Worried About Sherman

Yesterday was my last day of the rehab class before our road trip. I am growing concerned. Sherman is not breathing well. In rehab, he is cutting down on his time on all the apparatus. That is not a good sign. I am not sure the RN has noticed.

He finds he is depending on supplemental oxygen more and more. He says he just can’t breathe and puffs so hard after exertion. After nudging him to go to the doctor, she didn’t seem to be concerned. I guess this is part of the process of Sherman’s disease. Emphysema. Horrible. If only people could see how he has degraded so quickly, they would never smoke.

I was told that if one smoked, there is a chance of getting cancer if one has a genetic pre-disposition. But, there is a 100% chance of getting emphysema. It isn’t pretty. It is ultimately what killed my dad, too.

Smoking was so popular during WWII, which was Sherman’s and my dad’s generation. What is our excuse now? We know the long-term damage it does to the lungs. We educate our children on its dangers. There are warning labels on each pack, for heaven’s sake.

Why do people still smoke?