Living

Getting a COPD diagnosis is downright scary. So many emotions and questions go through your head and trying to make sense of it all seems like an impossible feat. One...

I have noticed every once in a while in our COPD forums that many people have asked about getting on disability, and I thought I would share my journey with...

It is true that when you have a chronic illness like COPD, your daily suffering will be a struggle that others cannot understand.  My symptoms go over their heads. I...

For many people, a shingles diagnosis will come as a painful surprise. But about 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will be affected by this common...

It is important to remember that our caregivers need some caring of their own. As hard as it is to live with a chronic illness like COPD, our caregivers live...

There are 15 million people in the U.S. with a diagnosis of COPD. Each one experiences this disease in unique ways. Some have mild COPD, while others have it severe...

Where I live, here in Illinois, we have to be prepared for everything because of our weather. We have windy, cold winters. In the spring and summer, we have thunderstorms...

I’m so excited! I will attend my first in-person Alpha-1 education day in over three years. You all know why: Covid. Alpha-1 is a genetic liver disorder that can cause...

Yesterday I saw the first robin of the year. It is always a delight because this is when we know that spring is coming. It’s been a long and cold...

After my mom’s diagnosis, we were all trying to learn how we could help support her health. After learning about pulse oximetry, we felt we had something to measure. Her...

Shingles is a viral infection that is often misunderstood. Understanding the myths and misconceptions about shingles can help reduce your chances of getting it. Here are 7 common myths about...

You may know what COPD is and that it affects your organs. It can affect your body and mind. It’s very important that you see your doctor as scheduled. Maybe...

Editor's Note: Always talk with your doctor before altering your drug schedule or if you have any concerns regarding your treatment. In the early 1990s, some of the world's most...

It is a new paradigm. We must learn to breathe differently by becoming more efficient at moving oxygen around our lungs and expelling used oxygen. I began to study the...

No two days are the same and some days are better or worse than others. The fight just never seems to go away, and it begins anew every morning. Some...

I have seen quite a few people in this forum and on many social network forums trying to quit smoking. I have shared some tips that helped me there, but...

We just had a time change and sprung ahead an hour. I read that the general idea of why we do this is to make better use of natural daylight...

I live in Illinois, and for the most part, we have four seasons. I loved growing up in a little rural town where everyone knew everyone, and I felt safe...

In our forums, some people share things that they wished they would had known about COPD. One lady shared that she wishes she had known how to cough so she...

Journaling. I remember keeping diaries when I was younger. The tiny keys that came with the diaries were so cute. It’s funny that I would think that lock and key...