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Faye's Story
I used to smoke about a
pack of cigarettes a day but quit when I suddenly started coughing
up blood. I was finally diagnosed as having severe emphysema and
bronchiectasis last August after being hospitalized for a week
due to a massive hemorrhage from my left bronchial tube. So far
the only treatment given me to date is Combivent 2 puffs 4 times
daily. Antibiotics are prescribed if and when they are needed.
X-rays are taken every so often to moniter the diseases progress.
So far I have not been put on oxygen outside the hospital.
I was also hospitalized in November 1999 for coughing up blood,
but the doctor who was supposed to be a pulmonologist only diagnosed
emphysema. He never did a lung scope and never ordered the dye
for the catscan. When I asked him why I was coughing up blood,
he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Who knows?"
like it was some kind of joke. Needless to say I never went back
to that doctor. He has since left the area, and now practices
in another state. 
The doctor I now have is very good according to several people
in this area. Believe me, I learned to ask and check out the doctors
from the November experience.
Anyway, like yourself, I live in the country. My husband & I own
an 11 acre campground, which has a one mile road running the length
of it. We also have a creek bordering one side of the grounds.
I am 58 years old and my husband is 76. Like you, I thought I
would be the one to take care of him rather than him me. He is
slowing down though and that frightens me as I don't know how
I will cope if he gets sick. It is very scary to think about.
 I understand
your dread of forest fires. Our property is also heavily wooded.
I had to curtail campers from building bonfires because of the
possibility that it could get out of hand. Wood burning chokes
me up if the smoke blows toward our house, so not permitting camp
fires helps. However, that doesn't stop our next door neighbors
from burning their trash, or burning green wood in their wood
stove. The neighbor lady is a respiratory therapist so you would
think she might have more consideration for those who live nearby.
Their house sits about 100 ft from our's and perhaps 50 ft from
the people on the other side of them.
When we first moved here we used the wood burner fireplace but
it always backed up on start up. Even though we had it checked
and cleaned it still puffed smoke into the house on start up so
we stopped using it. That was about 7 years ago.
Funny how I never thought of such things as campfires and smoking
fireplace chimneys as detrimental to the enviroment and health then. I guess people just don't realize how these things combined with so many other chemically induced fumes will eventually take
their toll on everyone sooner or later.
I have always been very active and still try to get out and about
as much as possible, doing all the housekkeeping, foodshopping,
etc. Although lately it is getting harder to carry the groceries
up the stairs to the kitchen, and I find myself having to sit
down every so often in the middle of housework. Prior to being
hospitalized last August, I felt fine, mowing the lawn and campsites,
pruning tree's and gardening. Even traveling was a joy. However
since the hospitalization, I just do not feel the same anymore.
For the past 15 years I had trouble breathing around certain "smells"
such as perfumes, hair sprays, scouring cleansers, window cleaning
fluids, etc. Air freshners and perfumes are the worst however.
Especially Musk, and Este Lauder's Beautiful. I quit smoking February
9, 1997. However I am still chewing nicorette gum. (2mg pieces
which I quarter so each piece gives me .50mg of nicotine) I bought
a box of Tide laundry detergent which I thought did not contain
any perfume. (The label did not mention if there was a scent added
or not.) Since the laundry detergents are being altered so much
right now, ie: tablet forms, bleaches added, package changes,
etc., I thought perhaps they decided to eliminate the word, "Free"
from the packaging. When I did the laundry with it I couldn't
smell anything as it was washing so I figured it was okay. Lo
and behold, after drying, it stunk to high heaven and almost knocked
me over! Of course I had to go to another store and diligently
hunt for the Tide "Free" label. (which cost \\$3.00 more)
Needless to say, I wound up having to do the laundry all over
again! What really makes me wonder is: Why should a box of detergent
without perfume added cost so much more than the same size box
of scented detergent? You would think it would cost more for the
scented product since it probably entails an additional process
in its production. Go figure!
Getting ready for Christmas and the trip to visit my family in
New Jersey took a lot out of me this year. I wound up having to
go to the ER shortly before the holiday and was put on ampicillin
and told to lay on my stomach across the bed and hang my head
to the floor to drain the bronchial tubes 2-3 times a day.
