My health problems started when I was six weeks old with severe eczema, followed by asthma. In the 1950s, there was no prednisolone creams for eczema nor “puffers” for asthma. I wore bandages day and night, which had to be washed and reused many times. I would, on occasions, have my hands tied to the sides of my bed, to stop me from scratching myself and prevent the open wounds getting infected. I also had …