Living

So you are diagnosed with COPD. It’s a chronic disease that slowly progresses over time. It’s normal for a diagnosis of a chronic disease to cause you some grief. This...

There is no question. When you receive a diagnosis of COPD, it can be life-altering. When you start to truly experience the effects of your deteriorating respiratory system, it can...

Did you know that COPD affects more than your lungs? I was not ready for that tidbit of information after I was diagnosed (I am currently at stage 3). I...

Marijuana legalization is sweeping the country these days. Several states enacted legislation in the last Presidential election year to legalize recreational marijuana. I recently moved to a state where both...

We know that scents can really affect our breathing and our COPD. So, we buy the “free” product, which is supposed to be scent-free. Why is it that one time...

Getting diagnosed with COPD is usually not a sudden thing. I can remember sitting in the living room of my mom’s house when I was a young adult (and a...

No, invisible illness isn’t the name of a disease. The term "invisible illness" represents any chronic illness or disease that a person has that is not seen by the human...

A comorbidity is a disease or condition that exists along with the primary disease a patient has, like COPD. Sometimes they are related, or the symptoms are similar, or they...

COPD is a chronic disease, for which there is no cure. The course of the illness often lasts for years, perhaps even decades. So, it's not unusual for the person...

For those of you who don’t know me, I’d like to use my first article for COPD.net to introduce myself and how I arrived at this point. My FEV1 (forced...

If you have COPD, then you know fatigue is one of the symptoms that is hardest to battle. In fact, fatigue is the main non-respiratory symptom associated with COPD. It...

The other day, when I was physically down, I asked myself again, “why can’t I get anything done?” It hit me emotionally as well. I have so much energy on...

It was shocking to hear the diagnosis of COPD. We always thought mom’s pain was from her gall bladder surgery, so the news about lung pain was a relief in...

A couple of days ago, my husband’s son and our daughter-in-law came by. We had a great visit. Last night, my husband said that I should write a story about...

Ah... summertime... It's a wonderful time of the year, with warm temperatures, fun times with family and friends and perhaps even the opportunity to travel. However, it can also be...

A big topic of conversation frequently seems to be on weight. It seems easier to help others with their struggles, yet more difficult to deal with my own. Is it...

So, you have COPD. Now what? Here are seven tips to help you right now deal with this disease. You make choices. You decide whether or not you are going...

For the vast majority of my adult life, I have worked in a heavy industrial field, both in the petrochemical field as well as the oil and gas field. For...

Getting the COPD diagnosis can feel overwhelming. Each person copes with this in his/her own way. I went numb with my diagnosis. Do you remember yours? I’ve found that I...

Journaling can be very therapeutic for anyone. When it comes to managing COPD, keeping a diary/journal is very important. Different from a regular diary, a COPD diary is one that...