Hi, new here. Have COPD and I am feeling angry at what I have. I had a bad 'cold' for over a month, mid december to end of January, breathing better now but I was a mess even when my daughter and grandkids came to visit from the midwest for Christmas. It was awful coughing, worse than I have ever had, not being able to bring the sputum up. I keep on telling myself I will not get depressed or angry but I am beginning to see/feel some of that. Thinking of my own mortality brings me down. I am 64 and even my 91 yr old mom worries about me; she is so healthy! Why do I have this? I smoked when I was in college but I quit in 1980, for God's sake! No one in my family has any terrible diseases. I got rid of my doggie because doctor said no pet hair/dander is good for me. I keep my home pretty clean from dust and only use cleaners that are not strong in chemicals. I don't do much exercise, guilty. I am overweight, so those two I know are not helping me. I use the inhaler twice a day and have used the rescue inhaler only once when I felt panic from not being able to breathe well when I got stressed out. I was reluctant to join any group because it saddened me reading all you go through, well, I am one of you and I admit it now, no more denial. I will get the vitamin D you have recommended to others and the cod liver oil. Anything else that can help?
I guess this is not an active support group? Came here for some guidance, support, and it's like a ghost town... LOL
@Alexph hello Alex! I’m sorry I am just now seeing your post! I do hope that you start using the vitamin D and the Cod Liver Oil… The oil is going to thin the mucipuous and phlegm and will help your cough be more productive and you can spit the “glue” our as it comes up. Very important to get rid of it.
Has your Dr sent you to pulmonary rehab! This will teach you how to be active without causing yourself a physical setback. I would recommend a treadmill because you can use it anytime day or night, rain or shine. But you MUST START with a very short walk and work your way up. Start with just 5 minutes, or even two…set the timer on your stove and just walk back and forth in your house…as time goes on, you can add a minute or two. Working slowly is going to help you build endurance and get control of this disease before it starts controlling you. The more you exercise, the more you can slow the progression of this disease.
The cod liver oil comes in cherry flavored from walgreens…don’t get too excited, this only means that that it tastes like a cherry flavored fish. I dip the tbsp in honey and let most of it drip off the spoon then pour the oil into the spoon… it helps but I’m not going to lie, cod liver oil is horrible but it will protect your lungs form pneumonia and help loosen the phlegm.
5000IU of vitamin D3 is going to help so many things for you!
Google how to do pursed lip breathimg…This will help you thru panic attacks. Magnesium will also help any anxiety you may have. It is hard to absorb in the pill form so you may need to use transdermal magnesium oil spray to get the benefits of this very important mineral.
Don’t give up on the site, I know not many ppl post in this group but there are many other groups here you can join or just keep posting here. The depression and anxiety grouos are very active and since your disease is likely to breed these issues, it would be good for you to connect with others there.
Do you work?
Hi Mechele, no, I don't work. I was very happy to see that someone had responded to my post! Thank you! I ordered the Vit D and the fish oil; I should get it in a couple of days. My daughter was showing me her air purifier that has a HEPA filter, she and her husband sleep with that thing on; I'm not sure I could sleep with the sound next to my bed but I'm going to start looking for a new air purifier for during the day or have downstairs. Not sure my old one is helping much. Oh, what do you think about essential oils in a diffuser? She gave me one last night and I put two drops of oil she gave me called "balance" and water and it gives out a vapor. Does that help or affect our breathing?
I was able to talk to them over dinner about my situation more openly, I'm not sure they understand fully what this is. When I say progressive disease they look at me bewildered, they think my 'cold/coughing' will go away when it runs its course.
I didn't like the last pulmonary specialist that much. He prescribed about ten things on his pad and I told him I did not need so many chemicals (I hate meds) I'm only using the inhaler because I am convinced it helps me breath, but all the other stuff just sits in my cupboard. I freak out after reading all the bad things these meds can do to me! Ugh! I rather do/use the natural, more holistic things...
I'll start the two min walk today, thanks.
Have a nice day.
@Alexph hey there! Your daughter is on the right track keeping the air you breath as clean as possible. Using filters and changing your furnace filter every month will help with that, also wear a mask while dusting your home. Anytime you can keep dirt and debris out of your lungs you are beating the game. I wojldnt use anything that makes a steam in the air… humiddity is to good for your lungs. In fact, if you live in a humid area, insider a dehudifier for the days when it is real bad…you want to keep the relative humidty in tour home between 40 and 50%
The book “COPD FOR DUMMIES” will help you explain to your children what you are and will be going thru.
