I went out for a night out on saturday night (first time in a year)as i didnt feel too bad.we had family up from yarmouth so we decided having a quiet drink out but STUPIDLY i didnt wear a jacket as it wasn't that cold.we went home and at 5.30 on sunday morning i woke with the feeling of DROWNING and i couldn't breathe.this happens quite often and usually my nebuliser helps me but on this occasion nothing was helping me.i usually tell my partner not to call a doctor or an ambulance as i hate causing a fuss.She saw how bad i was and getting worse and told me she wasnt listening to me and called an ambulance.i was rushed into hospital and put on 8ltrs per minute of oxygen for 24 hours then cut down to 4ltrs after that.my sats were 95 on the machine but the doc took blood samples and came back to me and said my blood and oxygen sats ver VERY LOW and i had very high blood pressure.on monday the consultant came and seen me and asked how i fealt now and i told him i fealt 10 times better than i did and could i go home as i have my nebuliser and medicines at home to help me and i didn't want to keep a bed from someone who was poorly as i was glad of the bed at the time so he said id rather keep you another 24/48 hours but if you promise to go straight to bed then he would let me home.he said i need to remember that a nice night to anyone else doesnt mean its a nice night for COPD sufferers as we are more likely to get chest infections as we have a much lower immune system than normal people.i got home and everyone was fussing around me (which i don't like) and have been feeling a good bit better,so next time i decide to go out,no matter what the weather i will make sure im well wrapped up because i honestly thought i had been sent for by THE BIG MAN lol
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stuwer231267
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It doesn't matter what you plan/arrange to do all of a sudden it creeps up on you and bang! Hope you are feeling a bit better now x
My husband does what he likes, won't let me call a doctor or the ambulance, he gets nasty and tells me to stop interfering then his sats drop through his boots, he falls on the floor. I have told him, I am his carer and if he does not do what I tell him in the future he is on his own as I am sick of being told what I can and cannot do. I am the one picking up the pieces after he is rushed into hospital time and time again. The paramedics have told him he is leaving it too late to call for them and have told me not to listen to him and do what I think is right. Even when they are giving him his medication through a mask he is telling them he isn't going into hospital. After one night in hospital he is begging to come home, not bothering about me having to run up and down the stairs every few minutes, he rings the house 'phone from his mobile upstairs when he wants anything. I am 70 years of age, and living with the most stubborn
The physio told him to use his oxygen five minutes before walking and five minutes after he has sat down, does he listen, does he heck, he says he doesn't need the five minutes before walking or the five minutes after, so what happens, he is on his knees because the only oxygen he is getting is when he is walking about. Anyone would think he was paying for the damned stuff.
I have to see a consultant for my illness, losing 2.1/2 stone in three months and not dieting and having a bad cough for eight months. (The problem is I never,ever get to finish a meal as he starts coughing and I have to break off my meal to see to him and when I get back it has gone cold). I have to have a CT scan to check my body. I received the appointment but had to cancel it as it interfered with his appointments. He says his illness has priority. I have told him that if I died he would be put into a home as our children would not take him on.
Are all COPD patients like this, thinking they are the be all and end all and expect everyone to do their bidding. The house needs repair and he won't get anyone in to do it as he says,' when I get better I will do it myself'. My sons have told me to ignore him, he can't do anything about it so do what I want. He does nothing at all. Gets out of bed in the morning, goes downstairs, and then goes back to bed at night.
So sorry to hear what you are going through he sounds a grumpy man probably frustrated because he is not able to do all the things he used to do. Try to get some help from family, friends and local nurses. You need to look after yourself too and definateley eat and find some time for you. Ask your sons to stay for a few hours a week and you go out to visit a friend or to some sort of recreation. There are support groups for carers find out about them in your neighbourhead. Hope you get some help soon Take care x
My sons work away all week, one of my daughters-in-law works, the other has two young children to look after, therefore there is no-one else. We have lost touch with all our old friends because he would not go to their homes or out for a meal, we have become totally housebound. He won't set foot out of the house in the winter so that means I can't go out either. He says there is no way I can leave him for a few hours in case he has a 'do'. I know it sounds awful, but a couple of weeks ago he nearly died in hospital and I took it so calmly it was if I wasn't bothered. What does that say about me.
