New kid on the block.
I am new to this, so I hardly know where to start. I am a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother ....relatively healthy family but I have COPD. It's a burden. COPD has limited my life in ways I never imagined. Sound familiar?
I am feeling the need to reach out on this site. I need to learn about my disease and how I can help myself help my family.
, I hear how overwhelming it is when you are new to COPD. Fortunately, you have come to the right place! Our community is filled with those who have been right where you are and I am confident they will share their experiences with you. In the meantime here are some articles I always suggest for those new to COPD: https://copd.net/living/coping-strategies , https://copd.net/basics . All the best, Sam S. (team member). ,
Welcome to the community! First thing I did when I got my diagnosis is read everything I could find on COPD. Not all of it pertained to me at the time, but just having the knowledge is important for future understanding. Learn about the medications, the inhalers, the flare ups, etc., and get a good pulmonologist. I pretty much learned on the fly. Kind of how it seems to have to be. Until you experience things with COPD, there is no way to know how you will react or how you will deal with each and every situation. You will experience shortness of breath, flare ups, coughing up mucus, being tired, having problems sleeping at times, just to name a few. Reading as much as you can about COPD is a good place to start. This community is really helpful, and members will do their respective best to answer your questions. Most answers will be from their own experiences. Take care and let us know if you have any more questions.
Hi,
! I just wanted to say hi and welcome you to the community. My grandmother had COPD, and she never had an interest in learning about computers, etc. I wonder what it would have been like for her if she had access to communities like this one, especially when she was homebound. Please know that we are always here for you, whether you visit all the time or just occasionally! You don't have to go through it alone. Hopefully we can be a good resource. Take care and talk to you soon. 😀 -Melissa, team member welcome. I'm fairly new to the site myself. He will find that we are all in this together. These people are awesome. They will help you so much as they have me. Stay strong 
Hi again, Rosemary - it's great to see your continued engagement with our online community! We do appreciate all your comments - like this welcome note for. Your kind words are very sweet!
Warmly,
Leon (site moderator)
