COPD

[missantarctica5]

Hi, my mum has COPD, diagnosed 14 years ago at age 63. She lives in her own apartment without oxygen, and copes pretty well, although she can't walk very far or do too much. She recently developed pneumonia and I had to take her to hospital, where she has been for 9 days. The pneumonia developed in her left lung that usually has no activity, but started to give her pain, and xrays showed that it is now in both lungs. They are giving her antibiotics in our small town hospital, but I don't have much confidence that it is working. We don't have a COPD team here, but rely on a small town family doctor who is so overworked, she can only see my mom every second day. I am wondering how a lung can clear itself if there is no air going in our out? And do antibiotics always help even if it is not an infection or virus? She is still cheerful, and with a walker, can go a short distance as long as she stops for a rest, but gets very tired and forgetful. She seems to be getting better, and they have taken her off oxygen, but i dont know what her levels are. Should I be arranging for her to move into a home? She values her independence, but I wonder if she will be able to cope any more. I know it is hard for anyone to say definitively in a forum what someone else should do, but i am worried and couldn't sleep anyway, so i googled COPD and arrived here and found comfort in the other stories in the forum.

Thanks

[Davy9]

I am a little confused about the seriousness of the pneumonia. You suggest that the left lung is completely consolidated and not exchanging air but also state that she is off of oxygen and ambulating. For a 78 y/o with long standing COPD that situation would be exceptional. I would think that her lungs may show Xray changes but they are not as involved as you indicated. At this point if she is ambulating without oxygen it seems as though the acuity has passed and she is on the road to recuperating. You should be able to get some clear answers from the hospital staff. If she is improving her blood work should reflect it and her Xrays should show improvement. If she is more alert, eating better, conducting her own bathroom chores and becoming more active that all suggests that she's on the mend.

As to her living situation discuss it with her. Be practical about her abilities to meet her daily needs and stay safe and healthy. She may adamantly refuse to give up her independence. Some areas offer in home assistance and home health nursing services. If these are available she could possibly get the needed help and still remain in the home setting.

[missantarctica5]

Hi, thanks for your response. She has been amazing the medical profession for about 10 years with her ability to cope with so little lung function. The xrays showed no improvement, it is in her "good" lung and they have put her back on oxygen and a specialist from a larger centre is coming next week.

When I say she is ambulatory, I mean she can go out with her walker, and very slowly, with many rest stops, go about 200 feet and back.

She has a good home support system, with community home care to tidy up and help her bathe twice a week. I do her groceries and run errands. She goes to a day away program twice a week and enjoys the social interation. In fact that is her biggest fear - that she won't get to go back to day away.

Anyway, I know you can't diagnose her from an internet post, but reading all the posts makes me feel less alone. Thanks

[Davy9]

There's still something different going on. Think about it. When you get sick from even a minor infection like a cold you feel bad. You run fevers, you're tired, you have no energy. An infection involving an entire lung would be enormously debilitating for a healthy person let alone a frail chronically ill older woman. It will be interesting to learn what the specialist determines.

It sounds like you're making good use of that home care support and it seems to be working as well as possible.

[missantarctica5]

Hi, thought I would provide an update instead of leaving this post hanging. They released my mom on June 11 and as soon as she found out she was going home, she improved dramatically. The power of the human spirit! She was pretty weak for the first week and had a nurse coming in to check every second day, and check by phone on the other days. Now she is free of the nurses and back at day away twice a week, complaining about the tardiness of home care..... :-)

Who knows what was really wrong. It was probably an infection that cleared up, but because her lungs are normally so horrible looking on the xrays, the doctors can't tell when she is better.

Anyway I am grateful to your forum, it gave me somewhere to turn when I was feeling alone.

Cheers,
Sandy

[Davy9]

Excellent news Sandy. Thanks for the update.