Speaker: Richard
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Richard: Hi, my name is Richard. I've, I'm 65 years old now. I've been mostly a factory worker. Most of my life. I smoke cigarettes since I've been 13 as my generation did. Now that I'm seeing a respiratory therapist, my life has changed greatly. My grandkids, I can play longer with them and actually go camping with them now I take them camping every year now. Just my exercise is better. I like going out now. It's not a big, it's, it's a weight off my chest. I guess you'd say I can breathe now, instead of gasping for air.
Tell us about your diagnosis
Richard: Hi, my name is Richard. I guess I kinda knew something was wrong with my lungs probably about 15 years ago when I was smoking quite heavily and then I was losing my breath right after every cigarette. And I, I went and seen a doctor and, he told me that, I should quit smoking and then he goes, I have a respiratory therapist.
Richard: After, oh, at the time when they told me that I had COPD, it kinda hit me hard because I wasn't that old and, but they explained to me smoking for 30 years hurt me really bad. But then I quit smoking and I'm on just, uh, one puffer now and an oral, I'm doing much better with my lung work. Um, I go for walks. I do a lot of things with the grandkids and I have a lot better life now. That's what it is.
How has your life changed since your diagnosis?
Richard: When I was diagnosed with COPD, I was, living on the third floor of an apartment and that was really hard for me to get downstairs to do my laundry and walk it back upstairs. I'd had to take breaks during the staircases. Playing with the kids. I could play a couple of minutes but then I'd tell them that they'd have to go sit down because grandpa's not doing too well and, but now I'm doing much better. The laundry is no problem. I go camping with the kids. Knowing that I have that, more power to do stuff I'm not afraid to go out and go to Windsor or go to London, you know. It just, set me free a lot. It puts your mind at ease to do stuff.
How has Best Care impacted your life?
Richard: Since I've been seeing my respiratory therapist, he's taught me how to use my emergency plan and it's not scary to me anymore that when I do have a bad attack, I can just go get my emergency puffer I call it and take a puff of that, sit down, take a break, you know, and monitor yourself until you feel better and then you can get back up. Maybe not do as much as you should but work at it. I've learned a lot about what to appreciate in life, like with your lungs being bad and then got a lot better. My life is a lot better all around with the kids, the grandkids. It's just a quality of life that is a lot better for me and I'm enjoying life a lot better.
Do you have a message for others about the Best Care program?
Richard: To anyone that's about my age or if you've just smoked all your life, you should quit smoking. I know it's hard. It's really hard. But it's, it's, it's an achievement that is very good for your soul, I guess you'd say. And you have to quit smoking and then see your doctor, he'll check your lung. He might recommend a respiratory therapist. Like I've got one and puts me on my puffers, gets me emergency puffers tells me how to use it. It's just a, a good process to go through. And then once you've quit, you have to keep on walking, get outside, enjoy life more. And the, the politicians, they just have to stop the cutback because if I end up in a hospital that's gonna cost them probably 50 times more money than if I'm just at a respiratory therapist once in a while and getting educated on how to take care of myself. And now I am taking care of myself and it's, it's a great life.
