Emphysema and Journal

Anything at Anytime -- Daily Dealings with Emphysema:


Just find out or have known for awhile you have Emphysema?  Your not alone!  I am definitely no expert but I am dealing with it as well.  You have someone here that will just say what is happening and read your responses.  Stick around (meaning keep coming back), we (you and I together) may be able to help each other through the rough spots. 

The Basics, as simple as I can make it, on Emphysema is that it is a Degenerative disease that once diagnosed is a long term disease with NO Cure! (as of yet)

For a more Educated definition of Emphysema please click any "Emphysema" you see on the page it will have a link to the Wikipedia page on Emphysema.  As I find more and more about the disease I will post direct links to the new or informative sites. 

Emphysema is generally a "Smoker's" disease - it can be had by others that are missing a certain enzyme in their blood (that is on the Wiki page also), but for all intensive purposes, It Is a "Smoker's" disease!

So, before you go any further - If you are a SMOKER?  DROP THEM NOW!!!

I have Later Stage Emphysema and in my Early 40s.  23 years of smoking has reared its Ugly Head and decided to KICK MY ASS the hard way.  So, being the Hard Headed ------(you fill in the explicative) that I am; It is very, very rare to see me back down from a good Fight (just got smarter over the years of when to make that stand)! 

Thank my Wife for this folks.  She said "You started the blog so why don't you dedicate a page or pages to Emphysema and write a continuing Daily Journal about it?" 
She's right of course (I didn't marry a "Simple Simon").  So this page is dedicated to a Daily Commentary about how my day has gone. 

All are Welcome to Comment.
Any comments, suggestions, how you are dealing with Emphysema yourself, how a family member is dealing with it, please post on Emphysema Comments Page. 

Sites:

E-Health-fitness on Emphysema.

My Life with Emphysema. - Another Blog about Emphysema that was recently started by one of my followers.  She has a TON of information and has gathered far and away a good collection of places for all of us to visit and keep an eye on.  She stays on top of everything far better than I have and am glad she found me and followed me because I then saw her site and follow her.  She is a definite COPD/Emphysema Treasure trove.


The Journal


   Green   = Good                                    Orange = Ugh to Ok                           Red      = Not Good/Bad



19 April 2011
Haven't written in the Journal in a long while as you can tell.  This was prompted to verify something today..... isn't that right "KingofUtah"?
Anyway to post for what this page is really about.....
The weather over the last few months has mad life practically a living Hell.  The winds do not want to let up and seem to constantly blow Dust in the air which is not FUN.

I Now Know what it is like to be a fish out of water.   AND it SUCKS.

06 Jan. 2011
Another day of another month, That's Good, Right?
Went to the Pulmonologist yesterday,  guess things were OK.  Sort of Down my O2 level was 85 -- prefer 90 or above.  Life I have to live so guess I have to get used to it!
Anyway, had a slippage of sorts with an old habit........ but back at trying to kick its Ass rather than it Kicking Mine.  Dr. gave me new prescriptions for other meds.
Now I understand how some of the Older generation feel about cost of Meds biting into a "LIMITED" budget.
As it is a New year, have to hit the deductible limit before insurance covers a portion of the meds.  $300.00 for meds is a chunk to swallow.
How, Have NO Idea!
Sometimes SHIT JUST SUCKS!!!!!

But, Life must go on.

05 Dec. 2010
Well, it has been a little while since I commented.  Seems I can't get rid of the heavy chest that has been bugging me lately.  Wonder if it could be that I am beginning to get a "Barrel Chest" and if the Pressure I feel is my Rib Cage Expanding?  Guess that is something to ask the Dr when I go back next.  Other than that... I celebrated another year on my Gravestone a few days ago (meaning a Birthday), trying to figure out what we are going to do with Christmas coming up.  Never Fails here - Always tight around the Holidays but Somehow we always come out Happy and Good.  Anyways More later.

