"You Are Too Young"

Before the rehab class each week, we wait in the lobby to be invited to enter the gym. The reason is that the educational piece of Pulmonary Rehab has their class ahead of ours. We have to wait for them to finish before we are allowed in the room.

Sometimes, if there is a straggler, someone will be waiting to have their vitals read before they leave. Last Thursday, that was exactly what happened. There was a new woman to the program who was waiting for her numbers to fall into place before she was allowed to leave. She took one look at me and said, “You are too young to be here!”

The assumption was that I was a smoker and developed emphysema too young.

Alyson, the RN looked at me, I looked back at her then turned to the woman and said with a smile, “And even more shocking is that I am probably the sickest person in the room!” Alyson then responded, “Yes, she is!”

The lady looked aghast. I took off to the warm-up area.

With the diet, I have noticed a change to my prednisone fueled moonface. It is beginning to appear less swollen. When I was with Dr. M-J last week, she said that if she didn’t know all the medications I take, she would never guess that I am ill just by looking at me.

I love that. I hope my perseverance and spirit shines through. I hope the endless exercising is paying off. I hope the diet feeds all the good stuff my body needs to be happy. I hope I remain stable.