Wheezy Does It grew from one person’s experience of diagnosis, flare-ups and having to search for information that should have been easier to understand and access.
Just after the COVID lockdowns, I returned to work and began finding ordinary things much harder. Walking upstairs left me short of breath, and even walking around one hundred metres could feel difficult. Because I also had a runny nose, I assumed I had a cold.
A friend at work encouraged me to get a COVID test. The result was negative, but people around me could see that I looked unwell and persuaded me to visit a walk-in centre. There, I was told I might have COPD as well as a severe cold or flu. I was given antibiotics and steroids and needed time away from work to recover.
After recovering, I saw my doctor and attended hospital for chest X-rays. Once the results were available, I received an appointment with a COPD consultant. That was the beginning of learning about the condition and what living with it would mean.
The journey was not straightforward. I experienced repeated COPD flare-ups and often felt that important practical information was not being explained clearly enough.
Around two years after diagnosis, a friend working in administration saw that I was unwell and asked whether I was using my rescue pack. I did not know enough about rescue packs or whether one should form part of my own treatment plan. That conversation led me to ask my healthcare team more questions about the medication and support appropriate for me.
I realised that learning how to manage COPD was taking more effort than it should. Too often, I had to discover which questions to ask only after something had already gone wrong.
I started Wheezy Does It so that other people living with COPD—and those supporting them—could find clearer information, practical resources and a more compassionate starting point.
The rescue-pack conversation mattered, but it highlighted a wider problem: people can leave appointments without fully understanding their condition, their treatment or what they should do when symptoms change.
A rescue pack is not suitable for everybody and should only be used when it has been prescribed as part of an individual COPD plan. The important lesson was not simply “get a rescue pack”; it was that every person deserves clear explanations, an individual action plan and the confidence to ask questions.
Good support should help people understand their own plan before they urgently need it.
That principle now sits at the centre of what Wheezy Does It is trying to build.
These principles guide how Wheezy Does It will present information and support the COPD community.
Health information should be written in language people can understand and use.
People should know their individual plan before a flare-up or difficult day arrives.
People living with COPD deserve support that listens without judgement.
Lived experience becomes more powerful when it helps somebody else feel less alone.
Wheezy Does It is developing into a focused COPD charity built around practical help, responsible information and lived experience.
The aim is not to replace doctors, nurses or respiratory teams. It is to help people understand the questions they may need to ask, find reliable resources and feel more confident seeking professional support.
Tell us what information, support or practical resources would make living with COPD a little easier.