Terminal Illness And Acceptance

[Lionheart]

This thread has helped me more than you will ever know. Thank You

Awwwww, @brat17

You are most welcome my friend, I am happy that it has helped!!!:happy::):happy: It has helped me a lot too.:notworthy: Thank you for participating in the discussion; for your insight and encouragement!!!!:cool:

:hug:'s,
Lion

 

[Deleted member 541]

@Lionheart777 I know that you and your sister are trying very hard to quit cigs, but my concern is anything that you are putting into your lungs is affecting your COPD. You are coughing when using the (whatever they are) replacement cigs. I'm just wondering if using the patch would be a better way to go? I can't even be around smoke too much, because it bothers me so much now.

 

[Lionheart]

@She Cat

I have failed with the patches so many times that my insurance company will no longer pay for them.

My cough is the worst when I try to inhale cannabis smoke and cannabis is actually good for COPD, but the smoke itself however is not, so you have a good point that inhaling anything other than oxygen may not be a good idea.

I am going to give the vape pen a few days and see if the cough diminishes. If not, or if it worsens, I will stop. Then I will discuss it with my doctor next week.

COPD is something I am still learning about, my diagnosis was only a couple of years ago and the respiratory therapist and I need to sit down and have a discussion.

Thank you for your concern, I will certainly keep this in mind.

 

[Lionheart]

By the way, I was told that if I continue to smoke I will soon be placed on oxygen 24-7 and I do NOT want that!!! I am already on oxygen at night.
So I am super determined to find a way to stop smoking and avoid that prognosis.

 

[Deleted member 541]

@Lionheart777 My heart goes out to you..... I remember trying to quit smoking. Tried 8 times over a 20 yr period. One day while doing a breathing treatment with a nebulizer,(for asthma ) I wanted a cig. Shut of the machine mid treatment, went outside to have a cig, and immediately I started hacking up my lungs. I made the decision then and there to quit. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I did it. Cold turkey, with only 30 tranquilizers that my Dr gave me for the anxiety. She told me I would have to figure it out myself after they ran out because she wouldn't refil the order.

There are other methods too. There is gum, lozengers, hypnotism, biofeedback, and then there is just plain old sheer willpower and determination that you just won't smoke again.

 

[Deleted member 541]

@Lionheart777 I was diagnosed 2 yrs after quitting smoking. That was 11 yrs ago. My lung function is now at 66%. So, it's not all that bad. I just came off all treatments for COPD also. They had put me on a second inhaler, Advair, I was already on Symbicort, and the anxiety in 48 hours pushed me over the edge. I stopped all meds (except rescue inhaler) about a week ago. Amazingly my anxiety level is almost non existent..... my breathing is a tiny tiny bit better too, as I don't have anxiety disrupting my breathing...

I sincerely hope that you can figure this all out. I know how bad it sucks to struggle for breath, and then the anxiety sets in because you can't breath. Vicious cycle!!!!

 

[Lionheart]

I am willing to try it all...whatever will work @She Cat

I am getting desperate and it kills me inside to see my baby sister struggling just to breathe. :wideeyed::nailbiting::stop:

I know I don't have long to get this figured out before they put me on oxygen 24-7. My oxygen sats are down around 90-92 and I have already lost about 1/3 of my lung function according to one doctor.:( My sister on the other hand is in much worse condition than I am.

Fortunately for me, I can be quite stubborn and persistent once I set my mind to something and I hope that it pays off.;)

My mother, bless her heart, stopped cold turkey after about 40-45 yrs of smoking 2-3 packs a day.:cool: I wish I had the sheer will power that took , but ya know she said it wasn't that bad because her breathing was such that she knew she had to.

I wish they would give me short term Ativan to help with the initial anxiety. I think 5-7 days of a little help with anxiety would do me a world of good. what they were giving me for anxiety was an antihistamine called Vistaril and it was like taking a baby aspirin, it just didn't do much to help.:meh: I will talk to my psych doctor asap to see if they can prescribe short term Ativan (Lorazepam).

Right now, I am on a Combivent inhaler and Ventolin, an albuterol nebulizer, and hope to get off of them eventually. The Combivent is a 4 time a day dosage while the Ventolin is my recue inhaler as needed. My sister is on Ventolin, Symbicort, Advair, Spiriva, an Albuterol nebulizer, and 24 hour a day oxygen.:confused:

Anyways, I am determined that I will do this..... I tried my sisters brand of e-juice and it is milder and doesn't make me cough, so maybe I am onto something. We will see. Sis is struggling to stay with the vape pen but is making an effort and some good, albeit slow, progress and I just need to try switching to her brand of "juice" and see how that works.

Thanks again for your support and encouragement and for sharing your experience with me.:notworthy::tup:
.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

but my concern is anything that you are putting into your lungs is affecting your COPD.

It's water vapor. And my step mom, whom has COPD (I don't so use her as example) when she smokes the vaporizer, she doesn't cough, at all. When she smokes cigs her cough is insane.

That cough is normal at first for a few days to get used to water vapor instead of cig smoke. I had it a few days and if you google, everyone has it for a few days.

You get used to it after a few days.

If it means anything I had a smokers cough and weezed, constantly, badly. After using my vaporizer for 3 months, i went back to the Dr, zero weezing was detected.

