March 6, 2015: The last month has been the hardest so far. The cancer progressed despite the new treatment, and that led to a fracture of my spine with back pain that kept me in bed for weeks. I had surgery to stabilize the back two weeks ago and finally feel that I am starting to get some strength and mobility back. And I will be starting a new chemotherapy today.
As a 21 year old woman attending college in Toronto, it was very difficult for me to imagine that an illness could possibly hit me at this stage in my life, but it did.
Dr. Bernard Thébaud still remembers the time when he told a mother that her premature baby was dying from a lung disease and she asked: “Isn’t there anything you can do for my baby now?”
‘Tis the season to be jolly…but if you have a long-term breathing disease like asthma or COPD, ‘tis the season to be on guard, too.
I haven’t written a blog since the summer. I am not sure why – I think it is because I wasn’t sure what else I could say that would be helpful or interesting.
I finished the previous blog two weeks ago, after having radiotherapy to the lesions in my brain, and feeling pretty positive again. And while trying to ignore the swelling in my left leg.
[In Part 1, Terry described her diagnosis and initial treatment.
Forest fires are often a concern in Canada, especially during dry, hot summers. People all over Canada may be affected by the smoke from forest fires. The Canadian Lung Association urges those with lung disease such as asthma and COPD to monitor their breathing and avoid exposure to smoke. If breathing problems develop, refer to your action plan or call your health-care provider.
For someone without lung problems, wood smoke can:
Many of us associate poor air quality days with smog that tends to build up in the summer. Did you know that we also experience poor air quality days in the winter? Smog can occur throughout the year, but the composition of the smog changes with the seasons.
My doctor started me on oxygen therapy a year ago because I had low oxygen saturation levels on exertion. Shortness of breath, coughing, struggling to catch my breath, fatigue and weakness were other symptoms I suffered with. The oxygen supply company came and set me up with the following supplies :
