What do you know about COPD?

[Heather in Neverland]

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder?

 

My mom just emailed me and told me she has been diagnosed with the beginning stages of COPD...of course...after I moved half-way around the world...after she made me feel guilty about moving...after she told me I would be sorry for leaving her.

 

I don't know much about it and what I am reading scares me. She's only 59! I am worried and I feel like I weigh 100 pounds heavier under all this guilt. I couldn't move home to be with her now if I wanted to. I am under contract. Now I feel even more guilty for loving it here while she is sick at home.

 

AHHHHH!!!!! :banghead: :willy_nilly: :crying:

[Harriet Vane]

:grouphug:

 

I don't know a whole lot about it. However, as I read your post it occurs to me that perhaps God arranged the timing of this diagnosis perfectly because he knew how you would struggle to walk forward into this adventure if you knew.

 

I really don't know--only God knows. I pray He gives you the understanding you seek and peace.

[home4school]

Hi, Heather. Sorry you're having a tough time now, but don't put more guilt on you. Several people I know have or have had COPD, mainly developed from years of smoking. My mother was diagnosed with it over 15 years ago and she's still here at age 81. My FIL had it and passed away within about 4-5 years, but he didn't stop smoking. at. all. He still smoked over a pack a day, up until he went on hopice.

 

Stopping smoking really helped my mother. She uses several different inhalers each day (albuterol inhalers and Advair diskus) and takes breathing treatments with a nebulizer several times a day. Just about every fall, she would end up in the hospital with pnuemonia because chronic bronchitis is common in people with COPD and that turns into pnuemonia in them quite easily. But, she started taking the flu shot yearly and hasn't been in the hospital in over 4 years. She has had to have oxygen at home at different times, but hasn't had to have that in several years.

 

Truly, it can be managed. My mother is 81 now and was diagnosed when she was probably in her late 60s. Yes, its hard now for her to walk long distances without getting out of breath, but she's still getting around.

 

I would say the most important thing is your mom MUST STOP SMOKING if she does. That has been the difference in everyone I have known with it.

 

Truly, I know you would feel better to be with your mom and she wouldn't have anything to throw in your face :), but there's not really anything you can do. This is something she will have to manage herself if she wants to stay around. My fil decided he didn't want to give up smoking, so we are now left without him.

 

Blessings and prayers,

Kim

[*********]

Home4school gave you a good picture of what COPD is.

 

Unfortunately, my story is a bit different. My mil was diagnosed this year. She's 53, and was a heavy smoker. She finally quite when she was diagnosed. She lost a LOT of weight before they finally figured out what was wrong with her (or before she finally told us what her diagnosis was; there's suspicion in the family that she knew for a long time before anyone before fil was told. :glare:) She's 5'3", and she got down to 87 pounds. Now she's up to a whopping 95. She now can't work (at the career that basically defined who she was to herself), she's on oxygen 24/7, and really can't do much of anything besides sit around her house. She has no energy for anything, she can't even clean a bathroom. She's become paranoid, and has panic attacks all the time. She doesn't like fil to leave the house without her, and insisted that they get an alarm system installed in their house. She's on the lung transplant list, but to be frank I don't think she's well enough to make it through the surgery if they did find her a match. She's been in the hospital three times this year, the last time with pneumonia.

 

She's a shell of the woman she used to be.

 

And it's her fault, because she smoked. And you can tell that she is ashamed and embarrassed, and feels like this is something she brought on herself, so the rest of us shouldn't be worried about her, because she deserves it in some sick, twisted way. It's just so sad.

 

Dh and I are terrified for her. Seriously, she looks like death. And it's like in the past year, she has morphed into a completely different person. And to top it off, she is not saved, and does not want to hear about the Lord at.all. It's heart wrenching, most especially for dh.

 

However.

 

The Lord knew your mother would be diagnosed with COPD. And he told you to go to Malaysia anyway. And you know that. You have no reason to feel guilty. It's not as thought you going to Malaysia *caused your mom's COPD. Pray for her, be as involved as you can in her diagnosis/treatment, and keep loving her. Is it possible that she's trying to make you feel guilty because she's scared? Or because she misses you? Or both?

 

:grouphug:

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

http://www.cdc.gov/copd/

[Halftime Hope]

My mom just emailed me and told me she has been diagnosed with the beginning stages of COPD...

 

COPD is a disease similar to diabetes in that it can be aggressively managed. It depends very much on the person's attitude and how much they love life, i.e., is she willing to do the work to minimize the impact and keep herself as healthy and strong (!!!) as she can be?

