In December, I was diagnosed with COPD. I was shocked and it has taken me this long to come to terms with it and write about it here at Lumigrate. COPD stands for "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease". The name of this disease is scary enough, and when I read the prognosis of living 5 yrs. to 10 yrs. from the time of the diagnosis, that did me in! I went through a period of panic - not being able to catch my breath at night. I have to admit I was scared. I didn't even share the feelings with my husband or friends. As I have learned to accept this diagnosis over the past couple of months, I have calmed down and accepted the fact that I need to learn all I can to MANAGE this disease and not let it get me down. I must PACE myself.
Essentially, COPD is a condition in which you have trouble getting air out of your lungs because your airways are continually blocked.
I can honestly say that I am not surprised with this diagnosis. Mardy had even questioned my shortness of breath (SOB) a year and a half ago when we were climbing the steep hills at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo here in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where my husband Bob and I moved to from Southern California in our mid-life. She had come to visit me and then over the mountains to Karen the OTR/CDRS about writing on Lumigrate and showing us what it was all about. And catching up, we'd not seen each other for a long time due to her life responsibilities since she moved from here eight years ago.
I have since slowed down when I walk. I used to try to hide my "huffing and puffing" but learned that honesty was the best approach. I find that monitoring my breathing and verbalizing my needs ("I can't walk this fast!") was a good strategy. I'm frequently with Bob and Thomas, my son who I have written about in the past, he is in his forties and was diagnosed early in his life with 'developmental disabilities', or DD for short.
For ten years, Bob and I owned a little place in Breckenridge, Colorado. It was a trailer that looked like a log cabin. The RV park was called Tiger Run, just north of Breckenridge. We use to ski every weekend but that became too expensive. I noticed that I was having difficulty with riding a bike and trying to keep up with Bob, who is five+ years older than I, chronologically. I was often out of breath, and I know now that the altitude (9,000 or 10,000 feet) was a problem. We sold the place years back when we were watching the pine beetles kill so many trees around our place. With our increasing age, it just was time to reel in our responsibilities.
Last October, we returned to Tiger Run for a weekend special. We hadn't been there for 6 years. This is when reality hit me between the eyes. We played Pickleball for about 1 hour. Bob and I collaborated on a piece this week about Pickleball if you wish to read it, I'll provide a link, below. So 'balancing' my processing about COPD with writing a FUN piece too, is part of how I cope.
After the game, I couldn't "get" my breath for the entire weekend. I didn't have the COPD diagnosis, so I was in a state of "PANIC." I almost went to the ER and I probably should have, but I didn't know the seriousness of the situation..........and I didn't want to be a wimp. So I drank tons of water and that seemed to help. I was under the illusion, or maybe 'dilusion' as a coping strategy, that it was the usual customary altitude sickness many have at 9,000 ft elevation when their bodies are used to lower altitudes.
When we came home to Colorado Springs (which is at 6,400 feet altitude), and I saw my doctor, where I learned about my diagnosis of COPD (at 10%). This same physician has treated me for asthma, allergies and bronchitis for many years. So I had been monitored with all of the lung test and have been on Advair for asthma.
COPD can be comprised of chronic obstructive bronchitis (clinically defined) and emphysema (pathologically radiologically defined). Damaged lungs aren't as elastic as healthy lungs, so they can't retain their original efficient structure. Airways get narrower or collapse. Lungs become enlarged (consistent with emphysema), airways are inflammed and often clogged with mucus (chronic bronchitis), leading to more coughing and horseness and difficulty clearing the throat.
!Those who read Petie's pieces at Lumigrate.com (found regularly in the forum related to therapies/functional and occupational -- link: http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-m... [2]) learn she grew up in California with "Bobby" Redford and has had an interesting life from beginning to today. She graduated from USC in technical illustrating and drafting and was the first female draftsman for The Wall Street Journal in South Brunswick, New Jersey. She returned to USC to become an occupational therapist and enjoyed the 'heyday' of therapy in prestigious programs in California, and was an entrepreneur for many years. She had a daughter then adopted a son, Thomas, who she writes about regularly; they have been each others' greatest teachers, as it turns out he had developmental disabilities. Remarrying in middle age, she and her husband Bob moved to Colorado and now enjoy 'active retirement'. Petie appreciates the opportunities to continue teaching through sharing at Lumigrate and hopes those who read find as much enjoyment in reading as she does in writing.
