ASHTABULA — Joan oce, of Jefferson, remembers a time when she never left her house except to go to the doctor.

Now, thanks to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center at Ashtabula County Medical Center (ACMC), Noce, who has a diagnoses of COPD or (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), walks, shops the malls and flea markets with her grandchildren.

“I owe my life to these nurses,” Noce said. “When I came here I was at 20 percent lung capacity, now I am at 60 percent which is great for a COPD patient; I recommend this place to everyone.”

ACMC’s Pulmonary Rehab Center uses an outpatient exercise program designed to help people manage their chronic lung disease. It offers an opportunity to improve overall health, prevent complications from lung disease and enhance quality of life.

“The community needs to know that this is here,” said Karen Yendriga, a cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation nurse. “We cannot cure the disease, but our patients can feel better, enjoy a better quality of life, learn how to look for signs prior to infection to prevent a hospital stay, learn about nutrition and breathing technique, and learn how to deal with changing weather and outside factors that affect breathing,” she said.

Dave Porter, of Jefferson, has been coming to ACMC for about five months to receive rehab for his COPD.

“I have been on oxygen 24/7 for the past three to four years and I am here to try and build muscle so I don’t need to use so much oxygen. Since I have been coming I have improved from eight liters (of oxygen) to six liters, and I can do a lot more things longer than I used to before I started rehab,” Porter said. “The nurses here are knowledgeable and they listen.”

Anyone with lung disease that causes shortness of breath is a candidate for pulmonary rehabilitation, including those with a diagnoses of COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, black lung, asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic asthma, bronchiectasis and lung cancer.

“When patients call we mail them information about our rehab, and then we just need

doctor’s order to get started,” Yendriga said.

COPD patient, Norman David, of Jefferson, who leads a COPD on-line chat room daily, at 9 p.m., at , has been coming to ACMC for rehab since 2002.

“Medication helps, rehab is what makes COPD livable and not a death sentence, just a change in lifestyle,” he said. “Since coming I have more energy and I can do almost everything I used to, I just do it slower.”