 

My ILs who both smoked for more than 40 years both had COPD. One suffered greatly from the lung damage, the other not very much. They both were diagnosed with it for more than 15 years.

 

Exercise was a wonderful tool for one; the other would not exercise in any meaningful way. :glare: Both used inhalers which really helped.

 

This is *not* an immediate death sentence, in fact it is likely that b/c they are catching it early, she can do a great deal to take care of herself and slow the progress.

 

She should really read up on what she can do for herself with supplements and natural means to help her health as well. since this is all about her long-term well-being.

 

hth!

[AuntieM]

My mother has had a COPD diagnosis for many years. She was a smoker for a very short time in her young adult life, and has other congenital heart issues which contributed to her development of this condition.

 

As I understand it, there is no cure for COPD. It will eventually take my mother's life. HOWEVER, since her diagnosis her symptoms have been successfully controlled with medication. Every few years she has a "situation" where the fluid begins to accumulate in her lungs; on three occasions over the last 12 years she has been hospitalized for treatment and an adjustment in medication levels. As I understand it, the level of medicines' effectiveness plateaus after a while, then an adjustment is made; later another plateau, and so on.

 

She has maintained a great quality of life, honestly. Remarried last year. I know she doesn't feel her best, but she is only now, at 75, just beginning to slow down. I say this to offer you some encouragement. This is sad news to receive, surely, but it is up to your mom to put on the mental fortitude necessary to face the challenges of COPD. You cannot do it for her.

 

I know you wish you could be there. I wish I could be near my mom, who is across country from me. But when I did live near her, I couldn't make her eat right. I couldn't force her to get enough sleep. I couldn't drag her out for the walk she needed. She absolutely had to come to those decisions on her own. I could verbally encourage her - which I think you still have the opportunity to do - but I could not force her into a healthier lifestyle, not even if I lived under the same roof with her.

 

You have a wonderful opportunity to serve your own husband and children and countless other families right there in Malaysia, where the Lord has called you to serve. Please don't let a cloud of guilt dull the shiny best you are prepared and excited to give them! I agree with strider - trust the Lord's timing in this. The very best thing you can do for your mom is to pray for her, and you know that transcends the miles.

 

:grouphug:

[Heather in Neverland]

OK, now I am really weirded out...my mother has never even TOUCHED a cigarette in her life. No one in my family smokes. But the women in my family do have a history of heart disease. My mom has been hospitalized a few times for heart issues...nothing serious, yet. Her mom died of heart disease but she was 74.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

OK, now I am really weirded out...my mother has never even TOUCHED a cigarette in her life. No one in my family smokes. But the women in my family do have a history of heart disease. My mom has been hospitalized a few times for heart issues...nothing serious, yet. Her mom died of heart disease but she was 74.

It is not always caused by smoking.

 

From the CDC:

 

What causes it

In the United States, tobacco use is a key factor in the development and progression of COPD, but asthma, exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace, genetic factors, and respiratory infections also play a role. In the developing world, indoor air quality is thought to play a larger role in the development and progression of COPD than it does in the United States.

 

credit: http://www.cdc.gov/copd/copdfaq.htm#cause

 

If you visit the cdc's site for any specific disease, most of your questions will get answered with facts.

[catalinakel]

Hi Heather.

 

Fear not. I believe that my very unhealthy and overweight, non-smoking father has had copd for many, many years. He has heart disease and diabetes. It is not an immediate death sentence. My father is now 76 and has had a massive heart attack as well as triple by-pass surgery. He is still plugging along.....

 

Prayer knows no boundaries. Take care.

[Mrs Mungo]

OK, now I am really weirded out...my mother has never even TOUCHED a cigarette in her life. No one in my family smokes. But the women in my family do have a history of heart disease. My mom has been hospitalized a few times for heart issues...nothing serious, yet. Her mom died of heart disease but she was 74.

 

My son has COPD and he's 8. He developed scarring in his lungs after a nasty respiratory virus. His is closely managed by a pediatric pulmonologist. He takes singulair, nasonex and advair twice a day and takes 1/2 a dose of zithromax 3 times per week. The doctor initially started the zithromax because it is believed to prevent further scarring from minor illnesses but his pulmonary function tests have actually improved since he's been on the zithromax. They aren't always sure why some people develop such problems and other people don't. He has been doing really well here in Hawaii, the cold is a big trigger for him. We actually had to take him to the ER when we went home in April for a course of steroids. He can go from tiny cold to hospitalized in a day, so, any time he gets at all sick we have a visit to the doctor to check him out. Other than that, he's fine. He plays, he runs, he jumps, he's *extremely* active. It can be managed, especially the type that is due to illness and not smoking.

