Shoot. Haven't had an attack for months and months but shaking and my breathing is terrible. Had to use my inhaler 3 times today and normally only have to use it once or twice in a 24 hour period. No one to talk to so I am venting on here, sorry. Trying to remain calm.
The only thing I can think of that could be causing this is that I have been under a lot of stress in the past few weeks. Stress definitely impacts on my breathing, ie. causes my breathing to be much worse. Not making a lot of sense, trying to focus. Think I will go outside for a while.
Think I'm "losing it", replying to myself! Murphy's law applies here I think. Just went outside and Sue, my neighbour has her heavily fragrenced clothes in her dryer and the smell is strongly in my garden. So here I am back inside. Feeling calmer now, the anxiety/panic has passed. Thank goodness.
Terri
Anxiety and stress can feed each other. And they both will affect breathing.
Try this technique; where ever you are sitting, look around.
If you are able to, speak outloud to yourself. If not say it in your head.
Describe what you are seeing.
Example; "That flower is red' "The grass is dark green"
"I am in my bedroom" "The window is square" "My floor is blue"
Keep on with this until you feel yourself again.
Lill
Hi Terri
I have been keeping an eye on your recent writings and have wondered how you are getting along. I do, of course, know the island well and have assumed you are well north of Nanaimo.
Isolation up-island affects people in different ways. And I believe the words "cabin fever" originated in Canada. My experiences when living isolated in BC never bothered me -- had a few run-ins with black bear and elk stags though -- but I can see how it gets some Canadians down after a long winter. My logical suggestion would be: Why not move further south, say, to somewhere around Duncan (or even nearer to Victoria if affordable).
Don't get yourself too isolated . . . a few deep breaths . . . and as I say in my other language, "Vasbyt!"
Good.
Terri ~ It's awful feeling to be assaulted by things that don't agree with us.
Lill
Terri,
Can you share a bit about your level and experience with copd ? I am "new" to this and I find your comments and experience insightfull and relateable and perhaps I can learn from you/yours. Thank you. LT
I feel for you: I've only ever had a few panic attacks in my life and none since I developed COPD, but they must be even scarier when you already have a breathing problem.
I think I've suggested this to you before: do you do breathing exercises for your COPD and/or meditation breathing? Stress isn't the issue, it's how we respond to it and we do have a choice about that.
Thanks for this Jude. I do try to do breathing exercises and meditation breathing, not daily though. I am going to make an effort to do the breathing everyday at a specific time.
That's an excellent idea: I've found even 15 mins of meditation once a day can make a huge difference to my general wellbeing, especially anxiety from PSTD, and if I miss my breathing, walking and other exercises for more than a day or two I really notice the difference in my breathing and energy levels.
Creating a habit which is really about caring for yourself no matter what else is going on in your life is a good thing to do: I really can't recommend it too highly.
Larry:
Almost feeling somewhat ashamed to tell you tihs, however, I believe in being honest, so I will give you an honest answer to your post. I am more of a "stick your head in the sand" type of person when dealing with my COPD, ie. I quit smoking and that was a huge struggle for me, but I did it. I still have cravings, but sure they will pass in time. Most people on this forum seem to be able to just quit, cold turkey. That isn't how it went for me, had to have patches, a nicotine inhaler and God knows what in order to quit.
Now the stick my head in the sand part of my story; I have no idea what my reading are and I don't want to know. My doctor knows, I don't. He monitors me, well it's actually another doctors that does the spirometry (sp?) testing and I don't receive the results, because I don't want to know. They know.
I walk everyday, not always a long distance, sometimes for only about 10 mins. I live in Canada so walking is dependent on the weather on any given day. I try to eat real food, not processed garbage and I try to eat fish once or twice a week, hardly any red meat. Anyway. I am now rambling and will end this. Sorry that I can't provide you with more factual info regarding COPD, there are other people on this forum that are far more knowledgeable and experienced with COPD than me. They are good people and their posts are always interesting and informative. You are welcome Larry.
Jude, and many other people on here, are very experienced and knowledgeable about COPD. Jude just reminded me that I should be doing my breathing exercises and also meditation breathing, not the way she worded it exactly. It does help a lot. You can see how to do these exercises on Youtube, found several videos on there relating to the breathing exercises. It's not the end of the world, it's just a slightly different world when dealing with COPD.
Will do Jude. I know it does make a difference. I have a video that I watch and I do the breathing while watching it. Thanks Jude.