22 Nov. 2010
It appears that that time of year is here that I will be getting nailed by whatever next bug J and the girls bring home.  Not their fault.  It does truly SUCK.  It doesn't help that right now my head feels like an anvil that some blacksmith is repeatedly striking with a 20lb hammer.  Anyway - it is Thanksgiving week so will do my best to "Look" like I feel good.  Just don't rat me out to the wife and kids.  I will be stuck in some dark quiet corner away from them.  So my head can feel better.  LOL
And If you are here on this Page reading my bits -- Have a Good Thanksgiving!?!?!

8 Nov. 2010
Things have been up and down with health lately as the Girls have all been passing a bug around and last weekend it appears it finally decided to crawl up on Dad's (MY) Backside and give me a Butt Whippin.  Breathing has been hard and labored quite a bit lately and run down is an understatement.
But Guess what?    Life goes on....... So.........

3 Oct. 2010
Well, Life goes on.  Doing the laundry yesterday and today has taken it out of me.  Thought I was catching a bug yesterday but turns out it must have just been tired as I don't feel it today.  Anyway, I have to get back to finishing the laundry, Almost Done.

22 Sept. 2010
Don't know what is harder to deal with: Heat, Cold or Humidity.  All three have their drawbacks!
Uggghhhhhhh!!!!

12 Sept. 2010
Feeling a bit yuck as have a slight cold from going to the Tourney this week but will survive.  Just made my first post in a week on the site.  Just as short while before I posted it my follower/friend/fellow Emphysema/COPD suffer MO stopped by sort of nice to know that there is someone out there that knows how and what I am feeling at times, as she is going through the same thing (not that I wish she were suffering the same fate but that she understands).  So a shout out to her and visit her Site above.

5 Sept. 2010
Not a bad day.  Had to replace a valve under the sink and it took a bit more out of me than expected.  Imagine that part of the issue is I have not been "Working" like I used to and have lost a bit of my muscle mass.  Expected a little, not desired but can't help it.  Luckily with all the various kinds of work I have done over the years I have learned many different ways to get leverage and or tackle difficult places to get to in order to accomplish the task.

29 Aug. 2010
Not bad and things have been going good overall. I am just so damn tired all the time.  I know it is the meds but I figured by now I would have gotten used to it a little.  Hard to type when your yawning non-stop.  The weather has cooled off considerably lately so it has made it more bearable.  Sorry it has been so long since my last journal entry but just getting the regular post out has been a bit of a chore and then off to nap off some of the meds.  Will try and get better with it for those of you looking in from time to time.

16 Aug. 2010
Still tired but know it is the meds.  Sometimes I don't know which is worse the heat or the cold.  It just seems at times that both of them just suck a little bit more of that breath out of me.  Oh Well, Guess I just need to figure out a new Defense (sorry I am a College Football fan and it is just a few weeks away now).

15 Aug. 2010
Been tired a lot lately but that is because of the meds so when I have been up I have been focusing on the Blog proper rather than here at the journal.  Things are going well just sleeping and slow a bit but getting there.

5 Aug. 2010
Sort of odd today as I can feel my chest but don't care near as much.  If you Read today's post and yesterdays entry I think you will understand.  The effects so far seem to be a little mental muddled but not bad and when I move my head it almost seems as if it is in slow motion.
SOOOOoooooooooooo  but I will label today as a good day because it is the beginning of the end and a new beginning combined.  Hope you all understand.

4 Aug. 2010
Little heavy in the chest today but not so bad I can't live with it.  Better than some days worse than others but...  Well, you get the idea.  Went to the Dr. today and let him know the medicine he had given me to help me get past certain things wasn't strong enough.  Starting tonight I will be on 3 different AntiDeps to keep me (we - he and I hope) SUPER Mellow for a few weeks.  I've got the mental attitude but appears I am one of those that Nicotine really bites into and ...... Well, We are trying to Kick it in the ASS!  For Good!
Cross Fingers with me Please?!?

3 Aug. 2010
Having a go with the Dr. tomorrow.  Honestly, what else is he going to tell me other than I am where I was or have gotten worse.  No changing the fact that I have it and can't reverse it or get rid of it.  Have to be worse off than I am for the lung reduction procedure soooooo......  Almost feel as if it is a waste of money to go in for that but.......  Anyway, Just BLAH today.

