I smoked 2 packs a day for 32 years, and before i quit my breathing was so bad that it was downright frightening. With housework my lips had began turning blue, so out of fear of dying feeling like I was suffocating slowly, I quit smoking.
I dont have insurance, didn't have insurance back then so never spoke to my doctor about it.. I just quit smoking.
Major improvement occurred with stopping smoking, and additional exercise made possible by the quit.
That said, i am disabled with major back problems, CRPS and neuropathy in my legs, and as my back got worse (due to exercise) I had to stop the PT about two years ago, and so some of the benefits of quitting smoking went away, but I'm still in far far far better shape today breathing-wise than i was before I quit smoking 5 years ago. So yea for that..
Fast forward to now, Im having gallbladder issues (large gallstones) but the doctor was worried about the way I was breathing and sent me to the pulmonologist before surgery, to clear me for surgery and give advice for any necessary precautions during and after surgery.
So.. I blew into a machine, in and out as hard as I could, repeatedly, and the pulmonologist says my number on that is 62, and that means I am stage 2 COPD.
He also thinks I have sleep apnea, although when he started talking about ordering tests I stopped him because we dont have and cant afford insurance, therefore cant afford expensive tests... so he stopped and didn't order any further testing.
He cleared me for surgery with instructions on what he thinks is important for my gallbladder surgery, and gave me inhalers.. 1 is called Bevespi, which i am supposed to take twice a day, and the other I won't fill until Friday.
He gave me two minths on the inhalers and said if they are doing me good and i would like to come back for another office visit and he would give me more.. (he has samples to give free)
I started reading online about COPD, but it seems people are doing more for their COPD than just inhalers like diet and talking about things I am not seeming to wrap my head around at the moment.
So, rhis is more than just not being able to breathe good anymore? Inhalers are only part of the treatment?
Is there more I need to consider, or do, or ask about as someone with stage two COPD?