Am sure lots of us to try STAY positive BUT when realisation of your condition hits you
Is JUST like a boat UPs bolt out the BLUE the BIG uncertainty of our conditions
God knows how they use to cope years ago with lung diseases sore ass and social isolation esp with know smart phones pads or internet.
Yes. I hate it. And I try to be positive but sometimes it's hard. However, there are some weirdly good things that I have gained from being sick. One was stopping my crazy career and realizing how much life I was missing because of it, two was appreciating the people who still want to know me even after I am too sick to party with them and three adopting a dog which I hadn't planned on until we had retired by which time I may not be here anymore. And lastly counting my blessings. xx 🌼🌷
Hi Cas lovely way to think and being positive is a good help my hubby is positive like you and makes a difference.You have your furbaby now to help you
Jeaniexxx
Hi Caspiana cheers defo agree there is fun times to be had when you do feature out .. as to stress yer I left that behind when my dad developed Alzheimer's being ill and looking after someone iller can be trying BUT like I forget the bad just sometimes you forget the good things too.
Thanks for reminding me ... very sweet 
Sending you a big hug today Hidden . 🌷
Hi Daz
Everyone has the uncertainty of when , and what, they may die of, it may be unconnected to the illness they have.
The majority of people don't dwell on this, they get on with living and enjoying life to the best of their ability.
The medications and help we get now, is a vast improvement to the people who lived with serious conditions years ago.
I am grateful for this, and determined to enjoy life while l am here, for who knows, tomorrow l could get run over by a bus !!!!
Velvet x
or fall of that recliner , or you could drownd if you get mr v to do any more pluming jobs
Hi Mmzetor think there fun times we have lol
" Velvet! ...What a beautiful self less attitude to life you have....to me..you have an Amazing positive Aura that reaches' out to other's...Megan..."
Hi Megan
I am blushing 😂😂
I take a leaf out of my dad's book...he is 90 soon...he tells me he is happy just to wake up each day !
xx
" Then Velvet..Your Definitely a chip off the old block..Thank goodness...x Megan."
that's not blushing you put too much make up on , Are you doing any thing special for dad for his birthday , if you go for a meal don't forget to take some tomato sauce for him ,
Hi Mm
He, and his lady friend came over to visit us last Friday, and we took them out for a meal 😂😂😂😂 !!!!!!
The meals looked delicious, them my dad reached for the salt, and knocked his large glass of red wine all over his meal !!
In an instant, l tipped his plate up and drained it in the middle of the table....Mr V was frantically mopping it up, my Dad sat there, blaming the wine glasses stem being too long 😂
I ordered him another £5 glass of wine, and asked him if he wanted a new meal.....he said no, and scoffed the lot, saying it was delicious and he must have Scampi in red wine more often 😂😂😂
xx
Hi Velvet55 Cheers I wish medication was helping me a ALL I seem to have is infections n infections but defo agree you do heave to stay positive
Thanks for reply
If the sun shone 24/7 we'd never even notice it. We need the dull and dismal days so that we recognise and appreciate the bright ones.
That's not to say that we'll love the dull days, look forward to them or enjoy them - their roll is to show us what "bad" is so we can revel in the "good" ones.
Before COPD I realised that I had another disease which was slowing me down, making it harder to do things and tiring me more swiftly - it's known as old age! Just like the COPD, I'm not going to get better from that disease so I'll just accept it and move on .. enjoying the sunny days.
Best wishes.
Old age y_not never defo agree about making best out of what we have got
I have never known any different than living with my very damaged lungs and the boggart that is bronchiectasis. I was taught by my mother to get up every day and get on with a normal life, doing everything that I needed to keep me going.There was never any question that I should feel sorry for myself. My two best and normally healthy friends suddenly got ill and died within two months of each other in 2009. I am still here, sometimes exhausted by the battle with the boggart, sometimes isolated by my 'difference' but still doing my best to be part of society. Being on this site has been a boon for me because after 62 years I finally found people who can empathise with the down days because they go through it themselves. Their kindness, helpfulness and very funny observations are beyond measure. Smile every time you take a breath Jeff, smile, because you did.
Yes your post said it all, for me, but aren't we lucky to have this site. Learn so much and good information for us all. Thank you Health Unlocked xx 😂😘
What a wonderful way with words you have Stilldtanding63. Very touching. Very endearing.
thank you. I just try to speak honestly from my heart
Hi stillstanding63
I don't feel sorry for myself just glad it's me who as this and not one of my brothers who have kids family ... ad not wish it on anyone.
But your right about being motivated and that's where my problems are MEDs to seem to help "side effects" and my infection rate.
Is hard picking your self up time and time again BUT we must try.
Please don't think that I implied that you feel sorry for yourself, although, despite my Mother's very tough stand with me, we are all entitled to do so when it all becomes to much. You can tell from the response that you got that you raised an issue which affects us all. It is hard to keep picking ourselves up and you are right, the side effects of the drugs we take really don't help. Thanks for giving us all a chance to say how we feel.
