Life with COPD

Reflections of COPD/Asthma – Outside/Inside of Them Lungs, Set 1

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I am one of those that has been given the honor of traveling life with the companionship of COPD and severe Asthma.

While the honor is many times pushed by the frustration and battle with those companions, I have over time come to grips that it is what it is and I must make the best of it.

I knew I must learn more about this companion the medical folks call COPD and severe Asthma, so I have read about, ask questions about it and spent time nearly every day scouring the internet for information, articles and more.

I also knew it is good to share, so as a writer I decided what better way to share what I am learning and finding than through informational, inspirational and personal writings about my travels with COPD and severe Asthma.

This is part of an on-going series we call ‘Reflections of COPD/Asthma’ and today we give you set one of a six-part set we refer to as ‘Outside/Inside of Them Lungs’.

Set 1 – – ‘Looking at The Lungs from the Outside’:

Most of us possible have never seen a real pair of lungs except for maybe inside a glass jar, though these days you can find videos on the internet showing healthy and unhealthy lungs, plus simulations on how them lungs are supposed to work inhaling and exhaling.

Looking at a healthy set of lungs you will see a pair of tissue masses that resemble a cone shape and should be nice and pink in color while feeling kind of spongy with a lot of elasticity characteristic to them.

Looking from the outside, you just see the outside shell of one of the physical miracles of life – as from the outside, lungs do not show much of the powerful working system of airways that lie within.

One of the finest descriptions I have seen about a set of lungs comes from a book by Jane M. Martin called ‘Live Your Life with COPD’, where she gives the following description of a set of lungs:

“Kind of like when you look at a building from the street, you don’t see all the rooms and hallways, the elevators and passageways, the heating and cooling ducts, and all the internal wires and cables.  Yet, you know they’re in there, because you know that the building works.”

The same holds true with your lungs.  Inside that spongy, pink tissue looking thing there are many, many tubes through which your air flows and there are also tiny blood vessels that carry the blood out into your body with the much needed oxygen in tow.

Yep, from the outside you just know that wonders do happen every time those lungs take in and then let out a breathe, and yet from the outside you just can’t see it but just know it happens because without it happening you would not be surviving and reading what I am writing.

And that my friends, is just plain and simple an explanation of them lungs of yours being looked out from the outside.  In our next set of ‘Outside/Inside of Them Lungs’ we will begin taking a tour of the inside of them lungs and begin to peek around the wonders and necessity of breathing.

REFLECTION QUESTION:  Have you ever had the chance to see either a healthy or unhealthy pair of lungs?  Have you ever had the chance to see them in action from the look of the outside?  If so, share your thoughts about the experience.

If you would like to reflect your response to others, please leave them under the comment section of wheezingaway.com.  Thanx.

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.

ALWAYS 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.

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give 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.

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

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer – reprint or use by written permission only.)

To follow more postings written by Mr. William, check out either wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information used is gathered from a various number of books, magazines and websites followed and read by Mr. William.)

Words of COPD/Asthma – ‘Wheezing’

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When you have a disability or chronic illness, one of the most important things you can do is to learn as much as you can about it.  The more you know, the easier it should be to get a handle on those days when you feel like it is a constant battle and you are not sure you are winning.

Knowing the language or words that go with COPD/Asthma is a great way to start or to continue to refresh a person’s knowledge of the ins and outs of the lifelong health companion which we are dealing with.

With that, we discuss some of what we call ‘must know words’ of life with COPD/Asthma – and today we will discuss briefly the importance of knowing the word(s) ‘Wheezing’.

What is ‘Wheezing’?

By its definition, ‘wheezing’ is “breathing with a rasp or whistling sound as a result from constriction or obstruction of the throat, pharynx, trachea or bronchi”.

Wheezing will occur when a person is trying to breathe deeply through air passages that are narrowed or filled with mucus, normally found as result of an allergy, infection, illness or irritation.

