Hello everyone...
I want to say first that I am really grateful to have found this forum and I have read a lot since 2 days ago.
I am 32, female and from the Philippines. I started smoking since I was 20 but you can equate that as maximum of 5sticks per year. I came to Japan 3 years ago, that's when I really did it and smoked 1pack a day and sometimes 2 packs when I am really stressed and depressed. I smoke between 5mg and 8mg. I started having a hard time breathing since the start of November, when I inhale it feels as if im suffocating and by the end of the day my left chest hurts the most because of the effort I do when inhaling.
Last November 29 I went to the doctor and these are my results:
FEV was only 36.6% ☹️, oximeter 98
The doctor gave me the Spiolto Respimat inhaler but until today I didn't feel any changes so I came back to him.
today Dec 2 the oximeter showed 100, and I had ecg and the doctor said my ecg is normal. But I told him I didn't feel any better from the inhaler so he said he will refer me to a bigger hospital for further test, which I will go either on monday or on tuesday.
I don't have a cough that goes on for the day and before I sleep, but I notice when I wake up after drinking anything I will cough a little and produce a colorless phlegm and it will be gone when I get out of the house and go to work. I can still sleep normally but when I wake up and get up, the feeling of heaviness in my chest is back and then the shortness of breath or difficulty breathing throughout the day.
The doctor said I am too young to have this, so probably I have this problem even before and attributing to the environment I grew up with in the Philippines (pollution, dusty home, among other things) he even said I can't get a pneumonia vaccine since in Japan they only give it to older people like in their 60s. But I can have an influenza vaccine which I will get tomorrow.
I am feeling really scared and a lot of emotions right now but I can't cry because if I cry my nose will get congested and I can't breath. Is this a death sentence? I was thinking how many years left do I have in this world.. my family are all in the Philippines. I am feeling so lost and scared..
thank you so much for reading.. I know you have posted a lot already in other questions but any comments and suggestions how to deal better and probably not feel scared and anxious is very welcome and greatly appreciated..