A COPD Diagnosis from Secondhand Smoke
SOAPBOX TIME. Getting on my Soapbox--I posted this on my Facebook page.
The role smoking played in my life
I have to get on my soapbox today as I'm really frustrated with this COPD business. Please don't take offense with what I'm posting. I apparently got COPD from secondhand smoke. I was diagnosed with it in 2007 and I have never in my life smoked a cigarette. My mother, father, ex-boyfriends, husbands, friends I was around, etc. smoked. My father wasn't the big smoker my mother was and he quit off and on until finally quitting. My mother smoked from the time I was conceived until I moved from the house in my 20s.
When Allison was in grade school she came home from school talking about how bad smoking was and got onto my mom for smoking and mom quit cold turkey the next day. I have had many dreams about her starting back up but I don't remember her smoking another after that.
How my diagnosis has affected me
Since being diagnosed I do not get around people that smoke as I know how it affects me. Apparently there are several things that can throw you into a COPD flare up which I just got over one the end of October when I was hospitalized for a week. Now here once again I'm going through one again. I am not ready to die but I do know that I'll probably have many more flare ups along the way. I do not look forward to this as it's a very scary disease, as not being able to breathe throws me into a panic attack. I had 2 panic attacks last night and those are scary. Our bedroom is across from the bathroom and I get very short of breath walking that short distance. I am on oxygen most of the time and 24/7 when going through this.
I guess my point of this is if you smoke please think twice about what the affects of it causes not only you but those around you. If you had or have young kids or grandkids think twice about the affects this has on them.
Thanks for reading this if you did...Just finished up a breathing treatment, one of 3 today so far...❤️
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