I have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). I stop breathing several times each night. I am being treated with a C-Pap device (Continuous positive airway pressure) to keep me breathing and 2 liters of oxygen at night to treat low levels of oxygen at night time.
Every night when I lie down, I worry that I will stop breathing in my sleep and pass away,.. not knowing I am dead,, my spirit/soul will then be trapped and unable to process the experience. Or I could have a stroke or suffer cardiac arrest due to complications of sleep apnea and COPD. (although that usually happens when the diseases are not being treated)
Perhaps I am uniformed about COPD and OSA and my future visit to a Respiratory Care Therapist in a few weeks will ease my worries, ....and I will get more educated about my illness, ....I don't know.
I do have a belief in an afterlife and have made my peace with The Creator/God/Higher Power. Still, I don't know how to face my fear of death and dying. I am very anxious and concerned, I guess because I witnessed my mothers death when she stopped breathing and maybe that is a stressor for me.
Perhaps, if I felt more prepared for my eventual passing over to the next life, I would feel more at ease. Maybe there are some positive thoughts that could ease my worries. Just talking about this is a sign that I am being proactive so I guess that is a positive thing.
That I stop breathing in my sleep is obviously a stressor for me and I am trying to get comfortable with the fact that we never know when our time will be done or how we will go.
I didn't see a thread on facing fear of death and thought a discussion about it might be helpful for those who have terminal illnesses or who are experiencing grief over the passing of a loved one, etc.... and I definitely need to talk about it so here goes....
Every night when I lie down, I worry that I will stop breathing in my sleep and pass away,.. not knowing I am dead,, my spirit/soul will then be trapped and unable to process the experience. Or I could have a stroke or suffer cardiac arrest due to complications of sleep apnea and COPD. (although that usually happens when the diseases are not being treated)
Perhaps I am uniformed about COPD and OSA and my future visit to a Respiratory Care Therapist in a few weeks will ease my worries, ....and I will get more educated about my illness, ....I don't know.
I do have a belief in an afterlife and have made my peace with The Creator/God/Higher Power. Still, I don't know how to face my fear of death and dying. I am very anxious and concerned, I guess because I witnessed my mothers death when she stopped breathing and maybe that is a stressor for me.
Perhaps, if I felt more prepared for my eventual passing over to the next life, I would feel more at ease. Maybe there are some positive thoughts that could ease my worries. Just talking about this is a sign that I am being proactive so I guess that is a positive thing.
That I stop breathing in my sleep is obviously a stressor for me and I am trying to get comfortable with the fact that we never know when our time will be done or how we will go.
I didn't see a thread on facing fear of death and thought a discussion about it might be helpful for those who have terminal illnesses or who are experiencing grief over the passing of a loved one, etc.... and I definitely need to talk about it so here goes....