I’m so glad you are into natural remedies, some of the medications for copd are gruesome with side effects. Prevention is going to be key with your disease. Preventing colds, flu and pneumonia is crucial. The Cod liver oil is actually going to help regrow new alveoli (the protective hair in your lungs) and keep it from getting stiff and breaking and falling out. They make Cod Liver Oil softgels but they do not work like the liquid in the bottle does. Im glad you are getting fish oil as well… that is a wonderful supplement that will help many things including your heart health.
The more exercise you can get the better,( of course once you have worked your way up to dialy physical activity. )
Find a new pulmonary specialist and tell them that you want to go to pulmonary rehab so you can learn how to be active without running out of breath. Also, do not mouth breath… always inhale thru your nose and blow your air out thru your mouth so you are dispelling all the carbon dioxide in your lungs so you leave enough room in your lungs for the next breath. Mouth breathing will induce shortness of breath and hyperventilating.
Glad to hear you are going to start you walk today! Yay for those first 2 minute walks! You will soon be walking 15 to 20 minutes at a time and having more energy left over afterwards as well.
A great tip a good friend used to do is stand up every 30 minutes and stretch. … set a timer on your phone or whatever…do not allow your body to get used to sitting for long periods of time…standing up and stretching every 30 minutes will help keep your body used to moving.
I’m so glad you are going to be proactive in helping yourself thru this…this is NOT a death sentence…This has just restructured the way you do things from now on!
Glad you found the site and hope you stop in often for the support you will need going thru this! 
I did a couple of 2-mins walks and made sure I walked all the aisles in the supermarket, even if that is slower and holding the cart. I got up from my chair a lot more times and stretched and lifted legs and held my arms up high, just slow movements and holding the stretch as best I could. I did have my semi anxiety moments and I even cried a bit, just feeling a bit overwhelmed by this whole thing and yes, I know, it is not a death sentence, but is it not? Really? I mean, I'll die from this, right? Unless I get hit by a truck...
Oh God.
I live in southern California, so, no, it's not humid; I was hoping the essential oils in the diffuser would help, but if steam is a no no, then I won't do it. Just like I have stopped lighting candles, getting rid of my dog, staying indoors when it is windy outside (we get hot dry windy days sometimes, called Santa Ana winds), not using perfume or too much make up or chemicals on my skin, looking for things that have no parabens and all that stuff we've all heard about. Yes, it's a new way of living, no kidding..!
I wish there were more active people here so we could help each other with tips. What you have taught me in a couple of days has encouraged me to make more changes and not despair.
I am also more aware of how I breathe and I catch myself if I take deep breaths through my mouth, I hope I can stop that.
Oh, I think I got confused between fish oil and cod liver oil, I ordered fish oil, so I guess I need to go out and find the cod liver oil, ugh, it reminds me of being a child and my parents giving us spoonfuls of the yucky stuff, lol, but since I am being open about the changes, I can be open about this.
How do I measure the humidity inside my home? Good grief!
@Alexph good morning dearie! I’m so sorry if I have overwhelmed you with info! And I can certainly relate to the anger and anxiety you are having! Glad you live in an area without too much humidity! That is a bonus!
I am so proud of you for your efforts in jumping right to it with some exercise already, but yes, take it nice and slow… nobody wants you to run a marathon, just be more active at your own pace!
You can buy humidity and thermometer reader at Lowes for about $10…, they come in digital that will help you keep a good reading.
And no, COPD is not a death sentence. It is a diagnoses of a progressive disease you have that can be controlled and slowed with the right kind of treatment, exercise and diet eis also a big factor. Try to stay away from foods with nitrates and those that cause gas. Eating 5 small healthy meals a day instead of 3 largerones will help give your lungs more room to breath.
