Find solution
What is average life expectancy after diagnosis of COPD?

End stage COPD life expectancy?

  • My dad was diagnosed with copd 5 years ago, and as of today is now in stage 4. He was originally told he only had a year to live but then they decided to experiment with different medications which is why he has been able to live for so long. He is: Overweight Diabetic Is on oxygen full time Does breathing treatments 2 times a day Has many different inhalers Takes many other medications for his nerves, shaking of his hands, and pain in general for his back which has been operated on 5 times. On top of all this we just unexpectedly lost my mom 2 months ago, which was his wife of 42 years. She had cancer and we no one knew until 6 weeks before she died. He has admitted that from this he has also given up the will to live. Now in just the last two months my brother and I have seen a very steady decline in him. Any idea on life expectancy? Thank you.

  • Answer:

    I'm very sorry to hear your story. Unfortunately I see this all too often at work. IMO perhaps the biggest determining factor here is the loss of will to live. COPD is a slow acting disease and it's uncommon for it to actually kill someone (but certainly contributes to increased risk of infection etc). It's always hard to predict, but I'd guess 12-18 months. If he's not able to walk (at all) and is short of breath at rest all the time then I'd shorten this to 6 months. If he gets a serious infection/pneumonia then that might be enough to do it. Usually we recommend an advanced care plan to determine how a patient would like his last weeks/days/hours to look. Palliative care services can be useful for symptom relief (like Morphine nebulisers to reduce the feeling of breathlessness) towards the end and can make dying a lot more comfortable. Deciding how much medical intervention AS A FAMILY you are all happy to have can make acceptance a LOT easier and decreases stress when things really go downhill.

LisaLu at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

there is no expected time frame on C.O.P.D for death, he can live a pretty normal life if treated it's sounds like he is a state of depression over the loss of his wife keep him active if you want him around for a while.

kay

there is no exact date when it comes to death. my mother had panceatic cancer and was given 4 to 5 months to live i quit my job and took care of her 24 hours a day she died 2.5 years later my father had dementia and when he finally realized she had died he was dead in 3 weeks. they were married for 64 years. tell him you love him each and every day and how important he is to you. make him feel wanted and needed. love and kindness can go along way. cherish each day as it has been almost a year since i lost my parents and and i still cry over there loss. there were so many things that go on each day that i wish i could tell them about. the doctors do not know just how powerful love can be to a sick person. the just generalize i became a better person by and at peace with myself as i know i did everything that i could for them.

LABAIA

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.