See Maxine. Maxine doesn't like to exercise. I hope that's not a cigarette in her hand! Poor Maxine would have to change her whole lifestyle if she developed COPD. And you think she's cranky now!
Yes, that was me just a couple of years ago. Exercise has really never been in my vocabulary. I would join a club or gym but never made it past a month at any time. I thought, well I work hard and that should be enough. Even when I was first diagnosed with COPD, I went through Pulmonary Rehab, twice, as a matter of fact. After each 6 week session, I would join the maintenance program and gradually I would slow down and eventually not go at all.
I have finally gotten the exercise/lung connection. After 8 years of huffing and puffing first without oxygen and even with oxygen, I am trying to make the best of the body I have. And it takes work to do it, hard work and commitment. I have finally made the commitment to be better and this is exciting for me. I am now waiting for a spot to open up in the class that is 3 times a week.
Today, an old habit reared its head: I didn't want to go out in frigid weather and go to rehab. I almost talked myself out of it but somehow reason won out and I thought of what I could be losing if I didn't go. I went.
I was very short of breath walking to the rehab room. I've been pretty short of breath for the past couple of days and I'm not sure why, but I was able to do all the exercises.
On the TM, the Nu-Step, the UBE and the recumbent bike, my pulse ran around 110 and my O2 sats were 94-95%. That's funny, because at home I have been having trouble maintaining sats over 90 with my usual liter flow. At rehab, though, I keep my O2 on 4L continuously. At home I usually use the demand settings so maybe it's time to go continuous with it at home too. I plan to call my pulmonologist before my sessions next week.
I would say that overall, this week I maintained. I'm looking forward to making some more progress next week.
~Eileen
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