I joined this group because my Aunt has OPMD. I am a respiratory therapist and my aunt has recently begun to be constantly bothered by what she feels is excessive mucus that feels like it is choking her. She has every tool available that I know of - suction, cough/assist, nebulizers, steam, therapy vest. Most of these are not what she needs as her lungs are clear, and she is not making an excessive amount of mucus. Nonetheless, she is so focused on this issue that she spends most f her day, suctioning, rinsing, and spitting. I am trying to work with her to get her to refocus her efforts on using her current abilities so she can find some joy in her day. Is there anyone that has experienced this and has a method they use?
Megga
4 posts
October 19, 2015 12:14 PM MDT
Is she a member of this forum? it might help to read how others cope and still live a good life. Also just being able to talk with people with the same problems.
You have my sympathies. It is a hard thing to accept. I have been a fighter all my life. If a medical condition comes up that I can fight, I will fight it. It was hard to accept that I could not win against OPMD. The worst advice that I received from my parents, and my wife, was that if I was accepting the disease, I was giving up. My method for dealing with this is not giving up on hobbies I enjoy. Is there something she enjoys? I recently wrote a novel, and am trying to get it published. Though, I wear out easy, I still enjoy firearms. What does your Aunt like to do? I find that despair can lead to people wanting to give up. I have a German Shepherd dog. I have chickens. There are things that I try to focus on that I enjoy.
Does she enjoy flower arranging? How about bingo? Do you live in a large metropolitan area? There might be support groups, so she can meet new people. Finding something you love to do, rather than focusing on the disease is how I get by. If I thought about it as a perpetual demon leering at me, I might be in the same boat.