Life with COPD as a lung transplant recipient
Small context, prior to receiving a double lung transplant in January of 2024, I was on 6L of oxygen and basically stayed in bed or the recliner next to my bed all day. March 26th, 2026, my doctors believe I have COPD now post transplant. Since leaving the hospital, I basically have stayed in bed on 4-5L of oxygen.
This second go, I feel different, especially my body. I’m currently around 155 lbs but was 190 lbs before all of this occurred. I ended up with COPD due to having haemophilis influenza before Christmas, organized pnuemonia NYE and then back in the hospital mid March with pnuemonia again. I refuse to believe this is COPD and it’s just pnuemonia taking its time to clear up.
What do you all do to help build respiratory strength? I have an issue with mucous forming which makes me feel like I’m choking when I sit up. This causes me to cough, heart rate skyrocket and oxygen drop.
What drugs are you guys prescribed to help with everything? I know my quality of life isn’t going to be the greatest moving forward, but I want to do things that will at least improve how I feel. I’d like to get back to work and I can deal with being on 1-2L to do it, but now I’m feeling now isn’t it.