Giving You Back YOUR Life
If you are sharp-eyed, you will have seen photographs of a first proof of a book, by Dr Chandy, called "Doctor you gave me my life back - B12 deficiency in clinical practice".
This is the result of about 7 years' work, and summarises over 40 years of Dr Chandy's clinical practice treating over 1000 people with B12 deficiency over a long period.
There are a number of books about B12 deficiency. Israel Chanarin wrote in the 1960s and 70s about "Megaloblastic Anaemia", describing a condition in language that doctors might understand. Sally Pacholok and Martyn Hooper have published excellent accessible books in the last few years, describing the results of their surveys.
But there's a big difference between meeting people who have B12 deficiency, and being their family doctor. I*n at least one case, Dr Chandy cared for 5 generations of the same family, with B12 deficiency inherited. In others, we recorded as their symptoms appeared, were diagnosed, they received treatment, the symptoms disappeared, the treatment was stopped, and the symptoms returned, and we finally argued for treatment allowing these people to get their lives back. The longest a person was under treatment was 30 years under Dr Chandy's care and observation.
So it's a book thoroughly grounded in Clinical Practice. But we've also searched the literature, looking for both support and contradiction. We refer to over 400 documents which help to explain which symptoms are caused by B12 deficiency, and what to do about them.
So it's a really solid book.
It's designed to be read by people who suffer from B12 deficiency or care for someone who does, but also by doctors and medical students (and pharmacists, nurses, geriatricians - a whole range of care professionals). We haven't dumbed down the language because most people can actually udnerstand, but it isn't a bedtime story. It's hard-hitting and comprehensive.
B12 deficiency is common (up to 1 in 5 of Caucasians in Northern Europe),m devastating (many people have had to leave work because of their disabilities), and easily cured by a simple and cheap vitamin supplement. There is no excuse for failing to diagnose.
We describe B12 deficiency during pregnancy and how to avoid it, its effects on the nervous system and endocrine system, its effects on cancer. We describe how to diagnose, and how to treat. And we describe a commonly occurring condition hypoadrenalism (or adrenal insufficiency) and how to diagnose and terat that - and how they are related.
I'm sorry to get you excited, and then not deliver. I'm afraid it isn't available yet. But the first proof has come back from reviewers with a number (in the hundreds) of tiny changes, so it's now probably only a fe weeks from being published.
You'll be able to download it for free as a PDF. We're publishing in A4 size so it's easy to print at home
It will be available from Amazon, in both black and white and colour. We're pricing it at the price of the cost to print, because we want to get the message out there as quickly as possible and that means getting it into people's hands.
Just a side note - if you want to read it on paper, then it's much cheaper to buy the printed copy than print at home.
It's available as a PDF. We're looking at options for turning it into a Kindle book and flowing the pages in PDF as well.
I'm afraid that will have to wait. At the moment I'm planning to record 30 minutes at a time and release it as a blog, but I'll tell you more when the first 30 minutes are available. Again, it will be free.
This is what the charity does. Thank-you very much for your donations, it enables us to do this. And we're going to continue to rely on donations after we issue the book, which is why we're making it free.
Hugo Minney
Donna, like so many women, wants to live a normal life. Vitamin B12 could give her that chance.
New documentary out from Elissa Leonard in North America, featuring Sally Pacholok and many other internationally renowned experts.
Janette first appeared in the BBC InsideOut documentary in October 2006. Since then the NHS has forced her doctor to withdraw B12 replacement therapy on a number of occasions, and she tells of her struggles with having B12 and then having it taken away.
She has bravely agreed to be filmed without her usual wig, but her memory is playing up because it is so long since her last injection.
Susan gets very tired, which isn't much fun especially as she has so much to do. Here she tells her story.
Just the way it works for humans, oral B12 can make a world of a difference for your pet. My old cat Smudge chases the young cat again, climbs ladders (and climbs down herself), and is generally as fit as she was many years ago.
Dr Chandy was nominated for the North East Local Heroes award. The interviewer was at first surprised - people don't get awards for doing what they are paid to do - but she persisted.
The definitive and original guide to B12 deficiency, Dr Chandy interviewed by Chris Jackson of UK BBC Inside Out Team broadcast 31 Oct 2008.
Dr Joseph Chandy explains symptoms and shows the restorative effect on one patient (other patients' families have asked that we edit out their stories unfortunately)
The Scottish Parliament discusses Pernicious Anaemia and vitamin B12 deficiency on Wednesday 7 March 2012.
This video is over 1 hour long and represents real political change - we are at last on our way.
Frankie tells of how she suffered, the tests she had to endure until doctors worked out what was wrong, and what a difference it has made.
Julia found her eyesight going as her eyes refused to focus on the same things as each other. She's been for all sorts of tests and treatment, but now that she's on B12 replacement therapy she's starting to see an improvement.
