'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by ctliasion @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

ctliasion — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:47:24 -0000

MY HEART GOES OUT TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU......LOVE

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by dorstoy @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

dorstoy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:10:24 -0000

Thanks for replying, I am sorry to hear you lost your mom. This week the doctors have increased her coumadin again because when she went to the cardiologist they could not take blood. The nurse could not find a good vein and when they finally got through the blood was hard to get. I hope I have more time with my mom like you did, it seems lately we are trying to do things, I take her to the mall when I can to change the scenery especially since the holidays are here and she can see decorations. Its a trip with the wheelchair and O2 with us but at least I see her happy to get out. I noticed it is hard on her to get out of the wheelchair and into the car, immediately taking out her inhaler to help her breath. No one has suggested the Bi pap machine at night or anything else as a matter of fact they just keep checking her coumadin and blood INR? Did you have the O2 monitor at your house to monitor your mom. I was thinking of getting that so I can see her O2 levels in case they go under 80% as it was when she was not on the oxygen. That is really my main concern at this point as I never know what the readings are as she is having a hard time getting air.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Anonymous @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:47:43 -0000

your mother sounds so much like mine...a fighter...my mother had COPD...this often leads to other problems including heart liver kidney confuseion sickness stomack pain and of course breatheing trouble...it can be very hard being a care giver but just remember that time short .... my mother got 6 months but lived for 4 years...many a time she was up then down, this gave us false hope in that we always thought she'd pull ture... sadly she passed away not so long ago.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by dorstoy @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

dorstoy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:44:39 -0000

Hi Everyone I found this board by chance and I have been actually happy to read your posts so I can understand what is going on and what to expect. My Mom had a heart attack Fathers day this year. We were out and did not realize she had not called. Well she had fallen and we found her on the floor in her condo with a broken hip and broken arm not aware of the heart attack. She has COPD and emphasema. Now looking back the heart attack was due to the COPD and increased work that was put on her heart. Her Heart has a leaking pulminary valve but she is now only 90 lbs on her best days and is inoperable at this point. It took 8 days to finally get the doctors to agree that she may be able to pull through the surgery. She did and is doing alright walking and talking. She has alot of confusion in her thoughts and it is fustrating but she is not getting enough protein and is increasingly getting weeker. She is on constant O2 24/7 and I am her caretaker and I work a full time job. Its fustrating. Some days you think she may actually pull through this and you forget that she is in end stage COPD with heart complications. The doctors have given her medicines to keep things steady but have informed me that time is not on her side. I guess my question is with so many complications how can she still go on. Doctors have prognossed that she has 2 years maximum. When I see her which is frequently she is looking pale and confused. She was bed ridden when she first came home but I pushed her and now she is getting around her condo with a walker with limited mobility. We had a nurse for a couple of months but didn't find that she was actually helping her with medicare nurses coming every other day and physical therapist for her hip. What am I going to expect in the months forward. She has beaten many odds but know that she is going to take a turn for the worse. How long can the meds keep her heart going correctly. She is on aternol, cummodin, spivira, symbocort, albeteral, dioxgin, and the O2 at 2 liters. She refuses to take care of herself properly and can be something to deal with at times. I see everyone post about COPD but has anyone had it with heart complications also Any help in knowing what to expect would help. This has been a rough couple of months since I seem to be the only one in my family that cares for her. Everyone else is busy. Which is a shame because life is so short and I try to have special times with her thanks for letting me tell you my day.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Little blossom 47 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Little blossom 47 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:03:28 -0000

My husband has COPD & CHF. He is on hospice now. there times we don't know if he is going to be with us the next mornin or not. He keeps saying he know he don't have much time left. One day he's up walking with his cane or walker carring his cathater around with him, then the next thing he's completely out of it and has to be taken to the reat room in the wheelchair and can't walk at all. At times he ask why don't Jesus come and get him. I'm the only one who is caring for him it gets so hard at times I feel like I can't make it but God gives me strength to continue on. I hate to see im suffer like he is. I wish there was some way t know how much time he has here with me. I have my friends and family and church praying for him and I. My prayers go out to everyone out there that is going through a hard time as a care giver or the one who is sick.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Beauregard @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Beauregard — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:17:12 -0000

