it is for me.
any time i get sick it seems to end up going into my lungs and becoming bacterial.
i also seem to be very susceptible to sinus infections.

after all the years of being told that i just had a virus to go home & rest, i got to the point i didn't "rush" to dr's office;
now days my dr stresses for me to quit waiting so long & to get right in to him because i am not going to get better waiting.

i assume my immune system is weaker as my body is working so hard all the time trying to battle this disease, i'm not sure though, but even with flu and pnuemonia vaccines, my dr warns me about going out in public & especially going around lots of kids.
i carry hand sanitizer & wipes with me when i go out; not a cure, but every prevention i can take, i will.

i hope your dad is okay?

He's fine, he's vacationing in Florida right now. My 2 year old nephew is there too, he has a cold. My dads not worried because he had the flu shot......
Fingers crossed he doesn't catch anything from his grandson, who he lovessssss playing with!!!

Yep! Every cold OR flu I get creeps down into my lungs and goes bacterial. It's hard to have friends and a life when you have to avoid crowds and kids.

Actually, I object to the term "common" in relation to the word cold because it makes it sound trivial and to those of us with COPD, there's nothing trivial about a cold.

Friends and relatives are good about not coming around if they're sick, yet seem to think nothing of it when they have a cold. "It's just a cold". Well, folks, it may be "just a cold" to you but to me, it's a possible bout with pneumonia or even a death sentence.

Me too. And it hangs around for a long time. Bleh.

It is pretty much impossible to stay away from groups and children in flu and cold seasons. How can we live a normal life and do that? To get my much needed exercise I have to go to the YMCA. I do the best I can by using the handicapped/family dressing rooms. In the pool, I try to stay out as far as I can by myself to do water aerobics. I try to get in the hot tub when it isn't crowded. If I don't go to Sunday School and Church, where everybody is coughing and sneezing, my friends get upset. We have to go shopping. I try to go early in the day when it isn't so crowded. People say they haven't seen me for awhile or why didn't you come to this or that event. They know I have Emphysema and asthma but nothing computes with them. It gets frustrating. Thanks for letting me vent.
Linda

vent away, linda.
if sick people would stay home when sick it would be lovely.
i had to quit going to a meeting place i loved because people insisted on coming & bringing their children when sick.

i just love when a person sits next to me & tells me how sick they are---NOT!
ah, got that off my chest ;)

I too wish people would stay home when sick. I hate it when they "just" have a cold and come by my desk at work. Then I have a cough for 6 months with my asthma and I can't visit my dad (with COPD) for fear a cold will send him into a lung infection. Also out in public. I was a the pharmacy the other day and the guy sneezed on the credit card machine (not to mention the pharmacy aide). When it was my turn, I made them use another machine. I don't understand why people don't have common courtesy! I try to avoid public places when I'm sick so as not to spread the wealth. I agree with the venting on here!! So yes, with asthma and COPD your/our immune system is or seems to be weaker.

Side note, I avoid places where there are lots of children, and when my dad goes to the doctor he asks them to seat him in a room away from sick children if people bring them into the office because they usually run around and spread germs. They usually oblige him. I also have hand sanitizer and wipes. I don't think I've touched a doorknob without washing my hands after for at least a year.

Nothing uncommon about the common cold for me as it usually ends up with a major bronchitis attack. I try to avoid colds and sick kids and crowds whenever possible.

My youngest son is coming by today and he is just getting over a cold so I will be careful. He usually comes down here on Tuesdays to help me with all sorts of projects but we cancelled this week in order to give him time to get over the worst of it. He makes a home made chicken broth that really helps and I know that from experiences in the past.

I'm definetely more conscious of others since I learned more about COPD.
My dads still in Florida, still enjoying the time with his grandson.
He's washing his hands a lot - hope that helps him from catching something.
How long is a cold contagious?