A TABLE Top woman who underwent a double lung transplant is urging people who feel short of breath to visit their doctor.
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Noela McGuffie spoke about her two-year struggle at a forum in Wodonga on Wednesday.
The event was organised by Albury Wodonga Health and the Murray Wheezers Support group to raise awareness for World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease day.
Mrs McGuffie spent 18 months in a wheelchair and during that time she was on oxygen 24-7 and could barely breathe or walk.
She said she was diagnosed with oxygen dependent idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis which caused her lungs to harden.
“I was on the lung transplant list for just over 12 months, they didn’t think I'd last long enough,” Mrs McGuffie said.
“It was scary to hear, but I had great family support.
“In August, I received a call at 2am saying they had lungs for me, so we flew straight to Sydney with hardly anything but our toiletries.
“Now I'm alive again, I can breathe, walk and eat.”
Mrs McGuffie returned to the Border from St Vincent's Hospital three weeks ago.
She spoke at La Maison Cafe to raise awareness of lung conditions and the importance of organ donors.
The Lung Foundation Australia estimates about 1.45 million people in Australia have some form of COPD and, as a result, people over 35 are being encouraged to get a lung check.
Murray Wheezers Support Group communications manager Glenys Reed said the day also celebrated 10 years of the network.
She said it aimed to help people after rehabilitation and keep them up-to-date with new information.
“We support one another through rough times and try to raise awareness,” she said.
“A lot of people go undiagnosed because they think it is just old age.”
Albury Wodonga Health respiratory care co-ordinator Maureen Klinberg said feeling out of breath was a symptom not to be ignored.
“If a person's cough is ongoing for a long period of time, or they getting more breathless or coughing up a lot of mucus without an infection – when it goes on even when you are well go and see a doctor,” she said.
“Most GPs have spirometry testing, a lung function test, available now.”
To check your basic lung health, visit www.lunghealthchecklist.com.au.