73 replies to this topic

[Ken-FL]

I hope no one minds that I changed the Topic to February now that we have put the strange weather month of January to bed for another year.

Today I completed a full week of daily gym activity and extended my exercise days in a row to 12. It sure doesn't seem to be getting any easier but I guess in some respects it isn't supposed to be easy. Am going to take tomorrow off from the gym and from golf and catch up on some stuff around the house and maybe take a motorcycle ride with my wife somewhere for lunch. Then I'll plan on playing Golf on Sunday.

Darrell, enjoy that outdoor walking and work while you can, there is likely some winter still left to come. It looks to me that if you do anything at all today it should put you over the top for your Presidential Fitness Gold Award! Congratulations!

Tim, nobody deserves the stomach flu and breathing problems at the same time. I hope you are feeling somewhat better and that your Pulmo appointment today is a productive one.

Blueberry, I hope your cold/flu is clearing up a bit as well. I went through that in Mid december and it is no fun at all.

Peg, I am very proud of the efforts you are making to get to PR and to use the home TM....Keep it up!

Claire, How are you doing with the boot? I saw a guy last week playing golf in one which I thought might be difficult but he seemed to do well with it.

Wishing everyone a great weekend filled with activity, friends and good breathing!

Ken-FL

[claire]

Hi All:

Tim, have a good appt with the pulmo today - I think he will be impressed with what you have been doing - and I hope that the "stomach" issues are gone.

Blueberry, the same wishes go out to you also - feel better soon.

Darrell, don't you hate it when muscles start talking back? I, too, have a hard time in varying my modes of movement and when I do something is always letting me know the next day or two. I think we get into a comfort zone with our exercise (almost like automatic pilot) and it is hard to remember to really change it up occasionally. But i guess the upside is that the regular exercise allows us to do new things that make our muscles "talk back" every so often. Glad you could get outside this week - enjoy!

Ken, it sounds like you have another full weekend planned - the ride sounds great. My husband is also an avid golpher as well as our sons but here in Wisconsin they will have to wait a bit before they all tee off. You are so right about the boot - between the taping of the foot and wearing the boot the foot hasn't felt this good in months - it really likes the support - the pup and I did eight blocks yesterday outside and we both felt pretty good at the end. Of course I am walking a bit different and there are some muscles "talking" to me that are usually silent. I am just thankful that my back is not complaining as of yet.........

Have a great weekend all.

Claire

[Darrell]

Back to the gym today and another week in the books. Yes Ken I did pass the Gold Award points today so it will be quite a while until I'm up for the next award. It took just over a year from start to gold level which I'm very pleased with. To top it off with some ego stroking I had a friend at the gym offer unsolicited today that I'm looking great, haven't changed in ten years. I just wish I felt that good but it's always nice to receive a compliment.

Claire I'm impressed that your boot is helping so much. You must have a really sharp doc helping you with this issue. Keep up the good work but don't overdo it.

Tim good to hear you are improving, have a nice weekend and open a whole new chapter next week.

Darrell

[Tim]

All the nice weather has us spoiled a little bit here in Central IL but never fear, it's raining today and the temps will be more
seasonal next week.

I really hate that I missed out on those nice days last week while I had that Stomach Bug but it only lasted a couple of days
and by Friday Morning I felt fine for our out of town trip to see the Pulmo.

A little history... I'm still having problems with my Cholesterol Numbers. I had blood drawn last Friday and then got the results
from the Clinical Pharmacologist(Lipid Clinic) at the VA and she was as confused about the results as I am. I have been totally
compliant and followed my med routine as directed. I've even lost almost 20 pounds since we started. Also, my Liver Count
keeps gradually going up(not good). That's why I started seeing her in the first place. I don't tolerate all those Statins very well
and need close supervision while on them. She said that my Cholesterol is inherited and that I shouldn't let the numbers
get me down. She said that I may never be able to get them to stableize but to continue to take my meds, eat right and exercise.

We also went over all my meds again looking for other meds that might affect my liver Count and she found that the Pred and Singulair
can cause this problem... She wanted me to address this problem to my Pulmo... It's nice that I finally have my Pulmo and my Dr's at the VA
talking with each other.

My Pulmo appt went very well and He stopped the Antibiotic Rotation but gave me Scripts for another Rotation and told me at
the first sign of an infection, to start the Antibiotics and call for an appt. We discussed the problem with my Liver Count and
he decided to have me Stop the Singular which I've never noticed any difference while I was on/off it. He also is having me
taper off the pred and I dropped to 7 1/2 mg today, for 2 weeks then 5 mg's for two weeks, the 2 1/2 Mg's for the last two weeks.
After I've been off the pred for a week, I have an appt for fasting labs to have my Adrenal Gland Check to make sure it's
functioning correctly to see if I will be able to stay off the pred. Wish me luck with this one....

Lot's going on health wise but it's all mostly moving in a positive direction.

Dew and I went shopping yesterday to spend some of that big Tax Refund and also went out for a nice lunch. Had a very nice
day out of the house.

