Was Told I have COPD, And So...

[Jebbn]

Well I think that years of intense cardio had a lot more to do with it than vaping.

Keeping your heart rate up and huffing and puffing for 30 minutes to 2 hours non stop causes your heart and lungs to become stronger over time. There is an area in the bottom of your lungs that never gets ventilated with normal breathing. The only time that it does get ventilated is when you become out of breath (or doing breathing exercises). This is the same area where COPD related lung conditions start.

I think vaping helps to reduce the damage to the heart and lungs, but the cardio exercise is what strengthens them. I'm not a doctor but I was a fitness instructor when I was in the army back in the 1980's, and that gave me the knowledge I needed to get back in shape.

Yes.
I wasnt implying tha vaping cured COPD. More that the over diagnosis of COPD is a known phenomena. People who have been given what they thought was a life sentence with emphysema have found that by quitting cigs and recovering some fitness level the diagnosis of emphysema turned out to be incorrect.
What I found to be interesting about it was that the increase in diagnosed cases of COPD coincided with other events in the legal and money markets.

Im sorry, I didnt mean to side track the thread away from its original intent. Inspiring stuff!

 

[curious8]

This is not just a vaping story, but I think vaping is a part of it, so would like to share it.

When I was 57, I was obese and pathetically out of shape. I was about 240 lbs. (height: 5'7") and in a size 40 pants. I was smoking about 3 packs a day at that time.

I had to have my heart and lungs checked for a surgery because if diverticulitis.

The testing revealed that I had COPD, and had the lung capacity of a person with 1 lung. It also revealed that I had had a heart attack at some point.

I survived the surgery, but they informed me that if I did not quit smoking, start exercising, and lose weight, that I would not be around much longer.

After I recovered enough from the surgery I started walking. I could barely walk a single mile at a slow pace before feeling like I was going to die and had to lie down to recover. I kept doing it no matter how bad it felt, and I did it 2, 3, sometimes 4 times per day.

Eventually I could walk 2 miles at a faster pace, then 3 miles, then 5. It started actually feeling good. I got a fitness tracker that monitored my heart rate and pace, and started power walking at least once a day.

I vaped years before but fell off the wagon, so I decided to start vaping again. It took about 6 months to gradually smoke less and vape more until I was just vaping.

Eventually I could not keep my heart rate up enough from just power walking so I started running. I could only run for about 30 seconds at a slow pace at first, but I followed the same process as I did for walking, and worked my way up to being able to run 5 miles non stop.

the beginning of this year I completed a 12 week half marathon training program, and my final run for the program, I ran 13.57 miles.

I just turned 62 this month, have lost about 60 lbs., went from a size 40 to a size 32 pants, and have not smoked a cigarette in going on 3 years now.

My last stress test they told me that my heart had actually healed itself from the heart attack, and that it was strong and healthy now. I also had one of those tests where you blow into the plastic tube to see how strong your lungs are, and when I blew into it, the person said... "wow... you got some healthy lungs".

Also, my resting heart rate went from the high 80's to the mid 50's over the last 5 years. This means my heart is getting stronger because it can pump more blood per beat, and does not have to beat as many times per minute to pump the same amount of blood.

Like I said... this is not just a vaping story, but I think vaping has helped along the way.

WOW - what a great story! So very happy for you. And you've given me the motivation to start walking on a regular basis and hopefully improve my lung capacity after 40+ years of heavy smoking. I'm still stunned that I was actually able to quit smoking when I started vaping (tried every available method to quit, including 2 hospital stays of 7 days each) 6+ years ago. I too was diagnosed with COPD over 10 years ago, but have never needed any inhalers or medication. However, I get out of breath so very easily and know I must do something about this. Your story has definitely given me the impetus to try and improve my lung and heart function. Hope I carry through with this "new" decision, made solely on the basis of your story. Thanks so much for sharing! And wish me luck.

 

[curious8]

Don't know why my quit banner started showing money saved in pounds. Actually have saved almost $20K since I quit in 2013 - yay!

 

[Bliss Doubt]

This is not just a vaping story, but I think vaping is a part of it, so would like to share it.

When I was 57, I was obese and pathetically out of shape. I was about 240 lbs. (height: 5'7") and in a size 40 pants. I was smoking about 3 packs a day at that time.

I had to have my heart and lungs checked for a surgery because if diverticulitis.

The testing revealed that I had COPD, and had the lung capacity of a person with 1 lung. It also revealed that I had had a heart attack at some point.

I survived the surgery, but they informed me that if I did not quit smoking, start exercising, and lose weight, that I would not be around much longer.

After I recovered enough from the surgery I started walking. I could barely walk a single mile at a slow pace before feeling like I was going to die and had to lie down to recover. I kept doing it no matter how bad it felt, and I did it 2, 3, sometimes 4 times per day.

