Being willing to share with others the path I am traveling while battling ‘Lenny’ (name I have given my COPD/Asthma) is almost like therapy for me while also giving me the responsibility of taking my battle seriously.
With the help of social media I know I can also reach out to others who are also fighting similar battles and hopefully at time supply a little insight, little knowledge and maybe stir up some questions.
So today I share where I am at and maybe how I may or may not be dealing with it.
After much rejoicing of making it through a full seminar on photography, plus driving to and from – I felt I was ready for a real test and that would be a road trip, over-night at that.
This past Sunday morning I left on a 6 hour trip in which I would stop and pick up my oldest Grandson and then proceed on up to my Dad’s place.
Maybe the enthusiasm of spending quality time with my grandson helped, but I made the first leg of my road trip without much of any problem.
On Monday the real test came as I was taking my grandson to a 3-hour football camp with some top-caliber division I college coaches and prospects.
Let me explain that my grandson is not yet 15 and stands 6’1”, weighs in at 215 lbs. and thinks his ‘Gramps’ is awesome – so I had a lot at stake here in keeping my solid reputation with him. Did we succeed yes.
The question is how did I hold up while spending the best of 4 hours in 85-90 degree heat and humidity sitting I would guess around 60% – I did way better than I thought I would, but then again that grandson made sure ‘Gramps’ took it slow, rested when needed and stayed hydrated. I did all three and we got through the camp in darn good shape.
Then came a 4 hour trip home and even that, with a couple of quick stops to stretch the ol’ legs and slap the sleep out of me, went good.
Did I pay a price for it, of course – but not as much as I thought I would and that was because I was prepared, did what I had to do and kept my mind on a swivel watching/feeling/listening to how my body and ‘Lenny’ (my COPD/Asthma) were holding up.
I made the road trip by being prepared, in other words I went the extra hassle of packing up my c-pap and nebulizer equipment to use while staying overnight at my Dads place and making sure I had all the proper meds I would need, including an extra inhaler as a precaution.
So just I have discussed in a recent ‘Wheezing Away’ posting – when traveling to what you need and must do to be prepared and keeping your travel as close to normalcy as you can – with me normalcy is using that c-pap at night to sleep and that nebulizer contraption in the morning to get ‘Lenny’ shaped and opened up for the day.
So the pic with todays tidbit of ‘Lenny and Me 4 Today’ is that of my grandson because as proud that I may be that I made the trip without any COPD/Asthma flare ups, this COPDer was even more proud of having quality time to share with my Grandson as he worked his dream of playing top level College Football with a solid performance at a top-notch football camp.
And that my friends is where ‘Lenny’ (my COPD/Asthma) and me are at 4 today.
Again I request to all to hold Kaycie Chapman down in New Zealand in your thoughts, prayers and blessings as she continues her courageous sharing of her battle with emphysema/asthma/COPD – and she continues to do it with the level of faith and hope for which we all should hope we will have when our battle and travels become much, much worse. Prayers and Blessings Kaycie.
NOTE TO REMEMBER: Sometimes we share what may seem like medical information, but we are only giving descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.
As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.
Remember – a person without breathing is a person without life itself.
I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.
(Copyright@2015, CrossDove Writer through wheezingaway.com)
(Image used cleared for use by yahoo.com and/or google.images.com)
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