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PATIENT PROFILE

Hilde
Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis
Lakeland, FL

A lifelong asthmatic, Hilde spent her early childhood in wartime Germany. She can remember the effect of the brutal winters on her condition, and the bouts with pneumonia she had to endure. But it wasn't until later in life that her lung function started to weaken to the point that she really noticed a difference in her ability to engage in daily life. Her husband is an avid pilot, and she started to experience difficulty breathing during flights. In 2001 she was diagnosed with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

"I started doing research about it immediately, and the first thing I realized was that people were doing more damage to their bodies by trying to get by without oxygen. So I went and asked my doctor to put me on it right away, trusting me to monitor my oxygen levels with an oximeter when I fly."

Today, she can fly wherever and whenever she wants to. She travels home to Germany at least twice a year to visit her mother with the help of a portable oxygen concentrator. She only needs it during flights for now, but she's pretty sure she'll be relying on it more in the future. Until then, it will be waiting in the trunk of her car, just in case.

Hilde Says:

"Get smart about oxygen as soon as you can. For some people, the sooner you use it, the better you'll feel."

"Having a big machine just didn't make sense to me. The portable oxygen concentrator makes me forget that I have emphysema most of the time."

"Get involved online with other people like you. You aren't alone in this."