A few years ago my 2 best friends, my sister and I were all diagnosed with breast cancer within weeks of each other and had surgery, one friend has died, the other has a few weeks left, my sister and I are still clear. My severe COPD gets me down but at least I am still here to moan, and treatment is improving so there is hope if we look after ourselves.
Snodgrass, you are of course right.Positivity has to be the way forward, I know that but just need to put it into practice.There are so many people a great deal more poorly than me.You have given me both optimism and the need to look forward.This. group r
Eally are a Stoical, caring and helpful group of people, thank you😆 .
When you are older, you have the long view of life and its ups and downs. Never envy anyone their seemingly good fortune, life can and does turn round so quickly. When we were a young married couple we lived next door to a very happy family with three young daughters. My first baby died, and life seemed so unfair. A few years later the eldest daughter of the neighbour died of leukaemia and not long after than the middle girl was run over by a car and killed. The marriage broke up. I could relate more sad stories but you have all probably stories of your own. Iris x
True JAS and l know Pete feels down about his health sometimes. Me too actually. Xxxx
scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne... hi at times u no we all have our ups and downs , ye we most of us hear have lost people through life , many now arnt able to work again many have no one at home like a partener or wife, husband there life at times must get them down alone, were as others have someone to count on for there day to day needs , so in that respect there more fortunate than the ones going through bad health alone , so what is done then eh we wallow in it or we get up and keep on eh,, no we no it don't get better but with what we have Jeff well that's the one we keep on going eh , take care and keep on eh. xx
Yes it hits you in waves and can hit you hard but the one thing we have that healthy people don't, is a different perspective on life. We appreciate it more and realise just how precious life is x
SNAZZY !!!
Thanks loads..., I've sent it on down the line...!!!
..and " !! KEEP ON TRUCKIN' !! "
Life can be a bitch. I once said this to a very lovely lady, a nun. She said "Ann, I don't like that word but I do know what you mean!" Isn't that what it's all about! Empatising and sympathasing!
Since being diagnosed with PH and Scleroderma friends have been amazed how I manage to stay so positive and upbeat. I told them I had a clear choice from the outset - either feel sorry for myself and spiral into depression or pick myself up and carry on as best I can. I chose the latter. Yes there are days when I get really down and the tears come but the love and support of my family and true friends has been immense. I completely agree with other that my outlook on life has changed so much and in life you have to cope with the cards you get dealt, no mater how bad the hand may be. For now I'm cherishing quality time with my family, something I never had when I was working in a high pressure job and really do count my blessings. I won't waste time and energy on those who I thought were my friends but have been silent and absent these past months. I now know exactly who I can count on now and value them so much.
I understand exactly where Jeff is coming from and sometimes get low. However I've also gained things (like Caspiana) through having COPD. I joined Breathe Easy, go to their exercise class, singing group and give talks about Breathe Easy to Pulmonary Rehab groups.
I've met lovely people and gained some good friends through doing this. My daughter commented that it's provided me with an additional social life (sad tho' it is!) Despite our conditions and disabilities we have a laugh and appreciate what we still have. We organised a marvellous strawberry fund raiser event at Breathe Easy last week and had a great time
It's given me patience, and tolerance of others, and also made me realise how lucky we are to have so much help...imagine being disabled like this before we had cars, scooters, inhalers, oxygen, PR, Health Unlocked and help from professionals
Wow, Jeff - did you expect your post to generate responses like these??
There's so much wisdom, honesty, strength, humour, determination, and common sense here. You don't have to deal with what you have in the past because you have what's here now and this site is part of that. Everyone is here for everyone else. It isn't easy but no-one said life would be easy. Could be worse, Jeff. And I really hope today hasn't been too bad for you - and that you feel a little less down than maybe you were.
Take care, and maybe tomorrow will be a sunny one. Sue x
My philosophy is a very corny line from a song I like. ' You got to keep on, keepin' on.' So this is what I do.
could be worse ,could be raining all day as well .
No the only thing I hate is comments from folks like " Oh you should get that cough seen to " or "Coughing like that is really annoying ! " whereas I think just shut the eff up and mind your own business !!!!!! Seriously though personally speaking from my own experience it must be worse for someone who has just been diagnosed with COPD after seemingly being ok for however many years and no doubt you would have the thought am I ever going to be better. My first recollection of having bronchitis is the age of 5 ( I am now 48 ) so have spent all of the winter and first part of Spring with either bronchitis or chest infections and so when I was diagnosed with first asthma back in 2001 and then 10 years later COPD it wasn't much of a shock kinda a case of ok what now sort of thing !!! Hey that's just my way of looking at it and there's always the saying " You could get run over by a bus tomorrow !!!!! "
One of my favourite quotes from the Shawshank Redemption is this- Get busy living or get busy dying. When I'm having an off day I keep saying that to myself. Helps me a lot!
50 yo woman with NSIP and IPAF 
Hypersensitive Pneumonitis 
having a flare up of my Bronchiectasis
Selling Inogen G4 portable Oxygen concentrator
learning how to drive 
