How long O2

[ol-ly11]

Just wondering what length of time any if you have been in long term home oxygen for and how long people with stage 4 COPD are living for. I am on oxygen 24/7. I am bronciectasis and COPD.

[Hidden]

I am stage 4 on the gold scale and I went on home oxygen in the winter of 2014/15 it was an effort by the doc to keep me out of hospital by treating me in the community but it never worked as I had three stays that winter

[Sjf129903 in reply to Hidden]

I too am stage 4 I just started o2 in January 2017 I just know it helps not sure what you mean by gold

[Hidden in reply to Sjf129903]

To me on the gold scale is a fancy term to describe your COPD and your life expectancy universityhealthnews.com/da...

[hopetorun]

I dont think anyone can answer that. Try and be positive try to get some exersise even if it is chair exercises

[Parvati]

I think it's about 9 years now that I've been on oxygen, but I have come across folk who have been on it for 20 or more years. As for how long people with stage 4 live for there's no straight answer. I have been to funerals for 84 & 86 year olds and I myself expect to live at least another 20 years as I am only 63 and would expect to carry on until at least around 83 and hopefully longer. The main thing to understand is that with COPD you can just as easily die in other stages as with v.severe stage. It isn't like some terminal illnesses where each stage brings you closer to death - the stages just make life harder and slower and you a bit weaker perhaps. Someone who still smokes and is at the moderate stage is at high risk especially if they are sitting around and not exercising. Someone with severe or very severe who doesn't smoke and goes for a daily walk may live a lot longer. We rarely die just from COPD itself - it's fighting off the pneumonia or respiratory failure during or after a severe exacerbation that counts, or succumbing to heart problems etc. weight is a major factor too - normal or overweight is fine - in fact overweight in the 'chubby' sense is best for COPD survival. But if you are underweight you really need to try and gain a few pounds. Age is an obvious factor too - if you are already 85 then it stands to reason that there may not be as many years left as if you were 70!

In summary the best thing to do for longevity in COPD is don't smoke, avoid others smoke, avoid pollutants such as fires etc, eat well and exercise daily - even if you can only manage seated exercise or a walk around the garden to start with - get your flu jabs each year and take your medications. Mot of how well we do is down to ourselves - so rather than worrying about it you are best off taking very good care of yourself and fighting it. Hope that helps.

[Sohara in reply to Parvati]

What a great reply Parvati, and I know that you live what you advocate to others .

I hope you are keeping well, good to 'see' you posting. I am not in HU all that often myself, but I hope you are still keeping well.

GREAT POST

Love Sohara xx

[Parvati in reply to Sohara]

Hi Sohara - lovely to see you too I don't look in as often as I used to either - when I have time for the internet I tend to be skulking around on Twitter I've had a bad year or so physically and let things go a bit for a while - too much sitting around head in hands - but I'm back on an upward trend again now - doing more each day. I think we can all hit rock bottom at times but the important thing is not to be too hard on ourselves and to just start getting back on track again. I wasn't perfect before my COPD so there's little hope that I will be now I hope you are keeping well too Sohara xxxxx

[O2Trees in reply to Parvati]

Saying hello to both of you, so long since our RSM jaunt. Such a good reply Parvati and glad to hear you are having a phoenix moment, or more than a moment, after a nasty time. Im hoping you are both ok - Sohara you were such a help and inspiration when i had the bronch dx added to my lung cocktail. Stay well my friends xxx

[Parvati in reply to O2Trees]

Hi O2Trees Lovely to see you too! Sorry to see you've developed bronchiectasis alongside your COPD Hope that other than that life is going well for you xxxxx

[O2Trees in reply to Parvati]

It's pretty good Parvati - still exercising and have an infection control regime which has kept me free of chest infections for two and a half years now. (Could of course all change at any time though). Lovely to be in touch, you keep well, sending love xxx

[Sohara in reply to O2Trees]

I've actually thought about you . Parvati and Peege a lot, and wondered how you were all getting on. I think Peege went to live abroad, and I see you other two in HU every now and again. So we are all 'still stepping' as I like to say, still going strong ( or some times not so strong) but still all going . It would be nice to meet up another time.

