Having COPD and chronic illnesses complicates health issues in your older years, at least it has mine .
Some days ATM I can walk miles and others have to turn around after a 1/2 block . What is COPD related , what’s not , what’s a new medication reaction , ( recently started a new med and recently started the problems ) is it an allergy ? Do I treat it as an allergy , do I see my pulmonologist ? Is it an exasperation , is COPD progressing ? Is it something as simple as heat and hydration . When you can’t breathe , it really is not fun folks . I’m however grateful that I am not yet on oxygen , and who knows if I ever will have to be as long as I keep taking better care of my lungs and never again mistreat them . My COPD could be the issue , but maybe not it just complicates things .
If you don’t smoke , don’t start and if you do smoke stay quit . It’s doable not to slip , doable not to relapse . If you think you have time and think just one is okay don’t think that way . I thought forever quit was long and hard ha it’s not .. forever is a gift ,COPD and illnesses related are long and hard .
If you don’t have a smokers cough , don’t assume you are out of the woods , if you haven’t had a PFT ( a very simple lung function test ) and are a long time quitter a low dose scan or PFT could save your life , but if you are like me , you might avoid that or maybe you have mild COPD and like me ignored it cause I could breathe just fine .
Most smokers hate that they are smokers and most smokers are scared they smoke and scared they might not be able to quit but don’t let it stop you from taking care of you or fill doubt in your mind . There is no space for that .
Quitting smoking is 100 percent doable and you can do it . Do it because you are able , do it with effort , action and attitude . Get your stubborn on . If you think you left it too late , don’t matter , if you don’t feel any changes at all and you are quit it don’t matter , do it for what you can’t see . Do it for those lungs , do it for the brain , do it for your immune system , do it for the unknown . Every puff inhaled circulated through those beautiful organs , organs that keep us alive .
