I was diagnosed a year ago and didn't take any medication because I didn't think I needed it. I was running every morning and the only symptoms I had were a rare wheeze and terrible bronchitis when I'd get sick. I quit smoking and kept exercising. Now I've been in the snowy mountains the last few months and haven't been able to continually exercise and I have felt the last week like I am breathing heavily and i started looking up info on COPD and basically I have become terrified and depressed. Some people on here have been very nice and helpful, but what I really need to know now is if I have been harming myself further by not taking any medicine, and if I should start taking it right away. I will go to a pulmonologist as soon as I can, but that won't be for a little while and I'd like to know how.much of an emergency I am in right now. I took the cat test (I think that's what it's called) from a link here and I scored a 9. Thank you very much.