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.

Strawberries and Summer Bonnets

We had a very jolly and successful Strawberry Tea in July with lots of things going on. The tables were beautifully decorated with posies of flowers along with plates of scones, strawberries and lots of cream, all of which added to the atmosphere. As well as the tea we had a fun game courtesy of Jim – a race on his sound and light machine with some fun prizes for the best 3 competitors. We also had a decorated summer bonnet competition and some excellent entries for that. The hat decorations were very varied and included fruit, flowers, cocktail umbrellas, and miniature ‘windmills’ to give a few examples. The winning hat however was strikingly decorated by Janet Curtis with lovely shells and had a band around it saying ‘she sells sea shells at the sea shore.’

We also had some visitors to our tea – Joanne came from the British Lung Foundation to give us an update. The BLF is having to streamline and Joanne, along with the other Development Officers, are losing their jobs. Joanne was starting a new job the following week so it gave us the chance to say farewell to her. The Breathe Easy network will be supported in future by a team in Liverpool known as BLF Direct. Our other visitors were Karen Cotter from the Pulmonary Rehabilitation team and two new members of the team - Carol the Rehab team’s new secretary and Anita the new Specialist Respiratory Nurse who will be based in Faversham. We rounded the afternoon off with a raffle which raised a much appreciated £35.

Fun Day on the Slopes

The group joined in the Fun Day on Tankerton Slopes to raise a bit of money selling books, plants and toys and to raise awareness of our group. We were joined in the afternoon by the singing for breathing group, now calling themselves The Inspirations which earned a bit more money and raised spirits too.

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.