Today is my moms birthday, she has end stage COPD and her hospital trips are becoming more often. Seems like the textbook case as far as O2 on all the time, neb treatments 4 times a day and Bi-Pap at night. I dont know what to think anymore. I recently found out I have PTSD and it might be from caring for her and the stress and anxiety of it. It's always hard but I dont know how long I can watch her go through this. Whats worse is I am 23 and have no one else to really help, my family lives on the other side of the country and no father. When she goes I want to move to my sisters but I got a lot of stuff to move and everything seems so daunting. Thinking of it makes me anxious. I just dont know what I will do when my mom goes. She has been my world my whole life and to see her go through this makes me scared out of my mind for when I am in her position. I am not a man of faith. I am just tired.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by ds54w/copd2 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

ds54w/copd2 — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:18:49 -0000

I am 54 years old and have copd. Diagnosed in 2006 looking back I know now I was having symtoms for like about a couple of years. I see a pulmonary doctor and hes very good. I have had pneumonia upper respiratory infections that really got me down. But I always managed to get back on my feet. I do know though that the day will come when I won't be able to do that. I'm on inhalers pills etc etc..and now take breathing treatments every 4 hours w/2 medicines.Albuteral and ipratropium.I decided though even with the wheezing and activities cut short that I'm gonna live my life out by being happy. I have my days when I just feel like hell!! And if I'm out for a day.. I'm so exhausted I want only sleep.But I refuse to succumb to it. It's gonna have to succumb to me!! Life is there for the taking, and as long as I'm able I'm gonna take every bit it has to offer.I want each and every person who has it or even their families God Bless You All!!

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by GregMiller @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

GregMiller — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:03:18 -0000

When my mother was diagnosed I followed only what her doctor said. After a few years she was noticeably worse. He told me the disease was terminal and all we could do is give her the prescribed medications which would slow the disease.

I noticed in end stage emphysema that the medications and treatments stopped working one by one. I had been researching the disease along with the more specific, emphysema for more than 3 years at that time. I compiled more than 6500 hours of research.

In January of 2006 she was down to only 77 pounds and needed 4 liters of continuous supplemental oxygen. She had not smoked for more than two years at that point yet her emphysema was getting worse.

It appeared that something, possibly a residual from smoking, was proliferating in her lungs. I realized all pathogens ate sugar so I removed it from my mother's diet along with all grains. Surprisingly, in two weeks she started getting better. She was no longer gasping for air.

I began applying information I had uncovered in my research attacking each symptom such as excess mucus and inflammation. I eventually developed six general protocols from which I developed specific steps that would stop the disease progression and reverse the disease condition completely.

I had taken graduate courses in Pathology, Pulmonary Physiology, Cardiac Physiology, Renal Physiology, Histology, Human Genetics and took 400 level Biochemistry as a prerequisite to these courses.

Seventeen months later my mother had recovered completely from her emphysema. An article I wrote published by Yahoo outlines the logic behind the cure that the medical and pharmaceutical industries do not accept. 1100+ people have used these protocols to reverse their copd, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

I am not sure if I am allowed to provide the article information but I will try below.

"Emphysema Cure: A Logical Approach" on Yahoo. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8296057/emphysema_cure_a_logical_approach.html

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by spitf68 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

spitf68 — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 01:53:18 -0000

Rob,

Yes it is very emotionally and physically exhausting to take care of my mom...more like watch her now because of recent attempts to hurt herself. I have taken a leave of absence from work...my boss the best ever...to stay with my mom and put my life on hold and share the rest of hers with her. The struggle to breathe for her is absolutely heartbreaking. She has taken and is taking meds and alot of breathing meds. I just want to enjoy the time we have left to be good. Yes, it is sad and it hurts to watch this horrible disease eat up my mom. So sad. I try to remain in a happy mood for her and for myself too but it is not that easy. Talk soon. I know the sadness you are feeling. Tammi

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by RobZ912 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

RobZ912 — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:13:11 -0000

My Mother is now in end stage COPD. She sleeps all day long, has extreme difficulty even sitting up, and eats very very little. I tried that "boost" stuff but she really doesn't care for it. I understand that there is nothing that I can do but it's hard. Watching her struggle for a breath, losing weight, and not eating is beyond what anyone should have to go through.