It is most commonly found when exhaling and will at times be accompanied by a mild sensation of tightness in the chest, while anxiety brought on by not being able to breathe can easily cause muscle tension that will the matter of breathing worse.

Wheezing is most commonly found as a symptom associated with asthma and can be caused by a variety of things such as exposure to allergens from food, pollen and other substances sometimes unique to each individual asthmatic.  Other causes may come from fumes, ice-cold drinks, very cold air, medication, strenuous exercise, weather changes, foreign objects trapped in the airways, cystic fibrosis and other genetic disorders.  Wheezing will also be found with such respiratory illnesses as pneumonia, bronchitis, congestive heart failure, emphysema and COPD.

Normally a diagnosis of wheezing comes when a physician, allergist or pulmonologist takes a medical history and then performs skin and blood tests to identify the precise nature of the problem.

Many times, a pulmonary function test may be ordered to measure the amount of air moving through a patient’s breathing passages and x-rays will sometimes be used to indicate wheezing caused by chronic bronchitis or emphysema.

In a case of mild wheezing, it may be relieved by drinking plenty of juice, water, weak tea and broth, while ice-cold drinks should be avoided.  Many medical folks will have a patient with a wheezing problem, use a vaporizer or maybe a steam tent.

Bronchodilators (the meds used to widen narrowed airways) will many times be prescribed for patients whose wheezing is caused by asthma.  Newer asthma medications taken daily can help prevent asthma attacks, as can avoiding the triggers that can set off allergies and asthma.

When wheezing is caused by an allergic reaction, physicians will give antihistamines to neutralize body chemicals that may be reacting to the allergen.

Other possible relief avenues from wheezing can be found in some yoga positions as they improve breathing control and reduce stress.

Those with emphysema, COPD and asthma know that wheezing and breathing problems can be life-threatening and those people and the people that travel within their world should know the symptoms to look for when fearing an emergency attack of wheezing.  Among those symptoms would be a person turning blue or gray while fighting for a quality breath, the person becomes unable to speak, starts coughing up bubbly-pink or white phlegm, develops a fever over 101, and starts to constantly wheeze all the time.

With that, we ask a ‘QUESTION OF OUR READERS’ and today we ask, “How often do you, while fighting COPD and/or Asthma, develop wheezing problems and how long do they normally last?”

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.

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

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer, reprinting or reuse of this article is restricted without written permission.)

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give 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.

Know that you can follow all the writings by CrossDove Writer pertaining to COPD/Asthma by following at wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information gathered from various books and internet sources discussing COPD, Asthma and other lung diseases)

Notes to Know About COPD/Asthma – Keeping Intimacy and More with COPD, Set 3

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It is always important to know what is going on in the world of COPD/Asthma, hence a weekly (at the minimum) posting of ‘Notes to Know about COPD/Asthma’ – because those of us battling the issue should always be up to date on what is going on, and that includes both the positives and the negatives of the COPD/Asthma life.

Here we share part two of a two-part set, offering a discussion on the ‘Factors Associated with COPD Life Expectancy’.

Special Note – This writer is married and was diagnosed with late Stage 3 COPD three months after surviving a major heart attack.  Those two medical incidents have made our marriage stronger in most all areas and more challenging in several others, with intimacy and sex being one of them.  How we are doing is personal, but this write has some solid information for those who face the same challengers and fears.

So – here is the third of three-sets discussing ‘9 Points for Better Sex and Intimacy when you have COPD’.

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(This article was found within the expanded world of the internet and was written seven years past with a review by Brunilda Nazario, MD. – we repeated the opening comments before getting into tips seven, eight and nine.)

‘9 Tips for Better Sex and Intimacy when You have COPD’

By Katherine Kam

If you or your partner are living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, you may be wondering what effect COPD will have on your sexuality. Will sex be possible? Will it be safe? Satisfying?

COPD symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath will almost certainly change the way you and your partner express yourselves sexually. But that doesn’t mean you must bid adieu to sex or other forms of physical intimacy.

