Hello, I have been having breathing difficulties on and off for the past four years, the doctor I went to initially in 2023/24 brushed it off as asthma, I seem to remember the nurse saying something about my blood oxygen levels being good at the time, so I did not push back on the initial diagnosis. I was prescribed albuterol during the visit, but I discontinued use because it seemed to have little to no effect.
A little about my health/smoking history. I've been smoking on and off for 17 years, If I had to put a number on it, it would probably be 8.5 pack years. I wasn't a heavy smoker during the day but once I got a drink in my hand after work I could smoke all night long. I decided to quit drinking in 2024 which reduced my smoking significantly.
Anyway, fast forward to 2026- It seemed to me that my ability to breath had gotten slightly worse from 2024-2026 and I decided to see a doctor. The doctor had decided to pull blood work and sent in referrals to radiology, pulmonology. The Xray Scans/blood work turned out just fine, and my doctor seemed to think I was most likely suffering from anxiety. I had been feeling hopeful until the results came back from pulmonology and I read the tentative diagnosis STAGE 2 COPD.
When explaining my ability to breath/ comfortability to the doctors Ive been using a 1/10 number scale. Prior to my diagnosis I was at maybe a 3/10 on average, and at worst maybe a 5/10. The kicker is, I had almost canceled the Pulmonology test having felt almost no difficulties in the two weeks leading up to the test. Unfortunately for me, I relapsed and started smoking about three to four days before my visit to the pulmonologist and my comfortability/ability to breath had significantly increased from 0.5/10 to about a 4/10.
I'm here now because I really didn't take the news well, and the night of reading the diagnosis I had really horrible symptoms including- physical shaking, difficulty breathing, numbness of lips. I'd put my ability to breath and chest pain that night at about a 7/10. Since that night, I've had difficulties sleeping more than 4 hours, I'm stressed out to my limit, and I'm absolutely terrified of an exacerbation pushing me from stage 2 to stage 3. I'm not scheduled to see a pulmonologist until three months from now, which I except to be put on a maintenance inhaler or equivalent. I don't have the kind of temperament that can just sit back and wait it out.
My concerns, I was hoping on living a long healthy life prior to diagnosis. I had quit drinking two year prior and had significantly reduced/fully planned on quitting smoking. I've always eat fairly well and am physically fit.
I'm hoping to make it to 60 without the use of oxygen fulltime and am hoping to live at least to 75, Is this realistic? 75 is a long way off from 33, and being diagnosed this young I'm worried I will not make it. I am currently making efforts to reach 75. I'm actively reaching out to doctors and am exercising daily. I'm currently jogging every day for about a 1/2 hour and putting in ten minutes of pushups/sit up reps.
Any and all advice/insight would be appreciated.