I watched my mom die from COPD this year in March. She was 85. She quit smoking 30 years ago. She was a chain smoker until she quit. You are right it is horrible watching someone die from COPD. Sometimes you think they are on their last breath and than they do a turn around and act healthy. It is really like a rollercoaster. Her doctor told us that most people with COPD end up in a coma and then die which is exactly what happened to my mom. My mom started getting really bad the last two years of her life. She was on oxygen for a long time before that. I don't get why family members continue to smoke either. I have a brother and sister who are heavy smokers and another brother who uses the E cigarette. My mom also had a lot of anxiety due to fear of not being able to breathe. I guess that is fairly common with people with COPD.