My heart is just broken and it is difficult to watch. Sometimes I get so sad that I can barely function at work. I have to contact someone about coming in to help me with my Mother. It's hard to work all day and then come home to help my Mom and then help her every weekend. It is a labor of love but I am sure tired emotionally and physically. I guess the reason for this post is to put my sadness in writing. I suppose it helps me.

For those of you who have gone through this my love and respect go out to you. Also, I ask for your prayers to stay strong as I take my turn at watching this illness detroy someone I love so much.

-Rob

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Cathy1967 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Cathy1967 — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:18:58 -0000

Been their done this one, my father passed away with COPD 3 years ago. I tended to him and continue to take care of my mom. My father was a welder back in the 70's and a coal miner to boot, & he smoked. The last year of his life he was bed ridden. I bathed, feed, and done everything in the bed for him. If he even wanted to turn on his side he was out of breath for a good 10 mins. I watched him like a hawk as far as for a cold or even the sniff fulls. I sure did not want him to get pneumonua (sp). However, no matter what i did to prevent this from happening it did. It was on a weekend and i told dad he needed to go to hospital. His reply, good mental health, lets wait and see if the antibiotics will work. That was on a Friday, Sat seemed like he was better. Eating good, for my day, the last year his would eat but not as much as me or you due to the breathing. The more he had to chew the more it used his air. Playing cards was hard for him, he would be out of breath just reaching for a card on the deck. Anyhow, by Sunday morning i knew something was wrong when he had not woke me up to turn the air conditioning off or down. I slept right outside my parents door on a fold out bed. I got up and thought man it is freezing in here. I looked at dad and could tell right away it was bad. Told him i was calling the ambulance and he shook his head ok, he told them in a faint voice "i just can't get no air" so they put him on his nebulizer and gave him a breathing treatment and again in the ambulance. When i got to the hospital the Dr said that dad had been talking to the paramedics and was doing really good and in the blink of and eye he was gone. Paramedics worked on him brought him back and he went on life support, but he knew me, went to ICU and after 2 days came off the ventilator, pneumona was gone. I thought thank u Jesus, however, he could not blow off the carbon monoxide when he breathed out. Dr suggested the only thing was to put dad back on life support and dad said no and the Dr agreed, saying a man of my dads stature should not go out like that. So we didn't put him back on it. About 3-4 days later moved him to a bigger room out of ICU where we all (family) could be with him and he basically died of carbon monoxide. Vitals were great, everything was except for breathing the carbon out. He went to sleep and that was it. That's all i ask God for was to let him go peacefully and not suffer. God be with u and ur family, I hope when it is ur moms time she to will just go to sleep. God Bless

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by spitf68 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

spitf68 — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:27:16 -0000

Hi Cindra,

My name is Tammi and my mom has COPD. She is on o2 24/7 and I recently became her main caregiver she stays at my Aunts house out in the country. It is very peaceful and quiet. She has not, until recently, accepted she cannot do what she used to be able to do. She is a tiny little thing and has much difficulty keeping weight on. There is so much to say about this horrible disease and what not only she goes through but what we all go through. She just got out of the hospital for attempting to take her life for the second time. The doctor stitched her up so well that the scarring is minimal. That

alone is hard for me to deal with. I was the one there each time and to see my mom hurt herself is just horrifying in itself. I hope maybe we can talk. I found out the other day moms prognosis is 5 years. She is only 57.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by DorisJ @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

