Post by Ann on Oct 12, 2005 7:48:59 GMT -5
A Day In the Life With COPD: This could be you!
Note: This is how my life was before I quit smoking over 7 months ago. I was a slave to this habit to the point that I had convinced myself that I couldn't live WITHOUT my cigarettes. Then I realized I wouldn't live WITH them.
A Typical Morning:
Wake up.....can`t breathe. Take off my breathing mask that I have to sleep with for sleep apnea. I forget to breath while I`m sleeping plus for some reason, when I lay down my oxygen isn`t saturated by my blood, so I have oxygen hooked up to the CPAP machine, too. So I have to turn off the CPAP and the oxygen machine (it doesn`t really go with the decor in my bedroom but there`s no place I can hide it). Sure wish I could get rid of those marks on my face that are left by the headgear. Not to mention what it does to my hair!
Barely make it to my nebulizer for my first treatment of the day. Hands shaking as I try to open my two medicine vials. I`m deep breathing (pucker-breaths, like the respiratory therapist taught me) to try and get the carbon dioxide out of my lungs). Finish the 15 minute treatment. Take a puff of Advair for my asthma. Feeling really great.
Head out to the porch to have my first cigarettes of the day, coffee and take my Kleenex for all the phlegm I cough up. Making sure it`s not green so I can immediately start on the antiobiotics the doc has me keep at home because I can get pneumonia really easy and die. I have prednisone on hand, too. Sometimes they give me cortisone shots when I`m really bad. The steroids I have to take make me fat and puffy.
Phone call....ran out of breath trying to get there before the machine turns on. Having a hard time talking....hard to breath and talk at the same time. Don`t seem to enjoy phone conversations like I used to.
It`s 10am and I can have another breathing treatment. Let`s see....time for another few cigarettes to `clear out my lungs`. Of course, I could`ve just taken the expectorant that the doctor gave me, it would clear out my lungs, too, without putting all that junk back in.
Wonder if I`ll make it to the mailbox? Sure am having trouble getting a good breath. It`s good I put that chair in the front yard, halfway to the mailbox. Sit down and catch my breath. Head up to the porch to read the mail. Have another couple of cigarettes. Can`t breathe again but it`s time for another breathing treatment.
2pm. Get to the grocery store in between treatments. I`ll take my portable nebulizer and oxygen. I hate having to have the box girl unload the groceries but I just don`t have enough air left. I smoke a cigarette in the car (waiting until I'm out of the parking lot so people who've seen me on my oxygen won't see me smoking), remembering to turn off my portable oxygen so I don`t blow myself up. Finish the it and turn the oxygen back on. I sure wish it was time for that breathing treatment!!!!!
I have one of those coughs that make everybody look at you with the `Should I call the paramedics?` look. So embarrassing!!! Especially in restaurants!
Don`t have enough air to unload all the groceries so I bring in only the frozen and refrigerated things. Dear hubby will have to bring in the rest when he gets home.
I`m so tired from not getting enough oxygen and all that walking I did. I'll take a nap until it`s time for my treatment. Still haven`t had my shower yet, but I have to plan it so that I can have a breathing treatment right afterwards. My lungs respond to the moisture and steam in the shower much like they do to rain.
6pm breathing treatment......thank heavens!
Hubby is home so I sneak out to the front porch to have a cigarette after dinner. He thinks I`ve quit smoking. Finish my smoke.....chew some gum.....spray some perfume and I figure he won`t notice the smell of the smoke.....yeah, right!
The doc says I have 38% lung capacity left.
That my friend is what living with COPD and smoking is like!
I can`t begin to tell you how much I wish I had quit smoking years ago before I had done the damage to my lungs.
Hugs,
Gramma CeeCee
rossonranch.com/Quit.html
Note: This is how my life was before I quit smoking over 7 months ago. I was a slave to this habit to the point that I had convinced myself that I couldn't live WITHOUT my cigarettes. Then I realized I wouldn't live WITH them.
A Typical Morning:
Wake up.....can`t breathe. Take off my breathing mask that I have to sleep with for sleep apnea. I forget to breath while I`m sleeping plus for some reason, when I lay down my oxygen isn`t saturated by my blood, so I have oxygen hooked up to the CPAP machine, too. So I have to turn off the CPAP and the oxygen machine (it doesn`t really go with the decor in my bedroom but there`s no place I can hide it). Sure wish I could get rid of those marks on my face that are left by the headgear. Not to mention what it does to my hair!
Barely make it to my nebulizer for my first treatment of the day. Hands shaking as I try to open my two medicine vials. I`m deep breathing (pucker-breaths, like the respiratory therapist taught me) to try and get the carbon dioxide out of my lungs). Finish the 15 minute treatment. Take a puff of Advair for my asthma. Feeling really great.
Head out to the porch to have my first cigarettes of the day, coffee and take my Kleenex for all the phlegm I cough up. Making sure it`s not green so I can immediately start on the antiobiotics the doc has me keep at home because I can get pneumonia really easy and die. I have prednisone on hand, too. Sometimes they give me cortisone shots when I`m really bad. The steroids I have to take make me fat and puffy.
Phone call....ran out of breath trying to get there before the machine turns on. Having a hard time talking....hard to breath and talk at the same time. Don`t seem to enjoy phone conversations like I used to.
It`s 10am and I can have another breathing treatment. Let`s see....time for another few cigarettes to `clear out my lungs`. Of course, I could`ve just taken the expectorant that the doctor gave me, it would clear out my lungs, too, without putting all that junk back in.
Wonder if I`ll make it to the mailbox? Sure am having trouble getting a good breath. It`s good I put that chair in the front yard, halfway to the mailbox. Sit down and catch my breath. Head up to the porch to read the mail. Have another couple of cigarettes. Can`t breathe again but it`s time for another breathing treatment.
2pm. Get to the grocery store in between treatments. I`ll take my portable nebulizer and oxygen. I hate having to have the box girl unload the groceries but I just don`t have enough air left. I smoke a cigarette in the car (waiting until I'm out of the parking lot so people who've seen me on my oxygen won't see me smoking), remembering to turn off my portable oxygen so I don`t blow myself up. Finish the it and turn the oxygen back on. I sure wish it was time for that breathing treatment!!!!!
I have one of those coughs that make everybody look at you with the `Should I call the paramedics?` look. So embarrassing!!! Especially in restaurants!
Don`t have enough air to unload all the groceries so I bring in only the frozen and refrigerated things. Dear hubby will have to bring in the rest when he gets home.
I`m so tired from not getting enough oxygen and all that walking I did. I'll take a nap until it`s time for my treatment. Still haven`t had my shower yet, but I have to plan it so that I can have a breathing treatment right afterwards. My lungs respond to the moisture and steam in the shower much like they do to rain.
6pm breathing treatment......thank heavens!
Hubby is home so I sneak out to the front porch to have a cigarette after dinner. He thinks I`ve quit smoking. Finish my smoke.....chew some gum.....spray some perfume and I figure he won`t notice the smell of the smoke.....yeah, right!
The doc says I have 38% lung capacity left.
That my friend is what living with COPD and smoking is like!
I can`t begin to tell you how much I wish I had quit smoking years ago before I had done the damage to my lungs.
Hugs,
Gramma CeeCee
rossonranch.com/Quit.html
