So my dad has end stage COPD and his lung function was around the high 20%s about a year ago and is now 16% – does lung function decrease proportionately or stabilise or fluctuate, just trying to get some idea of how much time is left? Has anyone else had experience of this? Read all the gubbins on the NHS web site.

It’s one of those how long is a piece of string questions. There are lots of different types of COPD and they all progress at different rates in different people. My advice would be to make the most of each and every day you have with him and forget about how many or how few you have left.

The decrease can be individual but there are journals indicating patterns.

Best speaking to a specialist rather than here.

I feel sorry for you and your Dad, spend as much as your time as you can.

disclaimer – I’m not a doctor…but the wife is a COPD nurse at the local GP practice(amongst her other roles).

she says its impossible to advise ‘how long is left’ from that one figure, although it’s not a good lung function number as I’m sure you are aware.

she said that it is vital for him to remain free from chest infections especially over the winter. That means being absolutely selfish when it comes to family visits etc and not taking any chances if any of the family have cough/colds etc.

hope this helps a bit, we are having similar issues with a family member 84, COPD, coal fired draughty house and an absolute refusal to accept care/rehousing. quite stressful.

Thanks Smudger, he tells me yesterday he is taking himself off to Malta for 3 months over the winter for the better climate and to avoid the crap winter here!

Lost my dad to it 18 months ago. He had short spells in hospital due to acidosis (?) levels in his blood. They’d put him on a pressure fed mask to get his oxygen levels up which he hated to wear. The last time he was discharged on a friday night and back in at 7.30 next morning only to die a few days later. Nurse told us on the wednesday without the mask he’d only last a few weeks. I got a call on the wednesday night syaing he wouldn’t wear it. When I got there I asked him if he’d had enough and he could just about nod, asked him again to make sure then got the nurse to make him comfortable. 1 hour later he was gone . I had no idea how a person could age so much over a few hours (afternoon visit he looked relativley ok)Grab every opportunity to spend time with him.

My dad is at the beginning of this path at the age of 59. 40 a day smoker since 13, plus something called alpha-1 anti-tripsin defieicency.

He can shift a massive volume of air but his gas exchange is poor and degrading with time. Gets out of breath with a couple of flights of stairs.

As others have said, there is no predictor, since everyones case advances differently.

My Dad died of COPD last year. He was ill for many years with various chest infections and so on but one day the nurse found him in his chair “unresponsive” He was rushed into hospital where they said another twelve hours at home would have killed him. They got him stable but that was all they could do. He lasted another two months I think it was but he never went back home. Much of the last two weeks was spent smacked off his head on morphine which was interesting for us to say the least!