Just been diagnosed with COPD :-(
- Thread starter Jamin280672
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Good luck OP, make sure you do everything the medics tell you to do.
My dad died of a progressive incurable lung destroying condition (IPF, not a COPD diagnosis) but the results in lack of lung function are the same if you don't do what you're told and keep your lungs working well. It wasn't pleasant. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
My dad died of a progressive incurable lung destroying condition (IPF, not a COPD diagnosis) but the results in lack of lung function are the same if you don't do what you're told and keep your lungs working well. It wasn't pleasant. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
I don't know, I mean, smack is pretty bad.
If you overdose sure, I bet if you were taking medicinal grade opioids at a clinical dose you'd probably be healthier than if you were smoking in the long term
Both my parents smoked. They refused to give up even though they knew the risks. Their attitude was that they wanted to enjoy their life and wouldn't mind losing a few years to do so.
It killed my dad who I sat with and held his hand as he died of lung cancer at only 60 years old. My mum made it a bit longer but I am now watching her gradually go with COPD. She will go in the next few years and then smoking will have got them both.
How anyone can smoke knowing this just bemuses me.
It killed my dad who I sat with and held his hand as he died of lung cancer at only 60 years old. My mum made it a bit longer but I am now watching her gradually go with COPD. She will go in the next few years and then smoking will have got them both.
How anyone can smoke knowing this just bemuses me.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. While COPD is a mainly chronic disease, a substantial number of patients suffer from exacerbation's. Severe exacerbation's are related to a significantly worse survival outcome.
Unfortunately our polluted air particularly in our cities can really make things difficult for sufferers.
Unfortunately our polluted air particularly in our cities can really make things difficult for sufferers.
"My doctor wasn't nice to me so I didn't take his advice" 
I'd imagine that if I was inundated with people I didn't need to see due to having self inflicted problems I'd get pretty short with people too.
I mean, I can see both sides, obviously you needed a different tact at the time and that's regertable but saying that, I know of few people that have quit smoking from someone telling them too, everyone seems to need their individual push that relates to them on a personal level.
Turns out that advice from friends, family, doctors, packaging, NHS adverts and others around you suffering wasn't enough to convince you to stop so what did you really expect him to do? Turns out he gave you the right advice, you just ignored it.
If "not being able to breath properly" isn't enough of a sign for you then you're lucky that being diagnosed with mild COPD was. Plenty of others in your position would be complaining that "doctors haven't fixed my COPD!" and continue smoking.
With all that said, honestly best of luck to you - more than ever you need to look after your health and a massive part of that is going to be a mental challenge. Hindsight is 20/20 so don't go kicking yourself over what you could have done, that's for other people. You'll have a lot more disposable income now, enjoy yourself!
I'd imagine that if I was inundated with people I didn't need to see due to having self inflicted problems I'd get pretty short with people too.
I mean, I can see both sides, obviously you needed a different tact at the time and that's regertable but saying that, I know of few people that have quit smoking from someone telling them too, everyone seems to need their individual push that relates to them on a personal level.
Turns out that advice from friends, family, doctors, packaging, NHS adverts and others around you suffering wasn't enough to convince you to stop so what did you really expect him to do? Turns out he gave you the right advice, you just ignored it.
If "not being able to breath properly" isn't enough of a sign for you then you're lucky that being diagnosed with mild COPD was. Plenty of others in your position would be complaining that "doctors haven't fixed my COPD!" and continue smoking.
With all that said, honestly best of luck to you - more than ever you need to look after your health and a massive part of that is going to be a mental challenge. Hindsight is 20/20 so don't go kicking yourself over what you could have done, that's for other people. You'll have a lot more disposable income now, enjoy yourself!
A big part of my work is managing people with COPD and despite the diagnosis you can make huge positive changes to your health minimising the effect COPD has on your life. The diagnosis now doesn't necessarily mean you're condemned to a short life of breathlessness. Unfortunately it's easy to say but tough to make the changes and it's all things you'll be fully aware of.
Keep that commitment to never smoke again, obtain/maintain a healthy weight and increase your fitness level through exercise! The heath benefits will be massive and your lungs will improve in function. I meet people whom have done this and you'd never know they had COPD from looking at their lifestyle.
Keep that commitment to never smoke again, obtain/maintain a healthy weight and increase your fitness level through exercise! The heath benefits will be massive and your lungs will improve in function. I meet people whom have done this and you'd never know they had COPD from looking at their lifestyle.
It is probably the most addictive substance legally available worldwide.
To be fair, the OP (and me) do not need to have all of the horror stories being dished out here. COPD can be a pain in the butt, but it also can be manageable. You wont be climbing Everest again, but normal activities can be undertaken and enjoyed.
You can use nicotine replacement therapies quite safely to reduce the risks of taking up the weed again and I recommend this.
Soldato
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Never understood smoking. I mean it's not like just losing 10-20 years off your life. It's the suffering caused from it.
But hey, it's a free world and if people want to smoke fine. Just don't moan about the cancer.
But hey, it's a free world and if people want to smoke fine. Just don't moan about the cancer.
Soldato
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Sounds like the doc was just telling it how it was. You should have listened to him.
Hope you can manage this disease long term. Best thing you can do is quit smoking and look after your health as best as possible. A bit late maybe, but better late than never.
Never understood smoking myself. One of the worst things you can do to yourself. Never touched a cigarette in my life.
Hope you can manage this disease long term. Best thing you can do is quit smoking and look after your health as best as possible. A bit late maybe, but better late than never.
