Raising Awareness

We ran a couple of Awareness Stands this summer. The first was on Tankerton Slopes as a part of the Fun Day - and it was a fun day! We were very fortunate with the weather that day, in fact I ended up slightly sunburned! We had lots of plants and some books and bric-a-brac to sell. The plants attracted plenty of attention and raised us a fair bit of money.

We were helped tremendously on the raising awareness front by Sheilagh McCrossan and two of her fellow Respiratory Nurses, Becca and Mel, who came along to offer Spirometry testing. They did a grand job of selling our group too, signing up a number of people to our newsletter mailing list and encouraging people to come to our meetings. We were very grateful for their help and it was a real boost to have them there. Between the books, plants and donations we made a profit of £168 and had a good day in the bargain.

We held another Awareness Day at the end of August at Asda in Canterbury - and thanks to everyone who took a turn helping including the Respiratory Nurses. It was very successful, with us giving away something like 150 balloons to the many children who came through the doors and collecting £264 in the process. It was well worth it.

Strawberry Tea 2014

There was a lot of laughter and chatter at our Strawberry Tea. The table was beautifully decorated with pretty posies and piled high with strawberries, scones, jam and lots of cream. The weather was lovely and we all tucked into the food with gusto. We had quite a few of guests to swell the numbers, including a couple of new members, some family and friends, members of the choir and three of the Specialist Respiratory Nurses – and everyone seemed to have a good time.

When everyone had had their fill we had a couple of games to keep the fun going. Linda had prepared a dice throwing game and Jim had brought along a big plastic skittles game which caused quite a riot and a lot of giggles. We were quite glad there were a few younger people present to keep picking up the fallen skittles though! Jim and Linda kindly provided prizes for the winners but the joy was very much in the playing rather than the winning.

The Summer Bonnet competition was won by Val Hicks who had covered her bonnet with an abundance of pretty flowers. We also had a raffle with plenty of donated prizes, and that along with the charge for the Tea brought us a profit of £100 for the event – our most profitable Strawberry Tea to date!

Christmas Lunch 2013

We certainly finished last year in style with our most successful Christmas Lunch to date. Forty people, including Michaela and Anne from the Respiratory Team, came along to The Royal in Tankerton to celebrate, enjoy the food and generally kick off the festive season. To help things along we had a successful raffle which raised £73 and a competition as well. Linda had challenged us to convert an old BLF T-shirt into something else and there were 4 entries for this: a door-stop doll, a trophy, a cute snowman and a bobble hat. Michaela judged the entries and declared the bobble hat the winner. Jim provided a ‘Pointless’ prize which was well received.

Tai Chi

Our November meeting was a popular one with several new people joining the group. Local Tai Chi practitioner Jack Kenny told us about the history and benefits of Tai Chi. He was most entertaining and got the group doing some gentle arm movements while he explained how it can help all sorts of conditions. Jack can be contacted on 01227 272304.

AGM and Bingo

In October we had our AGM where we discussed events of the past year and came up with some ideas for the next year. We elected our new committee who are: Carol Hakimian – Chairperson and Treasurer; Rosemary Barden – Secretary; Jim Harris – Publicity Officer; Chris Moore – Minute Secretary and two new committee members Chris Bennett and Linda Hurst. ‘Thank you’ to Janet Curtis and Brenda Biggs for their work on the committee last year. Loraine and Bill Church are continuing to sort out the refreshments and Laurie and Linda will continue with the Bring & Buy – both essential parts of the meetings and much appreciated. We followed the formal business of the AGM with a few games of Bingo courtesy of Karen Cotter which was good fun.

Inhalers

Last month Kiri Moseley from the Respiratory Team gave us an enlightening talk on getting the best out of your inhaler. Kiri first gave us a reminder about the structure of the lungs and how they work. She then went on to emphasize the importance of using inhalers properly. Her tips include: Shake the inhaler before each use – this ensures the propellant is evenly distributed and works properly Breathe out whilst shaking, put the inhaler in your mouth, then gently and slowly press the button/canister (as appropriate) whilst breathing in. If you have difficulty activating your inhaler there are alternate makes or aids available to make it a bit easier. Allow 30 seconds between puffs Rinse your mouth or have a drink of water after using an inhaler containing a steroid With a volumatic spacer: shake the inhaler and place in the hole, breathe right out into the volumatic, press the inhaler once then gently breathe in and out 5 times If using a spacer it is important to wash it monthly to keep it clean and to avoid residue build up. Air dry it rather than using a cloth. Replace every 6-12months. And Kiri says they can be put in a dishwasher. Jim Harris, also has a tip to work out when your unmetered inhaler is empty: weigh it! Jim says a full Ventolin inhaler (canister only) weighs about 34grams and an empty one about 16grams. Of course you need accurate scales to weigh them on and should weigh each one when full in case of variation – but if you’re not sure how long one has been in use and whether or not it’s still got anything left in it (other than propellant), then this could help you figure it out.

