Speaker: Suzanne
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Suzanne : My name is Suzanne. I'm 70 years old. 70 and a half. I'm a sign language, instructor in Montreal. I live in Hamilton but I work in Montreal. I also do some part time work in the operating room as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner. My interests are basically history. I love anything to do with history in any country, anywhere, any time except what's going on the world now. I like basically outdoor stuff, walking, being outdoors. COVID has cut down a lot of the things that I used to like to do as teams like tennis, etc. and being my age, it's not so easy to join up with the team anymore. So, but I do get exercise and good exercise.
Tell us about your diagnosis
Suzanne : Yeah, I guess I was diagnosed in about 2018 and it was through a respiratory technologist or therapist at the hospital. I was short of breath and that's when my doctor sent me. I got a diagnosis fairly soon within a, a month I was told I had COPD and, I was short of breath. It was my main symptom, not a lot of coughing or phlegm, but just issues with being short of breath.
How has your life changed since your diagnosis?
Suzanne : Yeah, since my diagnosis, my life has changed in as much as, I'm far more aware of health, of lungs and how it affects your life other than just shortness of breath.
How has Best Care impacted your life?
Suzanne : The medication has certainly been great and has helped a lot. And thanks to Best Care, I do know how to use them properly because prior to this I was not taking Ventolin properly and, that made a difference. So now I'm taking far less than one because I use it and Best Care has helped me with that in terms of clarity, with signs, symptoms and all the other medications that I use.
Suzanne : Yeah, Best Care has helped me understand COPD. Sorry COPD. And it's kind of domino effect on activities of daily living. It affects energy, it affects sleep, it affects appetite and how they all play a part in lung health and lung care with COPD.
Do you have a message for others about the Best Care program?
Suzanne : I'm in favour of Best Care because first of all, my Best Care provider has been patient, kind, listened, answered any questions thoroughly, has given me breathing tests every visit so that I could keep an eye on the general condition of my breathing. It's not intense, but it certainly helps me understand what's going on in my body and if there's been any deterioration or improvement, etc. Which would not be given, unless I went to an outside source of a respiratory therapist, which would cost the government money a lot more money and that's just not good. I get clear information from him. The other thing it does is I do some negative habits at home which does affect my breathing and frequent, well, twice a year visits with my partner with Best Care it does help remind me when I do these habits that I shouldn't be doing them and I'm all in favour of that, that's had an impact. Yeah, my understanding is that Best Care actually is like an, an in between or intermediary source of information that, that can decrease the incidence of flare ups or how to take care of flare ups so that you're not going to the emergency room so that it costs an awful lot of money, which I know, past experience as practitioner, I'm well aware of who comes in and for a general idea of that. And, yeah, I, I just think that this is something that should be considered politically, anything that decreases the government cost significantly. It's my tax dollars so I'm all in favor of that. So yeah, if I could say anything to politicians or doctors, I, I my understanding is doctors just need to apply. So please apply, consider it and politicians. Yeah, maybe you can get some feedback from them as well as maybe others who like myself for making the video as to what you can do about increasing the service. I think it's valuable. Thank you.
