Tag Archives: recumbent trike

Suquamish – Re: COPD – the beginning. Pain – the end.

Thank you for taking the time to write, Suquamish – and you are young at only 52 to have COPD.  I’m sure there are other young ones with COPD who live to be retired and ancient without adding more diseases.  They keep moving as best they can, get good medical care, an exercise program and good nutrition too can overcome almost anything.

What does your doc say about the x-rays?

The pain is in my lower legs – not lungs and I’m one of those COPDers who gathered all these other medical conditions after COPD.

Venous Stasis Dermatitis – Lymphedema – Cellulitis – when I’m not careful enough about sodium and wearing support stockings.  This time though, thanks to Mellissa’s teaching and my husband’s help they didn’t swell, crack open and leak for about a year and a half.  The condition is chronic but I learned more good lessons to keep this from happening again through checking labels more carefully on everything I eat or drink.  Moreover, this too will pass – so will the pain.

The neat thing Suquamish – you gave me another idea.  You are young.  There have to be other people out there who would gladly give living with COPD and heart worthy tips to other COPDers.  Working full time, you probably aren’t able to attend the monthly afternoon Harrison Medical Center/Better Breathers educational classes at Harrison Silverdale.  However ….

Would you be interested in an evening support group of like-minded people who not only have lung or heart disease they are living life to the fullest in spite of it and want to share what has worked for them?

We should have such a support group in Silverdale. No gloom & doom – no cost – just patients sharing what works for us.

What do you think?  Would Tuesday evenings from 7 – 8 pm work for you?  Occasionally we could have speakers willing to donate their time to help educate us too.

Suquamish – Thanks for reading my posts and hope they haven’t been gloomy and doomy for you or anyone – I didn’t meant them to be.  This pain will pass when my lower legs get ‘normal’ again and I take proper care of them – including the support stockings and no more high sodium diet sodas.

I’m open to any suggestions for a meeting place that will allow COPDers (lung and heart folks) to meet on a monthly basis in the evening for an hour…

BTW:  I may be moaning and groaning about pain from my legs but it doesn’t change my plans to make a recumbent trike trip next summer from here to the other Washington for COPD.

Thanks… Sharon

One Response to “COPD – the beginning. Pain – the end”

  1. Suquamish Says:
    November 2nd, 2011 at 4:11 am

I am sorry Sharon, I guess I am following in your footsteps. The VA gave me a chest x-ray and it had a white spot on my lung. They told me to see my health provider (Group Death) I mean Group Health. They put a clip on my nipple to rule out the phantom shadow on the lung. Too bad the clip and the white spot both showed up in different areas. Group Health never diagnosed it at COPD. But a couple weeks ago when I went in Urgent care and underwent a breathing treatment the noted COPD in my health chart. I had another chest xray because of the pain you stated in your post. I guess it is just the muscles that got strained. I guess there weren’t any fractures or they would have been noted. I hope you take care of yourself Sharon, I enjoy reading your post on Kitsapsun.com. I would like to learn more about COPD from someone affected by it. I wonder how much longer I will be able to work. I am just a young guy at 52.
Read more: http://pugetsoundblogs.com/copd-and-other-stuff/2011/11/01/copd-the-beginning-pain-the-end/#ixzz1cbDldPN6

 

Quest for Better Health: Whatever It Takes!

Quest for Better Health: Whatever It Takes!

The Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc.’s recent 23rd Annual Education Conference’s rallying cry for 2010 is the best I’ve seen anywhere, for any disease, for any life standard. It gives me the nerve to publically ask for help.

Quest for Better Health: Whatever It Takes!

Following are a few quotes from the warm welcome given the Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc. participants by S. Joseph Simitian, State Senator, 11th District that can be applied to all medical conditions.

“…event is a valuable opportunity to bring people together to share the latest information … treatment, research, and services…. applaud the conference participants, volunteers and staff …for their efforts to provide education and support for individuals living with … raising awareness … and the need for continued research, you …make a difference.”

http://www.cfri.org/pdf/ConferenceBrochureFINAL,pdf.pdf

Quest for Better Health: Whatever It Takes!

Who will join me to work together for one common goal, lose obese weight for medical and health reasons through education and practice of proper nutrition and exercise?

Each of us would become active participants by taking turns to research different nutrition and exercise topics and become a speaker to our group. We will learn and teach each other…a fun and educational commitment.

I hope that we will have professionals assist from time to time…otherwise, we’re patients helping patients.

