Update on my COPD

My breathing function tests and chest xray were Monday. I didn't do very well with the tests, kept getting sharp head pains doing the rapid air expulsions from my lungs, and had to stop just getting into the halfway point.

As I've said so many times my severe breathing problems came on rather sudden a few years ago, pretty much with my last relapse. Throughout the time of my 3 decades of Lyme and co infections 'seasonal' asthma had sometimes caused enough problem I started using a rescue inhaler.

Anyway, after learning that RMSF and the other infections can somewhat cause lung problems I had hopes of reversing this condition with Lyme treatment. Often times I was never sure if it was the sub level oxygen created Hypoxia I was diagnosed with or just Lyme brain fog causing me to read things wrong, as if I have dyslexia missing whole words, mixing them and having them bounce around while trying to read from books.

Yesterday I saw a Pulmonologist, that looked at my tests and asked me many questions, and examined me.

She explained that there are 4 stages to COPD, and I am in 4th stage.

Here is a link that explains that, and it includes some of what she told me that she will try to do for me to help.

www.everydayhealth.com/copd/the-stages-of-copd.aspx

The thing that messes with my mind the most is that I quit smoking over 30 years ago after a 10 yr. medium habit. She refused to consider that any mold in my environment could have done this, and after questioned me at length about my family, she brought me back to what I could only imagine before I read about the Lyme diseases, and that was/is the second hand smoke I was raised in from the beginning of the 50's.

Anything else, she says, comes under asthma irritants which exacerbate COPD. Like our chemical sensitivities and smoke (like burning fires).

I'm just now beginning to digest all of this, and ask that you forgive me for taking a short while to concentrate on myself and what I need to do here.

But I will try to be back soon, and I do welcome emails.

Hugs July,

You are so dear to us. Please get lots of rest and take care of yourself.

XOXOXO

You are a warrior Julymorning!

Thanks for the update - so glad you found a good pulmonologist. I'm sorry the news wasn't good but you are on top of things. Take some time for yourself. We're always here for support Lyme-related or not.

HUGS. and more hugs.

-p

Krimpet 🍔 said...
Julymorning please take time for yourself. The forum will take care of itself. There are plenty of wonderful members here who keep the train running.

Since we were talking about the
NAC on another thread, perhaps that's something that you could try.

Again so sorry to hear this.

nac may get one of the forms of cpn which may be the pathogen coinfection at the root of your breathing issues ...steriod inhalers will likely make this worse and this saddens me ..cpn is likely in everyone however it is extremely stubborn and is a opportunistic 3 stage bugger .if you ever had bronchitis. Its probably in you. Check out www.cpnhelp.org

from quacks stage 4 anything means little to nothing and i have seen heard miracles. Please try to try ...do not give in july ..we hope you return soon

July, I"m so sorry about the way the testing went. I've watched my husband go through that testing because of his severe pulmonary embolisms. It's not an easy test to begin with!

Have you started treatment for your infections yet? You know that they at least play a part in all of this, right?

I hope you feel better soon!

Hi Julymorning, have you done 23andme? There is a rare liver enzyme defect that affects the lungs.

My sister has it and developed COPD.

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/alpha-1-antitrypsin-deficiency

caramba said...
Hi Julymorning, have you done 23andme? There is a rare liver enzyme defect that affects the lungs.

My sister has it and developed COPD.

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/alpha-1-antitrypsin-deficiency

I did the alpha1 test over a year ago after reading about it in a copd group on fb. Because of my Mom dying from copd complications I wanted to know, so that my daughter could check hers too, since it's a genetic thing. It came back negative. I was pretty stoked about that testing, hoping it was the 'deficiency', because there is medication you can take to compensate, and you can get better. But it wasn't that.

That was a 23 and me done test? I mailed a blood smear off in their 'kit', but it was free. I didn't have to pay anything. Maybe it was a different outfit. I've got the return packet around here somewhere.

The supplier that is going to be used to deliver the nebulizer makes it's trips on Wednesday, and since I doubt my order went in on time, it will be here next week. The meds are partially at the pharmacy now, I'm just waiting until everything comes in to save trips.

PeteZa, my pov isn't so much a why me thing, completely, but a desperate search for the reason behind it, so that I can treat the cause, not just the symptoms.

I have tried to tailor my herbal healing protocol to my most pressing symptoms, with of course the Jap. Knotweed which has a multiple purpose function, as ya know.

The situation is, of course, that even the RMSF was in me for so many years, as well as Lyme and whatever else, with multiple relapses, that damage was done that my what, 7 year cellular turnover? Couldn't keep up.

It's ironic, really, that when I had read about the 7 year thing I made a dedicated plan to work with that, to improve my overall health, improve ME, and then BAM! I get sick as a dog. But, I'm sure if it weren't for my little plan, I wouldn't have had the blessed remissions I had.

Traveler, thank you... I'm still taking the supportive herbs, but until I quit bouncing back into these shaking episodes, I'm afraid of the JK and Hout. Today I just shot whole droppers full of Milk Thistle and Avena, my hands were shaking to0 hard to count drops, lol. Working this mouse is a trip.

Blue, I so know the danger of the inhaled steroids, as I quit using the one I was on a year ago. And in spite of the fact this Pulm. MD tried to assure me very little goes into the blood stream, that first evening Girlie and I looked them up and she lied. ETA: The Pulm. lied, not Girlie!

BUT, I will give them a try to see if I can gain more mobility, without gasping like a fish out of water walking across the yard, it will be better for me than sitting here turning into a puddle of flab. lol. Man what a vision that was!


Love you all, Skyy, PeteZa again....I love this place too much to stay away very long. Matter of fact I popped on last night to help out for a moment or two...

Post Edited (julymorning) : 4/14/2017 12:37:10 PM (GMT-6)

What happens when a person acquires ptsd from abuse as a child, grows up very jumpy, or high strung, and then when bacterial and or viral organisms infect that body.

Would the infections begin hitting those weak areas and make the vibrations happen, instigate that fight or flight response every time stress became overwhelming? Eventually morphing them into tremors and severe shaking?

I DO blame the tick infections for all of this, everything. Because I had been healthy as a horse all of my life until that point, and I was 33 when first infected.

JK helped subdue inflammation pain, it did not help me breathe better.

No one has given me an actual physical reason for my copd, as in hardened arteries, hardened lung areas, or dead and blown lung alveoli.

July,

Hugs and prayers headed your way.

Be gentle and kind to yourself. I smiled remembering the video you posted of your pony and the joy it brought us all.

My mother-in-law had Lyme and now has COPD. No smoking, no smokers in family.

Not sure if you have ever read up on Chinese medicine but a good trained person works a lot with the lungs/dampness, etc... to regulate the qi in the body. Lungs represent grief in Chinese medicine and haven't we all been grieving our old selves?

I have PTSD from childhood and an extreme startle reflex and overall jumpiness since Lyme. Thanks for pointing out the connection.

As many have said just take time for yourself but keep us posted. You have helped me so much.
xox