Life Tethered to a Concentrator - a Column by Caroline Gainer

My experiences with COPD and inflammation aren’t cut-and-dried

Those of us living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have learned to pay close attention to subtle changes in our bodies to avoid or quickly address respiratory infections, which can lead to exacerbations. An exacerbation is a worsening of COPD symptoms that can result in serious complications, such…

Hydration and guaifenesin help keep my airway clear

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with guaifenesin. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. We always hear that we should “hydrate, hydrate, hydrate,” but I want to talk about why it’s especially crucial for those…

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…