DorisJ — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:05:26 -0000

to Balance: I can identify with you in a way; My husband has had COPD for at least 20 years and he was also an alcoholic (still is, just can't get the alcohol anymore). He doesn't have the personality disorder, however, and has always been the sort of person who is a "happy drunk", not mean or violent. I feel very lucky about that! He smoked heavily and drank straight gin for years. Smoking finally stopped several years ago, just before he went on O2 full time; would still be drinking but we live in a dry county and he is unable to get the booze. He is depressed much of the time, the withdrawal probably is one reason. Your mother is very lucky to have a child who cares enough! If possible, maybe you can arrange for her to not have access to the alcohol. With her illness, she is not likely to try to stop on her own. Alanon may can help you, and her medical caregivers as well. It is truely a double burden; I will be praying for you.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by DorisJ @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

DorisJ — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:54:43 -0000

Thank you all! Your caring is so helpful! Thanks to mickeyeggs for the prayer; special thanks to Jannie as well. The offer to help personally really means a lot, but we are in the Ozarks of N Arkansas, so far from you. As for the VA pension.... I am aware of the available pensions and yes, my husband served during the Korean War. However he does not have a service-related disability (which our son-in-law has from Viet Nam).The pensions are based on either service-related disability or income. The incoem level is lower than our combined income, so that means we do not qualify; actually it means we can draw only the difference between the two, which is nothing. Since I am a retired teacher, we have my retirement as well as Social Security and all of it counts. I do a means test every year to qualify for free care and we have a medicine co-pay; still, we feel blessed to have the benefits we have. I will not qualify as a widow either. The A & A benefit is similarly limited. But I SO appreciate your care!!!! We have 2 grown daughters and two great sons-in-law, who help when they can. They all live 250 miles away (our choice, as we moved away, not them!) I feel the VA will eventually set up some home care, medical or respite, when my husband's condition worsens. COPD is very slow, at least his has been. Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH and may God bless you.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Balance @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Balance — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:37:53 -0000

I don't know how to handle this problem the "right" way. My mother has a personality disorder, has been an alcholic for about 15 years, and is in Stage 4 of her COPD. She is abusive and hard to care for, often baricading herself in her home, lashing out at her care providers, confused about her medications and condition, and generally ornery and difficult. I think the COPD has definitely worsened her behavior due to lack of sleep, lack of oxygen to the brain, hunger. This site was the first time I have found people talking openly about their experience. I go to Alanon now, but there isn't any information available or similar stories to our situation of being healthy adult children of disfunctional senior parents and how to care for them while caring for ourselves. Maybe all people with parents who's personalities and lifestyles bring about their illness feel helpless the way I do. Maybe most have given up, walked away and that's why there are no stories of them reaching out for help. I would love any feedback on how to handle this situation. I want to make the most of the time she has left, but at what personal emotional cost? I want to be a good daughter to her, I just feel angry and helpless all the time. Is this a completely no-win situation?

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Jannie @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Jannie — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:13:02 -0000

Doris, just read through your email again and realized your husband is a veteran. If he served at least 1 day of active duty during a war period, he is eligible for a pension. It takes a long time for it to go through the system but the thing is, once you apply for it and it is approved, it is retroactive back to the date that you filed. Also, if your husband should pass away, you would still be entitled to the benefit as his surviving spouse for the rest of your life. One more thing, when the pension is approved, there is another benefit called the Aid & Attendance Pension. It is for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing, or taking care of the needs of nature. It also includes individuals who are blind or a petient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an assisting living facility also qualifies. To qualify for the A&A Pension, it needs to be established by your physician that you require daily assistance by others to dress, undress, bathe, cook, eaty, leave home, etc. You DO NOT have to require assistance with all of these. There simply needs to be adequate medical evidence that you cannot function completely on your own. The A&A Pension can provide up to $1632/month to a veteran, $1055/month to a surviving spouse, or $1949/month to a couple. I will be glad to help you with getting all this info together to apply for the help.... I would really like to see you get the help you need. LOL, Jannie

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Jannie @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Jannie — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:16:04 -0000

