GHIC BLOG
July Blog
June 4th was a ‘red letter’ day for me. My book, “Tales of a Flying Doctor” was published. It is, I hope, an entertaining story, leading from life in 1960’s Medical School (in my case, The London Hospital – including cycling round Whitechapel and Cable Street on a...
Hughes Syndrome – February 2020
What strange times we live in. Second lockdown, shops, High Streets, clinics closed – deepest January – cold, grey and an overriding sense of doom. Nightly figures of new cases of Covid admissions. Deaths. Yet, there are some rays of light – the new infection rate...
Hughes Syndrome – October 2020
A short history of the antiphospholipid syndrome (Hughes Syndrome) For me, the story started in 1969, when, supported by a Geigy scholarship, I spent an unforgettable 2 years working in New York, in the department of Professor Charles (Chuck) Christian. Chuck, who...
Is it Lupus?
"Is it lupus?" Three months now in lockdown. London Lupus Centre still virtually closed, but still providing telephone consultations. As events move towards a loosening of the restrictions, I am preparing plans for, I hope, a re-start to some of the activities of...
Hughes Syndrome – June 2020
Following the sunniest May on record, the good weather came to an end. Back to clouds and some rain. Still on 'lockdown'... Many people have asked me (in fact, most patients) about the difference between Hughes Syndrome and lupus. I know I have touched on...
APS and Covid-19 Update
The last 4 months have been difficult for everyone around the world. There will be concerns from many of our readers about their diagnosis of Antiphospholipid (Hughes’) Syndrome (APS), other diagnoses which they also have and the risk and effects of Coronavirus...
Hughes Syndrome – May 2020
In ‘lockdown’ now for 2 months. Almost a way of life. The only redeeming factor has been the wonderful weather here in the South East of England. Cloudless blue skies day after day. For people stuck in a block of flats, the past 2 months must have been so, so...
Hughes Syndrome – April 2020
I am writing this on Friday, 1st May. April has been unforgettable in so many ways - in 'lockdown' for the past 5 weeks and infection rate with coronavirus still very high worldwide. No direct medical drug is proven yet. Of course, the known anti-viral (including...
Hughes Syndrome – March 2020
All normal activities on hold. The worldwide corona virus has reached the U.K. Normal clinical activity totally shattered. Our Prime Minister in intenstive care. Self-isolation. Our normal lupus clinic has, for now, converted to telephone consultations. A major...
Hughes Syndrome – February 2020
To Barcelona and the highly succesful "Ten Topics" meeting. Now organised by my old friends Munther Khamashta and Maria Cuadrado, and one of Spain's major medical meeting. Good to meet up with Professor Miguel Vilardell, retired Dean of Medicine and one of medicine's...
Hughes Syndrome – December 2019
December 6 saw a second London Bridge terrorist attack, the first in Borough Market, the second on the other end of the bridge – both within a couple of hundred yards of our hospital, both with slashing knives. It is poignant to reflect on the long and colourful...
Hughes Syndrome – November 2019
Sad news in October. My old New York boss, Dr Charles Christian died. He was a great leader and friend and was one of the giants of modern rheumatology. He was head of Rheumatology at HSS (Hospital for Special Surgery) in New York and Monica and I spent 2 of the...
Hughes Syndrome – October 2019
Recently, two of my heroes died. Gerry Weissmann and Chuck Christian. Gerry was a giant in American medicine, Dean of NYU (New York University) and internationally renowned as a polymath – an international expert on a wide variety of topics. I knew him well and was a...
Hughes Syndrome – September 2019
August was quiet. September has been mad. As I write this, on the last day of September, the rain is beating down here in Kent. “The gardens needed it”. The month has been dry, with (for once, it seems) the weekends being warm and sunny. September has been busy with...
Hughes Syndrome – August 2019
Patient of the Month A stay-at-home August. Our little dog, Lucy, has been ill and we daren’t risk travel. Yet there are upsides to our August at home. London is different, tourists outnumber commuters, seats in trains, peace over Brexit while the ‘remainants’ take...
Hughes Syndrome – July 2019
This week, we held the 33rd annual “Ten Topics in Rheumatology” meeting in London. Organised by Professor Chris Edwards and his team from the London Lupus Centre – Professor David D’Cruz, Professor Munther Khamashta and Dr Arvind Kaul, it was a full house of 300...
Hughes Syndrome – June 2019
In early May, I gave a talk on Hughes syndrome at the annual meeting of the Royal college of GPs, here in London. Three hundred attendees, and piles of questions. On Saturday, 18th May, I was a guest speaker at the annual meeting of the patient’s society, Lupus UK,...
Hughes Syndrome – April 2019
Easter comes late this year. Frenetic Brexit politics – the Westminster establishment fighting to overturn the ‘popular vote’. So sad. Last week I gave a lecture at an ‘immuno-therapy’ meeting in Madrid. Three hundred attendees, including representatives of the...
Hughes Syndrome – March 2018
February is the month for the Barcelona ‘Ten Topics’ meeting – an outstanding annual event – and this year was no exception. A brilliant two day meeting, this year attracting 230 trainee doctors. The atmosphere was wonderful – a packed auditorium and a mega volume...
Hughes Syndrome – February 2019
My colleague and friend Munther Khamashta gave me a wonderful book of quotations of Dr. William Osler. Such an inspiration – a doctor who combined day to day clinical practice with teaching and clinical research. His papers include one of the early descriptions of...
Hughes Syndrome – Prof Hughes award!
Professor Graham Hughes, Head of the London Lupus Centre at London Bridge Hospital, has been selected to receive the Hamdan Award for Medical Research Excellence in the field of Rheumatology. The Award, one of the most prestigious in international medicine, is to be...