New to site and husband newly diagnosed with copd.

[karlac66]

Hello, I'm new here. My name is Karla and I'm from Pennsylvania. My husband had a ct scan on Dec 18th to check on a pleural effusion caused from pneumonia he had in April of 2017. He was then referred to a pulmonologist. That appt was on Dec 28th. The doctor said the effusion was small and had hardened but no infection so he was just going to observe. He showed us the ct scan and pointed out that there was "just a tiny bit of emphysema" on the top of his lungs (he was a former smoker). Said he wanted to do a breathing test to make sure the pleural effusion wasn't causing breathing issues. My husband wasn't having any issues whatsoever but ok.

We had an hour between the doctor appt and the breathing test. So we went and ate a big dinner. The lady that coached him through the breathing test was pushy and he wasn't sure what to expect or how it would feel. Got through that. The next day the doctor called my husband and told him he scored low on his breathing test. He said, "It looks like you have a touch of copd. Nothing to be concerned about." He prescribed him an inhaler (annoro elliptis) and told him to try it and see if it helped.

I have been a panicky mess ever since. All I can think about is that he's got something that is going to kill him and there's no cure. I don't know what to do, how to think. I'm scared to death. I'm not even sure the test was completely accurate. I can't get a full breath when I eat as much as we ate that night either. I don't know how much that can affect results but I know it has to somehow. And, why did the doctor tell him it was nothing to worry about?????

I just need some rays of sunshine here. I know there's no cure but I'm thinking the worse. Can anyone tell me you can live a long time with this? We're both on a ketogenic diet, and we go to the gym every night of the week. He rides 6 miles on the bike. He has no symptoms at all.

Thank you!

[hypercat54]

Hi don't panic as a touch of copd means exactly that. He has been diagnosed in the very early stages and whilst it is progressive it rarely worsens quickly. Not smoking, having a healthy diet, and lots of exercise means he should stay at the early stages for many years.

I was diagnosed mild in my mid 50's and am still mild 9 years later - my doctor said not to worry about it as something else ie old age would get me long before the copd will. The same for your husband.

As long as he understands he needs to take care of his lungs and take any prescribed meds then forget about it and get on with your lives. If you must google stick to reputable sites such as this one otherwise he will go from alive and well to dead in 3 clicks! x

[karlac66 in reply to hypercat54]

Thank you. He isn't on any meds. His doctor told him it's nothing to be concerned about. We're doing everything we're supposed to do. Your reply made me feel a lot better. Thank you.

[hypercat54 in reply to karlac66]

You are welcome. x

[Hidden]

Hi Karla. I’m treated at a specialist lung hospital in London & their standard advice to patients is to eat only a light meal for two full hours before the tests. As you say, a large meal obviously affects breathing, and indeed lung capacity, so it was very careless of them not to give you proper instructions. It’s bound to have affected the accuracy of the test.

[karlac66 in reply to Hidden]

We were only told he was to have a breathing test. Nothing about it was explained and no one told us no food before. We even said we were going to eat while we waited! Shaking my head at that.

[lKeith]

karlac66

Well here's a ray of sunshine, if he goes to the gym, rides 6 miles on a bike he must be fairly fit, COPD sufferers would love to do that amount of exercise but would probably collapse straight after. If he eats well (not overdo it) keeps fit he'll go on for years. There are plenty of sites in the USA inc lung foundation who have some 5/6 sites around Tampa that could probably advise you further. A member who lives in USA had very bad emphysema & had stem cell treatment some 12/18 months ago is now doing well so all is far from lost, take heart & search the net for local info.

Keep well & live well

IKeith

[karlac66 in reply to lKeith]

Yes, I've been reading about stem cell therapy. I have made an appointment in St Louis, MO. It's a functional medical facility. He will be getting his immune system back on track, be tested for food sensitivites and also to make sure his body has the nutrients he needs. THEN, we are going to look into stem cell therapy. With it being caught this early, I have hopes of good results from it.

Thank you for your reply.