Copd

[Raptorabz]

Many thanks Casper99, I am glad that I found you all, gives me strength and courage to get better, I gave up cigarettes on New Year's Day 2015, due cough, and cough stopped a week later, All was fine till last week , woke up in the morning and was breathless, but I did have muscle aches a few moths back and was not worried about it. When I was confirmed with COPD, the nurse had the pulse oximeter on my finger and spo2 was 98% and pulse beat was 115 beats per minute, then followed with spirometry test. That was the reason the nurse wanted me to go on treadmill at hospital and lung x-Ray. The whole thing has been a bit confusing and upsetting, but I will look after my lungs as of now and try exercising with the muscle aches that I have. Thanks again.

Raptorabz

[jimmyw123]

Hi Raptorabz,

A great thanks to casper,[well done casp. ]

I hope you manage well now,its so easy to have a set back, but not the end of the world, it sounds like your trying hard,, good on you for that its always confusing, upsetting at the beginning, but you sound positive, so the best of luck to you.

kindest regards jimmy

[katieoxo60]

Well done Raptorabz you will soon be to a year without ciggies, how are you going to celebrate that milestone? Keep it up you will feel better for it given a little more time. Don't worry if you fall by the wayside at any time, we are all here to help you get back on track. Best Wishes and good luck XX

[Dmactds]

Welcome to the group and for what it's worth, here's what seems to be working for me (it's all a gradual process, though): I've found the more I push myself and exercise past the pain, the more results I have as time goes on. Sometimes it's not readily apparent but, suddenly, one day it hits me that everything's a bit easier than it was a matter of weeks earlier.

...and so it goes.

[Raptorabz in reply to Dmactds]

Thanks Dmactds, I'll try pushing myself harder, when the present muscle aches reduce. I went out for a walk when the rain stopped, walked a 1/4 mile to the shop and walked back with the shopping . It was getting heavy after a while and just kept changing the load from right hand to left hand, etc. till I got home. I was trying pursed lip breathing when I was walking and it did not seem to help me. I must be doing something wrong, will practice tonight lying in bed. The whole issue is new to me and am still a bit shocked of it.

Regards,

Raptorabz

[Dmactds]

The pursed lip breathing thing is, for me, more of a matter of getting the stomach muscles, including the diaphragm, working again and the lungs used to expanding again.

We all generally lead pretty sedentary lives and now with computers it's even worse; today, here in the Atlanta area of Georgia, it's rainy and blustery. Every time I start to go out for a much needed walk, I look out the window and return to my old computer chair where now I'm typing this to you.

I've found that nothing improves as quickly as I would like but still it improves with time. I think about how much I was gasping and stumbling about a year ago and the improvement is very apparent.

None of us are spring chickens any more and we have to get used to a different way of thinking. That doesn't mean giving up, to me it means realizing that things are simply going to take a bit longer than they used to.

Don't give up on pursed lip, it helps get things moving again. I don't know if you have a finger oximeter but they're useful playthings, just don't get too hung up on them.

Lemme know if I can be of any further help.

Regards,

Duncan

[Raptorabz in reply to Dmactds]

Thanks Dmactds, I shall practice tonight and hope to get it correct, I mean pursed lip breathing. I don't think we are that old to learn new tricks, especially ones that can help us to lead comfortable lives.

Regards

Raptorabz