Living With COPD

Ok Troops

Terry Coker is one of the most positive employees at old fashion foods in Austell, Georgia

I love it. I absolutely love it.

The fact that he has to be connected to an oxygen tank in order to check off his to do list doesn't seem to matter. Terry – who is 59 – was diagnosed with COPD – or, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – four years ago.

I have been trying to make the best out of it since. I have no regrets. I have a good quality of life, I do just about anything I want to do.

Terry's blocked airways are due to a combination of factors: He had asthma as a child, his parents were heavy smokers and he had a hereditary predisposition to COPD due to alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency.

I actually am, I know this sounds crazy, I'm in better health now than I probably was two or three years ago because of the exercise and rehab. Nancy I am going over to rehab now.

Terry faithfully goes to pulmonary rehabilitation several times a week.

These are people who have always been active all their life, and because of their limitations with their shortness of breath they start limiting their activities and then they become de conditioned.

Pulmonary rehab is a change of life. This is the beginning of a journey.

For example, when Loretta Freeman came to pulmonary rehab she could not even step onto the treadmill by herself.

But now she is able to function at home. She goes up and down the stairs. She is able to do 30 minutes on the treadmill. We also know that when they have strong leg muscles they can walk easier and get up and down.

When COPD patients become less active and more dependent on others a vicious cycle can set in.

It's easy for them to get depressed and downhearted and with their shortness of breath, they frequently have periods of what we call panic attacks.

This makes them anxious and even more likely to limit activities.

One of the most important things that I try to teach them is how to manage their shortness of breath so they won't have those panic attacks. We have known many times shortness of breath could be caused by fatigue of respiratory muscles.

The good news is we can make those muscles stronger. If we make the respiratory muscles stronger, it increases endurance.

Learning how to manage their COPD is also empowering. Better breathers clubs – sponsored by the American Lung Association – are a source of education and support:

We are very proactive about teaching them when to call the doctor, what are signs of an infection.

Patients are reminded to get the pneumonia shot and yearly flu vaccines and to work with their doctors to find the right medication regime.

Many of these patients can live long and productive lives but they're going to have to stop smoking. They've got to take their medications, they've got to do their exercise, they've got to do their treatments on a regular basis.

Those are steps Terry Coker has taken. He did have to give up long distance motorcycle riding… But he still gets on the golf course…and travels with his wife. The secret to his success:

Stamina first, attitude second. And then on certain days attitude first, then stamina second.

For WebMD, I’m Rhonda Rowland