What does the future hold, Stage 2 at an early age
Since the end of may, I had been having issues with shortness of breath, chest pain, overall lethargy. We did every test possible for the heart, EKG, Echocardiogram, Coronary CTA and everything came back clean, well aside from stage 2 hypertension diagnosis. The symptoms remained however and at the end of November I was referred to a pulmonologist which upon going in i thought nothing of it until i was told that my FEV1 was at 66% and with albuterol treatment it only went up to 68%. My DLCO is good however 115% and the Coronary CTA didn't show any signs of emphysema aside from a small spot on the lower portion of the lungs.
The kicker is i am only 36 years old with the lungs of an 80 year old of equivalent height. I am unable to find hardly any information regarding the outcomes of younger people like myself who have had to live with the condition for decades / Quality of life / complications etc.
Has anyone else out there had or known someone who was diagnosed at an early age and if so would you be able to share what sort of prognosis this means for me?
36 yo Male, smoked from the time i was 14-32, haven't smoked in 4 years over a pack a day for 12 of those years
Hi, I don't know if this will help much but I was having copd checks throughout my 30,s my mam pasted when I was 44years old and I had Emphysema well before then, I think I was 39 when I had a ct scan which showed signs of Emphysema then which probably I had in my mid 30,s but didn't know then. Not really any symptoms of it.All I can say is that everyone is different with their copd, but to hopefully ease your mind you can still live years and years depending on your own copd, so please try not to worry about this, live your years and years which you still have and enjoy them as much as you can.X
Hi again, you might notice when you go for appointments everyone seems older than you, I use to go back then and think how come I am alot younger than most, and my heart went out to them.When I walked into the waiting room also , I am sure people use to look and think she is a young one, and feel the same towards me.But years later I am still going to them and now I blend in with the rest.X
Thank you. Do you mind me asking how long you have been with the diagnosis and what sort of quality of life changes you’ve had from diagnosis until now?
,
I have only been diagnosed with COPD stage 2 for 2 years. There are definitely lifestyle changes to get used to. One of the biggest is avoiding anything that can cause a flare up of your conditions. These things to avoid are different for everyone. Some examples are pollens, smoke from campfires, fireplaces, and grills, strong smells from cleaning products, perfumes, etc., car exhaust, windy days with a lot of blowing dust, cold temps, hot temps, high humidity, etc. You have to learn what irritates your lungs and what you can tolerate. Obviously avoid the flare up triggers. Exercise daily is important. Breathing exercises are important. You will find you can't go as fast and long physically as you used to. Large crowds are a must to avoid if possible. Cold, flu, and upper respiratory system season is important to stay on your toes and do your best to avoid being exposed to any of these. I find there are a lot of things I cannot do that I used to. I just replaced the things I used to do and enjoy with other more indoor things I can do and enjoy. It is going to be a learning curve for a while, but once you get the lay of the land, you will be ok. It all depends on your attitude and willingness to do what it takes to keep your COPD under control. Keep the forum informed how you are doing and please ask any questions you want. Take care and God Bless!Hi again, breathlessness, is one thing that changes that stops you from doing the things that once did. It can be a real pain in the bottom but in saying that you can still have better breathing days and other days you may not.But can I just say Dminor9 is right it can be the way you take care of yourself and avoid triggers and flare ups as much as possible, to avoid chest infections.X
Hi
, and welcome to the community. You have certainly come to the right place here at COPD.net. We are all about all things COPD and COPD related. I see you received first-hand direct replies from our good members, and . They have been very candid with their own personal narrative and I am hopeful that will get you started as you work through the journey with COPD.
Please know - we are always here to provide you with information, share anecdotal experiences and to lend a listening ear as needed. If there is anything we can do to assist you, please let me or any other moderator/team member know. You are always welcome here!
All the best, Leon L (author/moderator)
