Hope for COPD

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...

Yes, there is a certain stigma that comes with having COPD.  Let me start by saying this.   Smoking is bad, don't do it! (That will be the last time you hear me say that.) How many times have you heard: Did you smoke when you were younger? You keep getting sick because you smoke! It's because you used to smoke! You did this to yourself! Without finding a true cause, we will never find a cure." ~April Norman In  ALL of the questionnaires, surveys, focus groups, I have participated in... SMOKING was the ONLY focus. What about those Alpha-1's? What about the 19 year old COPD patient that never smoked, or even lived in a smoking household? What about ALL of the other factors that COULD have been major contributors to damaged lungs? Allergens, work place pollution, public pollution...  There are MANY other things I personally have had to deal with in my life that COULD have damaged my lungs. What about the fire? They were to...

(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 ...

These blogs are great! For some, like myself, I love to read! I love to learn about everything! Especially, reading to learn about how to cope with my chronic illness! Hearing the stories others share on their blogs and websites is inspiring to say the least. Here is a list of the blogs and websites I read and recommend to others. COPD is such a complex illness. Everyone has a different experience, and for some, it is just one of many illnesses we must cope with. So, I do not discriminate. These blogs cover a everything. Not all are specifically COPD  related . But, they are about life ,  hope, and healing. If you need some inspiration, check out these great pages. http://www.secondfirsts.com/category/blog/ http://copdinfocus.blogspot.co.uk/ http://living-in-a-limited-world.blog.co.uk/ http://gracequantock.com/ http://www.pajamadaze.com/blog http://bitzofme.wordpress.com/ http://bobsnewheart.wordpress.com/?ref=spelling http://thejourneybacktolife.wordpr...

APPS... Whether you love them or hate them, they are here too stay.  I have found them to be a great way to help manage my COPD, and give me something to do when I am feeling too down to do much of anything.  Sure there  are games, you can even read books, watch videos. But, I am talking about the apps that are going to help you live better.  The apps I have inserted links  for , are all for Android, because that is what I am currently using. There is a good chance they are in the iTunes App store as well. And, all are  for  America. But of  course, there  are many great apps for other countries. Check them out! There are apps to help you manage and take your medications on time, remind you to refill them, and keep a log of all of this to take to the Dr.  office . The most comprehensive app I have found for this is the MediSafe Meds and Pill Reminder. I love it! The apps listed here are not COPD specific. They can be used for many...