Newly diagnosed and sick again.

Hi Mego26! Thank you for posting. I am sorry to read about your diagnosis. I know facing a chronic condition can be challenging. It sounds like you are already doing a lot to maintain your health and that's great. And switching to plant based cleaners is a good move as well. I find the less chemical cleaners make cleaning more pleasant. As far as improving your immune health, we have some articles on our site about that topic. Here is one on nutritional counseling with basic tips you might find helpful -- https://copd.net/living-with-copd/pulmonary-rehab/weight-management/
Also, here is an article on what COPD is, how its treated, and how to manage it. You might find it helpful -- https://copd.net/treatment/guidelines/. And you are right -- everyone experiences this disease in a very individual way. While I am sorry you have COPD, I am glad you found this community! Feel free to come here anytime to ask questions, share, or just read up on the latest COPD news. Thanks for being here. Wishing you a good night, Erin (COPD.net Team Member)

Hi Meg - I will echo what Erin has already said: we're glad you found our online community. There are many people here who want to share experiences, science-based information, anecdotal stories and also plain support! You are always welcome here. Please look around and feel free to participate as often as you like.
Warm regards, Leon (site moderator)

Thanks for your quick support and response. I managed to cough up some greenish yellow sputnum and got straight in to the Dr for antibiotics yesterday (I don't cough much).I'm hoping the infection is the reason that I run out of breath while simply speaking. I expect that to happen further down the road, of course.
One of my main concerns is how this affects my family and in particular, my daughter. She's 28 and when she first learned of my diagnosis,she looked up emphysema on WebMD. They actually post your likelihood of being alive in 4 years by pecentage! ie: stage 1 it is 80% likely you'll still be alive in 4 years, etc. I was appalled they would post such stats. We lost my parents in the last couple of years, both went quickly without warning, and I'm sure she's terrified of me going too.
I told her that was the worst information she could have read on the internet according to all the reading I have been doing and that I'm in excellent shape for an almost 50 year old. I'm 5'5" and weigh 142 lbs. I explained to her that with my good cardio workouts and making smart choices like cutting back to shorter, more manageable work days (self employed cleaning),that I can remain active and listen to my body to not overdo it. It's hard for me because I am stubborn and have a push through this kind of mindset. That's worked ok with arthritis and sinusitis, but COPD is something different. Too much IS too much and can result in further damage. She'd be relieved if I quit working altogether. I love my clients and most are elderly and very lovely people who add meaning to my life. I want to keep living!! I want to really listen to my lungs and respect the disease to live life to the fullest. I still hope to travel and see more of the world before I'm put on oxygen, hopefully way down the road. I have a handful of clients in their late 80's up to 95 who also live with COPD. They give me great hope as they live full lives, still getting out for walks and living independently. Thanks for listening, Meg

Hi again, Meg. It sounds like you are approaching this the right way - with a positive attitude and a 'can do' mentality! Statistics (like those on WebMD) are just that - numbers for a large group of people. Bear in mind that every case of COPD is different and unique for each patient. Make certain you have a good doctor or even better, a specialist, like a pulmonary physician. Family and friends for support are essential as well.

Erin has provided you with links (above) to some excellent 'get started' references. In view of your latest post, I thought you might also find the following articles on 'physical activity' https://copd.net/living-with-copd/pulmonary-rehab/exercising-with-copd/ and 'communicating with physicians':https://copd.net/living/tips-for-improving-communication-with-physician/ to be helpful as well. Looking forward to hearing more from you. All the best, Leon (site moderator)