Reflections--COPD  Just about two years ago when the pulmonologist looked me straight in the eyes and said I had late Stage III COPD I was literally speechless, stunned.  It was then I realized that what I thought was somewhat normal breathing was nothing close and most likely why I was having so much trouble keeping up with any job and/or physical activity.

So it’s nearly been two years and I have been put on and then taken off 24/7 oxygen, still have a FEV1 number of 32 and continue to get SOB (short on breathe) anytime I do much physical stuff for 10 minutes – but something changed on Monday, although at this point I am not sure what.

After a post-holiday appointment with my pulmonologist, my wife felt very strongly that we should get a second opinion because after nearly two years when asked the question ‘what can we do to improve his COPD?’ and received an answer of ‘not much more than what we are doing now’.

So on Monday we saw a different pulmonologist and after going through a lot of questions, reviewing my health records from my physician and other pulmonologist tis new fellow tosses us the following idea – ‘your problem may be that nobody is taking care of your asthma properly’.

After my comment of ‘well I have a FEV1 # of 32 and been an asthmatic all my life which has developed into COPD’, this pulmonologist says ‘you can have a FEV1 of 32 and just have severe asthma, because COPD comes from smoking and you never smoked’.

So I am caught totally off guard by this comment, as in my own research asthma can develop into COPD especially when the asthma is consistently being set into motion from environmental and outside issues.  When I mentioned 7 years in a fiberglass insulation plant and 20+ years in food service (many when smoking was still allowed inside the businesses), he seemed to disagree as that being a problem.

So now my wife and I are confused – do I have COPD or do I have asthma, or is it possible to have both.

After a discussion with my regular physician I have concluded that I have both and that the new pulmonologist putting me on symbicort@ should be tested for a month as he prescribed, then see how things are.

So while my COPD/Asthma & Me 4 Today may find me to be a bit confused on what is causing my disability, whether it is the COPD or the Asthma or both – I do plan on listening to my regular physician and the new pulmonologist and try the symbicort@ for a month and go from there.

As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

Remember always that without breathing a person is without life itself.

As always I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2015, CrossDove Writer)

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