Hope for COPD

My lil Tiny last summer in Myrtle Beach. So, things are kinda crazy in my life right now. Most of you know about the move, I still haven't made... Too many loose ends to tie up before I can do that. Had a friend that needed a place to stay, she stole from me, and has tried to cause trouble for me. Oh well... Won't be helping her again. This old house is FULL of stuff from my parents and I have to find a way to get rid of all of the things left here, get the yard in order, and all presentable. Thing is I have zero help. So, I have to hire help to take care of everything. Good help is hard to find.  Also, some of you might remember my trip from hell last summer... Well, I am going again. Call me crazy, I know. Haha. Just can't let my father go alone. Hoping to get over this massive chest cold before we leave on Friday. Remember, if you have COPD, you want to take an expectorant, NOT a suppressant. An expectorant will help thin the mucus in your lungs and you will be be...

New Study for People with Severe to Very Severe COPD This research study is testing whether a new investigational drug that targets eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) could help patients with  COPD   (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) control symptoms and reduce exacerbations (flare-ups) that lead to hospitalizations. The new investigational drug will be compared to oral and inhaled corticosteroids, the current standard of care for COPD. More about the study: The study drug (Benralizumab) is administered by Subcutaneous (under the skin) injection (SC). There will be 3794 participants in this trial If you are interested, please find the full study details and eligibility criteria listed  here . Eligibility Criteria: Participants must: be between 40 – 85 years old have been diagnosed by a medical professional as having severe to very severe COPD be a current smoker or former smoker Participants must not: be taking any steroid medicat...

Medicine Bottles For Malawi Landfills Do Not Need Medicine Bottles! Anyone on prescription medicines finds themselves a bit uncomfortable when throwing away so many empty medicine bottles. It is obvious our landfills do not need these plastic containers! There is enough trash going into the landfills already. Medicine Wrapped in Paper While first world nations throw away perfectly good medicine bottles, medical pharmacies and hospital facilities in Malawi often find themselves with nothing except torn pieces of paper in which to wrap medicine for their patients. This is often seen in rural hospitals and villages where the poorest of the nation try to live and survive. You can help to change this. Please Remove the Labels Save up a group of your containers when you have completed that portion of your prescription. Place them in boiling water until you are able to easily remove the labels, and the glue. Then box or bag them and send them to the Malawi Project for shipment...

FALLING IN LOVE WITH COPD So, this isn't the first time I have fallen in love... But, is the last time I do. Or did. Except for my baby girl Tiny. And no, there is no one new in my life. It all started about 11 years ago when a couple I am friends of mine owned their car sales lot... I used to go in and hang out with my my friend and we would talk about the guy that worked with them, who flirted with me every time I came in. We talked about what an amazing worker he was, handsome... Oh my! Great with kids, great at everything he did. How he would be a great husband and father one day. He kept dropping hints about where he would be on a Friday or Saturday night, but I didn't bite. For months. I was afraid...  Somehow I knew that if I gave in, I would get hurt so bad. One night, he said he would be at the little bar by my house and that I should come in and have a drink with him... I called a friend to see if she would mind going in there with me and she agre...

27 Healthy Changes for COPD When you have COPD or any chronic illness, it is important to make sure that you are taking care of your health. We all fall into bad habits, or just lose track of goals. We need to eat right, but that microwaveable meal is so much easier to make! Right? Our goals vary as well. Some need to lose weight, while others need to gain a few pounds. But, what simple things can be done to boost our health and well being? Here are 27 easy things to do for your health. Simple changes, slowly over time, will be a huge benefit. Try one or two new things each day. Right after waking, drink a 6 ounce glass of water. Have smoothie for breakfast. The fruit and veggies will provide lots of nutrition and fiber. Skip your morning coffee and have your favorite tea instead. Caffeine in coffee  may cause a stress response in your body. Drink at least one, 6 ounce glass of water  for every 10 pounds you weigh each day. This will keep your body we...

May is Better Sleep Month Getting a restful nights sleep is essential to your health. For those with chronic illness, it may be a real struggle. Many, have trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep for a variety of reasons. I would venture to say most, but don't quote me.  What ever the reason, Americans are not getting enough sleep in general. If you have a chronic illness, it is just icing on the sleep thief's  cake. Some are "tied up" to an oxygen machine, cpap or bi-pap machine, making sleep less comfortable. Others suffer from chronic pain and that pain flares and awakens them frequently.  And, for some, medications may cause a disruption in your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep. Many have minds with no off button. When your mind is constantly on, you can't relax and get some sleep. Many of your thoughts are about bills, tasks that need completed at work or home.  The vast majority of retail workers never have t...