[JenneinCA]

My husband has COPD. He takes his advair twice a day and goes on with life. He had asthma as a child and his mother smoked, but he never did. It isn't causing major problems for us.

 

Just to say it doesn't have to be an awful thing.

[Mary in VA]

She had whooping cough as a child which damaged her lungs. Then as an adult, in her 30's, she developed brochiectasis, which is an obstructive lung disease which can result from bacterial infections. Then in her 60's she got a-typical tuberculosis, which itook years to get over. Due to all the lung damage she had COPD. She used inhalers and was on oxygen 24/7. She lived 11 years after she was put on the 24/7 oxygen, and even traveled twice by air to visit us. She would get so annoyed when people asked her if she had emphysema, since she never smoked a day in her life!

 

I think how serious a diagnosis it is depends on how badly her lungs are damaged and how closely she will follow the doctors instructions. My mil followed all the instructions and used her inhalers very faithfully. Her poor lungs were just so badly damaged that the last few years she was in very fragile health and any airborne resperatory disease was very dangerous for her.

 

Don't feel guilty!! God knew she would be diagnosed with COPD when he called you to go! I think what you really need is specific information about your mother's case. COPD can mean many different things, so find out what it means to your mom.

 

HTH,

Mary

[Tea Time]

Saw this new treatment on the news recently. But I agree that there appears to be different versions of COPD, so this may not be effective for all of them.

 

http://www.easetrial.com/

[Heather in Neverland]

Thank you for all the awesome info! So smoking and asthma are not the only causes. I do know it is beginning stages. But I am worried because Michigan winters are brutal and she gets sick every winter. Also, she is the office manager for a doctor's office so she's exposed to illness every day. She has an appointment coming up so I am looking forward to more info.

 

Can those of you with experience with COPD tell me what the BEST environment is for living with it? Harsh winters seem bad. What about humidity? Or is a dry heat the best, like Arizona? She is planning her retirement and I need to steer her in the right direction.

[tex-mex]

Sorry to hear this! :grouphug:

 

Hubby worked in the late 80's and early 90's as a Clinical Research Scientist for FDA drug trials (i.e. Albuterol) at a University Hospital. His research subjects were elderly with severe COPD. Many were in the ICU and in end stages of the disease. Since there was no hope for them... these patients signed up for a study hoping the drug and experimental surgery would help. I can tell you more... but it is depressing. The drug he researched on is widely used today.

 

I would think there is now better help compared to 15 years ago. Do get mom out of the work office -- she can get ill easily with COPD. Have known folks to move to AZ or Mojave Desert for relief. Hang in there.

Edited October 16, 2009 by tex-mex

[dancer67]

And it's her fault, because she smoked.

 

 

She shouldn't feel this way, nor should anyone in the family feel this way towards her. Smoking is an addiction just like drugs or alcohol. I won't get into the long debate over smoking and discrimination. But your mom has a disease and nothing can be changed.

 

She could have developed COPD from something else, even if she hadn't smoked, who knows? Nobody really knows where life will take you.

 

I will pray for your family.

 

And Heather, getting back to your mom and COPD, it is manageable. I know someone who was diagnosed in their 60's and is 87 today.

 

Everyone is different and your mom is in beginning stages. It must be hard knowing you are so far away. But I know you will do the best you can for her.

[kpupg]

Thank you for all the awesome info! So smoking and asthma are not the only causes.

 

COPD has many causes. My mother has it and never smoked a single cigarette in her life.

 

Did you know that half of all lung cancer victims are also non-smokers? It's true, yet what is the first thing people say when they learn an acquaintance has lung cancer -- "did she smoke?" or "I didn't know she smoked." Blaming the victim.

[Halftime Hope]

Thank you for all the awesome info! So smoking and asthma are not the only causes. I do know it is beginning stages. But I am worried because Michigan winters are brutal and she gets sick every winter. Also, she is the office manager for a doctor's office so she's exposed to illness every day. She has an appointment coming up so I am looking forward to more info.

 

Can those of you with experience with COPD tell me what the BEST environment is for living with it? Harsh winters seem bad. What about humidity? Or is a dry heat the best, like Arizona? She is planning her retirement and I need to steer her in the right direction.

 

This would be a prime question for her pulmonologist.

