There are literally thousands of people who have been diagnosed with COPD and must therefore receive supplemental oxygen on a continuous basis. Many times this means extra oxygen 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For all of these patients this has meant not only an impact in their lifestyle but also, and perhaps more importantly, changes that they had never imagined were in store for them.
In the first place they have to confront their own fears and the greatest fear of all is facing your own mortality. Most people spend their lives knowing that everyone that has ever lived or will ever live will die. But at the same time we do some wonderful mental gymnastics to make sure this knowledge stays well from our conscious mind. In other words we are extremely good at ignoring it.
The first time anyone has told they have serious respiratory problems including lung damage and that they must have supplemental oxygen it comes as a shock. Shock even though they have known that they were suffering from a serious illness. Then comes a time of adjustment and it is quite normal for depression to creep in, for rejection to take place or even to pretend that nothing happens.
These are all normal reactions and it's not just a question of them happening but that they will surely occur of and on during the day and perhaps the many weeks. And even when the patient has adjusted to his or her new lifestyle these questions will reoccur.
People who must have extra oxygen will never be able to remove that need from their conscious mind at the same time those who do adjust, and they are the large majority, are now able to pursue a much more active lifestyle, with increased mobility and are therefore able to recover and find a purpose in their lives. This is a very important reaction to a chronic illness and in fact can even be termed an advantage they will have over most other people.
When things are going well, when life seems to be smiling at you, when you're feeling healthy, most people will fall into a routine and before they know it live has continued its way and all of a sudden there is much less time and you begin to wonder not only where it went but how it was spent.
Sometimes not having enough is extremely good therapy. One of the immediate restraints all oxygen deficient patients suffer is that directly related mobility. Anyone can imagine, perhaps not feel, but certainly imagine how difficult it is to go about and continue with normal day-to-day activities if you lack oxygen.
This is where things have changed for the better over the last few years. Portable oxygen equipment is now a normal standard prescription for people need supplemental oxygen. There are various makes and brands of different oxygen units, including oxygen tanks, oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators. And these will all have their mobile or portable alternatives.
A few years ago people who had to wear and oxygen mask always seem to stand out in a crowd. Nowadays it is a normal site and especially when the oxygen unit they use tends to be small, compact and even seems to blend in with the person.
Quality-of-life oxygen dependent patients is much better than it used to be. Mobility has been recovered and equally important is the fact that they have confronted their fears come out stronger.
There is a lesson here for all of us, and that is not to take things for granted but to make sure we use every second time we have building up the greatest reason possible for our lives.
So that when the time comes, and it will inevitably come, we could go knowing we did our best.
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