Death certificate: "complications" from COPD - HUH?????
Yes, my husband smoked but I smoked until 10/03. He was a lightweight. He also ran marathons, worked out, and was generally physically fit.
I looked through his doctors' visits over the past year. The exams showed nothing remarkable about his lung/breathing functions. In fact, his liver enzymes were elevated and his sodium and potassium levels were low.
I expected the death certificate to indicate malnutrition, cirrhosis, or pancreatitis. But "complications" from COPD? That says "death by dying from a generic something-or-other."
The coroner told me my husband had very early-onset emphysema. But, like I said, I knew his smoking habits. I was a much heavier smoker than him. And I knew loads of people who smoked more than he ever did.
Granted, I don't rule it out. But does anyone here know the link between chronic alcoholism and COPD? I'm not coming up with any particularly meaningful information thus far.
The cause of death certainly surprised me.