Hello All,
I could REALLY use a friend with some support and/or some advice.
On July 28th of this year, I was diagnosed with COPD. Prior to that, (even though I was a heavy smoker averaging around 2 packs per day), I had never even experienced a single symptom. I quite literally just woke up one morning and was desperately struggling to breathe. Since then, I have developed a plethora of symptoms that scare me to pieces.
Symptoms like just walking to the kitchen makes my heart race and beat out of my chest. My hands and feet near-constantly have a "pins and needles" type feeling, (it's more prominent with my right hand). I often experience a heartbeat type throb that is accompanied by an extreme squeezing feeling to my throat that almost feels like I am being choked. My legs near-constantly feel like Jello, it's as if they can not bare the weight of my body. I often get completely winded doing the simplest of tasks. I am experiencing weird stabbing type pains around my chest, neck, shoulders, sternum, armpits, hands and feet. My ears ring so loud nearly all the time.
My oxygen numbers are, for the most part, at 97, 98, or 99 and I have had a complete cardiac work and seen a vascular surgeon who told me that; "Although my left carotid artery is over 60% blocked, everything looks good and we will monitor your carotid artery next year." They do not plan on performing surgery on the artery until it is over 70% blocked.
I also have multiple compression fractures in spine and moderate to severe kyphosis, which I am currently trying to have surgery to help get fixed. I do take pain medicine every 6 hours to help with the pain.
My question is this; Have any of you experienced any of this? If so, what has helped you to get through it? My symptoms are all over the place and because I have no comparison and no one to guide what is normal or not I am in a near constant state of anxiety.
Also, anyone have any suggestions to help quit smoking. Although I have cut back a great bit, I am seriously struggling to quit completely and I am so desperate to be done with it.
Also, and I'm so sorry if asking all these many questions is too much. Had anyone else had any issues when taking Bevespi and Albuterol together? Has anyone else experienced increase in your heart rate and your blood pressure? You see, I started on Bevespi and Albuterol a little over a month ago and sometimes my blood pressure gets pretty high. I have spoke to my pulmonologist and he says that; " It is not high enough for him to be concerned" but it is high for me, who usually runs really low.
All of this is super scary and I am starting to question if it is possible that I may have been misdiagnosed. My symptoms seem to be getting worse daily and although I have kept all of my Doctors in the loop about my symptoms and what I am experiencing, I do not feel that they understand the severity of what I am going through, AT ALL! I often times find myself wondering if what is wrong with me is COPD or if it could be related to my kyphosis and compression fractures.
Again, I'm so sorry to bother everyone but I don't know where else to turn. I am so desperate, frustrated, overwhelmed and scared and I have never felt more alone, (even with living with three others), in my entire life!