Whenever I feel this condition is getting the better of me I read this story:

When Mike McBride, 58, finally crested heartbreak hill at mile 21 during the 2009 Boston Marathon, it took every ounce of determination to reach the home stretch of the 26.2-mile race. I honestly dont think I could have withstood another hill, says McBride, a paralegal from Arvada, Colo.

To reach the finish line, McBride focused on the cadence in his head: step, breath, step, breath. Meanwhile, thousands of runners who had passed him and finished the race shouted words of encouragement from the sidelines. I knew if I didnt finish, I would let them down as well as myself, he recalls.

It was an unprecedented achievement for McBride, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and had to pull a wheeled cart carrying units of liquid oxygen to help him breathe. In 2009, he became the first person with COPD to enter and complete the prestigious Boston Marathon in regulation time for his division: 7 hours and 31 minutes.

Mike doesnt let a little thing like severe emphysema get in his way, says Steve Gaudet, who has brittle asthma and has participated in marathons with McBride. Hes an athlete in the truest sense of the word.

McBride and his supporters, including The Boston Globe, convinced the Boston Athletic Association to allow him to enter the race with his cart as long as he qualified. In the past, the association had not let people with wheeled devices other than wheelchairs on the racecourse. I had to make the case for being mobility-impaired and needing my device, McBride says.

brilliant story.

Things can always get better. You can exercise, eat well, stay healthy and stop the progression and feel the best you can on a day to day basis. It's no different than kidney disease or heart disease and we're all going to die someday somehow. You may not ever even die from this disease anyway. We never know how long we have or what will happen on the way. Focus on enjoying every day and forget next year or the next decade for now and just live.

Things are good. I'm getting ready to challenge the treadmill. It'll probably win, but then it isn't to snooty about it. Depending on how my legs feel, I'll tackle the stationary bike. A light breakfast and off to Wal-Mart and Albertsons. Mayhaps this afternoon I'll work a little on the grandfather clock in the garage.
I have this disease too. Tis called the end stage. I have O2 24/7, a walker to keep me from falling in the vegetables at Albertsons, special sleeves to keep the skin on my arms. It takes me just under forever to get somewhere or do something.
I see my kids and grandkids when I can and enjoy the time I have with them. I cherish the time with my wife, I live in today, this very moment, not yesterday or tomorrow.
My purpose now is to bring others an example of happiness and joy, because I can do that without a deep breath. In spite of - not because of...

Hugs,
Dennis

Depression is a common side effect of this condition. Excercise, get prescribed some anti- depressants and stop focusing on your own condition. Look for others you can help even in the smallest way. If you only need a daily inhaller you are much better off than most of us so be grateful for what you can do.

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night by Dylan Thomas sums up my attitude. Never give up hope that a cure can be found or believe that you are a disease, you are an individual and no one can tell you how COPD will progress in your case. Some people hit a level and stay there for years. Hang in there and Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

Hugs

Aging is the great equalizer. You're at the age when you start seeing friends be afflicted with serious illnesses. There are worse ones you know, i.e. ALS etc. Unfortunately that readjusts self-pity. I'm a worse- case-scenario person. I think through dying miserably but end up deciding to be grateful for what I have left and do the best I can with it.
Put on a happy face : )

Linda, There is not a simple answer to your question. At least for me to give to you. COPD is such a personal journey that we have to use our own devices to figure this crappy situation out.

Pity certainly won't help you. You acknowledged this yourself. It does take energy away from dealing with the so it is useless.

You evaluate the options that you have at present. You are still able to work. That's a plus. You are definitely mad as hell and that too is a plus because as long as you fight you will continue to try to do everything possible to slow the progression.

You are still young and I don't really know the status of your COPD but I would suggest that set up a routine exercise for your body as a whole. At my age, I have realized that to continue to move forward you need three times the amount of energy and strength of someone that doesn't have respiratory disease.

Depression clouds your decision making so talk to your doctor about this.

While I do admire the tenacity of Mike McBride, not everyone has the same physical capabilities that he does and "severe emphysema is no little thing" as spoken by the person who was with him.

The words below were spoken by Michael Fox regarding his Parkinson's disease.

"Dealing with it is the operative word.
I found myself at seven years not battling it.
Not struggling with it.
Not suffering from it.
Not breaking under the burden of it, but dealing with it."

My hope for you Linda is that you continue to deal with it and once you feel that "I can do this" you will have less stress. No mistake, it is a daily battle but lots of people have done it and are still doing it.

You never know but by the time you get further down the road, there may be more research and development to help you .

Just keep focused on your daily life and family and make your days as good as possible. Take every little opportunity to do that.

Wishing you all the strength and will power available. You deserve this.

Anna

I think it is fine to allow yourself to sit on the pity pot and be good and depressed for a while!

I find if I don't acknowledge my feelings from time to time it just makes things worse.

So go ahead and be depressed and mad as hell for a while!

Then get busy with what I call my Holy Trinity. Diet. Exercise. Staying in the present moment!

Some very good responses here and I second them. Best thing you can do is exercise so if you can find a good pulmonary exercise group where you live that would be a plus. The exercise alone should help you feel better about yourself and this crappy disease. Also I find that a positive attitude helps as well. Best wishes dear...

Wow! S om is anxietye great responses.Thanks to all of you! Let me just say
Get lots of exercises. I work at a hospital as a dietary aid and I run all over the place from 7:am till:11:00 the first 4 hrs of my shift! Then I'm at a computer or doing various things. I think I'm consume with not being able to breathe that sometimes it could be ANXIETY! How could I do soooooooo much running around as I do and not even be out of breath..doesn't make sense to me,Unless. .it is anxiety. i do have a breathing machine that i use sometimes..When I do think of other WORSE things that I could have, I HONESTLY feel in my heart I'd be a lot better because.... I CAN AT LEAST BREATH! IF I CAN BREATH I CAN DO ANYTHING! :) I'm a very strong person, or was. I do not smoke!I quit 2yrs ago....I think I'm scared, confused, and frustrated
With God's help I will find strength hope, and understanding. I will keep reading all the posts HERE THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH for your inputs. I will stay in touch god bless each one of you!

keep the faith---god is with you and research continues
and we have each other to lean on

Hi Linda
I'm with trojan. I have a personal pity party one or two times a month. I grab my bottle of wine, my bag of pistachios and turn on Bones. It helps me.

I have just finished a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program and discovered that exercise, controlled, is really the best course.

You don't have to run a Marathon, unless you want to, but just lifting weights, sitting, 3 times a week helps. Also walking for 20 minutes and drinking lots of water. I quit smoking 5 months ago.
Today is day 156, and I am so proud to be non smoking and breathing and exercising, something I never thought I could do again.

Dennis, you hang in there and take that treadmill one step at a time.