| Howard Ober: After having double pneumonia as an infant he knew his lungs were his weak spot. Of course he smoked anyway but would keep testing the lungs by swimming underwater and by heavy exercising to tax them. All was pretty good until at 50 he had a very bad case of flu in February 94. After just four days he could no long breathe well and lifting things would make him very short of breath. A young French doctor quickly diagnosed him with emphysema and asthma and sent him to a pulmonary doctor where they found his FEV1 to be a whopping 9%. His working has gradually decreased from more than full time to very short part time. After 4 years of meds he went on oxygen and his FEV1 increased to 20% after two more years. Being stubborn he only quit smoking in September 99. But his breathing capacity has since increased tremendously and he now no longer uses oxygen in the day time. He joined the COPD-SUPPORT group in August 99. Being one that gets thoroughly "involved" in whatever he is doing, when the call for volunteers went out, he gladly jumped in with both feet as he says he feels that he is finally giving something back for all the years of taking from others. |