COUGHING UP BLOOD

[robbiesgranny]

My COPD was diagnosed in October 2007. I was diagnosed by a pulmonary specialist and told I was in the moderate stage.  I recently visited my family doctor and I told him that I had been diagnosed with COPD.  Family doctor asked me if I was coughing up blood yet. I told him that I was not coughing up blood nor had I been coughing up blood.  My family doctor then stated to me that I would cough up blood and then it would be too late for me.  I have trusted my family doctor for some years, but I felt this was a very negative statement by him to me.  I have deeply researched COPD, try to remain encouraged and I felt this doctor was giving me an immediate death sentence. This has greatly upset me.

[Sunny602]

Your family doctor should not have said that, it isn't common for COPD'ers to cough up blood, at least that is what I have come to know and understand. I am not a doctor, just an ex nurse..what I say is from experience from the COPD'ers that I have cared for over the years. Yes, there are conditions out there that do make you prone to coughing up blood, they are bronchiectasis, cancer, some infections such as TB and others but COPD in itself does not usually yield coughing up blood. You should continue to see a lung specialist who specializes in COPD treatment.
Personally, I think that those statements from your doctor are terrible to say to any patient.
Please don't give up hope, like I said, go to a specialist for your COPD care, there are many things that you can do that can improve your quality of life. I personally know a person who lived in end stage COPD for over a decade...end stage. He did everything possible to keep in as good a shape as possible and had a great attitude which is also very important. He ran a COPD group which I now am a moderator to...It is MSN based and called OurCOPD, so if you want to check it out, please do. It is great that you are doing your research on COPD, you are very right in knowledge is power.
Hang in there.....Sunny :)

[robbiesgranny]

Thank you for your response. I wont give up hope, as that what keeps me going. My mother passed away in Aug 2007 with pulmonary fibrosis and my only sibling has COPD as well.  So, like you with the cancer in your family, lung disease seems to run in our family.  By the way, I am almost a 20 year cancer survivor as well.  And I am still going! I have deeply researched COPD, as I believe knowledge is power. I plan to hang in there and take care of myself.  You take care of yourself too.  Thanks again for the nice reply.

[duck81]

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO TELL YOU THAT IF YOU GIVE UP HOPE YOU HAVE NOTHING,TODAY THERE IS SO MANY PEOPLE LIVING WITH COPD AND OTHER BREATHING PROBLEMS ,I COME FROM A FAMILY WHERE CANCER IS VERY SPEAD OUT AND EACH HAVE A STORY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER,SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY DONT GIVE UP GET ALL THE TESTS DONE YOU CAN AND STAY ALERT TO NEW MEDICAL INFORMATION