Doctor #1 from years 2000-2005

Any Change, any loss, does not make us victims.  Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on.  No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something.  You always have a choice.

One very valuable lesson I have learned over the years dealing with doctors is that they are human."  I grew up believing that they were God-like, never making mistakes. However, it's a lesson I learned the hard way, they are human and as such prone to make mistakes.

The best thing a person can do is research everything you can find on their disease. Read up on the new research and medications, bring up some of these ideas to your doctor letting him know what you'd be willing to try.

Another very important thing you can do is take care of yourself.  Eat right, get lots of rest and do as much exercise that you can do and work slowly on increasing this exercise. I believe the stronger you are the harder it will be for the disease to beat you!

Doctor # ! was the doctor who diagnosed me with having severe COPD, back in 2000. She possibly has the best bedside manner of any doctor I have met. She was very patient and helpful while I was quitting smoking.  She also prescribed Pulmicort for treating my COPD.

After a couple of years with things running along pretty smoothly, I began to get tired easily. Work was getting harder and harder to do. I called to set up an appointment with my doctor. I found out that she was off on maternity leave. So I immediately booked an appointment with the doctor who was covering for her. Once I finished explaining to this doctor how I was feeling she asked to see my puffers. When I pulled them out of my purse she exclaimed "But they're the same," I was like, "What do you mean the same?" they certainly didn't look the same.  She explained that they are different brand names but that they were both Corticosteroids which reduce inflammation on the lungs and help reduce swelling. She also stated that I needed bronchodilators   which would relax the muscles in the walls of the small air passages. She then preceded to prescribe a drug know as Advair.

How does one give up a habit they've had for 30 years?

"There ain't no Santa Claus, there ain't no pony, and Elvis is way dead. Your life is going to get better only if you make it better.  Pray to God but row for shore."   Dr. Phil

  Back in the 70's at the age of 12, after the rink closed for the season and before it was hot enough to spend our days swimming, we had to find somewhere to hang out.  Somewhere that could accommodate a bunch of girls and preferably a place with very  little adult supervision.  Eventually, someone came up with the idea of taking a ferry boat ride on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It was a great idea, it gave us the space we needed with the privacy to tell all our girly secrets, plus it was fun!

Then one day someone showed up with a cigarette.  I remember being shocked but yet tingly with excitement at the same time. This was something adults did and we sooo didn't want to be little kids anymore.  Some of us were timid at first, others were dead set against it but within a few weeks we were all taking drags of those nasty things.  Soon one smoke wasn't cutting it so it became the responsibly of those who had family members who smoked, to sneak a cigarette for everyone. I also remember it got to the point of pooling our money and buying our first pack. We headed down to the ferry, where we smoked non stop cause no one was brave enough to take the package home with them so, we had to finish it before going home.  We should have made ourselves so sick as to be permanently turned off  cigarettes... but as luck would have it, it never happened.

COPD Signs & symptoms

People with COPD usually have one or more of these symptoms:

• a cough that lasts a long time, or coughing up "stuff" (mucus)
• feeling short of breath, especially when you are making an effort (climbing stairs, exercising)
• many lung infections that last a long time (the flu, acute bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.)
• wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)
• feeling tired (fatigue)
• losing weight without trying

People might think that feeling short of breath is a normal sign of aging— but it's not. If you have these signs and symptoms, see your doctor. Ask for spirometry, a simple test that measures how much air you can move out of your lungs.
The sooner you see the doctor, the sooner you can get proper treatment for your COPD.
If you are over 40 and currently smoke, or you've smoked in the past, you may be at risk for COPD. Take the Canadian Lung Health Test to see if you have signs and symptoms of COPD.