My husband is almost 72 and he has stage 3 COPD (emphysema). He s had several exacerbations, but hasn t had one in a while. He started smoking at 16 and just quit 7 months ago. He uses inhalers, is on Prednisone and Theophylline and sees his Dr. regularly. He s on oxygen 24/7. We ve been married 44 years and he s my world. I love him so much. Also, when someone dies of Emphysema, do they suffer horribly, or can they put a tube in to breathe for him? I m so scared. What do statistics say about how long he has to live? Also, his heart rate tonight was 106 and he was just standing at the counter. He s very optimistic, but I m not.