The Top10 Things You Should Do If You Test Positive For Alpha1

  • Have A List Of Questions When You See a Doctor About Your Alpha1(If you try to remember the questions you want to ask you may forget half of them)
  • Learn To Breathe Effectively
  • Limit Or Eliminate Your Alcohol Consumption
  • Don't Be Afraid To Be Proactive About Your Alpha1
  • Get Plenty Of Rest(You will likely have a higher oxygenation level)
  • Avoid Sick People(You have a lower immune system than most people)
  • Drink Plenty Of Water
  • Eat Healthy/Avoid Processed Food(Carbonated beverages)
  • Start A Careful Exercise Program/Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program(Your muscles will become more efficient so they won't use as much oxygen and if you have surgery you will likely recover quicker as well)
  • Stop Smoking

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thankful & Busy

Thankful I got the option to volunteer to work in another dept today instead of not work. Thankful I got shifted to pre-paint instead of double hung. At where I work they encourage you to take home disposable safety equipment. I got access to a painting P-95 mask. I have been painting upstairs & have more to do. I had to slow down because of the fumes. The mask will help. It's funny....I didn't think the main bedroom was dingy colored till I was repainting it with the closest match I could find. I am using Color Place Crystal Blue. In contrast to the old color it is very bright & vibrant! I got to thinking while I was painting...when I get the dark blue berber carpet in I might just have to make that my bedroom instead of the smaller one I chose. The one I sleep in now is a beige ceiling & a kinda muddy brown colored walled. Who wouldn't want to wake up in a bright room!?

During the holidays I am going to move some studs around a closet & another space to make things more uniform. Yup, I've done this before. Did it w/ my Dad 32 yrs ago. Makes everything more pleasing to the eye. Gonna try and get some closets trimmed up as well. Looking forward to all the home improvements!!!

HAVE A HAPPY & SAFE THANKSGIVING!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Prescription Assistance

These are a few links:

http://www.pparx.org/ (888-477-2669)

http://www.rxassist.org/

http://www.raredisease.org/

Also, look at websites of companies who's drugs you are prescribed. They often offer financial assistance.

In another post I will list some medical bill financial assistance links...I haven't looked at them in a while so I don't remember which covers what. I was given them for when I was overwelmed w/ breast cancer medical bills. They cover more than that and sometimes we all have more than alpha1 bills to cope with!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

If Wishes Were Fishes...

I'd have one helluva fry! My refi is being pushed out till December because the contractor I was dealling with became too aggravating. I need to do certain things to my house due to the fact it will be a freddie mac or fanny mae loan. I can do most of it and compared to where the contractor would have bought supplies & the cost for his labor....I figure I'll save aproximately $700. I know some of you are experiencing major financial hardship right now. The next rainy day I will post several financial assistance links(I believe it's Thursday it's supposed to rain).

Oh! Hurray for my sister Johanna. Despite the fact she is on oxygen 24-7 she just shot her first deer last Thursday w/ a cross bow. AND it was an 8 point buck!!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Alpha1 Awareness Month

Has recently been changed from May as it has been for many years....to the month of November as of this year.

Although, I think it is a poor choice especially when this is a colder month for fund raising events & publicity events for those of us in the northern states in the USA. I did cook up something that even if you are on oxygen you can do to help raise awareness about alpha1. Talk to your local library director or head librarian about their doing a showcase about alpha1/COPD just as they do during breast cancer awareness month. It is so easy! A healthy mind Healthy Body cd(make sure they limit viewing to in the library so others will always have the opportunity to veiw it. Then there is that Neil Schnactner(or is it Schnacter) book and we always have our various newsletters we get from alpha1 drug companies, other company's(accreddo, coram, centric) and alpha1 organizations as well.