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Diann's Story
My mother was a smoker when I was born and continued to do so until her death. I was raised by her sister and brother-in-law due to a divorce between my father and her. My uncle was a smoker, also. I started smoking at the very early age of 6-7 years old. Of course, it was only when I could steal some from my uncle or mother. By the time I was 12 or 13, I was smoking a pack a day. It was COOL and all my friends were doing it.
As a child in the late 40's and 50's, I had a lot of colds, which I went to the doctor quiet often, I had and still have troubles with my sinuses. At 13, I caught the Whopping Cough. It was very hard on me, as I was going through puberty and my voice became gruff sounding. We lived out in the country, where the air was clean and wonderful. What about all the pollen, the smell of the oil fields, etc? That was what we were use to having around us. Sure, it was clean air!
I was in my late 20's when my aunt got so she couldn't go into a store because she would get out of breath. I thought she just made it up so she wouldn't have to go shopping any more. I saw her lay in a hospital bed, skin and bones, for 3 years. All the doctors did for her was to have her take 3 breathing treatments a day and a few medications. I still didn't believe this was from smoking! She died in 1979.
I am now 56 years old and have seen one of my aunts, a smoker, one of my uncles that hadn't smoked in 20 or so years but work with asbestos, saw dust, hay, etc., and my mother all died with this disease. My mother died in 1991. She had lived with me for 5 years and I saw her go down hill. She never gave up smoking and I smoked with her. She got so she didn't want to go any place with me and wouldn't eat much, except milk or sweets (nothing taste good to her). Broke my heart to see her like this, but I started believing that my aunt wasn't lying about what was happening to her.
I had bronchitis two or three times a year and I noticed being short of breath in my 30's. Odors began to bother me. Being outside would stop up my head; Walking very far would really get to me. I coughed all the time. I decided that I could not work any longer in 1995, and quit my job. My husband suggested that I apply for disability, which I did. It was at this time that my doctor stated that I had COPD and that was on the Disability Application!
My husband still works. He is a welder and works long hours most of the time. He is VERY good about  helping me, since I can't do normal house hold chores any longer . Simple things like hanging up clothes from the dryer takes my breathe away. A few years ago, we bought a used electric scooter. It is great to be able to get around in it or I would have to sit in the car, if I got out of the house. With it, I get to do things like go fishing. I have never used a walker or a wheelchair as I lose my breath too easy moving my arms or legs (I am trying to get our insurance and Medicare to buy me a new one. Keeping my fingers crossed.) I know that Medicare will pay 80% for a cart if you need one to use in your home and you go to a specialist. My problem is that my husband's insurance is our primary  and Medicare is the secondary so not sure what will happen.
Oh, by the way, I am not on oxygen. My doctor feels like that is the last straw, so he wants to wait. I use Combivent, 4 times a days, Flovent and Serevent 2 times a day and 4 breathing treatments daily. I have Never been in the hospital because of COPD and do not know how far along I am.
 I still smoke! Stress! Stress! Stress! I have tried everything, guess I will continue until I die or stores stop selling cigarettes. I still weigh 153 lbs. I eat due to stress, also. I like my sweets, but I eat other foods, also. I do good to cook one meal a day, so I snack the rest of the day.
I wish that friends and people around me would understand that when I say I can't breathe, it doesn't mean I can't breathe through my nose; extreme exercising isn't what I need, even if I start out slow and work myself up to more as moving my arms and legs causes me to get out of breathe. When I get to coughing so hard to get the thick phlegm up and I get hot and cough harder which makes me hotter and cough even more (I have had up to 30 minutes of this happening) that there is nothing they can do to help me. They ask if I would like a drink of water...how can I drink water or even answer them when I am coughing so hard? What I really need is to cool down. (A cool wet rag to make me cool down and a back rub helps me the most.); panic attacks and the coughing spells makes me sound like I'm a hateful old woman.
UPDATE 6/25/2001
I was recommended to a rehab center in May. The Rep. Therapist asked me a lot of questions. When he asked me if I ever smoked, I told that I still smoked. He laid his pencil down and said that he was sorry, but he couldn't take me if I was still smoking. So, guess what? I am trying my best this time.....man, it is so hard after 50 years of doing those cigarettes. Somedays I could cram my mouth, ears, nose, etc. full of them and light them all at once!!!
Next I saw a new doctor. He made a bad impression on me, as my appointment was at 9:30 and he didn't make it until 11:30. Even the receptionist was late that day. I was put on O2 at 2 that day.
We went on a week's vacation and I came down with pneumonia. New doctor wanted to hospitalize me, but he can't doctor at the hospitals my insurance uses. So, I was bed ridden for about 2 weeks. Am over it now.
Got a call from a place called Comforting Care, my doctor told them to contact me. Come to find out....they are Hospice. They are not only for people who are going to die in a very short time, they are going to try to keep me up and going for a very long time. I have a lot of benefits with them....so, please, call and see if your local Hospice can help you! Anyway, I am doing a little bit better now and think each day will get better.
I have had some nice emails from people thanking me for telling my story. Keeping them coming!!!
Email Diann
Last Updated: 2/18/02
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