Does anyone have any advice for me?
Hello my name is Tina and I was in an induced coma for 3 months and 2 weeks last year. I'm 51 years old. I had a 24-hour heart attack. I have Factor 5 blood disorder which causes me to clot at at normal rate. I was, like I said, in a coma for three and a half months and I know I have a lot of problems... I have pains like I never had before. I don't feel my hands and feet, my breathing is weird. I want to cry, I get mad, I'm so frustrated all the time. My arms tingle and hurt I guess they had to restrain me. I just need to know when's it all going to start getting better... I can now at least walk a little bit. When I first woke up, I couldn't even talk. I couldn't feed myself, I couldn't use the bathroom by myself, or shower and it took me a year to be able to take a shower by myself. Is it ever going to improve? Because the depression I deal with is really bad. The pain is bad enough but I can deal with pain. But the depression is really hard... I pray a lot and I give unto the Lord, praise for being alive and yet I just want to go to heaven and be with the Lord. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to hurt myself. I'm very I'm not as friendly as they used to be. I don't have time for people and I don't have time to even talk to my kid or my sister who lives with me. They will start talking and then I get bored with them and I want to go back into my room. Does anybody have any advice for me? Thank you and God bless.
Tina, thank you so much for reaching out and sharing so honestly with the community. COPD is such a challenging disease and when you have other illnesses, it can compound the difficulty. I hear how much you are struggling with depression. Please know you are not alone! Depression can be very common alongside COPD. We have many articles about this very topic on the site that you might find of interest: https://copd.net/?s=depression If you haven't already, I would encourage you to consider meeting with a counselor or therapist who can help you process the myriad of emotions that come with a COPD diagnosis and the major life changes that accompany it. Speaking with your doctor about medication options to also assist with the depression could be beneficial as well.
Every person's experience with COPD is unique, therefore it is impossible to say when/if you will feel an improvement in your COPD symptoms. COPD is a progressive disease that can be slowed but at this time, not cured. Yet, in your description of the last year, I can hear how you have improved from where you were when coming out of the coma! It is s-l-o-w progress at times, without question, but it happens! As far as the numbness/tingling in your arms and legs, I would recommend speaking with your doctor! We cannot provide medical advice over the internet (for your safety!), however, those symptoms can at times be a side-effect to certain medications - but it is best to confirm that with your doctor!
I am glad you are part of the community and hope you will continue to reach out anytime you have questions or need support. You are not in this alone! Living with COPD is difficult, but having a community of support can make it just a bit easier. Please know we are always here to listen. Wishing you a gentle day. ~Allyson (COPD.net team)
