Upon a hill............

[MrsHobbit]

I have been diagnosed with COPD for the last year, I have went from being a respectfully fit woman who walked her dogs every day, and at weekends and days off, away upon those hill..............

Now.........canni walk the length of myself without about passing out....... reaching for those inhalers, and seats to sit down and get myself together to walk another few yards.

I finally decided to ask for help from the doctors and the DWP, so now have a meeting with ATOS and after reading the posts on here , i feel that i am probably wasting my time, as i already feel like they don't believe you, (like to see them live with this horrible thing... ........)

No looking forward to going to this and having to prove am ill, not exactly something that i am going to enjoy doing ...................dont they think that i would rather be doing something else !!

YES......upon a hill........

thanks

J

[KingoftheCocktails]

Hi J .I bet you miss walking your dogs. The British Lung Foundation will help you with what you need to do.

Phone the BLF Helpline on 03000 030 555 Mon-Fri 9am 5pm

Local rates apply or they will phone you back.

KOTC

Your daily humour tonic

[MrsHobbit in reply to KingoftheCocktails]

ty xx

[peege]

Hi J, I wish you all the best with this and your health too.

Do as KOTC says and give the BLF a call. All the best, P

[MrsHobbit in reply to peege]

tyx

[Hidden]

My husband was so active and misses so much the dogs the gardening playing with the children. Such a frustrating illness! BUT it's not all doom just have to change the pace of life!

Good luck with dwp etc. perhaps the helpline could help.

Wishing you all the very best take good care tad x x

[MrsHobbit in reply to Hidden]

ty x

[Coccobo]

Hi,

don't give up, call the BLF they will advise you and support you. You to have a right just don't give up.

I wish you all the best and take care!!!

Coccobo

[MrsHobbit in reply to Coccobo]

ty x

[appyalison]

Ringing the BLF is a great starting point. Good luck with getting appropriate support. Alison

[MrsHobbit in reply to appyalison]

ty x

[Hidden]

I would like to join the others, in wishing you well, Mrs. Hobbit. It sounds if there is a sense of humour lurking around with you, but it still means that it is difficult to come to terms with your illness. See you are fairly new, a big welcome. xx

[MrsHobbit in reply to Hidden]

x

[nanaber]

I also miss walking my dog, but I have promised myself that I will walk my dog again.

[Dumba in reply to nanaber]

Hi, Yes it is sad when you cannot walk the dog without stress or worry or discomfort, luckily since taking Symbicort for a few weeks, back to near normal, walking dog, swimming and cyclying and running up stairs, very lucky, know it will not fix the alpha 1 but appreciate it so much!! Could get bad again at any time I guess, Try to build up strength for exercise, lucky I also am qualified teacher, Hoping the winter will not see things get worse, getting flu jab and pneumonia one, will have one long walk with dog a day and stay at home away from people with possible chest infections.. I have to walk my dog as live alone and no friends or family , so yes I hope you will walk your doggy friend again, hope it is not too big!!! Best wishes.

[MrsHobbit in reply to Dumba]

Thank you Lorraine, such lovely words x I have always found comfort with my dogs, I have been takine Symbicort since Feb, 8 times a day ( when necessary) it helps a little, but i am very pleased that it helps you enormously.

On with my trudge then...........lol

j

[Dumba in reply to MrsHobbit]

Hi to be honest never expected to feel this well again, was walking a bit with Winston the lovely understanding shit Tzu ,,, on symbicort twice a day, and two other inhalers, suffering now cos hoovered, may have to invest in a cleaner , dust no good, but tomorrow will tell, hope you have someone to help you. Have to hide illness from my parents as I am young, went to the local breathe easy but the class they have is not near me and the don't offer transport, thought they were there to help but seems it is them that need help! I don't drive Was pounced on for money!! But lucky won a bottle of winex Talk any time ....J ....love lorr and Winston (snoring) x

[MrsHobbit in reply to Dumba]

I am with you on the hoover thing, god its the worst and best thing lol, I have got a very supportive husband and 2 daughters who are brilliant with me, my daughters are both over 21 years old so they have been there from the start,

I am sorry to hear that you dont have the support that is really needed with this, but i am sure as with all the great people on here will will be more than happy to chat with you about his.

