Happy to hear from people in my situation.

[Cherrhea60]

Hi... Thank you for this forum. I was diagnosed with COPD this week. Thought my day were shortly numbered. In reading some of the post I've noticed people living with this disease for years. Just qiut smoking after 40+ years. I have my first appointment with a lung specialists next week. A little apprehensive but feel more confident after readinh peoples stories. Thank for all the info. Helps me learn what to ecpect.

[Damon1864 Volunteer]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Please don't let this disease run your life, always seat positive exercise and eat healthy it helps a great dark. Post often and let us know how you are,we're a friendly lot here. Take care 😊 xx Bernadette

[Angecreasey]

Hello Cherr? A friend put me onto this site. I have just been diagnosed too, and thought it was asthma since I was a child. I'm in a bit of shock still as I gave up smoking 23ish years ago! I'm going to see a specialist in about 5 weeks (must be a lot of peeps suffering out there! ) What I'd like to find out is.... apparently swimming is great for asthmatics but what about with emphysema as I thought humidity wasn't good for it... so I'm confused. I've heard peeps living for years with it too, maybe if we strengthen our lung mussels we'll live for even longer Angie

[cofdrop-UK]

Hi Cherrhea and a very warm welcome to you. I have a different lung condition to you but there are some similarities. You will find a great deal of support here. Please feel free to ask anything - there will always be someone along with adivice or support.

love cx

[58ender]

Hi and welcome.I'm also new to COPD and to the site.This is a great site to be part of.We will learn from each other.Take care.

Ender.

[gingermusic]

You should have many years left in you particularly now you have managed to stop smoking. Best advice I can give you is exercise as much as you can learn to eat as healthily as possible and use any medication given to you. I have had COPD for over 27 years now and still manage to enjoy life just on a slower scale.

[WheezyAnne]

Hi, and welcome. What a lovely picture. We love smiles. We are very friendly, all at different stages of lung disease and with different forms of Lung disease. Between us all there is a lot of knowledge and experience. Keep I. Touch and let us know how you get on next week.

[Buzzytruk]

Greetings and welcome,

Don't believe all you read on the .....Eat well, exercise well, and ban anyone from your​ home who has a cold.

Jo.

[mrsmummy]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

[sassy59]

Welcome Cherrhea and glad you have found the forum helpful. Let us know how you get on and good luck with your appointment. Xxxxx

[Dedalus]

Hello and welcome - you're in the right place to allay any fears you may have - good luck for your consultant appointment next week - write down any questions you may have before you go.

[Badbessie]

Hi very scarry when you here the words COPD! My advice is to learn as much as possible. Start a good diet, exercise as much as possible, take your medications religiously and you will surprised at how much you can do. When you see your specialist ask for pulmonary rehab it been proven to be the greatest benefit with this illness. Make sure you get your pneumonia and flu jabs, Ask to see a dietitian, it's not just about weight people with COPD can burn extra calories just with the extra effort of breathing so well worth seeing. Lastly Get a copy of the COPD passport and that will tell you what your GP should be doing and what to expect.

[jaxtra07 in reply to Badbessie]

Hi Badbessie - What is a COPD passport and where do you get one?

[Badbessie in reply to jaxtra07]

shop.blf.org.uk/products/co...

[Badbessie in reply to Badbessie]

Or just put in COPD passport in your browser

[dajomar in reply to Badbessie]

Hi Badbessie ,i have not heard of the COPD passport ,my doctor does'nt do anything about my COPD unless i have a chest infection and i can't remember the last time i saw a nurse i feel as though i've been left to my own devices i've learned more from this site than from medical professionals , all the posts i read on here from different people are so much more knowledgeable than i am and i'm very grateful for that , when i see the nurse practioner this week i will ask her about the passport and about being referred to a dietitian, i will let you know how i get on

[Badbessie in reply to dajomar]

You can pick up a cold passport from the BLF site. Just type in COPD passport and you can download it.

[gingercracker in reply to dajomar]

same here dajomar , only see my doctor if I get chest infection , never see a nurse either , I learn from this site to ,never see anybody , !!!!

