quiet afternoon

[Guest guest]

I went to my parents' to have lunch today with my

aunt. My mother, who has dementia, still knows who

all of us are and can answer questions. On some

days she even seems fairly alert. But her short-term

memory is shot, and she's VERY repetitive, asking

my dad about every 2 minutes what they're doing

tonight. It's so sad. At least she is blessed to be

surrounded by patient and loving family and

caregivers in her own home. If any of you are going

through the same thing with your parents, my heart

goes out to you.

Tina,

No matter where your journey leads you, you honor

Kaleb and yourself by being honest with him. My

children are 24 and 28. They are coping pretty well

on the surface with my disease, but it is very hard

on them. I've been a single mom since 1992, and

they already know the pain of losing a parent. But

when you can maintain honest and spontaneous

communication, you show respect for the other

person. Kids are capable of grasping so much more

than we give them credit for. My children have

amazed me with some of their comments regarding

life, death, and our relationship. Honest sharing at

an age-appropriate level is one of the greatest

legacies you could leave Kaleb at any age, and one

that he'll remember and respect you for always. But

I know it's hard. Having this disease and having

children just don't seem to go together in any

parent's scenario. God bless you and give you

strength and wisdom.

May,

The Burrell sounds fantastic. It must be a real

treasure chest of special and unique items. I

love the sound of the glass wall and greenery

as well.

The glitz on your clip, shoes, and bag for the

wedding sound perfect for the event. Ooooh,

I want photos!

May, I'm glad you've got a concentrator. It does

sound fairly obvious that you need to obtain

portables, too. If you drop below 90 you're

getting into the danger zone, which isn't good

at all for your body. Keep in mind that, even on

my high flow, I still saturate at 97 or 98 at rest

(and not talking), and I'm a very sick woman who

needs a transplant yesterday. I hope you won't

encounter difficulties getting what you need.

Vicky,

I think the U of MI sounds like an excellent idea.

I'd be glad to see you have another round of

heart tests to check out the ole ticker.

The hang-up on oxygen suppliers isn't a problem

with my current supplier. They've said I'm not

contractually bound to them. And my insurance

company said they're fine with my switching. It's

just the new guys who have cold feet, who want

me to wait until Wednesday while they check

with the higher ups. hmmm. I am hopeful that this

will be resolved when they realize that they're

dealing with outdated and Medicare-related

information. Cross your fingers!!!

Ken,

Grrrrrrreat news on the test numbers! Well done!

Hugs and blessings,

Gwynne 56 IPF 7/04 listed for transplant 3/07 and

2/08 Texas