Looks like I jumped the gun on this one. After polling my family, friends and doctors, and after reading up on high altitude hiking, Ive decided to heed some good advise for a change and will not be participating in the Mt Evans COPD Challenge hike. The elevation just makes it too risky for someone [...]
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I often find it frustrating that here I am, a life long asthmatic, a Respiratory therapist and an asthma educator, yet still unable in normal conversation, to describe what makes my type of asthma so different from others. When asked to define asthma in general, I usually give the spiel about how asthma is an [...]
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How’s this for a view! In just a few weeks , if all goes as planned, I hope to be standing on that very same rock with a half a dozen of my COPD friends. The brainchild of my Boston marathon walking partner Mike Mc Bride, the “COPD Mt Evans Challenge” as he calls it, [...]
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It’s been almost a year since Ive updated my asthma status. Here’s the latest report card. For the year, I give myself a C + In general my lung function has only declined a couple percent which is good. The problem of course, is that when you’re down in the lower ranges like I am, [...]
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Here’s a question Ive been asking myself a lot lately (thanks to a most cool brother); When it comes to improving my fitness, why should I go through all the pain and sacrifice of exercising my body hard everyday, if I’m gonna continue to throw toxic chemicals into it? Doesn’t make much sense.. does it? [...]
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For 5 years now, I’ve been heralding the benefits of daily exercise in people who have severe lung disease. That message is plastered all over this blog, and I believe is the reason that Ive lived so long. But wait, just as with every other facet of this frustrating disease, there’s a catch 22. While [...]
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Following up on a previous post, I’m happy to announce that the state RCP board has accepted my RCP renewal application. I now have a valid license to practice Respiratory Care in the State of California. Yah….I’m legal again! I have no plans on ever returning to the traditional work force as an RT, but [...]
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I receive of dozens of letters from people living with really bad asthma, but this one really touched me, because the person who wrote it….. is only 16 years old. Hey Stephen, Read your website have to say it was quite intriguing! Just want to say you are a hero and a role model for [...]
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This is what I call my Hospital survival kit. Always packed and on standby 24/7, my HSK is a small carry bag I keep in my bedroom, that’s filled with everything I might need for a hospital stay. If (or when) I get sick and have to go to the hospital, all I have to [...]
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Ive been getting a lot of email lately from people asking me if I’m gonna have the new clinical trials phase of this new procedure back in 2006, because my asthma was deemed “too severe” by the study investigators. People with very severe chronic asthma usually have a fair amount of scarring, and some have [...]
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(Get it?) Actually, I was inspired by Kerri’s messy drug drawer posts, to straighten up my own medicine storage area. ( There’s all kinds of double meanings here) No , this isn’t my medication drawer, it’s my medication ROOM! I have so many boxes of Albuterol/Atrovent nebules.. I could open up a pharmacy ( a [...]
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It’s been just over 2 weeks now since I did the Boston marathon, and except for today, which I can’t blame on the marathon, Ive managed to stay pretty healthy. That hasn’t always been the case right after a big race. Looking back on how things played out on Boston weekend, I think the strategy [...]
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