It is vital that we remember those who’ve served and think of ways that we can assist them. One such way is helping them with their health issues.
After serving in Vietnam, Charles Sanchez worked in carpentry for years. He rarely wore a mask while working because, as he put it, “I always had a cigarette in my mouth.”
The combination of smoking and exposure to construction dust led to severe breathing troubles. “I would get out of breath walking across the room and back,” Sanchez said. Sanchez had developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- COPD -- a lung condition that inhibits breathing and strikes veterans three times as often as the regular population, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Read more about Charles Sanchez and how important pulmonary rehabilitation was to restoring his quality of life on Northern Westchester Hospital’s blog.