Julie Sparks

This year, I set to embark on my first major holiday season without my mom. Her battle with COPD did limit her ability to socialize, and holidays were hard for...

Gone are the days when your family doctor would magically appear at your bedside for a check-up if you were hospitalized. The face of health care has changed from house...

According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus believed that It is better to give than to receive. However, the concept of over-giving as a caregiver is a topic near and dear...

There is a revolving door that often starts slow until the frequent hospitalizations become dizzying. It may start with a fall, which leads to increased bed rest and muscle atrophy...

What started as an attempt to cultivate some self-care on a balmy Saturday in my new home state of Florida turned into a deep reflection of how we measure progress...

As we age, our bladder loses the ability to hold urine for long periods. If we also have COPD, we are prone to limited mobility and a higher infection risk. Devices like this...

Throughout your journey with COPD, you will no doubt spend a great deal of money on medicine and supplies to assist you with your symptoms. Insurance does cover some, but...

The last thing you may want in the flurry of the COPD mix is extra responsibility while having to make an income, yet money often makes the world go round. I...

When I was growing up, my grandmother was abruptly diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, which rapidly declined in a matter of weeks. The term hospice was reserved for the end of...

It begins when others see that you're not as energetic or that you move more slowly. My mother's complaint was that she didn't want to make our weekly treks to...

When my mom met Karen at the last job she had in early 2000, she found in Karen a funny, supportive, younger version of herself. She began to consider Karen...

It was not until my mother started using regular inhalers for her COPD symptoms, that I found out what oral thrush was. As the caregiver, I first noticed an abrupt change...

It is common for COPD patients to transition at some point to oxygen use. We may associate surgery, ER visits, or hospital stays with nasal cannulas. We are usually focused on...

We are approaching the middle of the summer season. The smell of fresh-cut grass and the sounds of the ice cream man will soon waft through the air, and you...

As we turn the calendar page to July, we come upon the most American holiday of all: the Fourth of July (Independence Day). Our core memories of this holiday may...

The spring and summer months offer a great time to get out there and enjoy a vacation. Yet, for those with COPD, a getaway may seem a bit out of...

Temperature fluctuations can significantly impact COPD symptoms and cause flare-ups year-round. In a perfect environment, it would be 72 degrees with mild humidity everyday. But we can't custom order the...

There are ways to get cleaning supplies, toiletries, household items, groceries, and even a new pair of dress shoes to match your holiday outfit. But factor in COPD, and you...

A COPD sufferer must walk a tight line between having sufficient humidity and not having too much humidity. As we go into spring and what is likely to be a...

The slang word 'ghosting' applies to the act of a person disappearing from your life for no apparent reason. The once accessible and supportive family member or friend vaporizes into...