About me, I am 41 female, Italian and Mexican. I live in MN so I live in VERY cold winters and VERY hot summers. As a child I had severe asthma, had pneumonia first time by age 4, again at 6. I was tested for the " bubble boy immune deficiency disease" at age 7, I was so ill as a child, but Turned out to be asthma. Drs of my childhood had no clue, treated my illness incorrectly, gave my HUGE dosages of steroids too, way young. I finally found a wonderful Dr at age 19, My diagnosis was later changed to COPD by age 21 and all of my meds altered. I have never smoked anything in my life. I do not live with smokers and never worked in any high risk job. I live in very clean city too. However, I was exposed to Asbestos at age 9. My questions are this- Does anyone think I may have COPD from having infections so young? Or can asthma " become" COPD? Could I possibly have both? My symptoms do not match either illness, in reality. I can some years go 11 months just fine, taking just minimal inhalers. Other times I am ill for months. My lung flare ups are not " attacks" once sick, it lasts days or weeks, and is worse upon walking or moving, but ok sitting still. Yet I also wheeze and cough up mucus like it is asthma. I seem to have a harder time breathing OUT than inhaling. I sometimes force the breath out when ill. Winter weather hurts me a lot but I have zero money or savings so I cant move away. Also, I spent 10 yrs of my life homeless in my 20s and early 30s. A lot of outside time in all weather, a lot of exposures to ill people in close quarters. No one smoked indoors though. Another question, do nebulizers help both illnesses? My Dr has given me one now that I have a place to live, plug it in. It helps about half the time, sometimes I cannot cough stuff up it gets stuck. Other times it comes up all day. I am allergic to 90% of all antibiotics, so I am limited, but should I keep taking Doxycycline, the one I can safety use? The time before it cleared my lungs for a year. Last course didnt do much. I am never ill when it is really hot out. What reason could that be? Please if anyone has answers I would appreciate it greatly! I have no idea what happened to my lungs or why. Thanks.