Thoughts on My COPD

Hello, everyone! I hope you've all had some good, breathe-easy days recently. It's surprising how the days are still flying by. I was talking to some people about COPD last night online. We have all had to be careful about how we live even before COVID. Taking extra precautions, avoiding the triggers of a flare-up, avoiding people with colds and coughs, etc. It was surely so nice to see we had a lot in common.

My exercise progression

My exercises are going really well and my journal is filling up nicely. I can't wait to show it to the people who work with me on my COPD and mental health - they will have a great read.

I started with 2-kilo dumbbells and have now reached 3-kilo ones. I began riding my exercise pedals for at 3-7 minutes at a time and am now up to an hour sometimes! I usually try to do one type of exercise in the morning and the other in the early afternoon to break the day up. It works out well and helps pass the time.

Sacrificing so much

There are days I miss not seeing those who support me but I'm hoping and praying they're all keeping safe as are all frontline workers. The virus makes you think about how people put their own lives at risk to help save ours. I did question my self-worth but it's not just me they're fighting for. It's pretty mind-blowing when you think about how many people are sacrificing so much.

Life is so precious - we need to grasp it with both hands and work to keep ourselves healthy and strong. We can't take life for granted and must live it to the best of our ability. Thank you to our NHS, to our social services, and to all our healthcare workers. Thank you to our garbage collectors and mail carriers. Thank you to everyone who is abiding by the rules of our lockdown. Thank you for being you.

Use it in a positive way

Sometimes it's hard to cope with all the pressures of everyday life, and when things change so drastically it can become too overwhelming. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken away many of our daily freedoms and has left us without a sense of control. Adapting to such sudden change can be hard but it is possible. Many things we did before just need some tweaking.

Take this big change as a challenge and use it in a positive way. Keep moving forward and keep using the journal as the days of this unfamiliar journey march on. Remember, you have gotten this far and you will keep going. Taking it day by day, you're getting stronger and stronger - not just physically but mentally too. As we know, mental strength is just as important as physical strength (perhaps even more important). Wishing you all a safe, breathe-easy day from here in the UK to everyone out there.

#thinkpositivebepositive
#thereslifeafteradiagnosis

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.