I am 64 yrs old always been very active been diagnosed with COPD about 5yrs ago and been on maximum medication etc for last 4 yrs Not getting better but medication I think has controlled deterioration but really incapable of doing very much physically and get very stressed if I try and it makes it worst and also effects my bladder. Specialist at Leeds university Hospital suggested lung reduction surgery but only when breathing gets worse. In the meantime I have moved from Lancashire/ Yorkshire NHS area to North Wales and all my appointments with hospital specialists have been lost in the system so don't know where I am up to.
Up to 10 years ago no problem with breathing and fit enough for age above average but then COPD or whatever came on very quick. Looking back about 20 years ago started working in dusty building which has been now classed as built from medium to high risk asbestos during 1950s so in state of decay. I am convinced that this is partly the cause of the speed of deterioration and or cause of breathing problems. When we brought this to the attention of the landlord who had a duty to disclose the asbestos and monitor its deterioration by law. My wife and I where unlawfully evicted from our home and business premises losing our income and savings fighting the unlawful eviction through the courts which we were winning until we ran out of money for lawyers, now landlord making us bankrupt by claiming costs as we can't carry on. Unfortunately all government agencies which are meant to protect people from this do not seem to actually have any power to do anything.
It also seems that the medical profession do not want or can not make any diagnosis as to whether the asbestos and dust has had a direct bearing on my illness. If this could be done there is a slight chance I would be able to claim compensation that would help my wife in the future. I do not expect that it could help me as I believe my life expectancy is not great. Might get me to see my grand children in OZ and USA with a bit of luck.
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Nickequine
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this is only from my own experience , you didn't say if your are or was a smoker but I found that because I smoked my emphysema was all put down to that but the consultant did say that for my age at time I was 38 and I smoked from age of 12 that my lungs shouldn't have been so bad as they are , I had explained that I had been on farms from a child breathing in different chemicals , corn ,animal feed dust when working in some of if I would be coughing up black phlegm for hours after , but he said oh no wouldnt be that , then he said you smoked weed I said no just tobacco that it was I mean when you was younger still no never touched it , but he still insisted work had nothing to do with it , it seems if you smoked they wont commit them self's to any thing else , I think with asbestos its pot luck if it affect you or not my father who is 81 has ashtma mild copd but he spent years cutting asbestos roofing sheets and and pipes with an angel grinder with no mask and he can still easily walk a mile or more and back again and is very active ,
i found my copd came on quickly from being active to being breathless doing every day thing to being diagnosed as having severe emphysema all in about 4 years ,don't know if you have seen this link but this is more for exposure to asbestos ,nhs.uk/Conditions/Asbestosi...
I'm so sorry you've been through all this. How you found the energy for a court case when so poorly I cannot imagine. The swines to now present you with costs.
For your wife I'd be getting legal advice on whether she is liable for your debts when you've gone (so sorry to say that but I really hope you last a long long time).
I nearly remarried my ex because I looked after him a lot in his last years.
When I told the kids they were horrified "no mum, you'll be liable for all his debts". Sure enough, he had tens of thousands of overdraughts, credit cards loans when he died. (All spent on pills, potions & charlatans) I would have been ruined.
I wish I could offer you some snippet of advice, such an awful story. As mmz asks, did you also smoke?
The move Away from Leeds to Wales will also complicate the legal side.
As For the medical side, all I can suggest Is that you keep going to your new GP and they may get so fed up that they'll pull out all plugs to get you moving through the system? I moved recently within England and it's taken 6 months to get any of my notes on their system - they're sent via email these days. You'd think they'd prioritise anyone with lung issues burps it doesn't seem to work like that.
I wish you and your wife all the best in enjoying your new life together. X
PS. Try to get on the PR course (pulmonary rehabilitation). It is absolutely fantastic at improving your quality of life.
You can find lots of info using the search bar top right and BLF leaflets on line.
Hello Nick, I am sorry you are having such a stressful time of it, what a nightmare for you! Do you know the result of your last Spirometry test? I really think that stress is the major cause of all illnesses and we need to eliminate it!
I can't help about asbestos related copd but I'm sure some one will be able to.
Hope you enjoy North Wales its a pretty place.Take Care hope you get to see the Grandkids very soon!😁 huff x
Thanks Huff Not sure doctor didn't seem very interested in Spiromety test after he arranged for me to have one said they were inconclusive end of. Had to badger to get a flu jab going next week. Agree about stress but what can you do when Unlawfully Evicted confirmed by 3 high court judges and police activly help the landlord and his bogus bailiffs.
Welcome to this site. What a dreadful story of a bad landlord. Sorry can't offer you any advice. Do hope you manage to get to see your grandchildren. My partner (soon to be husband) has two lovely grandsons in the USA and we have been unable to visit for going on 2 years now. First it was other monetary commitments which stopped us and now my lungs - though I have been told I am OK to fly I shudder to think how much they will load the insurance. Am tempted not to mention the new problem as don't think I will have a problem with it but the it is the US and if anything goes wrong it is unbearably expensive. My partner had a funny episode once out there and no one would call an ambulance until he could produce his credit/ debit card and it cost $1900 for a ride in an ambulance and an afternoon filling his arm with saline and not much else! At the time he had not bothered with insurance so lucky it wasn't anything serious! Sorry I am rambling on again. Welcome and hope you can sort something out so that you can visit.
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