If somebody asks you, “Who are you? What are you?” What would you say? Well, you might respond by saying, “I’m a dad, mom, daughter, son, grandmother, grandfather, teacher, carpenter, cashier, firefighter…”
Okay, but would you include also that you are a person with COPD? For many of you, having COPD is a major part of your life whether you like it or not. Odds are that COPD, at least in part, determines how you’re able to interact and socialize with others or visit with family – especially now, in the age of COVID. If you’re in the work force, maybe you’re performing your work differently than you did in the past. And having COPD has probably had an effect on your daily schedule and your ability to make plans, travel, etc.
So, COPD definitely affects your everyday life, but does COPD define who you are? And if so, to what extent? There’s no right or wrong answer here. You may say, “I’m still the same person I was before diagnosis, but it’s just that now I am me in a new set of circumstances. Simply, I’m the same me – but a me with COPD.”
If you’re a person with COPD who is also a patient advocate, that may mean that having COPD is a big part of who you are. You may see yourself now as being on a mission to make things better for those with COPD by helping and encouraging them, by participating in awareness events, and possibly signing on to research.
It could be that when you were first diagnosed, it took a lot of your time and energy just to process everything this meant for you and your future. Once you did, you may have been able to get back to a more normal, less stressful routine and many of the things you had been doing before diagnosis. But with an exacerbation or flare-up, that’s a different story! With COPD, it can once again take a lion’s share of your time and energy to get over and through that episode.
All your life experiences so far – including living with COPD – play a big part in you being who you are. With that…the question remains. Who are you? And who are you in relation to your COPD?
Let's talk. I look forward to hearing from you!