Mom has been in the hospital for three days now...yesterday I recieved a phone call from her care doctor...he explained to me that her lungs are down to half their power...she has been told for years that she has copd...but I don't think either of us grasped the situation until now. She is at the point now where if she gets a little cough, the weather changes, a cold,...etc..that unless she gets to the doctor rite away, she will be in the hospital. First, this will probably throw her into a panic..so then I am left with deciding if she needs the doctor, or she is just scared, second, this just put my life on a bigger edge!! I don't know anymore then what he told me yesterday...and he was pretty good at explaining..but how long does a person live with just half of their lungs working...is this something we can cope with for a long time, or are they telling me her time is extremely limited...these are hard questions and I am not sure anyone has any answers...but I am hoping to hear from anyone who has dealt with this perticular problem. Do I keep her isolated? Do I just let life take its course and let her decide how to deal with it..I guess I am just in a bit of a panic mode. I just want to understand the personnal aspects of this thing. I am on edge more if I don't know, then if I do know..we both smoke and yes I want to quit but my nerves are on edge now so I am scared of what I will go through if I quit and what I will go through if I don't quit. I don't have a doctor so don't suggest any fancy magic pill to help, I can't afford it, but I am looking for prayer to get me over the quitting part. I did it once for 17 years, but picked it back up after my husband died and believe me when I tell you..it is harder to quit now then before. For her to quit is her decission...she is 83, the damage cannot be reversed and I don't know if she can go through the withdrawal...that one I am leaving up to her and yes I can just quit buying the cigarettes for her, but I am not sure the fight is worth her mental state at this point. I have turned to you guys many times now and you have not lead me wrong, yet...so here I am again...thanx to the responses I recieve ahead of time...ever one of you have been a blessing... April