Patient Experience of Mechanical Ventilation

https://youtu.be/sYYjzNS3c3A I was asked to record a video for part of the Respiratory Critical Care session at the European Respiratory Society Congress. The session was titled "New Developments in Mechanical Ventilation and Ventilator Weaning" and my video was to focus on my experience of being weaned from a ventilator. Im not going to lie it… Continue reading Patient Experience of Mechanical Ventilation

Inhaler industry + tobacco industry= ……

not a good combination. A few weeks ago in the press there was a lot of interest in the story surrounding the UK inhaler group Vectura and Philip Morris International. Philip Morris International is one of the largest if not the largest tobacco company in the world. Vectura is a pharmaceutical company in the UK… Continue reading Inhaler industry + tobacco industry= ……

Feeling like the odd one out at ICU support group

How can you feel like the odd one out at an ICU support group? I have written before many times that due to my asthma I end up in ICU a lot. I have written about my time in ICU and what happened but I don't think I have written much about the psychological impact… Continue reading Feeling like the odd one out at ICU support group

More ICU Flashbacks

I have written a lot over the years about my experience of being in ICU particularly the last admission to ICU which has really haunted me but I have managed to calm those terrors until now that is. It is really hard to get through your day without hearing or seeing something about corona virus… Continue reading More ICU Flashbacks

2019 the good, the bad & the ugly

With the new year fast approaching I like to reflect back on how the year has been and what I have achieved. Last years post can be found here . My thought for 2019 was: 2019 is going to be a great year, a year to focus on achieving the best health I can and enjoy… Continue reading 2019 the good, the bad & the ugly

Making tough decisions

I was so happy and excited when my Mum said we were going to be going skiing in January. (I have not skied in over 6 years now. Once my life, I ski raced, I did race training and was on the slopes whenever I could. I moved to Canada to pursue my dream career).… Continue reading Making tough decisions

Why does a journalist want to do a feature on his sister with asthma??

Recently I shared a link to a story my brother wrote. It was about me living my life with severe asthma.  He is a journalist with the Daily Record and is doing some pieces on asthma, smoking on hospital sites (one of my hobby horses) and some other things. (I apparently don't have many photos… Continue reading Why does a journalist want to do a feature on his sister with asthma??

No-one is immune from a near fatal asthma attack.

Once again asthma has been in the press for all the wrong reasons. Despite the National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) in 2014 it appears nothing has got much better. It was announced that asthma deaths in England and Wales (Scotland was not mentioned) are at their highest in over a decade. Over the years… Continue reading No-one is immune from a near fatal asthma attack.