mild copd now had asthma all my life ive searched round finding some info want to hear from people that walk the walk not talk the talk with asthma met enough of them already
its mild now i dont want any lucky your not as ill as me i am only whats ahead thank you
Hi lilo2 and welcome to the community. I'm sorry I can't help you as I wasn't diagnosed until very severe stage, and until diagnosis, blundered along blindly, adapting my lifestyle to suit my diminishing ability to breathe ... sorry I can't be more helpful, but I'm sure others will come along and give you useful info as to what you can expect in the various stages. Here's a link to the BLF information on COPD healthunlocked.com/blf/post... Take care x
Hi Lilo2 and welcome from me too. Like initial I was diagnosed fairly late and adapted to my shortening of breath without realising it. I just thought I was out of condition because of my diagnosed 'asthma' which turned out to be copd!
Sorry I'm not much help, just really wanted to say welcome. Sara.
Hi Lilo2 welcome to our friendly forum.At the mild stage if your life style is good and healthy and you dont smoke there is no reason why you might stay at this stage for sometime hopefully.Copd is a progressive illness and slowly but surely our lung function worsens making us more and more short of breath as time goes by,infections increasing as we get worse.Of course this affects the way we live our lives and eventually impacts our everyday living enormously.It is very difficult to put time scales to this as we are all different so many variables.I myself was diagnosed over 20years ago at the moderate stage,Iwas a heavy smoker and only stopped smoking last September,im now considered to be very severe,but i have a good life that I enjoy and expecting to be around for a long while yet.There is somebody here whose husband is very severe and he still manages to work full time! The best we can do for ourselves is eat healthily exercise a lot keep them lungs active,stop smoking,have all necessary flu and pneumonia shots.Nice to meet you Lilo2 see you soon. Janexx
Hi Lilo2 I was diagnosed with asthma many years ago and it gradually grew worse and was found to have mild copd around 4 years ago. It is a very scary diagnosis as it is reversible but you have been given some very good advice.
I was diagnosed with moderate .( bordering severe ) copd in October so must have gone through the earlier stages without .really noticing. I did have a very bad cough and frequent chest infections for 2/3 years but didn't seek medical advice.Just put it down to smoker's cough . and didn't want the lectures. ! Foolish or what. ?
By time I went to docs cough was day and night with crackling wheezing and spluttering (getting embarrassing to go out)
Anyway after 48 years smoking I quit using champix . I am now Symptom free . No cough. Do most things .... can run upstairs , pilates class etc. Can walk for 5 miles (on the flat ) at a fairly brisk pace and still hold a conversation. Have always been reasonably fit. However quite pleased that at 63 can still walk the walk ,! and talk the talk in a literal sense.
You can see from reading various posts that copd can affect people very differently but quitting smoking and keeping active seems to be the best advice for keeping the effects at bay. The only medication l am on is Spiriva inhaler. and doc is thinking of trying me without that come the summer.
I am still fairly new to all this but touch wood things seem Okay at present Cheers
If you stay off the fags, stay out of dusty and chemically impregnated areas, you should have a s near normal lifespan and style as others. BBQ are fairly bad as is all smoke but regular exercise, balanced diet and get on and enjoy life. Chest infections are the biggest bain of our lives...they can dig in and be hard to shift. Also can take a while to recover too but all in all, when you hit a stumbling block, something you want to do but can't, find a way around it, adapt, or replace it with something else. You can, if you aren't careful make yourself a true invalid but you can also chose to get on with life and fight back. I was diagnosed over 17 years ago as moderate, didn't take advice and kept on smoking until last month. Been "Severe" for the last two years but still get on with life.
Morning Lilo2, I care for my husband who has severe COPD and lung function of 25% having said that he still works full time, we still have a great life just a bit slower than most!
I had written this post a while ago - and thought it might be helpful......
There have been a number of posts from very frightened people having just been diagnosed. I have been answering posts and putting in my thoughts when I think they could help. But it occurred to me that the most worrying thing about COPD is the chronic element. Usually we go to the Doctor and get a tablet which makes a vast improvement or cure (simplified but you get the gist!) - COPD is a different beast altogether.
Each patient is different, each patient has to become an expert patient by listening to their bodies, learning what triggers an exacerbation or makes you more breathless or starts the coughing and to keep asking the doctors. If you don't feel right go back to the GP - our lovely doctor agrees that my husband and I know more about his illness than she does.
If you have been diagnosed please talk to the BLF helpline and ask questions of your gp and nurses. If you think the medicines aren't helping go back and ask them to be changed. Come on here and ask questions. If you don't feel well ask for advise. These would be my top tips:-
1) Stop smoking
2) Keep fit - ask for a referral to pulmonary rehab. from your doctor/nurse and keep asking!
3) Get a flu jab
4) Get a pneumonia jab
5) If you think you are starting with an infection - go to the doctors don't wait
6) Take your meds. If you are having side effects go back to the doctors, if they aren't working how you hoped - go back and ask. There are lots of meds available.
7) Listen to your own body and learn - you will know best
AND
8) ENJOY YOUR LIFE - things may change and alter but they would anyway - enjoy each day. The good memories will keep you going when things aren't as good!
Take good care, TAD xxx PS My husband was diagnosed about ten years ago!
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