Last week we received an overwhelming response to our blog about COPD and body image. There are many women out there that at one point or another, struggled with their perceptions about their physical appearance after their COPD diagnosis. On Facebook, the conversation continued. It’s great to see so many women come together to talk about their feelings and find empathy and support on the other side.

Katelyn and I got to talking this past week about how every COPDer has some sort of story to tell. We found that when the conversations start flowing, everyone has something that the next person can relate to. Whether it’s body image, feeling the “shame and blame”, everyone’s story has a common thread.

One question we asked late last week was for folks to tell us of a specific moment in time, before their diagnosis, when

Photo by Rhys Alton

 they realized that someone was wrong. The responses started flowing in. Everyone had a story to tell about their diagnosis. (Check out our Facebook page to read some of the responses.)

Many have admitted that although their challenges are tough, the fact that there is a community of individuals that listen to their stories is helpful. It’s always healthy to talk about your diagnosis. And telling your story will help the community get the word out.

Most Americans don’t know what COPD is. Most Americans don’t understand your struggle. So let’s make them understand. Tell your story. Even though you don’t think your story is interesting, I can guarantee you that it is. Your struggles, both triumphs and failures, are what make your story a story to tell.

Tell it.