Top 12 "living with lung disease" blogs of 2008

I think it's great for people with chronic illnesses to get online and blog about their illnesses because it shows other people suffering from the same disease that they are not alone. The same can be said for those taking care of chronically ill people, such as caregivers and moms.

The following are great sources of information for people seeking wisdom about respiratory diseases. To qualify a blog has to have been updated within the past three months, and have at least ten entries:

1. Life with a rare lung child: This is the humble perspective of a mom who is raising a daughter with a rare lung disease called children's interstitial lung disease. She keeps you up to date on the day to day life of being 7 and living with a disease, and of being a mom and taking care of a sick child. You can learn more and help her in her quest to help her daughter, and to find a cure, by clicking here.

2. A chronic dose: This is the blog of a published writer with bronchiectasis and a variety of other chronic diseases, and her story as she wades through life with it. It is definitely a very informative blog.

3. COPD Rehabilitation and after: You can learn a lot about COPD from an RT, a nurse or a doctor, but you can learn a heck of a lot more about this disease from those who are living with it.

4. Spit Happens: Here's the home of a digital artist who battles bronchiectasis and "a rare form" of cystic fibrosis.

5. The Asthma mom: Here you not only get the perspective of a mom with a child asthmatic, but you get all the latest asthma wisdom set forth in a pithy manner. This is a very, very informative asthma website, and a must read for any asthmatic or parent of an asthmatic.

6. The AngryAsthma mom: This mom has her hands full with three asthmatic children. She provides a great perspective and up to date wisdom.

7. COPD caregiving is not for wimps: What is it like taking care of a spouse with a chronic respiratory disease? This blog provides the humble perspective of a wife and her quest to take care of her husband with COPD.

8. COPD news of the day: Karen has COPD, and now she has this blog to share with other COPDers the wisdom that she has learned. This is a very, very informative COPD webside, and a must read for any person with COPD. Your humble RT has even had a guest post submitted to this blog on the RT perspective of COPD. A great blog.

9. Breathin Stephen: Stephen has asthma about as bad as you can get it, yet he continues to walk as much as he can. His blog is an inspiration to all asthmatics. Stephen has spent way too much time on ventilators, is a true bronchodilatoraholic, and yet he continues to walk on. Speaking of bronchodilatoraholism, I thought I held the record for most Ventolin inhalers used in a lifetime until I happened upon his blog.

10. Is my cape fluttering: This is the blog of a lady who developed adult onset asthma.

11. All roads lead to oneself: She's the only blogger I know of who took the time to write a letter to the Asthma Beast. I commend her for that. That beast has a tough skin, as we humans have been fighting it since before the Ancient Egyptians ruled the earth. This blog is the story of another person who has been fighting the asthma beast her entire life. There is some very cool stuff here, so you best check it out. This is another true reminder that if you have asthma, you are not alone.

12. Rick Frea's Asthma Blog: I have to toot my own horn here. Once a week I write a post from the asthmatic/RT perspective for MyAsthmaCentral.com. Many of my posts have been turned into comics, and you can check those out by clickng here.

I'm sure there are more, but this is the list as I am aware of it. If you are blogging about your respiratory illness, or the illness of someone you know, let me know and I'll get it on this list.

In the meantime, keep sharing your experiences.