Les’ battle with COPD takes positive turn
December 30, 2011By VINNIE RODI
YOU can’t help but develop a liking for Coomealla resident Les Collingburn.
Sharing a moment with faithful companion ‘Lady'.
An optimistic man by nature, Les, 64, is determined to live life to the fullest despite battling a debilitating condition.
Well-known for his warm and welcoming nature, the retired builder and farmer is currently enduring the toughest period of his life, after being diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – or COPD.
An ‘umbrella term’ for a range of long-term lung conditions including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, COPD is a condition that severely affects the lungs by narrowing the thousands of small air passages – or ‘bronchial tubes’ – responsible for supplying oxygen, making it difficult to breathe.
Most COPD patients – apart from having to rely on a portable oxygen tank to breathe – also suffer from shortness of breath, coughing and a build-up of phlegm.
Not that Les lets his condition slow him down too much.
“I’ve learned to let frustration fade away,” he said. “When you live with a condition like COPD, you quickly learn how to be patient, and to enjoy the good days.
“To get frustrated is to let it beat you.”
And while no cure exists for the condition – except a lung transplant – there has been some good news for COPD patients recently, with a new medication now available to help alleviate symptoms.
Called Onbrez Breezhaler, the daily medication works to relax muscles in the airways, making it easier to breathe. Soon to be listed on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the medication will be available for an affordable price – a fact that has excited Les.
“At the moment it’s worth around $100 – which is a little out of the price range of someone on the pension,” Les said.
“Once it becomes part of the PBS it’s going to be much more affordable, which is going to be great for people like me.”
Les has already started taking the medication, with his doctor providing him with a few sample tablets as a trial.
And already he has seen the benefits, saying that the daily medication has helped alleviate many of the symptoms associated with COPD.
“Like any life-long disease you have your good and bad days,” Les said. “On a really good day I can tackle a few chores around the house, or venture into town.
“On a bad day I can barely get off the couch or even out of bed.
“I’ve found that the couple of times I’ve tried this new medication I have had more energy, and my breathing is far better.”
A relatively active person prior to his diagnosis, Les said he had found it extremely difficult to cope with the condition at first.
“I was actually diagnosed with COPD after a bout of pneumonia,” Les said. “And the first thing I noticed was how much energy it took from me.
“From being someone who liked to be active, I struggled to do all the things that I was used to doing – everything became an effort.”
Forced into an early retirement as a result of the condition, Les said he had quickly opted to live the quiet life with his dog ‘Lady’ rather than let the condition become too much of a burden.
A keen gardener and photographer, Les said that since contracting the disease, he had gained a greater appreciation of the finer things in life.
“Anyone with a debilitating condition – like COPD – will tell you that it’s a life-changing experience,” he said.
“You learn to value those days when you can get out and enjoy the little things.”
Already impressed with the effects of Onbrez, Les said he was looking forward to taking the new medication full time.
“If this trial is anything to go by, it’s medication that is certainly going to improve my quality of life,” he said.
“Already the effects have been nothing short of a miracle, and have made a big difference.
“Even if it means I can spend more time in the garden, or outside with my camera or with Lady, then I’ll be a happier man for it.”
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