Give Winston a wee snuggle from me xxx

Take care speak soon

Jx

[Hidden]

Good Morning J, welcome

As suggested contact BLF helpline about your application for benefit/s, but don't despair about what you have read here and how it has been very difficult for some, you may be one of the people that get awarded without any trouble. I'll keep fingers crossed for you. The helpline is open weekdays 10am to 5pm on 03000 030 555.

The other thing would be to ask your GP or consultant for a referral to pulmonary rehabilitation, you may not think you can manage it, most people do think that to begin with, but this could well be the very thing that gets you walking your dogs again, even if only for a short distance to begin, building up gradually as you can.

Check out some of these videos for more information on pulmonary rehabilitation:

healthunlocked.com/blf/post...

Best wishes BC

[MrsHobbit in reply to Hidden]

thank you BlakeyC x

[rick1]

Know how you feel, it's been a very humid summer which can be bad for people with breathing difficulties, keep your chin up and you will improve.

[MrsHobbit in reply to rick1]

tyx

[onamission]

Hi, I know what you are going through I found out I had COPD about 8 years ago I have yearly tests at the Doctors every year.

April 2013 my breathing test came out at level 3 but I got the flu in May I'm now level 4 but the difference between level 3 and 4 is huge.

Like you I put in for DLA but I was turned down and I now have to appeal I hope all goes well for you.

[MrsHobbit in reply to onamission]

Thank you, and good luck with your appeal

j

[Dumba in reply to MrsHobbit]

I had no prob getting dla xx with severe copd no questions asked but live alone with no help

[Bealings48]

Me too. so fed up - with me it is severe asthma - I cant have COPD apparently as I have never smoked - apparently 16 years of living with a chain smoker as a child doesnt count. So with the old asthma becoming so bad now I cant walk any distance without stopping for a cough and choke and feel like I am falling down. Hills are a no no. Thinking of getting a little scooter for the shows I used to enjoy going to. GP - sympathetic but no clue. consultant - saw me once and prescribed medication which did help but now seems to be less effective - no follow up. You get to feel like you are a hypochondriac according to them - or you just have to live with it - would love to see them try. So lots of sympathy to you and good luck with getting any real help - by the way I got turned down for a blue badge as I do not fit the criteria - obviously all the spry people who go to Tesco know something I dont.

[MrsHobbit in reply to Bealings48]

Hi Bealings48,

I know what you mean about the Blue Badge, I spoke to my work and due to working in a very large building, they are brilliant with me regarding my COPD, I have asked them to provide me with a Sedgeway................they said how much I replied only £4k.............well i think we can both guess the reply i got lol but it did make me giggle,

I too lived with heavy smokers from birth, and i am too embarrassed to say when i started, but i have also been told it could be ashma.

Hope you have a great day today

J

[Hidden]

From what I have heard Bealings you can have copd even if you have never been a smoker! There are a few on this site who have never smoked but have it so I am surprised that you have been told this. I know what you mean about doctors but can you go to see a different one who might be more knowledgeable? Do you have an annual asthma check with a nurse at your surgery? As a diagnosed asthmatic you should have this. I do and have done for years when I was only asthmatic. Now I have been diagnosed with copd I get a check twice a year.

Bev x

[MrsHobbit in reply to Hidden]

argee with this Bev, sound defo like COPD

J x

[Bealings48]

Hi Hypercat and Mrs Hobbit - thanks for the feedback. I do have yearly asthma checks with the surgery nurse but she is only marginally better than the GP regarding info - very nice but I have to ask them to check into things as they say Oh never heard of that etc - very reassuring. Dont expect GP's to know everything but surely an asthma nurse should keep up to date. Ha ha love it about the Sedgeway - I managed to get mine to let me work from home for the last four years before I retired (perhaps they were glad to have me at a distance instead of nagging them!!!) I have a blood test next week and then another appt with the gP at the end of Sept so I shall push her for a referral back to the consultant then I think and also about the COPD. Ah well - at present my steriods and antibiotics have kicked in and my partner says compared to the usual me I am like a monkey on speed. Tomorrow is without steroids so I shall have the crash day I expect - at least I know what to expect these days. I shall find a good book and put my feet up all day.

Bless you all - this site is great and the contributors always give me something to think about or a laugh.