COPD Welcome Wagon

In the good old days when a person or a couple moved into a different town, when they got married, or when they had a baby, a gift basket was given to them. How do I know? Because I was welcomed for all three types and a baby welcome basket I received at least twice, maybe even four times.

The welcome wagons were so exciting. There were coupons in the basket for discounts at local stores, for maintenance and oil changes at gas stations, and much more. In those days, all gas stations were full service. There might have been trial sizes of products, such as town maps, diapers, dish soap, and so many other little things like that.

My heart goes out to you

You might be wondering where I am going with this. This article is about COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. You see, those with COPD have a chronic, obstructed airway. Falling under COPD is emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Disease, which is the genetic form of COPD.

So, what does this all have to do with the welcome wagon? Each day there are many people diagnosed with COPD around the world. You might be the one diagnosed, or maybe it's your friend or relative. My heart goes out to you. Maybe you haven’t found the answers that you are wanting and needing. It's possible that you aren't sure who to talk to. Do you feel as lost as I did?

We welcome you

You might be trying to find answers on the web and are feeling overwhelmed. There are so many sites for COPD. How do you know where to look? You might be asking yourself where you can turn and who you can talk with. You haven’t even found a support group. Even if you have, you found us here at COPD.net. We welcome you. If you’ve been here before, we welcome you back.

You can read our stories or see responses to questions that you or someone else has asked. We have forums. Ask away, we are here for you. You might even have a response to someone else’s question. This is how we help each other. Think of all of these community features as items in our welcome wagon - they are here to make you feel more comfortable and at ease. This disease isn't a walk in the park and it takes a strong support system to help one another persevere. Know that you aren’t alone. We are on this journey with you and are here to listen as well as share our perspectives on living with this condition.

Other health conditions

In addition to COPD, you might have other health conditions like heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, or diabetes. Our sister communities can provide the same kind of welcoming and healing space as COPD.net and are also great resources for those in need.

Again, welcome. Hoping that you all have a breathe-easy day/night and we'll see you back soon.