"20-20 Voice" Cancer Appeal

Today I had a lovely conversation with a gentleman called Phil Johnson. Phil is the chairman of the "20-20 Voice" Cancer Appeal

Conversation is something we often take for granted but for some of you it can prove difficult. Often an acute shortness of breath can make it very difficult to express your needs or ask for help. In fact with many lung diseases its one of the danger signs that all is not well. If you have difficulty forming a sentence without gasping in between words then you should always seek medical advice.

Then imagine not being able to speak at all. Cancer is always an overwhelming diagnosis but if its cancer of the head or neck one outcome of your treatment could be or a stoma or hole in your throat, a tracheostomy, or laryngectomy which may leave you without the ability to speak.

ENT cancer is often overlooked. Fund raising and publicity quite sparse. That's where the "20-20 Voice" Cancer Appeal comes in.

Their aim is to provide up to the minute camera technology to ENT units nationwide. Early detection gives head & neck patients the best chance of retaining the power of speech. It gives ENT specialists not only the opportunity of an early diagnosis but the opportunity of immediate treatment which saves the patient unnecessary stress, providing a greater chance of avoiding major surgery and therefore saving hospitals valuable time and money. Their aim is to ensure that Head & Neck cancers get more acknowledgement

If you feel you could help or would simply like to find out more then why not click on the link below.

http://www.2020cancerappeal.org

Omron CompAir Pro NE C900 nebuliser

Omron Comp Air Pro NE C900

It's a big name for a nebuliser.
Weighing in at 2.2 kg its not the smallest nebuliser in the Omron range. It's also not particularly stylish or sophisticated but to steal a phrase from a well know varnish company  “it does what it says on the tin” or in this case, the box.

It is a no-nonsense, straight-forward compressor nebuliser which is simple to assemble, easy to maintain and comes with a three year warranty and at a very reasonable price.

The most important benefit for some of you will be the Smart Structure Kit  which is a fancy name for a simple but effective medication chamber which only has TWO PARTS !
No more lost baffles, mushrooms or vaporising heads. Call it what you will, they do go astray and as many of you have discovered without this small but essential item nothing happens.

The Omron C900 packs a punch which means it is suitable to be used with a wide range of nebuliser medications and has been designed to be compatible with alternative air tubes and chambers, so for those of you who are fortunate enough to still be supplied with accessories, the C900 nebuliser with its 3 year warranty could just fit the bill. To place an order click HERE

Getting ready for Christmas

Talking of Christmas 

Its good to see that you are all getting ready for Christmas and stocking up on spares and accessories.
And for those of you who haven't already don't forget to blow the cobwebs of your nebuliser when you get your decorations out of the cupboard, give it a good wipe down and check the motor is running efficiently.

If you need any nebuliser help or advice you can email or telephone us on 01942 701210 or you get find independent advice or other helpful seasonal advice our useful links. 


And don't forget to stock up on your Christmas Cards from our kindred spirits. 

Christmas Fayre

Don't forget to support your favourite organisation this year and check out their latest Christmas offerings which are on sale now.

Asthma UK

British Lung Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis Trust

World COPD Day November 14th 2012

GOLD!

For those of you of a certain age like us the word GOLD written in capitals should be followed by an exclamation mark and make you want to break out into a song. In this case however it stands for something a little more serious the  Global Initiative for Chronic Lung Disease  

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) works with health care professionals and public health officials to raise awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and to improve prevention and treatment of this lung disease for patients around the world.

The first World COPD Day was held in 2002. Each year organizers in more than 50 countries worldwide have carried out activities, making the day one of the world's most important COPD awareness and education events. This year November 14th will be World COPD Day with the theme “It’s Not Too Late.” a positive message chosen to emphasize the meaningful actions people can take to improve their respiratory health, at any stage before or after a COPD diagnosis.

If you want to find out how you can get involved on a more local level you can contact the British Lung Foundation or if you yourself are needing help and support why not check out just what is available locally. BLF across the UK

Update on Cystic Fibrosis Campaign

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust have received over 11,000 signatures to their e-petition regarding the cost and availability of Kalydeco for the treatment of some patients with CF.

This has now been sent with all your comments to Vertex and to the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG, set up by the NHS to make recommendations on Kalydeco), ahead of their meeting to discuss the recommendations on the funding of Kalydeco.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust  aim to keep the petition going until a decision on funding is made. They believe "that this transformational medicine should be made available to all those who need it as soon as possible"

You can read all latest news and read the submitted letter 

http://www.cftrust.org.uk/pressoffice/news/kalydeco_petition_sent

Getting involved

Often we are reluctant to get involved or speak out, but occasionally when something we feel passionate about comes along it can be worth while just taking a moment to state your case. The internet can make this so much easier and whatever your feelings about the internet one of the positives is that it can be so simple to get behind a campaign and the only thing that you need to exercise is your fingers.

The The Cystic Fibrosis Trust are currently asking us to sign their online petition concerning the transformational new treatment Kalydeco which can have significant clinical benefit for some Cystic Fibrosis suffers. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust are pushing for a swift resolution between the NHS and the treatment manufacturer over costing and availability so that all who would benefit from Kalydeco can receive treatment as soon as possible.

We have added our names to the petition and if you wish to find out more there is further information available here:

http://www.cftrust.org.uk/pressoffice/pressofficepo/kalydeco_updates/kalydecoqa#wiksf

Or you can sign simply sign their petition here:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/campaign-for-kalydeco

And if you want to find out more about the work of Cystic Fibrosis Trust or get in touch why not check out their website:

http://www.cftrust.org.uk