Are you sure it is a collapsed trachea that is causing this? I know you said the vet got a minor reaction when he palpated the trachea, so she may indeed have one; but the fact that you said her body heaves makes me think it might be reverse sneezing.
Take a look at the videos in this thread...they might help you:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...d-trachea.html
If it is indeed collapsed trachea, there are many things you can do to help her. First you need to be sure that is what it is. It could be that she is doing both...and maybe the CT is not so bad as your vet said. Yes, weight is a huge factor with them...definitely keep any excess weight off of her! And, never walk her with a collar...always a harness!