I need to talk with someone.

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I was in the same boat 8 months ago. I was in ICU due to mycobacterial pneumonia and COPD with bleeding lungs. My doctor did discuss things with me, but I don't remember most of it as I was out of it. So, when I got home from the hospital, I did an internet search for COPD and read everything I could find on the subject. Trust me, there is plenty of information out there on the web about it. Plenty of information from diet to treatment to exercise to pulmonary rehabilitation to mention a few. There is a lot of information on this website also. Just use the search function at the top of the page or search the discussions by topic. A list will be on the right side of the page when visiting the forum page. I learned a lot and am not surprising my doctor with what i know about COPD. Good luck and God bless!

, welcome to our community! Most people haven't been educated on COPD so don't feel bad! Here are some great articles to get you started but don't hesitate to reach out to anyone on our team if you have any specific questions. https://copd.net/basics, https://copd.net/living/coping-avoiding-flares, https://copd.net/living/coping-strategies, https://copd.net/basics/acute-exacerbations, https://copd.net/treatment. All the best, Sam S. (COPD.net, team member).

Don't feel too bad about your lack of knowledge - it's the rare person that is fortunate enough to have a healthcare team that really educates on COPD. However, that's exactly what we're here for! Sam gave you some good suggestions for articles that will get you started. I recommend that you read one or two and then follow the links to other articles that catch your interest.
Try not to feel overwhelmed - it's a lot of information to take in.
Let us know if anything you read brings up questions that we can help with.
Welcome to the community!
Lyn (site moderator COPD.net)