We have a slow rainy weekend planed. maybe we'll go rent a couple of movies to watch on our new big screen...

Hopefully, I'll be back to PR and normal daily workouts next week...

Have a great weekend,

Tim

[peg]

Ken, no one minds that you flipped the calendar page. Keep us current..12 consecutive exercise days - that's great!

Tim, sounds like things are going in the right direction for you, finally. At the very least that your Docs are communicating and working together. That's always good.

Claire, you are so brave to be walking in the boot so much. I am proud of you for pushing hard and doing it.

Darrell, congratulations on achieving your award. That is a lot of dedication! You are a real fighter!

You are all so encouraging and dedicated. I am trying to follow behind and catch up. I did make it to PR both days this week.
Didn't break any records, that's for sure, but it's a start again. Every little bit counts. The new T/M is so much easier to use...and quiet.
Time just seems to fly and I am getting more regular exercising at home, too.

Have a great weekend everyone
Peg

[Darrell]

Peg that's great news to hear you are exercising more regularly and enjoying it more. Here's hoping you see some direct benefits from that work.
Darrell

[Blueberry]

Way to go Darrell!

Claire that sounds really good with your boot... I'm glad it's working

Ken you're scarily good at exercising

Tim.. good luck with coming off the pred... it's a horrible drug, it reminds me of an evil genie - it grants you less inflammation but at a sneaky, painful price. Grrr! Five days was enough for me, I can't imagine being on it longer, I still haven't got my sleep pattern back to normal!

Feeling a bit tearful today, but well enough to do my exercise so that's good. Had a bad few days, Saturday was the worst - felt like I was drowning all morning - do any of you guys get that? It feels like my 'pipes' are full of water, it's like breathing through a waterfall ...it's torture.. on days like that it's hard enough just to sit on the sofa, never mind do *anything*... thankfully it eased off and I'm back to sounding like a very old lady with a wheeze hehehe. Usually it sticks around. I'm really wondering whether the pred had some lasting effect (and whether it could really even do that?!)

[Ken-FL]

Tim,
Sure seems like you are going through a lot of "stuff" lately but am very happy that on balance things are improving, I hope the weather does the same for you.
Peg, keep up the good work with PR and TM it is fun to have you in the village gym on a regular basis.
Blueberry, hamg in there kid till your next dr appointment. We all have those good days and not so good ones and this whole COPD thing often leads to anxiety and depression so it is not unusual to find ourselves with "the blues" if you will.

I had sort of a Murphy's law weekend, didn't seem like anything I tried to do worked out very well and that got me a bit depressed by last evening. But a woke to the realization none of the things that were bothering me were really important anyway so I tried to let them go and headed to the gym for my normal full 1 hr and 40 minute workout.

A pretty normal weekend for me except for my 6 month appointment with the Pulmo tomorrow afternoon and a haircut sometime this week since I am starting to look like the unabomber when they hauled him out of his cabin.

I'm for sure feeling a whole lot better than 2 years ago when I was in the hospital so the little voice in my ear is saying, quit complaining and get back to work!

Have a great week everybody!

Ken-FL

[Tim]

Good Morning Friends,

It's good to see all of you checking in and I hope we hear from everyone again today.

Your right Ken, I do seem to have a lot going on with my health issues these days. I work with the VA these days and they are
all about Preventive Medicine. It can be a little frustrating at times but I guess it's better to find things early, it's just that every
time I go there, something always seems to be wrong. It's more my genetic makeup and all those things I inherited from
my parents that cause me the most worries. I'm "a work in progress" .

Blueberry, your doing really well considering how bad you feel these days. You'll be surprised at how much the exercise will
help you when your out on the street. It might take a little wile but the more exercise your able to do, the more you'll be able to do.
The stronger you get with your exercises, the easier it is to get around outdoors with less SOB and fatigue. Keep working on it
and let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

Peg, glad to hear your back at it. I hope you continue to improve.


Clare, your a real go getter. I enjoy hearing about you daily walks with your Dog. I bet you two have a blast. Will you have to
ware the boot very long?

Darrell, how are you doing these days? I know you've been making it to the Gym so I guess your feeling better.

I'm doing OK on the Pred Taper. I never thought I'd be able to come off of it again after being on it so long but my Dr's
need me off of it for my next round of Blood Work so that's what we're working on. It's a slow process but so far except
feeling a little fatigue and a little more sleepy, I'm doing OK. I also stopped the Singulair and didn't notice any difference.

It's to wet and cold to get outside today so will do my home workout today. I think I need to do a little research to find some new
exercises that I would be able to do here at home. Something to change up my routine a little bit.... Any Suggestions?

Have a Great Day

Tim

[Darrell]

Tim I'm doing the prednisone taper too. I dropped to 10mg Friday and yesterday I felt wiped out with no energy and just really tired all day. Today I'm feeling much better which is a good sign that my adrenals are kicking back in. Blueberry is right, it's a drug we love to hate. But all the negatives aside, the prednisone has helped me breathe when nothing else was getting the job done. I also had a bone density scan this morning but don't have results yet.

