COPD Support Group

Since she is just my primary care physician, and since I am so young, I'm thinking of having her refer me to a specialist. I smoke and will be quitting (discussing that with her tomorrow also). I really don't find my symptoms severe. I don't gasp or find myself short of breath, just congested and wheezy. I use the Advair discus twice a day, and have a rescue inhaler. Despite the Advair I still use the rescue inhaler about once a day.

Is it going to be all down hill from here? I always try to be a positive person, which is difficult in this family (ie, ANY diagnosis is seen as pending death). I'm definitely a go-with-the-flow person and try to be positive about everything (I have epilepsy amongst other problems, too), I just need some reassurance that I know I won't get from my family members.

Welcome to the group.

Post edited by: Lazy1, at: 09/01/2009 01:05 PM

Jode

i too had smoke since i was 14, now 44. my mom died last year from copd, but you know i really do think theirs masses of hope for you!

i was told by my doctor that if your still quite young and give up cigarettes you can undo a little of the damage cigs do to our lungs!

apparently stopping smoking can after 5 years (may seem long but it soon fly's past) clear our lungs of nearly most of the nicotine.but we still maybe have lung damage it will not continue to damage it further. we will have always have damaged in our lungs, but we can reverse the effects of smoking some what! Even a long time smoker of 2 or more packs a day could help themselves and their breathing improve.Anything to prolong our life's is surely better! i gave up almost 2 and half years ago, and must admit am having a struggle with the cravings, with the death of mom, my illness and depression. i sometimes don't think i could go any lower but am determined not to light up. bless you for contemplating giving cigs up and doing something about it. it's never too early or too late for all of us. it will be a life time commitment with our nicotine addiction but we can do it!

hugs Leigh x

Post edited by: olivia7300, at: 09/09/2009 03:01 AM

You did not state what you were dx with. If it is COPD there are three difference condition within the classification of COPD. They are emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. Each has its own action on the lungs.

I have told my Pulmonary Rehab patients for years that it is never to early to quit smoking and it is never to late to quit smoking.

To a degree your lungs do clean themselves of the tar and nic collected in the lungs, unfortunately the lungs are not able to repair themselves on such a big scale.But new damage is stop when smoking is stopped.

The damage that is already present can result in emphsema but there are many ways to treat and do you can do very well even with lungs that are damaged. Bronchitis causes swelling in the lungs which produces lots of mucus. Again there are ways to deal with the swelling and mucus. While asthma is not caused by smoking, smoking irriates the condition and this can be life threatening.

The simple fact is quit and you will feel better and have a change to prolong your life and reduce your symptoms.

Traci

I'm down to just 2 or 3 cigarettes at night, and I don't smoke a whole cigarette at once. So I'm getting there.

Thanks for all your support, guys!

continue that excellent work on giving up cigs. This is such a difficult habit to break. Good work.

Keep in touch and feel free to pm me if you need to.

Traci