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@merpreb

@sallynn- Welcome to Mayo Connect. I know the feeling of your world changing overnight. It's scary and disconcerting. It would indeed seem strange to have emphysema even if you do not smoke but it does happen. It can hurt and make you feel terrible. Have you been referred to a Pulmonologist? If not I recommend that your PCP refer you to one. They are the experts on all things that concern the lungs. It seems as if you were having trouble before you were hit by the truck with your lungs, however I'm sure that whatever problems you had before were exacerbated by the hit. Depression always seems to be the after effect of a scary diagnosis. 60 MPH? Wow. When I was a teenager long ago I was hit by a car going slower than that and I was hurt!
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are grouped together and called COPD.
https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/chronic+bronchitis
Emphysema can be caused pollution or chemicals in the air too.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/emphysema/symptoms-causes/syc-20355555
https://www.healthline.com/health/emphysema-stages
Were you put on any inhalers or other medications?

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Replies to "@sallynn- Welcome to Mayo Connect. I know the feeling of your world changing overnight. It's scary..."

I’ve been waiting a long time for a pulmonologist appointment. Seems to be a shortage of them. The only appointment I could get months out is a tele-med appointment & it’s coming up, finally, later this week. My PC gave me Anoro & a rescue inhaler but Ive put them to the test to prove if they work or not & I think Ive determined they really don’t seem to do much. My symptoms & struggles seem to come & go & change in severity with or without them. I guess I’m having a bad day but I just feel extra pissed off at the severe alteration of my life in one day from a distracted driver in a big truck & realize it’s only going to get worse. And I have no logical explanation for having it outside of it being accident related. It just feels like it was the simplest, most obvious diagnosis to give even though it makes no sense. It’s been 4-1/2 months & im starting to fall apart emotionally over this. Communication with a pulmonary Dr online who specializes in rehab & wellness programs told me he thinks my condition is due to damage from the accident. But of course he hasn’t seen me. I really want to find someone who can convince me it is or isn’t attributable to the impact collision. Perhaps I shouldn’t be posting on emotionally challenging days, lol. But I thank you for your words of advice & encouragement.