Avery closefriend of mine was diagnosed with copd/emphysema ar the age of 55… she asked the Dr if there were 3 things she could do to help herself, he said exercise daily to keep the lungs strong, eat healthy and use cod liver oil twice daily. She immediately started walking in a treadmill and in under a month had worked her way up to a 30 minute walk every day. She soon was up to 3 miles a day. She also started golfing 3 days a week and bowled once a week. I often told her she should be a copd poster child! She only has a rescue inhaler. She went on this way for 30 years. At age 85, she was still walking daily, playing golf and never had her disease progressed past stage 2. She never had to go on oxygen and when she went for a yearly physical, the Dr ordered some tests that indicated a problem with her gall bladder. She went in for surgery and they discovered she had cancer in the gall bladder and liver. So you see, my point and she never gave up exercising and taking good care of her body and copd is not what took her life… it was something completely unrelated. I was very amazed that her disease never progressed. She stayed at stage 2 for 30 years!!
She was one of the most positive ppl I’ve ever known and I mis her dearly but I know she is proudly watching me share her success story over copd with others so they too can give theirselves a fighting. chance. Demand info from your pulmonary specialist! Ask for copies if breathing exercises designed to build endurance in your lungs. Use good posture to keep from “crowding” your lungs. So many simple things to help you thru this!
Do you use oxygen?
No, I don't use oxygen. I think the doctor said I was between stages 2 and 3. So, I'm still 'good' ha!
I definitely want to be like your dear friend who stayed on stage 2! Wow, what a story! I am sitting here with a teary eye of joy.
I'm visiting my mama out of town for a couple of days, but when I return I will start making calls to see if I can get a new Pulmonary Specialist and start "demanding" info, help and more guidance.
I'm very grateful for all the info and the time you have given me. Hope you are doing alright? What is YOUR story? :)
@Alexph omg, I just wrote my story out and have you several examples of more ppl in my life with copd and it didn’t save! Grrrr! Will try again after work!
Hope you have a great is it with you mom! 91! Can’t argue with THAT!
Have a great day!
@Alexph - keep your endurance up by exercising 3/4x's per week for 20mins, it will assist you greatly. Check out Youtube - Dr. Noah Greenspan's webinars, it helps lead the way for feeling too. Above all, stay w/use for extra support. I invested $200 in a treadmill as the heat here was to hard to walk in so you may want to consider that when weather is not cooperating. Hope you stay w/us & read through some of the older posts, especially mechele's, she's got great info to utilize - put her name in search box right hand upper corner when you have the time. Nice talking w/you, this IS manageable.
@April yay., hey April! Good to see you. You always make me blush sweetie! I am so proud of your continued hard work on the treadmill. I was just going to send Alex Dr Noahs way! Lol
Great to see you! Hugs
@Alexph - keep your endurance up by exercising 3/4x's per week for 20mins, it will assist you greatly. Check out Youtube - Dr. Noah Greenspan's webinars, it helps lead the way for feeling too. Above all, stay w/use for extra support. I invested $200 in a treadmill as the heat here was to hard to walk in so you may want to consider that when weather is not cooperating. Hope you stay w/us & read through some of the older posts, especially mechele's, she's got great info to utilize - put her name in search box right hand upper corner when you have the time. Nice talking w/you, this IS manageable.
p.s. I'm from California born & raised though am in deep south now.
@April Hey April, a Cali girl, nice! Do you miss it? How is it living in the deep south? My son is in the US Coast Guard and he was stationed in Alabama and he just loved it and said people are really nice and friendly.
I will look into the webinars and start looking at treadmill ads on craigslist, see if I can find a cheap one. I know getting outside is helpful but I’m so used to being a homebody and being lazy that maybe a treadmill is my answer for walking. You and Mechele are very kind in sharing the tips and what works. I appreciate so much!
Hope you are doing well.
@Alexph - I bought my treadmill new at Academy Sports (Triumph 400T) for $200, was relatively cheap I felt though paid someone to assemble ($100) as H wouldn't help (another crappy story). Deep south IS cheaper cost of living though the humidity is awful & got harder to breath in (walked 2miles) through the years hence the life saving treadmill. Yes, I miss home CA.., About your sis, sounds like her anxiety is getting the better of her?? My sis does the same (even from 2,000mile away) but their our family & as you mentioned to mechele we can only keep creating "boundaries" w/their controlling ways. My sis is a physical therapist for 30yrs & she CRACKS THE WHIP!!! its her job. I'm on treadmill 4/5days per wk, she's says "everyday"..shes right.., keep moving, even on bad days, do leg lifts (10 reps) while sitting down & careful with eating too much, that can really push diaphragm up making it harder to breath..ugh..