I felt so miserable that I left for home just three days after
Christmas, when I usually stay untill the middle of January. My
poor parents begged me to stay longer, but all I wanted to do
was get home to my own bed. My parents are smokers, and even though
they were very good about not smoking around me, the fumes still
emanated from the furniture, carpets and drapes. My Mom burned
scented candles trying to cover up the acrid smoke odors which
only irritated my condition. It was bitter cold outside the day
before Christmas and on Christmas day, but I still went out to
get some clean air in my lungs. My daughter had me come down to
see her new house the day after Christmas. I stayed overnight
on the couch but couldn't breath very well. She had a huge living 
Christmas tree near the couch and I wondered if that might have
caused the added distress on my breathing. I began to feel like
I was going to get worse if I stayed much longer so I told her
I was sorry but had to go home. Driving home I thought I must
be the worlds worst mother and grandmother for cutting my visit
so short. I have been feeling really bad ever since. Even though
the family seems to understand, I still feel like I was a big
disappointment to them with these health problems.
Quite honestly Linda, I went to NJ, thinking this might be my
last Christmas, and then to not even be able to enjoy the time
I spent there really made me depressed. I feel so sad and lonely
now, like life is never going to be the same again. I wonder if
I will be able to travel a little easier in the spring or during
warm weather. I have a slide in camper on my truck and love traveling.
Two weeks ago I knocked my back out and laid in bed for two days
babying it. The second night I woke with a gurgling in my chest
and throat around 4 in the morning. It was another hemorrhage!
I panicked and jumped out of bed thinking I needed to call for
help and get dressed to go to the hospital. Well the pain that
ripped through my back toppled me right back in bed. I laid there
for a few agonizing minutes yelping, groaning and moaning about
having insult added to injury. Then thought, calm down, take it
easy. Spitting up more blood, all I could think was "the
hell with it, if I die, I die." After ten minutes or so the
hemorrhage subsided, the back pain eased up, and eventually I
drifted back to sleep.
 After
being resigned to dying, it kind of surprised me when I woke up
later that morning! If I didn't have the bloody proof in the wastebasket
I would have thought I dreamed it all, since I actually felt pretty
good when I finally crawled out of bed for the day.
Deciding to prepare for the worst, I packed an overnight bag in
case of another hospital stay. Waiting to see how things went
I didn't even bother calling the doctor to report the incident.
My insurance doesn't cover office visits or outpatient services,
so that was part of the reason for waiting too. Well, the bag
is still packed, and I seem to be okay. I am still alive. Sometimes
it helps to see the humorous side of our problems.
I put seed out for the Cardinal's, Chickadee's and Titmouses earlier.
It's amazing how much those little birds eat! Have to fill the
feeder at least every two days. The feeder is by our screened
porch off the living room so I don't have to walk in snow to fill
it. I love watching my little wild birds feed. They are well behaved
too, not squabbling over the seed like the Robins and Blue Jays
do. We have an abundance of wild blackberry bushs and nut trees
which I gather berries and nuts from to store in the freezer so
they can be put out for the deer, chipmunks and birds during harsh
winter weather. The deer are very skittish so don't come too close
to the houses. I think that is because they have learned to not
trust people; hunting being a #1 pastime in West Virgina. The
birds and chipmunks are more trusting though. They don't take
off in a panic at the sight of a human approaching.
On poor days I ask, "Will I make it through the winter
without another hemorrhage and hospitalization?" How bad will it get? How
long will I be able to function? On good days, I am grateful I can still
feed the birds, and thank God for the blessings in my life.The questions go round and round in my head about life and death, about doctors, insurance, money, medicines, etc. Sometimes I wonder if anyone in
my family really has a clue about what I am facing, even my husband doesn't
seem to care as he still looks to me to do everything for him. I will
continue to do whatever I can but these last few months have made me realize
that instead of getting better, I am slowly getting worse. I used to hop
right out of bed each day, now it takes me an hour or more to get up. Going
shopping was never my cup of tea, but I never dragged myself around the
stores like an old woman huffing and puffing like I do now.
Last Updated: 2/18/02
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