CALL 911! really! i WAS you. in august of 2012, i knew i had copd. i had been doing spiriva and symbicort and rescue inhalers for over a year, i was still working, and STILL SMOKING! i was not on oxygen. i live alone, but i have a girlfriend, and , like you, i tried to downplay my smoking when she was around because every time i would light up, she would get this sad look on her face, shake her head and say, " don`t you love me? don`t you want to be here with me? why are you killing yourself with those cigarettes? " i had no answer to the LAST question. so, i`m sure, like your husband, the concern is coming from a place of love. anyway, for a week prior to me being admitted to the hospital, for the first time ever in my life, i was breathing worse than ever. i had actually called 911 { something i had NEVER done..when i called, i could hardly get the words out....I....CAN`T.....BREATHE....! } twice in that week. when they came, they gave me oxygen for awhile, i felt better, then they left. fast forward to the following saturday. it happened again. this time i COULD NOT get my breath back! they loaded me into the van and off i went for a ten day stay in the hospital! all the way there i really thought i was going to die. no joke! pretty scary. so, here i am now. not smoking. not working. on disability with a nose hose hanging off my face for the rest of my life.taking pills and inhalers... BUT AT LEAST I`M NOT DEAD! as THEY say, this is a progressive disease, you might be progressing to the next stage. if so....it`s better than being dead. right? call 911. let the cards fall where they may. breathe in.....breathe out.....

Thank you oxyman. I believe you are pretty much spot on with your observations.
I guess what I'm trying to ask is can a traumatic event trigger an attack? Could this be uncontrolled anxiety ? Anyway I'm thinking seriously of going to a walk in clinic tomorrow when I get off.
Actually I feel kinda foolish about what I wrote earlier. I was on my 2nd nebulizer treatment and it wasn't working and I was scared.
I have 02 , I have combivent nebulizer, I even have an emergency pack of predisone my Dr said I should keep so I have everything the ER could do.I was just afraid.
But anyway has anyone ever been thrown into an attack by a traumatic event or is it all in my mind?
>^..^

I totally agree with oxyman!! Get to the ER at once !! Gracious lady, your job should not be more important than your life !!!

If you are doing your inhalers correctly, something is very wrong. If you die from a stroke or heart attack, guess what ??????? Your office WILL find a way to get along with out you....

I am not trying to be rude or mean, I really care....but you need to get this under control. Yes, tell your husband, and if he believes or not, that is his problem, do not make it yours.
You can not control, nor are you responsible for someone else's feelings or emotions, if you have been honest with them. only yours.

Get to the ER, today !!!!!

Brenda

Thank you but I feel fine now. I smoked yesterday and that is what I think brought on my attack when I woke up. Ive been very upset these past couple days and not sleeping as much as I should and smoking. When I light it I feel wonderful and my hands quit shaking but god do I pay in the AM.
Right now if I went to the ER they would send me away because at this moment I'm fine. My main thing is keeping my anxiety down during an attack. I KNOW I need the nebulizer treatment to open my airway but during an attack I sometimes try to push it away because it feels like I'm suffocating.
What am I telling y'all this....I'm sure you know firsthand
Again....thanks guys.
>^..^

Start up on your back up preds...Get it into you now, it will help to open you back up, if you take it early enough today, hopefully you will feel the effects tomorrow morning...And yes a traumatic event can bring on an attack as they are stressful and anxiety inducing...start the preds, keep doing your nebs every 6 hrs or so, and find ways to RELAX.

Ilovethekitties, You have been given some very good very logical advice, and I can't stress hard enough you should follow. Get your can to ER. But BJ gave you some great advice on dealing with your husband, Do not make or allow your husband to make his issues your responsibility. Just don't let that happen. Please take care of yourself, don't allow the disease to control your every step. But having said all that, you do need to work on stopping smoking as well. That will help. Take care, Bill

Well we all just hate to go to the horsepistle but maybe it is time