Got switched to a new inhaler and I had the first puff this evening. After a few minutes I was getting ready to go upstairs to get ready for bed and I felt very dizzy... didn't faint but I felt I was going to. Earlier, I had read all the things that can go wrong (side effects) with this inhaler and it scared the heck out of me. I decided to watch a movie on Netflix for distraction but couldn't stop thinking of it and was getting very anxious. Then I thought well, if it will help me to breathe... that's when I opened and took the puff... I made it to my room and here I am, pondering this whole inhaler thing. I wish I could just stop using it... my eyes will deteriorate, I'll get osteoporosis, pneumonia, possibly die... holy sh&t!
I hate this.
@Alexph I feel like I need to detox from all the inhaling… I question why I need to inhale such dangerous chemicals into my sick lungs!!!
Hi Mechele, I'm doing the walks, I stretch, I do the deep breathing and exhaling through the pursed mouth, etc
I stopped the new inhaler (it scared me!) and have not noticed any changes, still coughing when the sputum needs to come out.
I remember using the progesterone cream when I started the hot flashes in menopause. They said it would lessen or stop the hot flashes, neither happened. I stopped menstruating at 50 and I've had the hot flashes for 14 years now. I also lost my facial hair (eyebrows :( and been thinning head hair ever since. I tried lots of stuff, natural and doctor prescribed, eventually I gave up and carry a fan in my purse and mastered the art of taking clothes off and on rapidly! lol
I'll try the progesterone again, for the sake of not getting osteoporosis.
I do rinse very well after using the inhaler.
Can I use the rescue only when needed, instead of the twice a day one?
I want to get healthier, I believe my attitude has changed to a more positive outlook. My daughter even noticed it today, when she came by to visit for a little while. She likes my home better, she used to say I was a hoarder (not!) but I have been busy decluttering and making it easy to clean and just less stuff. I want to keep only what is needed and what 'sparks joy" as they say in a book I read. I still have a long way to go but it's okay, I do what I can. For the first time in many years my closet only has clothes that fit! Ha! I'm donating so much old stuff and many decorations, too.
My daughter does yoga and she was teaching me how to stretch my arms up in the air, head looking up and pretend my chest is being pulled up to the ceiling and holding it for a few moments; it feels so good.
I got the humidity and temp reader. We have the dry windy weather right now and I saw how the humidity went down to 36% from 42% Then I tried the diffuser with the essential oil in the room and it helped it to go up a little to 40%.
Hope you are doing well and thanks for checking up on me.
@Alexph I’m going to wait until I see the new lung specialist to talk about the inhaler situation. I’m not sure this regular doctor is very experienced with these things, and he said he had given me the wrong one! I used the ‘wrong one’ since May last year! Ugh, doctors!
Hi Mechelle. Today has been an emotional day. I decided to deal with a couple of piles of papers in my office area that have accumulated. I did very well at the beginning and cleared my desk from clutter. Then I saw a pile that got forgotten since my dad passed two years ago and I kept on avoiding. It had pictures and letters and a large manila envelope with cards and letters from me to him! Some from way back in the 70's when I was still in college and married to my first husband. I ended up reading them all and then of course crying and missing my dad so much! I can't believe he kept all of those letters, Father's Day cards, etc. photos of my kids when they were little that I had sent to him throughout the years, well, it all got to me. Not sure what I'll do with them but I will consolidate and separate some of the letters from the photos; I'm sure my kids will like to see some of those sometime. I'm glad I got to clean lots of stuff but I am not done; it'll be a process, but the fact that I have less clutter makes me feel healthier already!
I will order the progesterone from Amazon and look forward to getting less hot flashes, you have no idea how annoying they are.!
Thank you for all the tips you give me to get my life back from the dark place it was going. I hope I can help somebody some day when I learn more. Why don't doctors recommend more natural products/supplements to sick people? Ugh!
How are you doing, dear, I don't want to be the only one sharing about my life. Where do you live? I'm in San Diego.
Take care and good night.
@Alexph - sound like you re-visited good memories to me. I started “down sizing” years ago, took me almost 8mos (off & on) clearing “stuff” out, it does feel good too. My middle sis started getting rid of an item IF she purchased a new item (forget the term) but she’s a “shop till you drop” kinda gal & her purchases were spilling over to my home, so I had to ask her (nicely/lovingly) to STOP, as I no longer have space for more “stuff” plus I don’t want to dust it anymore…ugh… Keep going, it lightens our load emotionally.