I think we get so hyper fixated on and hyper aware of our breathing that we forget how to breath normally. After the PE, I was obsessed with my heart rate to the point where I think my obsession with it what was causing it to feel like it was going off the rails at any given moment.

I hate to say this, because if it were easy, we'd do it, but we have to allow ourselves to relax and let our guard down a bit. Hard to do after a crazy event like a PE.

Thank you rmb, I needed to hear that. I am also dealing with high cortisol levels, so I'm constantly in the "fight or flight" mode. I am working on the relax and let my guard down part. I know that is the key to my healing.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

When you get the luxury of some time between the PE and the here-and-now, you will have learned to take the SOB moments in stride as not being dangerous and not indicating a poor recovery. Meanwhile they generally lessen in frequency and severity, even if they may not ever go away completely.

Thank you More2be, I totally get the "some time between the PE and the here-and-now". This experience truly makes you live and appreciate one day at a time. Making plans for the future right now is something I find hard to do. I'm sure eventually things will settle and become more "normal".

Thanks for the advice.

I am in the middle of a several day stretch of bad breathing. It was starting to freak me out until I took my dogs out last night, breathing heavily at the start of the walk but realizing by the end my breathing had improved considerably. I'm starting to wonder if it could be all this high 90 heat and steamy humidity we've been having this week?

I was in Texas last week and had trouble breathing in the heat and humidity. I live in Colorado and while it has been hot here, we don't have anything that resembles humidity! All the water in the air definitely had an impact on my breathing.

Yeah, right after my PEs I was so incredibly aware of my breathing and heart rate that I wasn't even really sleeping because I was so stressed about it. That has slowly faded (I'm five months out now) but it still pops up at times.

That "super-vigilance" is hard to control because, for a lot of us, being aware and persistant was what saved our lives in the first place and we're really concerned about turning that off now.

Honestly, I think the anxiety is part of the healing process. Your body and mind are dealing with all the stress the best way they know how and sometimes being really alert is what we feel like we need to do. As you discover other coping mechanisms and start to become more familiar with the "new normal" I think it'll all start to become more manageable.

In the meantime, hang in there! It does get better!

Well that makes me breathe easier (forgive the euphemism). After I took the swan dive off my back porch, I've been dithering about it...my knee feels fine, the rest of me hurts, my breathing has gotten worse, but not consistently worse, the doctor's not concerned about my knee, says my lungs sound fine, no bruising *anywhere* (can you believe that?!) I think I can finally relax and just realize it's not the heat, it's the humidity. And I can laugh when I say that!

Gesualdo.... so glad to hear that you're doing good after your fall.
Take care!