Community Spotlight: Meet Dave!
This month, we’d like to introduce you to Dave.
Poplar: Dave, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Dave: I am 65 years old. I have been married 40 years to my wife Connie. We have a daughter and son and an 8 year old granddaughter who is a large part of our daily life. We look after her before school, we drive and pick her up from school, and take care of her after school. I love to play golf, my wife and I like to fish and swim. We love to go camping. We have a travel trailer that we use for that. We have been living in the same house for 37 years. We spend time working on the yard and also indoor projects. I enjoy travelling and we hope to travel to Europe someday.
Poplar: You’re living with a chronic lung condition. Tell us about your diagnosis.
Dave: I was diagnosed with severe COPD when I was around 50 years old. I was also diagnosed with sarcoidosis in my late 40s. They also suspected silicosis because of my working in the glass industry for 40 years. I also have asthma.
Poplar: There is a lot going on with your lungs and your breathing. That can’t be easy. How has living with COPD, sarcoidosis, silicosis, and asthma impacted your life?
Dave: My diagnosis impacted me greatly. I loved to ski regularly. I can no longer do that at this point but I am still hopeful I will be able to someday. I was quite athletic. I used to play tennis, golf, and go swimming. Those activities are very difficult now. Some I can’t really do anymore, like tennis would be hard. I can’t really run without gasping for air. It did affect my job greatly. I ended up retiring earlier than planned because my job in the glass business was quite physical and I could no longer do it.
Poplar: How have you managed to cope with these challenges and is there anything that has helped to improve your breathing?
Dave: First of all, a medication change in the last year has helped me greatly. I use oxygen for exercise and lately I haven’t needed to use my oxygen as much when doing something physical. Regular exercise has helped a lot. I do weekly exercise classes with the Poplar Fitness Club and I am also in an exercise program with Ridge Meadows Hospital. I think being away from my work environment has helped as well. I am an ex-smoker. I smoked for 40 years and quit 10 years ago. My doctor told me to quit as I was having breathing problems in my 40’s.
Dave’s Advice:
Listen to your doctor. I wish I had.
Take your medication.
Talk to your Respirologist. If the medication is not working then suggest something different. Find the medication that is right for you.
Exercise regularly. I can’t stress that enough. Keep your lungs working!
Get on a regular exercise program with qualified lung experts.
Poplar: What about the mental health side of living with a lung condition? What is your advice for others learning to live with a chronic lung condition?
Dave: Accepting the condition but not giving in to it. Enjoy what you can do. I do believe it helps to make plans, whether that’s travelling, hobbies, or working around the house. Find something that you can aim to achieve.
Poplar: Thank you, Dave, for sharing your story and for being an inspiration for others to Live their Best Lung Life!
Learn more about the benefits and advantages of indoor exercise with our Breathe into Indoor Fitness video.