COPD

Coping Tips for People with COPD from People with COPD

1. “Planning a week can be disastrous. Instead, plan for a time when you have the energy to do your chores around the home.”
2. “My grandchildren have become my priority.”
3. “What I find most helpful is I write my grocery list out the same way each time.”
4. “Get sliders for your couch/furniture so it can move easily.”
5. “Using pursed-lip breathing before using my puffer makes my puffer more effective.”
6. “Grocery lists are a great mental test to keep my brain active.”
7. “I can rinse my mouth better if I take my dentures out first.”
8. “I needed to give up my old belief system – giving up my old imperatives. I quit ‘must’erating and ‘should’ing myself, and found I was less stressed out. I learned to roll with the punches.”
9. “Humour is so important. During one time in the hospital emergency room, I laughed when I realized that, after all my practice, I finally learned how to throw up properly. It still makes me laugh.”
10. “There are 5 P’s of leisure to remember: participate in possible pleasures by priorizing, planning ahead and pacing yourself.”
11. “Be the boss and take charge!”
12. “I know what to expect when one has a chronic illness: the world doesn’t fall apart, you develop trust in your health care providers, and you make the most of the opportunities life provides. Most of all, you focus on your abilities and the exciting things that the future holds.”
13. “I am truly looking forward to what the future holds for me. Yes, I do know that I will always have this, but I will never let it define who I am or what I do as a person.”
14. “It has been a very difficult journey living with this disease. The biggest frustrations have been the unknown and the progressive deterioration – not only physically but also emotionally as I struggle to live with the frustrations and the embarrassment of a body that just won’t cooperate and perform the way I would like it to. It’s difficult to stay enthusiastic about life and life’s activities.”
15. “I am not sure that anybody can rise right above their disease. Instead, you carry it with you, and let it lead you to places and people that otherwise would not be a part of your life…I continue to be able to look for the positives in the situations and focus on them so that I don’t spiral down into the abyss of despair.”

COPD Telehealth Videoconferences for Patients

A free video conference series for patients and families affected by COPD via Telehealth Saskatchewan network.

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Stories About Living with COPD