Most of you don't know that my dad has a condition called COPD, which stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is the name used to describe a number of conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, where people have difficulty breathing because of long-term damage to their lungs. My dad has smoked all his life which has cause his lungs to fail. He did give up when he was diagnosed with COPD three years ago, but over the past year he started smoking again due to him becoming depressed. He has gone from being a man who went to work and had a social life, to someone who can't even walk 10 steps with feeling out of breathe, at the age of 59, so he has become depressed. Last week, he had a hospital appointment but got kept in because his lungs were failing, due to smoke filling his lungs with carbon monoxide. He is now on an oxygen machine to help clear his lungs. He is still in hospital but he looks so much better. He is now being weaned off the oxygen machine but might have to come home with one. 

I think it has shocked us all at how ill my dad actually is. The fact that the doctor had to speak to him about whether to resuscitate him or not if his heart started to fail as well, scared us all. No one wants to lose their dad ever, especially at 19. But he is getting better, moving more due to him having more oxygen, eating more and just looks better. He can lift his arms again and his legs aren't seizing up anymore, since it was lack of oxygen that was making that happen.

This past week has been hard on my mum and siblings as it has cost a lot of money to get to hospital everyday/pay for the tv at the hospital so that he has something to do during the day/night, and it has been stressful not knowing how long he was going to be in for. It was unexpected but it has given my dad a shock to realise that he can't smoke anymore. I just can't wait to get him home and spend some time with him before I move to Lincoln (in four weeks!) for Uni.

I hope that this post might help people whose parents have the same illness. I am here if you want to talk as I know how horrible/weird it can be. Not many people know about it so it is hard to find people to talk to. 

One thing I do hope that my dad's illness will do, is help to show to my friends what smoking can do to them. He is young compared to some people in the same ward, and has a more severe case of COPD than them. Anyone who is reading this and smokes, try and stop whilst your young, before you become too addicted to stop.

Well, that's all and I hope you forgive me for my absence. I will be back in a day or two with a more beauty/fashion based post.

I feel that I might talk more about COPD/my dad on here as it has been quite therapeutic doing this post. 

Thank you for reading this ramble. 

Bye

xxx