Life Tethered to a Concentrator — Caroline Gainer

Last week, I noticed that it took very little for me to find an excuse to put off exercise. This isn’t normal for me, so I decided it was time for a change. I recalled an article I’d recently…

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…

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).

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…

If, 58 years ago, I had hated cigarettes as much as I hate them now, I probably wouldn’t have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, that isn’t guaranteed, as two other risk factors likely increased my chances of…

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…

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…

May brings sunshine and Mother Nature’s renewal with the blooming of flowers and the greening of leaves. This month has also brought the parting of the clouds of my oppressive thoughts, and the sunshine has lightened my dark mood.

When living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it can be hard to keep a sunny disposition. When you have trouble breathing, it’s hard to feel positive. One of the best ways I compensate is to spread some…

Tools that make life easier for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prized possessions. One of them is the recently updated version of the COPD Pocket Consultant Guide from the COPD Foundation. I was…

For years, I got up in the morning and coughed and gagged, feeling like my throat was closing. Then I’d get a prickly feeling in my arms and back, like when your circulation gets cut off and a body…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with corticosteroids. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. At some point, most people with chronic obstructive pulmonary…