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...

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...

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...

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...

 COPD is a grossly misunderstood disease. Commonly thought to be an elderly gentleman's disease, a lifelong smoker... Someone who perhaps worked in a very polluted environment, like coal mining. This is simply not true. As the number of people diagnosed with COPD grows, more and more women are being diagnosed. Many people under 40, and nonsmokers. With increased awareness, and earlier detection, I believe we will see an increase in much younger people having COPD.  This article serves to educate the public about the facts. The true causes of COPD.  It is currently estimated that 210 million people worldwide have COPD.  SO, WHAT CAUSES COPD? COPD is an umbrella term used by medical professionals to describe a variety of illnesses that affect the lungs. Emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis are a few of the most well known players under the COPD umbrella.  Genetics - Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is...

How much does it cost to have Severe COPD, severe arthritis, carpal tunnel, chronic pain (unexplained), and illness associated anxiety? For 2014-2015 Medications $11959.43 Dr. Visits $1620.18 (specialists and primary) OTC medications, vitamins, and supplements $798.37 Travel to specialist $681.49 (gas, tolls, parking, and meals) Grand total of $15059.47 NOT including oxygen concentrator or nebulizer rental.  Thankfully most of that is covered for me. Over 24 MILLION people in the US have COPD... 15 million don't even know it yet! As the numbers rise, the likelihood of YOU getting COPD rises... If you are short of breathe, get tested. Don't work too hard or too much, breathe CLEAN air. Work for a better way to live, work, and breathe.  Sadly, outdoor air pollution cannot be avoided. But with much effort by many, it might be reduced.

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...

TIME TO GET GROCERIES! *Updated information in Schwans They are only allowed to accept LINK/SNAP/EBT for up too $150 per delivery. That is fine with me, they deliver every 2 weeks, but this time my order included some Christmas items and totalled $157. So I have to pay the difference in cash. If you are anything like me, I buy the bulk of my groceries at one time. Always have. Maybe because I was a single mother with two young daughters that were too little to help ? Maybe because I thought I was supermom . I used to loop several bags over each arm, and carry them all in at once. We are talking $200-$300 worth at a time. My arms would be bruised and sore afterwards.  It usually looks something like this....  Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration. Now, with COPD, it is really foolish for me to try that. I drive through the yard, back the trunk right up to the porch and take about 4 bags in at a time. I line them up neatly on the staircase… I still have ...