If we are a small group, we can meet in my ex living room turned exercise room. It contains a treadmill, elliptical, recumbent trike, bow flex, dumb bells and a few other items.

The price is your time to get healthy through research, nutrition and exercise. In addition, for me, it is the support a group of like minded people can supply to help me do what I must…drop this weight. I’d like to meet at least three times a week…but I’m flexible.

Quest for Better Health: Whatever It Takes!

For more information or to offer suggestions, call 360-337-1454 and ask for Sharon.

A friend has even offered $1,000. to the person who loses the most weight in seven months.

More later… Sharon O’Hara

Quality of Life Can Mean Pedaling For Life

Medical patients, bicycles, bicycle paths, exercise – all share a common thread…like a slow deep breath of sweet, life-sustaining air. Quality of Life makes life worth living.
Quality of life means different things to different people, a loved bed ridden patient and a physically active patient can and do share a quality of life.

The grandmother of my best friend in grade school was bedridden and lived with the family I spent much of my non-school time with. Mrs. O was a complete and treasured member of the family. The oxygen tanks were set up in her room and she entertained visitors – us, many times throughout the day as we ran in to tell her about the latest horse fall or dog and piglet tale. She always had time for us. Sometimes the doctor was there and we could not visit, but most of the time, she was our person to visit throughout the day and evening.
Mrs. O was always busy with her hands mostly working on the latest crocheted doily. She was a cherished and vital member of that family and I still have a doily she gave me all those years ago. To be fair and complete the picture, Mrs. O’s daughter-in-law was a stay at home mom and they also had other assistance many families do not have today.

Mrs. O was unable to get out of bed in those days, but she would have rejoiced with the folks who live in Portland that Portland’s bike plan was approved when the “Portland City Council unanimously approved the $600 million 2030 Portland Bicycle Plan yesterday. A major goal of the plan is to have 25% of all trips in the city be by bike by the year 2030. A highlight of the plan includes adding 700 miles to Portland’s already extensive bikeways network.”
The point is people flock to areas that cater to our human need to move, to exercise for quality of life – outside a gym.

We spend millions of dollars on hospitalizations and medical care that might well be avoided if we placed more emphasis on keeping patients moving and educated, not shoving them into wheelchairs and scooters, but getting them into rehab and teaching them how they can best help themselves into a quality of life.

My favorite way of transportation and exercising for fun is the recumbent trike. Unfortunately, Kitsap County is notorious for its dangerous roadways for bike riders and does not have a very bike user-friendly reputation.
Bainbridge Island is the one Kitsap County exception where the voters are health conscious and knowledgeable enough to know that the dollars they put into bike paths (and schools) today will save them an untold amount of otherwise spent health cost dollars tomorrow.

I am working hard in physical therapy to work around my bone on bone hip and rebuild muscle to get me back on my trike and riding. I have a bike trip to make this year and I hope the route I am taking is a bike friendly one.

Congratulations to Portland’s health conscious voters and city council – may your wisdom rub off on us here in Kitsap County.
http://www.ecovelo.info/2010/02/12/portland-bike-plan-approved/

More later… Sharon O’Hara

World COPD Day Celebration 2009 is coming to Silverdale!

WORLD COPD DAY CELEBRATION 2009 is tomorrow!

The University of Washington’s School of Nursing, Pam Wiseman is the speaker and will be in Silverdale, Wednesday, 18 November 2009 to speak in honor of World COPD Day.

Harrison Medical Center will honor COPD Day 2009 in the Rose Room at Harrison-Silverdale, Washington from 1:30pm to 3:30pm

The Shortness of Breath subject will include discussion on strategies on what we can do to help ourselves lead a quality life with COPD.

Pursed lip breathing, exercising and all the questions you can think to ask are included. We will get answers to what we can do to best help ourselves lead the best quality of life possible and help us remain the Captain of our own lifeship. Knowing these strategies can and will make a difference in our lives.

Caregivers, family and friends are welcome.

Refreshments

For more information:
Pam Wiseman, Shortness of Breath Study (206)616-8993
Eric Anderson, Harrison Medical Center (360)744-6686

I am a COPDer and fan of the recumbent trike as a superb way for us to exercise; gain muscle for optimal ability to breathe….since muscle utilizes oxygen better than flab.

I will bring one of my trikes tomorrow if anyone is interested and please note that I do not sell recumbent trikes nor benefit from anyone else selling them.

Hope to see you tomorrow!
More later… Sharon O’Hara