Category: NHS

A Friendly Village & A Love Story

Mauchline village sign which features a bust of Robert Burns on top of the name Mauchline

Mauchline. The name of a village in Ayrshire, Scotland. This is a place where everyone knows each other and treats each other with friendliness and helpfulness. Home of poet Robert “Rabbie” Burns, this village has at its heart a busy road junction, where the B743 & A76 intersect. How does this small space connect with a love story? How does this junction in particular play a part? Read on…

Main entrance of Rotherham hospital

It’s 2019, and I’m living in Rotherham, working at the local hospital, and single. I registered with a dating site for disabled people. I soon get chatting to a lady from Scotland who seems interesting and interested. Our online chats evolved into phone conversations over several months; I was surprised by her pronounced Scottish brogue. I express this surprise to her for some crazy reason; I mean, what did I expect? That faux pas doesn’t seem to put her off, thankfully.

After a couple of months we agree to meet for a date. This is exciting for me for two reasons: the usual first date nerves and the road trip. There is a distance of 250 miles and, according to the sat nav, this will take around five hours to cover. I love a road trip!

A scenic shot which features a sweeping landscape and a white car

My route comprises picking up the A1 north from Rotherham, leaving the A1 at Scotch Corner and jumping onto the A66 to cross over from east to west before then taking the M6/M74 north and crossing the border into Scotland. The drive is scenic; I have the music up loud and life feels good.

Leaving the M74 at junction 12 I take the road to Ayr (A70), which I follow for quite a few miles before turning off onto the B743 signposted for Sorn, and loving the drive on this twisting country road, where villages and hamlets pass by almost in a blur. Rounding a bend on top of a hill, I enter a village whose sign declares it to be Mauchline. Aggressive speed bumps menace the downhill. To the right is what appears to be a school, explaining the speed humps. I come to what looks like a large junction, controlled by traffic lights. The sat nav guides me to turn left and then turn right to continue on the road to Ayr. I see a gift shop named Many Thanks, and there’s a pharmacy and a Co-op. I left the village behind and didn’t think any more about it.

I will follow this routine every weekend for the next three years. Sometimes I leave on a Friday evening after finishing work for the week, sometimes leaving Rotherham early on the Saturday morning instead. I pass through the village of Mauchline on every journey, never giving it a second thought. It’s just a set of traffic lights and a junction and it flashes by.

In 2022, I was retired from my NHS role due to ill-health and an inability to continue to fulfil my role. Later in the year, my lady and I go to Blackpool for a weekend. My partner books tickets to two shows, with the second being a country music tribute night. Unbeknownst to her, I’ve arranged with the venue to propose to her on stage before the show starts.

Calling my lady onto the stage, the host tells her she’s won a prize. Bewildered, she makes her way onto the stage and I follow. Upon my arrival, the host handed me the microphone, and my mind went blank. Perfect timing. I’d had a bit of a speech planned and rehearsed, but that all goes out the window, so I just look at my lady and then sink to one knee, pull the ring box out of my pocket and utter those famous words, “Will you marry me? The answer is yes, and the ring fits perfectly on her tiny finger, as I’d craftily found out her size from her mother.

The audience cheers, and we leave the stage, back to our table and me shaking and struggling to leave the stage. When the first act appears, he dedicates his set to us and wishes us well for the future.

At this point I’m still making the 10-hour round trip to and from Ayr but, having retired, I don’t have to be back home for work on Mondays. While we make plans for our wedding in 2024, we also look for places we could make our marital home. We investigate places in Girvan, Ayr, and other places, and eventually find a nice, quaint-looking bungalow.

A bungalow with its drive way

Can you guess where this house might be? I bet you can. Of course, it’s in Mauchline, just a few seconds away from that junction I mentioned earlier. The one I’ve been casually driving through for the past three years without a second thought. In January 2023, I moved in and discovered how friendly the people of the village are, from our neighbours to the ladies in the pharmacy among others.

