Hope for COPD

Pause, almost over? So, you have noticed my absence and missed me! I have been so busy with my father moving, getting ready to sell his old house (the one I still live in), and enjoying the weather (not really, my allergies are killing me), and teaching Tiny, that I haven't posted anything new in quite some time! Since he moved, we have realized that autopay on for the internet stopped when we all of the sudden had no internet! GASP!!! (dramatically puts back of hand to forehead and faints) Hope for COPD is important to me, so I will be back full blast in September. After the internet outage, I came back online to several thousand emails which I promptly deleted versus trying to sift through all of them. I will be scheduling all tweets for September and October this month because I will be moving at the end of August or sometime in September,down to Missouri with my father, unless plans change.  If you have emailed me and need to speak with me, or would like to work on...

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 ...

Dearest You, I just want to take a few minutes to thank you for reading, commenting, sharing! It really means a lot to me that you read my posts, share my tweets. I hope that the content I put out is helpful to you, and if there is anything you would like me to cover just leave a comment for me!  You are the reason I do this every day! We need to be informed so that we can make educated decisions about our care, or the care of a loved one.  As we spread information, we help patients learn about their illness. Not only are we helping others with COPD, but other chronic illnesses as well. We are keeping information fresh in medical professionals minds, raising awareness to the issues we as patients face.  As some of you may know, my mission this year is to erase the stigma that comes with a COPD diagnosis. That stigma, is preventing much needed funding for research, and the research itself to be done. Don't get me wrong, there IS research being done and...

So I have changed pulmos and my lung function has decrease at this point. Struggling to quit smoking and stay quit. No one calls me, no one invites me out anymore. No one seems to care that I really need them and WANT them in my life. As my lung function decreases, so does my group of friends. No one wants to be friends with a chick that is going to possibly die in a year or two. Seems as though I try so hard to stay positive and do right, no one seems to care. Not many seem to offer help or even a kind word. No matter. I will be strong and positive for myself and my children like I always have been. There are too many what if's? And, to many other questions going through my head this year. I want to write personal letters to each of the friends and family members I have. I know I can't write EVERYONE. But, those that I have been closest too. What do I say? Tell them good things I assume. How they helped shape my life, how I valued their friendship. Been looking for stat...

A huge part of having COPD is the horrible exacerbations we have. If you are newly diagnosed you may wonder, what exactly is an exacerbation? Well, we cough... More than we should. COPD exhibits differently in each of us. An exacerbation, is when we cough excessively and produce phlegm. Coughing up phlegm is actually a good thing for us to do, as some of us over produce it. This can be an embarrassing event. While working as a retail manager, and speaking with customers, this happened often. VERY OFTEN. Coughing up more than a Kleenex could hold, a handful of phlegm. Gross. Now, I said that is is healthy for us to do this, but you must look at it. Yes, look at the phlegm you coughed up. Keep track of the color. The color is telling you what is going on in your body. Is it clear? Then you are fine. White, okay no problem. Gray? That is okay too. Also, keep in mind that if you just drank something with color, like a glass of red wine or soda... It may be scary to see blo...

The apps listed here are not COPD specific. They can be used for many different illnesses.  My personal favorite! That is why I included it again.  MediSafe Meds & Pill Reminder ANDROID https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.medisafe.android.client&hl=en iTUNES https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/medisafe-meds-pill-reminder/id573916946?mt=8 I LOVE this app! This is what I use to remind me to take my medications on time every day. It has many features that make it one of the best apps I have tried for this purpose. It will even remind you of refills, and remind your health partner to remind you to take your meds! You can use it for multiple people, and it has a great notification sound of shaking a pill bottle! MediSafe is a beautiful, visual and easy-to-use pill reminder and medication management app. It will help you take your medicine on time and safely. It also allows you to help your family members with their pills. --->...