Sunday Reflections

Introducing “Sunday Reflections”

Robin at Haphazard Homemaker

I’ve been thinking about doing a special Sunday series of posts for some time now. Posts where I can share or talk freely. So…I am adding a Sunday Reflections category in the Health category. I don’t expect to write every single Sunday, and probably won’t have many pictures.

Why Sunday? It just seemed like a good day to share my stories, and then remember to be thankful to God and grateful for what I do have and can still do.

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Research on new ideas for COPD.

I wanted to be able to share some issues I’m dealing with in my life, or situations that affect my health, without taking away from the main theme of my blog. I didn’t want to start a separate blog. Because frankly, I don’t think I’d have enough to talk about on a single-subject blog. I might re-blog a post from other bloggers occasionally, if it’s a good fit.

Why did I decide to do this? Put my life out there for all to see? Because I follow several bloggers that talk about their chronic illnesses. I saw that it wasn’t as much of a taboo subject after all, as I had expected. Readers can relate. Ideas and suggestions are exchanged.  Sometimes I run across something that actually helps and I’d like to share.

So in a nutshell, I have COPD and Sleep Apnea. As a result of that, I don’t get enough good restorative sleep, so I am tired all the time. And I am overweight, because I don’t have the breath to walk much, let alone do any regular exercise. Then, my body is stiff and inflexible, because I don’t physically move enough. All leaving my body feeling old, while mentally, I feel much younger.

Or having serious chest aches, and being scared to death that it’s progressed to cancer, because I have five friends who are having adventures with cancer. (We live in a small community.) And worried that I’m next.

Sunday Reflections - Living with COPD.

Top all of that off with battling depression, either because of my illness, or the inability to do the things I want to do, or even possibly a side effect of some of my medicines.

Or the dang weather! I can be feeling fantastic, and actually be up and moving around a bit, and then something changes in the weather, and I. CAN’T. BREATHE. Pretty scary, especially when I am out in the yard.

Or being house-bound, because even after having a Flu shot last fall, and not going to town but once every two weeks, I picked up germs every single time I went out in public to get groceries. I was down sick with respiratory issues a total of five months out of seven last fall through spring.

COPD medicines

 

Or knowing that my prescription costs and medical costs are keeping us from doing all the things we planned to do when we retired.

This is one of those chronic illnesses that people usually don’t know you have, until you either share the information or there’s a problem. Like many other illnesses, sometimes the symptoms just come out of nowhere for no apparent reason. Most of us just do the best we can, when we can.

So there it is…..

Keeping it real & finding balance in everyday life.

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Living with COPD and other chronic illnesses.

Robin

15 thoughts on “Introducing “Sunday Reflections””

  1. Dude, I feel you on the COPD & difficulty breathing. I can tell when the humidity is up, I can tell when the temperature & dewpoint are close together, I can tell when barometric pressure drops… it’s rough.
    Since I have no insurance, pulmonary rehab is out of the question. I’ve noticed that I’m better at getting through it since I started doing yoga (because so much of yoga is about the breath and paying attention to the body). It has definitely helped with my p.t. in helping me breathe through the aches or strain of lifting a handweight. And my physical therapy is helping strengthen the arms & core, which ultimately does help with breathing (stronger arms mean I use my core less to do stuff, and stronger core means more to devote to pushing air out and drawing air in).
    If you have insurance, ask about pulmonary rehab. If not, yin yoga. I like Kassandra
    https://www.yogawithkassandra.com

    Yin is a slow yoga, holding poses longer, and uses a lot of props so that gravity does a lot of the work for me. It’s very relaxing and is helping a lot with flexibility & breathing.

    And also lots of (((hugs))) because I truly do get where you are coming from. Kudos to you for speaking up and sharing your truth!

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    1. Thanks so much!
      I had started a yoga class last fall, and LOVED it, but shortly after was when I started being sick so much, so I stopped going. I’ll check out your recommendation.

      I’ll have to check on the cardiac rehab. They probably have it at the hospital. Downfall of small town living, not everything is available nearby.

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      1. The pulmonary rehab, most of what they do can probably be accomplished with things like the yoga and upper body exercises if you don’t have access. I’m in the coverage gap (thanks, Texas Republicans), so I’m having to get it in the roundabout way via yoga and the p.t. upper body exercise.

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  2. My husband has sleep apnea but he is losing weight on this keto diet and feeling great. We are doing very well but I hear you. My health has always been great; I am lucky but this keto diet seems to be making me lose a few kilo.

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    1. Aw, thank you for commenting!
      Way to go on both of you losing weight and you feeling great! 🙂
      Two years on the CPAP machine and I still HATE it! On very rare occasions, do I get more than 3 or 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
      Hubby (although also needing to lose weight) is a hard sell on the eating healthy idea, and I’m an emotional eater. However, we have been incorporating a lot more vegetables into our diet, so maybe we’re ready to make the change.

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      1. I think my husband’s health conditions including his bout with cancer, now in remission, and high blood sugar forced him to pay attention. I have always been kind of a health freak but now he pays attention to me. I hope things improve!

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  3. I think blogging on a little wider variety of topics adds to the quality of a blog. People can get to know you a little better. And that’s a good thing in my opinion. Health for instance, is usually a big deal and it crosses over into pretty much anything we attempt to do or be in life. Why not discuss it? I know that, personally, my desire to be healthy is a direct reason for why I garden. Anyway, variety is good. 🙂

    As for the health topic in particular, I have leaky gut syndrome and chronic IBS-C. I recently changed my diet and have experienced a huge difference in an area I wasn’t targeting: allergies! The amount of inflammation my body was hanging onto was surprising and now… man I breathe so much better! Plus, I’ve dropped about 15 lbs in 10 weeks, without exercise. My IBS-C is significantly better, though I still use some supplements for it. Leaky gut? Well, I think that’s a “year or two” effort to heal, but I hope I’m on my way for that.

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    1. That’s wonderful that you are experiencing successes!
      Thank you for sharing your story!
      I think I knew before I started this blog that eventually I’d pull health issues into the mix. Simply because I was positive that so many issues could be helped with healthy food choices. Or made worse….

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  4. Thanks for sharing this. It gives me a better insight to your interest in building up your on-line site. Maybe someday I will share my story. I made two Pinterest boards last night. One for fall cookies the other for pies and did some following. I had enough from my blog to make the boards. I am going to look around on your site for pins to use. I wish I knew more about WP and monetizing. I never really thought about it. You do have me thinking about maybe I should find out more.

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    1. I’ll check the boards out. I’m not sure If I already follow you or not. If not, I will for sure!

      When I was laid up for all that time over the winter, I read a lot about blogging and monetizing a blog. No expert, by any means, but I love the possibility. 😀

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