PATIENCE: ALLOWS LIFE TIME TO FALL INTO PLACE (from "An Iota of Truth" BlogSpot)
It’s
been 53 days since I was placed on the lung transplant list and I thought it
was time to pass along a few insights – on patience in particular, since that
is what my last blog was about.
First,
patience definitely is not something that is inherently there just because you
think it is.
Next,
is patience really all it is cracked up to be?
And
finally, when have you been REALLY tested?
What
exactly am I getting at? I have some great analogies I will save for the
next blog, but for now, just think about this … what have you done lately that
required more patience than you thought you had. And then, how did you
handle it when you were surprised you didn’t have it in the abundance you
thought you had it.
Just
some food for thought, since I have been processing this concept over and over. Maybe you can help me uncover some great secret I'm missing out on.
Now going a different direction, several
of you have asked a little more about how I got into this predicament in the
first place, of having my lungs wreck havoc with my life. The answer to
the first question I am always asked: NO, I have never smoked, nor have I
ever been around second hand smoke other than getting in and out of WalMart. If
you don’t understand this reference, your local WalMart must have a more effective
employee smoking area.
So
here is the story, the short and oh so sweet version: In 1994, I was
diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Fast forward to 2008. After
extensive evaluations at Scott and White in Temple, Mayo Clinic in Minnesota,
and National Jewish in Denver, I was finally diagnosed with bronchiolitis
obliterans as a result of my rheumatoid. This happens in approximately 2%
of patients with RA. Oh yes, that feeling of being special is coming through
loud and strong.
According
to its definition, BO is "a rare and life-threatening form of non-reversible
obstructive lung disease in which the bronchioles (small airway branches) are
compressed and narrowed by fibrosis (scar tissue) and/or inflammation.”
How’s that for a fairly crummy way to start your day?
Even
with supplemental oxygen, the progression of the disease has been gradually
affecting my ability to live life the way I was expecting I would. It is especially noticeable with physical exertion. On
my last Pulmonary Function Test, I was at 21% lung function and dreaming of what it would
feel like to be 100%. However, do you have any idea how many things
you can do while sitting? To Don’s dismay, I haven’t perfected cooking,
but I am working on organizing my photographs in preparation for digital
scrapbooking, I just got Photoshop Elements so now I have to learn how to use
it, I have been known to play a computer game here and there, I have gotten
addicted to Pinterest, I am working on a few very fun projects, I have downloaded
all my CDs into iTunes, I am trying to computerize all my files of papers, but
there is so much more I still haven’t gotten to yet. There just aren’t
enough hours in the day!
What
does the future look like? With new lungs I will walk out of the hospital
without supplemental oxygen! But they say it will be about 6 months to a
year before I am back in the swing of things. And then for the rest of my
life, I will be on gazillions of dollars’ worth of fabulous drugs that will
enable me to keep on living … and Don to keep on working? And/or great insurance
that doesn’t cancel me!
So, the big question is: Has patience let my life fall into
place? Stay tuned for Part 2…….
And
that is the short and sweet. Now, what am I requesting of you?
Continued prayers of course, but let me be specific:
1. For the continued presence of God in my understanding of patience.
2. For those people with severe health issues who don’t have the incredible support system I have.
3. As always, for the family whose loss will be my gain.
Love you all for your continued support and prayers,
Nancy
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