Changes in My Health

After a number of years with sleep apnea, I've made peace with my CPAP. When I am ready to go to sleep, it’s comforting to put my CPAP mask on. The full-face mask feels like it’s hugging me. My breathing seems to change. I feel myself relax and soon after, I go to sleep.

My pulmonologist and my general physician, both doctors and myself, can read my CPAP from the computers in their offices or from the hospital in my town. It really gets evaluated when my pulmonologist comes to see patients. He was here this past week, then threw me a bombshell.

Recent fatigue and difficulty breathing

Lately, I haven't been feeling good. It's hard to breathe, and I am so tired. I've been falling asleep while sitting and even standing. Major fatigue, I can't help it.

Reading is the worst. This isn’t good. It seems like this came on quickly, in just the past few weeks. I'm sure it was creeping in periodically.

Other health issues can affect breathing, tiredness, shortness of breath, and more. You see, I have COPD. This is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Under the COPD umbrella, I have emphysema. Did you know that exercise can trigger a health issue? Exercise-induced asthma was actually diagnosed before my COPD. This can cause shortness of breath.

No longer feeling refreshed in the morning

Remember when I said that I woke refreshed? That isn’t true anymore. In the past few weeks, things have been changing. I cough a lot during the night, and I wake up off and on through the night.

Talking with my doctor

My pulmonologist and I went over my medications and the last few appointments that I had with my local doctor. I will stop taking 2 COPD medications, and I will take 2 different nebulizer medications. A 2-month supply of antibiotics was added to my regimen as well.

More chronic illnesses

We are not only treating emphysema under the COPD umbrella; my doctor has added chronic bronchitis.

Staying on CPAP therapy

The pulmonologist told me to stay on my CPAP. We will see where I’m at after I’m on these new medications and antibiotics. I will see him in 3 months. My oxygen levels are 91 to 92 percent. I use oxygen at night and during days as needed. This is where I am with my lungs.

Health impacts sleep

Let me tell you, I do know that I’m writing on the sleep apnea community. I’m sharing all of this so that hopefully, you will see what has brought me to this new place with sleep disorders. It seems one thing leads to another, or as I like to say, the knee bone's connected to the leg bone.

Keep your doctors in the loop

It's interesting to see what a tangled web is weaved throughout our bodies with various health issues. That's why it's important to keep all of your doctors up to date with all of your health issues and medications.

Fibromyalgia could be a factor

If this problem wasn’t in my lungs, maybe it’s my fibromyalgia. It seems that many parts of the body fall under the disease fibromyalgia. Look at the symptoms of fibromyalgia some time; it seems to cover everything in the body. Not quite, but it's a lot. Sometimes it seems like a catch-all disease, but sleep is sometimes a factor there.

Creating a plan with my doctor

There is a medication that will help me stay awake during the day. Before my pulmonologist puts me on this, he wants to see where things are after my next appointment.

It sounds like I’m possibly going to add another health condition to my sleep disorders. Narcolepsy. It seems that he mentioned something else too, but I missed what he said, and this is what I remember.

I like having answers

It would be easy for me to be upset or overwhelmed. Actually, I feel at peace. I have an answer to what has been going on. I like answers. They help me to accept my new “normal.” Knowing also gives me ammunition to know how to fight and how to care for myself.

I hope that you find peace and acceptance in your diagnosis. Try not to be overwhelmed by your diagnosis. It’s there. It likely needs to be accepted. Then you and your doctor can decide the best course of action for you and your health.

Caring for my body is part of my job

I like to think of all of this as part of our job in life. Taking care of our bodies can be a big job. It helps to think of things to do, to improve on it. Sleep! Exercise, nutrition, and prescribed medications. Even things that we have been diagnosed with, even sleep disorders. They are part of what’s in you.

Thank you for being part of my journey. Know that I am here for you, as are others in our community.