Links:
[1] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/pickleball-bob-my-inspirational-81-year-old-husbands-story
[2] http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/therapy-occupational/functional
[3] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-new-diagnosis-copd-real-challenge-my-health#comment-2297
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/gastrointestinal-gi-issues-and-solutions-gut-things
[5] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-new-diagnosis-copd-real-challenge-my-health#top
[7] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/1923%23comment-form
[8] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/1923%23comment-form
[9] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-new-diagnosis-copd-real-challenge-my-health#comment-2299
[10] http://naturessaltlamps.wordpress.com/category/benefits-of-himalayan-salt-lamps-2/
[11] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-new-diagnosis-copd-real-challenge-my-health#comment-2304
[12] http://www.clinicalmolecularallergy.com/content/6/1/3
[13] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-new-diagnosis-copd-real-challenge-my-health#comment-2319
[14] http://nccam.nih.gov/health/asthma/facts?nav=fb
[15] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-new-diagnosis-copd-real-challenge-my-health#comment-2320
[16] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-new-diagnosis-copd-real-challenge-my-health#comment-2845
[17] http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/internet-connections-and-activism-medical-and-beyond/social-media-websites-political-informat
Comments
Are ya trying to kill me Petie?
My goodness, this was the last thing I expected my Valentine's Day to include -- THANK YOU. 
However, it was more like 
. It was a surprise, as I knew you'd gotten sidetracked writing about Pickleball Bob, so hadn't expected you to have another piece at Lumigrate for days or a week! When I got to the bottom, tears streaming down my face at the strength it takes for you to share as you have here, my heart just feeling both grateful to know you and to have been able to help you in your time of need, as you've done so much for me these past 10+ years, sad to think that this is ahead of you and your 'framily', myself included, my brain thinking 'where is that awesome COPD manual I have and who can I get in the mix here to educate us about COPD', I realized...
THIS is the Petie I remember from 2001 -- the one who became my mentor because she was a born educator and logical in her process. Nonthreatening in her friendly manner with an awesome sense of humor but HIGH expectations for quality. Sadly, that was several years into my career as an OT, and that is why with national mentor week last month I wrote at Lumigrate to encourage ALL people to look around them and see if there's someone who could benefit from what they have to share. (I didn't bug you about reading that part because I knew you had a LOT on your plate dealing with this, along with normal 'life stuff', and figured we'd have time in the future to catch up on that one.)
It shows in this piece, how you were educated and worked 'in the good old days' of occupational therapy in the United States, working at Rancho back in it's heydey, where you were truly utilized by the physicians' teams as medical providers with HIGH expectations for your understanding of the medical diagnosis.
From what I know of COPD per the allopathic medical model (also thought of as 'conventional', 'Western, etc.), you've done an exceptionally good review/overview/summary here, so thank you! I'd many times worked with the oxygen providers with patients, and doing OT related to medication management (most people don't do their inhalers correctly, as you likely know). OTs cannot do anything related to bringing medications to patients or handling them when setting them up in pill boxes, but we're KEY providers of education and can supervise patients doing these things and find strategies to help them increase their safety and independence.
My day started today at 7 am attending a training about medication compliance, by the way. STAGGERING how many people are not taking their medications as they are ordered/prescribed. And the reasons for it -- I personally don't think the providers REALLY understand why not because they've studying big studies done by researchers and not studying things from inside the home, the way us OTs get to see, if we're lucky.
I had a friend six years ago whose parents lived west of me in Utah who I felt could have better advise about the oxygen intervention end of her COPD.
Being the 'connector' or Yenta that I am, got them talking with someone here who is just THE BEST I have seen in all my years working with people using oxygen therapies. He provided advise, told them suggestions for equipment to get from their vendor in their area, and they were MOST appreciative! That was all she needed and she and her husband fulfilled their retirement goal of becoming campground hosts, and they were stationed in some high altitude places, last I heard! Really lovely people and much like you and Bob in a lot of ways. I just remember seeing the life in her eyes when I met her socially -- just lively and clearly a 'troublemaker', in a good way, like her son, my friend. "Full of life", "firecracker", etc. The husband/dad was this really mellow, highly intelligent and amazingly strong, vital, good man. I'd actually forgotten all about doing that! I'll have to check on them and see how things have gone since I last knew.
