Articles

I have now been a respiratory therapist for 21 years. During these years I have taken care of many people with COPD. Some I have even gotten to know quite...

If you have COPD, like me, you probably have medications to take. As your COPD progresses, so does the amount of medications that are prescribed. Before being diagnosed, I didn’t...

Making decisions can be tough, especially when they relate to your health! One decision you may face is whether or not participating in a clinical trial is right for you...

When we live with chronic illnesses, like COPD, sometimes we feel like we're broken. We feel like our vibrancy, our beauty, our vitality is gone. Our limitations, pain, fatigue, all...

I wrote a post a while back, "5 Tips when to seek help for asthma." I wrote this post based on my own personal experience as an asthmatic. I have...

COPD, much like asthma, is an invisible illness. It involves inhaling invisible substances that cause invisible changes to occur inside the lungs, and sometimes cause invisible symptoms. This invisible nature...

As we come to the close of October, schools on, we’re able to enjoy the harvest from our gardens and we’re moving into fall. In the small towns, we may...

I used to wonder why anyone wouldn't follow their doctor's orders, but since being diagnosed with COPD I’ve done it myself. In part 1 of this article, I laid out...

Studies show that 13-45% of COPDers also experience anxiety. In fact, COPDers are 85% more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety compared with the general population. Despite this, less than...

Each year thousands of clinical trials occur. Learning about clinical trials can feel like you are learning a new language. The good news is that there are lots of resources...

When I was younger, I would tell my dad that I wanted to be happy, in life, at work, in everything. My dad would tell me that I wasn’t being...

It can be so hard to hear that we have COPD, whether it’s Stage 1 or Stage 4. Too often when we get the diagnosis, no one explains to us...

Informed consent is the term that signifies a person has been given information regarding all possible consequences for a treatment, including both potential risks and benefits. While informed consent frequently...

Dust is a big trigger for my allergies, COPD and asthma. My doctors were thinking that my allergies were triggering my COPD exacerbations and SOB (shortness of breath). Those were...

“I don't wanna, I don't hafta, and you can't make me...” Remember those words from childhood? Or maybe you weren't as...contrary...as me. I think about that phrase whenever I hear...

Flu season is fast approaching, and it's crucial for people with COPD to know how to fight the influenza (also known as "the flu") is a serious contagious illness that...

Clinical trials can provide an opportunity for patients to receive the latest treatment, provide a new treatment option for those whose previous treatment didn’t work, and allow patients to be...

Pollutants can be both a cause and a trigger of COPD. Polluted air contains irritants - tiny particles that cause damage to the lungs. Breathing irritants for extended periods of...

"Hi, I’m John from respiratory. I have to draw some of your blood.” This is how I usually introduce myself when I come to draw an arterial blood gas (ABG)...

Does bill paying time of the month throw your body system off? It sure does mine. I would call this my stressor time of the month. It can get my...