Darrell

It was so nice to actually meet another BBLW friend face to face here in Virginia today. We managed to have a quick drive through of a few DC sites, a relaxed lunch at the Sailing Marina on the George Washington Memorial Parkway next to Reagan Airport followed by another quick drive through parts of historic Alexandria. No I didn't get lost but there was a certain amount of creative navigation to get where we wanted to be.

I'm not sure where this forum is heading but as Peg has been using Hospice very successfully since last September she has no doubt learned important lessons on what works and what doesn't work in the program. I imagine many of us would like to learn more about hospice from someone other than from the provider. We also have a strong bond with our friend Peg and would like to be able to communicate more with her directly or indirectly. For myself I'd like to be able to share some concerns/thoughts/prayers with Peg using this forum. I'd also like to be able to acknowlege to Peg some things she has helped me with or I have learned from her. I would also like to know Peg's opinion on how best to organize oneself and make the transition to Hospice. We have a good team here and I am sure we can make this forum valuable to Peg and others.

Please let us know what your thoughts are.

Darrell

The gym was very sparsely populated today as the club was also sponsoring a 5k race at the same time. I did a good mixed cardio workout and multiple upper body strength machines with extra weight and extra reps. I felt particularly good today for no apparent reason, perhaps just to get over the holidays and back to my normal routine.

I was stopped by a young woman today and asked if I had COPD and if O2 helped, etc. I'm always pleased to speak to people about my condition or COPD in general. She was inquiring because her relative was dx as COPD but there didn't seem to be much knowledge about the disease and what we can do to improve our quality of life. The next time I see her I'll suggest she get a good pulmo doc and push for a PR program. When I think back about my early days after diagnosis, I didn't know much and what I thought I knew I really didn't understand, so having an experienced person available to ask questions is a real blessing.


Okay everyone lets hear your plans for the gym (real or virtual). What are your goals, are you trying to lose weight, gain weight, work on flexibility, build or maintain strength, go for a long bike ride or walk. Do you have a goal to exercise every day or 2-3 times per week. My goal is to workout 3-5 days/wk for 1-2 hrs doing as much work as I can do while staying within defined limits of heart rate and oxygen saturation. I'm also going to try to improve my nutrition a little bit with goals to eat more frequent but smaller meals and try to upgrade the quality of my menu by eating fewer simple carbs, get back to fruit/veggie smoothies and more whole grains.


Tell us what your plans are and maybe we can pick up some ideas from each other. If someone out there knows how to make me breathe better and improve the quality of my life, I keenly interested to give it a try.

Darrell

Here we are in December already. A nice day with temps in 50s so it was good to be outside. Since this is the time of year when some good movies are released we decided to take in another movie and saw "Lincoln". We have seen 3 lately, "Argo", "Lincoln" and "Flight" and they were each quite different but each very good movies. My favorite was probably Argo because it was closer to me given my military and international background. Lincoln showed some exceptional acting by Daniel Day Lewis and of course Spielberg did a good job with the rest of the film as well. "Flight" was not exactly what I was expecting but it developed a good dramatic line another good acting performance by Denzel Washington. I definitely recommend all of these shows and this is a good time of year to see them. We try to get senior pricing for matinee shows and it makes it much more practical.

So exercise was not a big priority today but perhaps tomorrow wil be a work in the yard kind of day with clear skys and moderate temps. I have had the leaves cleaned up so I don't have to do that but I'm sure my wife has a thousand other things out there she would like to get done. Otherwise the season is over for my grandsons soccer, my college football team until bowl game and my NFL team is playing Monday Night Football.

Hope your December will get off to a vigorous start rather than waiting to make year end resolutions that rarely hold in my experience. Try to commit to and hour a day of whatever level of exercise you are capable of doing that day. It doesn't make a big difference whether you are walking and doing therabands at home or on a treadmill and resistance machines at a gym or in pulmonary rehab.

Welcome to December.

Darrell

This is the time of year that most of us start to step outside and enjoy the feel of cool fresh air. For me cool air feels great in my airways and is a welcome change from the hot humid stuff of recent months. It also means I need to start getting ready for the cold air that is to follow because cold air can trigger some difficult breathing for many of us. It's time to check humidifiers, air filters, get our furnaces ready for the winter etc.

Let us know what it is that you like about this time of year and how you prepare for the winter.

Darrell