Indea C., IL

I'm a 32-year-old mother of a 12-year-old girl, student, disabled, handicap, ex-CNA, caring, loving person, would give my last, love to help others.

I have a boat load of health problem such as type 1 brittle diabetic, kidney disease, renal failure stage 5 on dialysis, anemia, pain disease, complex regional pain disorder or RSD, diabetic neuropathy, neuropathy, gun shot wound, plates in right ring and thumb, migraines, diabetic retinopathy, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, arthritis on my spine, asthma and a lot more health problems. And now I have just been told I have COPD.

I don't know if I can take another health problem. If it wasn't for my 12-year-old daughter I would lose it. I haven't found out anymore information about the COPD yet. I have to wait for my appointment, which will be soon. I will keep everyone informed.

Writing on here makes me feel better about my situation. I have been really depressed about the diagnosis and I just lost two of my aunts in November, plus it was the month that my birth mother died in 1992 on Thanksgiving. I was very close to her and one of my aunts, I'm still hurting very badly.

I almost forgot to let you guys know my father died in 1992, also of lung cancer. That was hard seeing him suffer. He had to wear an oxygen tube in his nose, and a tube in his throat. He never smoked but he work at a place called Assembly Hall, which is something else now, but he helped built it. The dust, smoke, fuse and other pollution in the air is what made him sick. He came to visit me and told me he was going to the hospital, and coming back. I was only 7 years old, but he never came back because he died.

Sad year of my life losing both my parents. Then like two or three years ago I lost my aunt to lung cancer. she was a smoker that quit like 13 or 14 years ago.

Update:
Well, I'm back from my last story I gave to give you a update on my health. I found out I don't have COPD. It turned out that my asthma is getting worse to the point I have to have a breathing treatment machine and my asthma pumps.