This tells me you are a lady having had enough, The brain and body is a wonderful coping mechanism and to all intents the man you married has probably already been eaten by frustration and illness. It does not mean you will not be stressed when the inevitable happens just at the moment your mind is not going to cope with it .
Oh sweetthing, sounds like there is more going on with your husband than COPD, I suggest you make an appointment at the docs, choose a nice one that you like and trust , advise when you make the appointment is about your husband . He will not be able to discuss back with you about your husband but it will put him and anyone else in the picture, He will be able to advise you on how to cope and gently put you in the right direction for help.
Sounds like to me you need help with care for him to give your self time to look after your self.
Oh and by the way his illness does not have priority, explain this to the doctor what happened there is special ambulances for him.
You definately need some respite for yourself , You can come on here and have a good moan we will listen
I wish you all the best and please go and see the doctor
I really wish I had the guts to say to him, 'sod you' I am going out for a few hours, but knowing him, he would panic, have a do and be dead when I got back just for spite. Sorry, I sound like an awful person, but I am the end of my tether with him.
If he goes upstairs, I have to carry the oxygen canister behind him whilst he is wearing the mask, and the same again when he comes down. On a night I have to go upstairs get everything ready, take the nebuliser up, his drinks, tablets etc. come back down then go back up with him carrying the canister so he can climb straight into bed. Then I do the opposite in the morning, take everything down go back upstairs and then follow him back down with the oxygen canister. I also do this when we go out in the car, open everything, take things to the car then go back in the house and follow him out to the car with the oxygen cylinder. I make no wonder I am losing weight, I am also losing the will to live. I misplaced the spare set of house door keys the other day, you would have thought it was the end of the world. I told him that if didn't have so much to do then I would not get myself in such a tiswas.
sweetthing that really does sound like more is going on. For your sanity go to the docs. When he is is having a go is it possible to go in another room, no audience no shouting.
Is there no way you can have things upstairs for him as a spare rather than carrying stuff up and down . See if the doctor can arrange for an occupational therapist to go and see you, they are great for recommending things to make things easier. It does sound like you need respite care , see if the doc can do something
There is not a cat in hells chance he will go into respite care whatsoever. I do not have anyone to help either as my family have not offered. They took me to see him in hospital on odd days but for most of the three weeks it cost me £16 per day taxi fares as I don't drive and I have to walk 15 minutes to get a bus that takes me to the hospital. When I go for my hospital appointments I have to take him with me, get a taxi to the hospital, get a wheelchair for him and pull him through the hospital, the staff think it is him seeing the specialist not me and get in a panic because they don't have a man patient down for an appointment. If it was the start of summer, and now he has the oxygen and wheelchair we could have got out more, but if it is raining, windy, foggy or the sun is not shining he won't leave the house. I have not seen our local town centre since before Christmas and if I need to pop into our local shopping Mall for five minutes, and I mean five minutes, I have to get back straight away as he panics if left on his own.
Even the Community Matron has told me I must look after myself, but I honestly do not get the chance. Sometimes I feel like packing up and walking out.
sweetthing you need to get help now. Could you not make a downstairs room into a temporary bedroom save you running up and down stairs. And your family should take some responsibility off you even if they are working etc. Go to your Doctor ASAP please for your self and ask for that help your husband could go into a respite care home for a week or two just to let you recharge your batteries and he would probably appreciate you more after a week or two away. Take care please x
We tried this, but I had to sleep downstairs on a camp bed as he said he could not be left on his own in case he started coughing and needed help. He will not go into respite, he won't have a carer and our family have not offered to help. I wish I could go into a care home for a week and leave him to it but he needs 24/7 care. When he was in hospital and I was two minutes late in visiting, they forgot to open the ward doors, he was ringing me on my mobile to see where I was.
I want the Matron and the specialist to tell him that he can manage a few hours without me but they said I am his carer now and if he needs me then that is what I must do. I do not get a carers allowance because I get a full state pension in my own right, so how can I be a carer. It seems to me that the system is passing the book because I am doing it already.
Sweetthing I would get a baby monitor for him then you would hear him. You are not just his carer you are a person in your own right too. Get in touch with Social Services and demand some help you will get it if you are assertive. Take care
I bought a baby monitor and all that happened is we picked up every taxi in the area.
