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Meet my friend Ruth, the one sitting in this trio's center.
I was honored to meet her while living in our former home. She was my new Creative Memories referral lady.
I knew the day we met we'd be friends and forge a kindred type of bonded friendship, right from the get go, especially after she opened her front door upon our first face to face introductory moment.
You see, when she opened her door and I entered inside to partake of her annual Christmas open house, I noticed immediately the oxygen tank sitting in the corner to the right ahead of me, and I quickly took a deep breath when I noted the extra long tubing laying along the hallway corridor flooring, the one also attached to her nose. (she took it off for the photo above)
Excusing the obvious situation I stumbled upon, she told me she had labored breathing because she suffers from a lung disease, namely Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Sadly, I was indeed very familiar with that one already, one of the three my husband's lung walls are also inflicted with.
What a coincidence to meet her the afternoon after my husband's respiratory appointment, the one where my husband was just offered a dreadful summation that he might live another 18 months or so until a transplant would be necessary for survival.
At that point in time, that appointment had to be THE toughest day of our journey, only three months before our 30th wedding anniversary celebration.
Here, when I thought I was going for a little reprieve from our hard news, instead, met this wonderful *angel* of a woman. Tears stung my eyes, a big grin came voluntarily.
"My Lord,
you just knew I would need this woman in my life this day..."
We chatted soon after for three hours!
Last weekend, I never knew I would be visiting Ruth when I ventured on a mini road trip and was in her neck of the woods. When a mutual friend (the other sitting with us) alerted me she wasn't doing well, I felt led to have a visit with her, and the three of us enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea together.
I also wanted to introduce you to my sweet friend Ruth, because as her lung disease continues to degenerate, and though she has only been diagnosed for five years, it has begun to affect her heart, blood pressure issues have been increasingly difficult and bone density problems due to the immune suppressants are beginning to take their toll on her.
My husband and I have been a bit relentless, coaching and mentoring her to become proactive and good things are coming her way.
I'm filled with joy and just tickled pink to announce that after her recent referral, she will soon be participating as a patient in the respiratory physiotherapy bootcamp, the one we are so thankful for ourselves, the one my husband still participates in twice weekly and has for well over a year now, following his stay in the program for seven weeks last year.
Ruth will also be finding out if she is a candidate for a double lung transplant, at least one lung for sure, as she has recently discovered her left lung does not function well anymore.
Sadly, her health condition didn't have to come to this point yet, loss of faith from her poor diagnosis and delayed treatment was part of the problem and lack of proper care has been a continual woe for her. Happily though, the bootcamp will knock her socks off and get her stronger physically.
If anyone out there suffers from Pulmonary Fibrosis and lives in Canada, here is a wonderful support website you may wish to visit;
Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Could you please keep this lovely friend in your prayers for the medical journey she will be walking ahead, praying she gets into the respiratory program real soon to improve her physical strength, and for the medical system here to accelerate her case, as in, take care of this woman properly? It would mean so much to us.
With thanks...
