Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

You have heard the expression, “Use it or lose it.”  That may be especially true with deteriorating breathing.  When I was first diagnosed, the pulmonologist said he wanted me exercising, hard, for at least 20 minutes a day.  

That was a joke! I tried.  Not happening.  

Then spouse said, “Can you do one minute?”  Sure, anyone can do one minute!  “Then then next day can you do one minute more?”  Maybe.  It took a while, but now I use the exercise bike for 20-45 minutes a day, six days a week.  And I am in the pool for an hour twice a week.

Start where you can, and build from there.  Thirty minutes of treadmill are a good idea if you can’t wander outdoors.

I will admit that I enjoyed this bike during pulmonary rehab, and I bought it, even though it is expensive.

There are less expensive ones available.  This has the advantage of working arms/legs/both.

Some medicare plans include free gym membership if it has “Silver Sneakers™” or for $25/year if it has “Silver and Fit™”.  My local Y includes all classes in the membership.  I decided to try the Water Arthritis class, since it is less strenuous than Water Aerobics.  It works for me.  (See the post on swimming.)

What works for me is to be scheduled.  It becomes as automatic as tooth-brushing.  After checking my email and a few favorite sites while I have coffee, it’s time for the morning shows, and I perch on the exercise bike from 7 to 7:20 on pool days and from 7:00 to 7:45 on non-pool days.  I flick through the news, weather, and morning show channels, and the time goes by.

Find a plan that works for you and do it, even when you don't feel like it.

Does exercise really make a difference?
My pulmonologist seems surprised that I can do as much as I do, given my "Very Severe" pulmonary function test results. He credits the regular exercise with making it possible.

Having trouble breathing today?

Maybe it's not you -  it's the air!

When I find I’m having a bad day, breathingwise, it feels like the beginning of the end.  But is it?

There’s a website that I have found useful to check the local air quality.  Maybe it’s not me - it’s the world.  airnow.gov allows you to click on your location in the US to see today’s air quality.  

The maps are color coded, with green being “good”.  Yellow is called “moderate.” The definition from the website is:  MODERATE:  Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.  but I find that “moderate” means I’ll have a tough day.  Knowing that, I plan my day.  Maybe more breaks.  Simpler meals.  

For me, it’s the ozone.  Particles are not a major issue in my very rural area.  But when the ozone moves into the moderate level, it’s going to be hard to breathe.

Some people have trouble when it’s a high-pollen day.  Here’s a website to check that:

http://www.pollen.com/allergy-weather-forecast.asp

Did You Take Your Meds Today?

Tricks to keep track of meds:

Many of us have meds for morning, for evening/night, for when needed, in addition to meds for other conditions.  Did you take your meds today?  As we age, it becomes easier to be forgetful, so this is a valid question.  There are lots of tricks to keep track of meds.

Standard pill boxes.

You can load the compartments for several days, a week.  There are containers that have AM-Midday-PM compartments.  You fill them in advance, and take them when scheduled.  Do not close the lid after taking the meds, and you can easily see if you have taken them.

                         

An alternative to those boxes - A use for old pill bottles: on Sunday, I set up my pills for the week, with seven pills for each bottle, using an old bottle for each type.

Self contained inhalers for once or twice daily use.  

When I open the package, I use a permanent marker to put the date opened and EE (if the count is Even in the Evening) or EM (If the counter should be Even in the Morning).

Inhaled capsules.

If the capsules are in a foil packet, when you get out the packet, use a permanent marker to put the day of the week it should be taken.

If the capsules are loose, they can go in the standard pill box or in a weekly pill bottle.

Inhalers, like Pro-Air or Albuterol.

Some of the newer, more expensive ones have a counter.  Mine don’t.  You never want to discover your inhaler is empty.  Also, I have been told that toward the end, if you haven’t been keeping track, the medication can be exhausted and all that is coming out is propellant.  One suggestion is to use a rubber band to hold a paper and a golf pencil on the inhaler and put a mark each time it is used.  Myself, I can’t be bothered.  I get my meds overseas, and the inhalers are less than $5 each.  I just weigh them with my kitchen scale.  I exhausted one inhaler, and it weighed 22 grams, so when an inhaler gets to 24 grams, there may be plenty left, but I just get a new one.