Let’s Talk Lung Transplants
An online education session to discuss lung transplantation for lung fibrosis patients will take place on Wednesday 2nd September at 4pm.
Zita Lawlor, Transplant Coordinator at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital will join the meeting and answer your questions.
Please register and send in your questions in advance to Gemma by calling 086 871 5264 or emailing info@ilfa.ie.
ILFA Ireland‘s next online Support Group Meeting will take place on Tuesday 18 August at 11am.
Join our online tea-party with your favorite cup and a treat, and meet others for a light-hearted chat.
Please register for the meeting in advance by calling Gemma on 086 871 5264 or emailing info@ilfa.ie
After all we have been through over the last few months, this will be a wonderful opportunity to make time for tea with the ones you love and have an extra special catch-up. You can organise afternoon tea with all the trimmings, a Zoom/ Skype/Virtual cup of tea online if your pals can’t meet in person, a Teddy Bears Party with the little ones in your life, a Mad Hatters Tea Party with everyone dressing up or a garden party with social distancing. It’s time to get planning – decide on when, where and who will be invited! Your tea party can take place at a time and date that suits you!
https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/ilfa-tea-party-2020
Let’s Talk Pulmonary Function Tests – an online education session to discuss pulmonary function tests for lung fibrosis patients will take place on Tuesday 4th August at 4pm.
Ciaran Heatley, Respiratory Physiologist at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital will join the meeting and answer your questions.
Please register and send in your questions in advance to Gemma by calling 086 871 5264 or emailing info@ilfa.ie.
Calling all healthcare professionals … the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association is pleased to offer educational bursaries to respiratory healthcare professionals working with lung fibrosis patients to study Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The course will be delivered online (September-October) and will require a minimum commitment of 15 hours e-learning & 10 hours participatory (Teams & skills practice) online sessions.
The course will cover;
* CBT theory
* Assessing patients using the CBT model
* Cognitive and behavioural techniques
* Case study practice and presentations
After completing this course, you should be able to:
1. Understand the basics of CBT
2. Understand why CBT is useful for the treatment of depression and anxiety
3. Identify patients under psychological distress
4. Use basic CBT skills and techniques to help address psychological distress.
Please email info@ilfa.ie for an application form
Hospital Visits
If you have a hospital appointment or tests coming up, try not to be too anxious about visiting the hospital. Rest assured that all safety measures and precautions are in place to ensure your safety and the safety of staff.
A member of the team may contact you in advance of your appointment to see how you are doing, to talk you through the procedures for attending the hospital and to discuss how you will be seen and your tests carried out.Although the timing and way in which things are done has changed, hospitals are open and safe. Remember to wear a face covering, wash your hands, use alcohol hand-gel if necessary and maintain social distancing.
1) Don’t keep putting things off
If you constantly put things off until another time, you won’t be able to catch up with yourself. The longer your “things to do” list is playing on your mind, the more stress it will cause you. Try to do one extra thing each day and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
2) Taking tablets
Sometimes having to take lots of tablets or large pills can be difficult for patients. It is important to take your time and be patient when taking your medicine. Try taking a few deep breaths to relax and then swallow your pills slowly one at a time. Have a glass of water to hand. If you find it difficult to swallow tablets, try taking them in a spoonful of yoghurt
3) Medication
If you are prescribed a new medication, always ask your doctor and pharmacist what the medication is for. You should ask for clear instructions on how you should take the medication, how often you should take it and at what time, and if you need to take it with food or not? All medication can cause unwanted side-effects and its a good idea to know what these are and to tell your doctor if you feel unwell or develop new symptoms.
Never take Over-The-Counter (non-prescription) medication without checking with your doctor or pharmacist first, in case there could be a drug interaction with your regular medication.
4) Good hand hygiene and clean hands can help protect against infection
Read this valuable advice from the Mayo Clinic to learn about the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of hand washing, understand when to wash your hands, how to properly use hand sanitiser and how to get children into the habit.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/hand-washing/art-20046253
5) Self-isolate to stay safe
All patients diagnosed with lung fibrosis (pulmonary fibrosis) should immediately self-isolate if not already doing so. This advice was communicated to ILFA today by respiratory consultants and is essential to ensure your safety as a vulnerable patient with a serious underlying rspiratory condition.
In addition, wash your hands often, avoid touching your face, do not shake hands or have close physical contact with others.
For information on self-isolation, please see
https://www2.hse.ie/…/self-isolation-and-limited-social-int…
Stay safe everyone
“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.” Arthur C Clarke
“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” Orison Swett Marden
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” Dalai Lama
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your boy and your thoughts.” Thich Nhat Hanh
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” Lao Tzu
“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” Lao Tzu
“Life doesn’t require that we be the best, only that we try our best.” H. Jackson Brown Jr.
“The best thing to do when you find yourself in a hurting or vulnerable place is to surround yourself with the strongest, finest, most positive people you know.” Kristin Armstrong
“Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.” Matt Cameron
“Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe.” Wayne Dyer
“Let us be bold. Let us be brave. Let us be together.” Brad Henry
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” Walt Whitman
“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.” William Feather
“From caring comes courage”. Lao Tzu
“Joy, feeling one’s own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul.” Maria Montessori
“Whatever we are waiting for – peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance – it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.” Sarah Ban Breathnach
“There’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” Scott Adams
“Nature does nothing in vain” Aristotle
“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” Christopher Reeve
“Joy is increased by spreading it to others.” Robert Murray McCheyne
“From caring comes courage” Lao Tzu
“Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive”. Matt Cameron
“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Gerard Way
“Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution.” David Schwartz