COPD Unaware A guest post by Duke Reeves  Despite the advances in medicine and technology, COPD rates and the financial burden of COPD continue to rise. While part of the rising rates can be attributed to a growing population, the bottom line is that the majority of COPD cases are preventable through awareness and education.  The most common symptoms and signs of COPD are shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing up mucus, and a chronic cough. Looking at these symptoms, it’s easy to see how we can brush them off and assume they are from a common cold or old age. However, by brushing these symptoms off we are setting ourselves up for a potentially rude awakening. COPD is a progressive disease which means the longer it goes untreated the more damage it’s going to cause. The best way to ensure you live a full life with COPD is by catching the disease as early as possible. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicted COPD would become the 3 rd leading cause of...

Stress Awareness Month #4 8 Items to relieve stress!  While I love movies, music, and games to help relieve stress... Sometimes, I am just not in the mood for them. Exercise, breathing, and humor, are things that work well too. But, what are some other things you can do? Well, here are MORE ideas on how you can reduce that terrible stress! Here are some of my favorite items! I am only suggesting one supplement, one I have used for many years. This B Complex can help provide energy, restful sleep, and is a immune system booster. Great for times of great stress, or as a general everyday supplement.  Nature Made Stress Complex Tablets My eldest daughter suffers from terrible anxiety and has found this first item to be something that really helps her. It is a great stress reliever too! And, I have to play with it when I visit her. LOVE this stuff! Kinetic Sand Because we have COPD, we must be careful of the air quality we are breathing into our fragile ...

8 Tips for proper COPD medication adherence Taking your medication on time, at the right times, throughout the day will benefit you more than taking them at random when ever you remember to take them. Some people really struggle to remember how to take them as advised, and of course, to even bother taking them at all. I cannot tell you how many times I have forgotten to take them until it was almost bedtime!  Here are my top 6 tips on how to take your medications properly, and on time. Write the directions down on a piece of paper in the order that your doctor recommends you take them. You can also type them out on your computer using a font that appeals to use and enlarge them to fit 1 sheet of paper. Print that paper and put it in a plastic sheet protector . No matter how you do this, keep the list in the place you spend the most time in your home. Maybe that is the kitchen, on the end table next to your favorite chair in the living room, in the wall in the bath...

Severe Asthma NEW CLINICAL STUDY SEEKING SEVERE ASTHMA PARTICIPANTS If you have Severe Asthma and your current symptoms are not well controlled, this study may be right for you. Despite standard treatment, up to 50% of asthma patients have symptoms that are not well controlled, with a negative impact on quality of life. The purpose of this research study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of the investigational drug when administered in severe asthma patients whose symptoms are otherwise uncontrolled with current standard therapy. More about the study: The study drug (Benralizumab) is administered by Subcutaneous injection (SC). This trial is 48 – 56 weeks long, requiring 17 – 19 visits and 0 overnight stays If you are interested, full study details and eligibility criteria are listed here . Eligibility Criteria: Participants must: between 12 – 75 years old have asthma diagnosed by a doctor. have been treated with an inhaler in the past 3 months have had at least 1 exacerbatio...

This month is National Donate Life Month.  People of all ages, and all ethnic backgrounds are needed to help others live. Even those with a chronic illness can donate their organs!  When I first found out about my illness, I thought I may need to have my name removed as a registered donor. But, I can still save lives!  Becoming an organ donor is a very big decision to make. But, it is one of the most loving gifts you can give. Saving the lives of not just one person, but several. Who knows, it could even be one of your family members or friends.  Unlike organs, tissue can be processed and stored for an extended period of time for use in burn cases, ligament repair, bone replacement, etc. (American Association of Tissue Banks, 2010). Every year, lifesaving and life-enhancing tissue is provided by approximately 30,000 tissue donors. One tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 50 people. Organ donors are celebrated eve...

#2 of the April Stress Awareness Month Series (games and humor) Here are a few more ways to relive some of that stress! I am a gamer, and find that games can help me become less stressed. Depending on your tastes and mood, there is a game out there for you. Whether it is online on your desktop or laptop, on your phone or tablet, or on a gaming system. You will never know until you try it.  Today, I am only including online games for desktop or laptop.  HUMOR!!! The best medicine! I am including a few videos to watch. Maybe not your taste in humor... But, you can find what you like on YouTube. That wonderful video service, with famous comedians, and even more YouTube personalities to keep you smiling.  GAMES: Here are some games to play right at your computer... Take a Walk Meditation Flowers Bubbul Aggressive Bee Sting Snowflake Memory Aggressive Destroy the Computer Flower Reaction The Pig If you have a gaming system, ...