I have been thinking a lot lately / myLot

United Kingdom

November 8, 2009 8:09am CST

As my Friends here know I have emphasema, COPD and a couple of other Isssues I was diagnosed with this Illness 6 years ago, I was bullied out of my 8 year Job because of it, which caused a few Breakdowns while fighting the Company, in the end my Doctor said no more, as I was killing myself, it also turned out that after 8 months later, I was written of work for good by my Doctor, due to constant infections on the Lungs and not breathing right When after the 6 months of tests showed I had it, it also showed that I had alredy had it a few Years before I got as bad as I did, the Consultant I was seeing at the time told me, that one, I have had weak Lungs from Birth, two, he asked if anyone in my Family has this, I asked my Mum and she said not on her Side, I do not know my Dad so not sure what is there Yes I smoke, please no lecture on that, I smoke a lot less now then I did then, going through a hell of a Marriage for 22 years, it was what kept me sane, yes I know some People will say it is just an excuse, well it isn't, Anyway, for the last few Nights, I have been thinking back a lot, and things have come to my mind that have happened 1. When I was a Child, from the age of 6 years old, I was sent away every year by the Doctor for 6 weeks, it was always to places like the fresh Sea Air and that, when I moved to my Mum at the age of 5 it stopped, I remember my Grandmother going mad at my Mum for not carrying on taking me to the Doctor 2. I was born with Chronic Bronchitas so I have always suffered with that every year in the Winter, but was used to it and made no big Deal out of it, I would still go to work and not go on the Sick, 18 years ago I had pneumonia bad, I also suffered a couple of times with pluracy, at those times I was forced to take time of work but apart from that and getting the Flu, I have been healthy, well in my eyes 3. Now this is the thing I have been thinking of more and more My Grandmother never smoked in her Life, no one lived with her and me that smoked, but I remember her having a bad cough all the time, also being out of breath a lot Thinking more about it, I am now wondering if she had it, either it was never detected then, or she did not tell anyone about it, but thinking back, I see a lot of signs that she had which I have now So I am seriously wondering if she had this Illness It is the first time to be honest that I have so deeply thought about it, as I never wanted to accept my Illness and did not want to think about it, once I did things like this came into my Memory I know she had a weak Heart and was a Diabetic but could I be right that she possibly had this to???

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19 responses

Patsie Hatley

@Hatley (163781)

• Garden Grove, California

8 Nov 09

hi gabs this may post or not, today is iffy here on mylot as mylot again is goofing up and not posting every response. I also think I had diabetes way before I was told Ihad it, eventhen it was a fluke. I went to this little sub clinic run by interns from the U c I irvine county hospital with an ear ache. the current doctor said, Mrs. Hatley did you not know you have diabetes? I can give you antibiotic for you ear, but you need to be on diabetes medication as well. It seems the test which showe I was diabetic had been on my chart for nearly a year . the last intern had been a vietnamese doctor and he had never told me that I had diabetes. So my new intern at that time put me on glyburide three times a day and had me lose weight. I soon got down to a more reasonable weight,and he took me off all medications. Now some forty years later I am again overweight and am on two diabetes medications. I remember feeling horrible after thanksgiving dinners. the pies made me very groggy ,eating them I mean. I came to dread holidays as the feasting always made me feel sick a nd I think I was already a diabetic then and nobody knew or if they did they did not tell me.

4 people like this