Of course, good sex isn’t automatic when COPD is in the picture. To get things right, it’s essential to talk about sex with your partner (or, if you’re single, with prospective partners).

“I tell my patients to approach the subject openly and directly,” says Robert A. (Sandy) Sandhaus, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at National Jewish Health hospital in Denver and a member of the medical and scientific advisory board of the COPD Foundation. “Starting the conversation is often the most important step — and the biggest hump to get over.”

If you’re uncomfortable with a face-to-face talk, consider communicating with your partner or prospective partner via telephone or letter. Make it clear what you want and expect from sex, ask what your partner wants and expects, and do your best to agree upon the steps you’ll take together to overcome any sexual problems that arise.

Now for Tips 7, 8 and 9 – –

Tip 7: Don’t be Afraid to Experiment!

It’s okay to try different sexual positions to help you find out which ones work best for you and your partner, while also discovering which ones may or may not work with your COPD and/or severe Asthma.  In general, positions that put pressure on the chest of a partner with COPD and/or severe Asthma, may be more troublesome than a side-by-side (such as face-to-face or front-to-back) or seated positions.

As Dr. Sandhaus states, “For a man with COPD the missionary position is probably the worst.  Maybe it would help to use pillows to prop yourself up or prop up your partner, or maybe it would be better to forgo the bed and have sex in a chair.”

Experts also say to, try different sexual techniques and aids as it’s important for people to try things, even if they were reluctant to try them before because it can be really beneficial to think of different ways of expressing sexuality that they have done or haven’t done in many years.

Tip 8:  Take a Break!

If at any point during sex the partner with COPD and/or severe Asthma starts to feel breathless, they should slow down or pause to rest – though there’s no need to strop giving and receiving caresses during the lull in the action.

Keep in mind that it’s normal to experience some shortness of breath during sex according to one expert, as people get concerned about shortness of breath, but shortness of breath during sex is no more dangerous than the shortness of breath they may experience when doing everyday activities.

Tip 9:  Remember Your Goal!!

Good sex isn’t just about giving and receiving orgasms.  It’s about the intimacy.

“The goal (for COPD patients and their partners) should be to have the most intimate experience that they can manage,” noted Dr. Sandhaus.  “Sometimes that means coming to an orgasm and sometimes is does not.”

Sometimes, simply lying together and cuddling are all that someone with COPD and/or severe Asthma can manage and that may be enough to satisfy both partners.  As one expert puts it, ‘running your hands through your partner’s hair can be an intimate act.’

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‘Notes to Know about COPD/Asthma’ will continue to feature writings from medical folks and caretakers who share insights into the world of what may be going on in the world of COPD/Asthma.  ‘Notes to Know about COPD/Asthma’ can be found at either wheezingaway.com or within the Facebook page, COPD Travels.

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.)

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.

Reflections of COPD/Asthma – ‘Bringing Stability to a COPD/Asthma Life’, Set 6 = Nutrition

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I am one of those that has been given the honor of traveling life with the companionship of COPD and severe Asthma.

While the honor is many times pushed by the frustration and battle with those companions, I have over time come to grips that it is what it is and I must make the best of it.

I knew I must learn more about this companion the medical folks call COPD and severe Asthma, so I have read about, ask questions about it and spent time nearly every day scouring the internet for information, articles and more.

I also knew it is good to share, so as a writer I decided what better way to share what I am learning and finding than through informational, inspirational and personal writings about my travels with COPD and severe Asthma.

This is part of an on-going series we call ‘Reflections of COPD/Asthma and today we give you set six of a six-part set called ‘Bringing Stability to a COPD/Asthma Life’.

BRINGING STABILITY TO A LIFE WITH COPD/ASTHMA – –

One of the most important things a person can do when doing battle with COPD and/or Asthma is to bring a sense of stability within those daily battles and travels.

There are six simple areas which seem to stand out as important for building stability within a life with COPD and/or Asthma and they are – exercising, avoiding sickness, sleep and rest, knowing yourself, social contact, and nutrition.

