Bronchitis Bites

I have COPD - better known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Both of my parents were heavy smokers from before my birth until I was in my teen-age years.  My sister and I used to get reported to teachers, deans and principals because we reeked of cigarette smoke.  Neither of us have ever smoked, but everything in our house smelled of cigarette smoke - we could take a bath, wash our hair, dry ourselves, put on clean clothes, and still smell like cigarette smoke.  Our towels, wash cloths, clothes, sheets and beds, curtains, and furniture all retained that "wonderful" odor of tobacco and nicotine.  Because I breathed all of that stuff for a good part of my life, I ended up with COPD.  I don't have normal lung function.  I have chronic sinusitis, I have chronic bronchitis, I have chronic asthma.  I've dealt with this for nearly 60 years, so I don't blame my parents.  It's just something I have to deal with.
  My biggest problem now comes from where I live.  I walk five miles each day, no matter what - and today it was extremely difficult.  Boulder is located more than a mile above sea level; the air is very dry; and when it gets cold here, it gets cold.  In the eleven years that i have been here, I have found that I cannot step outside if the temperature is less than 15 degrees (F).  My lungs go into spasms and I simply cannot get enough air to breathe.  Since I walk dogs, and am out in the weather, this creates a difficulty.  .....
  Anyway, my first big case of bronchitis jumped on me yesterday - I have lungs full of fluid, sinuses full of fluid, a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, coughs full of "junk," and aches and pains.  Other than taking care of my charges - cats and dogs - I'm drinking tons of fluid, taking hot showers under fresh eucalyptus sprigs, and I've already gotten sick of chicken broth and chicken noodle soup.  Beatrice suggested I put Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of my feet each night when I go to bed.  We'll have to see what this winter brings.
   I had made the comment to Bea that I thought we might need to purchase some thermal-lined curtains for the sliding glass doors in our living room, and for our bed rooms.  She didn't think so, since the buildings were just completed in June and are supposed to be very "green" and environmentally friendly.  After the other night, when we had a low of 28 degrees, she said we needed to get out the measuring tapes and write down the dimensions of our double-paned glass areas because she could feel waves of cold air coming from them....   That's on the agenda for tomorrow.