PS: I found a wealth of senior assistance info at a senior health fair I attended last week. These two services are available nationally - just look up the chapter in your area. Senior Helpers - this organization I believe charges for help on a sliding scale but keeps it affordable. The Baptist Association locates volunteers within their network that will help out with cutting grass, washing dishes, doing errands, providing transportation - anything you need - and they do it for free. Also, check out the community action org's in your area. Through one in SC for my parents we were able to get $500 towards respite care and a little bonus to help with diapers and pads for my mom. The $500 is reimbursed to you when you have someone come in to give you a break. They sign a timesheet and you turn it in on a weekly basis. It lasts til the monies are gone. Check on this right away as many of these org's fiscal year runs from June to May. Get in while the money is still there! Write me back and I'll see if I can find you some more assistance.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Jannie @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Jannie — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:09:47 -0000

Hi Doris, If you are anywhere near Raleigh, NC let me know and I'll be happy to help you with the housework. I go to school part time but I could still help you out.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by DorisJ @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

DorisJ — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 01:50:25 -0000

to F.Hamilton: You sound like a wonderful caregiver! I try to keep my husband comfortable; he has had COPD now for many years, I think about 20, if I count back before he became unable to work. He is only on 2 liters of 02 now, but sometimes needs 3 for a short time. He becomes very short of breath whenever he must move around much. He is on Asminex, Spiriva, albuteral rescue inhaler, foradil morning and night, and gets 3 updrafts of albuteral from nebulizer daily.He also takes a lot of meds. for heart, prostate, stomach, you name it. Keeps me very busy! He gets his care from VA; no complaints there. It's just hard for me to handle EVERYTHING at home and care for him alone. I must cut the yard, do all housekeeping, cooking, bill paying,shopping, try to find time to go to Church activities. He isn't yet on Hospice; maybe someday that will help. Home health care is not offered by VA, at least not yet. Locally it exists, but would be expensive unless Dr. ordered. He is 78 and I am 74 now; been married 57 years. Guess I'm just crying "woe is me!" when I should be more concerned with keeping him comfortable. I do that as much as possible with a COPD patient. Anyway, all of you who care for these patients: it is so heartbreaking to watch and listen to them try to breathe, and I know what you face daily. Sending prayers for all of you.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by F.Hamilton @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

F.Hamilton — Thu, 26 May 2011 23:53:25 -0000

Hi Cindra,

I am sorry to hear that your mother has COPD I have worked with many residents that have COPD it is very hard. In this line of work it is not just a job it is something I love to do and that is to be there or the people that need me. It is hard to see them ill and even harder to hear that they have to be on Hospice and Hospice is a wonderful thing they will help you with any information you may need just ask. It is even closer to home since it is your mother and I pray for you and your mother. All you can do is be there for her and spend as much time with her as you can read to her, look at old photos with her, and most of all tell her it is ok to let go. It is very hard and has been hard for me to see my residents in pain and those who do not have family we have to be that for them my hert goes out to you.

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by m320753 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

m320753 — Wed, 25 May 2011 01:28:00 -0000

Thanks for your kindness in sharing your mom's story. I took Advair 500/50 Spiriva Handihaler and Asmanex for about 4 years and showed no progress but no worsening either. I was always an active person and had physical jobs. I owned an appliance repair business and managed a small estate in Fairfield County Ct. So being inactive really was a hard thing for me to handle mentally as i now had to hire people to do things i did better than those I hired. My property was my man cave, every year i would pick a project just to keep me occupied, whether it be making a patio or clearing an area so the ferns could flourish more abundantly. finally last year i hit the donut hole in early June which meant $1800 every 90 days just for the 3 breathing meds i was taking, not counting anxiety and depression drugs. my pulmono;ogist became a friend over time and i told him i just couldn't afford to pay for these drugs anymore. he put me on albuteral sulfate/ipratropium bromide 3x a day and busesonide 2 x a day both are nebulizers and with a little tweaking I started to get stronger, a little each week but stronger with more energy as a bonus. all was going well until April this year when I had 2 flare ups both requiring hospital stays. the 2nd one my oxygen level was 58% when i called 911 the rest is in my comment above. i'm still not taking oxygen and my levels are in the mid 90s and i took down a shed that collapsed due to the heavy snow we had and was doing manual labor in the yard. then we had about 10 days of rain a couple of financial setbacks and i have no strength left . proably a little more depressed as programs i applied for weren't what i thought they would be. free dental repair cost me $4,000 taxes and oil didn't help either. but now i'm looking to find a reason why after a year i'm having a few days when i can conquer the world and a few when i can't conquer changing a light bulb. but i will look up the site you mentioned and give it a shot. my dad told me a long time ago, he said so many things, but he said "someday when you feel all have deserted you and you have nowhere to turn fall into The Lord's arms He is the only one who you can trust to show you a way out of your despair" or very similar words. so rest assured you will be repaid a hundredfold for the kind words and information you gave me this very day. God Bless you. mike

