Stress and COPD

I had this thought today and would like to share it with you. It is a situation that I had been dealing with in the begining of November 2006, but it is example of how stress plays a very big part in your life with COPD. I had to move out of my apartment, look for a new place to live and also a new job. Which of course would put a lot of stress on anyone. After several weeks I did find a place to live and luckily a job. But, in the meantime...this is my story.

I had been having trouble sleeping for some time. I did not realize it at first, but finally realized and attributed it to the stress of the move... and the new job that I would be starting. All of this leads to shortness of breath, fatigue, and in my case loss of appetite.
Now... my theory was this... Stress can create havoc within our system, everyone knows that. So, my thoughts were... what do I do about my job... I cannot be without a job, sooooo I needed to try a different approach with the job... and with the move. I decided to ask my friends and neighbors for their help with the move.... and believe it or not... I felt much better. I then reapplied at the Sweetbay Store which I had worked when I first moved to Ft. Myers, but had to take a leave of absence when I fractured my ankle.
On November 26, 2006 I finally moved everything into my new apartment and out of storage. I received a sparkling review from Human Resources and received the job at the Sweetbay Store deli.
I was finally able to "Breathe Easier". My one suggestion when living with COPD and dealing with a stressful situation is to try to put it into some type of perspective. Write down your problems and think of reasonable solutions on how you can take care of these problems. Coming up with a game plan is much easier than jumping in head first and jeopardizing your health.

Breathe with me now...
1 2 3 ... Inhale ... 1 2 3 4 ... Exhale

Sandy