On the Couch

Jeannette Brazel, Chairwoman of the Irish Eczema Society.

Jeannette Brazel, Chairwoman of the Irish Eczema Society.

Personal/family:Married to Patrick. We have three sons aged 19, 16 and six.

What figure from the world of medicine or health do you most admire?

Marie Stopes.

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What other career might you have chosen?

I think I would have liked to have been an opera singer.

If you could grant three wishes for the health service, what would they be?

The development of excellent primary care service, the provision of an allowance for eczema-specific clothing and faster and easier access to specialists for all.

What is your greatest fear?

Becoming seriously ill.

Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one?

I had all of my sons in hospital by Caesarean section and I was a very good patient.

When or where are you happiest?

At home with all the family having a big Sunday lunch.

How do you cope with stress?

I go for a walk in the sea air or sit down with a good cup of coffee and listen to some classical music.

What is the trait you most admire in yourself?

I can multi-task.

What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?

I can't say no.

Do you use alternative or complementary medicine or therapies?

I have tried some complementary therapies and believe they have a place in healthcare.

Who or what makes you laugh?

Watching my six year old and his friends play.

What is your motto?

Try to be positive.

What is your favourite TV or radio programme?

On TV it's Inspector Morse and Grey's Anatomy. On radio Paul Herriot on Lyric FM.

What books would you bring to a desert islands?

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and A Short History of Everything by Bill Bryson.

In conversation with Fiona Tyrrell