Excerpt
The experiences of having COPD are difficult to describe to others. Everyone asks, How does it feel? What is it like to have COPD? You dont look ill. Can you describe what its like? Does it hurt? Why cant you sing any more? Are you okay? Why dont you have any energy? Why cant you climb steps? Why cant you attend your favorite event? Why is your color so white? Why are you inside on such a beautiful day?! Family and friends often ponder or pose these questions as one tries to live and cope with a COPD breathing disorder.
To show someone else how it feels to have a COPD (or similar) breathing disorder is really fairly simple. This actually works (although it may not be the same for all forms of the disease). Have the person place their cupped hand/s over their own mouth and nose. Leave small spaces between the fingers for air. Have them try to breathe easily in that mode. To demonstrate breathing difficulty, close the fingers a little bit and close off the air supply while they try to breathe. That is how it feels to a COPD patient! Oxygen starvation -slow suffocation! It will not take long for them to get the message! You will no longer hear, I cannot understand it!
Here is a patients attempt to provide answers as I try to describe the experiences with my form of COPD.
EXPLAIN YOURSELF
How to explain C-O-P-D To those that I love or caregivers for me. Tis hard to describe, lung actions that we Are newly learning, without visuals to see.
If you think of lungs, as dense sponge full of air, Everythings fine, if you need no repair. But, if you add water or squeeze without care, Air space is reduced; oxygen now becomes rare!
The body reacts, to this increased distress, By raising blood pressure, increasing your stress! Muscles, brain, organs must now work with less Oxygen and energy, forcing you to digress!
Youre suddenly tired; your body will ache, Lungs just might hurt; your muscles may shake. Your energys gone; some think youre a flake, Doing much less each day can be hard to take!
Our psyches bombarded by new efforts made, To correctly determine what made us afraid! Now trying harsh meds that I once would evade, Can be the difference between living or spade!
Heart, lungs and organs are put to the test, To help you survive, help you battle this pest. Medical marvels abound, the diagnosis a quest, To formulate treatments, re-storing your zest!
The per-va-sive nature, of this dread disease, Affects the whole body, from mind to your knees. The meds that we take, trying just to appease, Have side effects too; arent used just to please!
Doing simplest of chores or things you adore, May require oxygen that you cannot ignore! Singing is out, laughing strikes at your core, Anything exciting may prompt gasping on floor!
Tis hard to imagine, sliding into this Hell, When blood test in twenties, couldve foretold this spell. Now forced to trust others, to help us get well, We work with caregivers, to restore us to swell.
Oxygenation of blood, is critical each day, Affects all we do, whether working or play. Lungs ingest air; meds help us we pray, The best we can do is fight back all the way!
2004 Leland Gordon Vogel
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