COPD Awareness Month

As COPD Awareness Month is upon us I feel it's important to make sure we are aware off changes within our health. We can become complacent with ourselves and think different ailments are just part and parcel of our body's changes. And you tend to believe there is nothing sinister going on. COPD can hit anyone at any age. Though there are known triggers, you can get it without any of these triggers.

I shrugged it off more and more

From having Asthma as a child and numerous chest infections I became complacent to believe it was just part and parcel of my wellbeing. And I shrugged it off more and more. I did smoke and came from a family whose parents smoked so being me it was the norm. My mother died young (55) of Chronic Bronchitis and Respiratory failure so you would have thought I would have learned from this, but no, I didn't. I nursed my mum at home 24/7 for two years right up until she died. Oxygen at home and still she smoked (me too). I still didn't take notice.

Being in denial will get you nowhere

My chest infections were more frequent and I smoked more than ever. Being in and out of hospital (different problem) all the time to kill in the world to just smoke. My father became ill with his chest, he struggled but quit smoking just before he went on home oxygen too. I still smoked!
Don't be the one to shrug things off don't leave the offer of a lung function test go by no one is invincible. Being in denial will get you nowhere except sicker and sicker. I think to be afraid of the unknown and seeing what my parents had and what they went through put me off the knowing. Deep down I new I was ill and I didn't want to hear the words. I was offered numerous lung function tests but always declined them gracefully I was scared I was in poor health but I didn't want to hear I had COPD (though we all new I had it even me).

Get it treated sooner rather than later

What I'm saying is don't put off any tests if you have something wrong - get it treated sooner rather than later. By letting things get so bad you have the added stress of not knowing what's going on and the anxiety hits an all-time high. The quicker you're diagnosed, the quicker you get treated. Ok, there is no cure for COPD but knowing you have it you can change your lifestyle to slow the progression. And you will also be given the correct medication to help you and maybe even have surgery as an option.

Although a diagnosis can be scary, it's not as scary letting yourself get so ill that you might die. Sadly, when diagnosing patients with COPD, the consultants tend to speak only about the lungs. Not much is touched upon the emotional side of COPD. The way your life changes on a daily basis, it's difficult to plan ahead as you don't know how you will be until you wake up. Changing your daily living by not using spray polish but using wipes. Having a shower instead of a bath as you cant breathe laying in the steam.

Get your Lung Function test as soon as possible then you can learn to adjust gradually so it won't be such a shock to you and your family and loved ones.
There is hope and.......
#thereslifeafteradiagnosis
#thinkpositivebepositive

Editor's Note: We are heartbroken to share that Debz passed away in October of 2021. She is deeply missed but her positivity and resilience live on through her articles. Thank you for everything, Debz.