Tony, you have got to
stop smoking, most definitely, when my husband found out he had emphysema, he thought, well, heck, I have already got the disease, why stop now? If he had stopped earlier, the diseasde may not have spreas as quickly as it did!
The first time he was put on the respirator, I told him that yes, we BOTH had to quit smoking, which we did, thank God. But, the damage had been done, and now he is in the hospital , intubated for the fifth time.