For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Chuck and I quit smoking six years ago. The things I learned while beating my addiction were incredible! But that’s a whole different story.
A little over a year ago, I had a small cold, but one that I couldn’t get rid of. After about two months of this thing, I realized that I was having a hard time breathing, which at the time I assumed was caused by the cold.
Eventually, my breathing got so bad that I started using my wife’s Albuterol inhaler. Eventually, I went to the hospital and they told me there that it was a good thing I came because my oxygen levels were so low that I could have died.
They put me on supplemental oxygen and started me breathing Albuterol through a nebulizer. I responded immediately, though my oxygen level kept dropping. They gave me IV steroids and eventually decided to send me home with supplemental oxygen, a prescription for nebulized albuterol, a nebulizor and antibiotics.
I felt pretty good for a few days, but then I started to relapse. Very quickly I was in just as bad of shape as I was before. I waited the week for my scheduled doctor visit and when I went, I could barely breathe again, even with supplemental oxygen.
I was started on Prednisone for a week and a follow up in two weeks. The steroids seemed to help a lot, but by the time I went in for the follow up, I’d had to ask for another few days of the steroid just to make it. When I arrived at the doctors for my follow up, they had me take three times as much steroid for three weeks, put me on Spiriva and Advair.
This time I got over it. Later I saw a pulmonologist and he ordered breathing tests. In the end, he wanted to call it asthma, judging from the tests but we still call it COPD because of my past history of smoking.
Since then, I’ve had two episodes, but nothing as severe as the first one. I believe the severity of my next two exacerbations were less severe because of what I’d learned the first time, and the fact that I get into my doctor as soon as possible rather than waiting to see if I get better on my own. Knowledge is power with any life circumstance and as such, I keep learning.
I now know that any lung inflammation is enough to set me off, but usually it takes a cold. These were important things to learn since I work as a drywall hanger and finisher, a very dusty job. I now wear a mask all the time when I work, do breathing exercises and take all precautions that I can think of.
Even though I’ve been diagnosed with COPD, I consider myself lucky for several reasons. One is that I had almost five years of freedom to enjoy before I ever had a setback. The other is that I feel really well in between bouts.
I have so much more to share but for now I just wanted to get my story in the COPD group.
Together we can fight just as we did when we had to quit smoking. Looking forward to fighting with you!
ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!
Chuck
