COPD: Was it the last straw?

[CommunityAdmin]

  

In last week’s blog I asked about when people first decided to start their quit journey and I certainly learned some new things. Though I’ve seen it mentioned before, it was apparent that a diagnosis with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) encouraged many to start their quit journey. It got me thinking; once people are diagnosed with COPD they take action, but “Why not before?”  

  

  

When I go to the Dr, they ask me about my recent health history and do the yearly tests to check my health. Once I get the results, they advise me where the concerns are and what I need to do to improve so that I can be as healthy as possible and prevent avoidable diseases.  I do make a conscious effort to make better choices, but I’m not perfect.  

  

  

Ultimately, I know action is required on my part to keep myself healthy but I also need my doctor to notify me of concerns.  From there, a healthy dynamic hopefully ensues that motivates me to make changes for the better. It seems that the health care professional/patient relationship continually needs improvement and I’d like to hear your thoughts… 

  

  

If you’re a current smoker who is thinking about quitting or have recently quit but hasn’t been diagnosed with COPD: If your healthcare professional informed you that you’re likely to get COPD, would you be more encouraged to quit? What information, if any, have you received about COPD? 

  

  

If you’re currently quitting or have quit recently and have been diagnosed with COPD: Did your healthcare professional inform you about your risks of getting COPD? If they did, do you feel they properly informed you of the risks of smoking? 

  

  

If you’ve quit a long time ago and have COPD: What would you tell new members to the site? Is literature about COPD in a doctor’s office sufficient notification? 

  

  

If you want to learn more about COPD, the American Lung Association has an informational page that may be helpful to you. 

[YoungAtHeart]

We smokers ALL knew the health consequences.  None of them could have been a surprise - but the addiction and brainwashing were so strong that a) we thought it wouldn't happen to US, and/or b) we believed that it was SO difficult that we could not quit.  Addiction is mind alltering. I personally believed that if I ate a healthy diet, kept my weight under control and exercised every day, I could negate the bad effects of smoking.  A vascular surgeon woke me from that particular fantasy and told me that if I continued smoking I would need blockage surgery again, and very likely would not be healthy enough for him to do it.  THAT finally got my attention.

It isn't that we don't know. 

Nancy

[Thomas3.20.2010]

I humby disagree with my Friend, Nancy.

I of course knew about the risk of Cancer! However, I had no idea what COPD was - even after I was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis! Not once did I have this conversation with my GP who I have had for the last 35 Years.

Statistics have shown that although COPD is the #3 killer in the US funding and education are far behind. COPD like no other illness except lung cancer has been stigmatised not only by the populace but by the medical profession. Anybody that doubts this can ask me for specific articles saying just that.

My Dr. like so many other Doctors never asked me to take a Spiromtry Test - I told him that I wanted one after having been diagnosed with emphysema. The whole time he had the Spirimeter right in his office. He never once explained the relationship between chronic bronchitis and emphysema, He never checked me for Asthma or for genetic A1T1 - I told him that I wanted the test.

When I was diagnosed with emphysema my Doctor gave me a prescription for Advair 250/50 and a rescue inhaler with no explanation of how it works and how to take it appropriately and sent me on my way.

I am nott alone!

In the 6 Years that I have been educating folks right here on COPD they learn more from one Blog than they ever learned from their own Dr. 

If you have smoked more than 100 Sickerettes in your lifetime get the simple noninvasive affordable test called Spirometry! It's a matter of Life and Breath!

[Thomas3.20.2010]

"The themes were similar for both the patients and doctors. Three main themes emerged: knowledge and awareness of COPD, psychosocial and physical impact of COPD and the utility of self-management. Knowledge about COPD was generally poor. Patients were not familiar with the term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. The word ‘asthma’ was used synonymously with COPD by both patients and doctors. Most patients experienced difficulties in their psychosocial and physical functions such as breathlessness, fear and helplessness. Most patients were not confident in self-managing their illness and prefer a more passive role with doctors directing their care."

https://bmcfampract.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2296-15-67

[Thomas3.20.2010]

The delayed diagnosis of COPD differed from some other chronic diseases such as hypertension, where under-diagnosis is likely to be due to conflicting diagnostic criteria.²¹ In COPD, the delay was rationalised by misperception of patients’ unwillingness to be given a diagnosis and doctors’ pessimistic attitudes to prognosis. Similar communication deficits in COPD between primary care physicians and patients were found in the US²² and in Spain where only 11.2% of smokers or ex-smokers had any spontaneous knowledge of COPD.²³ Perhaps the reluctance on the part of GPs was to protect patients against psychological impact in a population in whom depression and anxiety are common.²⁴

Although doctors perceived their advice on smoking cessation to be relatively ineffective, this was not generally supported by participants who assessed it as valuable. Other studies have shown that doctors may be reluctant to give advice on smoking cessation for fear of harming the doctor–patient relationship or because of a preference for addressing the patient's agenda.²⁵

^{http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0954611107005070}

[JustSharon]

Hi Mark, I had COPD for 10 years before this quit. I too had a physician who never mentioned how serious it was. He gave me inhalers and put me on oxygen It wasn't till I got a pulmonologist that he let me know what I'm messing with here and told me what death would be like if didn't quit smoke. I don't want to sufficate! He also told me that if I quit smoking, chances are I would die of something else and not COPD. I am now in moderate stage of COPD and its time to be quit. I thank God for the wealth of information here and the wonderful people and you, thanks Mark.

