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and , , this was very well put. , just take it a step at a time and learn all you can. My motto is to focus on the things we CAN do and not the things we can't. And, as said to realize the beauty in life. We are here to help in any way we can. You can cry,vent,scream,share or just "listen" to what is going on on the board. Most of us GET what you are going through and initially it is hard to cope. Support groups are a great benefit if there is one available for you. If not, most hospitals offer "lung" support groups that would include patients with pulmonary fibrosis. We have to get our disease heard. When I went through rehab all the books, etc. were geared to COPD. Our disease is different. People need to know were out here and we need help. Leanne

wrote: Hi ,We all know what your feeling, or most do. My father also had PF, which is what I was diagnosed with in 9/05. I know and saw what he had to endure. This was a little over 20 years but he did survive 10 years after he was diagnosed. I am the same age he was at that time and I am 55. It is a scarry disease but it is also one disease that you can live your life to the fullest each day, who's to say you will die from this disease, it could be a number of other things

that could catch us. Push yourself to do the things you want to do without putting yourself in harms way of coming down with some illness (cold, flu, etc.) I am also on O2, 24/7 and also don't like it but I have to breath and that is one way to help me get around.I know when I was first diagnosed, I was depressed for a while but then I realized there was nothing I could do to change what was going on with my body so I had to accept it. Then I started to see how beautiful everything in this wonderful world is, how loud some birds sing and others are quite. How some trees really move thier leaves when the wind blows and others the whole tree moves. There are so many things to look at now that I didn't see before.My daughters also know what is to come with this disease, even though they were small (5 and 8) when their grandfather passed, they still remember what he went through so when I had to tell them what was

going on with me it just about tore my heart out. They want me to have a transplant and I have been accepted to be on the tranplant list as of March 30, 2007, so hopefully the wait won't be to bad.I started a journal when I was first diagnosed and put everything down on paper for my family if I didn't make it, this has helped me alot with getting my feelings out. Try that it will help. Join a support group or two in your town, that is also a great help, they know what your going through too.Your family is a great support but they don't know what your feeling or what your going through, talk to them and let them know, they WILL understand. We are always here for you too.Good luck.

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