Re: to Jon, Joyce R, and et al.

[Guest guest]

Gwynne- thank you for the advice on not holding my breath. I do that everythime I start to exert myself. I also automatically start to breathe out of my mouth because I I don't seem to get enough air when I breathe thru my nose. Perhaps it is a false perception but it does seem that way and I do it unconsciously. I have to stop doing that but I do feel like I will suffocate. Joyce R. Prescott,AZ

to Jon, Joyce R, and et al.

Jon,

I'm sorry you got difficult news from your biopsies.

If it helps at all to know, one of my physical therapists

has sarcoidosis and has lived well with it for many

years. I hope it will keep silent for you as well.

Joyce R,

I have to confirm the bird comments. I'm afraid any

good doctor would tell you that the birds have to go.

Pursed lip breathing is something many of us learned

to do in pulm. rehab. Some people have the in-through

the-nose, out-through-the-mouth part down, but

many people are still breathing incorrectly. When you

put your hand on your diaphragm, you should feel

your stomach rise up when you breathe in, and

compress when you breathe out. A lot of folks do

it the other way around. If you can watch a baby

breathing as she sleeps, you see that she instinctively

gets it right.

Also, breathe out when lifting things or as you take

the next stair or exert yourself. Keep breathing and

don't hold your breath - a tendency many of us have.

,

I'm so sorry to hear about the clots. I know how I felt

when mine showed up last summer. I partly blamed

mine on the Colorado altitude, but that may have

been purely coincidental. Guess I'll never really know.

Hope those blood thinners do their magic on you in

a hurry, and that you're doing well otherwise!

Gang,

All the hype about netti pots and sinus rinses is well-

deserved. They really do help keep you more free of

sinus infections and breathing problems. Even with

nasal blockage, I might try one just to see if it helps

break down the mucus. I started using one about

5 years ago, and as someone who used to be

plagued by 2-3 bad sinus infections a year, I swear

by it. I don't use a netti-pot but a NeilMed sinus

rinse instead, which I can get at CVS here. It

doesn't burn or give me a headache, as the netti

pot does.

Hugs and blessings,

Gwynne 57 Single-lung transplant on 4-3-08

at UTHSC - San Fort Worth, TX