"The moment I received my official diagnosis, I dropped all my assumptions about COPD. It was so freeing." -Member of MyCOPDTeam

Living with a chronic condition can be difficult and even a burden, but also an opportunity to rid yourself of what you think you know.

Have you heard the saying, "People don't get it until they get it"? That is so true about COPD.

"The more I learn about COPD, the more I realize the importance of self-care." -Member of MyCOPDTeam

A COPD diagnosis forces us to drop our negative assumptions about life with a chronic condition. Members on MyCOPDTeam gain perspective from other members' experiences to become better informed about what it's really like to live with COPD.

Here are recent conversations from members of MyCOPDTeam:

• "I am SLOWLY learning to pace myself & not beat myself up for what I can no longer do."
• "We seem to have limitations we didn’t have before. I plan a little better now and take time out when I have to. Every day I’m learning how to cope. There are moments I forget and that feels good."
• "I, too, at times get scared our lives have changed so much. Now I’m trying to find my own way to help with breathing so I’m learning all I can. I do the Perez breathing when I get short of breath to help me not panic, and it helps."

What negative assumptions have you let go of about COPD? Tell us about it in the comments below or directly on MyCOPDTeam.com.