Life Tethered to a Concentrator — Caroline Gainer

Main banner for Caroline Gainer's column, "Life Tethered to a Concentrator"

Caroline Gainer is from West Virginia, the state with the highest rate of COPD in the United States. She was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe COPD in 2013 after a pneumothorax (lung collapse). After two more lung collapses she was diagnosed as severe. She has been very active with the American Lung Association and the COPD Foundation as an advocate for people with lung disease. She hopes that her column, “Life Tethered to a Concentrator,” will inspire others to live their best life with COPD.

Featured Post

Living with COPD isn’t a test that I have to pass

I’ve spent a long time believing I wrote this column for other people — for anyone trying to build a decent life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who wakes up each morning negotiating with their own lungs. While that’s still part of it, lately, I’ve realized something I…

Caroline Gainer

‘Stay busy. Be useful.’ is a great mantra for those living with COPD

I recently read an article on my newsfeed that said Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilder, actor, and onetime California governor, had a four-word mantra: “Stay busy. Be useful.” I thought this was a wonderful guide for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As I pursue the idea of…

A change in health can sometimes seem like a landslide

While watching coverage of a landslide on my news feed, I was reminded of a time when I had a close brush with one. A carpool I was in just missed it, but the carpool of friends behind us wasn’t so lucky. We were concerned they’d be killed in the…

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…

Nature adds so much pleasure and calm to my life with COPD

For several years now, a doe has hidden her fawns in the middle flower bed in my front lawn. I gain so much pleasure watching her deposit her children for me to babysit each day as she goes about finding food. There’s also a calming effect in watching the little…

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…

Sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone

When I was suffering from depression, I couldn’t do my housework the way that I wanted. Now that I’m better, I’m enjoying doing things like pulling weeds and other chores. These activities are also a good way to remain active with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). I didn’t appreciate…

Did my premature birth influence my development of COPD?

I was born a preemie weighing in at 4 pounds, and during my first six years of life, I was plagued with numerous ear infections. I now have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). I wondered if my premature birth and the health challenges of my first six years influenced…

My smile hid symptoms of depression associated with COPD

In observing Mental Health Awareness Month in May, I’d like to offer some insights into some symptoms we may overlook. Depression and anxiety, for example, are common for those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — as I learned through personal experience. In my case, I had…

Lessons from my pet robin on living with COPD

Once upon a time, before chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) took my breath away, I had a pet robin named Oscar. He had a damaged wing, which might have been caused by the way he came into my life. Oscar arrived one evening in the mouth of my big…


Explore More Columns