more about me

[Guest guest]

Well, my name is Judy Brown and I am 63 yrs. old. I live in SC with

my husband Joe and 3 dogs.(2 Goldens and a Lab) Every day they bring

me great joy..the dogs!!! hahahah. My husband Joe tries but he isn't

an emotional type person so he isn't someone I can talk to about most

things.

I have 5 grown, married kids who all live up north. Three of them

came at Christmas with their families and I was completely

overwhelmed. It made me realize how much I have slipped in a fairly

short time.

I was diagnosed this past April 07 but was previously mis-diagnosed

for more than a year. The family Dr. kept insisting I had a bad case

of asthma plus pneumonia and I needed to " ACCEPT IT. " After 5 weeks

of antibiotics with no change in me or my xray, he finally agreed to

send me to a Pulmonologist. That changed my life for the good and

bad. He did many tests, ruled out Asthma and sent me for a CT Scan.

Also, he put me on oxygen 24/7 as my breathing was very labored. When

he diagnosed me with IPF he said I was at the serious end of the

disease. I do feel myself slipping and that scares me.

We have no medical insurance and I can't get any. I was also denied

Soc. Sec. Dis. and have a lawyer to fight it. I really need medical

and a chance to get on the Transplant list. It doesn't look likely

for me and that makes me feel depressed if I think about it too much.

Still, I try very hard to keep a positive attitude and not dwell on

the things I can't do anymore. Instead, I think about all the things

I can still do and feel blessed. I need a support group. And

hopefully, I can be support to others as well. I will always be

available to talk whenever anyone needs a friend. I am one who likes

to give back. So, again, thank you all for being here!

judybrown63

04-07 IPF SC