Will Pulmonary Rehab fix my lungs?

If your doctor has referred you for a Pulmonary Rehab program, I have one word for you: GO!
For me, the six-week drill is nearly always the same: 6 patients arrive on the first day, with absolutely no clue what they signed up for. Fast forward to 6 weeks later, they are stronger, happier, excited about the future, and I dare say, wittier and funnier! No one can reverse permanent lung damage, but you can learn to manage your symptoms and manage your disease. How is this done? I can’t condense 6 weeks of education into one blog post, but I will tell you this: Most lung patients are under-oxygenated when they go out. They are fine sitting, but walk across a room or around the block and they are severely short of oxygen. Not all lung patients need oxygen, but I have seen a fair amount of patients who never had a 6 minute walking test to assess the need for oxygen or not. Once we determine the correct amount of oxygen needed for activity, the patients are able to do a lot more, with energy left over! My other revelation is that about 90% of all lung patients use their medications incorrectly. I’d say these are the top 2 things every lung patient needs to start with to manage their disease and to better control their symptoms. We can’t cure COPD and ILD, but you can learn to breathe correctly and  maximize your medications, to start. If there is no Pulmonary Rehab program available to you, consider joining COPD Success and start feeling better today!