Coach Trip to The Walpole

The highlight of our year so far, our coach trip to the Walpole Bay Hotel & Museum in Margate, was a terrific success. On arrival the 34 members and friends who came on the trip were treated to a talk about the history of the hotel and the Bishop family’s experience of taking over and restoring the hotel – which was both amusing and fascinating. After a sumptuous Cream Tea with probably the biggest and freshest scones I’ve ever seen the group was then left to wander around the hotel which the family also describe as a ‘living museum’ Getting around the hotel involved taking the original 1927 Otis trellis gated lift which is still maintained in good working order.

On each floor there are eclectic collections of all sorts of objects from the 1920s onwards including furniture, clothing, pottery and dolls to give a few examples. On the walls throughout the hotel are framed linen napkins which have been drawn or painted on by various guests over the years. All the rooms have been renovated and have en-suite bathrooms but the family have retained the period feel of the place. A number of our members were also interested to find out that they do a 4 course Carvery Sunday lunch for £20 each along with an accompanying pianist. It truly is a unique place and I think quite a few of us will go back again.

Pilgrims Hospice

Maureen, a Family Services Manager with the Pilgrims Hospices came to talk to us about the services they offer – which is not just end of life care. They are also not just for cancer sufferers but include patients with other chronic diseases like COPD and Parkinsons for example. They provide specialist palliative care which means controlling symptoms and trying to make life easier for these patients. As well as their in-patient care they have a number of out-patient courses and services. Called Living for Today these are programmes of support for patients and families coping with life-limiting illness. Each progamme is usually 4-6 weekly sessions providing a mix of advice, information, guidance and activities. These programmes include: • Caring with confidence • Breathlessness management • Time to Create (arts and crafts) • Coping with stress • Healthy living They also provide Counselling for Families and Bereavement Support. All of these services are provided free of charge but patients do need to be referred to them by a health professional. For more information see their website at www.pilgrimshospices.org or call the Community coordinator on 01227 812617. Or call into their drop-in coffee mornings on Tuesday mornings between 10-12am.

Clair from the BLF

It is always welcome to have someone from The British Lung Foundation (our 'head office') come and see us and Clair Henderson was a particular delight. Clair gave us a rundown on how the British Lung Foundation got started and the development of the Breathe Easy support network, which now numbers over 230 groups throughout the UK. She also gave us an update on the happenings at the BLF, which includes the current campaigns against smoking in cars and raising awareness of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. Clair also spent some time telling us about the Helpline which is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm on 03000 030 555. The helpline is staffed by a variety of health professionals including a counsellor. They can offer information about the treatment and management of your lung condition; guidance about what you can do to help make your condition easier to live with; information about welfare benefits; and information about inhalers, antibiotics, steroids and other medications as well as hints and tips to help make life easier. Talking about BLF resources, the website has been re-vamped and looks very smart as well as providing a wealth of information for users. Check it out at http://www.blf.org.uk. After the tea break Clair took the opportunity to get to know the members and they in turn picked her brains for ideas on fund raising and raising awareness.

Snack Attach

Our January meeting was the first in our new hall at Herne and members were very pleased with the warmth of it and the parking and voted it a hit. We also welcomed a new member which is always a delight. Our speaker was Claire Addis a dietician assistant to the Community Dieticians Team who was very enlightening. Claire explained to us that having a lung condition can affect a persons’ weight in either direction and the team like patients with a lung condition to have a BMI of between 20 and 30. Patients may put on weight because of reduced activity, comfort eating or medication such as steroids. This puts an increased strain on the heart and joints and increases the risk of diabetes, all of which can make both mobility and breathing even worse. Claire’s advice is to reduce your portion size by switching to a smaller plate, to increase your fruit, salad and vegetables whilst reducing the carbohydrates and meats. Many patients however, lose weight with a lung condition due to loss of appetite caused by the strain of breathing/coughing which also burns more calories. Claire’s advice for this is to eat little and often and snacking between meals is very much encouraged if you are losing weight. Milky drinks and cheese are encouraged also, not just for the extra calories but for the extra calcium which is beneficial. Claire played a ‘sort the snack’ game with us to see how clued up we are in guessing the calories in various popular snacks. The top rated one, from a calorie vs benefit perspective, is a small packet of dry roasted peanuts. Nuts are high in calories but have actually been shown to help reduce cholesterol in the body because they contain omega-3 fatty acids. They are also rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and are packed with anti-oxidents. From a heart-health perspective unsalted nuts should be chosen.