Daniel and Elizabeth Anderson-McIntyre. Daniel is wearing red tartan and Elizabeth is wearing a white and red wedding dress.

In 2024, my lady moves in with me and on August 31st 2024 we are married at the Fairfield House hotel in Ayr, in a humanist ceremony.

A white peugeot 3008 with red wedding ribbon attached
Pink and red t-shirts. The pink one reads Wifey established 31/08/24 and the red one reads hubby established 31/08/24
A plate holding some sweet treats. It has the text Elizabeth and Daniel 31/8/24 piped on in icing.
Daniel with his brother Paul and sister Donna
Daniel and Elizabeth hold hands while the humanist celebrant reads their personal vows out.
DAniel and Elizabeth look at each other as Daniel is speaking into a microphone.

I still adore the village, even after two years.

Interoception: The Inner Sense That Shapes our Experience

Introduction

Along with alexithymia, my autism diagnosis also made me aware of my lack of interoception. This has been a lifelong issue for me.

What is Interoception?

Interoception is our ability to perceive and interpret signals coming from within our own bodies. It’s an internal sense that informs us about the physiological state of our body, such as hunger, thirst, temperature, and internal pain. This sense can be both conscious and subconscious, and it plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis and facilitating self-awareness.

The Causes of Interoceptive Dysregulation

Interoceptive dysregulation can arise from a variety of sources. It’s often associated with mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, panic disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, alexithymia, somatic symptom disorder, and illness anxiety disorder. Misrepresentations of internal states or a disconnect between the body’s signals and the brain’s interpretation of those signals are suggested to underlie these conditions.

Treatments and Techniques for Managing Interoception

Several approaches exist to enhance interoceptive awareness and regulation:

Mindfulness and meditation: These practices can enhance one’s awareness of bodily sensations and help regulate emotional responses.

Talking therapies: Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and other psychotherapies can assist individuals in better understanding and responding to their interoceptive signals.

Interoceptive training: Specific exercises that focus on recognising and responding to internal bodily sensations can be beneficial.

Aligning dimensions of interoceptive experience (Adie): A novel therapy that involves interoceptive heartbeat training to align interoceptive experience.

Conclusion

Interoception is a vital but often overlooked aspect of our sensory experience. By understanding and managing our interoceptive signals, we can improve our emotional regulation and overall mental well-being.

Understanding Alexithymia: The Challenge of Emotional Blindness

Introduction

In my autism diagnosis journey, and after several sessions meeting other autistic people through the National Autistic Society for Scotland in their Embrace Autism group sessions, I have come to realise that I can’t, and have never been able, to pinpoint what I’m feeling (emotionally) at any given time. This is a condition linked to autism that is named Alexithymia.

What is Alexithymia?

Alexithymia, often described as “emotional blindness,” is a condition characterised by difficulty in identifying, expressing, and describing emotions. It’s not just about being less emotional; it’s about having a hard time understanding what you’re feeling at any given moment. People with alexithymia might find themselves confused when asked how they feel, or they may struggle to recognise the emotions of others.

The Roots of Alexithymia

Although not fully understood, the causes of alexithymia could be influenced by genetics, brain structure, and early life experiences. Some studies suggest it could be related to damage in the insula, a part of the brain involved in empathy and emotional awareness. It’s also associated with various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders.

Living with Alexithymia

For those with alexithymia, everyday interactions can be challenging. They might appear distant or uninterested because they don’t express emotions in a typical way. This can lead to misunderstandings in personal relationships and difficulties in social situations.

While there’s no specific treatment for alexithymia, therapy can help improve emotional awareness and expression. Techniques like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness practices can assist individuals in better understanding their own emotions and the emotions of others.

Conclusion

Alexithymia is a complex condition that affects how people perceive and express emotions. By recognising its presence and understanding its implications, we can create more supportive environments for those who experience the world differently.

