Another Baby Step ForwardI have mentioned several times that I have a great deal of anxiety about going out without my husband. If I get very short of breath or there is an... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Adapting to COPD“Give yourself time to catch up. Be gentle with yourself. Listen to your needs. Let yourself adapt to the changes that are right for you.” Melody Beattie (Journey to the... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Comfort and Life With COPDIt has taken me a very long time to find my comfort level living with COPD. I am still working on some issues that give me a great deal of... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
The Things People SayI’m sure most of us are familiar with the term "invisible illness." This is a term for medical conditions that are not physically obvious but are life-changing. They can range... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments22 comments
Experiencing COPDUnderstanding COPD cannot be done unless you live it. That is really true of any illness. True understanding comes from experiencing daily life with the symptoms, particularly the worst days... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments26 comments
Lessons Learned in COPD ManagementCOPD comes with many symptoms, not just shortness of breath. It took some time to figure this out, learn which ones affect me, and how to manage them. I feel... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments14 comments
Happiness TriggersWe are always talking about triggers. I’ve spent hours in discussion about what sets off my COPD symptoms, what I am sensitive to, and what I should avoid. We discuss... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments23 comments
A Time for RenewalI'm writing this at the end of February. I always think of this as the beginning of the end of winter. Spring is truly in sight and I am doing... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Being Envious of the HealthyEveryone experiences jealousy or envy at some point in their lives. It may have been during childhood, envious of a playmate with better toys. Along comes high school, clothes, sports... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments47 comments
The Person Behind the IllnessI’m sure we have all seen the saying, “I have COPD, COPD does not have me.” Another common one is, “I am not defined by my illness.” I think about... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments22 comments
The COPD KitchenI have always had a love of cooking. Collecting cookbooks and recipes, particularly from the colonial era, was a hobby. Weekend mornings were a time for watching cooking shows even... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments51 comments
The Loneliness of COPDGoing from a very active social life to a stay-at-home, I can’t breathe kind of life is the start of a lonely existence. I don’t mean loneliness from social contact... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments10 comments
Down the Rabbit HoleI am a big fan of Alice in Wonderland and all the great quotes that come from the story. Many seem like nonsense until you really reflect upon them. As... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
Managing COPD With Other IllnessesAlong with COPD, I have several other diseases, one of which is hypothyroidism. This is more commonly known as an underactive thyroid. I also have Type 2 Diabetes and high... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments18 comments
January 2021 Journal: Where Does the Day Go?As I climbed into bed for the night, I thought back on my day. Where does the time go? I woke up this morning feeling good. Once I realized it... By Carol Kirker4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
COPD GlossaryFor those that have dealt with COPD for a while, we are quite familiar with the common terminology used. For patients that are newly diagnosed, these words can be quite... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Is That All There Is?If you are familiar with the above-titled song by Peggy Lee from 1969, then you know it provided a topic for many debates. Is the song about being disillusioned or... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
Meditation for Better BreathingWhen many people hear the word meditation, they think of some new age mumbo jumbo. It is immediately dismissed, never realizing the good that can come from it. Then there... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments13 comments
December 2020 JournalDear Journal, Here we are at the end of another year. It has been a strange year for most, great sadness because of so many lives lost with Covid, and... By Carol Kirker3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
What Can I Eat?It never occurred to me when I was diagnosed with COPD how much it would affect my diet and eating habits. I have been lucky in that I don’t have... By Carol Kirker2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments25 comments