Stability, Set – 6 – – NUTRITION

Possible as important as any of the six areas we’ve posted in bringing and keeping stability in your life would have to be NUTRITION, in other words – what you eat and drink day in and day out to keep the mechanical side of your life and body, keeping it stoked to produce all you do each and every day.

But don’t just think that feeding on anything will work, because as most of you that battle the diseases of COPD and/or severe Asthma already know, it does not work like that at all – nope, you must remember to constantly keep track of your eating to make sure you are eating the right foods.

Eating and drinking the right foods and liquids will keep the proper nutrients in your body to fuel it in the best possible way without causing a problem with any of the functions you plan to be doing.

Our body will be kept running properly when it gets the proper mixture of proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates by grabbing food fuel from a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy products.  Many of us will find it necessary as well to through in a daily multi-vitamin and possible a few other supplements when and if needed.

While battling COPD and/or severe Asthma, we need to keep a balanced diet while also avoiding those foods which may possible irritate our lung conditions.  Most of us with COPD and/or Asthma know that we should be checking with our physician and pulmonologist for any recommendations on what we may or may not have in our diets so not to aggravate our diseases.

Unfortunately, eating can and most likely will be a very individual challenge to keep as we each have different tastes and likes in what we may eat, plus a diet that works for even the guy next door will not guarantee success for yourself.

The important thing is to remember that while other sections we have touched on about bringing stability to your living with COPD and/or severe Asthma, the nutrition you take in daily is possible the most important because we all need to eat and drink to survive, which means we all need to learn what does and does not work to keep stability in your life with COPD and/or Asthma while eating to survive.

REFLECTION QUESTION – – What works for you in eating and drinking to keep your body processing and producing a stable life each and every day of your battle with life, COPD and/or severe Asthma?

Looking for more about nutrition and its help in building stability in your life and battles with COPD/Asthma – then look back over wheezingaway.com and take notice of the recently run 10-part series on ‘COPD and Nutrition’.

If you would like to reflect your response to others, please leave them under the comment section of wheezingaway.com.  Thanx.

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.

ALWAYS 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.

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give 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.

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

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer – reprint or use by written permission only.)

To follow more postings written by Mr. William, feel free to check out either wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information used is gathered from a various number of books, magazines and websites followed and read by Mr. William.)

Words of COPD/Asthma – ‘Vital Capacity’

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When you have a disability or chronic illness, one of the most important things you can do is to learn as much as you can about it.  The more you know, the easier it should be to get a handle on those days when you feel like it is a constant battle and you are not sure you are winning.

Knowing the language or words that go with COPD/Asthma is a great way to start or to continue to refresh a person’s knowledge of the ins and outs of the lifelong health companion which we are dealing with.

With that, we discuss some of what we call ‘must know words’ of life with COPD/Asthma – and today we will discuss briefly the importance of knowing the word(s) ‘Vital Capacity’.

What is ‘Vital Capacity’?

By definition, ‘Vital Capacity’ is “the greatest amount of air that can be forced from the lungs after maximum inhalation”.  It is the maximum amount of air you expel from your lungs after you have a maximum inhalation and it is equal to the sum of inspiratory reserve volume, tidal volume and expiratory reserve volume.

A person’s vital capacity is measured with a wet or regular spirometer and in combination with other physiological measurments, can help give that person a diagnosis of any lung disease.

‘Vital Capacity’ is also used to in helping determine the severity of respiratory muscle involvement in neuromuscular diseases and can help physicians and specialists be guided when making treatment decisions in Guillian-Barre` Syndrome and mayasthenic crisis.

Whereas a normal adult should have a vital capacity between three and five litres, the reading can and will depend on age, sex, height, mass and ethnicity.

Most of anyone that has been diagnosed with either severe Asthma or any stage of COPD has been given tests to see where that person’s lungs are within the scope of their disease.

