Sudden Onset Severe COPD Inflammation only, no physical lung damage

I feel your pain. The good news is that you don't need to be a monk or street-shy; just avoid crowded places with a lot of smoke. On the contrary, being outside your safety bubble is recommended, but don't overdo it - open-air concerts and eating, etc, are fine, smoke-laden rooms or packed halls are not at all: smoke kills and there are too many viruses around. Remember you are prone to infections, and each infection takes you down a notch. Being outside your safety bubble is even recommended for your mental health, but with care. Breathing exercises mean both diaphragm breathing (a lot of them are on YouTube) and general fitness - but there, the bar could be quite low, depending on your overall fitness and age. I would recommend Yoga for well-being and stretching. Also, don't allow any weight growth. Big belly pushes your diaphragm up the lungs, decreasing their already diminished capacity. Good luck

I wear a well-fitted, protective, breathable mask when indoors with others except when eating and drinking. It’s the compromise I started when covid burst upon all of us. It has greatly reduced infections.

I did not qualify. I am on a medicare advantage plan (over65). That disqualified me.

I would suggest during open season for insurance in the Fall that you drop the Advantage Plan (as there is no advantage, as you have experienced) and pick up a secondary insurance plan

Absolutely there is a world outside of home… you just have to be willing to tackle it on your terms. I need to know if you are on oxygen 24 /7. .. if you are not, you are in better shape than you think. I am not sure of your physical condition, but there is plenty out there to help you enjoy life outside of your house…. don’t get discouraged… My husband told me four years ago that he wouldn’t make it to the end of the year… Knowledge is power.

Not on oxygen at all. I have been on inhaler since May 22 and go for repeat Pulmonary Function testing in two weeks. I can walk two flat miles now and can also now climb the stairs without huffing and puffing- those are huge improvements compared to where I was when the COPD hit. I don't have any idea what is realistic going forward. I am lucky in that there is no physical damage to my lungs at this point, just major inflammation....

Wow…that is wonderful…great effort…keep it up…avoid smoke, car exhaust, fumes (cooking, cleaners).. keeping your lungs healthy is your new job. You are in very good shape considering your diagnosis.

I had lung radiation at the beginning of the year and in January contracted pneumonitis as a result. It created some serious lung inflammation, and it's taken this long - and a lot of prednisone - for my lungs to finally heal and go back to what they were originally. I could barely even make it up one flight of stairs, but my lungs are now back to what they used to be.. I was convinced I had severe COPD (I was told in 2019 I had a mild case of it), but was informed by a pulmonologist who went over my CT's with me that lung inflammation and COPD are two different things. Before you jump to conclusions, I recommend taking some time to allow your lungs to heal and see if the inflammation goes away.

Glad you got your lungs back to prior condition. Given what you say, I remain confused as to why my pulmonologist said I had COPD even though it was just lung inflammation. I will have to discuss with her as to her diagnosis. Thanks.

Your initial posting read to me as though you also were questioning if you actually had COPD, as you questioned whether it might be an autoimmune issue. The fact that you had bronchitis earlier also seems strange. I hope your pulmonologist is able to shed more light on what the inflammation is all about.