I was a smoker and quite 30 years ago. But nothing showed up till I had my double buy pass.
This isn't something you can hide. It's also nothing to be ashamed of.
You are going to have to come strength out and tell them. The people that don't understand you don't need to tell them it's from smoking you could say it has come from environment.
There are a lot of things you can't do, but there is a lot you can go for them.

This is my first day here but have been with COPD for a while now. I heaped a lot guilt onmyself early on to the point I wouldnt were my 02 while in public. Yeah that worked along time, NOT!
Don't blame yourself for something you hadn't planned on when you first started smoking. Some people go into their golden years smoking and die of old age and never using oxygen.
Smoking is not necessarily a smoking disease. I'm a former smoker but have a different way of getting to where I'm at although smoking didn't help, My Dr.s are convinced also that it is from my other chronic disease mentioned in my bio. I was going to ask a question about how others deal with kids while shopping with their parents who are curious and stare,then ask me what that thing is in my nose? So I use it as a time to teach. Here is what I do, I ask the parent if I can talk to their child and after getting permission I introduce myself and go into an ad libbed spiel and ask if they smoke and of course they say no, then I tell them never to start and this is why, I cant go out and play with my friends anymore I cant play ball I cant go swimming etc. My line will change from time to time but always get a thank you from the parents and as they push their cart way at once event the kid told her dad that he should quit smoking! Or the Grandmother who was in the pharmacy with her granddaughter after she got her meds. turned around and hugged me and thanked me, told me that it was important that she heard that and could see first hand.. Thats how I handled the guilt early on! I found it gave me some power over the COPD to talk with someone who is really interested in why I wear that "hose in my nose." I can say that if I help one kid avoid tobacco or a thousand before I leave this earth then my life wasn't all wasted on smoking. Don't feel guilty because you cant do things. Even healthier people have their limits!

Don't forget us that smoked or my age we didn't know that there were consequences. So stop blaming yourself as I have said I quiet 30 years ago thinking I would be ok. Well guess what I had a heart attack and when they did my double by pass my lungs wouldn't inflate. So that us when I started. So please stop blaming yourself

@A MyCOPDTeam Member I've had COPD for a number of years. Last month I ended up in the Hospital with a very serious case of pneumonia. At first the Lung Specialist thought I might have lung cancer. Went thru all the tests, biopsy etc. Ended up with a Pic line from my right arm , under the skin ending up near my heart. I had that for 21 days (with antibiotics) I have smoked for nearly 60 years.. still trying to quit! Thankfully it was just infection around my lung. Dr. just gave me the 'all clear' two days ago. I'm still very tired, but getting there. Doctor told me to start cutting down on the smoking, so I'm going to start Champix tomorrow. My family is very supportive ... I haven't needed oxygen since I left the hospital .. just lucky I guess. Smoking won't hurt my lungs anymore than they are, but wish me luck on quitting forever!

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A MyCOPDT...

without guilt and other emotions we would all be sociopaths. Guilt is a wonderful thing, it proves to us that we are not selfish bastards.. thank your lucky starts you have guilt,, if not you might end up in prison. Face it, embrace it, and DEAL WITH IT.