Urinary catheters: what they are and how they can help

Urinary catheters are flexible tubes that are used to drain the bladder and collect urine in a drainage bag or a valve. They can be inserted through the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) or through a small opening in the lower abdomen (the tummy). Urinary catheters are usually inserted by doctors or nurses in hospital or in the community.

There are different types of urinary catheters, depending on how long they are needed and how they are inserted. The main types are:

I have a Supra-Pubic Catheter. This is a tube that is inserted into a hole in my lower abdomen, just beneath my belly button, and directly into my bladder. I had the surgery for this in May 2018 after approximately 10 years of self-catheterising, which is inserting a tube into the urethra and into the bladder several times per day in order to drain the bladder. My hands got too unsteady to do this without causing significant pain and trauma. I made the decision to have surgery for an SPC and I’ve never looked back. Every 8 weeks a district nurse calls by my home to change the catheter.

Urinary catheters can have various benefits for people who have difficulty peeing naturally. They can:

However, urinary catheters can also have some risks and challenges, such as:

To reduce the risks and challenges of using urinary catheters, you should follow some general advice:

Urinary catheters are flexible tubes that are used to drain the bladder and collect urine in a drainage bag or a valve. They can be inserted through the urethra or through a small opening in the lower abdomen. There are different types of urinary catheters, depending on how long they are needed and how they are inserted. Urinary catheters can have various benefits for people who have difficulty peeing naturally, but they can also have some risks and challenges. To reduce these, you should choose the right type of catheter for your needs and preferences, keep your catheter clean and well-maintained, drink plenty of fluids, and seek support if you need it.

Using hearing aids: tips and advice

Hearing aids are small devices that fit in or behind your ear and can help you to hear sound louder and more clearly. They are battery-operated and have a microphone that picks up the sounds around you. These sounds are processed and amplified electronically, passed on to a receiver and converted back into sounds that you can hear.

Hearing aids can improve your quality of life by helping you to communicate, enjoy social activities, and stay safe and independent. However, they may also require some adjustment and maintenance to get the best results. Here are some tips and advice on using hearing aids:

Using hearing aids can help you hear better and improve your quality of life. However, they may also require some adjustment and maintenance to get the best results. By following these tips and advice on using hearing aids, you can make the most of your hearing experience.

What is Sensorineural Deafness and how does it affect people?

Because of my MS, in 2017 I found I was struggling with hearing.  Specifically, in hearing people speaking to me in noisy environments and not being able to hear people speaking to me if I wasn’t facing them.  I also found I’ve been lipreading for a number of years without even being aware of it.

Sensorineural deafness, also known as sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), is a type of hearing loss that affects the inner ear or the nerve pathways that carry sound signals to the brain. It is the most common cause of permanent hearing loss in adults, accounting for more than 90% of cases.

Sensorineural deafness can have various causes, such as:

In my case the reason for my deafness was nerve damage caused by my MS.

Sensorineural deafness can affect one or both ears and can range from mild to profound. It can also affect different frequencies of sound differently. People with sensorineural deafness may experience:

  • Difficulty hearing soft or distant sounds
  • Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments
  • Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds, such as children’s voices or birdsong
  • Tinnitus: a ringing, buzzing, hissing, or humming sound in the ears
  • Vertigo: a sensation of spinning or losing balance
  • Hyperacusis: an increased sensitivity to loud sounds

Sensorineural deafness can have a significant impact on your quality of life and well-being. It can affect your communication, social interaction, education, employment, safety, and mental health. However, there are ways to cope with sensorineural deafness and improve your hearing experience. These include:

