How to help yourself

Chest and lungs
1

This is my first time on this forum and I have read some on the articles

I am 65 and been diagnosed with copd 11 years

Althrough they did think I had Asthma when I was alot younger

After having very little sleep because of coughing for over 6 months and trying all he medicines I could buy over the counter I eventually went to see my doctor.

I was told I had copd and should stop smoking I had smoked for 40 years at 40 a day.

I was given steriods antibiotics and puffers.

Within a matter of days I was feeling alot better

I stopped smoking eventually about 10 years ago

and Ive not looked back

My last results were the best ever i was told i was borderline asthma/copd

A scan showed I had only half a lung on one side and many bullers on the other side

When I deceided to stop smoking I had throught it was time to take control of my own health

I never let the temperature drop below 18deg in my home if its damp I never go out Ive not had a chest infections since I started doing this normally I would have 3/4 a year

I cant walk very far or up stairs because of my breathing but my life is a lot better now

So I wish you all the best .Things can get better al you need to do is take charge. Stop smoking it can be done if I can do anyone can

They told me it was a progressive illness but Ive proved them wrong

Good Luck

2

Hi Nutty, so much of this is like me. I was treat for asthma for years and then one day I mentioned my asthma to the clinic nurse and she bawled at me "You don't have asthma, you have COPD" as if it was my fault for misdiagnosing to some disease I had never heard of, instead of several doctors who told me I had asthma. Most of the women in my family had that so I put it down to heredity and carried on smoking.

OK it is progressive but what my medics tell me is that I should strive to maintain the status quo, which I do. I eat raw salad and fruit for lunch with crispbread and have a good cooked dinner in the evening . I do my exercises and although I am on an oxygen machine I go off it for about 7 hours a day as I don't want lazy lungs. I don't go out in winter and of course I don't smoke any more. My last chest infection was July 2011 and I try hard not to come in contact with anybody who isn't well. I can get upstairs to bed and to the bathroom and kitchen while on my oxygen. We must do as much as we can for ourselves, which also helps our carers. I look after myself most of the day, never give in to this monster. Hope you keep on keeping as well as you are June

3

Well donr June keep it up

4

thanx, you too, we can but try. June