I was 34 so my lungs healed a bit. That doesn't happen as much if at all after the age of 35, the age where my Dr said damage starts to become perm. So i am not saying that it will reverse or stop the existing symptoms but it will stop the highetened advancing due to smoking as all it is is nicotine and water.

Nictotine is obviously still bad for you and it does increase anxiety and make your heart beat faster, but its better than carbonmonoxide and the 101 chemicals in cig smoke.

 

[joeylittle]

It's water vapor.

No.

It's unregulated - so a little all over the place - but what is known is:

• Nicotine (when they have it)
• Propylene Glycol (this is the same stuff that makes 'fog' in older theatrical/concert technologies. It's been regulated in those industries for causing breathing problems over constant exposure)
• Glycerine (liquid form).

Both Propylene Glycol and Glycerine are safe for food consumption, and found in many products. There's no understanding of what they do to the lungs when inhaled.

When the e-cig heats up, in order to convert the liquids to aerosol, these additional chemicals are produced:

• Formaldehyde: Carcinogen. This is what is used to preserve dead tissue/organs for study. It's also used in embalming.
• Acetaldehyde: A probable carcinogen.
• Acrolein: This forms when Glycerine is heated - it can damage the lungs and contribute to heart disease.

The user doesn't taste this stuff because of the flavors that mask it.

There are also metals and particulates. The particulates per volume are roughly the same as regular cigarettes, though they have a different composition. No-one knows how they affect people. Toxic metals have also been found - these include tin, nickel, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Cigarettes can also have these, though there have been some studies showing that toxic metals occur in greater concentration in e-cigs.

Water vapor comes from water. This is chemistry. The juices do contain water, but they are generally 95% propylene glycol and glycerine. Glycerine is responsible for most of the vapor. The bottom line on all these is that the hotter the juice is made, which some users do in order to extract maximum nicotine, the less understood the vapor becomes (scientifically). For example, people often cite that Propylene Glycol is also used in asthma inhalers - the difference is, those aren't being heated up.

Compared to cigarettes, they aren't 'as bad'. However, it's yet to be seen whether they are just their own kind of 'bad'.

@Lionheart777 - if you prefer cannabis for multiple reasons, you should look into vaping that. Doing so reduces the temperature and the particulate, compared to smoking, and it is significantly less damaging to your lungs. You also get more of the CBD/THC, and less waste product - so you use less. It would probably be less dangerous than the e-cigs, would help manage the anxiety, and might get you off inhalants altogether.

What’s in Your E-Cigarette?
Electronic cigarette - Wikipedia
http://gizmodo.com/5-facts-that-everyone-gets-wrong-about-vaping-1659938937
http://gizmodo.com/why-e-cigarettes-might-not-be-as-safe-as-you-think-1589485508

 

[Deleted member 541]

@joeylittle THANK YOU!!!!! I am so anti smoking for what it has done to me, and others. Honestly, I wish they'd just ban the freaking things. Ok, off my soap box now....

 

[lostforgottensoul]

• Nicotine (when they have it)

• Propylene Glycol (this is the same stuff that makes 'fog' in older theatrical/concert technologies. It's been regulated in those industries for causing breathing problems over constant exposure)

• Glycerine (liquid form).

I was going to edited this and advise about PG and VG as I did advise about it earlier in the thread.

I had written it fast.

My opinion still is that, yes, not smoking or inhaling anything is best but if that isn't possible then a vaporizer is MUCH better then cigs.

If you can quit with a patch, great. I couldn't so this is a better option than smoking cigs for sure. And that is all it is, an option.

 

[Lionheart]

@Lionheart777 - if you prefer cannabis for multiple reasons, you should look into vaping that. Doing so reduces the temperature and the particulate, compared to smoking, and it is significantly less damaging to your lungs. You also get more of the CBD/THC, and less waste product - so you use less. It would probably be less dangerous than the e-cigs, would help manage the anxiety, and might get you off inhalants altogether.

I may do that @joeylittle :)

Although I would prefer to vape cannabis oil, it is bit cost prohibitive for me. However that being said, I know a guy who was in horrible condition in the hospital for severe COPD that used the oil, got off all of his COPD meds, and is now doing great and looks and functions at a higher level (no pun intended).

His is a pretty amazing story but, as far as I know he did not have PTSD to contend with.

Another problem is that it is still illegal in my state. No medical marijuana laws on the books as of yet.....although I will admit that has seldom stopped me :giggle::) in the past and I am active in pushing to get the laws changed.

I have heard the high-end, top-shelf, "Girl Scout Cookies" is a good strain for PTSD....however, I don't know if it is good for COPD. Still, vaping the herb or oil is definitely the way to go in my case. Much 'cleaner' and possibly even more effective as you have pointed out.

Anyways, I want to thank you for the information and links about e-cigs and vaping e-"juice". I appreciate being as informed as I can be on this subject. I do not want to make myself worse while trying to heal. I will read up on the subject.

I also want to thank you for taking the time to contribute to this thread, for myself and my sister.:tup::notworthy: We both appreciate and are grateful for all the help!!! (she is also a member here but doesn't get online very often).

I will stop smoking one way or the other, but for now I am giving the vape pen a try and if that doesn't work, I will go to vaping cannabis herb or oil. Whichever turns out to be cheaper and best suited to my needs. I also want to get my respiratory therapist to weigh in on the subject....his expertise may prove to be invaluable.

thanks again,
:hug:'s
Lion