I'm pleased to see you ALSO read the one piece I've sent you (so far) which is from the CAM side of things. (Complementary and Alternative Medicine). Thank you for considering it along with the other resources you have specified.
Eight years ago, after I moved here, my primary care provider who I was grateful had agreed to take me (all the practices were full, and people with fibromyalgia often are turned away even when they are NOT full) really started focusing on the breathing aspect of my illness; I was 44. I'd been on albuterol for over a decade and Advair back when we worked together in 2001 and thereafter.
I'd always joked that I got asthma for my 30th birthday ...
. I'd truly gotten a cold on my 30th birthday and, in retrospect, that was just after I'd had chronic fatigue syndrome and was heading into fibromyalgia but didn't know it. These are 'labels' and 'diagnoses' which help define the problem so we can solve it, but another way of looking at things that's more difficult is a continuum ----
Chronic Wellness (as we ultimately are born with) ...................... Chronic Illness (that ends our life)
We're ALL on this continuum somewhere, and every day we are even on a different place on it. We have SUCH powers to change where we are on the continuum! Much of it, however, is not promoted in the allopathic model, in my opinion! So to be honest, when I got done reading your wonderful piece, I was also
that the insurance industry doesn't yet respect the many things which I know have helped me get back to having WELL lungs! Not that they're the 
, they're just so ingrained in what they believe and how they do things, it takes FOREVER to get them to make changes. It takes funding of studies that are done in the manner that allopathy respects, and today with the many things draining the monies for things and the difficulty getting funding compared to the 'good old days', I fear how progress is going to go on that front.
This has helped me a GRATE deal to really work on applying myself to thinking 'outside the box' of labels and more in lines or even spectra, so I hope it helps you that I share it here. With your background as a draftsman and artist, I think it will work well for you. I hope the others reading as well.
Like you, my mother and grandmother, who I'd been cooped up with in a very small house with poor air circulation, had shared about two packs a day of cigarette smoke with me second-hand for the first four years of my life, and then it was just my mom and her one pack a day. But I was required to help cook dinner and she did it in a very slow, methodical way so she could enjoy her martinis before we had dinner. Then she'd sit and smoke at the table while she and my dad argued about politics. (She was a right-winger, my dad left -- and I was not allowed to leave the table and start clearing plates and doing dishes until they were done with their 'discussion'.
I learned a lot, not only about the things they discussed but about how a young person can end up having the signs of adrenal fatigue and chronic illness developing as young as my symptoms track back. I'm NOT indicting anyone, they're all dead anyway, but I have 'reviewed' all this in order to define the problems I had in my body/life and then went about changing and solving them MANY years ago. I took my first steps at age 19, I concentrated very hard on it at 29/30 after I'd had chronic fatigue syndrome bring me down and scare me, as you have experienced. I wasn't so afraid of my 'mortality' at that time, but what if I wasn't going to become homebound at age 29 for the rest of my life, as some people do?
It was exactly 8 years ago I was getting Myers Cocktails as part of my treatment with the outside the box thinking MD here, the only resource locally for such things at the time. My previously 'no problems' veins were no longer 'happy' -- it was taking up to six insertions of the needle to get an small IV bag of nutrients through them and into my body, where the increased saturation has remarkable effects on the tissues of people who have chronic illness such as CFS/FM. (They were only $55 but insurance does not pay for them; I needed two a week and I needed about eight weeks, or sixteen, before things 'turned around'.)
Between that and my allopathic MD focusing on my lung issues and I had an increasing 'mess' of medications, I was concerned! Between the inhalers (plural) and prescription medications, I think I was on five things for my lungs. The copays alone were $100/month at $20 each on the very good insurance I had at that time due to working in skilled nursing as an OTR.
I made a BIG DEAL about turning 45 because I honestly thought if things kept going the way they had, I'd not be here for 50.
By the way, when the Myers helped and I lost a lot of weight becasue it just got my cells nourished the way they need to be, and everything was back to 'weller', I was sure to let the nay-saying allopath see me and know that I'd gotten better doing what I had felt was right, despite his 'cautioning' me. That way he would know and maybe open his blinders up a bit more to the type of medical treatment people REALLY need and stop bashing all the things that are 'unproven' by expensive scientific studies. He as doing a 'baby with the bathwater', and in reality, much of what that 'renegade' MD was doing was 'out there' and overall, I got better but it was not without 'incident' and problems. Not so much because of the type of treatments but their protocols and procedures for safety were not up to standards of the industry. I was greatful there was at least a clinic in this rural area taking on such things but I learned my lessons along the way. You, Petie, are in the bigger city of Colorado Springs and I know that you know of the alternative MD there and he is highly regarded.
