Living

I work at a small town hospital. Where I work professions are color coded. This makes it nice for patients. Once they know the color scheme, they know who they’re...

It looks so beautiful outside, yet it’s cold, It’s only the first day of March. Geese are flying, so we know that spring is in the air and getting closer...

Here are ten things not to say to someone living with COPD. (Followed by what a person with COPD might say in response!) So, what are some things you think...

It’s early March 2018 and so many here in the United States have been going through flooding, for many others, it’s blizzards. My heart goes out to so many and...

From left to right: Grace Ann Dorney Koppel, Dr. MeiLan Han, Dr. Jim Kiley, NHLBI, Harold Wimmer. Recently the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) announced the first ever...

Water is something that we often take for granted, yet it’s the most essential element. When the thought of writing about water and how it relates to our lives with...

How many of us can relate to the following scenario: we make a visit to our doctor and are prescribed a new medication that sounds very promising. One that just...

When I think of COPD, I also think of the whole body. COPD, and the medications for it, can often affect the whole body, and other health issues and medications...

Now that I have had time to digest my diagnosis with COPD, things do not seem as scary as I originally thought. I am still unsure about the future, but...

Years ago when I was struggling with something, a wise woman once told me, “It takes a really strong person to ask for help.” That saying has stayed with me...

This is a follow up post that will go into how to manage COPD exacerbations. Check out the first post where I looked at recognizing the signs of an exacerbation...

We are deeply saddened to share that contributor and member of the COPD.net team, Mary Ultes, passed away on March 2nd, after a long battle with COPD. Mary was a...

Yesterday I was watching the snow fall and was reminded of our science study, so many years ago, where we were taught that each snowflake is different. I can remember...

Frequent Question: “I have COPD and now the doctor said I have nodules. Is that part of COPD? Should I be scared?” However, I've been told nodules are a form...

COPD is a chronic illness for which there is no cure. There may be many challenges during the course of your treatment. So knowing how to work hand in hand...

What is COPD? COPD is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease which is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. That’s something...

So, I’m new in the world of COPD. I have spent most of my life living a naïve belief that I was somehow safe from the harsh realities the rest...

I have now been a respiratory therapist for 20 years. A lot has changed. But, one thing unchanged is the down-home sort of feeling of the hospital I work at...

When I get up in the morning, off comes the oxygen and CPAP. I check the time, then off the bathroom and I wash up. It’s now medication time, pills...

Have you ever heard the joke: Well, probably you have since that's one of the oldest jokes in existence. It dawned on me earlier this year that this joke was...