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How Can You Tell What Stage COPD You Are In? Cannot Afford To See A Pulmonary Doctor.

A MyCOPDTeam Member asked a question 💭
Spotsylvania, VA

I haven't has a pulmonary doctor for about 3 years now I guess. Just wondering how besides the 6 minute walk test they give you if there is anything else I can do at home to see what stage I'm in. I cannot afford to buy insurance and I cannot afford the medicare premium. I have 3 more months of spirivia left then that's it cannot afford $500 plus a month to buy it.

October 12

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Answer 1

Suggestions on part 3 of many, @A MyCOPDTeam Member:

In my case, I hate the cost of the inhalers, I hate the side effects, and I have proven through the red down arrows on my test results that the use of the inhalers actually does more harm than good in my case.

The pulmonologist hates that fact, and disagrees with my decision to NOT use inhalers, but numbers don’t lie so I am happy not spending my money (which is in very limited supply) on things which may actually kill me faster than taking the palliative care route and doing nothing at all with inhalers. I keep the doc happy by having an emergency inhaler (xopenex) available if I choose to use it, and otherwise focus on biofeedback therapies for 15 minutes before I will default / give in / whatever and use the inhaler. In my case, xopenex has the least amount of objectionable side effects, and I (so far) haven’t built up a tolerance to it, so it’s in my COPD war chest should I need it.

I tell you all this to suggest that you DON’T focus on knowing your stage, as the knowledge doesn’t change anything. In my humble opinion.

Rather, I’d like you to think about what you’re trying to accomplish in terms of your own wellness goals.

In my case, I kept on becoming SOB (short of breath) and had no way to know it was happening until I was already struggling. I’d upped my gentle exercises (mostly walking or swimming - zero cardio impact as a goal ) and maintaining my independence by staying active and trying to stay nimble on my feet.

So, I found the FDA-approved SP02 oxygen saturation continuous monitoring ring to both generate reports real time about what was happening when I was SOB and feeling lightheaded / weak, as well as providing me with an alarm system to get my attention BEFORE I went too long without sufficient oxygen saturation, and before such SOB caused oxidation damage to my brain or other vital organs. Once the alarm is triggered, I start doing deep breathing / pursed lip exercises to get my oxygen saturation back into the desired level (90% or higher ox sat).

Anyway, search Wellue Sp02 ring on your favorite search engine if you want to check it out. Pricing runs 140 to 179 bucks, with discounts on Wellue’s website vs getting something different via Amazon, if you think something like this might work for you.

End of part 3 of many. 1 more part to go, LOL.
12-OCT-24

October 12

Answer 2

Here is another resource:
https://simplefill.com/patient-assistance-progr....
Most of these assistance programs work with all of the major Pharmas. The goal is to save $🤑 on ANY of your meds SO you can afford the ONE you really need.