Toxins in the body that accumulate
When the integrative medicine and environmental medicine specialist who provides content at Lumigrate, Wm. Marcus (Marc) Spurlock, MD saw my heavy metals test results from 2005 or so, he said 'immunizations on the mercury and who was the smoker, you or someone else? -- lead and cadmium are in the papers. That's important to know if people smoke marijuana too, by the way."
In further thinking about how you might navigate this and your history, Petie, YOU LIVED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA during the years .... Um... how do I say this ... well, there was LEAD in the gasoline from the time you were born until you were quite into middle age, no? I mean, at least you're not so old that you were breathing coal fumes, like my mother struggled with growing up in Chicago.
Again, I'd take an approach if it were me, of listening to your inner guide about what is right for YOU, but I'd start with interventions that don't have side long-term consequences as side effects and quickly put as many time/energy/money resources as I decide to put into COPD toward finding the underlying 'functional' reasons for your body being 10% into impairment/unwellness of the lungs and solve those problems and in theory, at least, things should head back to 'in the middle' and then keep heading back towards wellness.
You have shared elsewhere that you only found out about age 70 that you have a gluten allergy/intollerance, so my first thought was food allergies. For one thing, the testing is so easy and eliminating foods is very easy to do for INSTANT (almost) results.
Detoxification and cleansing also has fast results when properly done, but people have to be at a certain level of health to take that on. So finding the food allergies (if there are more, which I'd imagine there are, most people have several) seems to make sense to look at first. Lumigrate has full length educational seminars you can download to your computer and watch, for $0, an hour of your time and energy, plus the STRESS some feel of 'downloading? Can I do it?' -- I'm betting you and Bob can figure it out! Food Allergies. Detox and Cleanse. Both by Christopher Lepisto, ND.
I highly recommend starting with the 20 minute Chronic Illness: Full Barrel Syndrome video.
If it helps, this is the the sequence I have gone about my health recovery:
I hope that the improvements that many people observed in me for about five years starting eight ago are 'living proof' of what can happen. I'm honestly very frustrated by the backslide I had, and considering all that has happened the last three years, I have to say 'it could have been worse'. I'm sure others in my position might have had it not affect them so negatively, and I have learned from it and continue to grow in terms of how to reduce stress and deal with things differently in the future. Others might have totally fallen apart. I look at it as yet another opportunity.
This is more of a sidenote perhaps but others might be reading this who have CFS/FMS and not COPD necessarily, but I had chronic lung problems develop as soon as I had gotten over CFS. I didn't really associate it at all with the CFS at the time, but now I know more and can look back and see it clearly.
I started feeling some 'lung stuff' this winter coming back, coughing a bit with cold or exercise, which I now know is a symptom that had to do with this whole chronic illness 'overall deal', so looked at 'what am I eating and supplementing'. Allan Jolly, RPh, ND at ITC Pharmacy in Castle Rock, just up the road about an hour from you from Colorado Springs, ALWAYS reminds me of the gut. (Look for his contributions in the 'gut' forum, and there are links to their website from his contributions. The link currently is: www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/gastrointestinal-gi-issues-and-solutions-gut-things [4]
They have patients in every state in the US and beyond, with a specialty they got into over the years of treating many, many patients who were having competent providers direct their health care related to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.)
I know there's a connection to my lungs from my sinuses so was asking about a sinus product they carry. "Yeah, well, if you need that fine, but if you need that you ALSO have to be looking at the gut." Naturally, he consults over the phone and they ship products all over the US and beyond so you can do that as well, but you might want to go in person since you can.
I DEFINITELY do not want to go back down the route of the pharmaceutical steroid and albuterol inhaler, multiple oral pills for asthma stuff -- I now know to say 'but what's causing it' and work to correct that.
Consider this my
Day card to YOU, Petie. I hope it helps. I know it's a lot. You weren't ready for this before. Now I think you are. Perhaps Print (icon lower right here) and mark it up.. and let's go from there.
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better!
