Trailblazing city medics have given me my life back ; ANUJI VARMA meets the asthma sufferer who was once at death's door but is now leading an active... [Birmingham Mail (UK)]

Trailblazing city medics have given me my life back ; ANUJI VARMA meets the asthma sufferer who was once at death's door but is now leading an active lifestyle with the help of Birmingham doctors and a clever gizmo

GASPING for breath, Anthony McGuinness's life flashed before him.

He was suffering from another asthma attack - and this one seemed to be as deadly as the others.

The father-of-three, from New Oscott, Birmingham, was rushed to hospital where he underwent life-saving S treatment.

But when he took a turn for the worse, medics had to resort to giving him the powerful horse tranquilliser Ketamine.

"I had an attack at home and called 999," recalls Anthony, 48, who suffers from the serious form of the condition called Brittle Asthma.

"An ambulance came and rushed me to hospital where I stabilised and was expected to get better.

"But through the night my breathing deteriorated and when I woke up a nurse was sitting on my bed. Unbeknownst to me she had been listening to my breathing for a while.

"Within minutes I had three doctors from intensive care and a nurse around my bed who said I had not had a good night and needed to go to intensive care. My breathing deteriorated again and I was gasping so they gave me intravenous medication. But it still wasn't working so I was given Ketamine. They actually give it to horses, it is quite a powerful drug."

It was administered to help him relax and it did the trick. Anthony, who was left overweight as a result of his condition, was then put on a CPAP machine, which assists breathing and slowly he started getting better.

Since the terrifying incident where he was given the drug in 2008, the budding actor has made a remarkable improvement in his condition - My deteriorated I wa- and it's all thanks to a new device being used at Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital to monitor asthmatics.

Under the care of specialist Dr Adel Mansur, Anthony has been treated with a machine called FeNO. so they me medication. it still working given They give it to it is quite powerful Anthony Caesar The device monitors the amount of gas nitric oxide in exhaled breath, which is essential when diagnosing the condition and determining the amount of prescribed steroids that should be given to a patient. It can ensure asthma is the correct diagnosis rather than another condition.

And since being regularly checked with the device, Anthony has never had to return to intensive care - and has even lost five stone as a result of being able to exercise again.

He says: "I have breathed into the machine as part of my on- going assessments and on my last visit the nurse told me for the first time the FeNO measure showed my breathing was actually that of a normal person.

"My asthma has improved vastly thanks to the care I have had and my own efforts and the machine has helped to show me evidence of exactly how far I have come.

"I used to take two different inhaled steroids and oral steroids when I was at my worst. They caused my face and body to swell and I felt dreadful. Now I just have one combined inhaler and I am able to manage my asthma at home."

Anthony was born with the illness but up until the age of four medics believed he had bronchitis. As he got older his symptoms became worse and it resulted in him missing chunks of schooling.

As a result, he was sent to a special boarding school, joining other asthma sufferers.

"I spent most of my childhood in and out of hospital but the school I went to was very good," he recalls. "There was a specialist nurse there and we were taught breathing techniques to help us cope with our asthma. I remember when I used to come home in the holidays, I'd want to go out and play with my friends or go running.

"But my mum wouldn't let me and I would think she was being cruel.

"I used to watch them from the window and think 'why can't I do that'."

When Anthony reached 17, his asthma seemed to disappear and he entered a strict fitness regime, running twice a day. He even had dreams of becoming a professional footballer.

But it was short-lived and at 21 it came back with a vengeance. It meant he piled on the pounds as he was unable to exercise and he spent more time in hospital.

"At my heaviest I was 17 stone 8lbs and I remember looking in the mirror thinking I didn't like what was looking back. Then I had the episode with the Ketamine. I guess that was the turning point," he explains. "It had become very dangerous and it was then that I was told about Dr Mansur and his work.

"I started seeing him and noticed there was an improvement straight away. Now in the past five years I have gone down to 12st 5lbs and am much better."

He has also taken up karate and is once again leading more of an active life and hopes to continue with acting after landing roles in Lark Rise to Candleford and Julius Caesar at the RSC in Stratfordupon-Avon.

He has also taken a mentoring role on the Expert Patient Programme to help other people cope with living with long term conditions including asthma.

"It was mind over matter and I concentrated on getting well," he adds. "I thought I could either stay like this or focus on getting well. That was just before I started having my care with Dr Mansur and his team. They have been amazing.

"However I am still mindful of my limitations as I know things can deteriorate rapidly."

'' My breathing deteriorated and I was gasping so they gave me intravenous medication. But it still wasn't working so I was given Ketamine. They actually give it to horses, it is quite a powerful drug ANTHONY MCGUINNESS

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