New to group

By pyper02 on Tue, 01-31-12, 02:09

Posted in Group:

COPD

Hi I am new to the COPD group. I am 44 years old. Both of my parents have COPD. My Mom if she lives to August will be 70. My dad will be 76 in May. My Mom is stage 4. I am unsure about my Dad..if i had to guess i would say stage 3. My mom just came home from a week's stay at the hospital 3 of those days on the ventilator. They both continue to smoke which really upsets me. My mom is in the hospital at least once a month, this last time being the worst. My dad does not frequent the hospital however his COPD comes hand in hand with a severe anxiety disorder. My mom was close to death a few weeks ago and now i am scared. I got used to the hospital visits. She almost didnt come home this time and i think the reality of it has hit. I joined the group in hopes of finding some support.

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By kitcat1 on Tue, 01-31-12, 08:38

You joined the right place, I love this group. Hang in there you can't control their smoking if they don't want to give it up. You will just have to support them in other ways that you can. Make sure you stay healthy. Don't get so stressed that your health starts to fail. Stay strong taking care of your parents. We are here for you.

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By Frogger6974 on Wed, 02-08-12, 12:36

I agree with kitcat1, you can not chnage their smoking habits, just support their needs as their health declines. But if you dont take care of you then you can not take care of them.
I speak from personal experience and professional experience too. I just found out yesterday that I have COPD and I have been a caregiver for 15+ years. SoI understand about taking care of others before one takes care of themselves.
With my new diagnosis I am still kinda mind numb. I have done some reading about COPD and I am scared. SOOO, wished I would have never started smoking and quit all those times I tried. P.S. I just slapped a patch on.
There is no cure for COPD, so I can only keep myself from making it worse by taking precautions.
Stay in touch and good luck as you help your parents in this transition too. Oh and my primary prefessional experience is alzheimers and hospice work.

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By kitcat1 on Thu, 02-09-12, 07:17

Good for you Frogger taking the patch. You'll get there. I hope you get better. Stay strong. If you need to vent, we are here. Take Care.

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