~~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
I saw this link about Hamalayan salt and thought I'd post it here since the lamps work on the ions in the air and they go into many OTHER strategies related to using (high quality/specific) salt. Naturally, each person has their own 'action' to take, and Lumigrate is an 'idea' place, with the links out to different providers and products a way of people learning more about things that might resonate or be 'of interest' to them.
naturessaltlamps.wordpress.com/category/benefits-of-himalayan-salt-lamps-2/ [10]
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
I thought I'd share this link about indoor air pollution related to INCENSE. I know this might seem a bit 'far out' but I've been surprised at the numbers of people I know who still burn incense, not knowing of the toxins that can be in it. (Suggestion: Essential oils and diffusers or little pots that heat water and oil, but make sure the essential oils are 'true'; there's a lot of stuff being marketed which is saying it's the real deal/good stuff people 'in the know' are demanding, but it's NOT quality.
www.clinicalmolecularallergy.com/content/6/1/3 [12]
I also like this article because it shows that the East is in the same process the West has been/is. Sadly, humans around the world are very harmed by many things they breathe in; many developing countries still burn kerosene at night and people are being harmed by those toxins and it's only $20/solar powered lamp to get them out of that harm. We're all in this together, so let's think about what we are doing in our homes and businesses and clean up our environments and then also help others learn and do better as well.
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! as I say! ~~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
National Institutes of Health posted a good piece about CAM (complementary/alternative) treatments and asthma, which naturally might apply. So here it is: nccam.nih.gov/health/asthma/facts [14]. I hope Petie sees this! Perhaps she can give us an update on how she's progressing with this process since it's now been about six weeks since she initially shared this news with us. Over 500 people have read it to! Hope it helps!
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! ~~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
It seems to me that a sleep study might be in order, Petie. I know that people think of that and thing about having to spend a night in a lab being looked at like a rat in a box trying to sleep in a strange place, but things are different now.
Per my contact in 'the biz' of home health oxygen and related respiratory gear, there are now 'wrist ox' gadgets (the ones that are small that we used to monitor patients are called 'pulse ox' (for monitory oxygenation of the blood on a fingertip) and data is collected in a gadget at the wrist.
It seems to me if a person who was not sleeping well went to their provider and reported that they're 1) not sleeping well and 2) elaborate on why / symptoms and then 3) said they'd like to have their oxygen saturations monitored as they slept (which is typically overnight), that might be a logical next step. I'm sure your provider told you all this but I also imagine your head was 'spinning' finding out you had a COPD diagnosis.
I understand there's a growing market of products in this industry for people who either do not have insurance or for whatever reasons don't want to go that route, and oxygen concentrators of high quality are available for about $650, which is about the same price as companies have sold to medical equipment companies. I'm not sure if that's through online or brich and mortar stores or MLM, but it's an interesting new development!
Every time I investigate another facet of health care in the US, I seem to see another example of how the $ issues are shifting what and how services are provided. I hope we can keep up! And I hope this has been of value to you, Petie (presuming you see it), and any others who are reading.
I guess I have a concern in my mind that because people have equated 'oxygen bars' with something really 'good to do' and 'trendy', people are also going to think that getting in-home oxygen by purchasing from vendors without getting medical and insurance involvement is a good thing too. But it's something which I believe people really need to get some basic understand of before the start taking things into their own hands. I'll hope off here without providing any suggested routes. If anyone has something to add, contact me and perhaps it's another stepping stone of information on the path back to wellness for people. ~~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
It's a progression ... we're all progressing with what we know if we're growing. Now there is more information I want to steer people to about what's going on with the gut that leads to lung and basically all issues. Yes, hard to imagine there was one factor involved potentially. Here's the link to the preliminary topic at Lumigrate about "Steve's Images", there might be more in the future but this is a start. I thought it medical history in the making that I was witnessing possibly and wanted YOUsers to have the information ASAP.
Cyanobacteria -- algae -- is what the topic is essentially about. It our air. Our soils. And our waters. So there is MUCH we can do to correct it and reverse our symptoms, and it makes perfect sense why anything one did to help the gut would overall help the overall wellness, such as the lungs. And why it might not have SOLVED the problem for Petie, just made it lessened and asymptomatic. I'll have to see what she thinks and give her a call. She was with one thing after another in life and keeping up very well with it. But I don't think the problem was totally solved. Maybe this will help! Wouldn't that be 'grate'?
www.lumigrate.com/forums/internet-connections-and-activism-medical-and-beyond/social-media-websites-political-informat [17]
Live and learn. Learn and Live Better! ~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!