I am 56 now. I was diagnosed with COPD in March of 2007. I had been a heavy smoker, got a cold I couldn't get rid of, ended up in the hospital, on a ventilator. I should have known it was coming, but like most smokers, thought it would never happen to me. I don't smoke now and never will again, but, I still want to. My life has changed drastically. I had to stop working, sold my home (couldn't afford it without a salary), and cashed in my retirement to be able to move closer to family and support. I have very little energy most days; I try to use what I do have wisely. I rest/sleep a lot. I carry tremendous guilt because I "did this to myself" and I try hard not to be a burden to my family. I was someone who rarely took even an aspirin, now medications are a huge part of my life. I finally have Medicare, but it doesn't cover prescriptions, and they are so expensive. There may soon come a time when I have to pick the most important ones and let the rest go. I use oxygen at night. I try to count my blessings, fully appreciate what I do have, and remain positive, but I'm not always successful with that.

I grew up with asthma; I suffered sinus and respiratory infections my entire life. I started smoking at 15. When I was in my early 40s, my asthma was becoming increasingly worse. I was diagnosed with COPD at age 47. I am now 55. I quit smoking four years ago. The disease does not improve. My "good days" are far and few these days. My dad and his dad died from this. My older sister was just diagnosed three years ago. My son was diagnosed with beginning stages at age 25. (He doesn't smoke.) My sister's daughter was just diagnosed at 33 (smoker). It's a hard disease that seems to start out like bad asthma and progresses into chronic lung infections.

I have COPD. It's been 2 years now. I quit smoking which I smoked for 41 years. The gentleman who stated he was not able to stop, please try CHANTIX. I never would have thought I would quit, but this pill is great. The hardest part was the habit not the addiction. So start planning the replacement. Such as, I needed to smoke when I first got up and had several cigarettes with 2-3 cups of coffee. I changed my patterns to make it easier. Both my parents smoked and my mother died from a heart attack with the notation by the coroners that was triggered by her smoking. She died more than 20 years ago before COPD. My dad just passed away with the same but COPD named. He suffered so badly because he would not give up smoking. This is an eye opener and I quit that October. Almost a year ago. I still have difficulties and wondered if this would qualify for SSI? Any one know ?

I am 39yo and started suffering from bronchitis only 2 years ago each winter. I had been a smoker from 17yo at about 25 per day. This year I had a major respiratory attack at the beginning of suffering a 3 month bout of Chronic Bronchitis and spent 6 days in hospital. I was diagnosed with COPD and was shocked. Luckily I had stopped smoking a week before ending up in hospital, only because I couldn't smoke (it hurt too much and made it even harder to breathe) It has now been 3 months since I had a cigarette and I never want one again. I am currently going thru a bout of pneumonia as an after effect of the bronchitis, and am still struggling to breath at times.

Well it was a bit of a shock for me even though I smoked, my symptoms weren't particularly severe and still aren't but I had been sick with bronchitis for three months, but it was the pain in my left side that made me ask to get a chest x ray, I was then told it was COPD, huh? I have nearly quit, only been 4 days and down from 20 a day to 4. I think it was caught early and I expect to feel better soon, it's just getting through this bronchitis stage that's hard and confusing and I will expect to get sick each year now. I did notice I was breathless on steep inclines, but then I was 16 years ago so smoking did that, but my only symptoms at the time of my diagnosis was that I couldn't bring up any mucus and I had a pain in my left side, that was all.

When I couldn't walk up a steep incline without stopping to catch my breath I knew I had a serious problem and being a heavy smoker made it even worse. Within an hour of seeing a physician I was given the devastating news that I have COP. This was 3 years ago and to this day I still haven't been able to quit smoking. Kids, listen to me, if you have never smoked then don't start, if you smoke throw them away before its too late.