November ILD Meeting and Birthday

     On Tuesday, Susan and I met for lunch at the food court at the university hospital before the November ILD meeting. The speaker was to be James Mitchell, PhD who was to teach us about Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.  MBSR is a practical tool for dealing with stress, pain and anxiety that can be implemented throughout the day, anytime, anywhere, using the resources of the mind and the body.     
     Well, he never showed up. But, I think it was the best meeting I have attended. The time allowed for a group discussion on a number of topics. What was most clear was that the every person in the room was there in search of information or conversations with other people who have their exact ILD but further down the road. It was also interesting that every person in the room had GERD. 
     I had to laugh out loud when Sally asked if there was anyone who did NOT feel they were a Type A personality. Silence! This does not mean that only Type A personalities get an ILD, but it may reflect the typical Type A's search for information, education for facts and an urge to drive their own medical needs. 
     Stress. Susan and I realized that we were both under extreme stress before we contracted our ILD. During the meeting, she was mentioning that stress is important to manage as it has been shown to cause other diseases like cancer. Well, that hit a tender spot of one woman who accused her of "blaming the patient." What Susan and I had been talking about between us is a need to study whether a long run of extreme stress allows something to diminish and an ILD to take hold.
     Many, many more subjects were discussed but I was so involved, I didn't take notes! I probably shared more personal information at this meeting than any previous ones and left feeling like I talked too much. I need to watch that next time.
     I guess that type of reflection occurs more often as we get older. Well, I got older yesterday. I am now 58-years old. 58. Sliding into 60 quickly.
     The day was normal - rehab, butcher, Trader Joe's - and I even was able to take a nap in the sun on the sofa in the family room. Michael and I got dressed in warm clothing and hit the road with the top down in our new car for a drive along the ocean and into the redwood trees. It took an hour to arrive at a restaurant on the ridge with glorious views and the full moon just as the sun was setting. 
We sat in the lounge in front of the huge fireplace to get warm, chatted with the bartender we met three months ago on our anniversary, ordered two appetizers then sat back and relaxed. It was perfect. Just what I wanted and needed. We began a conversation with a lovely woman, Michael bought her a drink, she moved to a table near us and had an appetizer for her dinner, too. She was a singer. A lounge singer who had a really lovely voice. We talked music. As he was paying our bill, Michael quietly paid hers. I am sure it was a pleasant surprise. 
     I drove home - with the top up! - where we arrived at 7:30 which is proof that we are now officially old! Ha!