Peps, Flutters and Salt Pipes

Our April meeting saw Kiri Moseley from the Respiratory Team demonstrating Pep and Flutter devices as well as Salt Pipes to the group. In a highly informative and very well attended meeting, Kiri explained that the Pep and Flutter devices can be used to help mobilize sputum for those who find it a problem to cough up. The way these devices work is that you breathe out against a pressure (normally breathing out is totally passive) which uses more muscles and causes pressure to ‘back fill’ the lungs getting behind the sputum and splinting the airways open, getting further down and helping to shift the sputum. The advantage of the Pep is that it can be used in any position including lying down whereas the Flutter has to used sitting upright and held in the correct position. Some of the Peps also have variable pressure which you can increase as you become more used to it. The Flutter, however, makes quite a satisfying noise which some people like and it vibrates which may help to shake the sputum loose. Both devices can be quite expensive and a cheap alternative can be to breathe out through a straw into a glass of water blowing bubbles. Kiri stressed however, that although these devices can help, none of them replace the Active Cycle of Breathing which is still the cheapest and most effective way of removing sputum from the lungs. Exercise in general and walking in particular is also extremely important for loosening and coughing up sputum. Kiri went on to talk about the Salt Pipe which is a type of inhaler filled with salt. It’s supposed to help asthma, sinusitis, catarrh, snoring, hay fever and sometimes even eczema. It is thought that the salt removes contaminants from the air we breathe and in the lungs. It was noted that people that worked in salt mines didn’t get respiratory diseases. Inhaling salt and salt moist air cleanses the lungs and nasal cavities, calms and relieves inflammation and also the sinuses. Inhaled salt draws water into the sputum which thins the sputum and also makes it easier to expel.

January & February meetings

We’ve managed to kick start the year with a couple of interesting meetings so far. The January meeting saw only 11 attendees due to weather and illness but they included two new members, Mr. & Mrs. Hale, who we’d like to welcome to our group. The group spent the afternoon chatting over cups of tea and biscuits about a number of topics of interest including experiences at Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the concern at the delay in rolling out a National Strategy to combat COPD.

By contrast the February meeting had two speakers and a good attendance. We welcomed back local historian and film archivist Tony Blake who gave us a brilliant show covering Whitstable and Tankerton from the 1900s to the 1990s. We saw extraordinary 1910 film of the back breaking work involved in landing oysters, dramatic footage of the 1953 floods, and, more recently Peter Cushing’s moving funeral passage through the town. All this alongside film of carnivals, regattas, and other regular highlights of Whitstable town life. Tony stayed for the entire meeting and we are very grateful to him for refusing a fee.

After the tea break we welcomed our second guest Dr Ian Morrison from the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts & Health. Ian wants to set up singing groups with Breathe Easy members in East Kent as part of a research project into the benefits of singing for people with lung disease. We had a lively discussion and members were very enthusiastic. The singing starts in September, so if you are interested or want information, call us or come along to a meeting. You don’t have to have a great voice or any singing experience.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Active 4 Life

Siobhan and Alex two of the Physiotherapists from the Specialist Respiratory Team started the meeting by telling us all about Pulmonary Rehabilitation. They explained how breathlessness in COPD leads to inactivity which in turn leads to muscle wasting and then further breathlessness. This cycle of inactivity can be broken by Pulmonary Rehabilitation classes which is an eight week tailored programme of exercise, relaxation and education. Classes are held twice weekly and are designed specifically for people with chronic lung conditions.

The classes aim to improve quality of life and promote self-management by increasing awareness of your disease. The first class starts with an assessment of your exercise level which is reviewed again at the final session. The other sessions begin with an exercise circuit and include an educational discussion or talk on a topic relevant to COPD.

There are usually up to 14 people in the class, all of varying abilities and each person is encouraged to exercise at their own level and pace. The classes are very informal and many of our members have made lasting friendships through their Pulmonary Rehab classes.

Those of our members who have previously been on a Pulmonary Rehab course were interested to find out that they may be eligible to go on a top-up course after 18/24 months. To find out more call the Respiratory Team on 01227 594640.

Once people have completed Pulmonary Rehabilitation classes many are looking for a way to continue the exercises and this is where Active 4 Life classes come in. Carol Gillatt took over the meeting at this point and explained about the range of classes available in the area, ranging from Gentle Active 4 Life, Aqua 4 Life, A4L Gym to Advanced Active 4 Life. You need to be referred to join a class, usually by a GP, a nurse or the Pulmonary Rehab physios for example. Classes are held in Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay. For more information see the website www.activelifeltd.co.uk

Buteyko

A dozen stalwart members and several new ones braved another snow storm in February to hear Eileen McShane talk about Buteyko. Buteyko is an alternative treatment discovered in Russia and initially aimed at asthma with a high degree of success. It is now claimed to improve many other conditions too, and works through limiting hyperventilation and conserving carbon dioxide within the body. This is controversial as a treatment for emphysema whose frequent retention of carbon dioxide is often a major problem. So our members with this condition were very interested to meet Eileen and learn her views on the relevance of Buteyko for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the whole range of lung conditions which our member are living with.

Such was the interest from our members that questions went on right through tea time as Eileen also demonstrated EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping, a technique thought to channel the same energies as acupunture and reduce anxiety and calm breathing.

World COPD Day

Boots the Chemist were very happy to welcome the BE Canterbury and District group into their Whitefriars branch in Canterbury to hold an awareness stand on World COPD Day. The event was well supported, with the primary care trust specialist respiratory team sending four of their staff, and the BLF's Tina Patel and Mollie Jackson, our previous Chair, also being with us. Besides several of the committee staffing the stand, members of the group visited, and the respiratory staff carried out lung function testing. We were able to spread the word about the BE group, and several members of the public expressed interest and may attend. It was pleasant to hold this friendly, vibrant and successful event indoors and we are very grateful to Boots for their welcome and cooperation.