Tag: Margaret Angus Research Fellowship

“You wake up soaked”: Mist Tents and Cystic Fibrosis

November 18, 2022

For those living with cystic fibrosis (CF) from the 1960s to mid-1970s, nights called for fog. People with CF would tuck into bed under a plastic canopy filled with a medicated mist, accompanied by one or more whirring compressors nebulizing solution all night long. These “mist tents,” as the devices were known, were considered a mainstay of CF treatment—until, abruptly (and perhaps mercifully), they weren’t. … More “You wake up soaked”: Mist Tents and Cystic Fibrosis

(IV) Hook-ups: Cystic fibrosis and intravenous antibiotics

September 4, 2022

Antibiotics have been a mainstay of CF treatment throughout the decades. This simple statement, however, obscures their various manifestations in the lives of people with CF. The principles may have been similar in 1950 and 1990, but the experiences were vastly different. Material culture illuminates the changes that textual references can obscure, as exemplified here by the objects of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment for CF lung infections. … More (IV) Hook-ups: Cystic fibrosis and intravenous antibiotics

The “Stuff” of Cystic Fibrosis

August 6, 2022

Since cystic fibrosis (CF) was identified in 1938, tens of thousands have lived with the severe genetic disease. Each experience has been individual, yet common threads run through, most notably experiences of healthcare. People with CF become well-acquainted with the clinic, the hospital, the pharmacy; the need to accommodate at home piles of pill bottles, physio devices, nebulizer set-ups, perhaps home IVs, feeding tubes, oxygen compressors, insulin. The lived experience of everyday life with CF in a large part resides in these objects and their environments. … More The “Stuff” of Cystic Fibrosis

The Lived Experience of COVID-19 in Canada presentation recording available

November 3, 2021

Savannah Sewell (MARF 2021) presented the results of her project, in which she endeavored to create a holistic and human narrative focused account of the lived experience of COVID-19. Savannah spoke to the hurdles and highlights of her experience in amassing a foundational COVID-19 Collection for the Museum of Health Care, and offered examples of the artifacts and narratives collected. … More The Lived Experience of COVID-19 in Canada presentation recording available

Recreation and Fun in the time of COVID-19

July 2, 2021

One of the most difficult aspects of everyday life for Canadians and Canadian residents during the COVID-19 pandemic has been occupying their time. In the spring of 2020, many people were excited by the two-week extension of March Break (in Ontario), an opportunity to have a few quiet weeks at home to curb the virus. As we all know, those two weeks have continued into 15 months of pandemic protocols, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders. … More Recreation and Fun in the time of COVID-19

Margaret Angus Research Fellowship 2021: Introducing Savannah Sewell!

May 18, 2021

Each year, the Museum of Health Care welcomes applications it’s Margaret Angus Research Fellowship, a project focused on sharing the history of health and health care from dedicated research done by a selected candidate. The Museum of Health Care is happy to welcome Savannah Sewell to the position of Margaret Angus Research Fellow for 2021! … More Margaret Angus Research Fellowship 2021: Introducing Savannah Sewell!

Pandemic of Past and Present

August 22, 2020

Canada is no stranger to the threat of large infectious disease outbreaks. Throughout history, people on the land we now call Canada experienced numerous diseases that threatened their ways of life. Cholera, Tuberculosis, 1918 Influenza, Polio, Scarlet Fever, Yellow Fever, Diphtheria, SARS, MERS – to name a few. The way we manage COVID-19 is largely based on what we have done in the past. While our strategies may have evolved and our personal protective equipment may be more effective than other PPE used in the past, there are some things that remain common factors in preventing the spread of disease. Just like the Influenza of 1918, we rely largely on warning signs, mask wearing, and quarantines during COVID-19 to stay safe. … More Pandemic of Past and Present