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...
Hi there,
I recently was hospitalized , and Hospital dr's said i have COPD, and Congestive Heart Failure.
I saw a pulmonologist, and she ordered a lung capacity test, and sleep apnea testing. I haven't had either yet, but have lung test on Monday.. Sleep apnea test is mid march.
I'm on a bi pap machine, and just trying to get used to these 2 diagnosis'...I'm 50 years old, and smoked for 30 years. I stopped for 3 weeks, but started up again. I'm on oxygen 24/7, but smoke in a room away from it, and without my oxygen on, just so ya know!!
i want to stop smoking, and understand its' common to have a relapse. I was smoking 2 packs a day almost, and i have smoked up to 1/2 pack a day. First it was a few cigs a day, now i see it's gone up to 1/2 pack a day.
So, tommorrow i stop. I am putting the patch on. Anyone have any words of wisdom or comments? I also wondered what the lung capacity study shows. I hear people talking about their EF percentage..is that what it will show, and what does that mean? Does it also confirm i have COPD?
Any info would be appreciated.
B
I recently was hospitalized , and Hospital dr's said i have COPD, and Congestive Heart Failure.
I saw a pulmonologist, and she ordered a lung capacity test, and sleep apnea testing. I haven't had either yet, but have lung test on Monday.. Sleep apnea test is mid march.
I'm on a bi pap machine, and just trying to get used to these 2 diagnosis'...I'm 50 years old, and smoked for 30 years. I stopped for 3 weeks, but started up again. I'm on oxygen 24/7, but smoke in a room away from it, and without my oxygen on, just so ya know!!
i want to stop smoking, and understand its' common to have a relapse. I was smoking 2 packs a day almost, and i have smoked up to 1/2 pack a day. First it was a few cigs a day, now i see it's gone up to 1/2 pack a day.
So, tommorrow i stop. I am putting the patch on. Anyone have any words of wisdom or comments? I also wondered what the lung capacity study shows. I hear people talking about their EF percentage..is that what it will show, and what does that mean? Does it also confirm i have COPD?
Any info would be appreciated.
B
I see people smoking all the time while on 02, so taking it off and going to another room, is not necessary. Your on 02 because of damage to your lungs and you're smoking to cause more damage. I'm trying to wrap my head around that.
Again, join us on the Smoking Board.
I smoked for 25 years, the final 10 years I smoked 4 packs a day. I quit by using Nicoderm patches, and I never had any withdrawal symptoms and quit the first time I tried. But everyone is different; just keep trying until you find what works for you. You can do this! It will not only lengthen your life, but the quality of your life will be better too. Best of luck to you! We're here if you need us!
Quitting smoking is the #1 treatment for copd. COPD is a progressive disease with no cure (yet). Quitting smoking can slow down the progression of the disease and improve the quality of your life. It really is imperative that you quit smoking for good.
I strongly recommend that you check out www.quitnet.com. Quitnet.com is a support forum for people who are quitting and have quit smoking. It is a great place for information on quitting and 24/7 support from other quitters. In my opinion, it is the best online support forum for quitting smoking. Quitnet played an important role in my quit 5 and a half years ago. I love being smoke free, no longer a slave to nicotine.
A full pulmonary function test will confirm the diagnosis of copd and provide information to your pulmonary doctor regarding the exact nature of your disease and best treatments for you. The test takes about an hour. The test is not at all painful or stressful, but all that huffing and puffing may fatigue you.
I'm not sure what EF percentage is. I just googled it and if EF means Ejection Fraction, then the pulmonary test does not address that.
Be sure to get a copy of your pulmonary function test.
Best wishes,
Susan
Howdy and welcome. Sorry you had to get here, but glad you are here nevertheless.
Stopping smoking is the kindest and #1 thing you can do to slow this disease.There is a smoking board that has a lot of support: http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Smoking-Addiction/support-group
You may have heard FEF (forced expiratory flow) as a percentage - one of the numbers derived form a PFT (Pulmonary Function Test). That is probably what you are going to take - make sure they give you a copy when you are done.. FEF indicates how well air leaves the small airway in your lungs. There are other measures they use. ere are a couple of links to explain them: http://www.copdcanada.ca/pft_numbers.htm
http://noairtogo.tripod.com/pft.htm
Take care,
Dennis
I too am a smoker (bear ducking behind those rotten eggs being thrown)...................but congratulations to you for putting that patch on!!!!!!!!!! Best of luck to you in that journey..............and you will get lots of encouragement form everyone here.....including me!!!!!!!!