Did you watch the Super Bowl game last night? Pretty good game unless you are a devoted Patriots fan. I was surprised to see such a close, low scoring game. They also had a few good commercials and a decent halftime show for those who aren't big fans. I thought the halftime show had some good staging, lighting and choreography but the music didn't impress me.

I made it back to the gym today for an hour plus of cardio before I had to run off to the lab for my scan. I'll have a pulmo follow up this week and we'll see where things stand for me. I've been back on the antibiotic for 2 weeks plus the pred taper and the infection seems to be under control. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

Darrell

[claire]

Hi Everybody:

Tim, how about the old fashioned type of exercise? You know, the ones where you do the leg squats, arm raises with weights, bending at the waist etc. I started those last week because I needed to somewhat limit the walking and I was amazed at how I could feel it in my arms and legs the next day.........so I think they must be good for something! Now if I could only do at least one sit-up......The boot stays on for at least another three weeks so I am trying to fit in something different too.

Ken, hope you have a great visit with the pulmo tomorrow. I am going to bet that he will be pleased with your exercise routine.

Peg, glad to hear that you are exercising too. Have you noticied any difference in regards to regular activites becoming a bit easier? How is Nick?

Darrell, are you outside today doing something in your wonderful back yard?

Blueberry, try not to worry about not working right now and just concentrate on feeling better. I know, it is easier said than done....We are all behind you here and are very proud of your exercising. It won't be long and you will begin to feel the difference. How about calling your doc and letting him know the bad time you had of it on Saturday? Maybe he or she can help and prescribe something or have a strategy for you to try.

I have my granddaughter this afternoon....she is napping and then we are off to the park as this is to be the one fairly warm day this week - mid forties. Of course, the pup gets to come too!

Have a good day all.

Claire

[Ken-FL]

Seems a little quiet around the Village Gym this week. I hope all are doing well. Had my 6 month Pulmo appointment yesterday and all went fine. Dr is very pleased with me and simply wants me to continue to do the things I am doing. Made an interesting statement to me that while my Fev 1 and other components of lung function classify me as severe, my behavior, lifestyle, exercise and sats would indicate I am doing well. Her only real concern is that I try to avaid any bugs that could compromise my lung function and that if I do feel that I am coming down with something that I call immediately to start some type of treatment which is all sort of common sense anyway.
She was also helpful in guiding me on my exercise routines which I appreciated.
So back to the gym this morning for a full workout and a continued dedication to the exercise.

Hope all of you are having a good week and are simply too busy being active to be posting here in the gym.

Ken-FL

[peg]

Seems like we are all "coming back" from something...ever since Nick's party I have been drained of energy, unable to get enough sleep, no appetite and overall - just wiped out! Trying to "just get over it!" and focus my mindset on recovery, but some days .. oh, well..we all have a few of those now and then.

Yesterday I got caught up in some computer trouble and couldn't get away from it...and before I could leave it was 3:00 and I was still in
my robe, unshowered! Not a good day at all!

Ken, sounds like a good report from your pulmo. I always have a scrip for Levaquin and Pred from my Dr so that if I can't reach her, or whatever, I can get on it as soon as my body tells me I am in trouble! Certainly has come in handy. Murphy's Law, you know.

Claire, hope you had a great time with your granddaughter! You are amazing with your level of exercise! 3 more weeks in the boot..it will fly by for you.

Darrell, sure hope the pred has you under control again and feeling much better!

Tim, hope you are having a great day and feeling better, too.

OK - downstairs to the T/M for me today! Missed PR yesterday, and sleep - so have a lot to make up for!

Peg

[Ken-FL]

Peg,
I have had a number of COPDers indicate their Drs provide scripts for antibiotics so they can start right away if needed. I really like my regular and pulmo doctors but neither is willing to provide a script in advance. They both say to call and get in immediately so they can evaluate what I should be on. I do appreciate their position due to overuse and resistance issues but if I get feeling bad on a Friday afternoon it leaves me no option but a clinic or the hospital which wouldn't be my first choice.

Just a difference in approach I suppose.

I got caught up in computer issues trying to help my MIL on Sunday at her house, what should have taken 15 mins turned into 2 hours due to modem problems that were the fault of the cable provider. Very frustrating!!!!

Ken-FL

[Darrell]

Taking a day of rest today, I find as I taper my prednisone I no longer have the "Superman" qualities that the steroid offers and I actually get tired and sore. I hope that's the worst I have to deal with and life will be good.

Peg take care, I see you've been up at odd hours and that just tends to wear you down a little more when you least need it.

Ken I take a middle of the road approach and keep a few levaquin tabs on hand for when I need it on a weekend or it takes a day or two to get in to see the doc. If I do start taking it I always call the doc and sometimes he says to come in right away and other times he says to continue and see him in a week or so. Tomorrow is one of those followup app'ts for me. My infection seems to be under control at the moment but getting off the steroid is always difficult for me. So far, so good.

Darrell