Welcome

This is an attempt to blog my thoughts and emotions during the final days/years of my husband Chuck's battle with Emphysema.

Emphysema causes the small airsacks in the lungs to pop to create one big airsack instead of 5 small ones, resulting in less efficiency while breathing.

Chuck was diagnosed with COPD with Emphysema and Congestive Heart Failure in July of 2001.  For many years it was just the inconvenience of morning diuretics that caused any problems.  He was still able to work and to all his normal activities.

In 2006, Chuck was diagnosed with lung cancer in his upper right lobe.  The hope of the doctors was that this lobe had the majority of the emphysema, and with removing the lobe, his breathing would be better.  Following his surgery in November of 2006, the day before Thanksgiving, it was determined that the removed portion of lung did have cancer, but no emphysema.  From this point on, Chuck is living with one large lobe, and three smaller ones trying to do the job without the upper right lobe.  Unfortunately, he left the hospital with oxygen, and has been on oxygen ever since.

Twenty-four hour oxygen brings many challenges.  The biggest to me is leaving the house for an extended amount of time, or in the evening.  Chuck has three different machines that can provide him oxygen.  He has a large electric concentrator that stays in the house and is used to late night, sleeping, and early morning.  He has a portable concentrator that runs on electricity and rechargeable battery.  We take this on trips and its allowed on airplanes.  The third item is a portable liquid oxygen dispenser that he refills from a large tank in our garage.  Chucks daily activities determine how much of the liquid oxygen is used.  In the evening, it is usually low, and he's not good at judging how much he has remaining.

Last night I surprised him when I got home and said we would go to Queen Creek Cafe for all-you-can-eat fish and chips.  I waited while he took his evening meds, cleaned up, and refilled his liquid oxygen.  When we seated at the restaurant he realized that he didn't fill is oxygen and the supply was running low.  He said he would be fine, and we didn't need to leave, so we waited for our food.  Just as I was finishing my meal, I looked at him and realized we needed to leave.  Chuck had been oxygen long enough that he was starting to have trouble functioning.  He was able to get to the car while I paid the bill, and I quickly drove home.  When we arrived, he stayed in the car while I ran in to start his concentrator and brought his hose out to him.  Later that night he asked what had happened because he didn't remember.

At his last visit with his pulmonary specialist he was told that he only has 1 to 2 years left in this fight with this disease.  Hearing this made it all amazing real, and I realized one of these times will be his last.  This blog is an attempt to express my thought and feeling during these last days.