27 July 2010
Woke up this morning with chest congestion.  Coughing is rougher today than it has been in awhile, not to mention the sputum.  Wonder if it was the late night trying to fix this here computer?
Anyway,  labeling today an orange but later it could be a red just depends on this crap sitting on my chest.  Anybody got a banana to get the ape off?

26 July 2010
Sorry, Looks like the last week has turned this into an every other day journal.  I will try and get to a "Daily Beat" with it.  Today is ok, Got a really heavy upper chest discomfort almost like a weight sitting up there but not so bad that it is unbearable but just uncomfortable.  One of the things I (we) have to deal with.  Life goes on no matter what though, so live with it and go on.  Right?

24 July 2010
Heat and Humidity,  They SUCK!
Today is actually nice this morning, a bit humid but not bad and it has cooled of a great deal.  We have had nothing but heat, Heat and HEAT lately and in the process the humidity has kept climbing up and giving us monster clouds in the evenings but no rain to cool things down.  Last night it rained a little to help cool it all off.  Thank God!
It is not fun dealing with One of those alone but both of them was becoming unbearable. 

21 July 2010
After my screw up the other day I only got on and posted to the main page for my daily bits.  I Even sort of apologized to my Wife and put up a poem for her.  Rose Dragon if you haven't read it yet.  Later I gave her a full apology for Royally Screwing Up.  After that I have been just resting because I just wore myself out by being and Idiot.  Today am feeling better and not as tired.  Lesson Learned the Hard way I guess.  I always have been Hard Headed.

18 July 2010
Bad, Bad day!  I decided I was going to try and be the man I was.  What a screw up!
Got up early, got dressed, put on my "mask" (you know those white things you put over your mouth and nose so that you don't get junk in you mouth and nose to interfere with your breathing) and went out to try and mow the lawn.  What a Royal F-up that was.  10 minutes in I knew I screwed up.  15 minutes in I was getting mad at myself and made myself stay out longer and pushing to get more done.  All the while madder and madder at myself for not being able to do what I used to.  Then my Wife decided to help and do it for me.  Guess where my anger, frustration and self loathing went?  Every single ounce of what I had boiling inside just BLEW like a Nuke on her.  God, I Can be a Royal Son of a Bitch at times.  Now, I am not only exhausted and DONE, pissed that my body has betrayed me as it has, but completely an IDIOT!!!!!!!!

17 July 2010
Spent a few minutes in the living room with my wife and girls earlier and the dog decided she wanted to be playful with me.  So I got up and chased her from side to side of the living room trying to grab her tail.  As I reached for it she would run to the other side....... back and forth.  4 times that was it.  Out of breath and tired.  I could go to sleep right now (@5pm) but if I did I would be up around 9pm and wouldn't sleep the rest of the night. 

What a F bummer!  I get tired and frustrated with not being able to play with my kids and dog because I get exhausted in just a few minutes or steps!

16 July 2010
Posted a beginning Post about how things got me when I was first diagnosed and put on oxygen 24/7.  For those of you there or getting there its a little thing But OH So Huge as well, at least it has been for me.  Going on Oxygen 24/7 has radically changed my life.  I am still trying to figure out all the directions and implications more than a year later.

15 July 2010
The girls (J and kids) went to a movie today.  I can't go.  I hate the looks and with my personality - I "Say" something about it if I catch them.  So, since I don't want to ruin any fun for them, I stay home.  Not to mention that walking from the car into the mall then to the theater itself, well; I am already exhausted at that point and would probably snooze half the movie. 

14 July 2010
Today has started off good enough, a tad bit of  tightness in the chest, livable.  More later

13 July 2010
Today, I started the page J suggested and I actually put a bit more on there than what I had thought about but think I made a good start.  The breathing has been a tad heavy today, don't know if it is because of the heat or because of the Lovely pollution here in El Paso.  Best thing for me today has been to sit right here in front of the computer with the AC right behind me and to lean back into the cool moving air on occasion.