The Plan

[susandennis]

I have COPD which is kind of a catch all term for Your Lungs Suck*. It might be asthma, emphysema, or it might be We Don't Know But It Doesn't Matter, Your Lungs Suck and they are only going to get worse.

My COPD manifests itself in fits of coughing and shortness of breath. At least so far. The plague I had earlier this month was a lovely combo of both. Now the cough is gone but actually the breath is, too.

This morning, I had to stop at the side of the pool several times in the first 15 mins of my swim, just to catch my breath. Today for lunch, I walked up to the teriyaki place (.5 miles) and back and it was tough going. Really tough. I had to stop and breathe more than once and when I finally did get back it took me a while to recover.

This, I'm pretty sure I can fix. At least I was able to last time I had a bad bout. And the fix is walking. 15 minutes a day. Not even all in one go, if I don't want. Around the block or two is fine. Every Single Day.

So, that's what I'm going to do. Along with a steady diet of my albuterol inhaler. It should all be fixed by January 15 when I go to the lung doctor. If not, we're going to have a discussion.

*I was raised in the heart of the tobacco country in a town economically dependent on the sale of cigarettes and carrying the name of two well known brands - Winston and Salem. (The town had the name first but I'll bet most people don't know that.) My parents smoked unfiltered Camels. I started smoking when I was 14 and cigarettes were $2.00 a carton. I smoked without apology or ever trying or wanting to quit until I was 54. There was a lot of love about smoking. I made tons of friends in smoking sections. It was a great excuse to take a break. It was a nice alternative to eating a lot of the time.

My Lungs Suck because I smoked for 40 years. I'm paying the price now and, honestly, I'm not sure it's not a fair price.

Comments

[celluloid-jam.livejournal.com]

My mom has COPD for the same reason, although I think she's about 10 years older than you. I wish that she would go for walks, but she very rarely leaves her bedroom, much less the house. :p

I hope that the doctor has a good fix for you. As an asthmatic I understand how disconcerting* a lack of oxygen can be.

*IE total bullshittery

[susandennis]

Bullshittery indeed

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

I love the act of smoking, it feels so good & it's so much fun. I don't smoke anymore, and now the smell of cigarettes makes me gag, or inhale deeply depending on my mood (mostly gag). I saw a scene in a movie recently where everyone was smoking on a plane. I would have died! But really, I would have smoked. It's so crazy how society changes, so quickly. When they banned smoking in all restaurants & bars in NYC, I never thought it was going to happen! They recently banned it in public housing. I'd love to see a ban in all public spaces...

Anyhoo, walking sounds fine. Keep feeling better!

[susandennis]

Smoking on planes was a natural. I mean, what the hell else are you going to do, help drive?? And then smoking sections. My father loved them. He said they held "a better class of people".

We used to smoke in grocery stores. And hospitals. Anywhere we wanted to, actually.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Back when I was a young ICU nurse, we used to smoke in the ICU waiting room. And we all smoked!

[susandennis]

Yep, those were the days!!

[gracegiver]

Did either of your parents suffer from COPD?

Just curious.

[susandennis]

Good question!

My Dad did not. He died of a heart attack at 75 (6 years older than I am now).

But Mom did. She spent her last year on oxygen 24/7. It finally got her at age 82.

copd and lung health

[pigshitpoet.livejournal.com]

i understand that osteopathy can cure copd
look it up

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

Could it be the winter weather? I'm often wheezy when it is cold
EDIT: I didn't want that to sound patronizing. I mean I understand the whole issue I just wondered if the time of year was contributing

[susandennis]

I hate to think so because I do love the chilly weather so much but maybe. It's already on my list of things to ask Dr. Lung, tho. Cold weather and stagnant/bad air.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

Pollution really gets to me, when I go to London or Liverpool I can feel my chest tighten with it. There you are in the middle of a cold city, but Dr Lung might not agree

[howeird]

Sorry to hear about your struggles. The human body is not a precision instrument, and people have wildly different results from smoking. My dad smoked from about 12 years old, got kicked off the NYU dive team for it. But he enjoyed it, and claimed he could quit at any time. At about 68, Mom had a heart attack, the doctors said second hand smoke had something to do with it. Living in Seattle, Dad would have friends buy a case of Lucky Strikes for him in Idaho, so his promise was when he finished the current case, he would quit. Turned out it was on his 70th birthday. He never touched another cigarette. Took up yoga for the breathing exercises. Lung cancer finally got him at 86. The neuropathy bothered him a lot more than the coughing.