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...

VACATION As I write this I am holding back tears. Some of you may remember that I went on vacation recently. This vacation was terrible. Do you know what it is like to have an aging parent that also suffers from anger issues? Someone that can be very controlling and manipulative? Abusive? The drive there... The entire drive was constantly, get in that lane... Turn here, turn there, hurry up and get in the other lane... WHILE listening to the GPS tell me what to do as well. He would demand I change lanes,even though there was a car right next to us that I would crash into if I listened to him. I was going too slow, too fast, not using the cruise control...  In Virginia, I got pulled over for speeding, 81 in a 70. The officer said I was doing 84, I didn't argue, and that my license was expired. So obviously I could not legally drive and my father took over. Swerving in and out of traffic and my daughter began to get car sick. So I asked him to stay in one lane and get a ...

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...

#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, ...

Because I joined CureClick, as a Clinical Trial Ambassador, you will see posts like this from me occasionally. Not all will be COPD related. Many COPD patients, like myself, suffer from other illness as well. So, this is in effort to aid in bringing awareness to Clinical Trials, and support the many other illnesses my family has had to deal with. With support, participation, and sharing, we can help find new treatments, or even a CURE for some illnesses! As always, I thank you for your continued support! NEW ASTHMA TREATMENT AVAILABLE IN CLINICAL TRIAL If you have  Mild or Moderate Asthma  and you're looking for new treatment options, this clinical trial may be right for you. This study is for patients who have mild or moderate asthma and are using a reliever inhaler. If approved, it is hoped that the study drug will improve your lung function and overall symptoms of asthma. More about the study: The study drug (Lebrikizumab ) is administered by Subcutaneous...

What is this IODINE that I keep posting about? IODINE, is an amazing site and Chrome browser extension!  Why am I writing about this? I am always reading and posting new information about COPD research and information. This tool will help you, as it helps me, make the best of the research and information.  When we can really understand what we are reading, we can better understand our disease, treatment  options, medications, and better communicate with our doctors about our concerns. Education is POWER! You install it to your Chrome browser and it will search for medical terminology or jargon, then highlight and translate it to simpler terms when you move your mouse over it!  This makes reading medical information a breeze for those who have little or no medical background, or even those that have been out of service for many years. Like a refresher course! This picture shows you what it will look like after being installed,...

Is it COPD? Or something else? Every week I scour the internet and medical journals for new COPD related information. I came across this news article, by a small TV news Team. I thought it was important to get this information out globally. So I s ent out a Tweet about it.  I got several replies thanking me for the tweet!  Apparently, this is something that medical professionals need to be more aware of when diagnosing and treating COPD patients or others with respiratory ailments.  Open         Collapsing Collapsed In a nutshell, the trachea and bronchi become weakened, flaccid, and collapse usually when one is breathing harder than normal, eating, crying or, you guessed it... Coughing.  I have ALWAYS told my doctors that when I have an exacerbation, it feels like my throat is closing. I can't get air in or out. So this is something I will be having checked at my next appointment.  If you too feel li...

WHAT IS A SPOONIE??? I used to look at people so differently.  Especially, the people parked in the handicap parking spots. I didn't really see them.... Never really thought to much about them. When I did think of them, it was to help them load their van with the groceries they bought, or let them know the door in  back  was still open. But a part of me, was jealous that they got special treatment. Now... I look at them, HARD. That is now my special parking place! Then I look at myself...  I don't look sick.  Sure, I have gained weight due to my illness. But, there is nothing on the outside that screams I need this parking place. I have no wheelchair, no crutches, no service dog, I have all of my limbs. Now, I just look like I am too lazy to walk any further.  I know. Some of you may know. We have a secret.  Within our able looking bodies, hides a serious disability. One that takes our breath away, limits the amount ...

SUPPORT GROUPS When I was first diagnosed I didn't know much about COPD.  I knew it had to do with not breathing well. It was, in my opinion, a senior aged smoker thing. How could someone my age, some HEALTHY and ACTIVE, who only smoked a half a pack a day or less, HOW could I get this??? I was in my 30's! Thinking back, I had it in my twenties, and just didn't think anything of it. It was an occasional breathlessness. As a kid, I was never an athletic girl. Always the last one picked in gym class. I didn't like playing in any sports, or anything physical. But, I  did love  walking for hours  at  the forest preserve, and was always there when the weather was good! HOURS, not minutes, of walking the trails. I would say hiking, but not quite. So, I had COPD. Stage 3 at that point. But, what does it all mean? The woman who first diagnosed me accurately, told me something scary.  "Getting sick just one time, might be your last."  She was...

(UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM) I thought I would write today about my experience with filing for Social Security Disability. It is not and easy task for many Americans. For some, the rare few, they are approved right away. Not in my case. After my being denied, I missed my appeal filing deadline because of illness and a friends death. Then, I had to reapply, get denied, appeal, denied again, appeal with an attorney and go to hearing.  So here is my experience with this so far, remember post this if you need to apply.  First a little back story in case you haven't read my first few posts. After I realized I needed to quit working to focus on my health and achieved a clear and accurate diagnosis, I did just that. I accessed my savings, and knew I could live for about a year without a job. I had already been seeing a physician for 2 years about my getting bronchitis or pneumonia every 2 months. "It is because you smoke." That is all he ever said, then prescribed a Z...