Breathing ... it's a good thing
Jun. 22nd, 2013 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
susandennisMost days I am fine which is actually amazing. When I was first diagnosed with COPD, I had spent a month wheezing and gasping for air. I honestly thought that was going to be the way it was for the rest of my life. I remember so clearly my sweet doctor saying 'don't worry. we'll get this under control. we'll find you an inhaler you can do once a day and you'll be back to normal.'
At the time, I thought he was just blowing smoke up my skirt but now, 3 years later, I'm delighted to discover he was very right. I have 3 inhalers - 1 twice a day, 1 once a day and 1 when needed. They are lexus expensive but damn if they don't do the trick.
Most days I feel fine. Great. I can do what I want. I can't run a mile or half mile or to the end of the block but, then, I have no desire to run anywhere.
And I can swim. I can swim laps hard and fast, I can do vertical water exercise - cardio and strength - as hard as I want for nearly as long as I want. If I run out of breath in the pool, recovery is swift.
But, once in awhile I have a day that is just not a breather. Today is one of those days. I did a bunch of laps and was fine but during class, I was coughing fairly frequently. Out of the pool, I quit coughing but clearly, it's not a good breath day. I stopped and had breakfast and did a couple of errands but totally ran out of steam. I was in the middle of a store and nearly didn't have enough energy to get back to the car.
Once in the car, where I could sit it was better. Which was good because traffic was a bitch. I got a mile from my house and I couldn't get here. But the A/C was on, I had a podcast to listen to, I didn't have to pee and there was no ice cream in the trunk so WTF, I just sat in the car and crawled along with everybody else.
Now home, and safe and pretty cool and way better. I have nothing that I have to do. Nowhere I have to go. TV to watch, a baseball game tonight, bears to knit. I can do all of that with totally minimum breath so no biggie.
And, I know tomorrow will be better.
At the time, I thought he was just blowing smoke up my skirt but now, 3 years later, I'm delighted to discover he was very right. I have 3 inhalers - 1 twice a day, 1 once a day and 1 when needed. They are lexus expensive but damn if they don't do the trick.
Most days I feel fine. Great. I can do what I want. I can't run a mile or half mile or to the end of the block but, then, I have no desire to run anywhere.
And I can swim. I can swim laps hard and fast, I can do vertical water exercise - cardio and strength - as hard as I want for nearly as long as I want. If I run out of breath in the pool, recovery is swift.
But, once in awhile I have a day that is just not a breather. Today is one of those days. I did a bunch of laps and was fine but during class, I was coughing fairly frequently. Out of the pool, I quit coughing but clearly, it's not a good breath day. I stopped and had breakfast and did a couple of errands but totally ran out of steam. I was in the middle of a store and nearly didn't have enough energy to get back to the car.
Once in the car, where I could sit it was better. Which was good because traffic was a bitch. I got a mile from my house and I couldn't get here. But the A/C was on, I had a podcast to listen to, I didn't have to pee and there was no ice cream in the trunk so WTF, I just sat in the car and crawled along with everybody else.
Now home, and safe and pretty cool and way better. I have nothing that I have to do. Nowhere I have to go. TV to watch, a baseball game tonight, bears to knit. I can do all of that with totally minimum breath so no biggie.
And, I know tomorrow will be better.