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Diary 4

Today I went to my first Pulmonary Rehab class. I learned that emphysema can effect the way your body performs homeostasis. The respiratory system is a vital key in maintaining homeostasis, and also serves as the human body's lifeline. If your body does not have enough oxygen, your cells can not perform cellular respiration and you can not live. So it is important to control your breathing even with emphysema. They told me that Stopping smoking is the first step. Bronchial dilating medications, medications to treat asthma, antibiotics to combat any infections and oxygen therapy are also commonly prescribed, but there is no treatment for emphysema itself. I am going to keep going to Rehab and I'm going to try to quit. I've been trying for years but now I have real motivation.

Diary 3

I did some research on emphysema and I found out that it is developed when the air-sacs of the lungs are exposed to the smoke of cigarettes, the lungs produce macrophages that “eat” the inhaled particles. But macrophages release material that destroy the proteins that let lungs expand and contract. It can also be caused by a protein deficiency called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. I found out that the most likely people to get emphysema are males ages 50-70 that are heavy smokers, but females are very close in percentage. I am right in the age group. The number of people has increased from 2.3 million to 3.1 million in the last 20 years. I am going to Pulmonary Rehab for the first time tomorrow, so i'll write about how it goes!

Diary 2

I got a check up today and the doctor told me that I have a condition called emphysema. He said that I developed it from smoking for 23 years. When I told him all of my symptoms, he said that he had to do a physical exam and they did chest x-rays. The doctor said that emphysema is irreversible and can not be cured. He told me the best way to stop it from getting worse is to stop smoking. He also said there was something called Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Pulmonary Rehab is a program of exercise and different classes that teach you about your lungs. He also said that I should try to exercise regularly to improve my breathing.
-Michele

Diary 1

I am having difficulty breathing. I'm not sure what is happening. I am coughing a lot and I am wheezing. I don 't have asthma so I don't know what is happening. I am going to go to the doctors office tomorrow and get a checkup. Maybe I developed asthma over the years. I don't expect that, but I don't know what to expect.
-Michele