I was diagnosed with COPD a few years ago with the same problems I have heard described here. I had accepted that as an old quad it was natural that I only got a few hours sleep a night and I often needed my emergency inhaler. Last year I had surgery for a colostomy and a supra-pubic catheter. I spent three days intabated on a vent. The doctor insisted I go for a sleep study. It is a new world. I stopped breathing 93 times per hour. With a bi-pap machine I sleep 7 1/2 to 10 hours per night. No more rescue inhaler. I was told this is common among quads. I hope this helps some of you. bext wishes, john
________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 2:23 PM Subject: [QUAD-L] pneunomia Good afternoon everybody, I'd just returning from the resort that I visited for the past three years. It seems I've had standing reservations within two weeks of a May 1. Funny, they can't diagnose me as bronchitis, pneumonia, or maybe even athletes foot. Seriously, for the past three years I needed to be transported to the hospital because of shortness of breath. In 2011 and 2012, both times were preceded by not being able to sleep. I tried everything to sleep except for prescription, within an hour and a half I was wide awake. In 2011 and 2012 I did not have a fever, then bang, a fever would start and within three days I was in the hospital. In 2011 I stopped breathing, but in 2012 just felt very short of breath and it scared the hell out of me. I was not having any physical symptoms other than not sleeping. On Saturday morning I was breathing fine, ran some errands, what flowers in a greenhouse, and by the end of the day my throat was sore from drainage of the nasal cavities. My question: does anything sound familiar? Glenn Henry
