A couple days ago, I was diagnosed with End Stage COPD. I’m only 40. Apparently, it took this long to get a doctor to look into my breathing problems. I’m always very short of breath. Even when resting. I also get frequent upper respiratory infections. Primarily pneumonia. I even managed to contract the Swine Flu (H1N1) along with extreme pneumonia & a regular flu. I almost died. I was so sick that the majority of my hair fell out afterwards.
Initially, the doctor looked at the X-ray, that took forever to get, and claimed I had asthma. I had never had asthma so that diagnosis didn’t make sense.
Next thing the doctor said that was, “oh no, it’s not asthma but simply issues due to allergies. That also did not make sense.
I asked the doctor to do one of those breath tests. Like the one I had to take for my pneumonia/H1N1.
Upon review of the results, my doctor informed me I had “very severe COPD” & told me I was in ‘Group D’. Apparently, that’s the worst form. I asked her if supplemental oxygen would help me & she stated that “I don’t even think that could help you now”.
I was then referred to a Pulmonologist who I can’t get an appointment with until late July. Ridiculous, eh?
So, now I have a rescue inhaler & another inhaler. My dad trying to tell me he knows how I feel because he does too. He did the same with my fibromyalgia. He tried to claim he has it too, when he does not. Just a bit frustrating.
Well, here I am. 40 years old & another medical condition to add to the stack of the others.
And I am still being denied social security disability benefits… Thus, I have no money. I lost my home, my job, my car, my fiancé, and my mind. So, there you have it…
Meanwhile…
I am the definition of a ‘hot mess’.
Diary of The Dying Girl 