TAKE CARE IN THE COLD - PLEASE

Good Morning everyone! Glad to say that everything has been pretty stable - as stable as it can be for my severe COPD husband!! A couple of courses of antibiotics in the last couple of months but nothing too severe - after all the troubles with the blood pressure tablets and the side effects he is not taking any meds for that particular problem we will deal with that in the next month or so!

This is more to do with a tale of caution - up north it is cold this morning - properly cold. Our morning routine started OK and my husband up and dressed by 7 (yes 7am!) - went out with the dog to start the car. Fifteen minutes later he is not in - I dashed out with spacer in hand to find him literally frozen to the spot. It was so cold that he was unable to breath well enough to make the short walk across the drive. Administered spacer - opened the car door and started the engine to hopefully blow some warmer air in his direction. Ran back in to get the oxygen. Dashed back out - by this time I was also shivering horrendously. All is OK - it took him some time (about half an hour) and slowly slowly we got him back inside and stabilised.

The cautionary tale of today - if cold affects your breathing, take care. It is winter and it is damn cold. If you doubt whether you can cope - stay in. Please take care. TAD xxx

[pollyjj]

Gosh Tadaw how scarey was that. Hope he is recovered now, a good lesson to all of us, it is very tempting sometimes to go out without your oxygen but certainly not worth it.

Take care the rest of the day.

polly xx

[medow]

Oh tad, how scary for you and hubbie, thank god he has you to look out for him, I often read your posts and you sound like a really solid couple, it's also good to hear the carers experience and point of view, I realised at the weekend that I sometimes treat my husband as a bit of a gofer, I often get caught up in my own anxieties and needs I forget that he also has to live with the unwelcome guest in our home called copd. I had to go into London on Saturday for a conference and got caught in freezing sleet on the way home, felt dreadful yesterday and thought chest infection was coming back, today I'm ok'ish, so fingers crossed, by the way, I'm very impressed with up and dressed by 7am ! Hope the rest of your day goes ok x x x meadow (rose)

[Hidden]

Oh dear Tad, that is not good. Its not advisable to ventured out in very cold temperatures with a lung condition. I had thought this information is covered on the PR course and on BLF's web site, may even be something in the community already posted about it.

Please everyone if you are not aware please read : blf.org.uk/Search?query=loo...

Please take good care, I hope Pete recovered ok once back in the warm. I always check the met office daily for details about the weather, humidity, temperature, wind factor etc as the weather / temperatures / humidity etc do affect me.

Just put in place or post code here:

metoffice.gov.uk/public/wea...

Stay warm and dry everyone.

[rick1]

I'd struggle in the cold going to a P.R. course in winter!

[sassy59]

How scary for you and hubby and thanks so much for that word of caution. It is quite mild on the South Coast for now but you never know when it could all change. I try and get Pete to wrap up warm and use a scarf over his mouth and nose, just lightly. You note I say "try" because he is very stubborn but we will heed your words. Hope all is well now and thanks again. xxxxx