Hi Phil,
I thought I'd let you know my opinion on the
Flutter I ordered recently.
I have found it to be brilliant! Having had
Bronchiectasis for some time I have found it very difficult to be able to
cough up or clear the airways on my own. The physio has given both George and
me instruction on techniques which we have used (clapping etc) but it is not
always convenient to do this either due to pain, exhaustion or being in the
wrong place, i.e. theatre when needed to be able to breathe!
Having the Flutter has given me my independence
back. I carry it with me all the time in my trouser pocket and if I feel the
chest getting tight I can discreetly use it and clear, whereas before I would
feel the tension of not being able to breathe properly and the panic that this
brings.
It is particularly good as I am allergic to
inhalers so have had to rely, up to now, on breathing exercises and relaxing,
easier said than done. I also use inhalations and Potters Vegetable Cough
Remover .The latter makes the consultants laugh but does the trick and helps
keep the infections at bay.
It is very easy to use , clean ergonomically
friendly in shape and quiet to use as I found to my delight when visiting the
theatre the other day. No one knew I was using it as it was concealed in my
hand and couldn't be heard over the noise of the audience whilst in use. It
only needs a few blows to clear the blockage and then a few coughs does the
rest.
George said you wanted some criticism but it is
hard to find any. To knit pick, it tends to rattle in my pocket unless I put
my hand over it and, in light weight trousers is a little heavy but I don't
know what could be done to stop this. I can't think of a way to immobilise the
ball when not in use and I certainly wouldn't it any bulkier or with awkward
buttons etc on it to have to press so I am happy to live with this.
More seriously, is there a way of putting
something on it to make it make a sound in response to human voice, like car
key rings, so when it goes missing it could be found.? You should have seen
the panic the other day when I mislaid it and it took a day to find it, it was
like loosing part of me.
So in conclusion. The Flutter is a very useful
device to help anytime, anywhere, in any situation, and gives the owner a
feeling of a life line when wanting to clear the airways to be able to breath
better. It is easy to use and I think, psychologically, takes the panic out of
the situation, due to the fact that the act of holding something and getting
both auditory feedback and chest vibration , plus the fact of actually having
to take reasonable breaths to activate it, calms the body down before panic
has a chance to kick in.
It may sound silly but the device acts as a
"friend" in that together something is actually being done and choice and
control is handed back to the user who can then decide what the next step is,
i.e use inhaler, rest etc.. This is a device that is not to replace other
methods but work along side and the very portability of it means the user can
go on with daily life in the confidence there is something immediate at hand
when needed. I know breathing exercises etc can be done, but, for reasons
already stated ,personally I feel much more confident since having my Flutter.
The Portable nebuliser I also bought for using
with saline is also very good and lives up to its expectation. The fact it
is quiet is great and again, the fact I can take it anywhere is very useful.
Best wishes
Joyce [14th July 2005]
Reply from Clement Clarke
Dear Joyce,
Thank you for your comments sent to the Bear Street Pharmacy regarding our
Flutter device.
I am delighted that you have found the device to be so beneficial. I must
admit I wouldn't be without mine now.
You are right in saying it is a little heavy when you are wearing light
trousers, unfortunately the weight of the Flutter casing and ball ensure
that the vibrations generated when you breathe into the device are conducted
down into your airways, where they shake lose the mucus, and not lost into
your hand.
Just a little trick I use to stop the ball rattling when I'm not using my
Flutter; if you fold a small piece of paper and put it into the chamber with
the ball when not in use it will stop the noise. Make sure it is plain paper
though - paper towels, material and card tend to have fibres and dust that
fall off them which could aggravate your condition.
I'm sorry we can't actually put a "homing device" on the Flutter without
making it electronic, although we did have a request for it to be painted in
neon colours!
Thank you once again for your comments on the Flutter, we do like to hear
constructive customer feedback.
Kind regards
Chris
Chris Baxter MBA,MCIM
Product Manager (Therapeutics)
Clement-Clarke International
****************************************