Help Please!

[PurpleAlf]

Please can someone translate these figures for me and tell me whether I have mild COPD or moderate. I am not seeing doctor for another 10 days.

[2greys]

To me it is saying your FEV1 is around 70% so it is indicating moderate COPD.

[PurpleAlf in reply to 2greys]

Thank you 😀

[sassy59]

I would say moderate too PurpleAlf. Xxxx

[PurpleAlf in reply to sassy59]

Thank you 😀

[katieoxo60]

Hi PurpleAlf, sorry I cannot help I don't know what one of those things are even though I am diagnosed with COPD/Asthma

[PurpleAlf in reply to katieoxo60]

Thank you Katieoxo60, it just helps that people are caring enough to read the posts 😀

[SquirrelsHolt]

Hi there PurpleAlf and I'm going to agree with our forum experts (remember,none of us are Doctors and can only voice our opinions etc) sassy59 , 2greys , katieoxo60 , in that your printout indicates moderate COPD but it's always best to ask your Respiratory Nurse or Respiratory Consultant at the time,to explain what means what. Remember that these are only figures and many members here are of the opinion that just being able to live your life as well as you can is far more important than %'s and to be 😟 worried about a set of numbers.

Relax and enjoy your weekend,whatever you may have planned! 🌞

[PurpleAlf in reply to SquirrelsHolt]

Thank you SquirrelsHolt I appreciate you replying. Is my FEV1 72 please as there seems to be several FEV1 numbers?

[SquirrelsHolt in reply to PurpleAlf]

Hi again and these printouts cause so much un nessessary upset and our resident member @Stone-UK may be around later,as he is the man for understanding and explaining these FEV,FEV1 etc. As far as I can see you've got around 70%, give or take 2% either way. Remember what I said previously, on that I'm certainly no Doctor and if I've misled you in anyway,it wasn't intentional my friend. Please do call your Respiratory team on Monday just to double check will you?

[PurpleAlf in reply to SquirrelsHolt]

Thank you 😀

[Help_61]

Luv it says lung age 88 when mild so I wander what it is when severe and very servere

[PurpleAlf in reply to Help_61]

The lung age doesn’t seem to be of any use as far as I can see 😀

[Help_61]

Yep your right 😂😂😂

[flicky1]

Hello Purple Alf,

I too was scared when first diagnosed and found the advice given in leaflets etc. scary and unhelpful - all doom and gloom. But once I started to use the diagnosis as a wake-up call, life got much better. I enjoy life and do all that I can to continue to do so for as long as I can.

Since then I have been doing more and more varied physical activities. The most important I think are probably walking, swimming and singing. My goal is to be able to do everthing that I have always been able to do for as long as possible. I am now actually managing to do more than ever before, albeit with breathlessness and sometimes having to take a rest in the afternoon. So yes, it does seem that it is possible to hold the diease back in real terms.

When I was first diagnosed, I was so worried about being breathless, that I was afraid to exercise to my full capacity. I now expect to be short breath when I exercise, and know that if I am not, I am not working hard enough.

I am not vegan, but I don't eat meat. Recently a nutrionalist came to talk to our Breatheasy group and said that a high protein diet is important for people with COPD to help stop muscle wasting. This was the first time I had heard of this - the advice I had been given up to then was a "balanced" diet.

Ask if you could referred to a pulmonary rehab course - I haven't been able to attend one but know that I missed out on a lot of advice that I have only slowly found out about from here and from people who have done the course. You also learn exercises that are specifically tailored to the needs of people with COPD.

My advice, like SquirrelsHolt, is not to get tied up with the figures. For example, my lung age last year was 73, this year it was 80. When I was diagnosed in 2016 my fev 1 was 80%. This year it was 88%. Wow! Explain that one! However, there is increasing obstruction. I was originally told that I am somewhere between mild and moderate COPD, but no-one has discussed the figures with me since then and I am not sure whether the nurses at my practice know enough themselves, so I choose not to ask. Are you seeing a GP or a specialist doctor?

[PurpleAlf in reply to flicky1]

At the moment I have only seen the respiratory nurse, I have a doctor’s appt Monday week, whether I get referred I don’t know. I will ask about the rehab course. It is the waiting to see the doctor that I think is hard as I have lots of questions. Thank you for telling me your experience, it all helps x

[flicky1]

Have you checked out whether there is a Breatheasy support group in your area? At first I didn't want to join as I was scared to see what my future would like. However, I have been a member of our local group for a couple of years now. We regularly have a speaker and have a lot of activities on offer, including a walking / meet for coffee group, an allotment, singing, a swimming group etc. Our annual trip this year was to Parliament. But most importantly of all is support amongst others with lung conditions - and the atmosphere is surprisingly jolly.

[PurpleAlf in reply to flicky1]

I will have a look and see if I can find one, it sounds good. Although I do have an allotment of my own which helps with keeping active. I will now google thegroup, thank you 😀

[Schmicter]

They are all just numbers. Some might make sense and some just don't, like the lung age. I was told once mine was 134 and I told the nurse I should have died about 45 years ago then. They are all compared to a predicted or standard for your size and age, which makes me wonder just how many people of my size and age that are healthy, never smoked, and exercise regularly, have they tested to get that number. Anyway, the matter is how you feel. Many that have COPD don't feel held back and stay active for many many years. Age is just a number and often life is what you make of it.

[PurpleAlf in reply to Schmicter]

I think I am beginning to realise that, thank you 😀