Columns

Relief from my arthritis is a breath of fresh air

Arthritis often occurs with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For me, each moment of pain in my hips is another ding to my oxygen saturation, or at least that’s how it seems. I’ve been in a one-step-forward, two-steps-backward grind since a bout of pneumonia last year. Living with osteoarthritis…

Are telehealth visits the new doctor home visits?

Growing up in rural central West Virginia, I can remember the doctor coming to the house with his black bag full of medicine and instruments. Now I have two providers that I consult with over Zoom, and I wonder if this is the new “home visit.” For those of us…

Is it getting harder to coordinate our care?

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that coordinating my healthcare is getting harder. It’s important for those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to coordinate medications and other treatments so that we get optimum results. When I was diagnosed with COPD, all but one of…

Understanding and addressing what causes our fatigue

Now that I have treatment for my depression and inability to sleep, I look a little differently than I used to at the occasions when I feel fatigued. I think it’s important for those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to understand what type of fatigue we…

How Fitbit helped me find my sweet spot for sleep

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with the sleep aid and antidepressant trazodone. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. I’ve struggled for two years to find my optimal times to go to sleep and wake…