“You’ll be fine. You’re just depressed.”
How many times have you heard a doctor tell you that—when you KNOW something is seriously wrong? Marilyn heard the exact same thing.
“I ain’t depressed,” she told her doctor.
It had started with a cough that Marilyn just couldn’t shake. Pills were given, but no real concern. That is, until a chest x-ray led to a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
IPF is one of the world’s WORST, most insidious diseases.
It is characterized by scarring of the lung tissue, to the point that it hardens, which prevents oxygen from getting to the bloodstream. Symptoms including coughing, hacking, and shortness of breath.
There is no cure for IPF. There is treatment; but nonetheless, the condition worsens over time, eventually ending in death. Typical life expectancy is 3-5 years.
However, there have been those who live with IPF for over 10 long years.
After Marilyn was diagnosed, she was immediately put on 24-hour oxygen, which “made a big difference,” she says. She even has a access to portable oxygen, which has enhanced her quality of life.
Marilyn believes her life has remained normal. She has traveled around the world and spent precious time with her grandchildren, who keep her going.
“I do my best to pull through,” Marilyn says. “I don’t think I’ve been bad.”
Click here to view Marilyn’s story on the British Lung Foundation’s website.