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by GregMiller @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

GregMiller — Tue, 24 May 2011 22:26:54 -0000

My mom was diagnosed with emphysema and COPD in 2002 and ended up in End Stage Emphysema and down to only 77 pounds by 2006. I researched all the conventional medical web sites and the pharmaceutical web sites and found no hope for my mother’s survival.

It wasn’t until I asked her doctor why her emphysema was getting worse so long after she quit smoking that I realized maybe these were not the right people to ask. He told me they did not know why emphysema got worse so long after smoking cessation, that it was a mystery.

I continued my research and applied logic, my degree is not in medicine, it is in engineering and when something is removed from the equation it is no longer a factor. That’s logic not medical rhetoric!

After more than 6500 hours of research with my mother near death, only able to eat very small portions of food I started finding information that began helping ever so slightly but it was the only improvement she had shown since her diagnosis.

I realized logically that something must be growing or proliferating in her lungs. As a result her body adapted and distended her lungs to provide additional surface area for gas exchange – CO2 out and O2 in. When the lungs distend they crowd the stomach and make it impossible for the patient to eat normal sized portions of food. I was watching my mother waste away. She was down to skin and bones already!

I found that all pathogens had sugar as their food supply so I immediately took sugar out of her diet.

I have an engineering degree but I have a number of graduate level physiology, pathology, histology and genetics classes. I took senior college (400 level) Biochemistry so I could take these classes, not the watered down 100 level biochemistry joke of a class the nurses get, the real stuff that the doctors take as first year medical school students. As a result I also took out all the simple carbohydrates that would convert to sugar in a few biochemical steps.

Amazingly, within 2 weeks she was getting better! Not by much, she was still on 4 liters of oxygen but she was not gasping for air anymore! I continued and expanded attempting to kill this pathogen, whatever it was, I still did not know.

After a little more than two months my mother was only requiring 3 liters of oxygen without any distress. She had a doctor’s appointment so I took her and went in with her as I generally did and found out she had gained 6 pounds since her last visit three months earlier.

I eventually found research from Dr. Hirohito Kita from Mayo Clinic and found Dr. A. V. Constantini from the World Health Organization and Dr. Tulio Simoncini, a Roman physician whom I emailed back and forth for some time. Their research, while most of it was not on emphysema or COPD allowed me, along with a lot of prayer, to completely reverse my mother’s emphysema. She re-gained all of her weight and got off oxygen completely. Since then I have helped over 1000 people around the world do the same.

One gentleman is a hospital administrator at 6 or 7 hospitals in California. He called me and told me that he had access to 30 of the best pulmonary specialists in the world and they could not help him. He got the details of my mother’s story from the book I wrote about her and said when he got the book he could not make it to the mailbox and back to the house once without sitting in a chair for an hour gasping for air, thirteen days later he said he could make the trip 10 times without distress! He won’t do a testimonial because he is scared he will lose his job.

The reality is that the pharmaceutical industry has force medical protocols on us through flawed clinical trials claiming these expensive drugs slow the progress of the disease when in fact some of them such as prednisone and Advair actually cause it to proliferate. The overuse of antibiotics, I believe, is ensuring the chronicity of the disease. Check out the web site http://www.emphysema-treatments.com for my mother’s story and a lot of information that may help you like it did my mother.

