Alice Raylene (May) Boggs and James Howard Boggs (Ben)

I was born in 1946, my Mom moved in with my grandparents, in a little town called Blaine, in Eastern Ky. Asthma was just never diagnosed then. My Mother and Grand mother would take "shifts" sitting up with me when I had what they thought was the Croup. I would cough non stop. They had an old glass vaporizer, and Granny made a chest rub out of turpentine, kerosine and grease. Can you believe that? It helped to ease the coughing.

When I was 3, I had whooping cough and diptheria. I was always short of breath but not severely after I started school, I had more than my share of "croup", which of course was probably asthma attacks.

I did smoke from time to time when I was with my crowd, trying to fit in,I smoked a few off and on till I was in my early 20's, but Doctors say there's no connection to the COPD. I was never a heavy smoker. It smothered me so bad I had to quit altogether.

I married young and had by 2 babies by the time I was 20. At 18, I was told I had asthma and was put on medication. I was a rural mail carrier. Believe me in Eastern Ky. it gets pretty "rural". I was on gravel and dirt roads some. I continually got worse through the years, being out in the elements, dust, ink from newspapers, very cold winters. I was in and out of hospital 2 or 3 times a year.

I don't remember the year but I was told by my doctor I had COPD as a result of severe asthma, it wasn't bad at the time so it didn't really sink into my mind. I could never breathe like everyone else anyway.

I had to give up my job 13 years ago, three years later, I got my disability. Social Security, I had drawn from a policy I had through the mail route for about 2 or 3 years.

Every year I have gotten worse as time goes by. I am 54 now, last November I went in hospital with the worst asthma attack and lung infection I had ever had. It finished off what elasticity I had left in my lungs. The doctor says I have no air ways, and/or none of my lungs are worth saving, they are all worn out from he stress of trying to breathe all my life. I have been on 02 24/7 since. I take Slo-Bid, Singular, Attarax, (for allergy and nerves) inhalers, Combivent, Advair diskette and in Nebulizer I use Xopenex, Atrovent/saline every 4 hours. I will go for heart tests Aug. 17, I don't know if I am a candidate for a double lung transplant but they will find out. I don't even know if I want to do it yet or not. I have to make up my mind soon.

By the way, I didn't get worse on second hand smoke either. The doctor told my husband when our children were small that he could not smoke around me. He quit, and I don't allow anyone to smoke in my house.

The Lord has brought me this far and I pray to do God's will in the decision of the transplant.