Louisa's story
Breathing has always been a challenge for me. As a little girl, I was a severe chronic asthmatic, relying on steroids for weeks at a time and a nebuliser that sat permanently in my bedroom. I still remember the little drops of solution swirling inside it, working to open my airways.
But sometimes, that wasn’t enough. If I couldn’t breathe, my dad would scoop me up and rush me to A&E. I learned to avoid sleepovers, sports—anything that might trigger an attack. Nobody ever taught me what healthy breathing was, or that something as natural as breathing could be improved.
Fast forward to April 2017, just three weeks before my 35th birthday, and I was hit with a diagnosis that changed everything. Stage four, incurable breast cancer. It had already spread to my liver. I remember sitting in the doctor’s office as the words sank in, my breath catching in my chest, my world tilting on its axis.
I had no symptoms. No warning. Just one moment, life was normal, and the next, I was being told that I would be on medication for the rest of my life.
That I would need regular scans, each one bringing a fresh wave of anxiety—was the medication still working? Would this be the scan that changed everything? The not knowing is the hardest part. Living with uncertainty, learning to carry fear without letting it consume me.
And yet, in the midst of it all, I knew one thing for sure—I had to learn to breathe again. Breath became my anchor, my way to find calm in the chaos. I realised that while I couldn’t control my diagnosis, I could control how I approached each day. I could breathe better, live better, and make the most of the time I had.
In the UK, over five million people live with asthma. More than two million live with cancer. But how many of us are living with both? How many people are facing the daily struggle of simply trying to catch their breath while carrying the weight of a life-altering illness? I don’t know the number, but I know I’m not alone.
And that’s why I share my story—not for sympathy, but in the hope that it reaches someone who needs to hear it.
Because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that our breath is one of the most powerful tools we have. It connects us to the present moment. It reminds us we are still here, still fighting, still living. That’s why I created Breathe Balance Be—to help others do the same. To help them optimise their whole-self, one optimal breath at a time.
I help people with anxiety, stress, asthma, cancer, and many other chronic conditions because I have lived experience of them all. I know what it’s like to feel out of control, to search for relief, to just want to breathe easier. And I’m passionate about easing symptoms and suffering so that, no matter what we’re going through, we can still lead a good quality of life. We all deserve that.
If my story resonates with you, come say hello on Instagram or visit the Breathe Balance Be website to claim your free copy of 'The Good Breath Guide'.
💕 Breathe well, sleep well, be well. 💕
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