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Showing signs of mild emphysema
I had a CT scan done. The doctor told me I was showing signs of mild emphysema. Everything I find on the Internet is negative and scary. I wasn't sure what this meant and prognosis.
Howdy! Blessings to you all.
I was diagnosed with "mild emphysema" in my late 30s (but I contracted it years earlier. A moderate-heavy smoker for most of those years (both parents smoked, too) and, as I progressed into my teens, began smoking pot & just about anything else that would burn. Once in the USAF at age 20, the pot stopped, but the cigarettes continued on. I became a heavy drinker, so it was nothing for me to go through an entire pack of smokes in an evening. I always had a spare pack on hand just in case.
I entered alcohol rehab at age 35. Part of the course of treatment included a chest x-ray which is where the lung damage was first observed. A doctor told me to make sure to bring it up to the flight surgeon when I returned to my home base.
Fast forward 4 years, & I'm nearing retirement from the AF. Part of that process is a complete physical workup & review of medical history. I had never brought up that x-ray after my return to home base, but it came up during this process which where the diagnosis was made.
I began seeing a pulmonologist who checked my lung capacity. It was pretty high for someone with emphysema, but that didn't bother me none. After seeing this guy for a couple years, I changed docs to one closer to home. He put me on Spiriva, & I've been inhaling the powder from those little capsules, now, for over a decade. My last lung function test was very good.
At one point post-diagnosis, I quit smoking for 7 years. An extremely stressful event in the Middle East was enough to get me started up again, & that continued off & on for 9 more years. All the while, my visits with the pulmonologist were positive. Follow-up chest x-rays still show the lung damage, but it hasn't progressed. I've been cold-turkey-smoke-free for 7-8 years, now (I really don't keep count, anymore, as the very smell of cigarette smoke sickens me).
Okay - all of this to say, I've never been worried, not even after seeing my mother in a hospital bed dying from the same disease 6 months before her death. I have a really great friend named Jesus who has showed me how to be content in any circumstance. I will continue my treatment & annual visits to the doc, but one thing I refuse to do is worry about it. The damage is done, I am the only one responsible, & I will be okay.
I am 53 years old, have a life that's far better than I deserve, a great wife who still loves me, warts & all, 2 dogs who wag their tails (most of the time) when I come home from work & people upon whom I can lean with confidence. No, my life isn't perfect! I merely choose to focus more of the good, these days, than the rest. You can have that, too.
I'm only trying to encourage you. You don't have to be afraid. That is a choice that YOU must make for yourself, though.
Hang in there. Look UP. Don't focus on what's wrong. Focus on what's right.
Again, blessings to you all!!!
I was diagnosed with "mild emphysema" in my late 30s (but I contracted it years earlier. A moderate-heavy smoker for most of those years (both parents smoked, too) and, as I progressed into my teens, began smoking pot & just about anything else that would burn. Once in the USAF at age 20, the pot stopped, but the cigarettes continued on. I became a heavy drinker, so it was nothing for me to go through an entire pack of smokes in an evening. I always had a spare pack on hand just in case.
I entered alcohol rehab at age 35. Part of the course of treatment included a chest x-ray which is where the lung damage was first observed. A doctor told me to make sure to bring it up to the flight surgeon when I returned to my home base.
Fast forward 4 years, & I'm nearing retirement from the AF. Part of that process is a complete physical workup & review of medical history. I had never brought up that x-ray after my return to home base, but it came up during this process which where the diagnosis was made.
I began seeing a pulmonologist who checked my lung capacity. It was pretty high for someone with emphysema, but that didn't bother me none. After seeing this guy for a couple years, I changed docs to one closer to home. He put me on Spiriva, & I've been inhaling the powder from those little capsules, now, for over a decade. My last lung function test was very good.
At one point post-diagnosis, I quit smoking for 7 years. An extremely stressful event in the Middle East was enough to get me started up again, & that continued off & on for 9 more years. All the while, my visits with the pulmonologist were positive. Follow-up chest x-rays still show the lung damage, but it hasn't progressed. I've been cold-turkey-smoke-free for 7-8 years, now (I really don't keep count, anymore, as the very smell of cigarette smoke sickens me).
Okay - all of this to say, I've never been worried, not even after seeing my mother in a hospital bed dying from the same disease 6 months before her death. I have a really great friend named Jesus who has showed me how to be content in any circumstance. I will continue my treatment & annual visits to the doc, but one thing I refuse to do is worry about it. The damage is done, I am the only one responsible, & I will be okay.
I am 53 years old, have a life that's far better than I deserve, a great wife who still loves me, warts & all, 2 dogs who wag their tails (most of the time) when I come home from work & people upon whom I can lean with confidence. No, my life isn't perfect! I merely choose to focus more of the good, these days, than the rest. You can have that, too.
I'm only trying to encourage you. You don't have to be afraid. That is a choice that YOU must make for yourself, though.
Hang in there. Look UP. Don't focus on what's wrong. Focus on what's right.
Again, blessings to you all!!!
1 Comments
OH! I learned that playing harmonica is GREAT for your lungs! It's a easy instrument to play with plenty of free instructions on YouTube.
I have been on oxygen for 13 years, I have copd which consists on diagnosis of E, chronic bronchitis (never had it) asthma(never had it before but worked in dusty work environment) 24 years of it..... anyway I also have PAH, (pulmonary arterial hypertension) watch your oxygen saturation by buying a oxymeter from wallmart for $39 or online ... Keep your sats in the 90s to at least min of 94.... do not go below 90 or you work your heart to bad and end up like me with the PAH......(high blood psi within the lungs)causing narrowing of the arteries in lung... I do good on foradil 112mcg and qvar 80mcg which i heard one gal say her sons doc said the Qvar also helps the PAH for some reason. So that is a plus. I cried 13 years ago and I am hear. So get over pity party( i was in mine for a year before I decided to live)
2 Comments
I love your attitude! STAY STRONG!!!
I Actually Have A Question,Hello My Name Is KimRene'e An I'm 48 Yr's Old I Was Diagnosed With COPD Emphysema Stage 2 Incurable In 2014,I Had A Stroke Last Week May 23,2017 The Cardiovascular Doctor At Colorado University Told Me I Have Hypertension An A Unusual Blockage In My Lower Carotid Artery Under My Left Collar Bone,My Question To You Is When You Found Out You Had Hypertension, Did Your Doctor Tell You How Your COPD And Hypertension Were Related, I Tried To Address This With The Doctors At The Hospital But They Never Said If My COPD Was A Factor Or Not In My Having A Stroke, Could You Please Tell Me What Your Doctor Revealed To You About Your Hypertension And COPD ?
I completely understand your predicament, I was sobbing too when I first found out my lungs were losing their elasticity and the internet is a hash of contradictory information and full of scams. but I didnt want to be on bronchodlilators for the rest of my life, I resolved to find another way, my friend recommended i try yoga because the breathing exercises are real helpful. I also found an online medical portal, i spoke to a kind lady there, she was a practicing homeopath, she recommended i try Aerovent and a CB EMP formula, her recommendations have really turned my world around, my oxygen level has shot up and i'm able to resume my walks without panting for breath. life's looking good.
Hello, Me too Everything on line is so scary I've been crying for last 2 days please any one have any answer??
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