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Smoked 4 20+years recently diagnosed with emphysema what can I expect in the future

stevemac profile image
11 Replies
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stevemac profile image
stevemac
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11 Replies
kimmy59 profile image
kimmy59

Hello and welcome.

Everyone is different, you didn't say what severity you are but if you take your medication stop smoking and exercise you can stay well. Best advice ring BLF helpline they're brilliant and ask your doctor to refer you to a Pulmonary Rehab course, they teach you how to exercise safely and everything you need to know. Oh and don't google you'll just scare yourself and it's not how it is.

Good luck

Kim xxxx

stevemac profile image
stevemac in reply to kimmy59

Kimme59 moderate in rlung have a hard time in exhailing my doc. At VA is not very informative smoked a lot of years just need some real answers

stevemac profile image
stevemac

Need some real answers less than 70% in right lung with a family history of copd doctor at VA is not very informative just want to know what to expect

drd4 profile image
drd4 in reply to stevemac

You mentioned "VA" Do you mean Veteran's Administration? Are you American?

initial profile image
initial

Hello and welcome to the community Steve. COPD is a progressively degenerative disease, but that progression can be slowed down with diet, exercise and not smoking or being in polluted atmospheres. This link can explain the stages of the disease patient.co.uk/health/chroni... but your own perspective on life plays a major part. I reached stage 4 before I was diagnosed. It is, as I've already mentioned, a progressively degenerative disease, and over time, I just learned to adapt to life in what I could and could not do. You have the chance to maintain your level (suspect it's stage 2) for quite a while. Call the helpline. To get the BLF helpline number, just click on the red ballon on blue bar above. Take care.

Catnip profile image
Catnip

Hellooooo!!!!

First, you can expect to stop smoking, right NOW, if you didn't do that already. Then you may expect to take more exercise, starting right NOW... because that will slow down the progression of the disease.

As you have read, COPD is a progressively degenerative disease, but with the right lifestyle and advice, you can slow it down; you learn what you can do and what you can't do -- and what you can do if you take things steadily. What your diagnosis is NOT, is a death sentence. Don't consult "Dr Google"... consult experts.

Catnip

Expect been treated as a child that does not have a dictionary and that says what degenerative means.

frank65 profile image
frank65

it is up to you . if you smoke then stop . take your meds and exercise

breather profile image
breather

I asked my consultant, how fast it will progress and he said it is up to me. That I must exercise.

Take care of yourself

Suzy6 profile image
Suzy6 in reply to breather

Thanks for the reminder breather. Not been exercising lately. Must try harder.

helingmic profile image
helingmic

Hi Stevemac, Welcome to our group. The British Lung foundation site has leaflets, and you can phone their helpline. Go to the top of the screen, under the title British Lung foundation you have a blue menu with questions, polls, members and about us. click on about us. It will redirect you to their helpline phone number 03000 030 555. I think they are open during the week between 10 am and 1 pm. If you phone them, they will get in touch with you and you can explain your worries. You can trust their knowledge. Worth it. Good luck. and tell us more too!

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