Hi Joe,
I was diagnosed with COPD & emphysema in May 2012 when my left lung had a pneumothorax (it collapsed). After being hospitalized 2 more times for the same condition, they finally chemically attached my lung to my chest wall so it wouldn’t collapse any more. Fast forward to 2013 & after being exposed to extensive mold, my right lung had a pneumothorax. So the procedure was repeated on my right lung. I began to get sick easily & had to take antibiotics & steroids every time I got the least bit sick. I had a cancer scare in 2015, when my pulmonologist saw a spot on my left lung. It turned out to be a pocket of inflammation & he did exploratory surgery to clean it out. I recovered from all of this & went through pulmonary therapy in 2016 & was feeling great!! Then in March of 2017, after seeking antibiotics from both my pulmonologist & an urgent care facility because I felt like I was sick again, I was finally given only steroids. 2 days later I was calling the EMS because I couldn’t breathe without oxygen & my tank of oxygen was running out. I was diagnosed with pneumonia that had turned into sepsis. This knocked me back a bit more than anything else. I was hospitalized for 5 days & still felt very weak when I came home. Had to use oxygen all the time for a couple of weeks. Found a treatment a Dr in Virginia used to treat sepsis, consisting of steroids, huge doses of vitamin C, and another B vitamin. Also drank kombucha & took detox baths with vinegar, baking soda, epsom salt, & lavender essential oil. I still have to use oxygen when I exert myself, but I feel pretty great considering all I have been through!! I recently moved & got all new doctors. Other than my lung condition & having a slightly elevated cholesterol level, my PCP says I am in perfect health & it should not affect my longevity as long as I take precautions to stay away from the triggers that cause me to have exacerbations. My long function is at about 35% & has remained at that level for several years. I am very pleased with my current doctors!! They seems to understand what I am dealing with & do whatever they can to help me. Kudos to Linda above who sounds like she has had a rougher time than me with this, but still remains positive!! That makes all the difference in the world!!