[elvan]

Mark, 

I have no excuses, I was an RN for many years, I cared for patients with COPD, I KNEW what it was and how devastating it was to the patient and the families.  My addiction was bigger than I was, because I LET it be.  I was terrified of quitting, I made several unsuccessful attempts because I was not educated about the quitting process and addiction in relation to tobacco.  Once I came to EX and became active and read everything I could and found this incredible group of people who could support me because they already KNEW all of my excuses...it was a whole different thing for me.  I was in denial of how bad my COPD was, I knew I had it, I was so short of breath on exertion that it was embarrassing.  

I do think that the more people know, the more likely they are to quit or to get tested for COPD but I also think that any program has to break through the denial and make sure people understand that there is no immunity from the damage that this addiction does to our pulmonary systems, our cardiac systems, our skin, every aspect of our lives and our relationships. 

I am so happy to be smoke free and to have found EX.

[Giulia]

I knew nothing of COPD until I quit.  No doctor ever mentioned one word about it that I can recall.  Literature about COPD in a doctor's office?  Have never seen any. 

Because of Thomas and his ever-present blogs about the subject, I asked and was given  a spirometry test.  And it turns out I have mild COPD. 

What I would tell new members to the site?  Yes, it CAN happen to you.  Do your homework and quit now.

[bonniebee]

I was well aware  of the dangers, just read the info on the cigarette packs ! I think everyone today are very aware. Kids still smoke maybe not as many as when I was young because they are educated about the dangers and many parents today are now non-smokers which helps a lot ! I quit when i could feel the nefgative affects of the smoking in my lungs ,that is when it became very uncomfortable to even lie down ! I like Ellen thought i could balance things !

[maryfreecig]

I happen to think that no bottom is low enough.

I knew about the risks, including emphysema...including second hand smoke...throat cancer...

Alot of advocates, agencies and others have worked steadily for 55 years plus undoing the businesss of cigarettes....the progess has taken soooooooooooo loooooooonnnnnng. 

But honestly, legal age to smoke is 18 in most states; how many 18 year old seniors are passing around cigs to the juniors...

9 out of 10 smokers start at 18 or younger...or try the smokes. How many lives would be saved by raising the age to 21? Lots... And we need 80% pack coverage of ugly pics...no branding....no marlboro country. And finally we need a ban on cigarettes. 

Get em hooked? Then put a brochure in the docs office?

No,  end the damn crap now. 

[MarilynH]

I smoked for 40 yrs and knew of the dangersof continuing to smoke but for some reason, Ifigured that other people got cancer or some other health issue from smoking and I figured I was fine until the diagnosis of copd which scared me into realizing that I wasn't invincible that it was time for me to quit so with the help of this community I did! 

[CommunityAdmin]

@Nancy

Thanks for your perspective. I find it fascinating that you believed that a healthy diet and excercise could combat the effects of the cigarettes. 

@Thomas

I know I'm going to be more observant the next time I go into the doctors office.  I might even ask their perspective.

@Sharon

Thank goodness for your pulmonologist. 

@Elvan

I'm learning every day about what a struggle it can be. To those who watch others smoke but haven't been addicted ourselves it is difficult to understand the reality of the addiction. As an RN you also had a unique perspective to be able to understand what your patients were going through.  

Sounds like the community eductating others can be powerful and effective tool.

@Giulia

Sad to know that your Drs. office might not have advised/educated you of what might happen.  Good to know about the knowledge provided by the community though.  

@Bonnie B

My 8 year old at dinner last night proclaimed to me that he won't ever need to be a member of this site. He's talked before about following in my footsteps and being a community manager but this time he was talking about not being a smoker.  Certainly he doesn't know all the dangers but he knows enough to stay away from it.  I'm hoping the generations become more and more aware of everything.

@Mary

I agree with the packaging and health effects pics.  I saw some proposed packaging that showed different types of health effects as the result of smoking. It just made me think of people purchasing them and then having little decorative sleeves to slide their cigarettes into to avoid holding a package that shows a person missing part of their tongue.

@Marilyn

Do you think the feeling of invincibility is common? It seems to be a thought that others have also mentioned.

@Everyone

Thanks for your comments.  I hope that others here are lurking and reading your experiences.

Mark
EX Community Manager

[Lisa308]

Hi my doc regularly told me how important it was for me to quit but I didn't listen until I was diagnosed with mild COPD also having a grandson helped. I want to be around as long as I can to enjoy my life.  It's day ten for me so far so good. All this information and personal sharing helps. Thank you all.  Peace Lisa

[CommunityAdmin]

@Lisa

Thanks for commenting. And congrats on day 10!

Mark
EX Community Manager