Living with COPD

[ryleediane]

Hi I am a 71 year old grandma. As a child I suffered with asthma and it magically disappeared when I started smoking. In those days even doctors smoked. At age 65 I began to experience alergies and shortness of breath again. This progressed to COPD. I use two inhalers Spiriva & Symbicort and are on 24/7 oxygen. I'm also a carbon dioxide retainer and have to sleep with a CPap mask. After a year of having constant bronchitis and pneumonia and taking numerous doses of steroids and antibiotics I developed a lung tumor that was cancer. I had cyberknife radiation (5 treatments) and they think this will take care of it because they caught it very early. I try to keep my spirits up and my 6 grandchildren really help with that but I miss doing things I used to love to do, but I thank God every day I'm still alive.

[Hidden]

I still miss some of the things I used to do also, such as sculpting in stone, but when the docs said no more, I found other avenues that give the same sense of satisfaction. I sit at meetings with my O2 concentrator and no one has complained yet. Write a memoir, take up art, but by all means ... find something to fill that void.