COPD at 31 Years Old

I’ve been battling with a condition that can’t be seen but can definitely be heard. I’ve been in and out of hospitals and doctors’ offices, getting countless scans and x-rays. I suffer from a condition, that at my age, should have never been a thought. As of February 2022, I have been officially diagnosed with COPD.

Now, you might be asking yourself, “but Michael, what is COPD, and why should I care?" and that’s a great question. Allow me to elaborate,

My specific medical condition, so you know what’s going:

The reason why I’m mentioning this to all of you now, is because my life has hit a snag. Because of my COPD, I've missed a lot of work. From June to August, I was only been able to work 1 to 2 days a week. From the end of August until now, I've been out of work, on an unpaid FMLA leave.

The last 6 months of my life, I’ve burned through my savings, and had to rely on my parents for help. It’s gotten to a point where in the last 3 months, I’ve had to put my rent and utilities on my credit cards.

Now I know what you’re going to say, “why not just get another job” or “didn’t you have savings you could be using?” both of which, are really great questions, and I’ll be glad to answer them:

That last bit was more of a segway into why I’m asking you all for help. I want you all to know how very humbling it is, to have your own body betray you, in such a way, that you have to ask friends, family and even strangers for help. Being unable to survive on my own, at 31 years old, is very…depressing to say the least. But, I’ve been trying my best.

I’m at a point now, where if I don’t get help, my life will become an even bigger disaster. I wish I didn’t have to expose myself like this to the world, but medical and non-medical bills are piling up.

The medicine I’ve been put on alone is stupidly expensive, but it’s necessary because it’s been working. Back in February of this year, is when I officially got diagnosed/started treatment for it. Below are the monthly costs:

I don’t receive all of those monthly injections at once. They will alternate between each other over time. The reason I mentioned the above prices, is because I know a lot of people won’t listen to someone with a disease that can’t be seen. And I understand that.

$15,000 might seem like a lot, but in the medical/real world, it doesn’t even scratch the surface on how much everything costs.

If you are able to help, I will love you forever. If you cannot, I kindly ask that you share this with your friends and family. In the world we live in today, all we can really do is rely on each other.