C.o.p.d i'm mortified!! [Archive]

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Petesy

05-09-14, 16:36

Hi Everyone

Just back from the doctors after getting the results of my Chest X-ray which the doctor says to me the infection has gone but i'm showing the early signs of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease- :scared10::scared10::scared10:

I'm 31 and from now on a cigarette will never touch my lips again i've just thrown my cigarettes away and put a nicotine patch on, i've to wait 3 weeks to go to the hospital for breathing tests....

Tbh i'm just staring into space while my fiancee is trying to calm me down, i feel like crying...

I literally feel like I've just had my life expectancy narrowed down for me :weep: :weep:

I knew something wasn't right...

I just had to get this of my Chest no pun intended!!

Petesy.

Serenity1990

05-09-14, 16:43

I'm sorry to read of your diagnosis.

The good news is COPD is very treatable, and there's lots of information out there that indicates it can be at least partially reversed in young patients if caught at the early stages.

Rennie1989

05-09-14, 16:58

COPD is a variety of lung conditions. I believe asthma is a form of COPD. Get the tests done and try to keep it off your mind.

Serenity1990

05-09-14, 17:05

COPD is chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. To my knowledge asthma isn't grouped in there.

Just a thought, Petesy you mention omeprozole. I'm guessing you have GERD? Did the doc who mentioned COPD know this? As GERD can cause very similar symptoms if reflux leaks into the lungs.

lisad1977

05-09-14, 18:40

Fishmanpa

05-09-14, 19:23

I smoked for for 37 years. Among other health issues, I show early signs of COPD. It hasn't progressed at all in the last couple of years and I actually have no symptoms at all. It just showed up on x-rays and is mentioned in my medical notes.

Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do and within several years of doing so, I wouldn't doubt to hear there's no sign at all.

Check this (http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Benefits_Time_Table.html)out

Positive thoughts

SADnomore

05-09-14, 22:14

There you are, then! It doesn't need to progress any further, and may very well reverse. So long as you stay quit! :yesyes:

Zyban is both a smoking-cessation aid and an antidepressant. Should you want to try killing two birds with one stone. Especially if you feel increasingly anxious/depressed stepping down via the patches. Just a thought. ...

Carnation

05-09-14, 22:30

Petsey, before you set yourself in to a deep depression over this. The Doctor said "signs" and "early". It doesn't mean you are going to die or get worse.
Good for you to pack up, maybe fate's way of gearing you up to do this. Sending you a Hug. :hugs:

Charlotte cosier

06-09-14, 00:13

As you have given up smoking and COPD is in early stages this can be reverse, try not to worry. My Dad has really bad COPD and his cannot be reversed and he still smokes and he is 74 and I don't think it will be long before he is on oxygen he is fishing it hard to stop smoking :( but keep off the smoking yourself hope you feel better soon and good luck x

Serenity1990

06-09-14, 00:38

The thing is with COPD like many such things it's a spectrum. It's not a disease in the sense of pathogens, so it's not a simple yes/no in terms of you have it of not. Rather if your lung function measures are below a certain threshold the diagnostic criteria says you have it, if they're not then the criteria says you don't. So in a sense everyone who's done any damage to their lungs at all though smoking or even just living in a city suffers from the same deterioration, it's just once that deterioration passes a certain point it's called COPD.

That's my understanding anyway.

Annie0904

06-09-14, 14:39

Petesy like others have said you are showing 'early' signs. Now if you continued smoking I am quite sure this would get worse but you have made the right decision to give up smoking so that can only mean improvement.

Cags48

06-09-14, 14:59

If you pack in the cigarettes then the COPD won't go any worse and may even heal itself ... Asthma isn't a form of COPD it's totally different with different treatments I have Chronic brittle asthma and have had since I was 2 now I have to use a nebulising machine 3 times a day .

Petesy

06-09-14, 23:03

Hi Everyone

Thanks very much for your kind replies and support it means a great deal :bighug1:

i'm still cigarette free 48hrs but I'm proud :yesyes: and I need to wait for these tests (spirometry) hopefully soon.