I have had a real argument with him today and asked him why patients we have got to know when he was in hospital who also have COPD and have oxygen and a nebuliser at home either live on their own, or have wives who go on holiday with their friends. They were the same age as my husband.
I said if they could manage on their own why can't he, I cannot even have a couple of hours away from him. He says that his condition is worse than theirs. He will not even talk about Social Services whatsoever. All his conversation is about his illness. I walked away and when he started coughing again I thought 'why don't you choke and get it over with'. That is how bad it has got'.
Thanks jackie,i wont be as silly again.im the same as yourself,i sweat a lot if i wear a coat but i will have to wear one now.hope you have a great day on saturday,just keep warm thats the main thing xx
SWEETTHING,
Not all COPD sufferers are the same as your husband.i am just stubborn and i certainly wouldnt expect anyone to run after my every need.you need to get your own health sorted first and foremost as he needs you as much as you need him.maybe your husband is suffering from some sort of depression as are a lot of COPD sufferers and he needs help before he pushes everyone away.hope things get better
Stuart xx
Hi Stu so sorry for your experience. I am just wondering if you have done a pulmonary rehabilitation course as this gives you some good information about ways to help ourselves (and protect ourselves) living with COPD.
For myself I wouldn't consider going out of an evening during cold or damp weather temperatures for three reasons, one is breathing cold damp air (a definite trigger), two mixing with people in enclosed public spaces who are more than likely infected with colds and flu, (a serious risk to people with damaged lungs), three, tiredness and exhaustion. That's not to mention if you are taking excess on the alcohol (which interferes with breathing). Sadly damaged lungs does affect our lives, we can't always carry on as before when lungs were ok, mores the pity but we can still live life and enjoy with some adjustments.
Its even more worrying that yours sats were dropping so low, hope the doc continues to monitor that for you or you have your own oximeter to keep an eye on things.
Hi zoee,yes i done a PR course 3 years ago when i was first diagnosed then i went from there to a vitality class every week for almost 2 years but our council merged it with stroke and heart disease victims and through time we were getting our equipment changed to equipment more for stroke and heart victims so i stopped going.i don't drink very often (maybe once a year,if I'm lucky) so the drink wasnt a factor in this case as i suffer exaberations quite often but i usually manage them with my nebuliser but not this time,nothing worked this time but it was my own fault.As you say we are likely to catch other peoples illnesses more than anyone elsebut i wont be going out again without a coat.thanks for the comment
DID just that went to a party [70] and although on a tapering dose of steroids 5 a day 5mg prednisolone, drank few glasses of a watery rosae wine but forgot my goldend rule and dont face anyone directly so as not to breath in their breath. got into bed at 12.30, in the old days danced till 5 am, woke next morning sore throat and then this resolved into a chest infection Kev take a 100 lines, DONT DO IT DONT DO IT. YOU would think that at 76yrs i would have learnt my lesson. hopefully some other C.O.P.D. may learn for the future.
No we will never learn, we want to be normal and when we get the chance to act and be around our friends and family sense flies right out the window! Just come out of hospital again after yet another infection, we cannot win!!lol I just take as many precautions as I can hope I can get through winter with no more hospital stays.
Oh by the way do any of you wear a mask in winter when you do out? only interested as on of the COPD pals of mine does!!
Lying in bed kev ill and that gave me a laugh lol.
Marian-anne-i have heard of people wearing a mask but i usually put a scarf round my mouth in the winter (hope thats what you mean) as i hate anyone looking at me struggling to breathe and thats the main reason i don't have a social life anymore.i used to play football (my dad played for motherwell and scotland) and i loved my golf and bowls, none of which i can do any more. When i first got COPD my friends were very negative, saying i nust surely be able to play bowls but the bending down to throw the bowl was badly affecting my breathing so i ended up giving up my membership.friends were also trying to be funny by calling me DARTH VADER when i breathed and i made out that it didnt bother me but inside i was hurting like hell cos they don't have a clue what I'm going through with this disease.I don't look for pity, i just hate the way my life has dramatically changed and some people dont realise.I will just need to be more cautious when i go out from now on ( which isn't very often)
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but pleased I am not the only silly one. 
phyllocontin
HOSPITAL SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG.
Pride comes before a hospital stay
Oxygen
Weird sats!
