Living

Many in this community benefit from oxygen therapy. This is all possible because of great discoveries from our past. So, I thought it would be neat to journey into our...

“Denial isn’t a river in Egypt” is a saying that has always stuck with me, probably because it can apply to so many different things. Even COPD. Oh my, being...

A friend of mine asked me this question recently. I asked him, “What do you mean?” He said, “What do YOU mean?” I told him, “The question can be taken...

So, you’re new to COPD. Here are six things to know. I know! I know! This is the exact opposite of what you expected me to say. But, hear me...

Most of us know about children who care for aging parents, and how we switch roles later in life. In our case, reversing roles with COPD came early. It was...

In a previous article, I referred to my four pillars of living well with COPD. They are knowledge, medication, nutrition and exercise. In this article, I thought I would expand...

I can’t tell you how many times my mom cried out those words. The problem was, she was only saying them to me – in private – because it was...

Self-Care For Real There are a lot of articles out there about self-care. The intended audiences are everyone from healthy people to those with chronic illnesses to those with specific...

This morning, like many other mornings, I get up to let the pups out and to use the bathroom myself, after removing my c-pap mask and oxygen. The time could...

Quitting smoking is the best thing anyone can do for their health, especially those who have COPD. In fact, quitting smoking is the only way to prevent a rapid decline...

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!...

When I was younger, I wanted to be a photojournalist. That profession combined my love of writing, photography, and travel. I thought it was perfect for me. That dream gave...

I was a normal working person, in the last years of my career. At age 60, I hadn’t really begun the game of looking ahead toward retirement or losing my...

Dreams…. I’ve always been lazy and could stay in bed for most of a mid-winter storm or for a humid, 95-degree plus day. But, career, children, wife – name your...

More and more I’m hearing from people who struggle with confusion. The discussion usually begins with someone asking if COPD can cause them confusion. The question then is, can COPD...

Watching out for humidity wasn’t one of the things we though about when mom was first diagnosed with chronic lung disease. As time went on, we came to understand that...

My hubby was working so I took advantage and decided to clean the bathroom. Usually he does most of it because of cleaning agents, even though we use a green...

In this series, we've explored the relationship between COPD and depression. We have gone through the reasons why COPD patients have depression. Now, what are we going to do about...

I have often talked about providing patients with tools for their toolbox to manage their COPD. One of the most important tools for managing any disease is your mindset. It’s...

It’s a good thing to have a sense of humor and to laugh - even when you’re healthy. I think it’s especially important to be able to laugh at yourself...