While both lung volumes and lung capacities will refer to the volume of air associated with different phases of a respiratory cyle, the lung volume is directly measured while the lung capacity is inferred from those volumes.

Most of anyone diagnosed with COPD and/or severe Asthma knows the importance of knowing their FEV (forced expiratory volume) measures – which is how much air a person can exhale during a forced breath.  Those are measured during the first (FEV1), second (FEV2) and third (FEV3) seconds of the forced breath.

Your forced ‘Vital Capacity’ (FVC) is the total amount of air exhaled during the FEV testing.

Just remember, while FEV numbers seem to be the most often referenced, it is important to know your overall FVC or ‘Vital Capacity’ number as well in helping you keep track of the depth of your battle with COPD and/or Asthma.

With that, we ask a ‘QUESTION OF OUR READERS’ and today we ask, “Do you know your FVC (‘Vital Capacity’) number and how it relates to your FEV (Forced Expiratory Volume) numbers?

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.

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

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer, reprinting or reuse of this article is restricted without written permission.)

NOTE TO REMEMBER: We only give 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.

Know that you can follow all the writings by CrossDove Writer pertaining to COPD/Asthma by following at wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.

(Information gathered from various books and internet sources discussing COPD, Asthma and other lung diseases)

 

‘Lenny’ and Me 4 Today – Joy & Anxiety

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What a sway of emotions to travel through in a matter of just three and one-half days, a high of joy to a muscle tightening bout of anxiety.

To start the week off on the right foot, ‘Lenny’ cooperated with me so I could enjoy the ride that went with a joyful, though short, 36-hour visit with our oldest grandson.  Keller is just a little over five weeks from being 17 and drove down to see us for the first time on his own, in his own car and it was maybe the best 36 hours of the whole summer.

We gotta tell you all one thing about Keller – he is my first-born grandson and spent nearly every weekend he had with his Dad (his Mom and my son never were married) for his nearly first three years at our house.  We shared in his first crawl, though he rolled throughout the house looking for Nana long before he crawled, and his first steps.  Nana taught him to love his vegetables and to this day he counts broccoli as one of his favorite foods.

Now our little ‘Keller Bear’ has become more of a ‘Keller Grizzly’ as he stands a hair over six-foot-one and weighs in at right near 285 pounds of solidness.  Our ‘little’ buddy is already a state qualified wrestler and all-conference lineman in football, with aspirations to return to state in one and get past the semi-finals of state playoffs in the other while pushing for all-state honors as well.

Among the joys of just having time to visit and share in some good food (he loves his Nana’s lasagna), Keller did make this ‘Papa or Gramps’ feel a touch older when he started talking about his future of maybe joining the Navy reserves to help pay for college, unless of course he can get himself a scholarship somewhere in either wrestling or football.  He talked about wanting to go into biology or maybe even history, and while these talks made me feel a bit old realizing he will graduate from high school in two years, it did humble me and make me proud that he has a level head on them large shoulders with some goals already set and a path to reach them.

But after having some ‘Papa’ pancakes, bacon and orange juice this morning, the joy of the visit ended and our ‘Keller Bear’ had to head on home.  With big bear hugs and promises to let us know when he arrived home, he was off – knowing that football season starts in less than a month and confident that ‘Papa’ will find his way to the sidelines for game number one.

So as the joy of the visit began to mellow out, the anxiety of the next scheduled event for my week began to creep ever so cautiously into my veins and into my mind.

Anxiety over an impending visit to an out-patient hospital the next morning for an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy).

Yep due to recent swallowing and digestive problems that gave ‘Lenny’ a reason to flare up just a bit and required not one, two, but three unplanned trips to the ER – we get to have a tiny scope shoved (gently I hope) down through my esophagus, past my stomach and into the upper region of whatever is beyond.

Anxiety grew just a bit when one of the out-patient nurses called and did a bunch of pre-procedure paperwork info over the phone.  While she did her best to assure all would be well and due to my stage III COPD, severe asthma and slight heart condition – they would take great care of me and monitor me extra close.

