a lot of sicam off in
{hig letter and that is goed. We
agree that your situation may he

bad, but we feel you must dis:

cuss your problems with your

parents. Let them know how you |
feel, We fect they should allow

you to .go ta games and danees

at school at your sge. They may |
nal want yeu to start dating yet,

but they should. give you_a little
bit of freedom. As you've found
out, vitnning-. away, smoking.
drinking’ and) drugs don’t really
help ‘after’ all: These arc just
wivs-of showing everyone (and
most of -all. showing yourself)
how. vory immature yau must be,
Happiness. dagsn't | always just
happen.— sometimes yau have
to.work al if, At Jenst give it a
try — talk your problems over
with: your parents.

u you have o teenage protlem yer worl

ta discuss ar on ebservation fo make, ad

dean TOR AHO ABOUT TEEN-

THIS WEEK'S LBITE
have a problem tat uany girls
my age have. Tew) some good
adview about what to do, Tam 14
sears ld, fb dive a stepfather
and my mother as the old fash.
ioned kind of mother. 1 alse have
ub 18 searauid bossy sister, We
don't get along at all. Heeently,
my mother has been blaming ine
every fimo my sister and | have
a feht. I'm net allowed to go
fo xames or dances ‘at. school or
anything else: for.-that matters
Offen,.L have turned to running
fway, ‘smoking! drinking “and
‘drugs. 2 Ho wasn't for my sister.
J would feol ike the ‘queen -of
the world ingtead af feeling like
an ant stuck in a hole just walt-
“<ing for-a chance to get oul with-
out being stepped on. Bverything
Ive ever wanted niy sister made
my mathor'zive me the opposite
of, If this’ keeps app. only Goel
knows what Pil then to next.
» OUR REPLY: We think son

limit the amount af blood
ressure rise. A more passive
attitude by the recovering
patient is often helpful.
' Perhaps these points will
help some. I might also sug-.
gest that people like yourseif
in situations where they must
caunsel patients should bring
this issue up for discussion
with the doctors and get them.
to accept the responsibility of
making individual: recom-*
mendations for patients.
Then you will-be in a better

area with the patient when
the subject comes yp.
Send your questions to Dr.

er, P.O, Box 1551, Radio City
talion, New York, N.Y.
10019. For a copy of Dr.
Lamb's booklet on impo-

same address and ask for the

Specializing in
Chinese and Canadian
Foods
For- Take Out Service

Phone 635-6184.

| 2 | Shan Yan Restaurant

“Where the customer is King”

‘ ens : Patients in Terrace's Mills Memorial Hospital will
oo Soe benefit: from a newly inaugarated service, The.

The Lakelse Lions Ladies will °° eo service, co-sponsored by the Hospital- Auxiliary and

"> the Tetrace Public Library is a mobile library for the «

Sale at the. Terrace Co-op - fe ; ¢
, patients. ;_

between 1:00 p,m. and 6:00 p.m:
Saturday December 7. Citizens
areaskedia drop by and make -
their purchases in time for the ._
Xmas celebrations. ie!

“> The Terrace Library supplied the Auxiliary with
118, paper back books for the initial operating period .
and both sides hope it becomes an on-going project
with a regular infusion of new books. - .

’ Hospital Auxiliary president Olga Power - (above -3
right) is seen with ‘Terrace’s Head Librarian Mary” .
Ann Guenther. i

Cooked ina 7 i et

Pennsylvania Dutch cooks are...”
particularly fend of d very heavy
iron skillet. which they utile

© * eros. from. the. Co-op

spider!) -° -.

We carry a complete
line of hay, feed,
grains and feed

”

‘supplements.
oe Also custom ‘hay hauling
‘YELLOWHEAD HAY

& GRAIN

$ AT 747 CLARKE RD. IN THORNHILL

Tho Sandman Motor Hotel

| 747non-stop |
.  fromVancouver.-
-.. 2'15pm.daily.

08 PHONE 635-1400 : ~ Gurrently under construction at 4824 West. Highway. 16,

“Terrace, B.C. is being built with Mor-Union labour,

Yukon Territory Building and Construction

foe

Trades Council: has declared this project unfair.

Rog

ae “MMso declared unfair are all other “SANDMAN” establishments —

Dow

... in the’ province, whether under construction or in operation.

| “THE KITIMAT, TERRACE AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL
+. JS. SUPPORTING THESE UNFAIR DECLARATIONS,

aA

For Further Information Gall The B.C. & YK. Building Trades. Counc My
Sec | 487-9085 - (Vancouver) or o/o 636-4747 (Terrace)

range is Beautiful. = : : LoS

r