Re: HI JIM< New To Group

[Guest guest]

Hi Jim,

My name is G. and I have been dx with IPF in 5/07. My wife found this site in April '08 and I didn't participate until about 5-6 weeks ago. Since then I have become edicted to this place---what with all the different personalities, issues and problems that we all experience with our lives. I come from a big family --8 boys (Dr. told my mom she owed her life to the guy that invented Valum), so I have the same feelings about big families that I am sure you and your wife have (loved every minute of it). I admire you and your wife adopting, that takes a special person to make that commitment and X4 leaves me speechless other than WOW (my mom had 8 trying to get a girl--with no luck).

You will find some very loving and caring people on this board and even though they have a multitude of issues of their own---they will drop everything and do what they can to help you. They truly are an "air" family with alot of heart and love to send your way when needed.

When I read your "Bio," (4 times), the first thing that came to mind was an old saying about---"Its not how many years you have lived in your life,---but how much life you have lived in your years." You are definitely a head of the game and more miles to go. I do think that there is a time when we need to stop and re-evaluate where we are at and take care of ourselves. Sounds like you have given yourself 2 options---which ever way you go-- your health should be a priority-----it appears you have done alot of giving in your live----lets

make sure Jim is considered in your decision. Sorry about my sermon---the beauty of it is it deletes. Take care and Welcome aboard.

G. UIP/IPF 5/07 AZ.

Subject: New To GroupTo: Breathe-Support Date: Monday, June 16, 2008, 3:52 AM

Hi, I am new to this group and would like to introduce myself. My name is Jim and I live in Junction City, KS which is 120 miles west of Kansas City along I-70. We are right next to Ft. Riley. I am 56 years old, been married for almost 34 years and have 6 children. My wife and I had 2 biological daughters and then adopted a family of 4 kids - 2 boys and 2 girls. At the time of adoption they were 5,7,8,9.Three years ago yesterday, one of my adopted daughters passed away from Hepatitus C she contracted sometime during her first year of life. She was 26 yrs old. All the rest of my kids are from 26 to 32.I was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic with IPF AND Sarcoidosis in September 2000, a month after my brother passed away from IPF. He had lived 10 years from the time of diagnosis and was number 1 on the lung transplant list at Mayo Clinic when his right lung collapsed. They found that he

had holes in his lungs. After re-inflating it and being in the hospital from April to June, he was released to only have it collapse again in July and then pass away in August,2000. We have not been able to establish any environmental cause of his or my IPF and no other family member has any signs of it. They diagnosed my diseases with xrays, blood work, PFTs and an Open Lung Biopsy.I have two distinct lung diseases...how fun!!!I was started initially on the dreaded prednisone with all of it's side effects. Eventually 9 months later, I was phased off of prednisone and onto Imuran. It seemed to keep my status stable and "steady". In 2005, the Imuran seemed to stop working and they swiched me back to prednisone for a few months and then onto Cellcept - an anti-rejection med for post-transplant patients. I am currently on 2000 mg a day and am stable - although I have gradually had to have more and

more o2 to function. I have had to be hospitalized for pneumonia and/or congestive heart failure in the last 8 years. MY x-rays and CT scans don't show an enormous growth of fibotic tissue but my symptoms have become worse until I am on 6 lpm of o2 and that doesn't keep me from getting out of breath when I walk. It just makes it bearable.I am still working as a School Social Worker full-time, carrying and dragging my o2 along with me from building to building as I work in 3 different schools. (I laughed in 2000 when my Mayo CLinic doctor suggested that I stay away from people who are sick and large crowds. I am exposed to 1,000 kids a week and whoever they are exposed to as well.) I also teach parenting and fatherhood classes in the evenings. Of course, I am exhausted a lot - who isn't these days - and try to get my rest but I have - how do they put it..."miles to go before I sleep". I

am thinking that this might be my last school year to work as I am not sure how I can make it if I keep getting worse. My attitude about my disease is positive although it wouldn't have been my choice to get it. Ha! I am sure I will have other questions to ask about later on but the main question I am dealing with is when and how to tell the "public" that I have IPF. Now that may sound weird, but I have not told the people I work with about having IPF. They obviously know I have a problem when I have been on o2 24/7 for the past 3 years. They know I have Sarcoidosis which they understand has only a 10% mortally rate but only a handful of close friends and of course my family, know about the IPF. You might ask why I haven't told anyone and the reason is that I didn't want them to treat me differently and I do not trust one of my supervisors who has a lot of control over where I work, etc. I

have been concerned that if he knows the extent of my problem, he may start limiting what I can do based on HIS idea of what I need ...not mine. Also, our HR department has become very strict in the past few years about sticking strictly to regulations no matter what the situation. I didn't and don't want them to control what I do either.My problem is that I feel that I may not be able to work much past this school year and I thought I should reveal my situation to my co-workers now and use my situation to inform others about IPF. I would like to start a local IPF/Lung disease support group, as we don't have one within 100 miles. I can't do that without people knowing what I have as our community is small and the grapevine works VERY well. As a result of the parenting classes I teach and my public speaking in the community, I am known in a broad circle of interconnecting groups. It would be a

matter of a week before the word would spread. What are your thoughts on my situation? Should I tell them at the beginning of the school year or wait until I actually have to quit working? If I wait until then, I may not have the energy or "time" to start the support group.Jim