I also have COPD and CHF as well as pulmonary hypertension and a couple other things............all according to my ER hospital records. But since I have no insurance, I only see a NP and have not been able to have a lot of testng done:(..............Maybe in 19 more months when Medicare kicks in:):):)
At any rate........you have have a great place for lots of advice, information and support............and the beary best of luck to you on your QUIT:):):):)
Welcome to the group.
I agree with all the advice already given to you. Let me add a bit more.
Cutting down is NOT going to help you stop smoking. It just keeps your mind focused on that next smoke.
And once you stop, the cravings will pop up every now and then, so you have to be strong minded enough to not give in.
Change a routine, like what time or in waht room you drink your coffee, take a walk, drink lots of water, join the quit smoking group.
Also, every puff you take destroys the fine hair like thingys in your lungs that are suppose to filter out bad things like germs, dust, smoke, ect.
Then when you hop back on the oxygen, you can actually burn the lungs lining with the o2. You do not feel this, it just damages your lungs more.
And of course O2 is extremely flammable and even in the next room is not far enough away. Either do not smoke, or do not use oxygen.
My Aunt was so addicted to cigs that when she was in hospital , on O2, with lung infections, and a visitor that smoked would come, she would sneak outside with the visitor and smoke. (Her sister) They finally caught on to that. She ended up on a ventolater and died .
This disease is real, and it is a killer, and there is no cure.
But you can slow it down and live a happy longer life if you start now doing what the doctor says, eat healthy, exercise, stay away from smokers and harsh fumes, aresol sprays, dust, ect, any thing that can irritate the lungs.
Be a participant in your life, be proactive, do the best you can to help your self, and help your doctor.
I wish you the best with the stop smoking. It is HARD, but not impossible.
Blessings
BJ
Good luck on you and God bless!
barbara
In order to stay around as long as you can is to quit those smokes. The sooner the better! I smoked, as many of us in this group will tell you, for just about 55 years. So many times over the years quitting became one failure after another. So many times I tried, with just as many failures, with increased smoking after each failure. So your story isn't new to me, been there, done that! Then, halfway through 2008 everyone but me took notice that I was smoking less and less, and I really wasn't even trying at the time. By the end of Sec in 2008, I was hardly smoking at all, so I set a quit date of Feb., 07. 2009. My wife and I were going on an 8 week vacation to Florida and DW, and I was determined to be smoke free before we went to Fla!
Feb 7th arrived and went. No fanfare, I was so eager to live my life smoke free, that I actually stopped Jan., 31, 2009! Haven't had a cigarette since!
So, what I did to quit, I can't really tell you! But the worst was still to come for me.
In Feb., 2010 I was preparing to take a shower one afternoon and all of a suddeen I actually stopped breathing! When I passed out and crashed into the tub my wife came running. After a few minutes I was regaining consciousness, and I thought I had broken my neck, I had no feeling from the neck down! Two days later, my lungs were so full of fluid, the docs in the hosp thought my time was up! But I'm a fighter and several weeks later was discharged. To make a long story short as possible: In Mar., 2010, I was diagnosed with end stage emphysema. The Alveoli (the little sacs in the lungs that transfers the oxygen into your bloodstream), were all destroyed! My right lung is just hanging there, a blackened sack, Oh, it still inflates with air, but that's about all it does. Then, the doc told me that my left lung is about 80% destroyed! I'm on supplemental oxygen, 4LPM, 24/7. It's the only way to keep my other organs from failing due to lack off oxygen. At 4 LPM I'm able to keep my blood/oxygen saturation levels at or about 90%. Anything below 90% and your other organs begin to be deprived of oxygen, By other organs I'm talking your heart, brain, liver, kidneys, etc, all begin to slowly shut down! With low oxygen it becomes difficult to move. Without being able to move, fluid retention begins in the lower limbs. When that occurs, the end result is congestive heart failure because there is too much ffluid buildup around the heart making it difficult for the right side of the heart to beat. With the heart unable to beat, you die!
If the above isn't enough to make you quit, then all I can tell you is: I'll meetcha on the other side!
I will be praying in earnest for you Boo!
Jim Evridge
Best bunch of folks around are here.
Paul
I feel like I'm coming down with something, and besides the COPD, i have the congestive heart failure. I'm swelling up, and my lungs although the nurse said were clear yesterday, I feel congested.
I'm hoping that Dr may just try to up my medicine, if i call on Monday, because i don't want to go into the hospital!
So, tommorrow is the 1st day on the patch. Wish me luck! I'm going to do this! I have to, to stay alive.
Thanks again everyone, for such a nice welcome & advice.
Boo