Re: Introduction Janie

[Guest guest]

Hi Janie: I was put on hold in Aug 2007 and I was re evaluated in Dec 2008 and

advised as to my status since they figured they will kill me on the Operating

Table. I was very upset at first. Now I have gone through a Pulmonary Rehab

Program in Feb 09 for 8 weeks and learned how to breathe and exercise. I have

also learned to do some deep breathing exercises by doing some yoga. I go for

exercising three times a week. I try to take my 12 year old Pomeranion ( Prince)

for morning a evening walks when possible. I also drive now and my wife and I go

for drives as often as possible. My daughter lives in Cambridge and is the

reason we moved to Cambridge in 2007. I have my days but I try to do the best I

can and we both pray every morning and evening because my wife is my strength.

My wife Pratima is very religious and keeps me on the straight and narrow when I

am down.

I could not ask for a better partner.

Regards

Pravin

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> > From: Jane Roush <janieann54@ yahoo. com>

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> > Subject: Introduction

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> > To: Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. com

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> > Date: Sunday, July 19, 2009, 4:06 PM

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> > Hi All,

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> > I recently joined the group and have found it to be very helpful.  My name

is Jane (Janie), I am 55 years old and live in northern Wisconsin.  I was

diagnosed with IPF in October of 2004--the year I turned 50.  What a wake up

call that was!

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> >  The first pulmonologist I saw diagnosed it immediately but said there was

nothing they could do for me at their facility and referred me to Mayo Clinic in

MN.  Luckily, I had a friend that was able to pull some strings and I was seen

at Mayo in 12/04.  At that time, I was put on massive doses of prednisone (60 mg

at first) and Imuran.  I was not able to tolerate Imuran--it made me violently

ill--so I was put on CellCept (2 grams/day).

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> >  Doctors there thought I was a good transplant candidate since I was healthy

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> > course, for my lungs. After going through the evaluation in August of 2005,

I was accepted as a candidate and continued with my 3 month evaluations and

signed up for every study group that wanted me.  In June of 2006, in a routine

CT scan for one of the research groups, they discovered a lump in my thyroid.  A

biopsy revealed that it was " suspicious " so I had part of my thyroid removed in

7/06..  It turned out to be malignant but had not spread so I needed no further

treatment.  I was inactivated on the list for 6 months to be sure I remained

cancer free.  After the 6 months, I was #1 on the list and told to have

transportation arrangements in order and my bags packed for when I " got the

call " .

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> >  Then in Spring of 2008, I started feeling very fatigued, weak and the

shortness of breath increased to the point that I could hardly get out of bed.. 

Blood tests revealed that I was anemic so I again was inactivated on the

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> > list and scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy.  The colonoscopy

revealed a baseball-sized tumor and surgery was scheduled in 5/08.  The tumor

was malignant but encapsulated so, once again, I needed no chemo or radiation. 

Best case scenario if you have to have cancer.  The bad news is I was taken off

the list for 5 years (4 years now) to be sure the cancer doesn't reoccur.

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> > Whew. .. . are you still with me?  So now I am taking the best possible care

I can of myself with wonderful support and love of family and friends.  This

disease has been a blessing to me in many ways, as strange as that sounds.  I've

learned to take one day at a time, look for the beauty and good in each day, and

to count my blessings.

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> > Thanks for listening and I look forward to chatting with all of you.

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> > Janie

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