Mr: Hello, I am Frank. I have recently... - Lung Conditions C...

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Mr

royalscot41 profile image
16 Replies

Hello, I am Frank. I have recently been diagnosed with COPD. I don't know how I arrived on this site but I'm glad I have. I'm 75, and a bit scared of the future. My partner doesn't know of my COPD. MUST GO NOW...

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royalscot41 profile image
royalscot41
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16 Replies
velvet55 profile image
velvet55

Hello Frank and welcome.

You have enough to cope with at the moment, so apart from sharing with us , you must be honest with your partner.

You cannot keep this a secret from them.

Share, and l am sure they will support you, just as we will.

Velvet xx

jimmyg23 profile image
jimmyg23

Welcome to the site frank and look forward to hearing more about you yes you will get a lot of support from people on here

mmzetor profile image
mmzetor

morning frank welcome to the site , you should really tell your partner , its understandable to be scared when you are first diagnosed but there are lots of thing now to help ease your symptoms , if you smoke you must give up , exercise and eat a healthy diet , take any medication you are given , you can stop it but you can help slow it down , if you have any question always some one on here who can help answer them , take care

Good morning Frank,

There is nothing to be scared of. You must confide in your partner first of all. Please don't shut them out. Imagine if your partner were the one who has been diagnosed?

This is the very best place to be - on this wonderful site you can ask questions and receive all the right answers from people with copd who understand your anxieties....straight from the horses mouth.

You are not alone :-)

Jennifer

locklevel profile image
locklevel

Welcome Frank.

royalscot41 profile image
royalscot41

Thank you Jennifer and to all who have replied. The welcome messages are flooding in. I have not smoked now for 4 days. When my partner is confident I have given up the weed for good, I will tell her of my illness (another one!). Take care everybody...

casper99 profile image
casper99

Hi Frank and welcome to the forum. Well, that was a short first visit lol. But I see your back now, good.

We all were afraid when we got diagnosed and I know I was afraid to tell my family but, they needed to know. They obviously were upset but, they were glad that I told them. It enabled them to bully me into stopping smoking haha.

The thing is, the more you learn about your copd, the quicker that fear subsides.

There is always someone on here to chat to and support you, until you learn how to keep yourself well because copd is not the imminent death sentence google would have us believe. It is a chronic disease that can be managed. So, stick around and meet some of the crazy gang. xx

diesel12 profile image
diesel12

I too have recently been diagnosed and my plan was to keep it from my husband as he panics if I'm not well. I lasted 2 days. Being diagnosed and worried changes your behaviour whether we like it or not and she will be far more worried not knowing what is wrong. I had to discuss it with my husband, it was the right thing to do. Yes, he worries if I so much as cough but he says he is happier knowing what is going on and gets it if I'm quiet or a bit down. You need her support especially at the moment and she will want to be involved and help you stop smoking and exercise too. Good luck and have that chat over a nice glass of wine (or whisky) xxx

jojo29 profile image
jojo29

Hi Frank and welcome, you should tell your wife

a problem shared is a problem halved.

Best wishes. Pat

Sherry44 profile image
Sherry44

Don't be scared Mr. COPD is a long slow illness and until it really hits in you can lead as normal a life as possible, within reason, of course.

There is plenty of advice on the BLF site so if you follow that it makes life a lot easier.

Try not to worry because that makes it seem worse.

Good luck

royalscot41 profile image
royalscot41

Hello Pat,

And hello again to all who have welcomed me to your community. I am hopeless at finding my way around sites like this one, how to post, reply or comment are all mysteries to me so please bear with me til I find my feet.

My partner's best friend was an RAF nurse so she, my partner Muriel was not surprised when I told her this morning of my COPD. Of course they had been talking. How could she not have suspected as I wheezed and gasped for air in my sleep? I have been diagnosed as "mild", but even now that is how it is affecting me. Thank you all, again, for your warmth and kindness. Be back soon with more info and to bond with my new friends. Bye for now...

tbeth profile image
tbeth

Hello and welcome!

willdo profile image
willdo

Hi, Frank, and welcome! You said your partner doesn't know about your COPD yet, but I do not think that is true. You may not have shared about the test, or the test results, but being short of breath is not something that is hidden... well, usually not able to hide it, unless you are barely ever together. And, that you said that, it makes me curious: I would think that you would certainly hope your partner cares about you. Does your partner only get a part of you? the part that is well? We aren't always well. Sometimes, it's the flu, or a cold, or we hit our thumb with a hammer... some have diabetes, some need glasses..

It's OK to just be human, and have a body to deal with. You're not saving anyone's heart by not sharing about the COPD diagnosis. As sad as you may feel, and having just went through the same, your partner not only would WANT to know, but would feel horribly left out to have not been included.

Hope all goes well! Gloria

katieoxo60 profile image
katieoxo60

Welcome Frank , hope to speak to you more in the future.

FarmerD profile image
FarmerD

Hello Frank ,welcome to our little madhouse.I would suggest you tell your partner about you condition as they may get a scare if they find you getting very breathless .My wife has had to phone an ambulance for me on more than one occasion,I have very severe emphysema.Even if your condition is mild an infection could prove difficult,best they know how to help you.Good luck.D.

2malinka profile image
2malinka

Hi Frank.

You have come to the right site. Wish I had discovered it before my COPD was diagnosed as severe. I an 65. I quit smoking in 1992 but as they say , if you have a predisposition, the disease will march on thru' your lungs. I began to get breathless over 20 years ago but not too much just enough to make me stop smoking. All I can say is that this site is very helpful so when you feel scared just check it out.

Look after yourself.

Malinka

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