Spent 5 and 1/2 hours in Watford A & E on Friday. It all kicked off on Monday when I became even more breathless and developed a stich like pain under my right breast. Started rescue pack of antibiotics. Managed to get to work even bringing in oxygen. But by 3:30 a colleague very kindly wheeled me out to my car in a wheelchair. Very breathless when I got home and could barely do anything. Don't work Wednesdays so I thought I might be ok once I had relaxed a bit and hopefully the abs would kick in. Thursday called in sick and asked COPD Nurse to come. She did checks etc & said lungs were clear but as my sats were low even on 1/2 litre of oxygen, she would ask another Nurse to come and check my blood gasses. Also said to start on steroids. Unfortunately the 2nd nurse couldn't manage to get enough blood so she suggested calling an ambulance to get them done at the hospital. I refused to go as I way too stressed out and said I would just have an early night etc. I did call a GP the next who suggested I should call an ambulance in case it was a blood clot or pleurisy, or even a collapsed lung. Suitably alarmed, I did as I was told. Luckily my sister had come over. The paramedics were wonderful. At the hospital they did the usual x ray, cardiogram and blood gasses. First the Dr said he could hear crackles and thought it might be a chest infection then later he said no it wasn't. Did blood gasses and they weren't too bad at 6.5. Apparently when I was admitted February '13 they were 13.00. So that was good news. I asked it if could be just an inflammation. He just agreed. I get the impression that he didn't know much about COPD: fair enough he was an A & E Dr not a lung specialist. Got home about 10pm. still with stich like pain.At least we missed the late night rabble rousers needed urgent attention and I was relieved that I didn't have a blood clot or a collapsed lung. If abs and steroids ever kick in I can think about going to work next week
So I live to fight another day.
Hope everyone out there had a better week!
What A Birthday I Had !
newly diagnosed with copd
that time of the year 
Update for all interested 
