I feel so bad for you :) I looked for lung doctors in your town and I saw 2 but one of them was in practice for 56 years , so perhaps she retired.- Do you live close to a bigger city? Could you perhaps make an appointment with a doctor there, or are you restricted because of your insurance.- Next time you go to an appointment, make a list of questions and demand at least an explanation of what's going on. I had some rude doctors and I know how difficult that can be. I would get a second opinion especially in your case because you are declining so quickly.
I'm glad you are getting some other help , the nurse and the help around the house.
Lot's of hugs Heike

Hi Chelle,

It sounds like you are getting the care you need, and that is a good thing.
Letting others help, will save your energy. I agree with Heike that it would be good if you could get another doctor, to replace mr. rude !!!
You certainly need a second opinion, because you are declining to fast.
You have recieved some good advice, so I hope you can see another doctor, if for no other reason than a second opinion. You have the right to that.
Hugs
BJ

http://getpalliativecare.org/whatis/

http://www.webmd.com/palliative-care/what-is-palliative-care

Cjhelle -
Good to hear that things are moving better. I'd agree with Heilke. you deserve answers. Mayhaps talking with your new primary would help?

Hugs,
Dennis

Chelle, take all the help you can get. I am so sorry you are declining so fast. I agree with Heike, get that second opinion, you do deserve at least that. Be well and keep letting us know how you're doing.
Ask lots of questions.

I forgot to give you plenty of (((((((HUGS))))))).
Jazz

So sorry Dear. Hope the new primary has a heart. There is just about nothing worse than a crabby doctor that is all full of himself!

Glad to hear you are getting some help. You deserve to get answers to your questions. I hope you will be able to go to another Dr. soon. Keep us informed.
Hugs,
Debi

I was just reading somewhere, only a few days back too yet I can't remember where on the net it was. Anyways, it had to do with copd as well as other lung diseases which make people struggle for air. It was a study actually and it mentioned all the other components aside from the damaged lung tissue itself that can make the patient feel the effects of the disease more acutely and many of them were other physical issues involving the lungs and other organs but one of the very top factors was the emotional factor. A person in an accutely panicked state can almost shut down their own breathing completely by restriction due to muscly spasm/tightness, which most everyone is no doubt familiar with. This is why even a healthy person can be gasping for air after a terrible scare. But also depression and something or other about a depressed nerve response........well, anyways, I'm not even going to bother to try to remember the science bits of it but the gist of it was that depression and anxiety can increase your difficulty breathing quite seriously.
I would consider that it may not necessarily be that your disease is whipping alone very fast all of a sudden, espescially if you haven't had any exacerbations, colds or flues or anything else to compromise your health, it may be that the depression is catching up with you and making your breathing worse. Just a thought anyways. Something to consider. If this physical downhill slide happens to have coincided with a depressive downhill side it may well be that the body/disease isn't that much different but your emotional response to it is.
Perhaps you should try to get involved in the program Denny Gene put up a link to. The one where you get morphine added to your nebuliser treatment. Morphine relaxes the body wonderfully and if it made a big enough difference in your breathing then it would certainly give an indication that it was emotional response rather than a pure physical progression of the disease,
I'm not certain why the morphine would be nebulised and couldn't be taken orally or IM or even IV if the person were in hospital, but I'm a big fan of the stuff espescially in terminal illnesses. The few times I've had to be on a narcotic pain killer it was like being wrapped in a big warm fuzzy blanket of love. I can see how people become addicted to it but when a person is getting into the last few years of their life due to a terminal illness, then the fact that it is addictive should be a non issue for the doc and the patient. My poor dear mom, laying on her death bed didn't want morphine because it was "addicting". Which is ridiculous but she wasn't thinking right due to the cancer and years of built in negative stereotyping of addicts and addictive drugs.
Myself??? In my end days, I'm going to ask for the morphine and tell them to keep it coming fast and hard.

zigzag, I totally agree about the morphine. The stigma of addiction can get out of control. My dad was laying in the hospital dying from leukemia and my brother was totally worried about addiction. Puh-lease.

Chelle, sending you lots of hugs. Does your nurse discuss your concerns with you? Hope you can get the social worker/counselor soon. Sounds like that would be helpful. Let us know.

this disease is really horrible when a person lives alone like you and myself and others......I know that if we have some one with us it takes our mind off of it for awhile and makes it less scarey.....I try to keep as busy as this darn disease will allow ...and it aint easy....Chelle the anxiety that this disease causes will kill you before any thing else will....You need to try to relax it will help with the breathing...this past year has been the worse for me,,,because I was allowing my anxiety and depression to get the upper hand with me...not now I am determined to kick back.....I am alone and its scarey to think that I will probably die alone...but so what difference does it make..alot of people go it alone,,,,,you will somehow get through this because the will to live is a powerful gift

McHugh , you got it right about being alone and going through things alone. I got bad last winter and was scared, it does have a affect on you.
chelle I hope things get better for you, at least having someone around is better than being totally alone. wishing you the best.