Avoiding exacerbations
Hi all. I listen to all of your stories and feel your pain. It's hard to tell whether you use 02 24/7 or only at night or only when you are feeling bad.
Starting oxygen
When I was first went on 02, I only used it on and off. Then my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer and I started using it 24/7 so I could be there for him without being short of breath. He died 3 years ago but I still use it 24/7. It makes such a big difference, I feel so much better and I haven't had a single exacerbation since. I also take a prescription drug called Daliresp which is a pill that is designed to help get rid of mucus, and in the winter I take Mucinex expectorant 600mg 2x day. None of these things work all of the time, but I have to say that I have stayed out of the hospital all this time.
Before being on oxygen
Before I started on 02, a doctor in the hospital told me that all the inhalers and meds we take to help with our symptoms help us to feel better but 02 saves our lives. It's not just our lungs that need 02, but all of our organs. So if you've been told by your MD to use 02 all the time, don't try to be brave or stubborn like I was. I feel like before my husband got sick, we could have had a fuller life if I had used the 02 like they told me to.
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