 

Besides my MIL and FIL, I know a number of elderly people at church, several of whom have COPD. Two of them, like my MIL, actually do better in the mild winters here in TX than in the summer heat. The cold air seems to help keep inflammation down. OTOH, my MIL had to run a humidifier in the winter to keep the indoor air from being terribly dry from the forced heat. In the summer, she just could not tolerate the heat and the ozone days and would languish having to stay indoors. The last puzzle piece that I have to share with you is that she could no longer tolerate returning to the altitude of her home town of Amarillo. The mimimal (3600 feet) altitude there was too much for her.

[AuntieM]

Can those of you with experience with COPD tell me what the BEST environment is for living with it? Harsh winters seem bad. What about humidity? Or is a dry heat the best, like Arizona? She is planning her retirement and I need to steer her in the right direction.

 

 

My Mom is in the Gulf South, where she was born and raised. Quite humid. I never really thought about it before, but perhaps the humidity has helped her to manage her illness more effectively.

 

That said, if someone has spent her entire life in a non-humid climate, it may be too big a leap to move to a very humid place, kwim? Your question regarding the climate is a great one, be sure to follow up with your mom on that if you can, or perhaps with any siblings of yours.

[LMA]

Just a caution: My 84-year old mother has COPD from, most likely, untreated childhood asthma. My mother is quite susceptible to pneumonia from a small cold and up because she had her spleen removed years ago from an unrelated problem. Since then, she has been hospitalized five time for pneumonia, had countless chest x-rays and CT scans. You know what we found: those things are read differently by various doctors at the imaging places, hospitals, and primary care doctors. Some say she has the lungs of a smoker. She has a spot of dead tissue in one lung and some said she needed a biopsy (I said no, she can't go under anymore surgery - the surgery would kill her), some said she had emphysema, possibility of lung cancer, based on one x-ray, etc.

 

So I found a good pulmonologist. You know what, he said that COPD is a general term; it could mean anything from simple asthma to having to carry oxygen 24 hours a day. You know what else, he gave her a very specific name for her lung problem and the recommended treatment. She does not have the lungs of a smoker. He had been watching the spot for several years and it hasn't grown at all. She doesn't have emphysema, which cannot be diagnosed from an x-ray. He dropped all those expensive inhalers (Advair, Singulair, albuterol, etc.)that she could not inhale and switched her to nebulizer form and she is much better. A lot of those inhalers don't work as well as the nebulizer form especially for elderly.

 

She doesn't need the oxygen at night anymore. 5 years ago, she came home from the hospital after a pneumonia bout and had to be on oxygen 24 hours a day for many months. She could only walk 3 steps without sitting down immediately. Her breathing difficulties were related to her weight. We pay for a personal trainer to come three times a week. My mother lost 100 pounds and she can walk our entire street up and down without resting . She still has the pneumonia bouts, which are related to a compromised immune system with the removal of the spleen. She went to the hospital in Feb. for pneumonia. After 24 hours, they removed her oxygen as she didn't need it, a big surprise for everyone. Her heart problems have improved tremendously (She had a heart attack after her hip replacement, which was another factor in her weight gain and breathing problems).

 

So now to treat her COPD, I let the pulmonologist take charge. I don't let the primary care doctor order x-rays anymore. If my mother goes to the hospital, I have the pulmonologist check the hospital films as those residents read the films differently. She uses an inspiratory muscle training device (small plastic breathing tube that rattles the lungs) to loosen the stuff stuck in her lungs to try to lessen her chances of pneumonia. She is much better over the last three years.

 

Louise

[LMA]

Thank you for all the awesome info! So smoking and asthma are not the only causes. I do know it is beginning stages. But I am worried because Michigan winters are brutal and she gets sick every winter. Also, she is the office manager for a doctor's office so she's exposed to illness every day. She has an appointment coming up so I am looking forward to more info.

 

Can those of you with experience with COPD tell me what the BEST environment is for living with it? Harsh winters seem bad. What about humidity? Or is a dry heat the best, like Arizona? She is planning her retirement and I need to steer her in the right direction.

 

My mother lives in Massachusetts with me. The cold air has been good for her lungs. She used to live in Virginia and still was sick a lot with pneumonia. Taking care of your COPD is more the key. My mother has orders from the specialist to walk everyday as that helps keeps your lungs from sticking too much. She has to be careful with germs - not touch anyone at church, wash her hands well, etc. She does her nebulizer four times a day and her inspiratory muscle training 3 times a day. So, for your mother, she needs to discuss how to deal with her specific condition with her doctor.