Hi, I'm new and worried.

[Bastet]

Hi everyone, I have had asthma since childhood and, it seems, now have COPD. I am using inhalers which are helpful. I did smoke but gave up a very small habit 11 years ago. I lived in a home surrounded by smoke as a child and lived in a house with a smokeless fuel fire, which made me much worse, for 16 years and am now worried about the impact all that has had on my lungs. I am 47.

I now live in as safe an environment as possible but the grumblings in the chest are getting slowly worse and am now coughing up muck every day. At the moment my peak flow is stable.

I know there are people much worse than me and it probably seems daft, me worrying but I cant help it. I lost 2 friends, former nieghbours with same heating as I had, to lung cancer in the last 2 years and another friend elsewhere is at this moment in hospital with not long left..

Sorry to start off with this.

[canalchris]

Ok, first of all hello and welcome. Happy new year, and try to stop worrying. Everyone is different and just because you know a couple of people who were brought up in similar circumstances and have passed away from cancer doesn't mean you are automatically next on the list. The most crucial thing about COPD is that you don't poison yourself anymore with fag smoke. You are on medication, and you obviously have access to medical help. Ask you doctor if oyu can see the practice

[canalchris]

Hiya, sorry about that, I hit the wrong button. I was saying see you local COPD nurse who should be able to give you instructions on how best to get the muck off you chest everyday. what breathing exercises to do to achieve this . She/He will be able to explain to you what signs and symptoms you will get from you COPD, and generally put your mind at rest. I do feel for you because when you first start feeling breathless and are diagnosed with COPD if can feel like your time is up, THIS IS NOT SO..I am sure as you read more entries on here you will come to realise that there are people better and worse of than you and everyone to some extent learns to live with it. Best wishes and try to stay positive.

[libby7827]

Hi Bastet, thanks for posting your question. Having asthma all your life means you have had copd all your life, chronic pulmonary obstructive diseased is the blanket name now given to chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis being the most common ones. Is it just the asthma you are presently suffering, or multiple issues? I've found it quite shocking the amount of people who get told by their doctor with no further explanation of exactly what your specific problem/problems is/are and at what stage it is at. You need to be sure, and then you need to sure that you are on the correct medication. If you don't know answers to these questions you need to go back to your doctor or, if the practice has a dedicated copd nurse, see her/him and ask them to explain your lung problems to you and even arrange for you to go for lung function tests at the hospital. Hope this helps! Kind regards. Libby x

[Hidden in reply to libby7827]

Hi libby

My understanding is asthma doesn't necessarily equal copd but when the asthma becomes chronic then other problems may arise where a person may be referred to a consultant who may diagnose COPD. There are many asthmatics who are managing their symptoms successfully and may never develop COPD.

[libby7827 in reply to Hidden]

Hi zoee thanks for your comment. Yes, you are absolutely right my post was very badly worded. I was told I had asthma was I was younger and given a couple of inhalers but it was never chronic and now been told I don't have asthma and probably never had it, I have emphysema which went untreated for years and is now end stage). But unless you're told what your copd comprises how do you know which variation(s) you have and if you are on the right treatment? I've been amazed how many people that make comments on this forum have not been told by their doctor what their illness actually is - just copd which, it itself, is simply not enough information for the patient. Hence Bastet (the original question poster) had been left worried sick about cancer, which is nothing to do with copd. Libby x

[bobbyfloyd]

sorry about your copd i have it as well, try not to worry to much as what others had you may never get. having had this for a few yrs i try and live each day as it comes. i take steriods twice a day and they do help. i use the blf web for information and tips on bad days and good days. try having a few pen pals it helps to see how others cope. i hope this will be of help to you

[Bastet in reply to bobbyfloyd]

Thanks bobbyfloyd, that's handy advise.

Zoee, yes I mean COPD I thought I made it clear it was the one to do with the lungs being an asthmatic too. I even keep spelling asthma wrong too. I didn't know there was another conditon with the same letters but the other way around.

Like I said, ignorant to the facts so please excuse any mistakes I make, I'm not clued up on this yet. I may not be as presise with everything I wright, I just hope people can ignore that blip in my intelligence. Lol.