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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 23 November 2016
Profile pic of patient with COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Kailash Ashutosh Mehta,76, quit smoking after Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) disabled him. He fought his disease with exercise and pulmonary rehabilitation that helped him improve his breathing, fitness and quality of life.

I had been smoking for 50 years. One day, when I could not walk even two steps without suffering from acute breathlessness, I was severely jolted. I realised I had damaged my lungs irreversibly and developed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. I had to quit overnight to save myself.

I had my first cigarette at 16 in the last year of school. My friends would smoke and I just puffed with them with the confidence that I would not get addicted to it. By the time I reached college, I was smoking regularly. Soon I became a hard core nicotine addict and was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. I was young, blissful and bold. My day would start and end with a cigarette.

My only physical activity at that time was playing cricket. I was passionate about the game and represented my school and college. I am not a gym person at all and have never exercised in my life. But I guess the physical fitness thanks to cricket protected me from the negative impact of smoking in the beginning.

I am a banker by profession and my job required me to travel around the world extensively. My smoking continued unabated all through my career. I never made any effort to stop or reduce it as I was not really affected by it. In fact, when I was 40, I was posted for three and a half years at Sanaa, Yemen, which is located at an altitude of 10,000 feet, but I was never out of breath ever there.

It was at the age of 56 when the ugly, terrifying symptoms of smoking first manifested itself. I was in Kenya at that time. I woke up in the morning. I had to walk a distance of half a kilometre to go the dining area. I had barely taken three steps when I began panting and sweating. I realized I couldn’t take the fourth step. I was finding it difficult to breathe. I was taken back to bed and made to rest. Thereafter, my entire stay in Kenya was on a wheelchair. I was asked not to exert or strain myself even a little bit.

It was the most humiliating and shocking turn of events. I thought I would have to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I thought I was going to die. Having been an independent, active person these long years, I felt crippled.

The wheelchair incident changed my life forever.  Back in India, I visited my family doctor and chest physician and was diagnosed with COPD. I gave up smoking the day I was identified with the pulmonary disease. Fortunately, I am a strong willed person. In times of adversity and setbacks, every cell of mine collaborates to make me tough, especially mentally. I fought my withdrawal symptoms by eating a little more. I kept myself distracted to ward off my craving.

The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Centre run by Prof. Rohini Chowgule gave me a new lease of life.  It is a state of art Centre with well-maintained equipment and well trained physiotherapists.  When I joined, I could use the treadmill only for a few seconds at the speed of 0.5.  Now I am on the machine for 20 minutes at 3.5 - 4 speed. I do push ups for 40 minutes and also walk for 40 minutes. I need to take oxygen only at night. I come to the Centre three times a week. However, although I lead a fairly normal life, the only thing my lung capacity does not allow me to do is climb staircases.  When I visit my daughter, who stays in a bungalow in America, I am not able to go to the first storey of her house because of COPD.

Through my experience, I have realized that to maintain status quo in COPD you have to be consistent and persistent.

My advice to COPD patients would be:

  1. Quit smoking today
  2. Go for lung rehabilitation
  3. Walk daily
  4. Do recommended breathing exercise
  5. Be consistent

People with COPD, like me, are not going to improve ever, but you can arrest the disease. If you do not discipline yourself early, you will go to your grave early.

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Prof Rohini Chowgule’s comments: When Mr Mehta was brought to our Centre, he was in a bad state. He had stopped all acitivity. He could not even get up for his meals. His wife would bring the food to him and do most of his tasks. He did not have the lung capacity to do his normal, daily chores.

It has been over a decade since he has been coming to our Centre. He has seldom missed any session. It is thanks to his determination and consistency that he has made remarkable progress in controlling the disease.

Today, he walks on his own and does all his other jobs. He is no longer dependent on others. Believe it or not, he went parasailing recently. That was without my permission.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation can help improve your lung function and reduce symptoms, enabling you to perform daily activities with less discomfort and live a more active life.

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