The Question Now Is...

By mayhem

1 min read

I started smoking at twelve years of age. It wasn't just limited to tobacco. After eight crazy years of smoking whatever, my friends were beginning to use hard drugs. Heroin. That's when I left them behind, and never looked back since. I am fifty-two years old now.

So anyway, I quit smoking everything after several attempts. Success! I started exercising, food started to taste like food, everything was looking up! Yay! Several months later, in August, I was walking uphill from a late summer festival. My chest was feeling tight. I thought, my heart? I went to a doctor, and after several tests and observations, it was determined to be asthma. As most people struggle with everyday life things I did with stress, diet, and my health. However, I avoided cigarettes, and people smoking. Except for those instances that couldn't be avoided, like surprise visits to a friend's house where smokers were present, or a ride in a smoker's vehicle. I continued to decline in health.

The asthma progressed over the years into bronchitis, and eventually COPD, which I've had for about ten years now. So now I need all of the he help and support I can get, .....and understanding! I don't get any sympathy from a few co-workers, oh well, karma to them.

Question is now, what can I do about my disease?

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Erin Rush Community Admin
<p>Hi Mayhem and thank you so much for sharing a part of your story with us! We're glad to have you here. It sounds like you have overcome a lot in your life! Quitting smoking and drug use is a huge accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself for maintaining that change for years. You are not alone! I am sorry some of your co-workers are so unsympathetic. That's unfortunate and frankly, unfair. Just about every human on this planet has made less than healthy choices; that doesn't mean we all "deserve" a life changing condition. That's pretty harsh and unhelpful, in my opinion. Don't let them get you down. As far as what you can do about your disease; you already did one of the best things -- quitting smoking! Regular visits with your pulmonary specialist are a good idea, too. One of the most beneficial things many of our community members have done is pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a 6 week program that teaches people living with COPD a variety of coping skills; both physical and mental. One of the added benefits of rehab is meeting others that understand what you are going through. I suggest talking to your physican and they can refer you to a local pulmonary rehab program. I like this article because it will answer many of the questions that may come to mind when you think about pulmonary rehab; and, it's written by a gentleman who has actually been through it and knows what he's talking about! I hope this information is helpful for you. Also, please feel free to come here anytime or visit our facebook page -- <a href='https://www.facebook.com/copddotnet/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://www.facebook.com/copddotnet/</a>. We're "open" 24/7 and we have a diverse, lively community that can truly empathize with your COPD journey. We're glad to have you here! Best, Erin, <a href='https://copd.net' target='_blank'>COPD.net</a> Team Member.</p>