[btown]

Hi Cherr and welcome, there is a lot of knowledge on here, if you have a question just ask, someone will have the answer, there is life with COPD just a little slower, as other members have already commented exercise, eat well and take your meds I am learning tai chi and walk at least a mile per day, and do exercises, keep your chin up and let us know how you get on.

T😀👍

[onamission]

Hi and welcome well done for giving up smoking one the hardest things for people to do.

I go swimming as exercise on land is difficult for me and I try my best to eat healthy.

Make sure you get your flu jab every year and try and keep away from people with the flu.

[diesel12]

You remind me of me last year, I was so pleased I found this site. Everyone is great at answering questions or telling you where to find answers so never worry about asking however daft you think they are (there's no such thing as a daft question).

Just remember, you have copd it doesn't have you.

Take care x

[Dragonmum]

It's a medical condition, worrying about it makes it worse. so stop worrying, it is not the end of the world. You've taken the biggest positive step in giving up the smokes - I was a pack a day smoker for 60+ years amd, like many others on here, know how hard it is. Welcome to you and keep up the good work

[casper99]

Hi Cherr and welcome to the forum. I'm glad you managed to find this site so quickly, it took me many months of fear before I stumbled on it.

This site is brilliant. There is a collective mine of information between the posters on here so you can get most answers to your questions any time, day or night.

Jokes too, if you need a giggle. xx

[Beth1949]

Welcome, Cherrhea, to this forum. You will learn a lot of tips on managing your illness. I learned to be more proactive and ask my specialist questions.

I have had lung issues for 30 yrs (asthma/COPD), then diagnosed with Bronchiectasis 5 yrs ago and I'm 67 yrs old. So you have a lot of years of living ahead of you.

Some people on this forum are in their 70s and 80s.

We are also here for moral support, so if you get depressed or just plain angry and want to vent, we're here to listen.

Keep in touch, Beth

[Badbessie]

last little bit of advice. When you see your specialist next week. The night before write a list of the questions you want to ask. If you are like me I always forget. the list always ensures I remember.

[PaMaBa]

I was diagnosed 8 years ago and still have a very reasonable life. There is loads of help out there. Don't give into it!

[Catnip]

Greetings!

I'm glad that you've done the very best thing, which is stopping smoking. The next thing is to try to improve your lungs a bit with some exercise -- walking is the best way of doing that.

Once you've seen the consultant, you will have more idea of what to do. All kinds of stuff could "come next": inhalers, pulmonary rehab (exercise and education) -- so wait and see.

I had my first diagnosis in 1988 so "dead" isn't the next step, by any means! Living becomes more gentle and more slowly paced, but there's nothing wrong with that! Be happy!

[guytane]

a person I know had it for 30 years just stay away from fumes stop smoking eat healthy and exersise and you will probly die of something else b for you do of copd

[gingercracker]

I think that is such a great bit of logic , & to hear someone say that ,I really helps , the worst is when you have just been told you have copd , with no other information , you think straight away how long have I got , ,, & you become fixated , so thanks x

[hutchchins433]

Hi I found it very helpful after joining my local Breatheasy group details from BLF

[Hidden]

Welcome aboard cherrhea60,nice photo, I have COPD also and no it's not a death sentence as long as you can stay clear of those horrible cigarettes in which I see that you have managed well.Try to exercise daily keep those lungs open and pumping well,try not to be around any chemicals that would irritate the lungs and most of all you need to stay healthy.... I noticed the more that I had bouts with my chronic bronchitis or pneumonia or even COPD exacerbation my lung function would deteriorate, perhaps you can get on the internet and learn as much as you can about COPD because when I was diagnosed my doctor didn't tell me zero, I ended up going to the library and reading up on it and purchasing books on it... good luck feel free to reach out who to us on Hu... God bless you'll be just fine

[Damon1864 Volunteer]

Don has said it all, stay well, exercise, eat healthy and don't smoke. You will be just fine. We are all here to support each other, take care😊 xxx Bernadette