Introduction

After many months of thinking about writing about my experiences and with recent encouragement from Dana, I have decided to plunge into the world of blogging. My promise to you, dear reader, is to be honest. In order to do that, I must remain anonymous.

In 2005 at the age of 52, I was diagnosed with a rare lung disease called Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. No, I never smoked. It is a restrictive lung disease as opposed to obstructive lung diseases like emphysema, asthma and chronic bronchitis to name a few. There are over 200 restrictive lung diseases. It is a bad diagnosis.

With this blog, I will write about being diagnosed and the processes that followed medically, legally, socially and emotionally; current status; family.

An illness is often harder on the caregivers and loved ones than the person who is dealing with the illness. My walk through the final stages of life is with my best friend, my husband of 37 years. To understand how we are able to go through this with a positive attitude and humor, I need to share our beginning.

So that is the plan. You may have noticed the photo of this first blog. Every time I tell someone that I have a lung disease, they immediately look at my chest as if they can use their x-ray vision to see it. Thus, the photo of my chest.