Bobbie Pendleton

Awareness of Every Breath You Take with every move you make. Leaving the doctor's office that day October 2013, I was in complete shock and total denial. I had just been given a death sentence buy a pulmonologist I had never met before. Earlier that week I had visited my GP for a general health check up. When she listened to my lungs as part of the procedure she said I hear crackling and I thought well I must have a little bit of a cold going on. I had heard other doctors mention crackling in the past years but nobody was ever alarm. This time my GP said I think we should have this checked out by a pulmonologist. I thought what a waste of my time because I felt  extremely healthy. But of course as we do I followed up with the appointment. Little did I know it was that day in October that change my destiny as I knew it. I was just diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis also known as IPF. This is a scarring of the lungs turning into honeycomb blocking oxygen from entering the organ. It takes on many different forms with different patients. The disease can crippled the lungs quickly or it can progress slowly in stages where it plateaus and then declines. Each time losing oxygen capacity eventually supplemental oxygen is the only prescription to help comfort the patient. There is no cure and the only hope would be a lung transplant from a lung donor. This is the beginning of my Journey with IPF a rare deadly disease. And my hopes for a successful lung transplant. I might mention I have never been a smoker, or worked in a coal mine or any environment that would harm my lungs. That's why they call it “idiopathic” meaning not knowing the origin.

I invite you to follow me on this journey along with my wonderful daughter Tanja and wonderful support group Kay, Bob & Eddie, Deborah, Jim who will be leading me through this journey in my darkest hours..