While the evening draws down and I realize I have just thirty minutes to snack one more time before I hit that point of no food and drink until after the procedure – I get anxious.  Anxious because while I have a c-pap machine for sleep apnea, I normally count on water to keep my mouth and throat from drying out and from ‘Lenny’ getting irritated throughout the night.

But like when I had a procedure done on my vocal chords last summer and my more recent colonoscopy – both ‘Lenny’ and I will get through this and if I am lucky, ‘Lenny’ will behave while I am slightly under and will continue to behave as I work at getting over the up to 24-hour grogginess they promise I may have.

But then again, the body we are given is like life itself – we have just one and if we are lucky and well taken care of, a procedure like this should be just a slight, little bump in the longer road we are traveling in that life itself.

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

Want to know who ‘Lenny’ is?  ‘Lenny’ is the name I gave my constant companion called COPD/Asthma.  I have found that referring and dealing with my chronic illness as a companion I am less apt to get angry with it, but instead more likely to work with it like you would in a strong relationship.  Besides treating anything with TLC is much better than hammering away at it as if it was an enemy.

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.)

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 p

Living-4-Today – – Strong Like a Tree

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Sharing with others daily words, thoughts and meditations that bring myself hope and renewal during my own daily battles and frustrations with COPD/Asthma.  Sharing, because as we all know – without that horizon of hope, our daily renewal of faith and fight can dim in a hurry.

Take, read, meditate and hopefully find some of the same hope in your daily battles with a chronic illness and/or disability as I have within mine….

The Word – “He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”  (The Bible: Jeremiah 17:8, NIV)

The Thought – As hard as it may seem, especially when fighting battles like COPD and/or severe Asthma, the goal we must strive for is to be solid and strong like a large tree.

When you think about a solid, tall majestic tree in your yard or neighborhood, do you not think of the protection it supplies with shade in the hot of the summer and the number of branches it uses to provide and protect those many squirrels, birds and such from weather and life.

We too need to become like a solid, majestic tree that keeps its roots planted deep and steady to the foundation of earth.  Hold steady in your pursuit to find the solutions needed to help overcome any heavy winds of issues that may try and knock you over or completely down.

We too need to become protectors, using our branches of love, hope, faith and grace to protect those around us in our travels of life, showing them the strength we have in working to overcome and endure the battles we face in our own individual travels with COPD and/or severe asthma.

While being strong can on many days seem like an impossible task – it is our own showing of strength and endurance with our own battles that can shine onto others and give them the hope and faith to overcome theirs.

How do we stay strong and majestic like a tree, giving security to those around us – we do it by spending time with the ‘Great Spirits’ in quiet times of listening and speaking, thanking the ‘Great Spirits’ for all they have given us, while listening in silence to the wisdom and guidance bestowed on us to reach the strength found in the four fundamentals of life and happiness, those being of hope, faith, love and grace.

Step up, be strong and envelope others within your world like a large branch offering protection from the elements of life by being secure with your own life, holding your feet firmly to the ground like the strong roots of an Oak tree and protect those around you with the elements of hope, faith, love and grace.

The Meditation/Prayer – As we enter our quiet time of meditation, our time to spend conversing and listening to you, ‘Great Spirits’, we say thank you for all that you surround us with in our daily travels of life – and yes we even thank you for those battles we fight as we know they will make us stronger.  Today we seek continued guidance in the four fundamentals of life and happiness – hope, faith, love and grace, so that we may be stronger and more enduring for those around us who also may be suffering with us during those battles.  We look forward to those days when we can share, prepare and protect all those within our world, just as you, ‘Great Spirits’ protect us.

With that we all say Hallelujah, Amen.

(Copyright@2017, CrossDove Writer – This writing may not be reused in any manner without written permission.)

(More ‘Living 4 Today’ writings can be found at either wheezingaway.com or on Facebook at COPD Travels.)