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I'm terrified I have COPD

Posted , 15 users are following.

catarratto
catarratto

I recently stopped smoking after a year of stopping and starting again. During this time I noticed a wheeze and the cigarettes seemed to set it off along with a cough. I went to doctors yesterday and she gave me ventolin and has booked an appointment for a spirometer test. Needless to say I've been on the Internet and frightened myself beyond belief. My daughter is 8 and I keep thinking I'm going to die before she's old enough to take care of herself. I feel guilty for smoking all these years (from 14 but stopped through 3 pregnancies and after) and selfish but all I can see is death and an oxygen tank. I don't cough all the time and cycle a 30 minute journey both ways so an hour in total twice a week and do vigorous horse riding ie trotting cantering and jumping twice a week. I've resigned myself to the fact it's COPD because I do t know what else it could be after smoking for so long. I'm so anxious I can't eat and keep crying thinking about my daughter. I'm 43. Please help. Will I die young?

1 like, 41 replies

41 Replies

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  • angela38476
    angela38476 catarratto

    Posted

    As long as you hve now stopped smoking yu cn live a ong time with COPD. If you can do a 30 minute cycle ride you have  very mild COPD. I havent been safe cycling for the last 8 years, but Im stil very active in other ways IM 70 Ive had COPD for probably 20 years. Breathing exercises are really useful. Try thesort you learn at yoga classes . Mpst importantly be positive, stop reading all the stuff that frightens you, dont use ore medicationthat you need, eat well and enjoy life
    • jason16293
      jason16293 angela38476

      Posted

      Angela.

      I know how you feel went in to get checked for enlarged heart and COPD turns out the x Ray tech did not do the x ray correctly. I have don't have either one. Please don't get upset until you know for sure. This board is great and helped me get thru the roughest week of my life. Never give up hope and God Bless everyone fighting this disease. Jason😀

  • DeeSmith33
    DeeSmith33 catarratto

    Posted

    I agree with emmgee! ...I was wrongly diagnosed just this week, and was beyond myself, with fear, and reading SO much on the internet. , I chose to go to a Pulmonary Doctor, because i knew something didnt add up. Best thing to do is STOP reading all this , and wait until your appointment, and it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion! 
    • angela38476
      angela38476 DeeSmith33

      Posted

      You are right of course but I also want to say to folk who are correctly newly diagnosed dont be frightened, there's lots you can do to stay pretty well Ive had COPD for over 10 years, I still use the minimum of medication and lead a very active life  even if I do hate stairs! Breathing exercises are very important. yoga is a great way to learn
    • jude65855
      jude65855 angela38476

      Posted

      I agree Angela, there are so many other diseases which kill you fast with no way of managing them - eg cancer.   I think a fair part of the emotional shock on diagnosis for the vast majority of us is because finally FINALLY that smoking we've been doing for years and decades has finally caught up with us and we could've avoided all this if we hadn't been in denial about what we were doing to ourselves and believed that we were somehow immune to the effects.  

      Well, of course I'm talking about myself, but I'll bet it applies to a lot of other COPD patients too and I do wish Quit campaigns would stop peddling the lie that once you quit your body will return to normal eventually -  obviously not true for anyone with COPD who's already quit maybe years before.

  • jeanette71454
    jeanette71454 catarratto

    Posted

    catarratto, I think you might be suffering from mucus build up lungs and that's where that wheezing you hear is coming from a build up of mucus, but check with your doctor.  How you might ask? while when I was smoking in my early stage of COPD I had a lot of wheezing but I was very much active in my life I was going to a community college and still breathing pretty good. So, I suggest to you to stop right now while it's just wheezing that you here because if you continue to smoke you will get COPD and it won't be fun period but you'll live a very long time and you won't die. I agree with everybody else your o.k. just listen to your doctor and stop smoking before you get the real deal COPD, but you'll live to see you daughter grow up.

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