Halloween Costumes with COPD

I hope you will take this in the fun that it is intended.

I was just thinking about my mom and her sense of humor, and I wondered, if she would have dressed up for Halloween to go Trick or Treating with the kids, what would she have dressed up to be? Here are a few things that I came up with.

1. Jet Fighter

You could use a wheelchair as the cockpit, building around it for the fuselage with cardboard and painting it. If you make the fuselage large enough, the person pushing the wheelchair can be in the costume too. Use the mask from a BiPAP or C-PAP machine and a solid bicycle helmet to create the look of the pilot. Your oxygen will fit perfectly under the mask for a short ride around the neighborhood.

2. Fireman on a fire truck

If you are using a rolling walker, you can use a large cardboard box to attach around the frame. It would be important not to make your firetruck too large because it would be too difficult to push. (You should only do this, if you are capable of walking with it. Build this around a wheelchair, if you are not sure of your stability.) Paint the box red and attach ribbon or an actual hose to the side. Get yourself a plastic fireman hat and a big jacket, and you're ready to go. If you have small children in the family, you will have an automatic siren. :)

3. Walking Fireman

You will need a plastic fireman hat. If you have an oversized jacket, you could add some patches. You will look even more the part. Use your oxygen mask (instead of canula) and carry a tank on your back. You could even find a lightweight play axe to carry. This is for someone that is still capable of walking and carrying your own oxygen.

4. Stick Figure

Wear all black clothing and shoes. Get some light sticks and attach them to the clothing in straight lines, highlighting your major bones. Your oxygen will not be noticed.

These costume ideas could be so fun. I know that some of you are not able to do any of these, and that's okay, but there are so many of you that are able to get out. Maybe you are worried that you will be embarrassed or you won't make it around the neighborhood. Your neighbors have already seen you with your oxygen. Your family loves you and just wants to spend time with you making more memories, and you might even win the best community costume award.

Don't stop participating just because you think that maybe someone might feel inconvenienced. Chances are high that you are the only one feeling that way. Your family wants these moments with you. If they haven't asked you to go with them this Halloween, maybe it is because they simply have never thought that you would want to go. What if you started the conversation with these costume ideas? You just never know. It could be the beginning of an entire family theme.