COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
As I have written before, my dad has COPD. Aside from a recent bout with pneumonia (in October), he has been stable for the past 4 years.
He is never SOB, works full time, and goes to the gym 3 times per week. He is a healthy body weight, loves to eat, travels, etc
He does cough all the time and spits up mucus.. He sees a pulmo specialist every 6 months and takes Spiriva and Advair. In fact, the whole COPD thing doesn't worry him too much.
I am grateful that he appears to be doing reasonably well. So, whats the problem? ME!
From what I have read online (and I admit - I have spent too much time scaring myself with online info), with 40% lung capacity - he should be in way worse shape. This frightens me. I feel like I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Is he just one infection away from becoming very sick?
How long can he stay in this stage, comfortably?
Is the life expectancy for someone like him really only 4-7 years?
Do you any of you function well with 40% lung cap?
Also, have any of you stopped reading websites or forums because they just plain scared you?
He is never SOB, works full time, and goes to the gym 3 times per week. He is a healthy body weight, loves to eat, travels, etc
He does cough all the time and spits up mucus.. He sees a pulmo specialist every 6 months and takes Spiriva and Advair. In fact, the whole COPD thing doesn't worry him too much.
I am grateful that he appears to be doing reasonably well. So, whats the problem? ME!
From what I have read online (and I admit - I have spent too much time scaring myself with online info), with 40% lung capacity - he should be in way worse shape. This frightens me. I feel like I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Is he just one infection away from becoming very sick?
How long can he stay in this stage, comfortably?
Is the life expectancy for someone like him really only 4-7 years?
Do you any of you function well with 40% lung cap?
Also, have any of you stopped reading websites or forums because they just plain scared you?
I'll start from the back and work forward:
No - knowledge is power. The information helps me get the most out of what I have.
Some of us function with far less than 40 %, others have trouble with more but have other health issues
God is the only person that can tell you how long he will live.
He could stay right where he is for a long time if he takes care of himself and doesn't get a cold or suchlike.
No - a minor infection or cold will not necessarily lead to catastrophic illness.
I really don't know how someone can predict what physical condition a person will be in with 40% of their lung capacty. There are too many other factors involved.
You are right. I'll recommend that you enjoy him more and worry less. If something happens you now have knowledge to understand and cope with it. I'll guarantee the last thing he wants is for you worry about something you cannot change...
Hugs,
Dennis
i belong to a fellowship that has a saying, "if i have one foot in yesterday, and one foot in tomorrow, i'm peeing all over today."
with that little wisdom ;) said; i can also relate to the scaring yourself with too much info.
i was doing the same thing. i was looking at "time" and "statistics" of this disease at one point.
and it was scaring me.
that brought me to another saying, "if i look for the bad, i will find the bad. if i look for the good, i will find the good."
so i told myself (yes, when i'm not talking to my dogs; i talk to myself) that i need to stop looking up information on this disease if it's just going to cause me worry as there is no reason to upset myself. BUT, after NOT educating myself and NOT doing things right i did get worse.
so now i look at information with the goal of what can i do to make this the best possible experience, how can i take the best care of myself and so forth (do you get my drift here? i always wonder if i'm explaining myself right).
it sounds like your dad is doing everything right.
so why should he worry?
statistics also show that stress and worry deplete our immune system, atrophy our brain and cause us health problems.
so you are right---the problem is you and at this rate you may shorten your life span and cause more health problems for yourself with your anxiety.
that may sound cruel, but i also have the experience of caring for 4 family members that have passed.
i always wondered how they did it---staying positive and doing all they could until the very end.
now i understand.
when i was diagnosed with this disease & told i was terminal my first thought was, "how do i want to live the rest of my life?" (even healthy people should do this).
FOR ME (others may be different), i decided i wanted to spend time with my family, create happy memories of this time (for us both) not memories of how sick i was. and for myself i want to enjoy and experience EVERYTHING i can while i can.
in other words, i want to live and i want my loved ones to live & share that with me.
i have 42% lung capacity. i get a bit sob & i need to set a slower pace for myself. but with O2 therapy, inhalers, and proper treatment i can still lead a normal life at this time. so why shouldn't I?
i'll tell you, i'm finding out that this disease isn't that horrid (at this point, but it is frustrating). i also suffer from chronic pain that is more debilitating mentally and physically than having to carry O2 and pace myself.
and NO! i am not in denial. there will come a time that i can't do as well as i'm doing. i get frustrated and scared when i get sick. but i'll be damned if i'm going to waste my good days by curling up in bed, stopping my activities, or feeling sorry for myself.
your dad sounds like he's doing good----enjoy your time with him & quit worrying (worry won't change anything). make some happy memories while you can!!!!! i miss my dad, mom & both sisters and i'm so glad we had our time together and WHEN they got worse i was there for them all the way to the end. no one can take away those memories!
sorry this is so long (but i am passionate about this). i only speak for myself and how i need to deal with things, i hope you find your answers.
I feel like I am always looking for signs that something is wrong....and my Dad just ends up getting annoyed with my paranoid nature and we argue.
I loveeeeeeeeee the quote about peeing all over today! Something to remember!
I don't blame your dad for getting annoyed at you. Sounds like he is doing well with his illness and is more busy "living then dying"....as it should be:):)