I've read posts where people have stated the stage they are at and I'm not sure it's always good to know the stages. My doctors don't tell me what stage I'm at and from their perspective I can understand why. The stages of copd are just there so doctors can determine the level of treatment required. If you've been told you are at stage 3 or 4 it doesn't mean the end of your life is sooner approaching. This has been misconstrued far too many times. It's far too easy for a patient to accept a stage 3 or 4 determination and jump to a conclusion Recently there was a post by someone stating he was on stage 4 and he only had one more year to live. Then someone pops up and says they have lived for the past ten years with a stage 4 determination. Knowing this I did ask for a determination of what stage I may be at so I may have the opportunity to learn more and develop a better understanding of what I'm dealing with and to help me develop a working plan to do what I can to;-
a; reduce my symptoms if possible
b; plane my days better with my present conditions
c; know when to ask for help
d; be more aware of changes in my conditions
If there is a desire to know what stage you are at and if you have decided knowing this information can provide you with a better understanding of the disease. You can make plans to improve your life because you have more knowledge of tools available to you for self improvement then by all means ask and gain knowledge, a better understanding and expand your mind and limitations with a decided determination to reduce your stage, if you can, maintain your stage, if you can, or make adjustments in your life. One of the adjustments is learning how to accept what you are dealing with so you to can go forward with your life.

Please remember that the staging thing is really designed for docs who aren't pulmonologists to give them some guidance about what meds and treatments are appropriate for their patients, given the "stage" they're in. Also remember that the "staging" is really pretty subjective. About the only objective thing is the FEV1. The GOLD standard also factors in exacerbations over the last year, but doesn't make any distinction between mild and severe exacerbations. The GOLD standard also doesn't take into account the patient's life-style: really active, mildly active, sedentary, very sedentary, damn near immobile. All those thing make a difference, or should, both in determining which meds and treatments are appropriate and what the "stage" really is. So which "stage" you are is really pretty artificial and very subjective, unless your doc knows you really well and takes all of those things into consideration. I'm a good example. Using the GOLD standard, I would be a Stage 3 or even 4, depending on how you look at exacerbations. Using the COPD Foundation's new standards, which do take all those things I mentioned into account, I'm a stage 2.

Bottom line, staging really doesn't matter. What matters is what you can do, how comfortably you can do it and what you are doing to help yourself.

My doctor that is a lung specialist and looks after people on copd didn't tell me what stage I was at. He, I'm sure, may have considered I could blow the stage thing all out of proportion. Stage1,2,3, 4 so what? If a doctor that is not a lung specialist enquires what level of treatment a patient is getting the level of treatment is referenced in stages meaning stage one treatment indicates the level of treatment only and stage 2 treatment indicates possibly a stronger medication treatment. If a GP (General Practitioner) refers to the stage treatment level, it's used only as an indicator of the level of treatment and not as a stage of approaching death.
If at a stage 4 treatment level it doesn't mean death is coming it simply indicates the treatment level.
If (A) occurs use treatment level 1
If (B) occurs use treatment level 2
If (C) occurs use treatment level 3
If (A and B) occurs use treatment level 4
If a patient feels sorry for themselves because of being on stage 1,2,3 or 4 the doctor knows he is also dealing with a self pity party.
"Well my doctor that is a lung specialist told me i'm stage 2 copd..so there!"
You can decide if you are in the early stages at stage 2 or you can decide if stage 2 means your doctor is telling you have just 2 more stages and you're going to drop dead.
Maybe before you decide to drop dead you might ask how long some people have lived being on stage 4 treatment level.

Thank you Christine01. Haven't been real concern since I feel it must be pretty low because I'm not on oxygen and function pretty well. Yes, I get short of breath, cough uncontrollably, tired, use an inhaler, down to 97 lbs, etc etc but I've only had 1 flare up which took 5 weeks to get over. Only curious cuz I hear so many talk about their stages. All I know is one day at a time.

Hi @A MyCOPDTeam Member ... My doctor shows me all the results of my tests .. lets me know the % capacity I have...But never says it by stage..I have looked up the stages online..so I know what stage I am in... Actually I like it that way.. I don't know why but it doesn't make it sound as bad...But if I was stage 1 or 2 that would be fine...lol...

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