Life Tethered to a Concentrator - a Column by Caroline Gainer

How I eliminate the COPD ‘garden weeds’ of my mind

As a gardener, I sometimes imagine my mind as a garden full of various plants. Advocating for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients while living with the disease myself sometimes causes a few weeds to grow in my mind. I’ve written about how advocacy helps me stay motivated.

Let’s talk about COPD and incontinence

Incontinence ranks right up there with religion and politics as topics we don’t usually mention in polite company, partly because it’s embarrassing. But let’s discuss it anyway, because it affects many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). I’m fortunate to have never had an incident with incontinence in…

A waiting game reminds me of being diagnosed with COPD

For two weeks, I’ve gone to at least two doctor appointments a week to learn what’s causing me stomach problems atop my chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but I still don’t have a definitive answer. I’ve been having pain in the area of my hiatal hernia (in the…

Helpful strategies for living our best lives with COPD

To live our best lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we know that certain actions are necessary — taking our medications as directed, eating a healthy diet, getting enough rest, doing our exercises, getting our vaccinations, and maintaining a positive attitude. These are items on…

Proper technique is important when using an inhaler

I’ve been suffering from a bad case of thrush, which has brought to the front of my mind the importance of correct procedures when taking my inhaled medications — as I must because of my chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thrush can be caused by not rinsing well…