We're all different in how we respond to illness and treatment: personally I like to have as much control as I can over my health and to do that I do ask lots of questions of doctors and nurses, most of whom respond favourably or I go elsewhere.
Regarding the smoking, I certainly haven't gained the impression from this forum that most people quit easily cold turkey, quite the contrary. I gave up hundreds of times over the more than 40 years I smoked, for varying lengths of time and didn't find the final giving up at all easy (before I was diagnosed with COPD, by the way) but it was worth it, both in terms of my health and financially. Plus my concern for the environment (tobacco growing uses heaps of dangerous chemicals) and for the poverty stricken people in the countries where it's grown.
So ...... I guess the point I'm trying to make is that no-one has it easy either with COPD or giving up smoking and I congratulate you for quitting. We all do the best we can, eh?
You're welcome Terri, take care of yourself
Hi I have copd but have a high lung function. I had a chest infection not long ago an felt really breathless. I took my sats which were in the high 80's which is low for me and I panicked. I had a major anxiety attack and went on another site I am on The British Lung Foundation. I found the thing that helped most was a a couple of people especially one talking me down. Someone listening to me and understanding along with advice on doing the breathing exercises and just to try and calm down. They stayed with me for quite a while even though it was in the early hours of the morning.
Apart from that I was told that using ventolin in a spacer was best as it would go straight into my lungs. I don't have one but they said just to keep using it my reliever. Sit calmly and breathe as deeply as I could then do the breathing exercises, , and a reminder that my oxymeter might be wrong. Try to feel less stressed as this makes it worse. Most of all it was someone caring and talking to me which helped. I have now learned new tecniques for dealing with anxiety and am confident I won't have another scary attack like that again. I am glad others were here for you at the time and it helped. x
I live in a resort town, in the summer it's wonderful, not so much in the winter. I used to live in Victoria and previous to that in Vancouver, I'm from Vancouver originally. Yes, it would make sense to live in a larger city, if only for the availability of good doctors and hospitals. There is no hospital here where I live, nearest one is about 30 to 45 mins. away depending on traffic.
Thankfully I haven't run into any black or brown bear here, everyday I have deer on my property, also rabbits, and there have been quite a few cougar sightings lately. There is 26 acres of bush and trees behind my property so there is quite a lot of wildlife.
As far as moving south again, it doesn't make sense for me financially. Much more expensive in Victoria and Vancouver housing prices and rents are crazy high, out of reach for me. Thanks for your message David. Take care.
p.s. (I guess?). I have experienced cabin fever. Used to live in a place called Kitsault, it's still in B.C., way up north, Ketchikan, Alaska is opposite Kitsault. There was no road, had to fly to Prince Rupert and then take a float plane into Kitsault. There was a molybdenum mine there in those days. When making a trip to Prince Rupert to do the yearly Christmas shopping, after having spent months in the bush, I used to go into a kind of culture shock. Too many people and noise, traffic, etc.
I had to learn how to shoot a rifle as there was black, brown and a grizzly bear living in close vicinity to me. Also wolverine, they are nasty little buggers. Moose, elk, mountain sheep, I loved it actually. People were the problem. Some would feed the bears, Hello? do you have a brain? Apparently not. A mother bear had to be shot because she kept coming into the town site to eat, her two cubs were left motherless. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Way off topic. Oh well.
That's really good advice lill, and this is the sort of thing I do at the start of mindfulness meditation: I am sitting in this chair, I can hear the birds outside, I feel warm or cold or hot and so on.
I also repeat to myself in time with my breathing "I am calm, I am serene, my mind is clear and focussed" ..... takes some practice, but if done often it's fairly easy to take a quick dip back into it in times of stress, even if only for a minute or so.
Yes, I realise Victoria is now pretty expensive. But none of us is getting any younger, and some pragmatism has to be applied in readiness for old age. Hence the suggestion. It's no good being out in the sticks when things go wrong.
I remember from having to rush a couple of unexpected emergencies to Vic General on Helmcken, and downtown Victoria, that the attention was first rate for the patients. Both required urgent attention. Canadian healthcare, outside central districts, is now not as good as it was.
By the same token I can not speak highly enough of the NHS.
I have actually thought about moving to England. Thinking that NHS is the National Health Service in England? or am I wrong? Reading the posts on this site about what they have in the UK and in Australia for that matter, with respect to health care, makes me a little angry that we, here in Canada, have allowed our health care system to go downhill. Each province has their own "health care system" and some are better than others. You are absolutely right in saying that some pragmatism needs to be applied in readiness for old age. Just actually doing something about it is another story!