Never understood smoking myself. One of the worst things you can do to yourself. Never touched a cigarette in my life.
I think the OP is looking for some reassurance and perhaps a bit of sympathy / understanding from people, not a scolding "reeeeeee should have listened to the doctor then".
This is supposed to be a community, after all.
OP - I have no experience of COPD, or information to provide, but I hope you can adjust to the news and adapt. Best wishes
This is supposed to be a community, after all.
OP - I have no experience of COPD, or information to provide, but I hope you can adjust to the news and adapt. Best wishes
Caporegime
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As the title suggests, I've just been diagnosed with COPD, and to be honest, im crapping myself, everything I read is bad news, please someone, if they have any information, give me some good news.
I am an ex smoker as of diagnosis, I literally walked out of the doctors surgery and screwed up my pack of fags and threw them in the bin, that was last Thursday, not had one since, but too little too late I guess, been given an inhaler to help with my breathing, and next week I have blood tests, X-Ray and CT scan to my chest to see what's going on in there.
The crazy part is 3 years ago I went to my old doctor with breathing difficulties, who asked me if I smoked, I said yes, and he pretty much said, give up, man up, and get out of my surgery, obviously I lost faith in doctors after that, however last week I had the Flu and could hardly breathe, I told my Mrs to make an appointment at the new Doctors, obviously something wasn't right, and that's when I found out, she was disgusted at what the previous doctor did and said.
I love how blame is being put on the shoulders of your previous GP.
They have to deal with thousands of timewasters everyday. I don't like the process any more than you do.
Buy you can see how they just treat everyone as a time waster these days.
I went to my GP for the first time in 2 years a few months back and they said wow your first visit with us ever as I had moved to them 2 years previously. I was up front with the GP I only come to you if I really need help if it's something I can sort myself I will. She then treated me exactly how I wanted. I basically explained the issue and what i wanted to happen and she wrote the prescription there and then after a quick check.
You were a smoker coming in with breathing difficulties. Can you imagine how many of these they need to deal with? IMO people should be made to pay for a GP visit even as little as £5 would stop all the time wasters and make the whole service a lot better. Same goes for ambulance callers. It should be £20 for a call out. If it's found to be genuine you get the money back if not they get to keep it.
Point is you should know how the system works by now and know how to get what you want from it. You should have been more persistent if you thought there was a real issue years ago. Good luck with your treatment.
Caporegime
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I have to disagree. Too many not wanting to take responsibility is why we are in this mess in the first place. GP's are overworked pandering to people who shouldn't be there. My old GP was a 3 weeks waiting list for appointments. I ended up having to go to hospital instead to see out of hours many a time. People should need to pay to visit them only way to stop all the time wasters.
I mean it's £15 for a pack of cigs. I'm sure they can afford a fiver for help.
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I know a GP on a social level; at a recent gathering, we all suggested this as a good idea. His response was:
"Have you any idea how much grief this would cause us? Nice idea in theory but in practice, 100% a recipe for arguments, complaints, increased costs and a failure to collect the money anyhow in most cases."
Sadly your idea would be most unlikely to make the service better, it would almost certainly make it much worse.
So, what are you going to the GP for? Why do you need to see out-of-hours "many a time"? What's wrong with you that's more important than other people's illnesses?
I have a number of GP friends all who have the opposite opinion.
I pay 20% at the point of contact with all frontline health services in France. This stops a lot of people going when they have a cold and the system of payment is a piece of **** to manage yourself. The doctor even has a card machine on his desk. It's not difficult. There will be teething issues, obviously, if we were to start this, but they would be managed. The NHS is a shambles.
This is France we're talking about. They're a nation of over-medicalised hypochondriacs and it takes weeks and 13 signatures to get a debit card here. If France can manage a system like that, I'm sure other nations can.
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Caporegime
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Dislocated my knee playing football (stretched my ACL) when someone tackled me from behind.
Done my ligaments in my right ankle (again playing football).
Got a chalazion in my eye.
Stomach infection. Got hit with football in the stomach which caused belly button to leak fluid / blood which led to infection.
This is over 10 years. So once every 2.5 years roughly. It's not as if I got to the hospital every other week like some people. I've now stopped playing football so I don't expect to ever need to go there as often now. Maybe once every 10 years or so.
My point being I shouldn't be going there if GP's didn't have 3 week waiting lists. It's not as if I can hold on for 3 weeks for treatment for something serious.
Timewasters need to start being fined. It causes GP's to think we are all time wasters. it's a huge drain on the system and our GP's
Caporegime
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You only know one GP on a social level? Shame on you I know at least 4 so I know now how many idiots they get through their doors wasting their time.
One of them does house calls. He got asked to do to a house call for a headache and then was asked by the person could he write them a script for paracetemol. he said it costs 16p in asda can you not buy it? they said but it's free if you write me a script. he gave them a script for 6 pills and no more.
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As you say, you are talking about France.
GPs in the UK have enough trouble trying to get payment for signing passport photographs (they often refuse now), writing unneeded (and impossible to justify) sick notes to confirm to (perhaps justifiably sceptical) employers that Joe Bloggs was indeed unwell for a few days last week and for signing letters to confirm that people are fit to travel, get Insurance, etc.
Insisting that people pay anything at all to visit the GP would cause nightmares for a very long time until people woke up and smelt the coffee -or- the NHS collapsed - perhaps the privatisation obsessed Tories will try that strategy?
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