Reversing my mother’s emphysema only took two drugs and for only one month each! Compare that to $1200+ per month for the 4 or 5 years patients survive on the drugs prescribed for these vulnerable people who are suffering. It is a travesty!

Mainly, say your prayers and don't give up! God is still on the throne and He knows you need help!

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by m320753 @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

m320753 — Tue, 24 May 2011 15:48:15 -0000

i've had COPD for about 10 years now. I couldn't do my job anymore so i had to retire. i repaired appliances and managed a small estate. when i 1st retired i worked around the house, especially the yard in good weather. it has been my pressure release valve for a long time. after a while my doctor told me to stop cutting the grass, as the dust from the grass was affecting my breathing. I did as he told me, but my breathing never got better, as a result i had a few flare ups the last being in april 2011. when i left the hospital my oxygen level was in the mid 90s and they took me off oxygen and it has remained in the 95% range so i started working in the yard , picking up branches etc. i was still tapering off prednisone and my only problem was i didn't sleep very well. since finishing tapering off i have felt the same way your husband feels, my legs feel like lead and i'm tired all the time. also symtoms i had thought medication took care of have returned eg; acid reflux i still take omeprazole but every time i eat it comes back, my B.P. is good but my pulse is in the high 80s. some days i can do just about anything from plumbing my sprinkler system to bringing branches and tree limbs deep into the woods near the end of my property. the next day i may be lucky if i put my shoes on.. first i was told it was the prednisone and would go away in time. so far it hasn't so i have to make appointments with all my doctors to find out what's wrong. I have complete confidence they will, i feel my condition has gotten a little worse so probably a lung function test ( treadmill, excersize bike) is the next step. i would do the same with your husband, sometimes the meds need a little tweaking and you're good a new, sometimes he may have to cut back a little on his work. he as i had tough jobs, that required muscle but at least in my case not much walking so try your local Y and see if they have the " silver sneakers " program. It's free and you can walk around a track or swim or use anything they have , whatever your doctor recommends. also it's a good way to meet people, some might even share his problem and they compare notes on how they feel and the progress they are making.but definitly see your pulmonologist and buy an oxi-meter, i bought 1 from heartland magazine for $50 and it's accurate as far as telling you what your oxygen level is. which can affect how your husband's legs feel. good luck and God Bless. please make sure he sees a doctor, heart or lung as either could be the reason for tiredness and weak legs

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by Jannie @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

Jannie — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:41:29 -0000

Hello All! It's been a while since I posted but I keep reading the updates everytime I receive an email alert.

My husband was diagnosed w/ COPD in Jan 2009. He quit smoking in 08 after a quadruple heart bypass and he uses his inhalers as prescribed. He works everyday - mechanic - and I haven't noticed any change in his breathing, at least it's not worse.

What I have noticed though is that he is getting tired more easily and complains that his legs just feel like water. I wonder if this is from the COPD or his heart. Breathing, like I said, seems to be fine. Anyone else have this symptom?

'New to the site/my mom has copd' posted by DorisJ @ {post.created_at.to_s(:post_time)}

DorisJ — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:40:58 -0000

I've been reading these accounts of how "end stage" seems to go on forever; I agree. My husband of 78 was told he reached end stage over 3 years ago; I can't tell he's much different, still very weak, on O2 full time with 3 updrafts daily or more. He hasn't had pneumonia lately though and hasn't been in hospital for over a year now. Like many others, I fear how this ends, for him and for me! He isn't to the point of needing Hospice yet, but it would help, just someone who can check on him now and then. He is a VA patient and we live 100 miles from the VA. They have been very good as far as his meds. etc.; I can't complain. But sometimes I feel so alone, as he expects me to solve every discomfort he has( upset stomach, dry itchy skin, nausea, sleeplessness, on and on). I love him very much (married 57 years) with 2 daughters who live 250 miles away. Guess I'm just lonely and scared! This site is helping. May God be with all who care for COPD patients; it is such a long, cruel disease!

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