To answer your question lilsad1977: no I didn't have any of those symptoms it was a really bad cough with phlegm I went to my g.p he said viral infection, week later chest infection: meds amoxacilin500mg, week later still no change: meds ciprofloxacin 500mg, week later pale phlegm which to the docs knowledge means no infection followed up by this x-ray, 3 weeks I waited for my results to be told infection has cleared but I show early signs of c.o.p.d, but still go to the G.P and get yourself checked out lilsad :hugs:

---------- Post added at 22:03 ---------- Previous post was at 21:51 ----------

Hi serenity

You seem to have a done your research and thanks for your input :hugs:

About the G.E.R.D I haven't been diagnosed as such I do get reflux, but the main reason the doc put me on those was due to the explosion of a duodenal ulcer which nearly killed me (lost 4 pints of blood) following eradication I caught helacabata pylori.

After a month had past a routine follow up endoscopy showed I have a haitel hernia and a shatzki ring and where that nasty ulcer was they said it's just scar tissue now.

But you do have a good point on that reflux I didn't think of that btw I'll make sure to run that one by the specialist cheers :hugs:

Petesy.

---------- Post added at 22:13 ---------- Previous post was at 22:03 ----------

Hi fishmanpa

Thank you for your reply and the link you left it made me feel more confident and motivated to go the distance which I know I will without a shadow of a doubt, i actually showed my father the link he basically took his cigarettes and tossed them in the trash and put on a nicotine patch, i said "we've been paying a fortune a month for bad health" which is true.

Thanks again Fishmanpa

Petesy :D

---------- Post added at 22:24 ---------- Previous post was at 22:13 ----------

Hi Annie

Thanks for your reply

Yeah I said it before the doctor finished his speech, basically swore in his office saying with ciggies in hand "well these can go to f#*k" so angry with myself because their's no one else to blame but myself, but heh I can take a positive note from all this it's been the boot up the arse i've needed basically..

Petesy x

---------- Post added at 22:36 ---------- Previous post was at 22:24 ----------

Hi Cags48

Thanks for your reply

I hope it does reverse tbh and quiting these cigarettes is the first step...

I'm sorry to hear about your condition btw especially so young, hope you're doing ok, my mother has asthma and i've seen her in quite a bad state scrambling for her inhaler also being put on steroids and she has never smoked in her life,

that's another point that makes me angry with myself that their's ppl like yourself and my mother and many many others out there who don't ask for this, but yet I've been paying for it all year round pisses me off :mad: no doubt you've thought along the same lines

Thanks and all the best

Petesy :hugs:

---------- Post added at 22:41 ---------- Previous post was at 22:36 ----------

Hi rennie1989

The G.P did mention inhalers at the end of his consultation, but it differs on the outcome of this spirometry test, stopping these cigs has my mind for now trying to stay as calm and nice as i can

Thanks again rennie x

Petesy x

---------- Post added at 22:50 ---------- Previous post was at 22:41 ----------

Hi sadnomore

Thanks for your reply

Yeah totally right about the quitting :D

As for the zyban, champix etc I know where you're coming from and it's a good idea unfortunately not for me a while back I tried the champix and had really vivid thoughts of suicide so that's a big no no for me but it's different for other people for e.g my neighbour tried champix and has been smoke free for 8 years so you do have a great point..

Thanks again

Petesy

---------- Post added at 22:56 ---------- Previous post was at 22:50 ----------

Hi carnation

Thanks for the reply

I totally agree with you it'll bring more problems than I already have or need, and you're right this has came along and without hesitation I dropped those cigarettes without hesitation..

Thanks mate

Petesy :hugs:

---------- Post added at 23:03 ---------- Previous post was at 22:56 ----------

Hi Charlotte cosier

Thanks for your reply

I will do this!! and i'm really sorry to hear of your father's condition but i'm really grateful for you sharing it with me, it must be hard not just on your pap but on you and your family and I really wish your father and you all the best x

Thanks very much :hugs::hugs:

Petesy x

lisa1975

04-11-14, 00:09

Just read this post how you getting on you still of the ciggies

julia22

07-11-14, 07:13

Hi. After reading your posts and me feeling horrible ive just thrown my ciggs in the bin im 47 and have been a heavy smoker since i was around 20. My Dad has a quadriple when he was 52 due to smoking and I still didnt give them away. with my health anxiety lung cancer is one of my concerns so I hope this works out and I dont go back to buying anymore. Hope all works out for you to xxx