I'm Not Sick Enough To Go To The Doctor, Am I?

Waking myself up coughing and coughing. Yes, it’s important to spit out the mucus and whatever else is coughed up. Be sure not to swallow it. Head hurt? Ears? Sinus! Oh no. Back to bed I go. I just have to rest a little bit more. Okay, coughing, chilled. No temp. I’m good! No vomiting or anything. It’s a little difficult to breathe, but if I stay still I do better. My hubby looks at me and says, time to go to the doctor. No way, I don’t feel that bad. I’m not sick enough to go to the doctor. He says “listen to your breathing, you can’t walk across the room and you are starting to wheeze. It’s time!”

Does this sound familiar?

Is this you? No, I’m not sick today, but it’s so important to know and to remember that our spouses, and others who know us, do know things and see things that we don’t. I’ve learned when my husband says it’s time, it’s time. He probably knows how my health looks better than I, and he has never been wrong. Because he knows how my breathing is, what my triggers are. He knows when I’m having an exacerbation or possibly pneumonia. If I don’t have prednisone or an antibiotic on hand, my doctor prefers me to come in. Sometimes they will give me a prescription, yet, they will always work me into the doctor.

We have COPD

Chronic Obstructive Health Disease.

Early signs of an exacerbation or a flare:

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing (not everyone wheezes)
• Coughing
• Excess Mucus – Color White, Yellow or Green
• Tight Chest
• Lack of Energy
• Respiratory Infection
• Cyanosis (blueness) of lips, fingernails or toenails
• Swollen Ankles (edema)
• Fever

It's important to take care of yourself

You may have some of these symptoms, but not all. You could still be having an exacerbation. It’s important to take care of yourself. If you have symptoms and are wondering if you should go to the doctor, do go. If another person sees you and says you need to go to the doctor, do go. If you are very sick, or can’t get into your doctor, you may want to go into the ER. Respiratory infections likely need an antibiotic. Be sure to take an updated medication list with you. Wear a mask as well as you don’t want to pick up any other disease or illness. It’s the flu season after all.

As you see shared information on Facebook or other sites, and you see similarities between your health and someone else’s, remember you are unique in your own disease. You are in different stages of COPD, you have different medical histories, likely different health issues, you are on different medications, you live in different places and possibly different countries, this makes each of you unique!

I hope you get to feeling better soon.