Father's COPD

[KramerVSKramer]

My father has chronic COPD caused by years of tobacco abuse which he had no option but to stop. He's also a heavy drinker and this seems to cause more breathlessness.

He has a chest infection frequently and takes steroids and antibiotics daily when infected. He drinks throughout, and when off work will also drink at lunch as well as the evening.

His intake is circa 3 pints lager at lunch, 4/5 evening and then a bottle of red wine at home.

He is 63. Does little exercise but isn't overweight. He drinks his calories I suppose but does have high cholesterol and unhealthy liver function as you'd imagine. What would you say his life expectancy is.

Thanks.

I don't think anyone can really answer that, I can only give my experience. My dad was diagnosed with COPD in his late 60s and once he was fully 24hr oxygen dependant at home lived for approx 2 years. Died age 78.

He had stopped smoking when he was around 50 years old after getting bad bronchilitis. He enjoyed a drink but couldn't drink much in the last couple of years as he'd also had a small stroke and was on warfarin.

During the last couple of years he spent 2-3 weeks in hospital HDU at a time 3-4 times a year recovering from chest infections.

He could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow.

It sounds like you want some backup in trying to get him to live a more healthy lifestyle. Have you considered that he may be perfectly happy being this sick, but able to live the way he wants to? Its an incredibly unhealthy way to be. That is a fact. How to change that? gentle persuasion.