Background A common long-term illness in Sweden is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Women living with the illness have an increasing disease burden. Everyday life is heavily impacted due to the women’s bodily restrictions’ foremost breathlessness, and fear of infections. Fear lead to isolation and thereby a shrinking life. The digital paradigm shift in our society has changed the way we communicate, socialize and work. Aim To describe the experiences of women living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV. Method The study has a qualitative descriptive design. Individual semi-structured interviews were performed with a purposive sample of 15 women diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV. The interview texts were analyzed with qualitative thematic content analysis. This study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority. Findings The findings are presented in one theme, stabilizing an ever-present breathlessness by restoring strength, and three categories; managing a restricted everyday life as an expert of their illness, being afraid of contracting infections leading to suffocation and suffering, importance of continuous help and support from significant others and digital media. Women were helped to manage and adapt to their limited abilities and energy by detailed planning, and good knowledge of their breathing and body. Women were afraid of contracting life-threatening infections, especially COVID-19. Fear led to self-isolation, digital media were described as an important means of communication. Women lacked continuity, participation, and support from healthcare professionals. Conclusion Women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV lived an everyday life highly impacted by their illness. The use of digital care could alleviate suffering for women with COPD stage III or IV enabling safe, accessible, and individual support. By gaining understanding of the needs of women with COPD and everyday challenges, health and well-being can be better supported.