I have been diagnosed with COPD with bronchitis. I have had numerous chest x-rays taken and ct scans done.?

My last trip to the hospital I was told I had been exposed to asbestos a long time ago and my lungs are gone. Why didn't anyone tell me before about the asbestos scarring in my lungs.Did the doc...

My last trip to the hospital I was told I had been exposed to asbestos a long time ago and my lungs are gone. Why didn't anyone tell me before about the asbestos scarring in my lungs.Did the doctor that read the x-rays before just not pick up on it or didn't he think it was important enough to mention to me. I now have been given a death sentence. I have no insurance and at this stage I can't get any. I can't afford all the medicine they want me to take. 1 prescription a doctor gave me was $649.00 for 3 weeks worth of medicine. Needless to say, it didn't get filled. Someone told me they have been doing stem cell research on lung tissue. Does anyone have any info on this.

dudette	Doctors cannot diagnose COPD with chest x-rays or ct scans. You need to have a breathing test done by a pulmonologist (lung doc). It's very easy and non-invasive to the body. Please ask your primary care physician to set up an appt with a pulmo doc. If you don't have the money or ins., go to an urgent care clinic for your primary care. They'll help you get started on everything. Then tell them about your inability to pay and they can suggest maybe getting medi-cal to pay for your meds. Then go to www. copdinternational. com. There you will get all the answers you need and make alot of friends to support you in this journey. It is not a death sentence, it is a life-style change!

Teia	You should talk to the hospital about care plans so you can get the medicine you need. As for the stem cell research question, try a Yahoo search on it to find out more.

Parklin	Not only try for medical but also apply for permanent disability. There is lots of paperwork involved but it's well worth the effort and you can get help for the application process. The cost of medicines is way, way out of sight these days. Take it one day at a time and do the best you can for that day. Good luck.

James M	I dont know what state you live in but I think you should sell your house and get out of there. There are a lot of states in the US where the climate is more accomodating to people who have breathing problems. For example, Chicago and great lakes are the worst, followed by the midwest west states around Minnesota, Then easterly Indiana, Ohio, and Pa are the worst there. For someone like you try Arizona. You will be pleasantly surprised what a month of descent climate can do for bronchitis. Believe about 1/2 what the docs say. That bronchitis flares up worse starting in or around new years and progresses until things warm up and one can get outside and breath other than house air.

Barry M	How did your doctor arrive at the conclusion that you had been exposed to asbestos? While it may be possible to see artifacts on a CT scan, the only definitive way to diagnose asbestos exposure is with a biopsy. If you have been exposed to asbestos, then there is a possibility that you will develop mesothelioma. If you have mesothelioma (you state you have been given a death sentence), then there are many attorneys throughout the United States who are suing the manufacturers of asbestos for medical bills, and punitive damages for people like you. It is important that you find out how your doctor came to this conclusion. If he is willing to put into writing that you have been exposed to asbestos, and that the exposure has caused your current problems, contact an attorney immediately. Just type in "mesothelioma" in your search engine and it will pull up hundreds of attorneys to chose from. As far as the medicine goes, if you are not able to afford it, contact the pharmaceutical company directly. Many of them (due to recent bad press about huge profits at the expense of the uninsured) have put programs in place to help with the cost of these drugs. If you qualify, you can sometimes get the drugs for either a reduced cost or for free. Sorry for all of the problems, but don't give up. Contact the drug company and start taking your medication. They can help you. Good luck.