  • Hearing aids: These are devices that fit in or behind your ear and amplify the sounds around you. They are programmed to suit your level and type of hearing loss and can be adjusted to different situations. Hearing aids can help you hear better and reduce your tinnitus. You can get hearing aids from the NHS or from a private provider.
  • Cochlear implants: These are devices that are surgically implanted in your inner ear and stimulate the auditory nerve directly with electrical signals. They bypass the damaged hair cells and nerve fibres and provide sound information to your brain. Cochlear implants can help you hear better and understand speech more clearly. They are suitable for people with severe to profound sensorineural deafness who do not benefit from hearing aids.
  • Assistive listening devices: These are devices that enhance the sound input from specific sources, such as telephones, TVs, radios, or microphones. They can be used with or without hearing aids or cochlear implants. They include induction loops, infrared systems, FM systems, Bluetooth devices, amplified phones, TV listeners, etc.
  • Communication strategies: These are techniques that help you communicate more effectively with others. They include speaking clearly and slowly; facing the speaker; using lipreading; using gestures; using written notes; choosing quiet and well-lit places; asking for repetition or clarification; etc.
  • Support services: These are services that provide information, advice, guidance, and support for people with sensorineural deafness and their families. They include audiologists, hearing therapists, speech and language therapists, counsellors, social workers, teachers of the deaf, etc.
  • Support groups: These are groups that offer peer support, emotional support, and social activities for people with sensorineural deafness and their families. They include local groups, national groups, online groups, etc.

The audiologist who I saw initially prescribed a pair of Oticon hearing aids, and then upgraded them to Phonak aids, allowing me to keep the Oticons as a spare set.  All my aids are red, my favourite colour, as I am bald and they are always visible.  The NHS doesn’t usually allow adults to choose colours but they made an exception for me when I explained my reasons.  My moulds (the bit that sits inside the ear) are also red.  The champagne-coloured items attached to the bottom of my aids in the picture below are Roger X receivers.  They are paired with a set of portable microphones that I can take to meetings and use to hear speakers more clearly.

A pair of red Phonak hearing aids with Roger X receivers attached.

My aids are programmed to my personal audiogram to allow me to hear as normally as possible. They are also programmed with some optional settings. There is a bass boost feature that is turned on, as well as a speech-in-noise setting that allows me to filter out some background noise and hear speech in front of me. This is most effective when I am actually looking at the person speaking to me. There is also the good old T-coil setting programmed in, which allows the aids to connect to a loop system where available.

Sensorineural deafness is a type of hearing loss that affects the inner ear or the nerve pathways that carry sound signals to the brain. It can have various causes, such as ageing, noise exposure, genetic factors, infections, ototoxic drugs, or other conditions. Sensorineural deafness can affect your quality of life and well-being, but there are ways to cope with it and improve your hearing experience. These include hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, communication strategies, support services, and support groups.

Matt Hancock and the NHS Rainbow Badge

Having seen Matt Hancock sporting an NHS rainbow badge on TV I wondered if he actually had any idea as to its origin or purpose, or whether he was just wearing it as rainbows have now become synonymous with the NHS?
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I couldn’t help wondering also if his wearing the badge and the proliferation of rainbows being used as a show of support for NHS staff might obstruct or dilute the actual purpose and message of the NHS rainbow badge scheme?

Some people are of the opinion, as seen here, that the rainbow badge is being used to denote or show solidarity for NHS staff who are part of the LGBT+ community or an ally, and whilst some of the staff wearing these badges may well be part of the community or allies, it’s important to remember that not all identify as being part of the LGBT+ community.

The NHS rainbow badge is a symbol that the NHS is an open, non-judgemental and inclusive place for people that identify as LGBT+ and that a badge-wearing member of NHS staff is a safe person to talk to for any patient or staff member to obtain support or advice on anything relating to LGBT+ matters.

The badge is a symbol that you can talk to NHS staff about who you are and how you feel. They will do their best to get support for you if you need it.

Initially the badges and the ability to talk, advise and support were aimed at young patients but anyone can talk to a badge-wearer in confidence and safety and in the knowledge that they will not be judged.

Badge-wearers are committed to a course of training and a pledge to provide unbiased, non-judgemental support to anyone identifying as LGBT+ before they are issued a badge.

For more info see the Evelina London page.  Home of the NHS rainbow badge.070220-NHS-rainbow-badge-scheme