Did talk to the pulmonary therapist. She is frustrated, too, and hopes the hospital will be able to stop requiring masks soon, as our Covid rate is going down in this area. Pursed lip breathing is hard to remember throughout the day, but I am working on it. Plain paper masks work best for me -- got some N95 type and they are harder to breathe in.

Also, I am unable to get an answer to this question from my pulmonologist, and haven't had a chance to ask my cardiologist yet. Why do I have difficulty breathing when walking (with my walker) around the house or down the street , but don't have any difficulty when exercising in Silver Sneakers or pulmonary rehab? I certainly am working hard in the exercise environment (sweating a lot, mouth breathing in gulps) but have never had to stop because of shortness of breath. Does anybody else have this experience?

Thanks for being a good resource. I appreciate your time and effort. dt