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**Hello everyone, my name is Robbie, I'm 53 years old. I am considered disabled because I have a lung disease called COPD. Sadly there is no cure for this, but I am happy to say that I have coped with it pretty well for a long time. When I first found out that I had this, I was told I had two years to live, that was over 15 yrs ago, ha ha, I fooled them and I am still fooling them today. To look at me you would never know that I have a lung problem, I hide it pretty good. I also work at home part time, which makes it pretty good for me so I can stay on oxygen when I need to. I started doing the myspace thing in hopes of meeting and chatting with some nice people and so far I have really been happy with my decision to join. Most people are very nice. Well, speaking of myspace, I'm gonna quit this now so maybe I can chat with some one. God Bless you all !!********************************************************** ********* What Is COPD?Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease in which the lungs are damaged, making it hard to breathe. In COPD, the airways—the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs—are partly obstructed, making it difficult to get air in and out.Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of COPD. Most people with COPD are smokers or former smokers. Breathing in other kinds of lung irritants, like pollution, dust, or chemicals, over a long period of time may also cause or contribute to COPD.The airways branch out like an upside-down tree, and at the end of each branch are many small, balloon-like air sacs. In healthy people, each airway is clear and open. The air sacs are small and dainty, and both the airways and air sacs are elastic and springy. When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with air like a small balloon; when you breathe out, the balloon deflates and the air goes out. (See the How the Lungs Work section for details.) In COPD, the airways and air sacs lose their shape and become floppy. Less air gets in and less air goes out because:The airways and air sacs lose their elasticity (like an old rubber band). The walls between many of the air sacs are destroyed. The walls of the airways become thick and inflamed (swollen). Cells in the airways make more mucus (sputum) than usual, which tends to clog the airways. COPD develops slowly, and it may be many years before you notice symptoms like feeling short of breath. Most of the time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged or older people.COPD is a major cause of death and illness, and it is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and throughout the world.There is no cure for COPD. The damage to your airways and lungs cannot be reversed, but there are things you can do to feel better and slow the damage.COPD is not contagious—you cannot catch it from someone else.Other Names for COPDChronic obstructive airway disease Chronic obstructive lung disease In the United States, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes:Emphysema Chronic bronchitis In the emphysema type of COPD, the walls between many of the air sacs are destroyed, leading to a few large air sacs instead of many tiny ones (see the How the Lungs Work section). Consequently, the lung looks like a sponge with many large bubbles or holes in it, instead of a sponge with very tiny holes. The large air sacs have less surface area for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide than healthy air sacs. Poor exchange of the oxygen and carbon dioxide causes shortness of breath.In chronic bronchitis, the airways have become inflamed and thickened, and there is an increase in the number and size of mucus-producing cells. This results in excessive mucus production, which in turn contributes to cough and difficulty getting air in and out of the lungs.Most people with COPD have both chronic bronchitis and ( emphysema.) ************************************************************ ********* Thanks for reading my blog, I have alot of people who find out they have copd, they write me and ask me how I handle certain things, if you ever want me to talk to anyone let me know. Under the join us, this is a great newletter that you can sign up to and learn a lot, it is real people like me who send in articles