Had diagnosis struggling with stairs sats drop when walking may have to give up work I don't want to can this be halted moderate
Can copd be halted : Had diagnosis... - Lung Conditions C...
Can copd be halted
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32 Replies
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Hi
Everyone’s case is different. Halted? I don’t know, probably not. It is a chronic and progressive disease. From the various reports on this forum, how quickly it progresses varies a lot from one person to the next.
I feel the progress has been slowed in my case through exercise and quitting smoking. Maybe that has bought me enough years for a medical break through to occur. Who knows?!? Might as dwell on positive possibilities 😀
• in reply topepapod
Grateful for your response
pepapod• in reply to
Of course. I still work full time, by the way. Are you on any inhaler to help with your breathlessness?
• in reply topepapod
Seebri and forstair and blue inhaler I am worse am and last thing. What do you do for a living. Looking on here I do think I have sleep apnea as well..
pepapod• in reply to
I work for a marketing agency - desk job so it is easier than many. I wonder about apnea. Sometimes I wake myself up with really strange sounds from my chest. Sound almost like a machine. Do you ever have that?
• in reply topepapod
My job is very physically challenging I want to continue working I was deep breathing almost like I have forgotten to breath and palpitations
pepapod• in reply to
Maybe you can get into a pulmonary rehab class where they teach breathing techniques? My consultant won’t refer me, he says I am not there yet, but bending over does take my breath away.
I have C.O.P.D and recently went to my Doctor with a sleep problem.She refered me to the Sleep Lab at my local Hospital,i am still awaiting results .Perhaps you could try that.
Paradoxically, giving up working completely will actually make your condition worse, remaining active is an important way of slowing down the progression. Think of changing your job to one less demanding would be your best option.
I have multiple other health problems as well as COPD diagnosed as severe, 3 years ago and quit smoking immediately, since then I have developed lung tumours, one a large benign tumour has restricted the airflow in my upper right lobe. Another was malignant, cancer, that has been treated and I am in remission. My FEV1 is now 28% because of the larger tumour. I am 69 this year and I still work full-time, on my feet all day, as a production engineer.
I also live in a maisonette up three flights of 14 stairs and can carry my partners loaded shopping trolley up those stairs.
A couple of weeks ago I took my family on holiday, sailing quite a large 14 ton cruising yacht almost single handed. I doubt very much that I could have managed it if I had retired, given up work and become sedentary. My quality of life is second to none, considering my health.
Take a leaf out of my book, if you do give up working, you really must take up exercising on a regular basis, remaining as active as you can.
Good Morning 2greys ,I must say when I read your comments you certainly give me inspiration to carry on.
I am pleased you and your family managed to have a Wonderful holiday. 😀
Kind regards
Susan. 🐘
• in reply to2greys
I want to maintain working
2greys I continue to be amazed by what you can do. I can't even imagine having a job at this point. I am 67 and did work the same job for 38 years. I do try to stay active, walking 2-3 miles daily. Yesterday, I mowed my partner's lawn, front and back, on a very hot day. It was not easy, but I did it. Later on, we drove out to the barn where she keeps her horse and delivered 3 50-pound bags of feed. Now, lifting 50-pound bags out of the car and walking them even a few yards is not something I would choose to do for fun.
Hi Challny, believe me, sailing is fun, but that and my job is damned hard work and I force myself to do it. I have never worked so hard in my life, permanently out of breath. Eventually I will have to slow down and accept that age and breathing capability have got the better of me.
For now though, all thoughts of retiring are "off the board", the therapeutic value of it is just too great to give up and to lose my independence, which I am not ready for. I still enjoy my freedom to go "out and about" too much, without which I would become quite isolated, not being able to socialise.
@2greys ... the sailing must have been wonderful, despite the hard work. When I was a young teen, my father bought an old Lightning sailboat and we kids had a grand time sailing that around Long Island waters. Mowing the lawn has become a real challenged, but I'm determined to continue doing it because the alternative is that I'm basically an invalid.
• in reply to2greys
My so you progressed because of tumour..do you think had that not occurred you would have been able to stay stable.
2greys• in reply to
Hard to answer that, but I believe that I would have remained reasonably stable.
The problem I have with the blockage is that I cannot have it removed surgically and further radiation exposure, to shrink it, could be detrimental although that could be an option in the future or maybe a stent to open up the airway, but a stent also carries a risk. At the moment, reoccurring lung cancer is more of a worry to me than the Emphysema is.
What you have take on board is that any progression of Emphysema is manageable and with care can be limited.
• in reply to2greys
I can imagine cancer is more of a concern. I guess I know nothing apart from progressive disease.
