Speaker: Michelle
Tell us a little about yourself
Michelle: Hi, I'm Michelle. I am 62. Just turned 62 a few months ago. I manage a theater in Windsor Essex County. And, I, My interests include my mom and caregiving with my mom along with her caregiving me and, I love theater. I love music and many other things.
Tell us about your diagnosis
Michelle: I was diagnosed with severe COPD in 2014. I'd had about maybe a few bouts of pneumonia. I can't really remember now.
Michelle: And, Harrow Health Care, was, was instrumental in me, becoming a little more aware of how poor my health was. I did quit smoking for a time and unfortunately went back later at another time. However, you know, I've since again, quit smoking and, and on a better path.
How has your life changed since your diagnosis?
Michelle: So, since my diagnosis I've, I've gone through a number of things I've, and challenges, COVID being one of them, of course, we've all been through that. But I did have several bouts of COPD exacerbations that landed me in the hospital. I probably had pneumonia at least once more in between then and now. I had been, I had quit smoking and then I smoked again. So those are some of the challenges that I faced and I, I, I kind of slacked in my care is really what happened. I didn't, I, I think I went into a phase of denial that I could get better on my own and I really found out that I couldn't get better on my own. And so those are some of the challenges. The good part about it was that I did have good doctors here and as my, as my condition has worsened over time because it's not curable to have COPD. I have learned that I can live life.
How has Best Care impacted your life?
Michelle: So my Best Care educator when I started seeing her, I had had several, I had first had COVID. And then I had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 exacerbations in a span of six months. I did have three deaths in between. Three very close deaths. So that I believe is part of the problem. I had to be with people. So even though I was getting care and on my action plan, what was happening was, I wasn't, I wasn't getting well enough in between. So when I started with my, my educator, she, she kept going over my breathing, learning to breathe more with my pursed lip breathing, breathing my, my huff breathing. All those things started to help strengthen my lungs again because there was a time that I came into this office this year in 2023 and basically was walking like I was a 90 I'm only 62. I couldn't breathe from step to step. I couldn't go up and down steps. I really thought that my life was over and definitely my quality of life was really in a bad state. And I knew that if I didn't start listening to my educator and my family doctor that within a year it was probably not gonna be good news for me. So they provided me with the breathing exercises. We went over my medication and that got changed again. I had to go on the, the three prong approach for my medication and that has really made an effective difference. We went over my action plan and when to do that. And I learned that I wasn't, I wasn't giving myself maybe enough time in between exacerbations. Maybe I was getting on that action plan just a little too quick. So it's, it's been very effective. I'm finally reached a four month period of no sickness and that's amazing to me. I didn't think I'd see that again. I'm doing well.
Do you have a message for others about the Best Care program?
Michelle: So one of the great things that I've also done with the Best Care program is my educator and suggested that I get into pulmonary rehab, which is learning to exercise, learning to breathe, finding out what programs are available to those of us with lung disease and lung issues. And it has been a godsend. I can balance now where I had lost my being able to balance properly. I can go up and down stairs, which I know I mentioned. But I have several flights of stairs that I have to utilize in my day to day job. I had actually thought I was gonna have to quit my job. I didn't have to quit my job because I learned to really focus on something clicked. And I learned that if I focused on doing what my Best Care educator and what my family doctor had to say and my pulmonary rehab, if I combined all of those things that my life could improve, it's never gonna be 100%. But I'll tell you from the 30% that I was before probably four months ago. I am now, I feel like I'm at 75% back to my, my original way of life and, and my best way of feeling so try it, do it and doctors listen to your patients. That's the one thing that my doctor and my Best Care educator did was they listened to me and they got me the care that I needed.
