The second chance we don’t always see with COPD
If you’ve fallen out of your routine, you’re not alone
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When I was a girl, I begged my father to let me keep a disabled biddy. The chicken was tiny, off‑balance, and needed more help than the others. I promised him I’d take care of it. I meant it with all the sincerity a child can muster. But meaning well isn’t the same as tending well. I forgot about it for a day or two — the way children forget — and when I finally remembered, I found it still and cold in the space where I’d tucked it away.
I was furious with my father. In my young mind, he had set me up to fail. He knew I was a child. He knew I might forget. Why had he agreed at all?
It took me years to understand that he wasn’t punishing me. He was letting me learn something the world would teach me again and again: Opportunity only becomes care when we follow through. And even more important, we are rarely limited to one chance.
That lesson has come back to me many times since my chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis. Those of us with the condition don’t always take advantage of the opportunities that help us breathe easier. We forget doses. We skip the inhaler because we’re running late. We stop doing the pulmonary rehab exercises once the program ends. We tell ourselves we’ll get back to it tomorrow, and then tomorrow slips into next week.
And when symptoms flare or our stamina drops, it can feel like that small biddy all over again — like we failed at something fragile we were supposed to protect.
But here’s the part of the story that matters most: My father gave me a second biddy.
No lecture. No shaming. No “I told you so.” Just another chance to do better with what I’d been given. And this time, I rose to it. I checked on it. I fed it. I learned the rhythm of tending something that depended on me.
COPD asks for that same rhythm — not perfection, but return. Not guilt, but recommitment.
If you’ve fallen out of your routine, you’re not alone. If you’ve missed doses, you’re not the first. If your spirometer numbers aren’t what they used to be, that doesn’t mean the story is over. The body responds to care whenever it’s offered — not just when it’s perfect.
The second chance is still here. The breath is still here. And it isn’t too late to start again.
Note: COPD News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of COPD News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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