With lung function around 60%, if you do all the things you should do to manage and control your COPD and have a little bit of luck, you could probably go through the rest of your life with few if any problems. The key is doing everything you can to manage and control the COPD. How do you do that? That's a question you should be asking your pulmonologist, but it she's worth her salt, here's what you're going to hear: exercise every day for at least 30 minutes and more is better; healthy diet designed to help you get to a normal weight; take your meds; learn as much as you possibly can about COPD (excellent site is www.COPDfoundation.org) get your flu and pneumonia shots; stay away from people with bugs and get to your doc ASAP if you do get something respiratory.

Once you get your doc's permission, begin a daily exercise routine. I'm not talking about being active; I'm talking about a formal exercise program. You need to be doing at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity without stopping and doing strengthening exercises for upper, lower and core muscle groups. People with your lung function generally don't qualify for Pulmonary Rehab, so my suggestion is that you join a gym and work with a trainer to develop a daily routine that will work for you. Start slow and work your way up, especially with the aerobic stuff. If you try to walk, for instance, at what you think is a normal pace, you'll probably not be able to do that for 30 minutes, so slow way down, until you feel almost silly. Walk for as long as you can before you have to stop to catch your breath and note the time. Rest and do it again until you've done 30 minutes. Do that same thing for the next couple of days. Then, every couple of days add some time until you can do 30 minutes without stopping. Then you can add speed, distance or time.

The exercise is probably the most important thing you can do. The other thing is get to your doc ASAP if you do get something respiratory, because getting really sick is what can do additional damage to your lungs. You already have enough, so you don't want any more. If you can do these things, you'll be managing and controlling your COPD. You could easily go through the rest of your life keeping your FEV1 right where it is now; that's your goal. You have a really good chance of being able to do that.

Just for the record, I'm 71, I have half your lung function, I work out every day, my FEV1 has been right around 30 - 35% since 2000, I've had COPD since 1985, I worked full time until my planned retirement, I do use O2 for sleep, exercise and flying, I still work part time for an international accrediting company and am an advocate for COPD, working with a number of national organizations. I usually fly at least twice a month and sometimes more. My life is really full and fun; your certainly can be, too.

Never fear God is near....with all of the pollutants in the air, allergies, mold so many more even passing in the genes from family. Most all of us have been given the facts about C.O.P.D. Emphysema is my lot.
The fear of suffocation when having a coughing jag will bring on anxiety for me. In my minds eye, I focus on a montra....If I pray don't worry and if I worry don't pray...I redirect panic mode with positive. Awhile back I practiced guided meditation and now I can go with my minds eye to a windy beach and breath deeply , or deep in the woods on a windy day, the air is so fresh there. It has brought me out of the coughing jag...immediately followed by water with a little lemon juice in it (seems to clear up the Flem ). My spiritual life is a big copping skill for me. I say we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, training ground, till the day God brings me home. As far as your son , There are many opportunities and directions he could go. He too has a purpose in life. God takes care of His children. I am a child of God at 56. Hope this helped. God bless you and your son.

Char, COPD is a chronic disease. That really means that people can live with it for very long time. You also asked it life was worth living with 20% lung function, and I know a number of people who do quite well with lung function around 20%. It's not easy and it takes a lot of planning and good support, but it's quite possible to live quite well. I also know people with lung function at your level who are totally miserable and ready to die. The difference is attitude and the effort they're willing to put into life.

I come here and to a number of other boards and forums and belong to several listservs because there are people like you who need the facts about COPD, the appropriate treatments for it and most importantly, they need to know that if THEY take control of their disease instead of expecting a doc to "fix" it, life can be quite good, no matter where you are with the disease. I sometimes despair at the level of health illiteracy I see; the amount of poor or downright bad treatment people get from docs who clearly don't know enough about COPD to be treating it and the lack of knowledge about COPD which is currently the third leading cause of death in the US.

I find those things depressing, not the fact that there are folks here who have very poor lung function or are on O2 (which isn't the end of the world, believe me! I go through airports regularly with my POC and no one pays any attention at all. I use O2 sometimes on the job as well, and that never bothers anyone.).

That is so true, the year I ended on life support in just 1 month it felt like my world had fallen apart, I was out of work because of the COPD and my insurance company was refusing to pay my disability, my son left for boot camp and my mom past away. The day after she past my body could not take the stress any longer and my lungs collapsed. Listen to you body I did because I lived at that time alone and if I had not paid attention I would not have made it to the hospital. My lungs are at 22% and I live every day to it fullest, Never give up because there is so much to look forward to, the good the bad and sometimes the ugly. Just remember to stop and smell the roses, tulips, and all the other smells that are out there. Try to look at the glass as half full of a really nice wine and enjoy.

No I think it's quite normal to be anxious about this I guess copd ranges from mild to severe I think if you have not been hospitalised and are not on oxygen that means you and your gp are able to manage this condition very well and you may have lots of experience to share with others xx