‘Lenny’ is my constant companion the doctors call COPD/Asthma.  Naming my constant health companion seems to make life easier for me in relating to my disease as it gives it a bit of a personality.  Besides treating ‘Lenny’ as a companion, come good days or bad, is much better than always dealing with it as an enemy.

Let’s see where ‘Lenny’ and Me have been most recently – we’ve been on the road again.

Last weekend I took grandson number three to go spend an afternoon with his cousin, grandson number two, for number two’s birthday party.  It was a long day, total drive time of seven hours while fighting a horrendous wind both going down and coming back.  Well needless to say I made it, even though my Monday had myself wondering how smart a long trip like that may be for me anymore.

Now this weekend, the wife and I made plans to run to our oldest daughters, as she is an eye doctor specializing in eye problems and diseases and since I was having problems with double vision it was time to let her do her thing on me.

The bonus of the trip was spending some quality time with the lady who deals with me daily and a chance to have a few hours with our youngest grandson Ezra as he celebrated being ten months old.

Now, this trip was going to be full of precautions as our daughter’s family includes three dogs and three chickens, none of which are nothing more than triggers for my COPD/Asthma unless I can control more than I was going to be able to control for that few hours of dinner and visit time.

We plunged ahead with the plan and we arrived for dinner and fun with Ezra, oh and the three dogs and three chickens as well.

Since it seems that most folks with dogs, cats, birds and such don’t understand, it is not always the dogs themselves but their dander and hair that causes the problem.  My daughter once had an Alaskan Huskie and by keeping her very clean and taken care of, Nikki never seemed to bother me much and she knew her limits on how much close time she could spend with me.

The three dogs on this trip, well as much as I know they take care of them there was dander and hair everywhere so at the minimum, except for the chairs at the dinner table – I never sat down.  While the three chickens were outside, I was able to gander some time with them without touching them or getting unbearably close.

Our stay was maybe not much more than a couple of hours, but it was time enough for me and while I did not say anything, when the wife said we needed to go she had no argument from me.

We left and went to a store to get a couple of snacks for the motel and somewhere in the store I crossed within the aisles a couple of ladies with, what I will say is strong perfume and with that added to my already on the edge breathing – ‘Lenny’ said enough was enough and I turned the wife and said we need to get to the motel so I can give myself a break.

With some wonderful back and shoulder massaging, plus good use of a few breathing exercises I got through the flare up okay and we moved on to the next day where our daughter gave me an eye exam.

The eye exam alone will be without a doubt a subject for future postings as the doctor daughter informed me that my double vision was most likely caused by a dry eye situation brought on from being on a c-pap machine for sleep apnea.  Interesting indeed.

Anyway, we finished, had lunch with grandson Ezra and his folks then headed out for the four hour trip home.

The storyline for this posting of ‘Lenny’ and Me 4 Today – between three dogs, three chickens, a few potent perfumes and the never-ending winds of the great plains, I spent a pleasant weekend not only having a ton of quality time with my number one caretaker (better known as my wife), but I also proved once again that I could push my way through by catching the triggers and dealing with them before ‘Lenny’ made a total disaster of the plans we had.

Now the question is, how many days will it take to totally recuperate from the total take of family, dogs, chickens and perfume.

And that my friends, is where ‘Lenny’ (my COPD/Asthma) and me are at 4 today.

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 good breathing, is a person without a good life’, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.

I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer through wheezingaway.com – no part of this write may be used or copied without written permission.)

Follow all the adventures of “‘Lenny’ and Me 4 Today” at wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

NOTES: 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.