by Beverly Behnke
Wayne has had asthma since he was a small child. We both smoked since we were teenagers. I quit when I was about 25, but couldn't get Wayne to quit with me. Who knew back then what smoking could do to us. After an asthma attack and a trip to the hospital, at about the age of 39, he was sent to a specialist and was diagnosed with slight emphysema at that time. But we never were concerned about it as his asthma was a priority. He was told to quit smoking then, but of course didn't.
He worked in a factory back then and then ran a filling station for a number of years. When the state took the property for the freeway, we bought a tavern and also served food. I am sure that the second hand smoke and also smoking didn't help one bit. We were there about 10 years. At that time, I opened a beauty salon and we sold the tavern.
He then went to work for a farmers cooperative in their filling station, but got transferred to the fertilizer department. Still smoking, so the combination of chemicals and smoking added to the problem. I tried to persuade him to quit smoking, but with no success. He would not smoke around me, but I could smell them whenever he came into the house. I wasn't letting anyone smoke in our home back then.
Finally in 2000, he ended up in the hospital and was diagnosed with severe COPD. He had to retire at that time, as they had no job he could do. He had finally quit smoking also. He was put on prednizone and continueed with it for almost two years. He gained 40-50 pounds and really couldn't do much of anything.
He was sent to pulmonary rehab, which really helped, and he is still continuing to go there twice a week. He also was referred to a pulmologist in Milwaukee. He was told to quit the prednizone. It took a year to get off of it.. He did find that it works much faster when he needs to go on a spurt than it did when he was on it all the time. We both then went on a low carb diet and he lost 40 pounds and was doing so well for a few years.
January 2005, he ended up in the hospital with bronchitis. He was doing well and ready to come home after three days, but was responsive that evening. He was retaining carbon dioxide and didn't respond for almost seven hours. Very scarey time. Don't know why this happened, but we think they had his 02 setting too high.
Since then he has been well, but has trouble doing a lot of walking because of getting short of breath, so we found a scooter for him and he is now scooting all over. Sure saves on gas.
He did learn a big lesson though, and that is to get to the doctor immediately if he is not feeling well.
I am his caregiver, but he can pretty much take care of himself. We moved into an apartment, so we don't have any yard work to do and I can take care of the apartment. I am in good health except for back and leg problems. I have had therapy and with doctors am working on getting moving better. I am hoping we can do some traveling next summer.
In July of 2006, I had hip replacement surgery, so Wayne got to spend time as the caregiver. He did the cooking and kept the apartment looking good, doing as much as he could. It is now June 2007 and I am able to do everything I did three years ago. No more pain pills, able to walk anywhere and I am able to do all chores again. During the 6 months of recovery, he took care of me. It is possible to do this with COPD if you keep active and work at a slower pace.
We are both busy with our own computers, playing pogo, helping with our online support group and with the support group we have started in our community.
