Ystradgynlais Christmas Fair

Once again the Miner's Welfare was host to the Ysradgynlais Christmas Fair. We took along our dolls and other novelties and joined the other stall holders in a very pleasant day. A slow start soon became a bustle and we made £75 for our Breathe Easy group.

 It certainly reminded me that Christmas is just around the corner and I need to get my skates on if I am to get myself organised this year.

EPP - Expert Patients Program

Lawrence Thomas, and his wife Sandra, very kindly came to visit us on Friday. Lawrence spoke about his very positive experiences with EPP and how he has gone on to become a tutor. It was very interesting to hear how the program helps people to gain control of their chronic condition and learn how to live with it. People with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) have joined an EPP course depressed, scared to try walking or going out, and they finish the course changed people. It gives them confidence to manage symptoms, pace themselves. Often they make new friends, isolation can become a thing of the past.

What's not to like about it ? We are concerned about chronic lung conditions such as COPD, but all people with a chronic condition should enrol on one of these courses and change their lives, maybe become a tutor themselves. All you need to do is ask your GP or respiratory nurse about your nearest course and enrol. It's a seven week course and just three hours a week. You will cover breathing exercises, life management, relaxation, sleep, medication and understanding and dealing with depression and anxiety. You will be supported by qualified medical professionals and your patient tutor - after all, who knows better how you feel than someone who is living with the same condition ?

Thank you Lawrence and Sandra for taking the time to share your experiences with us.

Garden Birds with Amanda Skull

Amanda visited our group four years ago, so it was nice to be able to welcome her back to hear more news on the fluctuations of bird populations over the years. We have lots of house sparrows in our garden using the nest boxes two or three times a year to raise broods. Four years ago it was bluetits using these same boxes. Ten years ago our bird table was mobbed by starlings, now we hardly ever see one.
if you woulds like to know more about the BTO (British Trust for Ornitholigy)
contact www.bto.org/gbw
email gbw@bto.org
Twitter @BTO_GBW

Getting involved

Tina Evans, from Disability Wales organised an afternoon in the Resource Centre in Baglan. We had the use of the big meeting room to learn more about the internet and how it can be useful, a source of pleasure, information, fun and communication. It made a nice change to meet in a place other than our usual location.
The Welsh Government is funding people like Tina to meet groups of disabled and older people to make sure that all those who want to be connect find it easy to do so. This is important as more and more things such as banking, benefits, social housing etc are managed on the internet now.
It certainly beats waiting around in busy banks and offices. I do a lot of shopping online now and it certainly saves whole afternoons of searching for items "not in stock" at smaller branches.

Carisbrooke Castle

Tales of power, defence, treachery, design and captivity, Phil Bowen told the tale well, with illustrations.

Castles are a wonderful legacy and show us how we have evolved as a nation over the years. The original castle was a Norman motte and bailey but later additions provided comfortable living quarters.

The first glass was used in this castle so that the ladies could sit near the windows in the colder weather, to do their sewing and embroidery, without feeling the cold winds.

Charles I was help prisoner here before his execution. Two of his children were kept with him and his daughter Elizabeth died in the castle.

A hot afternoon

We were sorry not to see Tina Evans last week, and learn from her digital training session. We all have something to learn about new ways of communicating with each other and officialdom. However, sadly it was not to be. Tina had a stinking cold so we decided it best to postpone the session until September. We are going to look for another venue with WIFI, then we will get much more out of the session.
We had a lovely meeting though, welcoming two new members and Helen, our physiotherapist paid us a visit. she is off to New Zealand soon, lucky her, but she leaves a void which causes concern as the pulmonary rehab program can't continue without a physiotherapist. Our local health board, ABMU - Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board - won't be advertising her post until she has actually gone. So there is bound to be a delay before we get a new person in post and trained to do the rehab program. Such a shame as pulmonary rehab is so beneficial for all people living with COPD. We really don't need unnecessary delays in getting the program up and running again.

Breathe Easy Week 16th to 20th June 2014

Our theme for Breathe Easy Week this year is Breathlessness, and what to do about it. Should we ignore it - of course not. Will it clear up and go away - no, it needs to be dealt with.

Bethan Jenkins AM, Plaid Cymru, called in to see how we were getting on and she has pledged to help us make sure that our local health board follows the respiratory plan launched last month in the Senedd in Cardiff.


So, the message is this

• do you get out of breath going uphill ?
• are you breathless while getting dressed ?
• does having a wash and cleaning your teeth make you breathless ?
• what about washing, drying and styling your hair, can you manage to do that without getting breathless ?

If you answer yes to any of these, you need to see your doctor to get your lungs checked out.

Peter Black AM, Lib Dem, was interested to see the exercise room which is used for pulmonary rehab, and to hear that our physiotherapist is leaving us very soon and that her post won't be advertised until she has left, causing a delay into getting a new person into post and trained ready to run pulmonary rehab. All this causes us concern as it will mean longer waits for people who have been referred to actually get a place. We all know what a valuable tool the rehab course is in our fight against the debilitating effects of lung disease.

Breathe Easy Week was a great success for us. Lots of information was taken away. We have two new members for our Breathe Easy group and the support of two members of the Welsh Assembly.

 

Thank you to all who came along and stopped to browse or talk to us. It was a pleasure to meet you all.