Being willing to share with others the path I am traveling while battling ‘Lenny’ (name I have given my COPD/Asthma) is almost like therapy for me while also giving me the responsibility of taking my battle seriously.
With the help of social media I know I can also reach out to others who are also fighting similar battles and hopefully at time supply a little insight, little knowledge and maybe stir up some questions.
Today I once again share where I am at and maybe how I may or may not be dealing with it.
Many refer to the 4th of July has a big family holiday, but then again that would depend on the goings on of your family.
But even if your like my wife and I where all the kids are going different directions, with some off to different states, then maybe you just need to make your own happy 4th with your own memories for later on.
My last five days have been full of some changes, few setbacks and finishing off with time spent making memories.
To supplement my disability income I have been given a chance to use my love for writing by helping as a stringer (contract, part-time writer) for a new startup local weekly newspaper with my main concentration being the local sports and covering some of the school board meetings and activities (since the owner/editor of the new paper is on the local school board) – my personal excitement for the week and the future.
Covering a summer legion baseball game I found that when the weather is calm I can survive through a whole seven-inning outing before my sidekick ‘Lenny’ starts to tap me on the shoulder and say, maybe it’s time to head home for a rest. No surprise as my pal ‘Lenny’ is could to let me know a 90-120 minute outing is for me a lucky adventure to finish.
Then came today, the 4th of July…….a chance to do something special with my wonderful wife (my soul-mate, sidekick, caretaker) and so I took the one-time Chicago gal out to a nearby Wildlife Refuge and we rode into the middle of a herd of buffalo (the original guardians of the great prairie), some close enough to pet though we knew better not to.
Again I could not have been blessed with a much better early July morning with the temps floating around the mid-seventies, for Kansas – no breeze and just enough fluffy clouds to keep the sun from getting it too toasty too fast. These were all the ingredients to make the visit among the original ‘Guardians of the Prairies’ near perfect for myself and my sidekick ‘Lenny’ as I made it through without any episodes of SoB (short of breath) – exciting it was. Of course maybe the excitement of the close interaction with the big bulls and the mommas guarding the babies helped.
But now as I jot down my current status for this ‘Lenny (my COPD/Asthma) & Me 4 Today’ I do know I am just worn out, feel like I ran a marathon. This tells me I pushed my limits the past 24 hours with the ballgame and the buffalo visit, but it was worth it and I know with some rest today and tomorrow I will recuperate.
One more thing, I have even been grateful to not have a whole slew of firework frenzies in the neighborhood which has helped keep the noise and most importantly the smoke to a minimum this Fourth of July weekend. And watching the local community firework celebration, well I can just walk out to the very end of my backyard, park my lawn chair and look west as the city performs their duty just 6 block away.
So I ask all to stay safe, breath well and enjoy your Fourth of July weekend.
And that my friends is where ‘Lenny’ (my COPD/Asthma) and me are at 4 today.
I continue a request to all to hold Kaycie Chapman down in New Zealand in your thoughts, prayers and blessings as she continues her courageous sharing of her battle with emphysema/asthma/COPD – and she continues to do it with the level of faith and hope for which we all should hope we will have when our battle and travels become much, much worse. Prayers and Blessings Kaycie.
NOTE TO REMEMBER: Sometimes we share what may seem like medical information, but we are only giving descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer and more medical founded information.
As always – if you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.
Remember – a person without breathing is a person without life itself.
I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.
(Copyright@2015, CrossDove Writer through wheezingaway.com)
(Image (‘Guardian of the Great Prairie’) used by permission from CrossDove Photography, any rights reserved and use available by written permission only.)
DISABILITIES DAILY 