Eventually I could walk 2 miles at a faster pace, then 3 miles, then 5. It started actually feeling good. I got a fitness tracker that monitored my heart rate and pace, and started power walking at least once a day.

I vaped years before but fell off the wagon, so I decided to start vaping again. It took about 6 months to gradually smoke less and vape more until I was just vaping.

Eventually I could not keep my heart rate up enough from just power walking so I started running. I could only run for about 30 seconds at a slow pace at first, but I followed the same process as I did for walking, and worked my way up to being able to run 5 miles non stop.

the beginning of this year I completed a 12 week half marathon training program, and my final run for the program, I ran 13.57 miles.

I just turned 62 this month, have lost about 60 lbs., went from a size 40 to a size 32 pants, and have not smoked a cigarette in going on 3 years now.

My last stress test they told me that my heart had actually healed itself from the heart attack, and that it was strong and healthy now. I also had one of those tests where you blow into the plastic tube to see how strong your lungs are, and when I blew into it, the person said... "wow... you got some healthy lungs".

Also, my resting heart rate went from the high 80's to the mid 50's over the last 5 years. This means my heart is getting stronger because it can pump more blood per beat, and does not have to beat as many times per minute to pump the same amount of blood.

Like I said... this is not just a vaping story, but I think vaping has helped along the way.

bcalvanese, you have really done the hard work of taking control of your health. Congratulations for climbing out of the coffin. I can only suggest you file comments to FDA about the role of vaping in your recovery. The home page at CASAA.org has the links to do that. More histories like yours are always needed.

 

[bcalvanese]

WOW - what a great story! So very happy for you. And you've given me the motivation to start walking on a regular basis and hopefully improve my lung capacity after 40+ years of heavy smoking. I'm still stunned that I was actually able to quit smoking when I started vaping (tried every available method to quit, including 2 hospital stays of 7 days each) 6+ years ago. I too was diagnosed with COPD over 10 years ago, but have never needed any inhalers or medication. However, I get out of breath so very easily and know I must do something about this. Your story has definitely given me the impetus to try and improve my lung and heart function. Hope I carry through with this "new" decision, made solely on the basis of your story. Thanks so much for sharing! And wish me luck.

Glad this inspired you to do something about it!

Just a heads up... It's not gonna be easy!

At least a month or two of feeling like you are going to die, and you may even beg a loved one to put you out of your misery with a 45 to the head...lol

You will want to give up... DON'T!!!... DO IT EVERY DAY!!!

Don't be ashamed to be totally out of breath in front of on lookers. I did laps around my apartment complex and noticed all the people watching me with their phones in their hand ready to dial 911. I became known as the "old walker dude" pretty quickly.

Get a fitness tracker that monitors your heart rate, pace, and distance. Record every session so you will have a record of each session, and be able to see your progress over time.

You will start feeling results over the course of two or three months, then you will know that you are at the point where you can actually start achieving a training effect (gain in fitness level).

The basic rule of thumb to get a training effect is to keep your heart rate in zone 3 (or higher) for a minimum of 30 minutes non stop, and a minimum of 3 times per week. This will give a minimum training effect.

To get a better training effect, increase the time in zone 3 (or higher) and/or the frequency of times per week.

I do at least one session per day 7 days per week. Some are recovery walks of 3 or 4 miles, but most are power walking, running, or a combination of both (intervals).

You must make this a part of your normal day. Like eating and sleeping.

Good luck.

 

[timinftl]

Glad this inspired you to do something about it!

Just a heads up... It's not gonna be easy!

At least a month or two of feeling like you are going to die, and you may even beg a loved one to put you out of your misery with a 45 to the head...lol

You will want to give up... DON'T!!!... DO IT EVERY DAY!!!

Don't be ashamed to be totally out of breath in front of on lookers. I did laps around my apartment complex and noticed all the people watching me with their phones in their hand ready to dial 911. I became known as the "old walker dude" pretty quickly.

Get a fitness tracker that monitors your heart rate, pace, and distance. Record every session so you will have a record of each session, and be able to see your progress over time.

You will start feeling results over the course of two or three months, then you will know that you are at the point where you can actually start achieving a training effect (gain in fitness level).

The basic rule of thumb to get a training effect is to keep your heart rate in zone 3 (or higher) for a minimum of 30 minutes non stop, and a minimum of 3 times per week. This will give a minimum training effect.

To get a better training effect, increase the time in zone 3 (or higher) and/or the frequency of times per week.

I do at least one session per day 7 days per week. Some are recovery walks of 3 or 4 miles, but most are power walking, running, or a combination of both (intervals).

You must make this a part of your normal day. Like eating and sleeping.

Good luck.

45. Man meself no doubts with that puppy...

 

[bnrkwest]

Congratulations Taking control of your health and wellness takes dedication and the rewards are amazing! Great job!! I have been on a health journey myself this year and although tough and challenging it has been very rewarding

 

[curious8]

Glad this inspired you to do something about it!

