Want to say thanks! ☺

[phyllis_liberty]

Hi my dear friends!

This is a frightening disease isn't it? I don't know what I'd do without all of you giving advice and helping me along. Thank you all so much. Sometimes we forget to thank people when we're worried sick. I'm taking the time to do that right now.

None of us knows what tomorrow might bring...but with God, all things are possible. I have to reach the point of acceptance, and I have not done so yet. But I will. 👊

If I may ask, how long before all of you came to the point of accepting it? I know everyone is different. I have never imagined I'd live forever, but I've always been super healthy. This is all a shock. I'm sure many of you felt that way in the beginning. I figured I'd pass of old age...haha!!! 😃 Still might, as I am not giving up.....just real depressed, and a LOT confused.

Please feel free to chat with me anytime. I may not be real educated on Copd yet, but I'm a great friend. From Mississippi...the Hospitality State!!

Good night all...as it's 7:00 p.m. here. I hope you all breathe easy, and have sweet dreams.

Blessings,

Phyllis 💜😇💜

[Roessner541]

I didn't accept it for a long time in Fack when it first started I was going to therapy and doing quite well and one day because of 9 doctors my fate was sealed or so I thought. They said I had a nodule on my lung and that I needed to have surgery immediately that I needed to have a small portion of my lung removed I got a second opinion but that was only worse as he wanted to take more of my lung. They all thought I had cancer. I had the surgery, it wasn't cancer. The doctor made me walk shortly after and my lung collasped. They had to put in all the tubes again. Eventually they sent me home to recover and had me on massive doses of oxicodone. I wasn't feeling right and begged my son to take me to hospital he thought it was because of the medication by the time I arrived at the hospital I was unconscious and had to have artificial breathing tube put in. They put me in a coma for 3 days. The other hospital had sent me home with a massive infection. That is when I developed anxiety disorder and had to be hospitalized many times after that. I really hated my life at that point and thought I was broken spiritually. I was then babtized and praying a lot to either let me go or help me overcome. I guess I overcame. Here I am today not on hospice, not on oxygen and on very few medications. I am thankful to God for saving me and have forgiven the doctors who made a bad decision that a biopsy would have confirmed I didn't have cancer. I do have COPD but I am now my best advocate.

[phyllis_liberty in reply to Roessner541]

Wow, what a story you have. You have a wonderful testimony however... don't you? At what age were you diagnosed? I too have faith in God. I know He will be here for me no matter what.

Yes a biopsy should have been done. I know my father had cancer in his lung, and the first thing they did was a biopsy to confirm.

Take good care.

God bless,

Phyllis

[Roessner541 in reply to phyllis_liberty]

55 I am almost 63 now smoking and working with chemicals for a few years did a job on my lungs. Take care.

[Annie2003]

Hi , only confirmed this week that I have copd, thought I'd be relieved that it wasn't cancer, but no I'm struggling to accept that I'm no longer a healthy person . Have told my family I've got asthma , not sure why but I'm playing down the diagnosis !

[Feelingblessed2013 in reply to Annie2003]

Annie, You can still live a long active life if you take care of yourself. Please be honest with your family.

[phyllis_liberty in reply to Annie2003]

Please tell your family. They have a BIG right to know. It will also take that burden off of you Annie.

God bless!

[Schmicter]

Hey Phyllis,

Get that fighter attitude back!....It took me about 2 years after a diagnosis to fully accept it and make the change, to fight back...quit smoking...start being active...and do everything I can to be more healthy. Actually being blessed with my first grandaughter also helped me make that choice. And now I can honestly say my new addiction is exercise, and getting breathless on purpose actually makes you feel so much better. I don't feel slowed down at all and only expect the slowing of getting older to effect my health. My COPD is from Emphysema from smoking....I know it is not reversible...but it can get stable and not progress any faster than getting old, if you make a change. Even though I am an ex-smoker that got COPD from it. It just amazes me when people on here act like they are shocked that they have this terrible disease, and then say. Oh, by the way...I smoked for 40 years.

[Feelingblessed2013 in reply to Schmicter]

Schmicter, I agree with you. I quit smoking 17 + years ago, but I had smoked for about 35 years. I also grew up in a smoking household, and at a time when smoking was allowed everywhere, restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals.

I was not at all surprised by my emphysema diagnosis, even the lung cancer, I just assumed it was from all those years as a smoker.

[phyllis_liberty in reply to Schmicter]

Schmicter,

Hi, I know ... right? I'm definitely not shocked that this happened to me. My father had it also, and he died of lung cancer. That was 12 yrs. ago, and that didn't even make me quit smoking! I hope I get to the point where I want to exercise. I'm still mopping around.

Thanks for the reply!

[phyllis_liberty in reply to phyllis_liberty]

Schmicter.... I'm not shocked at diagnosis, however all it entails is confusing, and I'm also not sure about all those darn numbers!! haha!!

[Feelingblessed2013]

Phyllis, I was diagnosed with emphysema 4 years ago, then told by a pulmonologist that I didn't have COPD, my lungs were "just stiff". Another one told me that he "will not give me a diagnosis because my PFT was excellent". It was my PC who sat me down, explained my test results, and showed my me latest CT scan. I do have emphysema, it's mild, but it's there. I told myself (and my family) that I wasn't worried, I beat cancer, I can surely live with this. But inside, all I could think of were my Dad's last few years on O2, barely able to breathe (he had smoked for years after being diagnosed). So I went into a kid of funk, "If I'm gonna die, I might as well enjoy myself first". So I stopped eating healthy, started eating more junk food, Perry's ice cream came out with a new flavor of lactose free ice cream, I had a big bowl of it every night for a few months. But then I realized I was on a really bad path, I was gaining weight, was not happy with myself. So I have stopped the junk food, back to munching on fruits instead. I need to lose this weight and start taking better care of myself. I am only 60, I plan to be around for as long as possible.

From New York State...the over regulated state. LOL.....

Kate

[phyllis_liberty in reply to Feelingblessed2013]

Hi my friend!

I had an attitude of, "If I have this, why not keep smoking and at least enjoy that?" Dumb huh? lol

[Feelingblessed2013 in reply to phyllis_liberty]

Not dumb...pretty normal. Keep in touch, let me know how you are doing.

[valeriejean]

You do realize that with Pulmonary Rehab, you can lead a full life. A bit slower perhaps. It's up to you. exercise, meds, nutrition, attitude are the answer to that. I also moved to sea level where the air was clear on the advice of my pulm doc. The original doc gave me 2 years , get my papers in order as i was diagnosed as very severe, stage 4, or so called end stage. I am now well into my 11 th year. So posiitive mindset my friend. good luck. at the very least join a gym or get a treadmill and use it!

[Jamjr]

It takes time to except it and to learn how to deal with it to serve yourself best I've learned little tricks along the way that help my breathing and learn to manage things so that I'm not in a panic all the time and you will too as time goes by

[phyllis_liberty in reply to Jamjr]

I hope so!! Anxiety is awful. Of course I have had anxiety most of my life, and this just made it even worse.

Thanks Jamjr!

[Sandra1944]

I think this disease for all of us well many of us with COPD are depressed it some how is that kind of disease. I know I did this to my own self by smoking but it does not make me feel better about it. But like you said it is up to Gods timing how long any one of will grow old. I do pray God take me home soon.

[Shelleybegood86]

I am new to Copd as well. I am on O2. 24/7 and have other issues as well. We can discover copd sorta together I am in the Sunshine State -Florida

[phyllis_liberty in reply to Shelleybegood86]

Absolutely....keep in touch!!