Told i have mild emphysema

Specialist at hospital told me i had that and gallbladder full of stones plus Diverticulitis.

But reading what you said has put my mind at rest now thank you very much and will speak to my doctor about it. PS i am 55 years old smoked for over 40 years.

Got to have a barium swallow to check for acid and hiatus hernia and will check my throat too.. but i did have a camera to look at my throat in march and was all fine. Still loseing weight but i also have acid reflux so don't eat much

I personally would ask ,what to do from ur Dr......Like....How bad is it? Is it COPD! WHAT STAGE IS IT ,IF SO? HOW BAD IS MY EPHESEMA? THATS JUS OPINION!

Hi Charlene they just said mild emphysema COPD never said a stage my doctor is calling me monday so i can tell him my results then he can request a copy of my results from the hospital.

I started when i was 12 / 13 because most of my mates did. I have tried to stop loads of times over the years but find it really hard to do, I have had problems for the last 6 years ever since i started having filters and cut down smoking, i have never been a big smoker and thought this would be the last thing i would get. But i was told that if they did a ct scan on people who have smoked for over 40 years most would have emphysema.

I knew all the risks so my own fault my dad died 59 from cancer of the pancreas. and my sister at 61 throat and lung and yet i still carried on

That's true,But I've known people to b here up to 15 years after being told they have COPD including myself. . I was diagnosed in 2006 w COPD n Then 3 wks ago,I was diagnosed STAGE 2,and I'm still here! I stay away from smoky rooms,really heated days of up to 98 deg,n Below 30 deg I use scarves....when the wind blowing really cold n I get my pneumonia n flu shots!I use a nebulizer, my inhalers ! So I try to take care of my lungs,the best I can! And I use my CPAP machine! I'm at 57% on my FEV1 !

We've all played dangerously and we are paying for it now.

I hope you have gathered good information from this group, we all are going through surviving and living with COPD albeit, we may all be in different stages.  We took that chance on smoking and here we are today....it's like the big bird flew over and dumped on each of us.  We were not exempt from what the sides of those packs told us..  So now we live differently.  

First of all you must quit smoking....oh that is one of the most important things that you can do.  Exercise.....get up and get with it.  I don't know what your FEV numbers are but, you need to keep them as close to a norm as possible and continue building strength in your lungs.  Unfortunately, the damage we have is not reversible and there is no cure.  I am in stage 4 severe with complications....Make sure you get all your information, keep it in a folder, so that wherever you are or at which ever specialist you are with, they are all on the same page as to what you've got and what your treatment protocol is.  Please get a doctor that will sit down and talk to you about what you have what your prognosis is, and what you can do to improve the quality of your life.  You have got to be the pro-active health professional.  You know your body better than anyone else and it's up to you to find the right doctors, to eat correctly, and to exercise not just your body but your lungs.  You need to monitor you pulse ox levels, along with your heart rate....It's not healthy to have a high heart rate and over exertion.  Use your nebulizer or hand held symbicort or spiriva along with claritin, or montelucast....These are just some of the medications that can be prescribed.  I personally keep a attery operated nebulizer with me at all times....They are not as strong as the electric units, but they will help you if you are out shopping, or jump simply get over exerted and begin wheezing.  Stay out of crowds....stay out of extreme heat ( I live in Texas and we are trying to get to a cooler climate, not cold just cooler in the mountains of Georgia) 115 degree days are not good for people with COPD /Emphesema/ Asthma.  Do not go into frigid temperatures (if your COPD is advanced your lungs could freeze.)  You need to read, google, and talk to your specialist.  But make sure you do what is necessary to get yourself in the best shape possible.  Best wishes to you...I intend on living a lot longer ...seeing my Grandsons marry etc., so don't let anyone tell you how long you've got.  No one knows except the Man upstairs.  So God Bless and Get off the Cigarettes...that's a no brainer....You just can't do it and live....

Breathless