Just a heads up... It's not gonna be easy!

At least a month or two of feeling like you are going to die, and you may even beg a loved one to put you out of your misery with a 45 to the head...lol

You will want to give up... DON'T!!!... DO IT EVERY DAY!!!

Don't be ashamed to be totally out of breath in front of on lookers. I did laps around my apartment complex and noticed all the people watching me with their phones in their hand ready to dial 911. I became known as the "old walker dude" pretty quickly.

Get a fitness tracker that monitors your heart rate, pace, and distance. Record every session so you will have a record of each session, and be able to see your progress over time.

You will start feeling results over the course of two or three months, then you will know that you are at the point where you can actually start achieving a training effect (gain in fitness level).

The basic rule of thumb to get a training effect is to keep your heart rate in zone 3 (or higher) for a minimum of 30 minutes non stop, and a minimum of 3 times per week. This will give a minimum training effect.

To get a better training effect, increase the time in zone 3 (or higher) and/or the frequency of times per week.

I do at least one session per day 7 days per week. Some are recovery walks of 3 or 4 miles, but most are power walking, running, or a combination of both (intervals).

You must make this a part of your normal day. Like eating and sleeping.

Good luck.

Thanks Bob - I'm glad I found your reply (no notification from ECF) and appreciate your comments and the details. I'm trying really hard not to let your description discourage me LOL. I've never been much of an exercise person and very uncertain of my capability (and determination, sigh). I did just start a 3x/week water aerobics class of 75 minute duration and hopefully that will help a little. I work 3 days/week and need to figure out how/when to fit running into my current schedule. I've saved your COPD posts to my computer and will use for motivational reminders - and nudges to start running.

 

[bubba106]

Keep up the good work, but on a side note they lied about the heart healed itself. I've had two heart attacks and once it's damaged, it's damaged.

 

[IgnorantCig]

I hadnt seen this thread before. Congrats! Well done. This is quite a success story and an incredible transformation of course!

The vaping was a part of it of course, but I think that the main factor was your brain.

All it takes is the will power and a very strong determination to get up and do something, and most importantly, to keep at it.

Thats why some people can start vaping and never ever smoke again, while others might revert to cigs again after a while. The difference between the first person and the second person is their determination and their will power, imo.

 

[bcalvanese]

Keep up the good work, but on a side note they lied about the heart healed itself. I've had two heart attacks and once it's damaged, it's damaged.

The cardiologist said that it is rare that the tissue would heal itself, but in extreme cases like mine it does. I was doing extremely intense cardio for 1 to 2 years, and when I say extreme, I mean keeping my heart rate between 90 to 100 percent of my max heart rate for a total of 60 minutes through a 90 to 120 minute workout.

Pushing the heart to that level will make it stronger and promote healing over time. The real measure is that my resting heart rate went from the high 80's to the mid 50's. What this means is when the heart gets stronger and healthier, it can pump the same amount of blood with less beats per minute.

The human body is much more resilient than people think it is, but unfortunately most people are too lazy to get off the couch and get some exercise. We somehow find time to eat every day. We somehow find time to sleep every day, we should find time to do at least one activity every day.

I have been doing at least one activity per day 7 days a week for well over a year now. I walk, power walk, run, do intervals, cycle, and kayak. My rest days are at least a 3 mile walk.

I'm not going to lie, it's pure hell getting to a good fitness level, but once you get to that point, it's pretty easy to maintain.

 

[bcalvanese]

Thanks Bob - I'm glad I found your reply (no notification from ECF) and appreciate your comments and the details. I'm trying really hard not to let your description discourage me LOL. I've never been much of an exercise person and very uncertain of my capability (and determination, sigh). I did just start a 3x/week water aerobics class of 75 minute duration and hopefully that will help a little. I work 3 days/week and need to figure out how/when to fit running into my current schedule. I've saved your COPD posts to my computer and will use for motivational reminders - and nudges to start running.

No need to be discouraged. Just start off slow and build it up over time. It does not have to be running either. Any exercise that gets your heart and lungs going is fine. Also, you don't need a heart rate monitor either. There is a thing called "perceived exertion" that will get you in the ballpark as to what zone you are in. The main point is if you put stress on your heart and lungs, they will get stronger. Same with muscles and joints.

my motto is: if you ain't huffing and puffing and sweating, you ain't doing it right... lol

 

[Toronnah]

I hadnt seen this thread before. Congrats! Well done. This is quite a success story and an incredible transformation of course!

The vaping was a part of it of course, but I think that the main factor was your brain.

All it takes is the will power and a very strong determination to get up and do something, and most importantly, to keep at it.

Thats why some people can start vaping and never ever smoke again, while others might revert to cigs again after a while. The difference between the first person and the second person is their determination and their will power, imo.

Then there is person #3 that actually has willpower and quits and stays off cigarettes without any crutches.