I'm 49 began smoking at 13. I learned 2 days prior to hitting 40 I had advanced for age emphysema. I quit twice with e cigs- 8 months and just past a year. A month before I hit 42 I caught cold germs from my than 12 yr old son. It caused my lungs to flare and I had to go stay in hospital for IV antibiotics and solu med. Since the docs call my lungs an open wound I managed to pick up 3 different pneumonias there- I was released and the pneumonias developed within 5 days of release. I drove myself to the hospital and they were amazed I was able to drive. I was in full respiratory failure. I ended up being put on life support. It was the 2nd time I quit smoking for just past a yr and ended back on it..
I share my story because if you are young enough and smoke please consider quitting. I can tell you hot showers- suck the humidity makes it very hard to breathe. Walking to the mail box I'm huffing and puffing. I could never out run a murderer or rapist. With all the stress going on in my life my lungs have been going downhill since sept. Taking 60mg a day of prednisone is not friendly, I get roid rage, hot sweats, sleeping issues, weight gain and more... SO please if you can snuff out and dont pick it up. It's very hard living with emphysema. Especially since my care giver my 25 yr old son died in a car accident.
The docs in 2013 said my lungs were equivalent to a 70-80 yr old life long smoker. I've not been check since 2017 since my son died. I've been hypoxic many times so I have an understanding about the hypoxia. One time ohh I guess 4 yrs ago they did my blood gas. The respiratory tech was very flirty. He said he will let me know about what he finds. I'm sitting in the emergency room hospital bed and all the doctors and nurses are walking by my room looking at me. Mr flirty res tech comes in and says we are trying to figure out how you are alive, sitting up and talking. My carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) levels were so high I guess it's what they see in people who have died from a fire.