Emphysema

Hello Linda, Welcome to HealthyPages :wave:

That was a shock and a half for you, wasn't it?? HOW on earth did they 'forget' or decide not to tell you this information 5 years ago?

Please ask the doctor WHY??? In writing. To my mind this is appalling negligence. You could have done something about the smoking, and by quitting, it might have stopped the progression of the disease. To my mind this is NOT acceptable.

What has happened to standards in healthcare? They can swap your heart , liver, or lungs at vast expense, but FAIL to give you any information or advice that could have prevented a serious problem from developing in the first case. Words fail me.

I am not normally an advocate of compensation chasing lawyers, but in this case I would be seriously thinking about it. At least the cash could go towards making the rest of your life a bit more comfortable.

Meanwhile you need to keep your immune system in full fettle. Please get hold of a copy of [url]this book[/url] and follow the information within and/or see a registered [url]Nutritional Therapist[/url] who will be able to help you with the right foods and supplements that could make an enormous difference to your quality of life.

Wishing you well my dear, and a big cyber hug :grouphug: to you. Oh and please give up smoking - lots of advice and kits available.

Hi Caroline, thanks for your kind words & for the links, which I will be looking at.

I don't want any form of compensation, just some answers from the medics at my surgery. I requested a phone call today, from the GP I saw yesterday. I wanted to know who did the diagnosis & where?

He suggested that I must've been told that I had emphysema. I could do no more than to insist that it had never been mentioned before but if it had it would've put the fear of Christ into me like it has now. He went onto say that I was diagnosed with asthma & asthma can progress to emphysema. I was told I had asthma, this is true, but that is all. I insisted that had I been informed of the true facts I would've given up smoking there n then, like I have now (not even craved a cigarette as the thought of one makes me feel physically sick). The doctor says that regardless of whether I'd been told it was asthma or emphysema I should still have given up smoking. That's all very well saying that now, I know many asthma sufferers, including a doctor, & a couple of nurses, who still smoke, that didn't put me off. However I do remember a friends mother from a few years back, who relied on oxygen, that's really disturbed me.

I wanted to know my long term prognosis. Ive read about different stages of the illness & I'd like to know what stage I'm at. The doctor either couldn't or wouldn't answer, saying that he was unable to hear me clearly over the phone, but instead i must see a nurse at a breathing clinic (awaiting a call back from her to make aforesaid appointment)

Sorry for going on, but my mind is so fuzzy at the mo. I wonder if there is anyone on here who can advise if I should be informing my employers. I'm a pen pusher & i don't work with any hazardous materials so don't do a manual job, so hardly likely to get breathless during the course of my work. I don't want to run the risk of my employers terminating my employment because of this or maybe deliberately looking for another reason to dispense of my services without making it seem tho they've used this illness as a reason.

Thanks

Linda

Hi Linda
''Fear of christ'' you say!
Psychologically you will batter yourself for not knowing. but see that all the time you didn't know you were not that fussed. Relax maybe it has saved you 5 years worth of worry and anxiety.
It is never too late. Body is a marvellous self healing machine...only condition is will you let it heal itself? or will you worry yourself sick?
Now your conscious mind is involved....but for 5 years you were oblivious. Now you are involved, before now things were happening on their own.
Now it is time to use your involvement wisely. Feel worry anxiety, anger at not being told and for having this condition but Don't invest into worry and anxiety because that will be counter productive. A tense mind makes body tense and in that state no happy outcome is possible.
Body knows how to heal itself, if you get out of your own way and let it deal with its problem. How do you do that? By not adding on psychological fears to physical issues. by making life affirming choices rather than lamenting over spilled milk. make necessary changes to diet and stop smoking if you must but not out of fear of death, but out of for love of life.
Mentally staying strong and carefree. people are beating AIDS, cancer, ME...and all kinds of conditions. Get inspired. Embrace the challenge. You will come alive like never before just by doing that. It is not a battle that cannot be won. It might be the best thing that has happened to you, if you accept the challenge that it throws at you. The worst things can be the very making of us. You never know, what blessings are hidden in this
good luck

I was told the only thing that would help is exercising every day, so I have joined a breathing exercise club. I do this once a week but try to do the exercises every day. It does help.

I was told the only thing that would help is exercising every day, so I have joined a breathing exercise club. I do this once a week but try to do the exercises every day. It does help.

Hello, interested in the breathing exercises? I've heard that singing is very good for this condition?