Life with COPD is just much slower
I was recently talking with someone else who has COPD. We were reminiscing about being in a hurry, how we used to be able to walk fast or even start running when necessary. Today, the pace of my life is much slower.
If I had to pick a word to describe my life these days, it would be changed. When I go up and down stairs, I move slower. When I walk across a parking lot, I walk slower. When you have this disease and it's progressed to the point that it's severe, you notice all kinds of things you can't do anymore. I can't shovel snow or just decide to repaint the woodwork outside my house.
That's not to say I don't get out, though. Twice a week I go to a program at a local hospital where I walk and use exercise machines for an hour. And I go to events hosted by the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, where I listen to experts speak about the latest research on COPD and other lung diseases.
My one major regret? Smoking. I'd like to tell any readers who are smoking to stop. Someday you're going to want to have the best quality of life you can, and COPD definitely reduces that quality.
When my children were small, I played sports and did other activities with them. Now I have three grandchildren. I thought I would be able to do the same things with them, but I can't.
My Smoker's Cough Turned Out to Be Emphysema
Bob Habich, 66, is a retired pharmaceutical salesman from Schaumburg, Ill. When he was working, his fast-paced, stressful job kept him on the move; running from one flight to another in the airport wasn't unusual. He often turned to cigarettes to deal with his on-the-road job stress, and at one point, he was a two-pack-a-day smoker. Now, life is much slower for Habich. When he was in his early 50s, he found out his "smoker's cough" was actually chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disorder that includes both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Now he walks slowly and can't do many of the activities he did in the past. He uses oxygen around the clock and carries a container of liquid oxygen strapped to his shoulder whenever he leaves his house.
Last Updated: April 01, 2009
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