Lots of love to you all XXXX

Sohara

[O2Trees in reply to Sohara]

I would love to meet up - lets think about it. I remember you saying the Tate might be a possibility. We should message, taken up enough room on this post already. xxx

[Billiejean_2 in reply to Parvati]

Great reply Parvati !

[ol-ly11 in reply to Parvati]

Thank you for that. Yes that is very helpful.

[ol-ly11 in reply to Parvati]

I am 58 and on oxygen 24/7 since January due to sat levels going down. Still quite active, exercise and drive but can't walk too far at once as breathless. I have bronciectasis and COPD. I only have 1 lung that works and I do get pseudsmonis chest infections that have to have IV antibiotics. Thank you again for your reply as it has helped a great deal.?

[Sohara in reply to ol-ly11]

Ol-ly 11 I know how down we can all get when we are 'end stage' (scary named stage eh? )

I've had Brochiectasis since a baby, and have only had the equivalent of one lung since 15 ( 2 halves taken out) told I would only live to 20 years then !!! but then they 'discovered' antibiotics that could be taken by mouth and so my predicted life span was raised to 60 . but I am nearly 20 years over that now, and have been at 'end stage' for the past 15 or so years. I now have COPD and Emphysema too, and I am colonised with pseudomonas. Sometimes a large dose ( and I mean large) clears it up, sometimes I have to go in for IV antibiotics BUT I'm still here. !! RESULT. things can stabilise a bit for long periods of time, especially if we can stay clear of picking up another infection, as each one damages more of your precious lung function. So my advice is do EVERYTHING you can to stay infection free. Stay away from very crowded places if you can, don't fly on planes ( easiest place to get some infection) take vitamins etc to build yourself up, Do breathing exercises to get any gunk up off your lungs and most important of all EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE. No matter how slowly , try to go for a walk every day , don't worry if you get out of breath, this just means that the walk is doing you good. Do the walk in two stages if you like, say 30 mins in the morning 30 mins in the afternoon. You will be amazed at the improvement this will bring to your health. Do the walk as slowly as you like, but just DO IT. listen to your ipod or radio if you like, but you will be amazed at how you improve , I was , and like Parvati I don't feel like I am not going to go on for another 10 years , all thanks to antibiotics

Thank the Lord for the NHS, it has it's problems, but I would have died 60 years ago without it

Love Sohara

[ol-ly11 in reply to Sohara]

Thank you so much for this. You have just given me so much reassurance. I will follow your advice and all the peoples on here. Thank you.

[Hacienda in reply to Parvati]

Well said Parvati, Self Preservation at it's Best xxx

[Buzzytruk in reply to Parvati]

Enjoyed your reply. So sensible.

Jo.

[Canadian3 in reply to Parvati]

EXCELLENT REPLY..

[Freddy369]

Inspirational posts from Parvati and Sohara, that's what we all need.

[Barney1947]

I have had copd for 10 years and on oxy 16 hours a day, o like to walk but unfortunately have been diagnosed with arthritis of lower back and right hip,surgery is not an optionas my consultant says my lungs would not be strong enough to survive the aenasthetic however there are a lot of people in worse condition than me. My advice to copd sufferers is take your meds and have a positive mentality and keep as active as possible

[Huff_and_Puff]

I too have Bronchiectasis & COPD Stage 4, and I've been on LTOT for almost 10 years now. I started on 16 hours a day, but I've gone onto 24 hours for the last 3 years. I'm 62, and hoping to squeeze out a few more years yet!

As the others have said, keeping infection free is the most important thing - I am very careful to steer well clear of anyone with even a hint of a sniffle, and touch wood, I've done pretty well at avoiding exacerbations since I've been on O2.

[Toci]

I was stage 4 when diagnosed and have been on O2 for 11 years. Doesn't time fly when you are enjoying yourself?