Scary Parts of COPD
What are the scariest parts of living with COPD for you? How do you cope with the things that scare you?
The scariest part of coping with COPD was the inhalers. I was allergic to all of them. I had horrific side effects from the steroids with every one, so after 5 of them and a weight gain of 15 kilo , being unable to wear my clothes, having my neck swell up like the deceased Pope , and bloating that demolished my gastrointestinal tract...I quit all of them. I went on a complete detox with the help of my TCM Dr. .
using herbs and anti inflammatory diet it took 7 mo of no progress to finally be clean from the steroids. I began the Fast Metabolism Diet strictly and with committed discipline last Aug. and as of today i have lost 10 kilo and could wear my favorite skirt for the 1st time in 2 years. The most frightening thing was losing my body to the meds...being unrecognizable in the mirror... pissed me off. lolHi Carole 😀. I gained over 15kilo and my neck and throat swelled up like the deceased Pope due to the steroids...all the pulmonologists were confused by my allergy to the inhalers...the diet didn't halt the progression of the COPD but it did help ignite my frozen metabolism which was not responding to exercise or any diet.
I still have not achieved my goal, but I don't give up ...i will have a full hormonal profile done in a few weeks to understand what happened with my thyroid and see if any HRT will help... My COPD was not from smoking. I never smoked a cigarette in my life. Mine was from occupational hazards... I work in war zones with MSF. and the white phosphorus bombs leveling Gaza and poisoning the air damaged my lungs and literally burned tissue to such an extent I contracted COPD
everyone there, and all our staff have been affected...From one week to the next my life flipped...and now I am trying to learn. how to manage without the inhalers that made everything so much worse.I wish everyone here. so much support and luck in the process!! It is a real challenge!! My TCM doctor has been my biggest ally and best resource for treatment... everyone needs to learn and find what works best for them!! good luck everyone!!
I smoked for about 50 years and loved it. Giving it up was one of the hardest things I had to do. I don't miss it anymore, but now and again I still get the odd urge, especially if I see someone in a movie relaxing with a cigarette. I live alone and am 80. I get scared that i will get so bad, that i will be unable to take care of myself. I shudder at the though of being at anyone's mercy. So I do my own house work, shopping, doctors appts. etc. etc., But I just got put on oxygen and that is scary for me. I am slowly adjusting to it. But I can get around my apartment quite easily without having to use it. I need it at night or going outside for shopping etc. I do the best I can and I do exercise and move around. Never become a couch potato, as that is the worst thing a person can do - no matter what kind of illness he or she has. Take care!
For me, the scariest part of COPD is the thought of catching pneumonia again. After initially being in ICU for a week with mycobacterial pneumonia, and a year of antibiotics, I caught pneumonia again two years later. It wasn't mycobacterial this time, thank heavens. Another 3 days in the hospital. Every time I cough out mucus from my lungs, I have anxiety that it will contain blood and I will end up back in the hospital yet again. I just had CT Scan, PFT test, Bloodwork, EKG, and urine analysis done. The CT Scan showed areas of inflammation and possible infection. Yech! I gave a sputum sample to my doctor this past Monday and so far tests are negative. It will be a little while longer for petri dish growth to show up or not. It gets real old getting sick with COPD. If not caught right away and treated, it could end your life, and I am not ready to go yet! That is my biggest fear. Take care all and God Bless!
Hi
. You sure have a lot to contend with. My heart goes out to you. Unfortunately, had you not done the hep C treatment, you might also be dealing with liver failure right now. All our advances in medicine are fantastic in so many ways, but they do sometimes leave us confused as to whether what seems like the right choice really is the right choice. So often, a treatment that relieves one symptom brings on another.
I hope you don't beat yourselfup too much about the fact that you are still smoking. It's a powerful addiction and it can be really tough to quit, no matter what your doctor says. I'm suprised your wife would suddenly take up smoking after seeing what you are going through. Do you think that might be an effect of the memory loss? Do you have anyone who can help you care for her as her memory declines? Her smoking must make it so much more challenging for you to quit. Have you at least been able to cut back?
Please know that doctors are very often wrong when they predict life expectancy for COPD. We have members in this community who were diagnosed with stage 4 20 years ago and are still with us, living as fully as they are able. This is a strange and unpredictable disease.
The stress of the news can be overwhelming, especially since we now have access to the news 24/7. I stopped watching television news a long time ago. Now, I read an online newspaper or two in the morning, and then I am done for the day. Are there other programs you can watch instead?
No need to ever apologize for ranting or for long posts. That's what we are here for - to offer support and a safe place to vent. Thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member)I smoked for almost 60 years and I know how hard it is to give up cigarettes. Not only do I have COPD, but like you have other issues as well. I have not had a cigarette for almost 3 years and only rarely does the though of having a smoke come into my mind. Now It is so easy for non-smokers to tell us to "just quit", but I read somewhere that quitting smoking can actually be harder than giving up heroin or some of the really hard street drugs. It took me several years before I finally gave up smoking - I fell off the wagon many, many times. All you can do is keep trying and stop beating yourself up if you do have a smoke- just keep trying to go longer and longer without that cigarette. That's how I did it. Do not say "I will never smoke again" - rather say "today I will not have a cigarette". One day is enough to handle.
Trying to have a positive outlook. Have too much going on with the ole body. Heart attack last year. 4 stents along with stage 3. 8 Meds a day plus all the Nebs and O2..
Got the results back last week on the CT scan.Significant coronary artery disease. No Mass. Thank God staying active as possible. I miss working. Was self employeed for 35 years in the truck and automotive repair business.. Constantly looking online for any form of employment. Talked to several people and agree, Companies just don't want to take the risk hiring people like me. We shall see what happens. Just miss working.Do you still stand up in the shower? You might want to look into a shower seat. They are affordable and you don't have to work as hard or worry as much about falling. -Melissa, team member The stools do help some.
I was diagnosed 4 years ago and at first was petrified. I started reading up because I believe it's the unknown that we fear. I tried to get as much information as possible about COPD. Reading sometimes caught me of guard. I just kept going. I hate the fact that COPD is so sneaky, if I may call it that. One minute you are all fine minding your own business and the next moment you wake up in hospital 🙁 THAT is very scary for me. My poor husband and daughters though that's it I'm gone. Apparently I'm a CO2 retainer. So as the Dr explained it, I can go unconscious at anytime. I do not want my family to always worry about me. My daughters are my rocks and my poor hubby falls to pieces evertime. How do you cope with that of the unknown?
