A Soft Place to Fall

When my husband received the diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis, he set out to stay as active as possible.  Although he was no longer able to work, he focused on "honey do" lists around the house and kept a little notebook of these lists on his nightstand. 

It did not take long before he realized, in his mind he was still the active person he had always been- but his body could no longer keep up. 

Lack of oxygen can steal away your energy and being hooked up to an oxygen machine can limit how far a person can go, in his case,

his hose allows him 25 feet from our bedroom. 

It has come to the point that the majority of his time is spent in our bed. 

 Which had me thinking about the importance of something as simple as a bed...

  Some of us are born in a bed and from there; we slumber, read, dream, cuddle, giggle, whisper secrets, create life, cry, and find comfort from our beds. 

Then, there are those, like my husband, who try to survive and live out each day from a bed. 

Whatever it is that you do, I hope that your bed is a soft place to fall.

PHOTOS VIA #1, #2, #3

Faces

Marlon Brando

 Jane Russell

Robert Goulet

James Doohan

Evel Knievel

These are some of the recognizable faces of those that have passed away or whose lives have been affected by Pulmonary Fibrosis. 

Every year, in the United States, over 40,000 beautiful faces pass away from this disease. 

Faces that are often, not as recognizable. 

photos via: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

Sorry, You Win!

All relationships have a bit of bickering,

an argument here and there; and my husband and I are no different.  Earlier in our relationship, we've had a few "Taming Of The Shrew" moments.  

Between you and me, it was hard to distinguish which of us were playing the role of the shrew! 

We definitely had our moments. 

I'd like to think it was because it was a love that was filled with passion, and with passionate people come passionate expressions. 

On the other hand, it might have also to do with our level of maturity. 

Perhaps, a combination of both? 

We sure had some growing up to do.

"HE never listens to me!"

or,

"SHE just doesn't understand!"

Of course, after our blow up- inevitably one of us would pout.  You know, the "cold shoulder". 

I mean, you've got to get your message across, right?  What better way than silence. 

So we pout in silence, and time passes. 

Maybe a day or two more of not making HER coffee in the morning, or another day of me not making HIS oatmeal.  

Kisses? Don't even think about it. 

Because, of course, we are both always right! 

Over the years, we still have our moments, but the length of the "cold shoulder" time seemed to decrease.  After all, we love and need each other. 

One day, after his diagnosis, we were having one of our absurd arguments. 

He was mad.  I was mad.  

Then suddenly it struck me! 

I am so lucky to be having this argument with him! 

He is here.  He is with me! 

It crossed my mind that I don't know how long he,
my best friend that I'm arguing with,
will be here. 
Whatever time we have together shouldn't be wasted

on dumb fights (even if I am right :) so, essentially- he wins. 

Dang it!  That kind of takes the fun out of proving a point. 

Interestingly enough, ever since that has been decided, the shrews on both sides have been tamed. 

It's Show Time Folks!

When I was a kid, I saw a movie called All That Jazz starring Roy Scheider.  Not necessarily the type of movie a young kid should see, but, hey- it was the 70's!  Directed by Bob Fosse and released in 1979, it was a cutting-edge musical that depicted the life and death of fictional character, Joe Gideon. 

Joe was a far from perfect soul, very reluctant to change his ways.  He had a heart problem and was very sick, but there were people in his life who truly loved and needed him.

He soon became involved with the "other woman", Death, played by the beautiful Jessica Lange.  As he worked through the process of understanding what was happening to him and evaluating his life, his relationship with her seemed to progress.  

All That Jazz is a tough, gritty, and brilliantly acted film that deals magnificently

with such a dark subject and had a big impact on me.  I think it was because it was the first movie I had seen that dealt with dying.
 

When my husband was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis, this movie immediately came to mind. 

Although my hubby is a different person with a different diagnosis, I think when anyone gets news of such an illness, it is quite easy for the mind

to go to that dark place. 
Taking a good, hard, look at one's mortality is never an easy thing.

 

One of the first questions that people seems to ask when getting such a diagnosis is,
"How long have I got?" 

I recently heard a person, who was newly diagnosed, ask,
"So, do I refinance my mortgage with a 20-year loan?"

   

Of course it was said in humor, which is very refreshing! 

Everyone deals with this type of diagnosis in their own way.  One of the things I, personally, have learned is- 
Love like there is no tomorrow, because none of us truly know how long we are here.

photos via

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them."
Louisa May Alcott

Sunday Sharing -Lloyd and Patricia

My friend recently lost her husband to Pulmonary Fibrosis on December 29, 2010.  

Lloyd and Patricia were married for thirty-six years and created a loving circle of children, grandchildren, and friends. It is never easy to lose someone you love,

especially when they are the love of your life. 

She created the beautiful collage below

and wanted to share it with you,

with the hope that a cure can be found for this disease.

If you would like to get involved in finding a cure, please go to http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/involve