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Being born August 1948, I have suffered many set backs thru my life. The doctor had told my parents I wouldn't live past 10. I was born with eczema and asthma. Being on a farm eastern SD with father with asthma, we moved to the Black Hills of SD. All thru my childhood my parents would rush me to the hospitals with the big oxygen tanks in the back seat. I can still remember the old black rubber oxygen mask coming at my face when in respirtory arrest. I went into a coma with small pox shot and with the allergy shots in the 50's. In my 60's had lotz of bouts with pneumonia. I graduated and started working for the state of SD in data entry on computers and that is where I started smoking. I smoked one pack a day for 13 years quiting in 1980. In the 71 I was rushed to Univ of Minn for a very rare disease. They said if wasn't for my good blood I wouldn't have made it. Well that goes back to my mother making me eat liver,haha In 72 had a breast surgery finding a over active lymph gland, thank God. Married in 1972. In 1974 and 75 I had cateract surgery they said due to alot of steroids. In 1978 found cervical cancer when doing a pregnancy test. Again, thank God after carrying my oldest daughter to term and a coning d&c done all came back NO CANCER!! Several years after the cancer I had bouts of asthma but doing not too bad. WE had adopted our son and 4 home grown daughters following. My husband and I separated in 1995, divorced 1997. I decided to move to a dairy farm with a friend. Well that was a no no for sure. The lung docs told me to get off the farm but who listens??? So had a really bad infection 1997 and I almost didn't recover. That's the first start of oxygen for the rest of my life. Was in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks. I doctored a lot with allergist and pulmos to 2002 started having alot of lung infections so was told I HAD to leave the farm if I wanted to live. So I moved to town to my own apartment. OH how I missed the farm and I luved the mowing!!! MY daughter and I had taken a trip to Mayo but found no help there at all. In 2003 we took a trip to Denver Jewish. Again didn't get any help there. They didnt have a schedule for me after calling me telling me to plan on being there a week for testing. So my oldest daughter being a RT in Bismarck ND, told me to come see this good pulmo she knew in Bismarck. Well from then on I brought my pfts way up and was doing very well. Dr. had me doing gamma gobulin IV's to build up my immunity and knock out my high IGE. I also got xolair shots every two weeks to block allegies. In summer of 2004 I even walked in the cancer walk we had here and did 2 1/2 miles, which for me was like doing 100. My mother died of breast cancer 1972 so I needed to do what I could. Last October I became a copd advocate for my town. I gave speaches and also did a demo on our local radio station. I sent letters to my Governor to get the COPD World Wide Proclamation making November COPD Awarness month. I sent letters to many papers around the area which did get printed. I had a booth at our hospital baazar in November. This summer being very hot and humid I didn't get to ride my bike and do walks. Well as of 5th of August my lungs took a down hill dive. I really think it's because I was out to the farm mowing and doing things I shouldn't have been doing. What we suffer for Love!!!!! I luv to mow and thought with the shots I was covered and beings the gammas were stopped in November I was getting into trouble. My pulmo had a stroke end of June so going to see his stand in October 3rd with my oldest daughter that is a RT now from Mn. So my copd is irreversable asthma with some emphysema, scaring and do have some blebs. The most wonderful thing is I am still here and still kicking taking one hill at a time. I have 5 special grandchildren in my life to help keep me young. Some days are good some are bad but we do the best we can, one breath one step at a time. The saying is, "Sick lungs dont look sick" but alot of people dont know that. Best of health to everyone. Kandy of SD |
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