Chest cramps

Hi everyone, my first 2 names are Duane Jonathan AKA Dujon. I don't know what stage COPD I have ...3-4.

Diagnosis

I was diagnosed at the end of November 2019 I am 56. I have a very low lung function & I get tired sometimes from just talking a lot. My doctor said when I first got out of hospital, altho I gave up 40 years of chain smoking, I would be coughing up phlegm for probably 2-3 years. Well she was right. I'm still coughing it up. My 1st year was the worst, but in the middle of last year til now, I have been getting painful cramps in my chest, due to power forced coughing trying to cough out stubborn the phlegm. I was given codeine for the pain but that gives me constipation so I try not to use it but stay on paracetamol. It's so painful sometimes going from the right side of my chest to the left in fact at one part I thought I was having a heart attack. But if I don't cough it out I can't move around normally or sleep properly at night.
Every now and then I need pills like prednisone & dioxcycilin to help deflate my chest inflammation but i'm not allowed to be on that treatment for longer than 5 days as it is addictive or whatever but honestly it really helps to clear my airways...

What works for me

The mid summer drought heat in the north makes me exasperated as did the south Island winter cold when I went down for holiday last year it was like breathing air from inside a freezer it was almost cutting my throat with every breathe. Christchurch is chronic I don't think I will go there again...I tried mucinex from the supermarket once but that seemed worse, lozenges help a bit tho. Only my nebulizer really helps as it loosens & gets the phlegm unstuck & it is coming up in smaller lumps now but my saliva seems to aid it in being lodged in so hard ...I have a discreet spitting bottle with me always it's so disgusting.
Can't wait for this to end...I will not put my name down for a lung transplant as i was asked...no way...i'm scared of going under the knife ie the scalpel.

Helpful tips?

Any tips ppl..?
I'm a born again Christian so praying really helps also when my big sister prays and lays hands on me...then the next day the cramping returns , I'm so tired of it...no energy sometimes. I hate sleeping lots tho, I can do things but in my own time but heavy lifting no, vacuuming slowly yes, I even changed my car tyre once, took me half an hour. I try and walk 100 meters but not every day. I'm so slow it's depressing, I used to be quick. The weight doesn't help either nor does the constant ice cream every day or 2, it's so hot here down under in NZ & I so still love ICE CREAMS.