As it’s progressive it can’t be halted but by stopping smoking and being on the right treatment it may slow things down,this is what my respiratory consultant told me when i asked him the same question,but as pepapod said everyone is different so progression varies,
• in reply tofenty
I was afraid to ask anything
I’d sooner ask on this forum as when asking your g.p it seems all they want to say is “you’d be better asking your respiratory team” they know more and they’re the experts,maybe so that they are but it doesn’t give you any confidence and generally walk away from the g.p surgery none the wiser,and although seeing the respiratory nurse at my surgery is so much better she’s so busy going to other surgeries seeing other patients with copd it becomes quite a wait to get to see her except for booked appointments with her,the advice and help you get here is an invaluable source of information,don’t get me wrong my respiratory consultant is great and always emphasises that should i have any problems i can ring his secretary with any questions and he’ll get back to me which he does,but i don’t want to keep doing this and feel like I’m pestering him,i always read posts and if there’s anything i need help with there’s always someone willing to give help/advice regarding my issue,I’m so grateful to this site and the helpful people and i no longer feel unable to ask for any help/advice should i need to do so,it’s comforting to know that people are willing to share their knowledge about things related to copd in its forms...fenty.
I understand that it cannot be halted but can be managed to minimize progression. The damage has been done and is irreversible. Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a start but knowledge of the condition and how to manage it is essential and forever changing. For me the important thing to have some measure of control over the illness. Use this site to gain some of that knowledge and experience. I wish you all the best.
You can't stop lung deterioration; it is a natural process which affects everyone. The diagnosis of COPD is simply a recognition that your lungs are below par for someone of your particular make-up; if you don't do anything specifically to harm them (eg, smoking), then they will probably get worse no quicker than anyone else, but from a lower baseline.
Having said that, I have been told that my lung function has stabilised over the last 3 years since I started on inhalers for moderate/severe COPD and late-onset asthma, but the mucous production seems to have got worse. I would suggest taking any medication you're prescribed (my consultant believes the earlier, the better) and, provided the side-effects are tolerable, you will probably find they will slow the progression. But everyone is different and there are no guarantees in life!
Hi, 2 greys is spot on as I am sure it applies to many people myself included, I was a process improvement technician on a massive manufacturing site,loads of walking to different locations,had to give up due to COPD and arthritic knees,after spending 12 months just doing nothing my numbers all changed for the worse, I now swim three times a week and everything is much better,that is after taking advice from people on here,you won't go wrong.
• in reply toJollj
I want to keep working
Jollj• in reply to
Speak with your employers,they may have a sympathetic view and lessen your workload or help you with the more difficult parts of your job,my employers helped but in the end it was just too much,the distance i covered in a day was quite high and no getting away from.
Try watching this and do some of the excercises, very similiar to a rehab course
youtube.com/watch?v=j9Og5r0...
• in reply topeter06
My sats dropped to 88 after I excercised came back up to 98 shall I contact respiritory team
I understand COPD is progressive but it is possible to slow the progression. Obviously don't smoke and do exercise, stay away from people with the sniffles so as to avoid an exacerbation. Be kind to yourself and try not to let it get you down. I was diagnosed severe, I just seem to be a bit slower than I used to be, but I get there. Good luck
I was diagnosed with moderate COPD last June. My spirometry test gave a result of 45. From then until December I nose dived and by mid December I could hardly walk twenty yards without resting, hanging up clothes was exhausting, taking a shower and washing my hair left me completely knackered. Then suddenly I got a stomach flue or some virus. I was really unwell for about 10 days, couldn't leave the house or eat anything. My spirometry had dropped to 30 and my blood oxygen was only 87. I could hardly stay awake.
I got very depressed, I had seen a specialist in December and was changed to Fostair 200/6. My friends all went out on hogmany and I went to bed at 9pm feeling sorry for myself. I woke early on January 1st and decided to go out and watch the sunrise. It was a beautiful morning so I started taking photos with my phone. After a while I realised that I had walked about a mile with no ill effect. It was like a miracle. I continued to feel great. My spirometry test went up to 70, my oxygen level 96. I felt I had been given my life back. At an appointment mid February my COPD was confirmed but only as mild.
My local medical team can't understand my sudden vast improvement. In retrospect I think that I had some long term virus on top of the mild COPD. Perhaps it shifted from my lungs to my digestive system and eventually left my body. I shall never know but am so glad to be so much better. I have been on two holidays in April and May to Spain and Rhodes, both involved a bit of walking and I was able to keep up with the others. Last week I cycled from Ardrishaig to Crinan and back along the canal, flat but 18 miles. I felt a real sense of achievement afterwards.
I am 67 gave up smoking 30 years ago and have been retired 8 years. I don't do nearly enough exercise and am overweight. I am currently trying to lose 3 stone I know that the extra weight puts more pressure on my lungs. I have been very lucky. I rarely cough now and have very little mucus. I take an antihistamine every day and that makes a big difference. I had late onset asthma from my mid 40s so I still have days when pollen makes a difference.
I hope, that like me, you may find your condition improves. I still find stairs challenging.
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